Weizmann Wonder WanderScience news and culture

Chemistry

Uncrackable: Scorpions and Sponges Inspire Sustainable DesignUncrackable: Scorpions and Sponges Inspire Sustainable Design

A Weizmann Institute study of super-tough organisms reveals strategies for creating more sustainable, resilient human-made materials
10.10.2024
Shutterstock
Shutterstock
Environment

Hunting Down Giant Viruses That Attack Tiny AlgaeHunting Down Giant Viruses That Attack Tiny Algae

A mysterious menace lurks in the oceans, threatening algal blooms. Weizmann Institute researchers have developed a new way to track the culprit – giant viruses – and identify their traces in specific types of tiny algae that they attack
30.09.2024
Couples Therapy
Couples Therapy
Life Sciences

Couples TherapyCouples Therapy

A new Weizmann Institute method provides an unprecedented glimpse into the relationship between bacteria and their host cells
26.09.2024
Crystals in zebrafish eye
Crystals in zebrafish eye
Chemistry

A Secret Recipe for Colorful and Versatile Animal CrystalsA Secret Recipe for Colorful and Versatile Animal Crystals

Weizmann Institute researchers discover how crystals are formed in the animal kingdom and show that two simple molecules can create a dizzying array of complex biological characteristics
23.09.2024
Photo credit: NASA
Photo credit: NASA
Environment

Stormy Findings and Hot DiscoveriesStormy Findings and Hot Discoveries

How humans are affecting the Northern Hemisphere’s wind patterns
19.09.2024
A cryo-scanning electron microscope image of a freeze-fractured chloroplast, cropped from the surrounding tissue, providing a view into the photosynthetic membranes and the protein complexes embedded within them
A cryo-scanning electron microscope image of a freeze-fractured chloroplast, cropped from the surrounding tissue, providing a view into the photosynthetic membranes and the protein complexes embedded within them
Environment

Into the LightInto the Light

Will a better understanding of photosynthesis help us grow plants under artificial light?
16.09.2024
  • Fruit bat
    Right Off the Bat: Navigation in Extra-Large Spaces
    Bats navigating in an innovative extra-large experimental setup reveal an unknown neuronal code
    17.06.2021
    17.06.2021
  • Back in Time: 2020 in Review
    The year 2020 was a difficult year for humanity, but it was also a year in which scientists from all over the world, including quite a few at the Weizmann Institute of Science, joined hands to fight the coronavirus on every front. At the same time, research on other topics did not stop for a moment – even under lockdowns, restrictions and quarantine.
    23.09.2020
    23.09.2020
  • Weizmann Institute of Science postage stamp from the collection of Dr. Vladimir Bernshtam
    The Stamp Collection
    History of the Weizmann Institute of Science reflected in postage stamps and other philatelic products from the collection of Dr. Vladimir Bernshtam
    11.08.2020
    11.08.2020
    • 467
      Postdoctoral fellows from 39 countries
    • 24
      Buildings listed as historic designations
    • 3,172
      Patent families opened by YEDA since 1959
tidal disruption event

Reading a Message Carried on a Distant Tide Message from a Distant Tide

Space & Physics

Reading a Message Carried on a Distant Tide Message from a Distant Tide

A high-energy neutrino that flung out from a star, ripped apart by a black hole, reveals something about the cosmic sources of these mysterious particles
26.04.2021
Tomato; Shutterstock
Tomato; Shutterstock

GORKY Protein Turns Bitter Tomatoes SweetGORKY Protein Turns Bitter Tomatoes Sweet

Life Sciences

GORKY Protein Turns Bitter Tomatoes SweetGORKY Protein Turns Bitter Tomatoes Sweet

A huge new database helps reveal tomato riddles and may facilitate the breeding of delicious, disease-resistant tomatoes
29.04.2021
Electron microscopy images representing different views of the MC4 receptor bound to setmelanotide, in complex with proteins activated by the binding
Electron microscopy images representing different views of the MC4 receptor bound to setmelanotide, in complex with proteins activated by the binding

The Hunger Games: Uncovering the Secret of the Hunger Switch in the BrainThe Hunger Games: Uncovering the Secret of the Hunger Switch in the Brain

Chemistry

The Hunger Games: Uncovering the Secret of the Hunger Switch in the BrainThe Hunger Games: Uncovering the Secret of the Hunger Switch in the Brain

A 3D structure reveals how a unique molecular switch in our brain causes us to feel full – and may help develop improved anti-obesity drugs 
15.04.2021

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  • The Daniel Sieff Research Institute

    In 1934, Dr. Chaim Weizmann established the Daniel Sieff Research Institute in Rehovot and served as its President following a contribution by Israel and Rebecca Sieff to commemorate their son. As Weizmann pursued his research in the lab, the Institute attracted first-rate scientists from around the world.

    The Daniel Sieff Research Institute
  • Weizmann House

    Built in 1936, the Weizmann House was the private residence of Dr. Chaim Weizmann (1874-1952) and his wife Dr. Vera Weizmann (1881-1966). Designed by Erich Mendelsohn (1887-1953), the Weizmann House was his first project in the Land of Israel.

    Weizmann House
  • Weizmann Institute of Science

    In 1949, on Dr. Chaim Weizmann’s 75th birthday, and with the blessing of the Sieff family, the Sieff Institute was renamed the Weizmann Institute of Science. The new Institute consisted of departments of mathematics, physics, chemistry and life sciences.

    Weizmann Institute of Science
  • Dr. Chaim Weizmann's Funeral

    Dr. Chaim Weizmann passed away on November 9, 1952, at the age of 78. In accordance with his wishes, he was buried on the estate of his home in Rehovot.

    Dr. Chaim Weizmann's Funeral
  • WEIZAC - The First Electronic Computer in Israel

    WEIZAC, one of the world’s earliest electronic computers was designed and built at the Weizmann Institute. On December 5, 2006, WEIZAC was recognized by the IEEE as a milestone in the history of electrical engineering and computing, and the team who built it was awarded the “WEIZAC Medal.”

    WEIZAC - The First Electronic Computer in Israel
  • Development of Amniocentesis

    Weizmann Institute’s Prof. Leo Sachs and his colleagues published a scientific paper that led to the development of amniocentesis.

    Weizmann Institute’s Prof. Leo Sachs
  • The Feinberg Graduate School

    The Feinberg Graduate School – the educational arm of the Weizmann Institute of Science – was founded in 1958. It awards MSc and PhD degrees and trains students for senior positions in academia, research, industry, education and administration.

    The Feinberg Graduate School
  • The First Technology Transfer Company in Israel

    Yeda Research and Development Company Ltd., which promotes the industrial applications stemming from Weizmann Institute inventions, was founded in 1959. Although the focus of the Weizmann Institute is on basic research, it is no mistake that the first technology transfer company in the country was founded at the Weizmann Institute.

    Yeda Research and Development Company Ltd.,
  • PERACH Tutoring Project

    PERACH (Hebrew for “Flower” as well as the acronym of "Tutoring Project"), currently administered by the Davidson Institute of Science Education, was initiated in 1972 by a handful of students from the Weizmann Institute of Science, who tutored children in need. Since then it has expanded enormously, both in scale and in the scope of its activities. Today, approximately 15% of all students in Israel's institutes of higher education and tens of thousands of children take part in the project each year. In 2008, on the occasion of Israel's 60th anniversary, PERACH was awarded the Israel Prize for its ongoing contribution to the state and to society.

    PERACH Tutoring Project
  • The First Proposal for the “Standard Model”

    Prof. Haim Harari suggests for the first time that the material universe consists of six species of quarks and six species of leptons. This “Standard Model” is still accepted today.

    The First Proposal for the “Standard Model”
  • Proving the Existence of Gluons

    A group of Weizmann Institute scientists participate in research proving the existence of gluons - the particles responsible for the strongest force in nature: the force which holds the nucleus of the atom together.

    Proving the Existence of Gluons
  • Cloning of the p53 Tumor Suppressor Gene

    One of the most important tumor suppressor genes, p53, was cloned by a Weizmann Institute scientist, Prof. Moshe Oren. Defective copies of this gene are found in more than half of all human cancers.

    Prof. Moshe Oren
  • Original Method for Bone Marrow Transplantation

    The first leukemia patient was successfully treated in Italy using a method developed by Prof. Yair Reisner for bone marrow transplants from mismatched donors.

  • Discovering the Molecular Structure of AChE

    Profs Joel Sussman and Israel Silman discovered the molecular 3-D structure of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE), which breaks down acetylcholine, a substance involved in Alzheimer’s disease.

    Discovering the Molecular Structure of AChE
  • A.M. Turing Award 1996

    Weizmann Institute of Science’s Mathematician, the late Prof. Amir Pneuli, received the 1996 A.M. Turing Award - the world's most prestigious prize in computer science – for “seminal work introducing temporal logic into computing science and for outstanding contributions to program and system verification.” He is one of three members of the Weizmann Institute to receive the prestigious award; the others are Profs. Adi Shamir (2002) and Shafi Goldwasser (2013).

    Prof. Amir Pneuli
  • Israel's First Ethical (Original) Drug For Multiple Sclerosis

    Copaxone, a drug for multiple sclerosis developed at the Weizmann Institute, was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

    Israel's First Ethical (Original) Drug For Multiple Sclerosis
  • The Davidson Institute of Science Education

    The Davidson Institute of Science Education – the educational arm of the Weizmann Institute of Science – was established in 1999. The Davidson Institute specializes in the field of mathematics, natural science and technology education, exploiting knowledge and experience gained from implementing a wide variety of programs in areas such as teachers’ training, science programs for school classes, unconventional programs for teens at risk and teens with low academic achievements and popular science programs for the general public.

  • A.M. Turing Award 2002

    Prof. Adi Shamir, a computer scientist at the Weizmann Institute of Science, is recipient of the 2002 A.M. Turing Award, in recognition of his contributions to cryptography. He is one of three members of the Weizmann Institute to receive the prestigious award; the others are the late Prof. Amir Pnueli (1996) and Prof. Shafi Goldwasser (2013).

  • Non-Invasive Method for the Detection of Breast and Prostate Cancer

    3TP, a non-invasive, MRI-based diagnostic method developed by the Weizmann Institute’s Prof. Hadassa Degani, received FDA clearance for use in the detection of breast and prostate cancer.

    Prof. Hadassa Degani
  • Positioning of Nucleosomes Discovered

    Prof. Eran Segal revealed that the positioning of the nucleosomes – spheres of DNA strung like beads along the length of the chromosomes – is encoded in the genes themselves. This discovery may help in designing gene therapies.

    Positioning of Nucleosomes Discovered
  • “Evolution” in a Test Tube

    A team of Weizmann scientists headed by Prof. Dan Tawfik succeeded in designing artificial enzymes that undergo “evolution” in a test tube, improving their reaction rates a million-fold.

    artificial enzymes
  • “Quasiparticles”

    A team of Weizmann physicists headed by Prof. Moty Heiblum demonstrated, for the first time, the existence of “quasiparticles” with one-quarter the charge of an electron. This finding could be a step toward creating exotic types of quantum computers.

    Submicron lab
  • Green Chemical Reactions

    A technique invented in 2009 by Prof. David Milstein and his group splits water into oxygen and hydrogen using light. In 2012, Milstein was awarded the Israel Prize for chemistry and physics for his work on catalysts that effect efficient, low-waste, green chemical reactions.

    Prof. David Milstein being awarded the Israel Prize for chemistry and physics
  • Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2009

    Weizmann Institute researcher Prof. Ada Yonath was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for her work on deciphering the structure of the ribosome, the cell’s protein factory. The achievement helps, among other things, to clarify the exact mode of action of antibiotic drugs and may facilitate the development of improved antibiotics.

  • A.M. Turing Award 2013

    Prof. Shafi Goldwasser is awarded an A.M. Turing Award for “transformative work that laid the complexity-theoretic foundations for the science of cryptography.” She is the third member of the Weizmann Institute to receive the prestigious award; the others are the late Prof. Amir Pnueli (1996) and Prof. Adi Shamir (2002).

    Prof. Shafi Goldwasser
  • The First “Photonic Router”

    Dr. Barak Dayan demonstrates the first “photonic router,” in which one photon controls the direction of another. This switching mechanism could, in the future, form the basis of quantum computing technology.

  • Nancy and Stephen Grand Israel National Center for Personalized Medicine

    A facility for personalized medicine to advance research in biomedicine, from basic research to drug design – the Nancy and Stephen Grand Israel National Center for Personalized Medicine – opens on the Weizmann Institute campus.

    The Nancy and Stephen Grand Israel National Center for Personalized Medicine on the Weizmann Institute campus