About Us
Founded in 1944, the American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science develops philanthropic support for the Weizmann Institute in Israel, and advances its mission of science for the benefit of humanity.
In this videoconference, the Weizmann Institute’s Dr. Ron Diskin of the Department of Structural Biology, an expert in animal-borne viruses such as coronavirus, shares his insights on the current pandemic. A Q&A session with participants follows.
March 19, 2020
Dr. Noam Stern-Ginossar of the Weizmann Institute’s Department of Molecular Genetics provides an overview – complete with helpful cartoons – of basic questions: what is a virus? Why is coronavirus worse than the flu? (One reason – it’s new and so we have no immunity.) What are the issues related to developing a vaccine? (Mostly it’s time; otherwise, we know what to do, she reassures us.)
March 19, 2020
“This is the most important thing I can do,” says the Weizmann Institute’s Prof. Sarel Fleishman. His lab in the Department of Biomolecular Sciences was already studying SARS, which is, like COVID-19, a coronavirus. He is able to quickly apply his knowledge to developing computer models that allow him to design coronavirus antibodies – work that could lead to a vaccine.
March 19, 2020
Prof. Gabi Barbash, Former Director General of Israel’s Ministry of Health and Director of the Weizmann Institute Bench-to-Bedside Program, which brings together scientists and physicians to fight disease, explains coronavirus from the perspective of public health. He also speaks to how it spreads and how it is different from other contagions.
March 16, 2020
It’s American Heart Month. In the U.S., heart disease is responsible for one out of every four deaths each year. In the latest episode of Weizmann in Focus, Dave Doneson sheds light on a Weizmann breakthrough that could help change this staggering statistic. Prof. Eldad Tzahor discovered a molecule in newborn hearts that appears to unlock the cardiac renewal process following injury.
Find out how this discovery could lead to innovative therapies that save lives. Please share this video with friends via email or social media.
February 25, 2020
The Weizmann Effect is the remarkable result of granting some of the world’s most innovative scientists the freedom to follow their curiosity, discover the unknown, and partner across disciplines and borders with other inspired minds.
Of the 2.5 percent of the world’s water that’s safe to drink, how do we keep it that way, seeing as it’s mostly underground? Thanks to the Weizmann Institute’s groundwater dynamics model, we can now predict how contaminants will spread, so we can reach endangered parts of the water supply faster, and detoxify any polluted groundwater before it disperses.
A new cancer therapy gives us all hope. This latest breakthrough combines photo-dynamic therapy using laser light with a novel drug to treat early-stage prostate cancer. The combination makes it possible to safely treat cancerous tissue using a minimally invasive procedure, with none of the side effects of surgery or radiation.
We all possess a deep-rooted desire to know. As one of the world’s leading multidisciplinary scientific research centers, the Weizmann Institute in Israel demonstrates that this natural curiosity can be developed through education. Our highly selective graduate school produces top scientists uniquely qualified for medicine, industry, and academia. Our Davidson Institute of Science Education is a major force in creating a science-literate citizenry.
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