Frontiers The weed that changed the world

In the News The Salk Institute and Lustgarten Foundation form strategic pancreatic cancer research partnership

Observations Kenta Asahina Flying into the future of technology and innovation

Insights Courtney Glavis-Bloom Shining the spotlight on aging to find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease

Next Gen Helen McRae Leveraging the body’s own immune response for more effective cancer therapies

In this issue

Frontiers

The weed that changed the world

How Arabidopsis thaliana became one of the most important tools in science—and how the information the small weed has revealed over decades of research now enables the development of Salk Ideal Plants^TM, a new generation of food crops that are better equipped to both thrive in a changing climate and help mitigate it.

In The News

The Salk Institute and Lustgarten Foundation form strategic pancreatic cancer research partnership

Supported by a $5 million grant, the partnership aims to identify and validate potential targets for new pancreatic cancer drugs. Four participating labs, led by Salk Professors Reuben Shaw, Ronald Evans, Tony Hunter and Assistant Professor Dannielle Engle, will bring their individual areas of complementary expertise to bear on the collaborative goal.

Observations

Kenta Asahina — Flying into the future of technology and innovation

Originally from Japan, Associate Professor Kenta Asahina grew up exploring nearby farmlands with his two brothers in search of insects and plants. Their dad enjoyed taking them to the mountains and national parks. These experiences inspired his interest in the natural world, and Asahina now studies how genetics impact fruit fly behavior.

Insights

Courtney Glavis-Bloom — Shining the spotlight on aging to find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease

Senior Staff Scientist Courtney Glavis-Bloom’s work is driven by her experience caring for her grandparents, who were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease when she was in high school. She saw firsthand how dementia robs individuals of their connections to the world—now she studies the brain areas affected in aging in the hope of finding a cure.

Next Gen

Helen McRae — Leveraging the body’s own immune response for more effective cancer therapies

Helen McRae was a graduate student when her cousin was diagnosed with lung cancer and received immunotherapy—an approach that empowers a patient’s own immune system to destroy tumors. McRae saw the promise of this newer treatment, but also how much more research is needed to help it work for more people.

President’s Letter

“It’s undeniable that science and technology are rapidly changing and, as stewards of Jonas Salk’s legacy, it is our responsibility to meet the most pressing challenges head-on and to ensure that the next 60 years of Salk science are as impactful to the world as the first 60.”

Fred H. Gage

President

View President’s letter

Discoveries

Neuroscience

Call-and-response circuit tells neurons when to grow synapsesBrain cells called astrocytes play a key role in helping neurons develop and function properly, but there’s still a lot scientists don’t understand about how astrocytes perform these important jobs. Now, Associate Professor Nicola Allen and colleagues have found one way that neurons and astrocytes work together to form healthy connections called synapses. This insight into normal astrocyte function could help scientists better understand disorders linked to problems with neuronal development, including autism spectrum disorders.See All

Cancer

How injury to the pancreas influences cancer developmentIn a study led by Professor Geoffrey Wahl and Vanderbilt Assistant Professor Kathy DelGiorno, first author Zhibo Ma and colleagues found that cells in the pancreas form new cell types to mitigate injury, but then become susceptible to cancerous mutations. Their findings establish a better understanding of the pancreas’ healing mechanisms and offer insights into what happens when the process goes awry. Targeting these processes may lead to new treatments for patients with pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer.See All

Plant Biology

Study shines a light into “black holes” in the Arabidopsis genomeResearch Professor Todd Michael and colleagues sequenced the genome of the world’s most widely used model plant species, Arabidopsis thaliana, revealing new information about a region of its chromosomes called the centromere. The findings provide insights into centromere rapid evolution and the genomic equivalent of black holes. With this approach, scientists will be able to map centromeres from diverse Arabidopsis species, and ultimately more widely throughout plants.See All

Metabolism

A new route for regulating blood sugar levels independent of insulinThe discovery of insulin 100 years ago opened a door that would lead to life and hope for millions of people with diabetes. Since then, insulin, produced in the pancreas, has been considered the primary means of treating conditions characterized by high blood glucose, such as diabetes. Now, Professor Ronald Evans, first author Gencer Sancar and colleagues have discovered a second molecule called FGF1 that is produced in fat tissue and, like insulin, also potently and rapidly regulates blood glucose. Their finding could lead to the development of new diabetes therapies, and also lays the foundation for promising new avenues in metabolism research.See All

Spotlight

San Diego Nathan Shock Center announces grant awardees

Recently, the San Diego Nathan Shock Center of Excellence in the Basic Biology of Aging, a consortium between the Salk Institute, Sanford Burnham Prebys and the University of California San Diego, announced its second-year class of pilot grant awardees. Recipients from six different institutions will receive up to $15,000 to pursue research that advances our understanding of how humans age, with the ultimate goal of extending health span—the number of years of healthy, disease-free life.

Salk scientists receive the 2021 ASPIRE award to study pancreatic cancer

Professor Ronald Evans and Assistant Professor Dannielle Engle were granted a 2021 ASPIRE (Accelerating Scientific Platforms and Innovative Research) award to study the cellular and molecular drivers of pancreatic cancer. The $250,000 award, supported by The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research, enables innovative approaches to solving impactful problems in cancer research. The 23 scientists chosen […]

Professor Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte tapped for high-profile life sciences position

After nearly 30 years at the Institute, Professor Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte will soon lead the San Diego division of Altos Institutes of Science, a newly created life sciences company focused on cellular rejuvenation programming to restore cell health and resilience.

David Lawrence appointed executive director of Harnessing Plants Initiative

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Events

Salkexcellerators Mixer

On October 27, 2021, Professor Alan Saghatelian and Postdoctoral Researcher and 2021 Salkexcellerators Fellow Jacob Tremblay shared highlights from their labs with the Salkexcellerators group in an outdoor mixer. Salkexcellerators are the next generation of community members who support scientific discovery at Salk and engage with scientists through a full schedule of activities.

Melvin Cohn Lecture on Conceptual Immunology

On November 17, 2021, pioneering scientist Ruslan Medzhitov led a thought-provoking lecture on conceptual immunology. Medzhitov is a Sterling Professor of Immunobiology at the Yale School of Medicine. He has made multiple seminal discoveries in the fields of inflammation and immunobiology. A reception was held after the lecture in the Red Brick Courtyard.

Power of Science: Impact of Salk Science on Humanity

On December 8, 2021, Ha Nguyen, senior director of the Office of Technology Development, highlighted the past and present successes of translating Salk’s scientific discoveries into technologies and interventions that prevent, treat or mitigate some of our most difficult health challenges, to benefit humankind. See The Power of Science at salk.edu.

Salk Women & Science 10-Year Anniversary

On December 1, 2021, Salk Women & Science celebrated its 10-year anniversary of engaging women in the community with leaders in biological science and technology. This year’s event was held in honor of Swati Tyagi, a postdoctoral researcher in the Hetzer lab who was tragically killed in June 2021. A Women & Science endowed fund has been established in her name. In addition, the Salk Women & Science Special Awards were presented.