March 2018
CRISPR genetic editing takes another big step forward, targeting RNA
Most people have heard of CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing technology, which acts as targeted molecular scissors to cut and replace disease-causing genes with healthy ones. But DNA is only part of the story. Many genetic diseases are caused by problems with RNA, a working copy of DNA that is translated into proteins.
Scientists in the lab of Patrick Hsu have created a new tool that targets RNA and used it to correct a protein imbalance in cells from a dementia patient, restoring them to healthy levels. The Salk tool, called CasRx, opens up RNA and proteins to genetic engineering, giving researchers a powerful way to develop new gene therapies as well as investigate fundamental biological functions. The work appeared in Cell.
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Salk Institute receives Charity Navigator's highest rating for seventh consecutive time
For the seventh consecutive time, the Salk Institute's strong financial health and continuing commitment to accountability and transparency have earned a coveted 4-star (out of 4) rating from Charity Navigator, America's largest independent charity and nonprofit evaluator. Receiving the highest ranking for seven consecutive ratings puts Salk in a distinguished class --- only four percent of nonprofits evaluated achieve that status, indicating that the Institute outperforms most other charities in America in this regard.
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Evans lab publishes dual papers revealing energy and fat-related functions of ERRĪ³
In a pair of papers published in Cell Reports in mid-March, researchers in the lab of Ronald Evans showed that the protein ERRy (ERR gamma) functions as a power switch for muscles and gives energy-burning brown fat its identity. The March 6th paper revealed that ERRĪ³ helps deliver many of the benefits associated with endurance exercise by activating genes that create more mitochondria, while the March 13th paper identified ERRy as key to brown fat's ability to burn energy and generate heat. The new work indicates that ERRy is a potential therapeutic target for diseases requiring muscle repair or related to obesity.
READ MARCH 6 PAPER   READ MARCH 13 PAPER
How the brain tells our limbs apart
Legs and arms perform very different functions, but neural regulation by the regions of the spinal cord that connect to the limbs are not well understood. In a new study in mice, Samuel Pfaff's lab revealed contrasts in the neurons that underlie these various types of motor control. The results, which could one day lead to tailored stem-cell-based treatments for repairing spinal cord injuries, were published in the journal Neuron.
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Making new memories is a balancing act
Those of us who can't resist tourist tchotchkes are big fans of suitcases with an expandable compartment. It turns out the brain's capacity for storing new memories is expandable, too --- with limitations. The lab of Terrence Senjowski, along with collaborators in Texas and New Zealand, found that connections in the brain not only expand as needed in response to learning or experiencing new things, but that others shrink as a result. The work, which could shed light on conditions in which memory formation is impaired (such as depression or Alzheimer's disease) appeared in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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Salk scientists receive $1.5 million to study firefighter health
Salk Professor Satchidananda Panda and UC San Diego School of Medicine researchers have been awarded a $1.5 million grant by the Department of Homeland Security for a three-year study on caloric restriction. The study will investigate whether restricting food intake to a 10-hour window can improve the health of firefighters, who are at high risk for many chronic diseases because of how shift work disrupts the body's natural rhythms.
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Salk Trustee Sanjay Jha nominated to National Academy of Engineering
Salk Trustee and Globalfoundries, Inc., CEO Sanjay Jha was nominated to the National Academy of Engineering "for leadership in the design and development of semiconductor technology enabling universal digital access." Election to the National Academy of Engineering is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to an engineer. The newly elected class will be formally inducted in Washington, DC, on September 30, 2018. Jha holds a PhD in Electronic and Electrical Engineering from Scotland's Strathclyde University.
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Media mentions

Efforts by Ronald Evans' lab to develop "exercise-in-a-pill" featured by the Washington Post

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Nicola Allen's research on aging in astrocytes highlighted in Alzforum

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Salk Science & Music Series
 
The final concert of the Salk Science & Music Series takes place April 8, 2018, with a performance by pianist Zlata Chochieva and a scientific talk by Assistant Professor Edward Stites in the Conrad T. Prebys Auditorium.
PURCHASE TICKETS
Back to Basics
 
Wednesday April 8, 2018
3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Conrad T. Prebys Auditorium
Visualizing molecular machines using cryogenic electron microscopy
Many biological functions are performed by multi-protein complexes that coordinate to execute specific tasks --- for example, enabling a virus to invade a cell. Dmitry Lyumkis' lab uses a technique called cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) to visualize how these "molecular machines" work. The molecular blueprints he uncovers provide not only insight into how such machines function, but also inform the development and improvement of therapeutics. For example, his lab's discoveries are helping to improve antiretroviral therapies for combatting HIV.
RSVP by April 3 to attend.
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Salk science wallpaper images
Looking for a unique background image for your computer, iPad or phone?
This month's image comes from a recent press release from Salk scientists in Samuel Pfaff's lab, which revealed contrasts in the neurons that underline various types of motor control. The lab used a technology called optogenetics --- where light is used to selectively turn on and off cells --- to look at how V2a neurons were connected to muscle-controlling neurons.
 
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