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San Diego Union-Tribune
Opinion: The polio vaccine changed the world. It holds lessons for today
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Features Salk President Gerald Joyce
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Business Insider
Fox 5
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NBC

Carbon-scrubbing crops could help offset air pollution
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Features Professor Wolfgang Busch
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AARP
The 50+ Ozempic diet
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Features Professor Ronald Evans
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Forbes
Parents are turning to breathwork to help manage toddler tantrums
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Features Associate Professor Sung Han
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CBS 8
Using native plants for drug discoveries
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KPBS
Medicinal plants project
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Features Research Professor Todd Michael
| | | Peptide imitation is the sincerest form of plant flattery | |
Industrial farming practices often deplete the soil of important nutrients and minerals, leaving farmers to rely on artificial fertilizers to support plant growth. In fact, fertilizer use has more than quadrupled since the 1960s, but this comes with serious consequences. Fertilizer production consumes massive amounts of energy, and its use pollutes the water, air, and land. In The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Assistant Professor Lena Mueller and team propose a solution to kick this unsustainable fertilizer habit: fungi.
The Salk researchers identified a key molecule produced by plant roots, called CLE16, that encourages plants and beneficial soil fungi to interact with each other. They say this symbiotic relationship, in which the fungi provide mineral nutrients to the plants, could be boosted through CLE16 supplementation to encourage healthy, sustainable crop growth without the use of harmful artificial fertilizers.
| | “From Then to When” videos bring you the unique stories of Salk researchers, from their personal journeys into science to their motivations and goals for the future. Professor Wolfgang Busch, plant biologist and executive director of Salk’s Harnessing Plants Initiative, looks at plant roots with the goal of creating plants that both withstand and fight climate change. | | |
“I grew up in Germany. […] It had beautiful natural settings, fields, and forests. I really explored nature with friends, and my sisters went into the forest, climbed all the trees, explored the swamps, almost drowned in a pond—we broke through the ice once. That, I think, sparked my interest in nature,” laughs Busch. “Even though, I have to admit, I wasn't interested in plants in particular, because at that time, [they were] more the backdrop for my adventures.”
But plants didn’t remain a backdrop for Busch. Today, his life revolves entirely around plants—their genes, hormones, immune systems, development, and so much more. Learn more about his science and journey to Salk in his “From Then to When” video. You can also read about the Harnessing Plants Initiative on the Salk website, or in a recently published article Busch co-wrote with colleagues at UC San Diego and Scripps.
| | SALK'S PODCAST BEYOND LAB WALLS | | This month’s episode of Beyond Lab Walls features Jeff Jones, a staff scientist in Professor Rusty Gage’s lab. Jones has always liked picking things apart—asking endless questions, tinkering with technology, and decoding our genes. His “reductionist thinking” eventually led him to Salk, where he now investigates the influence life’s tiniest building blocks have on aging. Hear about his story and his fascinating research—and the incredible modern models and tools he uses to conduct it—at the link below, or wherever you listen to podcasts. | | Three faculty members promoted in neuroscience, immunology, and cancer research | | |
Associate Professors Nicola Allen and Diana Hargreaves were promoted to full professors, and Assistant Professor Jesse Dixon was promoted to associate professor. The promotions were based on Salk faculty and nonresident fellow recommendations and approved by Salk’s president and Board of Trustees on April 4, 2025.
“Nicola, Diana, and Jesse are all pushing the boundaries of what is known and what is considered possible in their respective fields,” says Salk President Gerald Joyce. “Nicola has also made critical contributions to Salk’s programs in neuroimmunology and Alzheimer’s disease, and both Diana and Jesse have made important advances in cancer research. We are excited to see how their leadership and innovation will continue to shape the Institute’s success.”
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| | | | As we welcome spring and the warmth of summer begins creeping in, the spring 2025 edition of Inside Salk shines a light on the exciting progress Salk’s Harnessing Plants Initiative has made so far. This issue also includes special features celebrating major anniversaries—Tony Hunter’s 50th year at Salk, and Jonas Salk’s polio vaccine’s 70th year since creation. You can also catch up on our most recent discoveries and meet Assistant Professor Pallav Kosuri, postdoctoral researcher Irene Lopéz Gutiérrez, and newly appointed Salk COO Suzanne Page. Join our mailing list to be the first to receive a copy, and while you wait, read the winter 2024 edition of Inside Salk, online now. | | Sponsorships now available for 29th Annual Symphony at Salk: Saturday, August 16 | | Support Salk’s groundbreaking science by sponsoring Symphony at Salk, a treasured tradition in which guests enjoy a champagne reception, a gourmet dinner in Salk’s iconic courtyard, and the incredible sounds of the San Diego Symphony and a special guest artist. This year’s guest artist will be Kristin Chenoweth, Emmy and Tony Award-winning actress and singer. Individual tickets will go on sale starting June 2. Sponsorship packages and more information are available at symphony.salk.edu. | | April 21 to 25: Salk spirit week | | | | Salk’s Engagement & Wellbeing team hosted a week filled with fun, community, and a chance to connect with colleagues in new ways. Each day had a theme for what to wear, like San Diego gear or pajama day, as well as multiple activities, from creating a time capsule to a paper airplane contest. | | | | Earth Day is an exciting and important holiday celebrated around the world. At Salk, plant biologists, neuroscientists, researchers, and administration all gathered on Earth Day to swap plants and plant seeds. | | |
Spring has sprung! As flowers begin to show their colorful faces again, Salk celebrates our world-class plant biologists—like this month’s featured researcher Lena Mueller—and the important work they do.
Each exciting insight brings us closer to accomplishing Salk’s Harnessing Plants Initiative’s mission to create plants with deeper, more robust root systems that pull excess atmospheric carbon underground and keep it there. You can read about our progress so far soon in the upcoming spring 2025 edition of Inside Salk, or now by visiting the Initiative’s homepage.
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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.
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