Weizmann Wonder WanderScience news and culture
People
Paving the Way for the Future of Women ScientistsPaving the Way for the Future of Women Scientists
Interview with Prof. Idit Shachar, Head of the Office for the Advancement of Women in Science and Gender Equality at the Weizmann Institute of Science, on the way forward for a better representation of women scientists in academia
19.04.2021
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
Life Sciences
An Essential Balancing Act: Neurons Adapt to Stay SteadyAn Essential Balancing Act: Neurons Adapt to Stay Steady
A study of lab-grown neurons reveals a new regulatory mechanism for keeping the On-Off switches in our brain in balance
13.04.2021
Life Sciences
When the Beads Line Up When the Beads Line Up
Conserved elements reveal vital spots in the noncoding, regulatory, portions of the genome
05.04.2021
Chemistry
Inspired by CartilageInspired by Cartilage
The clever addition of lipids to water-based hydrogels makes them excellent lubricants for biomedical uses
22.03.2021
Environment
How Bushfire Smoke Traveled Around the WorldHow Bushfire Smoke Traveled Around the World
A study uncovers how some Australian fires produced a spreading stratospheric haze rivaling that of a volcanic eruption
18.03.2021
Back in Time: 2020 in ReviewThe 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.23.09.202023.09.2020
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467Postdoctoral fellows from 39 countries
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24Buildings listed as historic designations
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3,172Patent families opened by YEDA since 1959
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Repeated Pregnancy Loss May Be Tied to the Olfactory SystemRepeated Pregnancy Loss May Be Tied to the Olfactory System
Life Sciences
Repeated Pregnancy Loss May Be Tied to the Olfactory SystemRepeated Pregnancy Loss May Be Tied to the Olfactory System
Understanding the connection could lead to a new search for the causes of unexplained spontaneous miscarriage
29.09.2020
When the Heat Is On – Turn Up the Ac(4C)When the Heat Is On – Turn Up the Ac(4C)
Life Sciences
When the Heat Is On – Turn Up the Ac(4C)When the Heat Is On – Turn Up the Ac(4C)
Heat-resistance tags on bacterial RNA hold clues to human diseases
15.07.2020
Carbon Dioxide Helps to Solve the Mystery of Water’s Instant Electrofreezing Carbon Dioxide Helps to Solve the Mystery of Water’s Instant Electrofreezing
Chemistry
Carbon Dioxide Helps to Solve the Mystery of Water’s Instant Electrofreezing Carbon Dioxide Helps to Solve the Mystery of Water’s Instant Electrofreezing
Experiments on water freezing in the presence of an electric charge may help improve cloud seeding and lead to other practical applications
13.09.2020
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- 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 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.
- 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.
- 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.”
- Development of Amniocentesis
Weizmann Institute’s Prof. Leo Sachs and his colleagues published a scientific paper that led to the development of amniocentesis.
- 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 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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).
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- “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.
- “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.
- 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.
- 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).
- 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.
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.