Sharona Gordon
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profsharona.bsky.social
Sharona Gordon
@profsharona.bsky.social
Biophysics professor at University of Washington and founder of Below The Waterline and UW Allies. Lover of chocolate, labradoodles, transition metals, fluorescence, and membrane proteins.
I am proud to be part of this new work with Pierce Eggan and Bill Zagotta, just published in eLife. Time-resolved tmFRET reveals ion channel energetics!
doi.org/10.7554/eLif...
Domain coupling in allosteric regulation of SthK measured using time-resolved transition metal ion FRET
Time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer reveals conformational energetics of a bacterial cyclic nucleotide-gated ion channel.
doi.org
August 20, 2025 at 4:14 PM
NIH funding REINSTATED! Thank you to @atg.wa.gov and other attorneys general and to Judge Young. This saves the career of a promising junior scientist. TY @jeremymberg.bsky.social for all your help interpreting these events.
July 3, 2025 at 9:38 PM
Reposted by Sharona Gordon
Happy to share the peer-reviewed and updated version of our work on OrthoRep-driven evolution of aaRSs for genetic code expansion with unnatural amino acids. Congrats to Yuichi Furuhata, a true master bioengineer, on leading this excellent work! www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Directed evolution of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases through in vivo hypermutation - Nature Communications
Genetic code expansion (GCE) enables the incorporation of new amino acids into proteins. Here, authors demonstrate the rapid OrthoRep-driven evolution of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases for GCE, increasing...
www.nature.com
May 24, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Reposted by Sharona Gordon
Great news: NIH postbac program is recruiting again! If your grad school plans were affected by program cutbacks or admissions freezes this year I highly encourage you to apply, this could be a perfect opportunity. Please repost.

www.training.nih.gov/research-tra...
www.training.nih.gov
April 10, 2025 at 1:22 AM
Reposted by Sharona Gordon
Published an op-ed for @cnn.com: “Nobel laureate: I owe America my success. Today, its scientific future is in danger.”
A personal reflection on what’s at stake as science funding gets slashed. I’d be grateful if you could amplify both in and beyond the science world.
www.cnn.com/2025/04/09/h...
Nobel laureate: I owe America my success. Today, its scientific future is in danger | CNN
Dr. Ardem Patapoutian says he watches “with deep sadness as the United States’ remarkable scientific enterprise, which took generations of hard work and national investment to build, faces a concerted...
www.cnn.com
April 9, 2025 at 11:30 AM
Reposted by Sharona Gordon
New report shows that NIH grants fueled $95 billion in economic activity and 407,782 jobs in 2024.

That's not to mention the countless lives that biomedical research has saved.

Show me a better investment than that.
www.forbes.com/sites/michae...
NIH Grants Fueled $95 Billion In FY 2024 Economic Activity, Finds New Report
National Institutes of Health grants generated almost $95 billion in economic activity nationwide in FY 2024 according to a new report by United for Medical Research.
www.forbes.com
March 12, 2025 at 8:47 PM
11 folks in the Gordon and Zagotta lab family at Seattle #StandUpForScience event. We joined at least five other labs from @uw-nbio.bsky.social. This PhD student and postdoc organized event gives me hope that we can #ResistTogether to make science the culture we aspire to.
March 8, 2025 at 5:04 PM
Heading to #standupforscience rally in Seattle.
March 7, 2025 at 7:22 PM
What ideas do ppl have for text to put on signs? #Seattle friends: bring your sign-making materials to my lab at 10 am for a sign-making party! We can then take light rail to the demo together.
Welcome to the Bluesky account for Stand Up for Science 2025!

Keep an eye on this space for updates, event information, and ways to get involved. We can't wait to see everyone #standupforscience2025 on March 7th, both in DC and locations nationwide!

#scienceforall #sciencenotsilence
March 2, 2025 at 4:10 PM
I understand that “It is simply not possible for departments or the university to cover the costs currently funded by federal awards” means the UW won’t help us.

1/2

explore.uw.edu/index.php/em...
University of Washington message
explore.uw.edu
February 28, 2025 at 3:52 PM
I will be hosting sign making in my lab at 10 am on the 7th. All are welcome. Lease bring your own materials and DM me for more info.
February 26, 2025 at 3:37 PM
Reposted by Sharona Gordon
So excited to see how quickly #StandUpForScience has grown from a single rally to rallies in 32 cities in 27 states and counting! Let's go! Thank you for your leadership @standupforscience.bsky.social!
They also opened up a donation page 🧪
standupforscience2025.org/local-event-...
Local Event Information
Below are the state capitals and major cities (alphabetized by state) hosting official Stand Up for Science events. If your city is listed, a confirmed site leader—backed by our core team—is active…
standupforscience2025.org
February 26, 2025 at 2:53 PM
Reposted by Sharona Gordon
“For the last 75 yrs, the NIH has been the biggest funder of biomedical research in the world. Most advances in medicine were seeded by NIH funding. When we became scientists, we just bought into this system. This is how it works. — @tuthill.bsky.social 🧵

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Trump cuts threaten a ‘generation of scientists’ as many weigh leaving US
President’s call to ‘Make America Healthy Again’ has led to slashes in NIH funding – endangering jobs and vital research
www.theguardian.com
February 19, 2025 at 7:44 PM
Reposted by Sharona Gordon
Trump's illegal NIH cuts mean cancer researchers would be laid off, sick kids going without treatment, and more. These cuts would be DEVASTATING for lifesaving research.

Some Republicans have said they agree—but they just blocked my amendment to reverse Trump's NIH cuts anyway.
February 21, 2025 at 9:27 AM
LAYOFFS WILL CONTINUE UNTIL MORALE IMPROVES!
Stand Up for Science is less than two weeks away, what are everyone’s sign ideas?

#standupforscience2025
@standupforscience.bsky.social
February 22, 2025 at 11:29 PM
Proud to be a constituent. Thanks Patty Murray! It makes me feel like all my emails are having the intended effect.
February 22, 2025 at 3:45 AM
Reposted by Sharona Gordon
Mr Garcia, I have drafted an appropriate response for you. You're welcome.
February 20, 2025 at 8:24 PM
Reposted by Sharona Gordon
NEW ROOM: I've deleted the original one. We're having an emergency Town Hall at the #BPS2025 #BPS to discuss the assault on #science and actions we can take.
@biophysicalsoc.bsky.social

Pls. Repost this one. :)
Note: ROOM CHANGE. We've got a better room.
February 15, 2025 at 4:59 PM
Reposted by Sharona Gordon
I went to AAAS this weekend and talked to lots of scientists about how they're feeling In These Times
www.sciencenews.org/article/defu...
The mood is ‘uncertain, anxious’ at 2025’s first big U.S. science meeting
Scientists are losing funding and even their jobs under the new Trump administration. Researchers at the AAAS meeting shared fears and coping strategies.
www.sciencenews.org
February 15, 2025 at 11:40 PM
One of the many NIH scientists fired heartlessly on Valentine’s Day responded to my Q about help in the most selfless way. I meant what I could do to help them. The answer o got shocked me. Read on…

1/n 🧵
February 15, 2025 at 4:20 PM
Reposted by Sharona Gordon

🌺 Combining my Happy #Sunday post with #FluorescenceFriday🧪🔬 (just a couple of days late! 🤭).

One of my favorite drawings by Gary Larson 🥰 used to hang on the door of my office during my #PhD, a loooooong time ago!

#TheFarSide #GaryLarson
#Comics
January 26, 2025 at 9:58 AM
Things I’m excited about this academic term: amazing PhD student’s thesis defense; fantastic rotation student; @biophysicalsoc.bsky.social Conference; postdoc’s new baby; productive collaborations; working at the bench w/my lab buddy Bill. Wishing all a happy and healthy new year!
a picture of an apple with the words happy back to school below it
ALT: a picture of an apple with the words happy back to school below it
media.tenor.com
January 5, 2025 at 6:59 PM
Amen
It is not the dissertation, tenure or retirement, but finding a good collaborator which is truly the important event in your career.
December 31, 2024 at 2:47 PM
Reposted by Sharona Gordon
The Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine seeks a full-time tenure track Investigator at the rank of Assistant Professor. Click here to learn more.
www.feinberg.northwestern.edu/sites/cdb/do...
For questions, contact
Vanessa Gonzalez vanessa.g@northwestern.edu
December 19, 2024 at 9:07 PM
I am on the thesis committees of 14 PhD students right now. Does that seem like a lot? I’ve started turning them down because I can’t find the time in my schedule. It is an honor and I learn so much, but I’m feeling a little burned out.
a man in a suit and tie with the words you 've entered the burnout zone
ALT: a man in a suit and tie with the words you 've entered the burnout zone
media.tenor.com
December 20, 2024 at 7:55 PM