2026 John F. Atkins: Genetics Researcher – H-Index, Publications & Awards

Discipline name	D-Index	World Ranking	Current World Ranking	National Ranking	Current National Ranking	Publications	Citations
Genetics	94	943	889	4	4	299	26370

Research.com Recognitions

2026 - Research.com Genetics in Ireland Leader Award
2025 - Research.com Genetics in Ireland Leader Award
2024 - Research.com Genetics in Ireland Leader Award
2024 - Research.com Genetics and Molecular Biology in Ireland Leader Award
2023 - Research.com Genetics in Ireland Leader Award
2023 - Research.com Genetics and Molecular Biology in Ireland Leader Award
2022 - Research.com Genetics and Molecular Biology in Ireland Leader Award
2007 - Gold Medal, Royal Irish Academy Life Sciences
2003 - Member of the Royal Irish Academy

Overview

John F. Atkins is affiliated with University College Cork in Ireland. Their research primarily focuses on the field of Biochemistry, Genetics, and Molecular Biology, with significant contributions to Molecular Biology as a subfield. Their work also extends into areas such as Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine, Ecology, Genetics, and Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health.

The scientist has contributed extensively to the understanding of RNA and protein synthesis mechanisms, RNA modifications and cancer, and RNA research and splicing. Other notable research topics include genomics and phylogenetic studies, viral infections and immunology research, bacteriophages and microbial interactions, as well as CRISPR and genetic engineering.

John F. Atkins has published research in several reputable venues, with frequent publications in:

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Nature
Wellcome Open Research
Science Advances

Their recent papers demonstrate a focus on ribosomal frameshifting and translation mechanisms. Selected recent publications include:

Structural basis of ribosomal frameshifting during translation of the SARS-CoV-2 RNA genome, 2021, Science
The energy landscape of −1 ribosomal frameshifting, 2020, Science Advances
The translating bacterial ribosome at 1.55 Å resolution generated by cryo-EM imaging services, 2023, Nature Communications
Unusually efficient CUG initiation of an overlapping reading frame in POLG mRNA yields novel protein POLGARF, 2020, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Structural basis of ribosomal frameshifting during translation of the SARS-CoV-2 RNA genome, 2020, bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)

Throughout their career, Atkins has collaborated frequently with several co-authors, including:

Gary Loughran
Pavel V. Baranov
Pramod R. Bhatt
Kate M. O'Connor
Martina M. Yordanova

John F. Atkins's distinctions include membership in the Royal Irish Academy since 2003 and receipt of the Gold Medal from the Royal Irish Academy for Life Sciences in 2007.

Best Publications

The RNA world : the nature of modern RNA suggests a prebiotic RNA world

Raymond F. Gesteland;John F. Atkins

1224
Citations
An overlapping essential gene in the Potyviridae.

Betty Y.-W. Chung;W. Allen Miller;John F. Atkins;Andrew E. Firth

968
Citations
An Overlapping Protein-Coding Region in Influenza A Virus Segment 3 Modulates the Host Response

B. W. Jagger;Helen Wise;J. C. Kash;K. A. Walters

806
Citations
Autoregulatory frameshifting in decoding mammalian ornithine decarboxylase antizyme

Senya Matsufuji;Tamiko Matsufuji;Youichi Miyazaki;Yasuko Murakami

619
Citations
Deletion of Selenoprotein P Alters Distribution of Selenium in the Mouse

Kristina E. Hill;Jiadong Zhou;Wendy J. McMahan;Amy K. Motley

551
Citations
A dual-luciferase reporter system for studying recoding signals

Guido Grentzmann;Jennifer A. Ingram;Paul J. Kelly;Raymond F. Gesteland

527
Citations
Recoding: Dynamic Reprogramming of Translation

Raymond F. Gesteland;John F. Atkins

413
Citations
Discovery of a small arterivirus gene that overlaps the GP5 coding sequence and is important for virus production

Andrew E. Firth;Jessika C. Zevenhoven-Dobbe;Norma M. Wills;Yun Young Go

348
Citations
Slippery runs, shifty stops, backward steps, and forward hops: -2, -1, +1, +2, +5, and +6 ribosomal frameshifting.

R B Weiss;D M Dunn;J F Atkins;R F Gesteland

326
Citations
Ribosomal frameshifting and transcriptional slippage: From genetic steganography and cryptography to adventitious use.

John F Atkins;Gary Loughran;Pramod R Bhatt;Andrew Edwin Firth

322
Citations
Enhanced differential synthesis of proteins in a mammalian cell-free system by addition of polyamines.

J F Atkins;J B Lewis;C W Anderson;R F Gesteland

316
Citations
Ribosome gymnastics--degree of difficulty 9.5, style 10.0.

John F. Atkins;Robert B. Weiss;Raymond F. Gesteland

307
Citations
Sequence specificity of aminoglycoside-induced stop codon readthrough: Potential implications for treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Michael T. Howard;Brian H. Shirts;Lorin M. Petros;Kevin M. Flanigan

296
Citations
Efficient −2 frameshifting by mammalian ribosomes to synthesize an additional arterivirus protein

Ying Fang;Emmely E. Treffers;Yanhua Li;Ali Tas

296
Citations
Reading frame switch caused by base-pair formation between the 3' end of 16S rRNA and the mRNA during elongation of protein synthesis in Escherichia coli.

R. B. Weiss;D. M. Dunn;A. E. Dahlberg;J. F. Atkins

277
Citations
The signal for a leaky UAG stop codon in several plant viruses includes the two downstream codons

James M. Skuzeski;Lindy M. Nichols;Raymond F. Gesteland;John F. Atkins

277
Citations
Location and identification of the genes for adenovirus type 2 early polypeptides

J.B. Lewis;J.F. Atkins;P.R. Baum;R. Solem

270
Citations
Recoding: translational bifurcations in gene expression.

Pavel V. Baranov;Raymond F. Gesteland;John F. Atkins

267
Citations
Programmed ribosomal frameshifting in decoding the SARS-CoV genome.

Pavel V. Baranov;Clark M. Henderson;Christine B. Anderson;Raymond F. Gesteland

250
Citations
A profusion of upstream open reading frame mechanisms in polyamine-responsive translational regulation

Ivaylo P. Ivanov;John F. Atkins;John F. Atkins;Anthony J Michael

103
Citations

Frequent Co-Authors

Raymond F. Gesteland University of Utah

Ivaylo Ivanov Georgia State University

Andrew E. Firth University of Cambridge

Robert B. Weiss University of Utah

Carl W. Anderson Brookhaven National Laboratory

Vadim N. Gladyshev Brigham and Women's Hospital

Raymond F. Burk Vanderbilt University

Kevin M. Flanigan The Ohio State University

Diarmaid Hughes Uppsala University

Peter N. Schlegel Cornell University

External Links

Wikipedia of John F. Atkins Personal website of John F. Atkins

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