Ribosomes, the cell's protein-making factories, consume large amounts of energy as they build the proteins that keep cells alive and functioning. When cells experience stress—such as lack of nutrients or sudden drops in temperature—they quickly switch into survival mode. New research from the Schuman Lab at the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research in Frankfurt now reveals an unexpected way cells manage this transition: by pairing up inactive ribosomes using a ribosomal RNA link. This RNA-based mechanism reveals a previously unknown role for ribosomal RNA in the cellular stress response. The new study is published in Science.