The legacy of the Salk  Institute marks 50 years of biological
science research  Courtyard of the Salk Institute for Biological
Studies. Courtyard of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies.
— Salk Institute photo Jonas Salk, at his institute.— Union-
Tribune file +Read Caption  Practically vanquishing polio — the
scourge of the 20th century — wasn’t enough for Jonas Salk.  He
yearned to battle other diseases, especially those affecting
children.  So the renowned virologist from New York looked west,
to a mesa in San Diego County. Would it be possible, Salk
wondered, to create a center on that bluff so scientists from
many fields could explore their interests with few distractions?
The answer proved to be yes. The Salk Institute in La Jolla is
celebrating its 50th anniversary, and it’s doing so as a jewel
of biological science research.  Five scientists connected with
Salk have gone on to win the Nobel Prize. They include Francis
Crick, who shared the 1962 Nobel Prize for discovering the
structure of DNA.