Wolfgang Busch, PhD

Professor
Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory
Integrative Biology Laboratory
Hess Chair in Plant Science

Salk Institute for Biological Studies - News

News


Study reveals key gene protecting plants from harmful metals in soil

LA JOLLA—The negative impact of human activity on Earth doesn’t just affect our planet’s atmosphere—it goes much deeper, into its soils. For instance, excessive application of manure or sewage sludge …


Key nutrients help plants beat the heat

LA JOLLA—Global temperatures are on the rise, with experts projecting an increase of 2.7°F by 2050. Because plants cannot regulate their own temperatures, they are especially sensitive to these temperature …


Artificial intelligence helps scientists engineer plants to fight climate change

LA JOLLA—The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) declared that removing carbon from the atmosphere is now essential to fighting climate change and limiting global temperature rise. To support these …


Controlling root growth direction could help save crops and mitigate climate change

LA JOLLA—Above ground, plants stretch toward the sun. Below ground, plants tunnel through the earth. As roots soak up water and nutrients from surrounding soil, they grow and stretch to …


Iron influences plant immunity and may promote resiliency against climate change

LA JOLLA—Plants and animals alike rely on iron for growth and regulation of microbiomes—collections of bacteria, fungi, and more that co-exist in places like the human gut or the soil …


Salk Institute receives $50 million from Hess Corporation to mitigate climate change through plant science

LA JOLLA—Hess Corporation is donating $50 million to the Salk Institute’s Campaign for Discovery: The Power of Science, a seven-year, $750 million comprehensive fundraising campaign to attract the people and …


Salk Institute Professors Joanne Chory and Wolfgang Busch to speak at PlantACT!

LA JOLLA—PlantACT! Plants for Climate Action, a European initiative founded to unite plant science experts in the effort to mitigate climate change, will welcome Salk Professors Joanne Chory and Wolfgang …


Salk Professor Wolfgang Busch named first incumbent of the Hess Chair in Plant Science

LA JOLLA—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 …


Salk Institute and Sempra Energy announce project to advance plant-based carbon capture and storage research

SAN DIEGO and LA JOLLA—The Salk Institute and Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE) today announced a new project to advance plant-based carbon capture and sequestration research, education and implementation to help …


Salk promotes Wolfgang Busch to full professor

LA JOLLA—The Salk Institute has promoted Wolfgang Busch to the rank of professor for his groundbreaking contributions to plant biology. The promotion was based on recommendations by Salk faculty and …


The Salk Institute to receive $12.5 million gift from Hess Corporation to accelerate development of plant-based carbon capture and storage

LA JOLLA—Salk’s Harnessing Plants Initiative (HPI) will receive a $12.5 million gift from Hess Corporation (NYSE: HES) to advance two projects to enhance plants’ natural ability to store carbon and …


Getting to the root of how plants tolerate too much iron

LA JOLLA—Iron is essential for plant growth, but with heavy rainfall and poor aeration, many acidic soils become toxic with excess iron. In countries with dramatic flood seasons, such as …


Gene identified that will help develop plants to fight climate change

LA JOLLA—Hidden underground networks of plant roots snake through the earth foraging for nutrients and water, similar to a worm searching for food. Yet, the genetic and molecular mechanisms that …


Salk Institute initiative to receive more than $35 million to fight climate change

LA JOLLA—The Salk Institute’s Harnessing Plants Initiative to combat climate change using plants, led by Professor Joanne Chory, executive director of the Harnessing Plants Initiative, will receive funding of more …


A better dye job for roots—in plants

LA JOLLA—(June 1, 2017) Once we start coloring our hair, we may be surprised to learn that we begin to have a problem in common with plant biologists: finding the …


Helping plants pump iron

Seedlings (bottom) and roots (top) of Arabidopsis thaliana plants reveal that one variant of the FRO2 gene (right) is better for growth in low-iron conditions than the other FRO2 variant (left).

Click …


Salk Institute hires star scientists in plant biology and cancer research

LA JOLLA—The Salk Institute is pleased to welcome Wolfgang Busch as an associate professor and Edward Stites as an assistant professor, leaders of plant science and cancer research, respectively.

“Salk’s mission …


Education

MS, Biology, University of Tübingen, Germany
PhD, Biology, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology and University of Tübingen, Germany


Awards & Honors

  • Society for Experimental Biology President's Medal, 2015
  • Annals of Botany Lecture, ICAR, 2014

  • Genome Web Young Investigator, Genomeweb Intelligence Network, 2013
  • Doctoral Thesis Award, Reinhold-und-Maria-Teufel Foundation, 2009
  • Fellowship of the Cusanuswerk, 2004