The biology of how carnivorous plants like the Venus flytrap sense and respond to touch is still poorly understood, especially at the molecular level. A new study by Salk researchers led by Joanne Chory, in collaboration with Scripps Research, identifies what appears to be a key protein involved in the process. Published in the journal eLife, the findings could help scientists better understand how plants of all kinds sense and respond to mechanical stimulation, and could have a potential application in medical therapies that mechanically stimulate human cells such as neurons.
New method could democratize deep learning-enhanced microscopy
Deep learning is a potential tool for scientists to glean more detail from low-resolution images in microscopy, but it’s often difficult to gather enough baseline data to train computers in the process. Now, a new method developed by scientists at the Salk Institute led by Uri Manor, director of the Waitt Advanced Biophotonics Core Facility at Salk, could make the technology more accessible—by taking high-resolution images and artificially degrading them.
Professor Wolfgang Busch named first incumbent of the Hess Chair in Plant Science
Salk Professor Wolfgang Busch has been recognized for his contributions and dedication to advancing science through research by being named the first holder of the Hess Chair in Plant Science, effective April 1, 2021. Busch, an expert in root biology, is also co-director of Salk’s Harnessing Plants Initiative (HPI), which aims to optimize plants to help fight climate change. The newly endowed Hess Chair in Plant Science was made possible by the generosity of Hess Corporation, and established to recognize outstanding individuals making a significant impact on plant science research.
Professor Ronald Evans receives 2021 Asan Award in Basic Medicine
Salk Professor Ronald Evans has been awarded the 2021 Asan Award in Basic Medicine by the Asan Foundation. The award given by this Korean foundation totals $250,000 and recognizes “medical scientists who have achieved remarkable accomplishments in the fields of basic and clinical medicine to promote human health,” according to the Asan Foundation. Evans is the first international recipient of the Asan Award in Basic Medicine.
Salk Institute receives $1.5 million from The Conrad Prebys Foundation’s inaugural grant cycle
Salk Professor Thomas Albright was awarded $1 million and Assistant Professor Edward Stites awarded $500,000 by The Conrad Prebys Foundation as part of its inaugural round of grants. The funding will support Albright’s project looking at how our visual sense changes as we age or gain experience at new visual tasks, and Stites’ project investigates how specific FDA-approved drugs function against three types of melanoma mutations, which drive approximately 80 percent of melanomas.
Postdoc receives NIH Pathway to Independence Award
Congratulations to Tom Franken, a senior postdoctoral fellow in the Reynolds lab, for being awarded an NIH Pathway to Independence grant for a 5-year project to study how the brain distinguishes objects from the background. A deeper understanding of this process is important to develop better diagnostic tools and treatments for central visual processing disorders.
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This month's image shows the canyon in bloom with the Institute in the background.
