Overview
Salk is one of the top research organizations for plant biology in the world. Our scientists are studying plant adaptations at the molecular and genetic level to help mitigate climate change and adapt agricultural crops to rapidly changing conditions.
Global climate change is a threat to plants, animals, and people. Atmospheric carbon is trapping heat and increasing temperatures around the globe, generating deadly storms, causing both catastrophic flooding and persistent droughts. Plants are the original carbon scrubbers, removing CO2 from the atmosphere and storing it in their biomass. Salk scientists are using advanced machine learning, imaging, and epigenetic techniques to develop a new generation of crop and wetland plants that can keep more carbon in the ground by storing it in their roots.
Professor and Director
Integrative Biology Laboratory, Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory
1955 - 2024
Professor and Director
Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory
Professor
Genomic Analysis Laboratory, Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory
Director, Genomic Analysis Laboratory
The biological world inside a plant can be just as captivating as the blossom outside. Each plant can be categorized into tissues and cells, which contain organelles (functional structures), proteins, and genes. Plant genes serve as an instruction book for plant function—controlling everything from reproduction to growth to metabolism. At Salk, researchers catalog those genetic instructions to better understand plant function and dysfunction, as well as how those instructions could be altered to create more resilient plants in the future.
Professor and Director
Integrative Biology Laboratory, Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory
1955 - 2024
Professor and Director
Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory
Professor
Genomic Analysis Laboratory, Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory
Director, Genomic Analysis Laboratory
There are dynamic worlds inside and outside of every plant—cells, tissues, soil, air, and more all contribute to plant health. The proteins, hormones, and molecules that facilitate communication inside the plant rely on the external input of nutrients and oxygen. When communication goes awry or the external environment changes too quickly, plants can slip into dysfunction. Salk scientists investigate these complex internal and external worlds and how they intersect using advanced imaging and profiling techniques and tools.
Professor and Director
Integrative Biology Laboratory, Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory
1955 - 2024
Professor and Director
Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory
Professor
Genomic Analysis Laboratory, Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory
Director, Genomic Analysis Laboratory
