Hundreds of science and Salk Institute enthusiasts came out for a day of fun and discovery at the third annual Explore Salk on April 11. Throughout the six-hour event, the campus was buzzing with activity. Lab tours were available to adults and teens; young attendees kept busy with hands-on activities in the Kids' Discovery Zone; and science booths, staffed by Salk scientists, offered highlights from specific research areas. Topping off the day were two science talks: one by Salk Assistant Professor Saket Navlakha and the other by special guest speaker Eric Topol.

Salk researchers Sreekanth Chalasani and Tatyana Sharpee discovered a learning circuit in roundworms that gives clues to human behavior, as detailed in Neuron. The new work reveals the function of two chemical signals critical to human behavior: dopamine----responsible for risk-taking----and CREB----needed for learning.

Press Release: How the brain balances risk-taking and learning

Select media coverage: Health Canal, Medical Xpress

 

Food for thought: Master protein enhances memory

ERRγ is shown (stained red) in the hippocampus, the area of the brain largely responsible for memory.

Salk scientists in Ronald Evans' laboratory discovered that physical and mental activities rely on a single metabolic protein that controls the flow of blood and nutrients, as reported in Cell Metabolism. The lab had previously discovered that this protein supplies energy to the muscles. In the new work, the team showed this protein is also crucial for energizing brain cells, suggesting that it could be useful for boosting learning and memory.

 

Press Release: Salk scientists discover a single protein that energizes both muscles and the brain

Select media coverage:  R&D Magazine, News Medical