A new study found that inducing mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) during embryonic development protects the adult heart from chemotherapy toxicity in mice. The study discovered that stressed mitochondria release citrate, leading to long-term epigenetic changes that promote beneficial mitohormetic adaptations. These findings s...
Salk Institute scientists found that maternal immune activation leads to epigenetic changes in mouse brains, increasing the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders. These changes were particularly significant in areas of the genome associated with autism spectrum disorder.
Researchers have developed a genetic toolkit to isolate individual neuron types in a fruit fly brain, revealing distinct neuronal subgroups that produce different effects, including suppressing aggression. The study identifies a universal control of aggression across sexes and highlights the complex roles of neurons within the same neu...
A study published in Nature Neuroscience found that social isolation increases alcohol consumption in male mice by activating a specific brain circuit, while decreasing it in female mice. The researchers identified a neural pathway connecting the basolateral amygdala and medial prefrontal cortex, which may hold key to understanding alc...
Salk Institute researchers found microglia's novel way to contribute to ALS progression and death, using TAM receptors to find and kill motor neurons in spinal cords of mice with ALS. The study suggests a new target for therapy innovation, but notes the complexity of variables involved.
Researchers at Salk Institute develop novel 'dye-cycling' strategy to measure RNA polymerase movement along DNA with unprecedented lengths of time. This breakthrough provides critical mechanical insights into how genes are transcribed in cells, shedding light on the fundamental processes of life.
Researchers at Salk Institute create a body-wide single-cell atlas of two major epigenetic systems, revealing that cell-type-specific epigenetic features can affect disease risk. The study identifies over 1.36 million differentially methylated regions and 283,606 differential chromatin loops across the human body's cell types.
Aging cells become more susceptible to ferroptosis due to elevated levels of acid ceramidase, a previously targeted therapeutic candidate. This vulnerability can be passed to neighboring cells, impacting overall tissue health. The discovery offers new hope for supporting healthy aging and treating age-related diseases.
A new review article synthesizes information on neural traveling waves, concluding they are a computational engine in the visual cortex. These waves allow the brain to build internal representations of the external world, enabling prediction and perception.
Researchers created a platform to study chronic pancreatitis pathogenesis and identify potential treatments by generating patient-derived organoids. The organoids revealed consistent dysfunction in the CFTR protein, which may be a future effective therapeutic target.
A new study by Thales Papagiannakopoulos and colleagues found that lung cancer tumors talk directly to the nervous system through sensory neurons in the lungs, promoting cachexia. Silencing these nerves or blocking the production of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) reduced cachexia, suggesting a potential therapeutic strategy.
Salk Institute researchers discovered chronoferroptosis, a chronic stress pathway in cells that causes neurons to become less resilient over time and more susceptible to neurodegeneration. Iron accumulation was found to lower the cells' defenses, making them more vulnerable to stressors.
Researchers at Salk Institute uncover an unexpected role for HDAC enzymes in controlling critical genes involved in DNA repair, making pancreatic cells more vulnerable to therapies that induce DNA damage. This finding paves the way for new treatment strategies combining entinostat with DNA-damaging therapies.
Researchers found a unique protein called YAF9B that helps plants protect their stem cells from DNA damage. This discovery sheds light on how plants coordinate DNA repair processes, which could improve future crops by guiding more precise genome editing.
Three Salk faculty members, Sung Han, Daniel Hollern, and Graham McVicker, receive Keck Scholar-Fellow funding to investigate neural communication, immune tolerance in cancer, and gene expression regulation. The projects aim to advance high-risk, high-reward research and develop new technologies for targeted therapies.
The Salk Institute has promoted Julie Law to full professor and appointed Talmo Pereira as assistant professor, highlighting their innovative approaches to gene regulation and computational neuroscience. Their research focuses on epigenetics and artificial intelligence techniques, respectively.
Suzanne Bourgeois, a pioneering gene regulation scientist and the Salk Institute's unofficial historian, has passed away at age 94. She was a key figure in the development of the institute's Regulatory Biology Laboratory and discovered early archives that were saved from destruction.
Guldner will investigate cellular communication mechanisms that regulate brain aging and disease, targeting those interactions to preserve brain health. His research aims to build the scientific foundation for future strategies to protect cognitive health by revealing early cellular shifts that precede disease.
Sarah Wolf Hallac joins the Salk Institute's Board of Trustees with broad experience spanning technology, finance, and philanthropy. She will help guide the Institute as it advances foundational science, fueling future breakthroughs.
Researchers found that a vitamin D analog reduced fibroblast activation and increased T cell infiltration in pancreatic tumors, improving chemotherapy responses and progression-free survival. Patients with high vitamin D receptor expression also had longer overall survival.
Gerald Joyce's election to the American Philosophical Society honors his pioneering work in directed evolution and foundational questions about life and molecules. He has made significant contributions to cancer, asthma, and skin diseases through his research on DNA enzymes.
Researchers from the Salk Institute found that astrocytes play a crucial role in fragile X syndrome symptoms. Correcting dysregulations in star-shaped brain cells improved some symptoms, including reduced seizures and restored molecular balances in a mouse model of FXS. The study validates the importance of studying astrocytes in FXS r...
Salk scientists and collaborators advance visualization technology using visible-spectrum antigen-stabilizable fluorescent nanobodies (VIS-Fbs), reducing background fluorescence by up to a hundredfold. The new probe enables high spatial and temporal precision, allowing for real-time tracking of dynamic changes in living models.
Terrence Sejnowski receives Scientific Breakthrough Award for his foundational development of Boltzmann machines, providing the architectural bedrock for deep learning and generative AI. His work has had a profound impact on modern artificial intelligence and tools like ChatGPT.
A Salk Institute study identifies Fibroblast Growth Factor 1 (FGF1) as the molecular signal that tells the liver when to release fat into the bloodstream, following a precise rhythm timed to the body's internal clock.
Researchers at Salk Institute discovered that naked mole rats can transition to peaceful queen succession, demonstrating flexibility in their social order. This finding challenges previous understanding of colony dynamics and opens new avenues for studying eusocial mammals.
The Salk Institute will lead an ARPA-H-funded project to develop ultrasound-sensitive protein tools, wearable ultrasound delivery technology, and a translational path to the clinic for major unmet medical needs. The team aims to create a noninvasive therapy for conditions such as peripheral neuropathy.
Researchers found that auxin's partner proteins serve as internal plant 'thermostats' that directly sense temperature and change genetic programs to direct root growth accordingly. This discovery could lead to engineering plants that withstand extreme temperatures, protecting crop productivity under challenging conditions.
Salk Institute researchers have developed a new biological platform for studying mitochondrial DNA in human physiology, adaptation, and therapeutic development. The platform allows scientists to investigate mitochondrial DNA variation in health and disease, enabling therapeutic innovation for mitochondrial disorders.
Renowned cancer scientist Thales Papagiannakopoulos is joining the Salk Institute as a professor, bringing expertise in cancer metabolism and immunology. He will collaborate with colleagues to uncover how tumors interact with the nervous system and develop new therapeutic strategies.
Gerald Shadel and Tatyana Sharpee, two renowned Salk scientists, have been elected as American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) 2025 Fellows. Their research contributions have advanced our understanding of brain function and mitochondrial dynamics.
Salk Institute scientists created a high-resolution atlas showing how droughts affect plant cells. They identified a gene, Ferric Reduction Oxidase 6 (FRO6), that could be targeted to create more resilient crops. FRO6 expression in mesophyll cells partially maintained leaf growth under drought stress.
Researchers created the most comprehensive single-cell atlas of epigenetic changes in the aging mouse brain, revealing how DNA methylation, genome structure, and gene activity change across brain regions and cell types. The atlas has already shown clear epigenetic differences between different age groups and allowed the development of ...
Researchers have identified three new proteins, called epitopes, that help the body determine 'safe' foods, aiding in food tolerance and allergy understanding. The epitopes were found in seed proteins from corn, wheat, and soybean, and interact with regulatory T cells to inform tolerance-or-rejection decisions.
Salk Institute researchers identified Med14, a protein connected to GLP-1 drug effects on pancreatic beta cells, leading to improved viability, insulin production, and stress resistance. The study suggests a potential molecular link between GLP-1 drugs and broader benefits, including type 2 diabetes susceptibility genes.
Research from Salk Institute scientists shows that DNA's dynamic folding process affects gene regulation and expression, with specific regions unfolding at different rates to regulate cell type-specific functions.
Researchers at Salk Institute uncover two transcription factors, ZSCAN20 and JDP2, that determine T cell fate. Turning off these genes reverses T cell exhaustion and restores their ability to kill tumors without losing immune memory. The study challenges the long-standing belief of inevitable immune exhaustion.
Researchers at Salk Institute debut an epigenetic catalog that shows genetic inheritance and life experiences have distinct effects on various types of immune cells, shedding light on individual differences in immune responses and potential new personalized therapeutics.
Salk Institute scientists discover that dietary supplementation of the amino acid methionine protects infected mice against inflammation-related wasting, blood-brain barrier dysfunction, and death. Methionine boosts kidney filtration, reducing circulating cytokine levels and improving disease outcomes.
Salk Institute scientists found distinct disease courses and tolerance mechanisms in younger and older mice with sepsis, indicating a need for age-tailored therapies. The study suggests that future treatments may focus on controlling infection-generated damage rather than just targeting the pathogen.
Scientists at Salk Institute find protein CCN1, secreted by astrocytes, maintains stable neural circuits in adult brains. The discovery could lead to new therapeutics for brain injury and stroke.
Scientists at the Salk Institute have discovered a new mode of epigenetic targeting in plant cells, where specific DNA sequences guide DNA methylation patterns. This finding has major implications for understanding epigenetic regulation and could inform future strategies for epigenetic engineering.
Scientists from Salk and UC San Diego have discovered a new hybrid seagrass that demonstrates low-light tolerance, offering a promising solution for coastal restoration efforts. The hybrid combines the shallow-water Zostera marina with its deeper-water cousin Zostera pacifica, inheriting the latter's low-light toolkit.
Salk Institute researchers have determined the structure of HIV's integrase protein during its newly discovered function, enabling the development of better HIV therapeutics. The study reveals a surprising flexibility in the protein's architecture, which can interact with both DNA and RNA, paving the way for new integrase-targeting drugs.
Terrence Sejnowski, a renowned neuroscientist at Salk Institute, has been awarded the 2025 NIH Director's Pioneer Award to develop advanced computational techniques for analyzing working memory. His research aims to better understand and treat memory disorders in mental health conditions.
Joseph Ecker, a Salk Institute professor, has received the Barbara McClintock Prize for his groundbreaking work in plant genetics and genomics. His research explores the epigenome, revealing critical details about plant immunity, drought recovery, and modern photosynthesis.
Salk scientists pinpoint gracile nucleus as brain area responsible for differentiating between painful and non-painful touch, with dysfunction leading to chronic pain. Altered neuronal activity in the dorsal column nuclei drives mechanical allodynia, causing the brain to misinterpret innocuous light touch as painful.
Researchers at Salk Institute and UC San Diego have identified a unique sugar called HSAT as a potential therapeutic target for slowing tumor progression and metastasis in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Boosting HSAT levels may slow the formation and spread of pancreatic cancer, leading to improved survival rates among patients.
Researchers found that children with stable gut microbiomes tend to have better growth outcomes. The study created the first-ever pediatric undernutrition microbial genome catalog, which can predict and prevent malnutrition. This discovery opens the door to new diagnostics and therapeutics for addressing global child stunting issues.
Researchers at the Salk Institute have discovered a genetic mechanism that integrates light and temperature information to control flowering in plants. This genetic module, which acts as a coincidence detector, links blue light and low temperature signals to guide the switch to flowering.