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Advancing Technology
Self-Organization Makes for Efficient Separation
Science Tips
Prof. Rybtchinski’s self-assembling membrane for water purification
Separation technology is at the heart of water purification, sewage treatment, and materials reclamation, as well as numerous basic industrial processes. Membranes are used to separate out the smallest nanoscale particles, and even molecules and metal ions. Prof. Boris Rybtchinski and his group of the Weizmann Institute of Science’s Department of Organic Chemistry have developed a new type of membrane that could extend the life of a separation system, lower its cost and, in some cases, increase its efficiency as well.May 18, 2017
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Fighting Cancer
Rare Genetic Defect May Lead to Cancer Drug
Science Tips
The path to understanding what goes wrong in cancer could benefit from a detour through studies of rare childhood diseases. Dr. Ayelet Erez explains that cancer generally involves dozens – if not hundreds – of mutations, and sorting out the various functions and malfunctions of each may be nearly impossible. Rare childhood diseases, in contrast, generally involve mutations to a single gene.
May 18, 2017
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Improving Health & Medicine
Getting Rid of Old Cells
Science Tips
Dr. Valery Krizhanovsky of the Weizmann Institute of Science’s Department of Molecular Cell Biology is revealing just how senescent cells are tied to disorders of aging and why they refuse to go away. His work is not only opening new windows onto the aging process, but is pointing to new directions in treatments for many of these disorders and diseases.
May 18, 2017
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Improving Health & Medicine
Researchers Identify 6,500 Genes That Are Expressed Differently in Men and Women
Men and women differ in obvious and less obvious ways – for example, in the prevalence of certain diseases or reactions to drugs. How are these connected to one’s sex? Weizmann Institute of Science researchers recently uncovered thousands of human genes that are expressed – copied out to make proteins – differently in the two sexes. Their findings showed that harmful mutations in these particular genes tend to accumulate in the population in relatively high frequencies, and the study explains why. The detailed map of these genes, reported in BMC Biology, provides evidence that males and females undergo a sort of separate, but interconnected evolution.
May 03, 2017
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Enriching Education
New BDS Website: Building Dialogue through Science
Building Dialogue through Science, or BDS, is a website that features the many and varied scientific studies that rely on close collaboration between Israeli researchers and those in different countries. Featured are popular articles that describe the history of Israeli-international scientific cooperation, research that has resulted from that cooperation and the people involved, as well links to scientific papers.
April 25, 2017
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Improving Health & Medicine
Turning Down the Brain to Erase Fearful Memories
Science Tips, Issue 90
Dr. Ofer Yizhar, optogenetics pioneer, has used the tools of that field to successfully shut down a neuronal mechanism that helps form fearful memories in the mouse brain. After the procedure, the mice “forgot” that they had been previously frightened. This research, conducted with Prof. Rony Paz, may someday help extinguish traumatic memories in people.
March 15, 2017
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Exploring the Physical World
Explosive Material: The Making of a Supernova
Science Tips, Issue 90
Weizmann scientists lead the team that observed - and measured - the earliest supernova explosion ever, an estimated three hours after it began. Tight coordination between multiple observatories and institutions enabled these unprecedented measurements, which were then analyzed by a global team.
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Protecting Our Planet
First Oceans May Have Been Acidic
Science Tips, Issue 90
Looking back at the very earliest oceans, Dr. Itay Halevy found that they started off acidic and gradually became alkaline. His work sheds light on how levels of ocean acidity in the past were controlled by carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, an important process for understanding the effects of climate change, as today the oceans are again becoming acidic.
March 15, 2017
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Controlling Electron Spin for Efficient Water Splitting
Science Tips, February 2017
Splitting water molecules to produce hydrogen for fuel holds promise for alternative energy. However, current methods of water splitting also form hydrogen peroxide, which adversely affects the process. Now, Prof. Ron Naaman and an international team have found a way to control the spin of electrons, resulting in hydrogen-peroxide-free water splitting.