|
Dear Friends,
I’m happy to share with you the news that the NOMIS Foundation has generously donated $20 million to launch a new Neuroimmunology Initiative at the Salk Institute. By funding research programs, faculty recruitment, and pilot grants, the gift will enable Salk scientists to develop a deep understanding of the crosstalk between the immune and central nervous systems and the role those interactions play in health and disease.
We are deeply grateful to the NOMIS Foundation. This funding will allow us to tackle currently unaddressed scientific questions, opening fundamentally new areas of scientific inquiry across human health and disease, and paving the way toward innovative therapeutic interventions for a wide range of disorders that have both a neurological and immunological component, such as Alzheimer’s disease, ALS, long COVID, and some forms of cancer.
Please join me in thanking the NOMIS Foundation. Our press release details the new initiative, and you can discover more about Salk’s science and people below.
Warmest regards,
| |
|
Gerald Joyce
Salk Institute President
| |
Key nutrients help plants beat the heat | |
Global temperatures are on the rise, with experts projecting an increase of 2.7°F by 2050. Because plants cannot regulate their own temperature, they are especially sensitive to these temperature changes. In higher temperatures, plants instruct their root systems to grow faster, creating long roots that stretch through the soil to absorb more water and nutrients. While this response may help the plants in the short term, Professor Wolfgang Busch, postdoctoral researcher Sanghwa Lee, and team have discovered that this ultimately reduces the plant’s levels of two important nutrients—nitrogen and phosphorus—which makes them less nutritious when consumed. At the same time, if the soil contains low amounts of these nutrients, plants return to slower root growth and don’t respond adequately to the higher temperatures. The new molecular details of this interaction between root growth and nutrient availability in the face of high temperatures will inform the engineering of Salk Ideal Plants®—a collection of carbon-capturing, climate change-resilient wheat, rice, corn, and other crops created by Salk’s Harnessing Plants Initiative. | |
Cooperative proteins help the immune system identify and attack invaders | |
At the front line of the human immune response are cells called macrophages, which are responsible for correctly identifying intruders and then directing how the entire immune system responds. Associate Professor Diana Hargreaves, postdoctoral researcher Jingwen Liao, and team have now discovered a molecular mechanism that helps macrophages mount a coordinated response tailored to a specific immune challenge. Activating macrophages requires the work of three versions of a protein complex called SWI/SNF: cBAF, ncBAF, and PBAF. The researchers discovered that each variant plays a distinct role in initiating macrophages’ responses to intruders and, consequently, how the immune system regulates inflammation. By delineating these SWI/SNF variants, the team has revealed new immune system mechanisms that could be targeted with therapeutics to regulate inflammation associated with conditions like sepsis, cytokine storm, COVID-19, and many more. | |
Neuron identities differ with age and sex | |
The human brain’s message-sending neurons can behave differently with age. At the root of these changes are shifts in the regulation of neuronal genes—how and when these cellular instructions are read can change the identity of individual neurons. This in turn changes the ratio of different neuronal cell types in the brain. Research Professor Margarita Behrens, Professor Joseph Ecker, Salk colleagues, and collaborators at UC San Diego looked at human frontal cortexes from young adult and aged donors and found widespread age- and sex-related variation in neuronal cell types, seeing that both the amount and type of neuronal cells changed with age. Cells in older frontal cortexes expressed fewer genes involved in the active message-sending function of neurons, but expressed more subtelomere genes, which help protect the ends of chromosomes from age-related damage. The findings illustrate how genetic regulation changes in the aging human brain with unprecedented detail and will help researchers understand what happens to brain cells in both healthy aging and age-related diseases like Alzheimer’s. | |
Unveiling Telo-seq: A breakthrough in telomere research on aging and cancer | |
Within each of our cells, long strands of DNA are folded into chromosomes and capped with protective structures called telomeres. But telomeres shorten as we age, eventually getting so whittled down that our chromosomes become exposed and our cells die. However, the specifics of when and how this shortening occurs and whether certain chromosomes are more affected than others have been unclear—until now. Scientists at the Salk Institute have developed a groundbreaking tool called Telo-seq, designed to revolutionize the study of telomeres in aging and disease. The new technique allows researchers to determine the precise length and entire sequence of telomeres on each individual chromosome. Professor and Chief Science Officer Jan Karlseder, postdoctoral researcher Tobias Schmidt, and colleagues are already using Telo-seq to discover features of telomere dynamics that were inaccessible to scientists using previous methods. The findings will inspire a new era of telomere science and telomere-targeting therapeutics to treat aging-related diseases. | | |
|
Support High-Impact Science
Salk’s life-changing discoveries are not made by scientists alone. Only with the help of our supporters can we empower our globally renowned researchers, harness cutting-edge technology, and fuel bold initiatives to tackle some of the most challenging problems of our time.
| | |
In our new monthly video series “From Then to When,” we bring you the unique stories of Salk researchers, from their personal journeys into science to their motivations and goals for the future. | |
|
“Both my parents are scientists, so it was inevitable,” says Behrens. “I was going to be an architect—I always liked the arts. I paint a little bit when I have time, but I had two loves: science and architecture. And one of them won. I thought science would fulfill me better.”
Maria Margarita Behrens was born in Uruguay to two scientists. Her “inevitable” science career took her through Chile, Brazil, and Spain, followed by postdoctoral research in the United States, and finally landed her in San Diego as a research professor at Salk. Though she started her studies in biochemistry, Behrens eventually shifted into neuroscience while in school—a focus she continues to this day. “That's my passion,” says Behrens. “To try to understand how the brain gets put together.”
| |
Salk's new podcast Beyond Lab Walls | |
Join hosts Isabella Davis and Nicole Mlynaryk on a journey behind the scenes of the renowned Salk Institute, delving into the captivating realms of cutting-edge neuroscience, plant biology, cancer research, and more. The Institute’s new podcast immerses listeners in the fascinating world of science while showcasing the brilliant minds and dedicated staff who drive its groundbreaking discoveries. | |
So far this year, we have heard from five scientists across the Institute—from postdoctoral researcher to research professor, from climate change to artificial intelligence to cancer biology. Check out all the exciting new episodes of Beyond Lab Walls on our website, or on our exclusive media channel Salk Streaming. | |
Also find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen. | |
Designed by architect Louis Kahn in collaboration with founder Jonas Salk, our campus is one of the most architecturally renowned sites in the world. To learn more about Salk architecture, visit Salk Streaming’s “Architecture” video collection. Learn about the scenery that inspires and enables our scientists studying climate change, cancer biology, neuroscience, and more. | |
Salk Streaming is the Salk Institute’s new media channel, which—in addition to architecture videos—hosts lecture recordings, faculty profiles, podcast episodes, scientific discovery explainers, and many more videos to keep you excited and informed about today’s frontiers of science. | |
Salk Institute mourns the loss of John Alder, friend and former trustee | | |
 
|
|
Businessman and philanthropist John Adler, who served on the Institute’s Board of Trustees from 1991 to 2004, died on June 11, 2024, in Greenwich, Connecticut, at the age of 96. Adler generously supported the Salk Institute for decades, donating $6.7 million to launch the Adler Foundation Symposium on Alzheimer’s Disease Endowment, establish the Vi and John Adler Chair for Research on Age-Related Neurodegenerative Disease, and support many other research efforts.
Read more »
| |
Jesse Dixon named 2024 Pew Biomedical Scholar | | |
 
|
|
This honor provides funding to 22 early-career investigators who demonstrate outstanding promise in science toward advancing human health. Dixon’s recognition celebrates his recent work to help define the relationship between our genomes and cancer. His lab will receive $300,000 over four years to support their research.
Read more »
| |
2024 Kavli Small Equipment Grant Program awards 15 scientists | |
|
The program supplies Salk Faculty and Research Professors working in neuroscience and related fields with funds to purchase or build small equipment necessary for their research. Three proposals were awarded: Pallav Kosuri, Dmitry Lyumkis, and Aga Kendrick’s “Atomic Force Microscope”; Satchin Panda, Rusty Gage, Alan Saghatelian, Christian Metallo, Dannie Engle, Christie Towers, Pam Maher, Joe Noel, and Gerald Shadel’s Oroboros O2k Modular system for High-Resolution Respirometry; and Graham McVicker, Marga Behrens, Shrek Chalasani, Christie Towers, and Aga Kendrick’s qRT-PCR instrument.
Read more »
| |
Salk earned Charity Navigator’s highest ranking—4 out of 4 stars—for 13th time | | |
 
|
|
The coveted distinction indicates Salk has demonstrated strong financial health and commitment to accountability and transparency. Only 25 percent of organizations evaluated by Charity Navigator receive the four-star rating.
Read more »
| |
Salk Communications team receives Silver Medal at Independent Publisher Book Awards | | |
 
|
|
The team won the medal for the best architecture book, Mid-Century to Next Century: The Salk Institute at 60. The book celebrates the defining history, art, science, and architecture of the Salk Institute’s first 60 years.
Read more »
| |
Undergraduate Irene Chen wins UC San Diego Triton Student Employee Award | | |
 
|
|
A member of Professor Sreekanth Chalasani’s lab, Chen won the award for the Vice Chancellor area of Research Affairs. She received an exclusive award package with a personalized plaque to recognize her scientific achievements.
Read more »
| |
|
The San Diego Union-Tribune
6 San Diego scientists elected to National Academy of Sciences, embellishing the region’s standing as a research mecca
| |
Read article »
Features Professor Susan Kaech
| |  |
|
Yahoo! News
The brain can store nearly 10 times more data than previously thought, study confirms
| |
Read article »
Features Professor Terrence Sejnowski
| | |
|
Neuroscience News
The brain stores 10x more info than thought
| |
Read article »
Features Professor Terrence Sejnowski
| | |
|
The Scientist
Engineered rabies virus illuminates neural circuitry
| |
Read article »
Features Professor Edward Callaway
| | |
August 17: A Concert Under the Stars | |
This year’s artists for the 28th annual Symphony at Salk will be David Foster, sixteen-time Grammy Award®-winning musician, composer, and producer, and Katharine McPhee, acclaimed singer and television/Broadway star. We are delighted to host the powerhouse duo, along with the San Diego Symphony, for a stellar performance and unforgettable night on August 17. Sponsorships and individual tickets are available now. | | |
|
2024 has been declared Salk’s “Year of Healthy Aging”—and this edition of Inside Salk reflects the progress and plans Salk scientists have made in aging research. We feature faculty studying cell aging, heart health, and diseases like Alzheimer’s to see what they’ve discovered so far and what lies ahead. We also share captivating stories from faculty, postdoctoral researchers, and staff members, and celebrate recent discoveries, awards, and events on campus. | |
June 18: Juneteenth with the Black Association at Salk | |
The Black Association at Salk (BAS) hosted the Institute's fourth annual Juneteenth celebration in the Eucalyptus Grove. The celebration included opportunities to learn more about the significance and history of this holiday. Members of the Salk community enjoyed live music and food from two of San Diego's Black-owned businesses: Oak & Anchor and Flavors of East Africa. | |
June 14: Salk welcomes Summer Scholars | |
Founded more than 30 years ago, the Heithoff-Brody High School Summer Scholars Program helps fulfill Jonas Salk’s vision of providing opportunities for local high school students to experience life in a scientific laboratory and explore the possibility of a career in science. For eight weeks the program brings 13 high school students to Salk, where they will participate in seminars, field trips, workshops, and lab work under the mentorship of our world-renowned faculty and staff. | |
June 11: The Science & (In)justice of HIV/AIDS with Mayor Todd Gloria | |
The Salk Institute welcomed San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria and Salk Associate Professor Dmitry Lyumkis to discuss the intersection of research and social justice as it relates to HIV and AIDS, followed by an engaging Q&A session moderated by VP of External Relations Bryan Robinson and closing remarks from Salk Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Jálin Johnson. | | |
|
Your support powers groundbreaking research, and the people who bring it to life. | |
Enjoy Salk science on your devices | |
|
Looking for a unique background image for your computer, Zoom meeting, iPad, phone, or watch?
Since the start of 2024, Professor Wolfgang Busch has published multiple exciting studies to boost the mission of Salk’s Harnessing Plants Initiative. These findings often rely on a very important little weed called Arabidopsis thaliana, which acts as a model plant for scientists studying plant biology and climate change.
Learn more about Busch's research »
Learn more about the Harnessing Plants Initiative »
| |
About this newsletter
Salk’s email newsletter is published monthly with updates on recent scientific publications, media coverage, awards, grants, events, and other timely information for Salk supporters and science enthusiasts.
| | | | |
