Walter Heinrich Munk (foreground), director of the Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, viewing a recording system used in deep-ocean studies of internal waves with French dignitaries. Photo courtesy of Scripps Institution of Oceanography

October 18, 2017 Comments (0) Views: 2830 Blog, Hatch Blog

Walter Munk Turns 100 with a Bang

And other San Diego science and innovation news from this week

By Sarah Sapeda

Happy Birthday Walter Munk

Longtime Scripps oceanographer and oldest living UC San Diego alumnus Walter Munk is turning 100 this week. Events celebrating the centenarian will begin Wednesday with the dedication of Walter Munk Way, formerly a stretch of the La Jolla Shores boardwalk. Birch Aquarium will host a celebration on Thursday (his actual birthday) and the Scripps Institute of Oceanography will host a special public tour in his honor Saturday. And on October 26, UC San Diego will welcome Prince Albert II of Monaco for an invitation-only “Centennial Conversation with Walter Munk” at the Robert Paine Scripps Forum for Science, Society and the Environment.

More information on Walter Munk and centennial celebration events is available here.

Drone Companies Team Up

San Diego-based drone makers Planck Aerosystems and Alpha Unmanned Systems of Madrid Spain are teaming up. Planck’s technology will allow an unmanned Alpha helicopter to land autonomously on moving vessels. The helicopter is called the Alpha 800. It has a flight duration of 2 ½ hours and is particularly resistant to wind and rain, according to AUS. Planck’s technology will send GPS data allowing the unmanned chopper to calculate speed, altitude, and other factors in its landing. “Its range and flight autonomy can map ocean spills, help with emergency rescues, and be applied to many other uses,” said Josh Wells, CEO of Planck Aerosystems.

The Busybody Protein

Researchers at the Salk Institute have discovered a protein critical for signaling pain, which they say may one day play a role in treating neurological disorders and trauma like spinal cord injuries. The protein, p75, was found to bind to a receptor called Ret, which is associated with some neurological disorders and certain types of cancer.

“The p75 protein is a busybody. It plays a role in many different signaling pathways,” says Salk Professor Kuo-Fen Lee, co-author of the new research.

Learn more here or check out the full study in the October 17 issue of Cell Reports.