Plant Biology

Overview

Salk Institute for Biological Studies - Plant Biology - Overview

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.

Research


Climate Change

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.

Wolfgang Busch, PhD

Professor

Integrative Biology Laboratory, Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory

Joanne Chory, PhD

1955 - 2024
Professor and Director

Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory

Joseph Ecker, PhD

Professor

Genomic Analysis Laboratory, Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory

Director, Genomic Analysis Laboratory

Julie Law, PhD

Associate Professor

Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory

Todd Michael, PhD

Research Professor

Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory

Lena Mueller, PhD

Assistant Professor

Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory

Joseph Noel, PhD

Professor and Director

Jack H. Skirball Center for Chemical Biology and Proteomics

Plant Genomics

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.

Wolfgang Busch, PhD

Professor

Integrative Biology Laboratory, Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory

Joanne Chory, PhD

1955 - 2024
Professor and Director

Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory

Joseph Ecker, PhD

Professor

Genomic Analysis Laboratory, Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory

Director, Genomic Analysis Laboratory

Julie Law, PhD

Associate Professor

Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory

Todd Michael, PhD

Research Professor

Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory

Lena Mueller, PhD

Assistant Professor

Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory

Joseph Noel, PhD

Professor and Director

Jack H. Skirball Center for Chemical Biology and Proteomics

Plant Physiology

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.

Wolfgang Busch, PhD

Professor

Integrative Biology Laboratory, Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory

Joanne Chory, PhD

1955 - 2024
Professor and Director

Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory

Joseph Ecker, PhD

Professor

Genomic Analysis Laboratory, Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory

Director, Genomic Analysis Laboratory

Julie Law, PhD

Associate Professor

Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory

Todd Michael, PhD

Research Professor

Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory

Lena Mueller, PhD

Assistant Professor

Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory

Joseph Noel, PhD

Professor and Director

Jack H. Skirball Center for Chemical Biology and Proteomics