Keeping innocent people out of jail using the science of perception
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People wrongfully accused of a crime often wait years—if ever—to be exonerated. Many of these wrongfully accused cases stem from unreliable eyewitness testimony. Now, the lab of Professor
Thomas Albright
has identified a new way of presenting a lineup to an eyewitness that could improve the likelihood that the correct suspect is identified and reduce the number of innocent people sentenced to jail. The work appears in the journal
Nature Communications
.
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Click below for select media coverage:
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Loss of tuft cells accelerate pancreatic cancer in mouse models
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Professor
Geoffrey Wahl
’s lab previously showed that chemosensory tuft cells (cells sensitive to chemical signals) form during pancreatic inflammation (pancreatitis) and play a role in immunity. Now, the team has found that when there is a loss of tuft cells, tumor growth and damage to the pancreas increases. Their findings, published online in
Gastroenterology
on July 23, suggest that tuft cells may act to suppress pancreatic tumor formation.
Read more about the background to this work
here
.
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Giant leap in diagnosing liver disease
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Chronic liver disease represents a major global public health problem affecting an estimated 844 million people. Scientists co-led by Salk Professor
Ronald Evans
have created a novel diagnostic tool based on the microbiome—a complex collection of microbes that inhabit the gut. The non-invasive method, which is detailed in
Cell Metabolism
, quickly and inexpensively identifies liver fibrosis and cirrhosis over 90 percent of the time and could lead to improved patient care and treatment outcomes.
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New maps of chemical marks on DNA pinpoint regions relevant to many developmental diseases
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The lab of Professor
Joseph Ecker
has generated 168 new maps of chemical marks on DNA—called methylation—in mice. The data, which can help narrow down regions of the human genome that play roles in diseases such as schizophrenia and Rett syndrome, are part of a special edition of
Nature
devoted to the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE) Project. The paper’s authors are also on two other papers in the special edition.
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Salk scientists discover genetic “dial” to turn immune function up and down to target cancer, autoimmune disease
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The human immune system is a finely tuned machine, balancing when to release a cellular army to deal with pathogens, with when to rein in that army, stopping an onslaught from attacking the body itself. Associate Professor
Ye Zheng
and Assistant Professor
Diana Hargreaves
have discovered a way to control regulatory T cells, immune cells that act as a cease-fire signal, telling the immune system when to stand down. Their study appears in the journal
Immunity
.
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Salk welcomes top scientists in cancer and biology and biophysics
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The Salk Institute recently announced the addition of two new assistant professors, each of whom will begin their appointments in January 2021.
Daniel Hollern comes to Salk following his postdoctoral work at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He will join the NOMIS Center for Immunobiology and Microbial Pathogenesis and the Salk Cancer Center to pursue research that can improve the treatment of cancer patients.
Pallav Kosuri will join Salk’s Integrative Biology Laboratory, following his postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard. His research
seeks to understand the mechanics of biological machines
, with a focus on heart disease and on developing new strategies to prevent the mechanical failure of our body's most important muscle.
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Salk launches summer challenge
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With the world watching—waiting—for answers to the novel coronavirus, the Salk Institute is hard at work with numerous research projects relevant to COVID-19. But these efforts require immediate and sustained funding. To answer this urgent moment head-on, the Institute has launched a summer challenge to seek those who will help us change the world and make life better for humanity.
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From now until September 30, we are offering an exclusive
Salk
face mask for your contribution of $100 or more. Donate $250.00 for three masks.
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Five Salk faculty receive grants for cancer research
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Salk Professors
Ronald Evans
,
Tony Hunter
,
Susan Kaech
and
Reuben Shaw
, along with Assistant Professor
Dannielle Engle
, have received grants totaling $256,055 for research into lung cancer, neuroblastoma and pancreatic cancer from Padres Pedal the Cause. The organization, which raises funds for cancer research in San Diego via an annual one-day cycle/spin/run/walk event, will hold the next Pedal the Cause event in Spring 2021.
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Salk nonresident fellow Masakazu “Mark” Konishi dies at 87
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Masakazu “Mark” Konishi, who was a Salk nonresident fellow in neuroscience from 1991-1998, passed away on July 23. Konishi, the Bing Professor of Behavioral Ecology, Emeritus, at Caltech, was known for his studies of the neuroscience of songbirds and barn owls, and he served as a mentor to many in the systems neuroscience field.
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Salk trainees garner awards
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Jillybeth Burgado, a graduate student in the lab of
Nicola Allen
, has been awarded an HHMI Gilliam Fellowship
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Nikki Lytle, a postdoctoral researcher in the lab of
Geoffrey Wahl
, has been awarded a Sky Foundation Fellowship
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Professor
Martin Hetzer
discusses how dividing cells remember their identity and avoid errors that could cause cancer
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The Hetzer lab’s research helps explain why your organs might reach 100 even if you don't
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Professor
Reuben Shaw
explains why a diabetes drug has life-extending properties
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Salk researchers accelerate and expand COVID-19 research
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Salk architecture is beautiful
Looking for a unique background image for your computer, Zoom meeting, iPad or phone?
This month’s image shows a beautiful sunset at Salk Institute.
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