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Dear Friends,
The Salk Institute is a world leader in scientific discovery because of our people—inspiring scientists who spend long hours in labs, who come up with creative new ideas, and who feed off each other’s expertise.
Three of our faculty members are featured below this month: Professor Janelle Ayres, who was selected as a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator, Professor Joanne Chory, who was named 2024 Wolf Prize Laureate in Agriculture, and Associate Professor Dmitry Lyumkis, who received the 2025 Margaret C. Etter Early Career Award from the American Crystallographic Association.
At every stage in their careers, our faculty lead their respective fields by asking unique questions, developing new technologies, and challenging the status quo. Please join me in congratulating them!
Warmest regards,
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Gerald Joyce
Salk Institute President
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New tools reveal neuropeptides, not fast neurotransmitters, encode danger in the brain | |
 |  | In the split second you accidentally touch the hot handle of a cast iron skillet, pain and a sense of danger rush in. Sensory signals travel from the pain receptors in your finger, up through your spinal cord, and into your brainstem. Once there, a special group of neurons relays those pain signals to a higher brain area called the amygdala, where they trigger your emotional fear response and help you remember to avoid hot skillets in the future. To determine the role of neuropeptides in this fear circuit, Associate Professor Sung Han, postdoctoral researcher Dong-Il Kim, and team created two new tools that, for the first time ever, allowed scientists to study neuropeptides in the circuits of live mice. These studies revealed not only that the fear circuit relies on neuropeptides as messengers, but that more than one neuropeptide is involved in the process. In addition to illuminating effective drug development strategies for fear-related neurological disorders like PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), the scientists’ findings may explain why existing therapeutics that target only one neuropeptide are ineffective.
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Study reveals key gene protecting plants from harmful metals in soil | |
 | | The negative impact of human activity on Earth doesn’t just affect our planet’s atmosphere—it goes much deeper, into its soils. For instance, excessive application of manure or sewage sludge can increase heavy metal concentrations in agricultural land where vital crops are grown. One of these heavy metals is zinc, a micronutrient necessary for plant and animal health but which, in excess, can cause devastating damage to sensitive plant species. In a new study, Professor Wolfgang Busch, former graduate student Kaizhen Zhong, and their team analyzed the zinc tolerance and genetic information of hundreds of natural strains of the mustard family plant Arabidopsis thaliana and identified a gene that helps them manage excess zinc in the soil. The findings reveal that plants tolerate high levels of zinc by trapping it in their root cell walls, a process that is facilitated by a gene called trichome birefringence, or TBR. Scientists and farmers can now use this information to develop and grow crops that are more resilient to soil contamination. Increasing plant resilience is a major goal of Salk’s Harnessing Plants Initiative.
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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.
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In the 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. | |
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“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.”
Busch’s relationship with plants has radically shifted since those early days. Today, he focuses all his time and efforts entirely on plants—their genes, hormones, immune systems, development, and so much more. Salk Professor Wolfgang Busch, holder of the Hess Chair in Plant Science and member of Salk’s Harnessing Plants Initiative, studies plants with particular attention to their roots, hoping to eventually create more robust, resilient plants and crops that can withstand the environmental pressures of climate change. Learn more about his science and journey to Salk in his “From Then to When” video.
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Salk's 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. | |
Our scientists have received a lot of recognition this year—lifetime achievement awards, inductions into honor societies, promotions, research funding, and more. Witness firsthand the world-renowned researchers at Salk in the Salk Streaming “Public Lectures” category, where they give talks explaining their cutting-edge scientific discoveries. | |
Salk Streaming is the Salk Institute’s new media channel, which—in addition to public lecture videos—hosts architecture videos, faculty profiles, podcast episodes, scientific discovery explainers, and many more videos to keep you excited and informed about today’s frontiers of science. | |
Professor Joanne Chory named 2024 Wolf Prize Laureate in Agriculture | |
Chory has been selected by the Wolf Foundation to receive a 2024 Wolf Prize in the field of agriculture for her "key discoveries on plant developmental biology of relevance for crop improvements.” The award is endowed annually to scientists and artists worldwide for their “outstanding achievements in advancing science and the arts for the betterment of humanity.” Chory is the third Salk faculty member to receive the Wolf Prize, following Professors Tony Hunter (2005) and Ronald Evans (2012).
Read more »
See also:
Forbes.com
The San Diego Union-Tribune
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Salk Professor Janelle Ayres named Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Investigator | |
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The HHMI Investigators program awards established scientists with approximately $9 million in funding over seven years to pursue boundary-breaking research in their field. This honor recognizes her influential work in immunology and microbiology and its applications to the global crisis of antibiotic resistance. Ayres is among 26 other 2024 selectees, who will join more than 250 standing Investigators—including Salk Professors Joanne Chory (1997), Joseph Ecker (2011), and Kay Tye (2021).
Read more »
See also:
HHMI News
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Associate Professor Dmitry Lyumkis receives ACA 2025 Margaret C. Etter Early Career Award | |
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This award, named in honor of the esteemed crystallographer Margaret C. Etter, recognizes Lyumkis’ outstanding achievements and exceptional potential in crystallographic research at such an early stage in his scientific career. Lyumkis looks at the form and function of proteins to investigate the mechanisms by which biological invaders interplay with their hosts to establish and maintain infection.
Read more »
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Graduate researcher Sai Krishna Bhamidipati earns Charles F. Stevens Neuroscience Research Award | |
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Bhamidipati, a graduate researcher in Professor Edward Callaway’s lab, has won the first ever Charles F. Stevens Neuroscience Research Award for his work exploring the fundamental principles underlying brain function. The award is given in memory of Chuck Stevens and was established to provide research grants to graduate students working in the field of neuroscience at UC San Diego and the Salk Institute.
Read more »
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Two researchers are awarded prizes in 2024 Postdoc Proposal Writing Workshop | |
In this year’s workshop, run by Salk’s Grants and Development team, two trainees won cash prizes for writing the most compelling proposals. Yuening Liu from Pallav Kosuri’s lab earned $300 for their proposal "Cellular drivers of cardiomyocyte dysfunction in the aging heart,” and Qiyuan Yang of Ye Zheng’s lab earned $200 for their proposal “Uncovering the adaptation and function of MHCII+ Tregs in the tumor microenvironment.” | |
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CBS8
Using AI to engineer crops to fight climate change
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Read article »
Features Professor Wolfgang Busch and Salk Fellow Talmo Pereira
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The New York Times
Eight revelations from Louis Kahn’s last sketchbook
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Read article »
Features Salk’s architecture and architect Louis Kahn
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STAT News
Expansive new study points to distinct brain networks linked to sex and gender
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Read article »
Features Assistant Professor Daniel Bayless
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Forbes
Why are rates of colon cancer surging among young adults?
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Read article »
Features Professor Ronald Evans
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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. | | |
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Sign up for our mailing list to receive Inside Salk Fall 2024 as soon as it’s released. In the meantime, check out the Spring 2024 edition online, which reflects the progress and plans Salk scientists have made in aging research. We feature the interdisciplinary faculty studying aging, neurodegeneration, and diseases like Alzheimer’s to see what they’ve discovered so far and what lies ahead. We also share captivating stories from faculty members, postdoctoral researchers, and alumni, and celebrate recent discoveries, awards, and events on campus. Read Inside Salk Spring 2024 online or join our mailing list to receive print editions of Inside Salk. | |
July 20 and 21: San Diego Pride | |
For the third year in a row, Salk participated in San Diego Pride weekend and, for the second year, partnered with the Salk Pride Society (SPS) affinity group. The Pride Festival had fun games, a prize wheel, and tons of Pride swag, and Salk joined in by setting up a booth with engaging and informative activities and goodies. | | |
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Your support powers groundbreaking research, and the people who bring it to life. | |
Enjoy Salk science on your devices | |
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Looking for a unique background image for your computer, Zoom meeting, iPad, phone, or watch?
This month was punctuated by an exciting, sunny weekend at San Diego Pride, with Salk in attendance alongside our Salk Pride Society affinity group.
Salk Pride Society strives to promote a safe, inclusive, and equitable workplace community for all LGBTQIA+ members and supporters at the Institute.
Learn more »
Follow SPS on Instagram » @salkpridesociety
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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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