Maria Barna @mbarnalab.bsky.social · 25/09/2026Last chance to register for the ribosome heterogeneity and translation control meeting. Selected talks from abstracts and an excellent lineup of speakers! Please repost and register today! 053
Reposted by Maria BarnaFusion Conferences @fusionconf.bsky.social · 27/08/2026Our speaker line-up is almost complete for #TCCO, do you wish to be a part of it? There are several presentation opportunities available at this meeting, send your abstract to amy@fusion-conferences.com before 19 November to be considered. Sign up for updates here - bit.ly/4yAFomu 154
Reposted by Maria BarnaFusion Conferences @fusionconf.bsky.social · 22/07/2026Protein synthesis is one of the most energy-intensive & highly regulated processes in biology, yet its role as a dynamic driver of cellular and organismal function remains underexplored. Join our #TCCO conference, to share research & collaborate to answer big questions in the field. bit.ly/4wkNzBU 032
Reposted by Maria BarnaJournal of Clinical Investigation @jci.org · 17/07/2026Here's a peek at the associated Commentary by Carlos Carmona-Fontaine: doi.org/10.1172/JCI1... 022
Reposted by Maria BarnaJakub Zeman @jakub-zeman.bsky.social · 02/07/2026Leo (@kurianlab.bsky.social) and I put together a Technology preview for Molecular Cell on Ribo-Tweezer, a method that enables the removal of a ribosomal protein from a fully assembled ribosome. Check the original study published by @mbarnalab.bsky.social! authors.elsevier.com/c/1nN3p_Oylr...authors.elsevier.comPlease wait whilst we redirect youAll content on this site: Copyright © 2026 Elsevier B.V., its licensors, and contributors. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies. For all open access content, the relevant licensing terms apply. 052
Reposted by Maria BarnaNature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology @natrevmcb.nature.com · 30/06/2026New Online! Plucking cellular ribosomes with Ribo-Tweezerdlvr.itPlucking cellular ribosomes with Ribo-TweezerNature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, Published online: 30 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41580-026-00998-6In this Tools of the Trade, Chen & Cheng (Barna lab) describe the development of Ribo-Tweezer, a method that enables the targeted degradation of individual ribosomal proteins of the cytoplasmic ribosome. 074
Reposted by Maria BarnaFusion Conferences @fusionconf.bsky.social · 23/06/2026We're delighted to announce a brand new meeting series, joining the Fusion community in May 2027. *Translational Control - From Cells to Organisms Conference* 📅Date: 22 - 25 May 2027 🌏Location: Durrës, Albania Sign up for updates to find out more information on the conference: bit.ly/4eGxaQG 174
Maria Barna @mbarnalab.bsky.social · 24/06/2026Registration is now open for this very exciting meeting on Ribosome Heterogeneity and Translation Control @stowersinstitute.bsky.social . Come join us! There will be open slots for talks. 063
Maria Barna @mbarnalab.bsky.social · 21/05/2026We hope Ribo-Tweezer opens the door to dissecting how ribosome composition, ribosome-associated proteins, and specialized translation programs shape development, disease, and cell fate. Paper here: authors.elsevier.com/a/1n8Ig3vVUPZOauthors.elsevier.com 020
Maria Barna @mbarnalab.bsky.social · 21/05/2026This work was led by the incredible Yuxiang Chen and Ching Pin Cheng, with Kitra Cates and many wonderful collaborators. Deeply grateful to the whole team and to our collaborators @ruggerolab.bsky.social , Sharon Pitteri, @anshulkundaje.bsky.social , and others. 100
Maria Barna @mbarnalab.bsky.social · 21/05/2026We also applied Ribo-Tweezer to other ribosomal proteins, including RPLP0 and RPLP1, and found distinct, non-overlapping translational programs. This supports the idea that individual ribosomal proteins can have specialized regulatory roles. 100
Maria Barna @mbarnalab.bsky.social · 21/05/2026Even more striking, RACK1 removal pushes mouse embryonic stem cells toward a neural progenitor-like state, and this change is reversible when RACK1 is restored. This suggests that a ribosomal protein can directly influence stem cell identity. 110
Maria Barna @mbarnalab.bsky.social · 21/05/2026Using this approach, we found that removing RACK1 from mature ribosomes causes selective translational changes — especially increased translation of KRAB zinc-finger transcription factors — revealing a surprising layer of translation-to-transcription coupling. 100
Maria Barna @mbarnalab.bsky.social · 21/05/2026Ribo-Tweezer solves this by tethering a degron system directly to mature cytoplasmic ribosomes. In essence, it acts like a molecular tweezer: removing a chosen ribosomal protein from assembled ribosomes, quickly and specifically, while leaving the rest of the ribosome intact. 110
Maria Barna @mbarnalab.bsky.social · 21/05/2026For decades, ribosomes were often treated as uniform machines that simply make proteins. But growing evidence shows that ribosomes can be heterogeneous and regulatory. The challenge has been: how do you perturb individual ribosomal proteins to study them? 100
Maria Barna @mbarnalab.bsky.social · 21/05/2026’m thrilled to share that our paper is out in Molecular Cell! We developed Ribo-Tweezer, a new technology that lets us rapidly and reversibly remove specific proteins from mature ribosomes to ask what they actually do in translation. 1227
Maria Barna @mbarnalab.bsky.social · 13/04/2026Interesting symposium on ribosome heterogeneity sponsored by Science: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...us02web.zoom.usWelcome! You are invited to join the following webinar: 2025 Westlake Science Symposia. After registration, you will receive a confirmation email with information on how to join the webinar.Ribosome heterogeneity is rapidly emerging as a transformative concept in molecular biology, challenging the long-standing view of the ribosome as a monolithic, generic protein factory. Accumulating d... 030
Reposted by Maria BarnaJob Dekker @jobdekker.bsky.social · 24/01/2026I had the privilege to meet artist Mary Griffiths. Mary got inspired by Hi-C maps and over zooms we spoke about Hi-C maps, patterns and drawings. Mary’s Hi-C inspired art has been exhibited eg the Royal Academy. We wrote this piece about this art-science collaboration pubs.aip.org/aip/bpr/arti...pubs.aip.orgSeeing into Hi-C: How our scientific connectivity revealed the close connections in our DNA to be a work of artScientific data can be beautiful. An example where the data itself have a particularly striking appearance even before any scientific meaning has been ascribed 13210
Reposted by Maria BarnaJonathan Pritchard @jkpritch.bsky.social · 11/12/2025GWAS has been an incredible discovery tool for human genetics: it regularly identifies *causal* links from 1000s of SNPs to any given trait. But mechanistic interpretation is usually difficult. Our latest work on causal models for this is out yesterday: www.nature.com/articles/s41... A short🧵:nature.comCausal modelling of gene effects from regulators to programs to traits - NatureApproaches combining genetic association and Perturb-seq data that link genetic variants to functional programs to traits are described. 318682
Reposted by Maria BarnaDr. Jaye Gardiner @jayeperview.bsky.social · 06/12/2025First science session of #CellBio2025! 🧫🧪 Co-organized by @iaincheeseman.bsky.social and @abbybuch.bsky.social on the importance of the physiological context on studying cell biology. As a big fan of the ECM, I couldn’t agree more! 0154
Reposted by Maria BarnaAbby Buchwalter @abbybuch.bsky.social · 01/12/2025It's an amazing time to be a cell biologist, as new tech makes probing cellular processes in physiological contexts more tractable. This is the theme of a Special Interest Subgroup that @iaincheeseman.bsky.social and I are hosting at #cellbio2025. Join us on Saturday 12/5! @ascbiology.bsky.social 3235
Reposted by Maria Barnadaphnarothschild.bsky.social @daphnarothschild.bsky.social · 19/11/2025Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes are found in hundreds of copies in the human genome. Do sequence variations in these paralogs change the ribosome function? Yes! I am excited to share our new preprint @mbarnalab @jkpritch in collaboration with Calico: www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1... 1/8 276
Reposted by Maria BarnaVikram Paralkar @paralkarlab.bsky.social · 06/11/2025Mutations in mitochondrial rRNA are recurrently observed in cancers! 😳🤯 0101
Reposted by Maria BarnaLiam Faller @liamfaller.bsky.social · 13/10/2025First ad for a position in my new lab at the University of Bristol! If you are looking for a fully funded PhD in cutting edge science that will be based in a supportive environment, and in a great city, check out the link below! www.findaphd.com/phds/project...findaphd.comFunded PhD: Understanding the role of the ribosomal P-stalk in immune responses at University of Bristol on FindAPhD.comPhD Project - Funded PhD: Understanding the role of the ribosomal P-stalk in immune responses at University of Bristol, listed on FindAPhD.com 158
Reposted by Maria BarnaIain Cheeseman @iaincheeseman.bsky.social · 11/10/2025An epic story and a must read. This is really beautiful work to understand the most amazing monthly regeneration event - menstruation. The authors reconstitute this process in mice (which don’t normally menstruate) allowing important new insights. Will also be a powerful model for future work. 0173
Reposted by Maria BarnaDevBioStanford @devbiostanford.bsky.social · 08/10/2025Congratulations to Dan Jarosz on being named the first associate dean for basic science in the Stanford School of Medicine! news.stanford.edu/stories/2025...news.stanford.eduDan Jarosz becomes first senior associate dean for basic scienceJarosz is the inaugural appointment to the newly created position, which will support basic science faculty throughout the Stanford School of Medicine. 001
Reposted by Maria BarnaRyan Flynn @raflynn5.bsky.social · 30/09/2025Reminder to register for “Cracking the Code: Nucleic Acid Medicines Coming of Age” a Nature Conferences here in Boston, December 8th - 10th! natureconferences.streamgo.live/cracking-the... Great line of up RNA speakers covering basic and translational nucleic acid biology+recent clinical successesnatureconferences.streamgo.liveCracking the Code: Nucleic Acid Medicines Coming of AgeThe 2025 conference brings together leading academics and industry professionals to explore developments and challenges in the rapidly evolving field of nucleic acid medicines. By uniting researchers ... 0237
Reposted by Maria BarnaWaggoner Lab @labwaggoner.bsky.social · 25/09/2025Mouse studies show that depriving neuroblastoma of polyamine causes a switch in protein synthesis to suppress tumor growth and promote cell differentiation @nature.com @childrensphila.bsky.social @princetonupress.bsky.social www.nature.com/articles/s41... www.nature.com/articles/d41... 031
Maria Barna @mbarnalab.bsky.social · 25/09/2025Kathrin is definitely larger than life! Best recruit ever!! 061
Reposted by Maria BarnaKurianlab @kurianlab.bsky.social · 06/09/2025www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...sciencedirect.comRethinking RNA-binding proteins: Riboregulation challenges prevailing viewsRNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are best known as effectors along the entire gene expression pathway and as constituents of RNA-protein machines such as t… 02011
Reposted by Maria BarnaItai Yanai @itaiyanai.bsky.social · 31/05/202590% of doing science is being open to new ideas. 429071
Reposted by Maria BarnaYanjie Chao @yjchao.bsky.social · 08/05/2025Quality over quantity: Small RNA pauses translation elongation to lift protein activity: Molecular Cell www.cell.com/molecular-ce...cell.comQuality over quantity: Small RNA pauses translation elongation to lift protein activitySmall noncoding RNAs typically regulate the translation initiation of target mRNAs and thereby protein production. In this issue of Molecular Cell, Thongdee et al. discovered a novel regulatory mechan... 0198
Reposted by Maria BarnaUCSF Department of Urology @ucsfurology.bsky.social · 24/04/2025Dr. Davide Ruggero of UCSF has received a rare renewal of his prestigious ACS Professorship, recognizing his groundbreaking cancer research on protein synthesis. ✨ @ruggerolab.bsky.social @ucsfcancer.bsky.social urology.ucsf.edu/news/all/202... 082
Reposted by Maria BarnaAnders H. Lund @andershlund.bsky.social · 16/04/2025I am happy to share the latest paper from the lab. We detail a tripartite cell-free translation system based on the separation of mRNAs, ribosomes and ribosome-depleted cytoplasmic lysate from human cells, allowing for flexible reconstitution of translation reaction. #RNA #Ribosome 25028
Reposted by Maria BarnaShady Saad @shadys11.bsky.social · 21/04/2025I am incredibly proud to share that my work has officially been published in Cell! @cp-cell.bsky.social This work was a product of years of dedication and countless hours of research in the labs of Joanna Wysocka and Dan Jarosz labs @stanfordmedicine.bsky.social www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...cell.comDNA binding and mitotic phosphorylation protect polyglutamine proteins from assembly formationDNA binding and phosphorylation protect FOXP2, a transcription factor with the longest polyQ track in the proteome, from aggregation during interphase and mitosis. Harnessing these native solubility-p... 310424
Reposted by Maria BarnaKurianlab @kurianlab.bsky.social · 16/04/2025www.cell.com/cancer-cell/...cell.comSmall-molecule RNA therapeutics to target prostate cancerKuzuoglu-Ozturk et al. showcase a therapeutic approach, “translatome therapy,” to combat lethal prostate cancer. Zotatifin, a clinical molecule, targets the RNA-helicase eIF4A. Zotatifin decreases the... 072
Reposted by Maria Barnaadelexu.bsky.social @adelexu.bsky.social · 31/03/2025This started out as two separate projects, actually! 🤝 @mbarnalab.bsky.social has long been interested in comparing the composition of ribosomes in different parts of a cell, since localized mRNA translation is such an important aspect of gene regulation and protein homeostasis. (2/18) 101
Reposted by Maria BarnaCarolyn Bertozzi @carolynbertozzi.bskyverified.social · 08/03/2025Exciting new work from Barna Lab @stanfordmedicine.bsky.social www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...science.orgA subcellular map of translational machinery composition and regulation at the single-molecule levelMillions of ribosomes are packed within mammalian cells, yet we lack tools to visualize them in toto and characterize their subcellular composition. In this study, we present ribosome expansion micros... 321458
Reposted by Maria BarnaThe EMBO Journal @embojournal.org · 13/03/2025The crux of rigorously characterizing #IRES: Kathrin Leppek @katleppek.bsky.social, Maria Barna and colleagues compile a toolbox of approaches to study internal #ribosome entry sites in mammalian cells and embryonic tissues www.embopress.org/doi/full/10.... 0157
Maria Barna @mbarnalab.bsky.social · 22/03/2025Thanks so much Liam! I’m just setting up my BlueSky account right now. 000
Maria Barna @mbarnalab.bsky.social · 22/03/2025Thanks so much Carolyn! I’m just setting up my BlueSky account right now. 041
Maria Barna @mbarnalab.bsky.social · 13/03/2025A terrific collaboration between my lab and the lab of @KatLeppek. 000
Maria Barna @mbarnalab.bsky.social · 08/03/2025Very proud of my graduate students @adelefrancisxu and Zijian Zhang & key members of our lab and collaborators @GarryPNolan & Sharon Pitteri lfor the incredibly hard work to characterize subcellular ribosomes. science.org/doi/10.1126/sc…science.orgA subcellular map of translational machinery composition and regulation at the single-molecule levelMillions of ribosomes are packed within mammalian cells, yet we lack tools to visualize them in toto and characterize their subcellular composition. In this study, we present ribosome expansion microscopy (RiboExM) to visualize individual ribosomes and ... 010
Maria Barna @mbarnalab.bsky.social · 05/02/2025Amazing and inspiring story on RNA binding proteins and translation specificity! Congrats to all! x.com/RuggeroDavide/… 000
Maria Barna @mbarnalab.bsky.social · 11/12/2024Very grateful for the support from @pewhealth for this project and @travisclantz who is an amazing graduate student who is taking the lead on getting this project off the ground! x.com/pewhealth/stat… 000
Maria Barna @mbarnalab.bsky.social · 04/10/2024So happy to be with amazing former postdocs at the RNA Canada 2024 meeting!! I’m so happy that @OZhulyn is dressed in pink!! 010
Maria Barna @mbarnalab.bsky.social · 17/09/2024Great Highlight of the @RuggeroDavide and colleagues latest paper. A really unexpected and hidden role for eIF4E phosphorylation! x.com/NatureRevCance… 000
Maria Barna @mbarnalab.bsky.social · 07/08/20249/9 This major effort was led by @D_Rothschild_, Theo Susanto, @xsui98, @spence_jeffrey_, @WangXiaoLab, and others and co-supervised by @jkpritch. Congratulations! 000
Maria Barna @mbarnalab.bsky.social · 07/08/20248/9 Cancer-specific rRNA variant expression is found in the TCGA dataset. By comparing cancer and control biopsies, we find cancer-specific rRNA variant expression in different cancer types, including an increase in lowly abundant rRNA variants. 110
Maria Barna @mbarnalab.bsky.social · 07/08/20247/9 We discover in the GTEx dataset tissue specific rRNA variant expression levels, including rRNA variant expression level differences between brain tissues (derived from the ectoderm lineage) and digestive system tissues (derived from the endoderm lineage). 120
