Sign in

Christopher P Jones

@cpricejones.bsky.social
212 followers 351 following 168 posts

RNA structure geek using X-ray crystallography and cryoEM, unknown soldier in a doomed battle against barbarism

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Christopher P Jones
Rachael Kretsch @rachael-kretsch.bsky.social · 20/05/2025
Nucleic acid structural biologists expose that many CASP16 predictions, even ones obtaining high scores by CASP metrics, are inaccurate in the most functionally relevant regions! Read more insights on functionally relevant features by the expert structure determiners (doi.org/10.1101/2025...).
doi.org
Functional relevance of CASP16 nucleic acid predictions as evaluated by structure providers
Accurate biomolecular structure prediction enables the prediction of mutational effects, the speculation of function based on predicted structural homology, the analysis of ligand binding modes, exper...
1124
Christopher P Jones @cpricejones.bsky.social · 07/05/2025
Over the last 100 days at the NIH, the Trump administration has been dismantling science. In this Medium post linked below, I describe what the last 100 days have been like for an scientist at the bench, doing research on RNA viruses. #science #RNA medium.com/@jones.cpric...
medium.com
The last 100 days at the NIH
Overview: My contract at the NIH was terminated on 25 April 2025. However, my science and NIH research more broadly have been stifled ever…
042
Christopher P Jones @cpricejones.bsky.social · 04/04/2025
What’s next? Tariffs against Arrakis?
000
Christopher P Jones @cpricejones.bsky.social · 03/04/2025
“Let there be an epsilon > 0” takes me back to my Analysis days in college. I just wish the epsilon here were a dummy variable and not just dumb.
000
Christopher P Jones @cpricejones.bsky.social · 02/04/2025
Excited to share my latest research. In this paper in PNAS, I use #cryoEM and #crystallography to solve multiple new structures of a viral RNA motif that controls frameshifting. #virus #retrovirus #structuralbiology #science #biochemistry www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
pnas.org
Structural switching dynamically controls the doubly pseudoknotted Rous sarcoma virus–programmed ribosomal frameshifting element | PNAS
A hallmark of retrovirus replication is the translation of two different polyproteins from one RNA through programmed –1 frameshifting. This is a m...
2196
Christopher P Jones @cpricejones.bsky.social · 01/04/2025
Trees in our backyard blooming 😍😍
000
Reposted by Christopher P Jones
Princess Vimentin PhD | Cancer Biologist @princess-vimentin.bsky.social · 24/03/2025
My friend from graduate school found out that funding for her NF1 project got pulled. From $25 mil to 0 with a stroke of a pen. NF1=Neurofibromatosis Type 1, an inherited genetic disorder. Both of us are early career scientists. 🧪🔬🧬 #Science #AcademicSky www.wired.com/story/the-ch...
Depiction of the status of early career scientists. Instagram.
18349117
Christopher P Jones @cpricejones.bsky.social · 24/03/2025
Kate Shaw on Preet is like the eclipse of my two favorite legal podcasts @strictscrutiny.bsky.social and @preetbharara.bsky.social . I just wish it weren’t about whether we still have a Constitution.
000
Reposted by Christopher P Jones
Rebecca Fielding-Miller @rebeccafieldingmiller.com · 22/03/2025
Today I lost an NIH grant training clinicians to do research about intimate partner violence with perinatal women. More women are murdered in the perinatal period than die of obstetric complications. I didn't just lose a grant. We lost an entire cohort of people building careers to prevent that.
849288099020
Reposted by Christopher P Jones
Ariel Beccia @albeccia.bsky.social · 21/03/2025
my NIH grant was terminated today - the grant that pays my rent and my bills and my loans and my health insurance - because I study how to improve the lives and wellbeing of queer people #episky #medsky
64835306
Reposted by Christopher P Jones
Dr. Tiffany A. Flowers @drtiffanyaflowers.bsky.social · 20/03/2025
DOGE laid off 10,000 postal workers today. Farewell to the US Postal Service – more than 10,000 employees will be laid off following the agreement signed with DOGE unionrayo.com/en/usps-job-...
unionrayo.com
Farewell to the US Postal Service - more than 10,000 employees will be laid off following the agreement signed with DOGE
A season full of twists is coming to the United States, as the United States Postal Service (USPS) has confirmed that more than 10,000 employees will be laid
92092704709
Reposted by Christopher P Jones
Carl T. Bergstrom @carlbergstrom.com · 19/03/2025
1. For the past thirty years I've had the best job in the world. 
I've had the opportunity to follow my curiosity; explore the workings of nature and society; mentor students and junior colleagues in the same process; and teach generations of students about it all.
382585927
Christopher P Jones @cpricejones.bsky.social · 20/03/2025
Since the cherry blossom festival is happening soon, I am expecting an announcement any day now that DOGE is cutting them all down
000
Christopher P Jones @cpricejones.bsky.social · 19/03/2025
Liberation day, when the dollar will be liberated from the tyrannical yoke of value
000
Reposted by Christopher P Jones
Kelton Minor @keltonminor.bsky.social · 18/03/2025
There are days in life that shake you. I’m shattered 💔 to share that I just found out that the US Government terminated my 2024 NIH Director’s Early Independence Award (~$2 million), threatening my long-promised assistant professor job at Columbia University & academic career... 1/🧵
932028824
Reposted by Christopher P Jones
Pam Herd @pamherd.bsky.social · 17/03/2025
NIH is likely cutting up to 25% of its workforce this week. NIH staff have substantial expertise, typically PhDs. And they really *believe* in the work. NIH's will not be able to meet its mission w/these cuts. The scientific threat is not just direct funding cuts www.statnews.com/2025/03/14/n...
statnews.com
At NIH, ‘everyone is on edge’ as they brace for deep cuts and more centralized control
As the NIH braces for cuts of up to 5,000 of its 20,000 positions, “people are scrambling and freaking out,” a researcher said.
8481253
Reposted by Christopher P Jones
Alex Wayne @aawayne.bsky.social · 16/03/2025
Exclusive: NIH officials have advised scientists to remove reference to mRNA vaccines from their grant applications, in expectation the Trump administration intends to abandon most research in the field. By @arthurallen202.bsky.social kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
kffhealthnews.org
Scientists Say NIH Officials Told Them To Scrub mRNA References on Grants - KFF Health News
Two senior scientists say National Institutes of Health officials advised them to remove references to mRNA vaccines in grant applications, and they fear the Trump administration will abandon a promis...
1532059992
Christopher P Jones @cpricejones.bsky.social · 13/03/2025
Without scientific progress, no amount of achievement in other directions can insure our health, prosperity, and security as a nation. -Vannevar Bush, requoted in this week’s New Yorker
000
Reposted by Christopher P Jones
Eric Strobel @estrobel.bsky.social · 10/03/2025
Our paper describing our Transcription Elongation Complex Display platform for high-throughput cotranscriptional RNA functional assays is now online at @naturecomms.bsky.social: www.nature.com/articles/s41.... We used TECdisplay to assess the activity of >1M ZTP riboswitch variants!
nature.com
Systematic analysis of cotranscriptional RNA folding using transcription elongation complex display - Nature Communications
Understanding how RNA folds into functional structures requires methods that can systematically assess how sequence perturbations affect RNA structure and function. Here, the authors develop a broadly...
095
Christopher P Jones @cpricejones.bsky.social · 10/03/2025
Is it too much to ask that next time we vote for a President, we vote for an American?
000
Reposted by Christopher P Jones
Dr. Kat Napaaqtuk❄️ @napaaqtuk.bsky.social · 04/03/2025
Students: I cannot stress enough how powerful you are. People will tell you aren't because they want to quiet you, but you really are.
118671
Reposted by Christopher P Jones
Dominik Hrebik @dhrebik.bsky.social · 03/03/2025
I am very happy to announce that we solved the in-virus #cryoEM structure of the #HIV matrix protein. The structure helped us to resolve a long mystery in HIV biology. A🧵1/5 Read more in Nature: www.nature.com/articles/s41... 🧪
1025045
Christopher P Jones @cpricejones.bsky.social · 03/03/2025
Hmm all orders at NIH placed on hold until further notice … I have multiple papers accepted—must I stiff the publishers?
000
Christopher P Jones @cpricejones.bsky.social · 28/02/2025
Woohoo #rna paper accepted to PNAS, long post to come when embargo is lifted 🔥
010
Reposted by Christopher P Jones
Katherine J. Wu @katherinejwu.com · 27/02/2025
I talked to NIH officials, current and former, about what's been happening inside the agency since the Trump administration shut down their grantmaking pipeline in January. Their stories showed just how willing our new leaders are to break the law: www.theatlantic.com/health/archi...
theatlantic.com
Inside the Collapse at NIH
Administration officials pressured NIH to avoid clear advice from the agency’s own lawyers to restart grant funding now.
27857451
Reposted by Christopher P Jones
Randall Munroe @xkcd.com · 26/02/2025
RNA xkcd.com/3056
154177402542
Reposted by Christopher P Jones
Whitney Alese @thereclaimed.bsky.social · 24/02/2025
Nothing to see here. Just casually dropping a comprehensive list of banned books docs.house.gov/meetings/GO/...
docs.house.gov
67952344
Christopher P Jones @cpricejones.bsky.social · 22/02/2025
Kendrick’s “Alright” on loop for just over a month—is this healthy
000
Reposted by Christopher P Jones
Scott Delaney @scott-delaney.bsky.social · 21/02/2025
NIH indirects case update: Hearing ongoing now, and I'll try to live tweet some notable exchanges. Prior to more detailed arguments, Judge Kelley starts off with a few point questions to both sides: (I'm paraphrasing here)
14347196
Reposted by Christopher P Jones
Scott Delaney @scott-delaney.bsky.social · 17/02/2025
NIH indirects case update & summary of Trump admin’s args: - Trump admin not backing down - Oral argument this Friday, 2/14 - Hearing is to decide whether to extend the block - 1 hearing for all 3 cases Trump admin filed its arguments on Friday. Here’s some of what it’s arguing: 🧵
24629
Reposted by Christopher P Jones
Science Magazine @science.org · 12/02/2025
Lawrence Tabak, longtime principal deputy director of the National Institutes of Health, has abruptly resigned—surprising even his own lab staff and the broader community. scim.ag/4hR40OE
scim.ag
Top NIH official suddenly steps down
Lawrence Tabak had served in various roles in director’s office for many years
717586
Reposted by Christopher P Jones
Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 09/02/2025
F99/R00 AND K99/R00 DIVERSITY AWARD APPLICANTS If you have applied for a F99/R00 or K99/R00 Diversity award and the study section for review is not listed on your eRA Commons page, please reach out to me. DM me, email berg.grants.2029@gmail.com, Signal jeremymberg.78 THANK YOU
media.tenor.com
a picture of a cartoon character with the words call me on it
ALT: a picture of a cartoon character with the words call me on it
0124141
Christopher P Jones @cpricejones.bsky.social · 09/02/2025
#RNA crystals over the years #crystallography First real RNA crystals I ever obtained, a shower of plates
031
Christopher P Jones @cpricejones.bsky.social · 08/02/2025
#RNA crystals over the years #crystallography Buttery U1A crystals found ~8 months after setting up trays, going to 1.6-1.7 Å
000
Christopher P Jones @cpricejones.bsky.social · 08/02/2025
It would be unfortunate if universities had to charge higher tuitions (100x?) to the relatives of project 2025. It would also be unfortunate if they were expelled.
000
Christopher P Jones @cpricejones.bsky.social · 07/02/2025
#RNA crystals over the years #crystallography U1A RNA co-crystal ready for treatment
010
Christopher P Jones @cpricejones.bsky.social · 06/02/2025
#RNA crystals over the years #crystallography Prisms going through a phase
021
Christopher P Jones @cpricejones.bsky.social · 05/02/2025
#RNA crystals over the years #crystallography Prism growing on a highly concentrated phase or precipitate
010
Christopher P Jones @cpricejones.bsky.social · 04/02/2025
#RNA crystals over the years #crystallography Rectangular prisms going to 4 Å … so close yet so far away
020
Christopher P Jones @cpricejones.bsky.social · 03/02/2025
#RNA crystals over the years #crystallography SARS-CoV-2 PK: stunning prisms that poorly diffracted, even after many attempts of treatment and ideal growth optimization
021
Christopher P Jones @cpricejones.bsky.social · 02/02/2025
#RNA crystals over the years #crystallography Bizarre bundle of crystals, one apparently sending out feelers to the other
000
Christopher P Jones @cpricejones.bsky.social · 01/02/2025
#RNA crystals over the years #crystallography SARS-CoV-2 PK: looks can be deceiving, as these diffracted poorly
021
Christopher P Jones @cpricejones.bsky.social · 31/01/2025
#RNA crystals over the years #crystallography Giant SARS mofo that did not diffract worth a damn
000
Christopher P Jones @cpricejones.bsky.social · 31/01/2025
Welp, NIH intramural program has paused recruitment. There are some exceptions, but it seems like no new hiring of fellows, trainees, and summer students. Every summer, it is a joy to see students come to the NIH to try out research. It brings back fond memories.
000
Christopher P Jones @cpricejones.bsky.social · 30/01/2025
#RNA crystals over the years #crystallography RSV PK: happy rods poking out of a phase, requiring mechanical separation, 2.7 Å with two different structures from one asymmetric unit aka magical Christmas land
000
Christopher P Jones @cpricejones.bsky.social · 29/01/2025
#RNA crystals over the years #crystallography SARS-CoV-2 SL5: iridium soaked crystals for phasing, flat edge was attached to the cover slip, diffracting to ~3.5 Å after dehydrating in 1.4-1.6 M citrate 😬 that liked to precipitate during looping, phases were outstanding despite resolution
010
Christopher P Jones @cpricejones.bsky.social · 29/01/2025
Well we can order things now as long as it isn’t for new studies, equipment or research
000
Christopher P Jones @cpricejones.bsky.social · 28/01/2025
#RNA crystals over the years #crystallography SARS-CoV-2: gnarly needles that surprisingly went to 2.2 Å. Dehydration pushed them to 1.2 Å 😳, the best RNA crystals I’ve had by far, first time doing anisotropic B factor refinement
000
Christopher P Jones @cpricejones.bsky.social · 27/01/2025
#RNA crystals over the years #crystallography SARS-CoV-2 PK: crystals proving once and for all that, yes, SARS is a dick Alas, poorly diffracting form though
000
Christopher P Jones @cpricejones.bsky.social · 27/01/2025
Expanding particle event horizon #cryoEM #RNA
010