Ronald Breaker

Prof. Breaker is an RNA biochemist, Sterling Professor, and Dean of Science at Yale University with appointments in the Departments of MCDB and MB&B.

[Ronald Breaker @RonBreaker]

My lab at #Yale has two #riboswitch research openings: 1. Postdoc with mammalian gene manipulation experience (https://t.co/fxXkXLCMhP); 2. Postdoc (or BS, MS) with bioinformatics skills (https://t.co/SxZ3Pouz6I). Send your cv to me or to Kavita at [email protected].

[Ronald Breaker @RonBreaker]

Thrilled to receive a 3-year, $2.2M grant from the John Templeton Foundation to investigate mammalian #riboswitch RNAs that sense elemental ions and control genes for neurological processes. Excited for the discoveries ahead! @templeton_fdn

[Ronald Breaker @RonBreaker]

Some personal news: Today, I start my service as the FAS Dean of Science at Yale. It is a tremendous honor to help lead such a vibrant scientific community. I’m grateful for the opportunity and eager to support the groundbreaking research and teaching that defines Yale science.

[Ronald Breaker @RonBreaker]

#Guanidine was known since the 1870s to affect muscle function. Vertebrates have guanidine-sensing #riboswitch RNAs linked to genes relevant to muscle disorders, including some for Ca2+ signaling and others relevant to #ataxia symptoms. @NatureComms https://t.co/TdoTLvIL0t

[Yongli Zhang Lab at Yale @ZhanglabY]

Computational Biophysics and Biochemistry: Faculty Position Opening in the Department of Biophysics and Biochemistry at Yale.

[Ronald Breaker @RonBreaker]

My Yale team has exciting RNA research advances related to neurological disorders, with relevance to #bipolar, #autism, #Parkinson’s, and more. Seeking private or commercial funding for our next steps. Possible partners DM @RonBreaker or contact [email protected] for info.

[Ronald Breaker @RonBreaker]

@Szokoli_Deni Thanks for this message - and it is great to see a structure for this remarkable RNA. Still, no idea of its biological role. I've tried to secure funding for mass production of circRNAs using CP group II ribozymes, but sadly these proposals were rejected.

[Ronald Breaker @RonBreaker]

#ncRNA molecules are stranger than you think. We propose that OLE RNA is bacteria's functional mimic of
#mTOR. The Das lab at Stanford proposes OLE RNA penetrates cell membranes! They also find that RNAs we called ROOL and GOLLD form 8-membered nanocages. https://t.co/DQ7Zr5p6DT

[Ronald Breaker @RonBreaker]

In the new year, I will try to post the most exciting Breaker Lab science content on my #Bluesky account at... @ronbreaker.bsky.social

More interesting #riboswitch finds and other nucleic acid oddities are likely to come!

[Ronald Breaker @RonBreaker]

OLE #noncoding RNA always partners with OapA protein (unknown function). Chrishan Fernando used a computational approach to find that OapA anticorrelates with MpfA - a proven metal ion transporter. See @thechrishan for his posts on this odd #ncRNA story. https://t.co/rVGpAXsMd8

[Ronald Breaker @RonBreaker]

Here is a recent posting for a Lecturer position with the Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry (MB&B) at #Yale University. Please consider joining our research and educational community @YaleMBB and contributing to these important missions! https://t.co/xo2uJUn6zp

[Ronald Breaker @RonBreaker]

1000s of ligand-binding #riboswitch classes likely remain hidden in bacterial transcripts. In @NAR_Open, we report many new candidate #ncRNA classes (including the opuB riboswitch candidate shown below) discovered by careful bioinfo analysis of 50 genomes. https://t.co/uXGa9oimkv

[Ronald Breaker @RonBreaker]

X-ray structure of the azaaromatic #riboswitch in @CellDiscovery by Joe Piccirilli and colleagues @UChicago reveals how a #ncRNA forms a pocket that broadly binds planar, hydrophobic ligands. A parallel-eye stereoview shows plenty of base-ligand stacking.
https://t.co/JdKES8Z2Mm

[Ronald Breaker @RonBreaker]

The bacterial OLE #noncoding RNA is needed for cells to grow on most carbon/energy sources (except glucose or citrate) and to secrete proteins. This find suggests OLE (#ribozyme?) is part of a major regulatory apparatus of many Gram+ species. @PNASNexus https://t.co/nEvzoBL25V

[Ronald Breaker @RonBreaker]

Large, conserved #noncoding RNAs in bacteria with major biochemical functions are rare. Here is #raiA RNA, which has the highest % of strictly conserved nts of any #ncRNA known, and a complex structure. This must be a #ribozyme. See article at https://t.co/G5kJxmIEZE. @PNASNews

[Ronald Breaker @RonBreaker]

@PhoebeARice Hello Phoebe! Our Biochem Lab course is the main duty for this job, but Lecturers often contribute to other courses that they design or that otherwise match their teaching skills/interests. Key Biochem major/non-major lecture courses are taught by ladder faculty - including me!

[Ronald Breaker @RonBreaker]

Yale MB&B is seeking a Lecturer to contribute to our educational mission. Please consider joining our scientific community and using your skills for teaching biochemistry. You will work with fantastic colleagues and enthusiastic students! @YaleMBB https://t.co/rBjAybI3KP

[Ronald Breaker @RonBreaker]

The discovery of a #riboswitch class for 8-OxoG expands the diversity of #purine bases sensed by #aptamer RNAs. The image depicts sites of purine modification (colored boxes) relevant to the riboswitch classes whose names are in bold. @PNASNews #RNAWorld
https://t.co/YOrZurSDdG

[Ronald Breaker @RonBreaker]

A variant of #guanine #riboswitch RNAs has adapted to sense the modified base 8-oxoguanine (8-OxoG). Oxidizing agents that damage DNA, such as hydrogen peroxide, activate gene expression via this #ncRNA device. @PNASNews
https://t.co/YOrZurSDdG

[Ronald Breaker @RonBreaker]

Bacteria’s Brain? The mysterious OLE #ncRNA appears to be bacteria’s functional equivalent of eukaryotic #mTOR. The #OLERNA component of the #bTOR (bacterial Tasks OLE Regulates) complex looks like an #RNAWorld relic. @MolMicroEditors https://t.co/Ih8rju9tS7