Professor, Biological Chemistry and Physiology, UCLA
Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Tamir Gonen is a membrane biophysicist and an expert in crystallography and cryo-EM. Gonen is a professor of Biological Chemistry and Physiology at the David Geffen School of Medicine of the University of California, Los Angeles, an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and a Member of the Royal Society of New Zealand. He received a Career Development Award from the American Diabetes Association and was an Early Career Scientist of HHMI. Gonen served on several study sections of the National Institutes of Health and acted as ad hoc reviewer for several international funding agencies. In 2011 while leading a lab at the HHMI Janelia Research Campus he began developing microcrystal electron diffraction (MicroED) as a new method for structural biology. In 2017 Dr Gonen moved his laboratory to the David Geffen School of Medicine of the University of California, Los Angeles as an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and a Professor of Biological Chemistry and Physiology, where he continues studying membrane protein structure and function using cryo-EM and MicroED. With this method Dr Gonen has pushed the boundaries of cryo-EM and determined several previously unknown structures at resolutions better than 1 Å. Gonen authored more than 120 publications and several of his past trainees are now faculty around the world at top universities.

  tgonen@g.ucla.edu

Honors

1996Dean’s list—Organic Chemistry, University of Auckland, New Zealand
1996Dean’s list—Inorganic Chemistry, University of Auckland, New Zealand
1997Center for Gene Technology Research Scholarship, University of Auckland, New Zealand
1997Dean’s List—Inorganic Chemistry, University of Auckland, New Zealand
1998Senior prize in Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, New Zealand
1998First class honors in Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, New Zealand
1999University of Auckland Doctoral Scholarship, University of Auckland, New Zealand
2000Contestable Travel Fund Award, University of Auckland, New Zealand
2001Contestable Travel Fund Award, University of Auckland, New Zealand
2009American Diabetes Association Career Development Award
2009Howard Hughes Medical Institute Early Career Scientist
2010New investigator, Science in Medicine Lecture
2012Member, The Royal Society of New Zealand
2017Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute
2018Chair elect, Biophysical Society cryo-EM subgroup
2023Thermo Fisher MicroED Innovation Award
2023A. L. Patterson award, ACA: The Structural Science Society
2023Gerald M. Carlson lecture, Kansas University Medical Center
2024Kaplan lecture, UC San Diego
2024Sarkar lecture, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
2024Carl Brändén award, The Protein Society

Publications in PubMed

Publications

201 entries « 4 of 5 »

2013

51.

Smith, Donelson F; Reichow, Steve L; Esseltine, Jessica L; Shi, Dan; Langeberg, Lorene K; Scott, John D; Gonen, Tamir

Intrinsic disorder within an AKAP-protein kinase A complex guides local substrate phosphorylation

In: Elife, vol. 2, pp. e01319, 2013.

Abstract | Links | Altmetric

50.

Gold, Matthew G; Gonen, Tamir; Scott, John D

Local cAMP signaling in disease at a glance

In: J. Cell. Sci., vol. 126, no. Pt 20, pp. 4537–4543, 2013.

Abstract | Links | Altmetric

49.

Reichow, Stephen; Gonen, Tamir

Dynamic Modulation of Water Permeability in the Lens Aquaporin-0

In: Proceedings of Microscopy & Microanalysis, pp. 50–51, 2013.

Links | Altmetric

48.

Silverman, Julie M; Agnello, Danielle M; Zheng, Hongjin; Andrews, Benjamin T; Li, Mo; Catalano, Carlos E; Gonen, Tamir; Mougous, Joseph D

Haemolysin Coregulated Protein Is an Exported Receptor and Chaperone of Type VI Secretion Substrates

In: Mol. Cell, vol. 51, no. 5, pp. 584–593, 2013.

Abstract | Links | Altmetric

47.

Reichow, Steve L; Clemens, Daniel M; Freites, Alfredo J; Nemeth-Cahalan, Karin L; Heyden, Matthias; Tobias, Douglas J; Hall, James E; Gonen, Tamir

Allosteric mechanism of water-channel gating by Ca²⁺-calmodulin

In: Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol., vol. 20, no. 9, pp. 1085–1092, 2013.

Abstract | Links | Altmetric

46.

Zheng, Hongjin; Wisedchaisri, Goragot; Gonen, Tamir

Crystal structure of a nitrate/nitrite exchanger

In: Nature, vol. 497, no. 7451, pp. 647–651, 2013.

Abstract | Links | Altmetric

45.

Nannenga, Brent L; Iadanza, Matthew G; Vollmar, Breanna S; Gonen, Tamir

Overview of Electron Crystallography of Membrane Proteins: Crystallization and Screening Strategies Using Negative Stain Electron Microscopy

In: Curr Protoc Protein Sci, vol. 72, no. 1, pp. 17.15.1–17.15.11, 2013.

Abstract | Links | Altmetric

44.

Shi, Liang; Zheng, Hongjin; Zheng, Hui; Borkowski, Brian A; Shi, Dan; Gonen, Tamir; Jiang, Qiu-Xing

Voltage sensor ring in a native structure of a membrane-embedded potassium channel

In: Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., vol. 110, no. 9, pp. 3369–3374, 2013, (Retracted).

Abstract | Links | Altmetric

2012

43.

Filbin, Megan E; Vollmar, Breanna S; Shi, Dan; Gonen, Tamir; Kieft, Jeffrey S

HCV IRES manipulates the ribosome to promote the switch from translation initiation to elongation

In: Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol., vol. 20, no. 2, pp. 150–158, 2012.

Abstract | Links | Altmetric

42.

Wisedchaisri, Goragot; Gonen, Tamir

Phasing Electron Diffraction Data by Molecular Replacement: Strategy for Structure Determination and Refinement

In: Electron Crystallography of Soluble and Membrane Proteins, vol. 955, Chapter 14, pp. 243–272, 2012.

Abstract | Links | Altmetric

41.

Gonen, Tamir

The Collection of High-Resolution Electron Diffraction Data

In: Electron Crystallography of Soluble and Membrane Proteins, vol. 955, Chapter 9, pp. 153–169, 2012.

Abstract | Links | Altmetric

40.

Stokes, David L; Ubarretxena-Belandia, Iban; Gonen, Tamir; Engel, Andreas

High-Throughput Methods for Electron Crystallography

In: Electron Crystallography of Soluble and Membrane Proteins, vol. 955, Chapter 15, pp. 273–296, 2012.

Abstract | Links | Altmetric

39.

Umbreit, Neil T.; Gestaut, Daniel R.; Tien, Jerry F.; Vollmar, Breanna S.; Gonen, Tamir; Asbury, Charles L.; Davis, Trisha N.

The Ndc80 kinetochore complex directly modulates microtubule dynamics

In: Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., vol. 109, no. 40, pp. 16113–16118, 2012.

Abstract | Links | Altmetric

38.

Gonen, Shane; Akiyoshi, Bungo; Iadanza, Matthew G; Shi, Dan; Duggan, Nicole; Biggins, Sue; Gonen, Tamir

The structure of purified kinetochores reveals multiple microtubule-attachment sites

In: Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol., vol. 19, no. 9, pp. 925–929, 2012.

Abstract | Links | Altmetric

37.

Gonen, Tamir; Waksman, Gabriel

Recent progress in membrane protein structures and investigation methods

In: Curr. Opin. Struct. Biol., vol. 22, no. 4, pp. 467–468, 2012.

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36.

Jiang, Qiu-Xing; Gonen, Tamir

The influence of lipids on voltage-gated ion channels

In: Curr. Opin. Struct. Biol., vol. 22, no. 4, pp. 529–536, 2012.

Abstract | Links | Altmetric

35.

King, Neil P; Sheffler, William; Sawaya, Michael R; Vollmar, Breanna S; Sumida, John P; André, Ingemar; Gonen, Tamir; Yeates, Todd O; Baker, David

Computational Design of Self-Assembling Protein Nanomaterials with Atomic Level Accuracy

In: Science, vol. 336, no. 6085, pp. 1171–1174, 2012.

Abstract | Links | Altmetric

2011

34.

Lo, Sheng-Ying; Brett, Christopher L; Plemel, Rachael L; Vignali, Marissa; Fields, Stanley; Gonen, Tamir; Merz, Alexey J

Intrinsic tethering activity of endosomal Rab proteins

In: Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol., vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 40–47, 2011.

Abstract | Links | Altmetric

33.

Gold, Matthew G; Reichow, Steve L; O'Neill, Susan E; Weisbrod, Chad R; Langeberg, Lorene K; Bruce, James E; Gonen, Tamir; Scott, John D

AKAP2 anchors PKA with aquaporin-0 to support ocular lens transparency

In: EMBO Mol Med, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 15–26, 2011.

Abstract | Links | Altmetric

32.

Wisedchaisri, Goragot; Reichow, Steve L; Gonen, Tamir

Advances in Structural and Functional Analysis of Membrane Proteins by Electron Crystallography

In: Structure, vol. 19, no. 10, pp. 1381–1393, 2011.

Abstract | Links | Altmetric

31.

Korotkov, Konstantin V; Gonen, Tamir; Hol, Wim G J

Secretins: dynamic channels for protein transport across membranes

In: Trends Biochem. Sci., vol. 36, no. 8, pp. 433–443, 2011.

Abstract | Links | Altmetric

30.

Wisedchaisri, Goragot; Gonen, Tamir

Fragment-Based Phase Extension for Three-Dimensional Structure Determination of Membrane Proteins by Electron Crystallography

In: Structure, vol. 19, no. 7, pp. 976–987, 2011.

Abstract | Links | Altmetric

29.

Reichow, Steve L; Korotkov, Konstantin V; Gonen, Melissa; Sun, Ji; Delarosa, Jaclyn R; Hol, Wim G J; Gonen, Tamir

The binding of cholera toxin to the periplasmic vestibule of the type II secretion channel

In: Channels (Austin), vol. 5, no. 3, pp. 215–218, 2011.

Abstract | Links | Altmetric

28.

Jehle, Stefan; Vollmar, Breanna S; Bardiaux, Benjamin; Dove, Katja K; Rajagopal, Ponni; Gonen, Tamir; Oschkinat, Hartmut; Klevit, Rachel E

N-terminal domain of αB-crystallin provides a conformational switch for multimerization and structural heterogeneity

In: Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., vol. 108, no. 16, pp. 6409–6414, 2011.

Abstract | Links | Altmetric

27.

Budzinski, Kristi L; Sgro, Allyson E; Fujimoto, Bryant S; Gadd, Jennifer C; Shuart, Noah G; Gonen, Tamir; Bajjaleih, Sandra M; Chiu, Daniel T

Synaptosomes as a Platform for Loading Nanoparticles into Synaptic Vesicles

In: ACS Chem Neurosci, vol. 2, no. 5, pp. 236–241, 2011.

Abstract | Links | Altmetric

2010

26.

Akiyoshi, Bungo; Sarangapani, Krishna K.; Powers, Andrew F.; Nelson, Christian R.; Reichow, Steve L.; Arellano-Santoyo, Hugo; Gonen, Tamir; Ranish, Jeffrey A.; Asbury, Charles L.; Biggins, Sue

Tension directly stabilizes reconstituted kinetochore-microtubule attachments

In: Nature, vol. 468, no. 7323, pp. 576–579, 2010.

Abstract | Links | Altmetric

25.

Wisedchaisri, Goragot; Dranow, David M; Lie, Thomas J; Bonanno, Jeffrey B; Patskovsky, Yury; Ozyurt, Sinem A; Sauder, Michael J; Almo, Steven C; Wasserman, Stephen R; Burley, Stephen K; Leigh, John A; Gonen, Tamir

Structural Underpinnings of Nitrogen Regulation by the Prototypical Nitrogen-Responsive Transcriptional Factor NrpR

In: Structure, vol. 18, no. 11, pp. 1512–1521, 2010.

Abstract | Links | Altmetric

24.

Reichow, Steve L; Korotkov, Konstantin V; Hol, Wim G J; Gonen, Tamir

Structure of the cholera toxin secretion channel in its closed state

In: Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol., vol. 17, no. 10, pp. 1226–1232, 2010.

Abstract | Links | Altmetric

23.

Sedlak, Ruth Hall; Hnilova, Marketa; Gachelet, Eliora; Przybyla, Lyralynne; Dranow, David; Gonen, Tamir; Sarikaya, Mehmet; Tamerler, Candan; Traxler, Beth

An Engineered DNA-binding Protein Self-assembles Metallic Nanostructures

In: Chembiochem, vol. 11, no. 15, pp. 2108–2112, 2010.

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22.

Sanowar, Sarah; Singh, Pragya; Pfuetzner, Richard A; André, Ingemar; Zheng, Hongjin; Spreter, Thomas; Strynadka, Natalie C J; Gonen, Tamir; Baker, David; Goodlett, David R; Miller, Samuel I

Interactions of the Transmembrane Polymeric Rings of the Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium type III Secretion System

In: MBio, vol. 1, no. 3, pp. e00158-10, 2010.

Abstract | Links | Altmetric

21.

Tien, Jerry F; Umbreit, Neil T; Gestaut, Daniel R; Franck, Andrew D; Cooper, Jeremy; Wordeman, Linda; Gonen, Tamir; Asbury, Charles L; Davis, Trisha N

Cooperation of the Dam1 and Ndc80 kinetochore complexes enhances microtubule coupling and is regulated by aurora B

In: J. Cell Biol., vol. 189, no. 4, pp. 713–723, 2010.

Abstract | Links | Altmetric

20.

Zheng, Hongjin; Taraska, Justin; Merz, Alexey J; Gonen, Tamir

The prototypical H⁺/Galactose Symporter GalP Assembles into Functional Trimers

In: J. Mol. Biol., vol. 396, no. 3, pp. 593–601, 2010.

Abstract | Links | Altmetric

2009

19.

Reichow, Steve L; Gonen, Tamir

Lipid-protein interactions probed by electron crystallography

In: Curr. Opin. Struct. Biol., vol. 19, no. 5, pp. 560–565, 2009.

Abstract | Links | Altmetric

2008

18.

Reichow, Steve L; Gonen, Tamir

Noncanonical Binding of Calmodulin to Aquaporin-0: Implications for Channel Regulation

In: Structure, vol. 16, no. 9, pp. 1389–1398, 2008.

Abstract | Links | Altmetric

17.

Zheng, Hongjin; Wisedchaisri, Goragot; Gonen, Tamir

Single Particle Electron Cryomicroscopy of Bacteriophage P22 Portal Protein Complexes

In: Microscopy and Microanalysis, vol. 14, no. S2, pp. 1572–1573, 2008.

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16.

Hite, Richard K; Gonen, Tamir; Harrison, Stephen C; Walz, Thomas

Interactions of lipids with aquaporin-0 and other membrane proteins

In: Pflugers Arch., vol. 456, no. 4, pp. 651–661, 2008.

Abstract | Links | Altmetric

15.

Andrews, Simeon; Reichow, Steve L.; Gonen, Tamir

Electron Crystallography of Aquaporins

In: IUBMB Life, vol. 60, no. 7, pp. 430–436, 2008.

Abstract | Links | Altmetric

14.

Engel, Andreas; Fujiyoshi, Yoshinori; Gonen, Tamir; Walz, Thomas

Junction-forming aquaporins

In: Curr. Opin. Struct. Biol., vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 229–235, 2008.

Abstract | Links | Altmetric

13.

Zheng, Hongjin; Olia, Adam S; Gonen, Melissa; Andrews, Simeon; Cingolani, Gino; Gonen, Tamir

A Conformational Switch in Bacteriophage P22 Portal Protein Primes Genome Injection

In: Mol. Cell, vol. 29, no. 3, pp. 376–383, 2008.

Abstract | Links | Altmetric

12.

Gonen, Tamir; Hite, Richard K; Cheng, Yifan; Petre, Benjamin M; Kistler, Joerg; Walz, Thomas

Polymorphic Assemblies and Crystalline Arrays of Lens Tetraspanin MP20

In: J. Mol. Biol., vol. 376, no. 2, pp. 380–392, 2008.

Abstract | Links | Altmetric

2007

11.

Franck, Andrew D; Powers, Andrew F; Gestaut, Daniel R; Gonen, Tamir; Davis, Trisha N; Asbury, Charles L

Tension applied through the Dam1 complex promotes microtubule elongation providing a direct mechanism for length control in mitosis

In: Nat. Cell Biol., vol. 9, no. 7, pp. 832–837, 2007.

Abstract | Links | Altmetric

10.

Viadiu, Hector; Gonen, Tamir; Walz, Thomas

Projection Map of Aquaporin-9 at 7 Å Resolution

In: J. Mol. Biol., vol. 367, no. 1, pp. 80–88, 2007.

Abstract | Links | Altmetric

2006

9.

Gonen, Tamir; Walz, Thomas

The structure of aquaporins

In: Q. Rev. Biophys., vol. 39, no. 4, pp. 361–396, 2006.

Abstract | Links | Altmetric

2005

8.

Gonen, Tamir; Cheng, Yifan; Sliz, Piotr; Hiroaki, Yoko; Fujiyoshi, Yoshinori; Harrison, Stephen C; Walz, Thomas

Lipid-protein interactions in double-layered two-dimensional AQP0 crystals

In: Nature, vol. 438, no. 7068, pp. 633–638, 2005.

Abstract | Links | Altmetric

2004

7.

Gonen, Tamir; Cheng, Yifan; Kistler, Joerg; Walz, Thomas

Aquaporin-0 Membrane Junctions Form Upon Proteolytic Cleavage

In: J. Mol. Biol., vol. 342, no. 4, pp. 1337–1345, 2004.

Abstract | Links | Altmetric

6.

Gonen, Tamir; Sliz, Piotr; Kistler, Joerg; Cheng, Yifan; Walz, Thomas

Aquaporin-0 membrane junctions reveal the structure of a closed water pore

In: Nature, vol. 429, no. 6988, pp. 193–197, 2004.

Abstract | Links | Altmetric

2003

5.

Grey, Angus C; Jacobs, Marc D; Gonen, Tamir; Kistler, Joerg; Donaldson, Paul J

Insertion of MP20 into lens fibre cell plasma membranes correlates with the formation of an extracellular diffusion barrier

In: Exp. Eye Res., vol. 77, no. 5, pp. 567–574, 2003.

Abstract | Links | Altmetric

2001

4.

Gonen, Tamir; Grey, Angus C; Jacobs, Marc D; Donaldson, Paul J; Kistler, Joerg

MP20, the second most abundant lens membrane protein and member of the tetraspanin superfamily, joins the list of ligands of galectin-3

In: BMC Cell Biol., vol. 2, no. 17, 2001.

Abstract | Links | Altmetric

2000

3.

Gonen, Tamir; Donaldson, Paul; Kistler, Joerg

Galectin-3 Is Associated with the Plasma Membrane of Lens Fiber Cells

In: Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science, vol. 41, no. 1, pp. 199–203, 2000.

Abstract | Links

1999

2.

Kistler, Joerg; Merriman-Smith, Rachelle; Young, Miriam; Gonen, Tamir; Cowan, Dougal; Chee, Kaa-Sandra; Lin, Jun Sheng; Green, Colin; Hasler, Lorenz; Engel, Andreas; Donaldson, Paul

Molecular Solutions To Tissue Transparency

In: N.Z. Biosciences, pp. 35–37, 1999.

Links

201 entries « 4 of 5 »