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

March 9, 2021

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

March 9, 2021

拉霍亚—索尔克教授 沃尔夫冈·布施 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.

Hess Corporation (NYSE: HES), a global independent energy company, recently donated $3 million to establish the endowed chair at Salk.

“Wolfgang Busch has demonstrated a bold approach to plant biology research that is inspiring and certainly worthy of recognition with this new chair,” says Salk President 鲁斯蒂·盖奇. “We are grateful to John Hess and the Hess Corporation for their continued support of Salk’s plant scientists and their research, as they diligently search for discoveries that will help mitigate the effects of climate change.”

Busch, a member of the Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory and the Integrative Biology Laboratory, studies plants’ roots, which are not only critical for obtaining water and nutrients from the soil but also for storing potentially billions of tons of carbon per year from the atmosphere, thereby constituting a powerful tool for mitigating climate change. His research seeks to understand which genes and molecular mechanisms determine how roots develop and grow, and respond to the environment. Recently, Busch uncovered a gene responsible for helping plants thrive in stressful environments. Prior to that, he discovered a gene that determines whether a root grows deep or shallow in the soil.

“I’m deeply grateful to the Hess Corporation for its continued support of plant research at Salk and honored to be the first holder of this endowed chair,” says Busch, who is one of six Salk plant biologists driving an ambitious effort to tackle climate change through the 植物利用计划 (HPI), which aims to optimize plants to address some of the effects of climate change while providing more food, fuel and fiber for a growing population. Roots are at the center stage of this effort to make plants better in storing more carbon for longer in the soil. Busch is co-director of HPI.

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.

“We believe the scientific advancements by Salk’s plant science team will play a pivotal role in addressing climate change, and we are honored to support their groundbreaking work,” says John Hess, CEO of Hess Corporation.

关于索尔克生物研究所：

每一个治愈都有一个起点。“萨尔克研究所”体现了乔纳斯·索尔克的使命——敢于将梦想变为现实。其享誉国际并屡获殊荣的科学家们探索生命的根基，在神经科学、遗传学、免疫学、植物生物学等领域寻求新的认识。该研究所是一个独立的非营利组织，也是一座标志性的建筑：有意识地选择小型化，其本质是亲密的，并且无所畏惧地面对任何挑战。无论是癌症还是阿尔茨海默病，衰老还是糖尿病，“索尔克”都是治愈的起点。欲了解更多信息，请访问：salk.edu。.

About Hess Corporation:

Hess Corporation is a leading global independent energy company engaged in the exploration and production of crude oil and natural gas. Hess is committed to helping meet the world’s growing energy needs in a safe, environmentally responsible and socially sensitive way. More information on the company is available at www.hess.com.