Salk News
Plant Enzyme Important For Nutraceuticals Deciphered By Salk Scientists
La Jolla, CA – The three-dimensional structure of a linchpin enzyme plants need to thrive – and one viewed as a key player in the growing nutraceutical market – has been revealed in atomic detail by scientists at The Salk Institute.
read more >>Flower Pattern Switch Found By Salk Scientists
La Jolla, CA – During the turbulent '60s, the phrases "flower power" and "petal power" were counterculture slogans that invoked peace and love. Though science has yet to design flowers capable of fulfilling the wishes of a bygone era, researchers at The Salk Institute are learning more about the genetic power behind flower formation that one day could yield designer blooms.
read more >>Plant Genome Project Leader Joins The Salk Institute
La Jolla, CA – Joseph R. Ecker, one of the nation's leading authorities on the molecular biology and genetics of plants, will be joining the faculty of The Salk Institute, effective next summer.
read more >>Gene Switches Wing To Leg, Salk Scientists Find
La Jolla, CA – A single gene can transform embryonic tissue destined to form a wing into a leg instead, Salk Institute investigators have found. Their studies were performed in chickens, and the gene, called Tbx4 , appears to be involved in limb formation in mammals as well, including humans.
read more >>Mice Cured Of Hemophilia By Salk Gene Therapy Protocol
La Jolla, CA – With the aid of a common virus used to ferry a clotting factor gene into liver cells, a team led by researchers at The Salk Institute for Biological Studies has cured a form of hemophilia in mice.
read more >>Computer Program Trained To Read Faces Developed By Salk Team
La Jolla, CA – A computer program developed by a Salk-led team has been trained to distinguish among a number of facial cues, helping to sort false from genuine expressions. What's more, the program performs as well as a psychologist trained to read faces and markedly better than human non-experts.
read more >>Running Boosts Number Of Brain Cells, According To New Salk Study
La Jolla, CA – Can regular exercise strengthen the brain? According to a new Salk study, animals that get regular voluntary exercise on running wheels grow more new brain cells than sedentary counterparts.
read more >>Genetic Combination That Steers Newborn Nerve Cells Identified by Salk Scientists
La Jolla, CA – Like a sextant that helps guide ships at sea, a specific combination of genes has been identified that directs newly born nerve cells to their final destinations in developing organisms.
read more >>Zinc Found To Be Integral Part Of Brain Communication Channels
La Jolla, CA – Zinc has long been recognized as an essential trace element, and a current study led by Salk Institute investigators shows it to be an integral part of ion channels, structures that regulate communication among nerve cells.
read more >>Dissatisfied Flies Show Link Between Gene And Sexual Behavior
La Jolla, CA – To paraphrase a classic rock anthem, flies missing a gene that affects sexual behavior "can't get no satisfaction" no matter how hard they try.
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