Ned Ruby

Ned (Edward) Ruby is a Research Professor in the Department of Biology and Biological Engineering at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). He holds dual affiliations with the Carnegie Institution for Science’s Division of Biosphere Science and Engineering, where he relocated his lab in 2022. Previously, he served as the Steenbock Chair of Microbiological Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and held roles at the University of Southern California, University of Hawaii, and other institutions. His research focuses on beneficial bacterial-host interactions, particularly the Vibrio fischeri-sepiolid squid symbiosis model.

Education: B.S., Stetson University (1971); Ph.D., University of California, San Diego (1977). Notable awards include the Moore Distinguished Scholar (2011–12) and the University of Hawaiʻi’s Regents Medal for Excellence in Research.

Research interests include symbiotic signaling pathways, metabolic synchronization between symbionts and hosts, and comparative genomics of symbiotic microorganisms. His work has been published in high-impact journals like Molecular Biology of the Cell and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Lab: Ruby Lab (currently stationed at Caltech). Collaborations include Dr. Margaret McFall-Ngai, with whom he co-founded the squid-vibrio model system. Key contributions include elucidating quorum sensing mechanisms and symbiont-induced host tissue development.