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
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
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 2017
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.
March 2017
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 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.
February 2017
Our livers perform a host of vital functions, including clearing our bodies of toxins and producing most of the carrier proteins in our blood. Weizmann researchers have now shown that the liver’s amazing multitasking capacity is due at least in part to a clever division of labor among its cells. In fact, they say, “We’ve found that liver cells can be divided into at least nine different types, each specializing in its own tasks.”
February 2017
The lab of Prof. Alon Chen has found that, besides our classic stress response – an acute reaction that gradually abates when the threat passes – we appear to have a separate mechanism that deals only with chronic stress. The team found a new mechanism that apparently regulates the stress response. These findings may lead to better diagnosis of and treatment for anxiety and depression.
February 2017
How were the Earth's solid deposits of iron ore created? While researching possible conditions on Mars, Dr. Itay Halevy discovered “green rust“ – rare today, but apparently common billions of years ago. While this would have been just one of several means of iron deposition, green rust seems to have delivered a large proportion of iron to our early ocean.
January 2017
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