Dear Friends,
Today marks the end of my first week as president of the Salk Institute. I have benefited greatly from the training I received at Salk early in my career and this institution will always be a special place to me. I’m honored to serve and excited to continue the momentum built by my predecessor, Professor Rusty Gage, to whom I am very grateful. Together we have grown and evolved while preserving founder Jonas Salk’s legacy—a relentless pursuit of knowledge, passion for bridging science and art, and determination to be good ancestors. I look forward to keeping you updated as we accelerate our impactful research and work together to build a healthier world.
I hope you will enjoy reading about some of our latest discoveries and events below. Feedback is always welcome at communications@salk.edu.
Warmest regards,
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Gerald Joyce
Salk Institute President
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Cracking the case of mitochondrial repair and replacement in metabolic stress |
Professor Reuben Shaw and team discovered a missing link in the cellular response to metabolic stress, which occurs when cellular energy levels dip. It turns out that a protein (called FNIP1) helps the cell sense low energy levels and eliminate and replace damaged mitochondria (the cell’s powerhouses). The finding has implications for better understanding healthy aging, cancerous tumors, neurodegenerative diseases, and more. |
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Mitochondria power-supply failure may cause age-related cognitive impairment |
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Brains are made up of millions of neurons connected by synapses. Synapses enable communication between neurons and depend on even smaller structures: message-sending boutons, message-receiving dendrites, and mitochondria. Professor John Reynolds and team found dysfunctional synaptic mitochondria may explain age-related cognitive impairment, ushering in a new era for aging research. Read more »
See also:
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Not all itches are the same, according to the brain |
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If a mosquito lands on a person’s arm, they sense its presence on their skin and quickly scratch the spot to remove it. Itchiness due to something like a crawling insect is known as “mechanical” and is distinct from “chemical” itchiness, which is generated by an irritant, such as the mosquito’s saliva from a bite. Now, Professor Martyn Goulding, Associate Professor Sung Han, and team have discovered a dedicated brain pathway in mice that drives the mechanical sensation. The finding opens new avenues for therapeutic interventions for patients with a range of chronic itch conditions, including ectopic dermatitis and psoriasis. Read more »
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Fox 5 San Diego
Step inside the Salk Institute
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Features Professors Reuben Shaw and Susan Kaech
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NBC Right Now
Time-restricted eating could prevent work-related health issues: study
Features Professor Satchin Panda
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Smithsonian Magazine
Tiny worms get the munchies, too
Features Professor Sreekanth Chalasani
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Salk Institute receives $50 million from Hess Corporation to mitigate climate change through plant science |
Hess Corporation is donating $50 million to the Salk Institute’s Campaign for Discovery: The Power of Science, a seven-year, $750 million comprehensive fundraising campaign to attract the people and build the technology and space necessary to accelerate critical research. This gift will specifically advance Salk’s Harnessing Plants Initiative—an effort to mitigate climate change by optimizing plants and supporting wetlands to increase capture of excess atmospheric carbon—and provide vital infrastructure for this work by establishing the new Hess Center for Plant Science. |
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Salk Institute promotes five faculty members in genetics, immunology, and neurobiology |
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Five Salk Institute faculty members have been promoted for their notable, innovative contributions to science. These faculty members have demonstrated leadership in their disciplines, pushing the boundaries of basic scientific research. Assistant Professors Sung Han, Dmitry Lyumkis, and Graham McVicker were promoted to associate professors, and Associate Professors Sreekanth Chalasani and Ye Zheng were promoted to professors. The promotions were based on Salk faculty and nonresident fellow recommendation and approved by Salk’s president and Board of Trustees on April 21, 2023. Read more »
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Salk Professor Susan Kaech elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences |
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Professor Susan Kaech, director of the NOMIS Center for Immunobiology and Microbial Pathogenesis, has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She shares the honor with some of the world’s most accomplished leaders from science and technology, business, public affairs, education, the humanities, and the arts. Kaech and the new class of nearly 270 members will be inducted at a formal ceremony on September 30, 2023, at the Academy’s headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Read more »
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Faculty awarded with 2023 Kavli Small Equipment Grants |
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Professors Sreekanth Chalasani, Joanne Chory, Satchin Panda, Susan Kaech, and Marc Montminy, along with Associate Professors Graham McVicker and Axel Nimmerjahn, were the awardees of the 2023 Kavli Small Equipment Grants. The goal of the grant program is to provide funds to buy or build small equipment designed to strengthen research capacity and capability. The grant program has a total funding amount of $200,000 and awards range from a minimum of $10,000 up to $100,000. This year, the research areas of focus were neuroscience, particularly Alzheimer’s disease, and cancer. Read more about the Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind (KIBM) »
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Brian Selznick Big Tree Event
The Salk Institute, Salk’s Harnessing Plants Initiative, and Warwick’s, the country's oldest continuously family-owned and operated bookstore, are hosting an exclusive book talk and signing with acclaimed children’s author Brian Selznick, followed by a reception and children’s seed-planting activity for all to enjoy. Selznick’s Big Tree is a trailblazing adventure brimming with more than 300 pages of illustrations, with themes like conservationism and nature-based symbiosis.
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27th Annual Symphony at Salk
Salk’s acclaimed annual concert and fundraiser will feature guest artist Jennifer Hudson performing with the San Diego Symphony. Hudson is an Emmy, GRAMMY®, Oscar (Academy Award), and Tony award winner, making her the youngest female EGOT recipient. Symphony at Salk sponsorship directly support Salk scientists in their pursuit of life-changing discoveries in cancer, aging, computational biology, neuroscience, immunobiology, plant biology, and more.
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This month at Salk: Meeting the sons of Institute founder Jonas Salk |
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On March 29, we were honored to host Peter Salk and Jonathan Salk, who shared personal reflections, writings, and photos of their father, Institute founder Jonas Salk. |
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The latest issue of Inside Salk magazine is now available. Read it online or join our mailing list for a print edition. In this issue we have a lot to celebrate, including Salk’s new president, Gerald Joyce, and the 50th anniversary of Salk’s National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center. Learn how our Cancer Center originated and what makes it so special; take a deep dive into the 1979 discovery that eventually led to Gleevec, a medication that is now routinely used to treat chronic myelogenous leukemia; and meet a few of the people who help make the Cancer Center the powerhouse it is today.
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Your support powers groundbreaking research, and the people who bring it to life. |
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This month, two Salk studies featured mitochondria, which are organelles that generate power for cells to survive and thrive. |
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What is the power created by mitochondria called?
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Adenosine triphosphate (ATP)
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Giant Chocolate Bunny (GCB)
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Last month's science quiz results
Professor Terrence Sejnowski made major contributions to the conversation surrounding artificial intelligence and large language models like ChatGPT. After being made publicly available for use in November 2022, ChatGPT quickly became a household name.
Now, in 2023, about how many individuals use ChatGPT daily?
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Answer: At least 13 million individual active users have visited ChatGPT every day since January 2023. Now, in April 2023, there are about 25 million individual active users on ChatGPT every day.
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Enjoy Salk science on your devices |
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Looking for a unique background image for your computer, Zoom meeting, iPad, or phone?
Researchers in Professor Reuben Shaw’s lab recently discovered that the protein FNIP1 is a key player in the cellular response to metabolic stress. This image shows the number of mitochondria, from lowest (red) to highest (blue), in the cell during metabolic stress. Learn more »
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Contact Us
The Salk Institute for Biological Studies
10010 N Torrey Pines Rd
La Jolla, CA 92037
USA
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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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