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February 2026
Newsletter
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Discoveries: Dynamic DNA, nature versus nurture, and lung cancer
Events: Science Can’t Wait webinar on March 11
Discovery Society: A community of Salk science supporters
Beyond Lab Walls: Terrence Sejnowski chats chatbots and NeuroAI
Spotlight: Welcoming new Nonresident Fellows
Inside Salk: Read the winter edition online now
In the news: Will California get a superbloom this spring?
Social media highlight: What we love about Salk
| | Does the motion of our DNA influence its activity? | | How does our DNA store the massive amount of information needed to build a human being? And what happens when it’s stored incorrectly? Jesse Dixon, MD, PhD, has spent years studying the way this genome is folded in 3D space—knowing that dysfunctional folding can cause cancers and developmental disorders, including autism-related disorders. | | | The latest research from his lab adds to a growing understanding that the genome’s 3D organization is constantly in flux. Using different types of human cells, his lab showed that this dynamic genome unfolding and refolding process occurs at different rates in different parts of the genome, which, in turn, influences gene regulation and expression. The findings, published in Nature Genetics, may point to targets for blocking the dysfunctional folding that leads to cancers and developmental disorders. | |
Learn about other neuroscience and cancer news at Salk >>
See also: SciTech Daily »
| | How do nature and nurture shape our immune cells? | | |
The COVID-19 pandemic gave us tremendous perspective on how wildly symptoms and outcomes can vary between patients experiencing the same infection. How can two people infected by the same pathogen have such different responses? It largely comes down to variability in genetics (the genes you inherit) and life experience (your environmental, infection, and vaccination history). These two influences are imprinted on our cells through small molecular alterations called epigenetic changes, which shape cell identity and function by controlling whether genes are turned “on” or “off.”
Joseph Ecker, PhD, and his team debuted a new epigenetic catalog in Nature Genetics that reveals the distinct effects of genetic inheritance and life experience on various types of immune cells. The database helps explain individual differences in immune responses and may serve as the foundation for more effective and personalized therapeutics.
| | Could biochemical engineering tools reveal new insights into lung cancer? | |
For cancer cells to grow and proliferate, they must be able to rapidly build and renew their outer membranes. These membrane structures are made of fatty molecules called lipids, but technical limitations have made it difficult to measure the dynamics of lipid metabolism. In a new study, Salk scientists, led by Christian Metallo, PhD, used biochemical engineering tools and principles to address this problem.
The team successfully repurposed a technique traditionally used to model glucose and mitochondrial metabolism to now measure changes in lipid flux in tumors. They collaborated with fellow Salk cancer researcher Reuben Shaw, PhD, to study lung cancer models, identifying specific changes in metabolism depending on the genetic mutations present in a tumor. This technology will now help them identify new therapeutic candidates to target lipid metabolism in cancer and other diseases.
Learn about other biochemistry and cancer news at Salk »
| | Science Can’t Wait webinar on March 11 at 10:00 a.m. PT/1:00 p.m. ET | | We invite you to join us for the second installment of our webinar series, “Smart Plants in a Changing World.” The live conversation with plant biologist Lucia Strader, PhD, will explore how plants sense and respond to their environments, and how understanding these natural survival strategies can help us develop crops that thrive in a changing world. | | The Salk Institute’s Discovery Society honors and celebrates a committed group of individuals who empower Salk’s world-renowned scientists to pursue bold ideas, accelerate discoveries, and inspire solutions that improve lives. Members are essential partners in our mission to confront humanity’s greatest challenges—from cancer and Alzheimer’s disease to crop resilience and healthy aging. | |
Salk's podcast, Beyond Lab Walls
| | | | This month’s episode of Beyond Lab Walls features Terrence Sejnowski, PhD, a professor, head of the Computational Neurobiology Laboratory, and holder of the Francis Crick Chair at Salk. The conversation follows Sejnowski’s career, as he played a hand in two entirely new scientific fields emerging—first computational neuroscience, then NeuroAI. He shares what it was like creating the first text-to-speech program, how to use chatbots most effectively, and the ways neuroscientists are using computer models to understand the human brain. | | Andrew Dillin and Christopher Glass named Salk Institute Nonresident Fellows | | | | |
UC Berkeley professor Andrew Dillin, PhD, and UC San Diego professor Christopher Glass, MD, PhD, join a group of eminent scientific advisors who guide Salk’s leadership.
“Andy and Chris are world-renowned researchers and great partners to Salk,” says Salk President Gerald Joyce, MD, PhD. “Their careers highlight the importance of studying the genomic and molecular mechanisms of health, aging, and disease, and their insights will help strengthen and guide Salk’s scientific strategy in these fields.”
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The winter issue of Inside Salk magazine is all about the critical role that foundational science plays in fueling and sustaining the entire scientific and medical industry. Hear from our leadership, faculty, and staff, and learn why Salk is where cures begin.
Read it online now, and join our mailing list to receive future issues of Inside Salk at your door.
| | This Valentine’s Day, we came together to share everything we love about Salk. Watch the time-lapse as the blank Valentine’s scroll becomes a love letter from us to the iconic research institute. | | Your support keeps discovery alive. Donate today. | |
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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