Frances Yap
@ribo1214.bsky.social
Principal Investigator | Northwestern University Microbiology-Immunology | #RNA #ribosome #antibiotic resistance #AMR #MRSA | hails from 🇲🇾 by way of 🇹🇼 |Views are my own. 🧪 🧬🔬💉
Pinned
Frances Yap
@ribo1214.bsky.social
· Dec 1
Homepage | Yap Laboratory
sites.northwestern.edu
🚨The Yap Lab at Northwestern Univ is looking to fill 2 postdoc positions in 2026 to study aspects of Staphylococcus aureus antibiotic resistance and RNA synthesis-degradation. Please contact Frances Yap at [email protected] for details. sites.northwestern.edu/yaplab/. Pls repost #Microsky
Reposted by Frances Yap
Very interesting observation on the ribosomes of our distant relatives!
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Circularization of 23S rRNA but not 16S rRNA within archaeal ribosomes - Genome Biology
Background Processing of archaeal 16S and 23S rRNAs is believed to involve excision of individual rRNAs from polycistronic precursors, circularization of excised rRNAs, and re-linearization before the...
link.springer.com
January 30, 2026 at 11:39 PM
Very interesting observation on the ribosomes of our distant relatives!
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Reposted by Frances Yap
Our new preprint is out!
We describe the unusual wacky enzyme used by trypanosomes to initiate mRNA degradation😉
Funded DE/CZ/PL WEAVE-UNISONO @ncn.gov.pl
👉The trypanosome mRNA decapping enzyme ALPH1 prefers caps without m7G methylation and produces diphosphate-RNA doi.org/10.64898/202...
We describe the unusual wacky enzyme used by trypanosomes to initiate mRNA degradation😉
Funded DE/CZ/PL WEAVE-UNISONO @ncn.gov.pl
👉The trypanosome mRNA decapping enzyme ALPH1 prefers caps without m7G methylation and produces diphosphate-RNA doi.org/10.64898/202...
doi.org
January 30, 2026 at 10:30 AM
Our new preprint is out!
We describe the unusual wacky enzyme used by trypanosomes to initiate mRNA degradation😉
Funded DE/CZ/PL WEAVE-UNISONO @ncn.gov.pl
👉The trypanosome mRNA decapping enzyme ALPH1 prefers caps without m7G methylation and produces diphosphate-RNA doi.org/10.64898/202...
We describe the unusual wacky enzyme used by trypanosomes to initiate mRNA degradation😉
Funded DE/CZ/PL WEAVE-UNISONO @ncn.gov.pl
👉The trypanosome mRNA decapping enzyme ALPH1 prefers caps without m7G methylation and produces diphosphate-RNA doi.org/10.64898/202...
Reposted by Frances Yap
now online:
academic.oup.com/nar/article/...
academic.oup.com/nar/article/...
Structures of naked mole-rat, tuco-tuco, and guinea pig ribosomes—is rRNA fragmentation linked to translational fidelity?
Abstract. Ribosomes are central to protein synthesis in all organisms. In mammals, the ribosome functional core is highly conserved. Remarkably, two rodent
academic.oup.com
January 29, 2026 at 1:47 PM
now online:
academic.oup.com/nar/article/...
academic.oup.com/nar/article/...
Reposted by Frances Yap
Phage Portal Proteins Suppress Bacterial Stringent Response to Promote Infection https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.27.700999v1
January 28, 2026 at 2:18 AM
Phage Portal Proteins Suppress Bacterial Stringent Response to Promote Infection https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.27.700999v1
Reposted by Frances Yap
Strep/Enterococcal colleagues!
Streptococcal Biology GRC/GRS are open for applications. Acceptances are underway and the meeting is on track to fill up.
If you’re aiming for a short talk (lots of slots), registering early matters for full consideration.
Share widely!
www.grc.org/streptococca...
Streptococcal Biology GRC/GRS are open for applications. Acceptances are underway and the meeting is on track to fill up.
If you’re aiming for a short talk (lots of slots), registering early matters for full consideration.
Share widely!
www.grc.org/streptococca...
2026 Streptococcal Biology Conference GRC
The 2026 Gordon Research Conference on Streptococcal Biology will be held in Lucca (Barga), Lucca Italy. Apply today to reserve your spot.
www.grc.org
January 21, 2026 at 11:48 AM
Strep/Enterococcal colleagues!
Streptococcal Biology GRC/GRS are open for applications. Acceptances are underway and the meeting is on track to fill up.
If you’re aiming for a short talk (lots of slots), registering early matters for full consideration.
Share widely!
www.grc.org/streptococca...
Streptococcal Biology GRC/GRS are open for applications. Acceptances are underway and the meeting is on track to fill up.
If you’re aiming for a short talk (lots of slots), registering early matters for full consideration.
Share widely!
www.grc.org/streptococca...
Reposted by Frances Yap
Antitoxin-induced auto-phosphorylation neutralizes the nucleotidyltransferase toxin AbiEii from Streptococcus agalactiae to safeguard global translation https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.19.700257v1
January 21, 2026 at 3:17 AM
Antitoxin-induced auto-phosphorylation neutralizes the nucleotidyltransferase toxin AbiEii from Streptococcus agalactiae to safeguard global translation https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.19.700257v1
SBIT & STTR small business grants have gone dark. 🧪 . seed.nih.gov/small-busine...
January 20, 2026 at 8:41 PM
SBIT & STTR small business grants have gone dark. 🧪 . seed.nih.gov/small-busine...
Archaeal Arc-P & Arc-A ribosome hibernation factors from deep-sea methanogen Methanolobus #ribosome #RNASky
A dual-factor complex governs archaeal ribosome hibernation by sensing energy status https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.19.700304v1
January 19, 2026 at 10:08 PM
Archaeal ribosome hibernation factors on the roll lately, check out the SriA, C; SirB, D with distinct ribosome binding #ribosome #RNASky
A family of archaeal hibernation factors that bind in tandem and protect ribosomes in dormant cells https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.19.700200v1
January 19, 2026 at 9:48 PM
Reposted by Frances Yap
We are looking for a postdoc to work on mechanisms of #RNA decay in cancer using #cryoEM with #nanobodies and #minibinders! Please RT
January 18, 2026 at 2:30 PM
We are looking for a postdoc to work on mechanisms of #RNA decay in cancer using #cryoEM with #nanobodies and #minibinders! Please RT
Reposted by Frances Yap
Transformative discoveries, such as restriction enzymes, yeast cell-cycle mutants and CRISPR–Cas9, were once considered simply oddities of nature.
Let’s adopt more humility about predicting impact, which can truly be known only in retrospect.
Let’s adopt more humility about predicting impact, which can truly be known only in retrospect.
This view resonates deeply with me:
⬛ Publish fewer claims and more proof
Papers need to include fewer claims and more proof to make the scientific literature more reliable
What is driving today’s ‘claims inflation’?
1/3
⬛ Publish fewer claims and more proof
Papers need to include fewer claims and more proof to make the scientific literature more reliable
What is driving today’s ‘claims inflation’?
1/3
January 9, 2026 at 1:36 PM
Transformative discoveries, such as restriction enzymes, yeast cell-cycle mutants and CRISPR–Cas9, were once considered simply oddities of nature.
Let’s adopt more humility about predicting impact, which can truly be known only in retrospect.
Let’s adopt more humility about predicting impact, which can truly be known only in retrospect.
Reposted by Frances Yap
Tenure-Track Faculty Position in Microbiology
Come and join great students and colleagues at Hofstra Biology. Please apply using the link below and/or spread the word!
hofstra.peopleadmin.com/postings/6542
Come and join great students and colleagues at Hofstra Biology. Please apply using the link below and/or spread the word!
hofstra.peopleadmin.com/postings/6542
December 12, 2025 at 4:53 PM
Tenure-Track Faculty Position in Microbiology
Come and join great students and colleagues at Hofstra Biology. Please apply using the link below and/or spread the word!
hofstra.peopleadmin.com/postings/6542
Come and join great students and colleagues at Hofstra Biology. Please apply using the link below and/or spread the word!
hofstra.peopleadmin.com/postings/6542
Hypoxia-induced D(5S)m2449 and Cm(5S)m2498 modifications in the 23S rRNA promotes protein synthesis #MicroSky #RNASky 🧪 www.cell.com/molecular-ce...
Hypoxia-induced ribosomal RNA modifications in the peptidyl-transferase center contribute to anaerobic growth of bacteria
Ishiguro et al. identify stereoselective ribose-backbone methylations in the peptidyl-transferase
center of E. coli ribosomes, installed by the cobalamin-dependent enzyme RlmX. These
methylations, tog...
www.cell.com
December 11, 2025 at 3:08 PM
Hypoxia-induced D(5S)m2449 and Cm(5S)m2498 modifications in the 23S rRNA promotes protein synthesis #MicroSky #RNASky 🧪 www.cell.com/molecular-ce...
🔽 !!??? #RNASky 🧪
3' to 5' Translation of Circular RNAs? https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.08.692888v1
December 10, 2025 at 12:06 AM
🔽 !!??? #RNASky 🧪
Colibactin-DNA interstrand crosslinks structure reveals DNA-damaging acitivity of colibactin that is linked to colorectal cancer #MicroSky www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
The specificity and structure of DNA cross-linking by the gut bacterial genotoxin colibactin
Accumulating evidence has connected the chemically unstable, DNA-damaging gut bacterial natural product colibactin to colorectal cancer, including the identification of mutational signatures that are ...
www.science.org
December 4, 2025 at 10:07 PM
Colibactin-DNA interstrand crosslinks structure reveals DNA-damaging acitivity of colibactin that is linked to colorectal cancer #MicroSky www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
🚨The Yap Lab at Northwestern Univ is looking to fill 2 postdoc positions in 2026 to study aspects of Staphylococcus aureus antibiotic resistance and RNA synthesis-degradation. Please contact Frances Yap at [email protected] for details. sites.northwestern.edu/yaplab/. Pls repost #Microsky
Homepage | Yap Laboratory
sites.northwestern.edu
December 1, 2025 at 4:45 PM
🚨The Yap Lab at Northwestern Univ is looking to fill 2 postdoc positions in 2026 to study aspects of Staphylococcus aureus antibiotic resistance and RNA synthesis-degradation. Please contact Frances Yap at [email protected] for details. sites.northwestern.edu/yaplab/. Pls repost #Microsky
Structure of the Hibernating Francisella tularensis Ribosome and Mechanistic Insights into Its Inhibition by Antibiotics https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.11.25.690415v1
November 26, 2025 at 2:33 AM
Reposted by Frances Yap
POSTDOCTORAL POSITION IN STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY
We need a structural biologist to work on several CryoEM datasets. For more information, please visit: www.antonylab.org
Expertise in structure refinement and model-building are required.
Please share.
We need a structural biologist to work on several CryoEM datasets. For more information, please visit: www.antonylab.org
Expertise in structure refinement and model-building are required.
Please share.
ANTONY LAB SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
Edwin Antony Lab Website
www.antonylab.org
November 18, 2025 at 7:05 PM
POSTDOCTORAL POSITION IN STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY
We need a structural biologist to work on several CryoEM datasets. For more information, please visit: www.antonylab.org
Expertise in structure refinement and model-building are required.
Please share.
We need a structural biologist to work on several CryoEM datasets. For more information, please visit: www.antonylab.org
Expertise in structure refinement and model-building are required.
Please share.
Reposted by Frances Yap
Excited about Kolya Aleksashin's new work, enabling preparation of active in vitro translation systems from primary human cells and difficult-to-edit cells (fibroblasts and cardiomyocytes). This opens new opportunities to probe mechanisms of translation regulation.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Overcoming the eIF2α Brake in Human Cell-Derived Translation Systems
Cell-free translation from human cells is a powerful platform for studying mammalian gene expression and building synthetic biology tools, but productivity is often curtailed by inhibitory phosphoryla...
www.biorxiv.org
November 18, 2025 at 6:29 PM
Excited about Kolya Aleksashin's new work, enabling preparation of active in vitro translation systems from primary human cells and difficult-to-edit cells (fibroblasts and cardiomyocytes). This opens new opportunities to probe mechanisms of translation regulation.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Not all RelE toxins are created equally. RelE1, E2 cut 16S rRNA, RelE3 degrades mRNA in a ribosome-dependent manner. #MicroSky #Ribosome 🧪 #RNASky ⬇️
Two M. tuberculosis RelE toxins don’t cut mRNA, they slice 16S rRNA itself, shutting down translation in a totally unexpected way, new study reveals.
A big leap in understanding TB’s survival tricks and new angles for therapies.
📖 shorturl.at/Z8MVX
✍️ @genevauxpierre.bsky.social & coll.
#MicroSky
A big leap in understanding TB’s survival tricks and new angles for therapies.
📖 shorturl.at/Z8MVX
✍️ @genevauxpierre.bsky.social & coll.
#MicroSky
November 18, 2025 at 6:56 PM
🩶 the carefully done experiments by Imlay's lab about commonly used dye to measure ROS. #MicroSky 🧪 www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Fluorescein-based dyes are not valid reporters of oxidative stress in bacteria, and conclusions based on their use must be reconsidered | PNAS
Dihydrodichlorofluorescein derivatives have been employed as reporters of intracellular
reactive oxygen species (ROS) in innumerable studies. Their...
www.pnas.org
November 18, 2025 at 6:31 PM
🩶 the carefully done experiments by Imlay's lab about commonly used dye to measure ROS. #MicroSky 🧪 www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Reposted by Frances Yap
I am so excited to share our project with you! We find prokaryotic proteases activate toxic enzymes and pores as a modular strategy in phage defense. We studied four fascinating protease-toxin pairs that are abundant across bacterial genomes:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Proteolytic activation of diverse antiviral defense modules in prokaryotes
Linked protease–effector modules are widespread in prokaryotic antiviral defense, yet the mechanisms of most remain poorly understood. Here we show that four of the most prevalent modules—metallo-β-la...
www.biorxiv.org
November 15, 2025 at 11:49 PM
I am so excited to share our project with you! We find prokaryotic proteases activate toxic enzymes and pores as a modular strategy in phage defense. We studied four fascinating protease-toxin pairs that are abundant across bacterial genomes:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Structural insights into the chaperone role of uncharged tRNA(Arg/Gln) in viral RNAP assembly #RNASky 🧪 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
tRNA as an assembly chaperone for a macromolecular transcription-processing complex - Nature Structural & Molecular Biology
Here, the authors solve a series of cryo-electron microscopy structures that show how transfer RNAs (tRNAs) can guide the assembly of the multisubunit poxvirus RNA polymerase, uncovering a role of tRN...
www.nature.com
November 15, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Structural insights into the chaperone role of uncharged tRNA(Arg/Gln) in viral RNAP assembly #RNASky 🧪 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Frances Yap
Eric Green, who was director of the NHGRI until [he was forced out] this spring, has served on more than two dozen search committees for NIH leaders.
The process “has worked amazingly well for decades,” he says, and including non-NIH scientists “added broad and deep expertise”…
The process “has worked amazingly well for decades,” he says, and including non-NIH scientists “added broad and deep expertise”…
Is NIH cutting corners as it rushes to fill leadership positions?
Unlike in the past, agency searches appear to exclude help from outside academic researchers
www.science.org
November 14, 2025 at 11:30 PM
Eric Green, who was director of the NHGRI until [he was forced out] this spring, has served on more than two dozen search committees for NIH leaders.
The process “has worked amazingly well for decades,” he says, and including non-NIH scientists “added broad and deep expertise”…
The process “has worked amazingly well for decades,” he says, and including non-NIH scientists “added broad and deep expertise”…
Reposted by Frances Yap
Hearing a rumor that NIH/HHS may now plan to retaliate against other Bethesda Declaration signers.
I am one, but it’s not about me: we have been speaking out because of the ongoing damage to US medical research, cancer and Alzheimer’s research.
As @jenna-m-norton.bsky.social put well: 1/
I am one, but it’s not about me: we have been speaking out because of the ongoing damage to US medical research, cancer and Alzheimer’s research.
As @jenna-m-norton.bsky.social put well: 1/
November 14, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Hearing a rumor that NIH/HHS may now plan to retaliate against other Bethesda Declaration signers.
I am one, but it’s not about me: we have been speaking out because of the ongoing damage to US medical research, cancer and Alzheimer’s research.
As @jenna-m-norton.bsky.social put well: 1/
I am one, but it’s not about me: we have been speaking out because of the ongoing damage to US medical research, cancer and Alzheimer’s research.
As @jenna-m-norton.bsky.social put well: 1/