On March 22, the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, and Institut Curie in Paris, France, two major world-class research institutes, signed an historic partnership that will allow their teams to work closely together to improve knowledge in the field of life sciences, particularly in the areas of physics and chemistry, and most specifically - in the field of cancer research. This is a milestone in the history of these two institutes that have been working together for 15 years, particularly in the field of biophysics.
March 22, 2019
The Midwest Region’s annual Gala Dinner took place at The Geraghty in Chicago with over 600 guests in attendance. Local civic and community leaders came together to honor Michael Polsky, Founder and CEO of Invenergy. A dedicated philanthropist and energy industry pioneer, Mr. Polsky received the Weizmann Leadership Award. The evening’s program, emceed by ABC 7 reporter Janet Davies, also consisted of presentations by University of Chicago President Robert Zimmer and Prof. Avigdor Scherz, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, who discussed his cutting-edge cancer research. Chaired by Janet and Steven Anixter and JoAnn Anixter Silva, the highly successful gala raised over $1.3 million in support of the Weizmann Institute.
A shot of espresso, a piece of chocolate, or a headstand – all of these have been recommended before taking a big test. The best advice, however, could be to take a deep breath. According to research conducted in the lab of Prof. Noam Sobel of the Weizmann Institute of Science’s Department of Neurobiology, people who inhaled when presented with a visuospatial task were better at completing it than those who exhaled in the same situation. The results of the study, which were published in Nature Human Behavior, suggest that the olfactory system may have shaped the evolution of brain function far beyond the basic function of smelling.
March 20, 2019
Education Minister Naftali Bennett announced Wednesday that Professor Adi Kimchi of the Weizmann Institute of Science is this year’s winner of the Israel Prize for research in life sciences. Kimchi heads a lab that studies the complex processes of programmed death in living cells. The prize selection committee noted Kimchi’s pioneering work in isolating genes involved in cells’ self-destruction, a process that, among other things, helps the body suppress cancer development.
March 20, 2019
An anti-cancer therapy that has been developed by scientists at the Weizmann Institute of Technology will get a $10 million investment from a South Korean biopharmaceutical company that is traded on the Korea Stock Exchange. This is the Korean firm’s first investment in an Israeli venture, the Weizmann Institute said in a statement.
March 20, 2019
We humans are overrunning our planet and its limited resources, with no end in sight: the UN says that “roughly 83 million people” are born each year, adding another billion in just the next 20 years. Our current population of 7.6 billion alone is already putting a tremendous strain on Earth’s limited water, energy, land, and other resources.
And now, for the third year in a row, there has been a rise in world hunger. The U.N. says that “821 million people – one in nine – still go to bed on an empty stomach each night. Even more – one in three – suffer from some form of malnutrition.” These statistics are concerning for reasons beyond the human suffering; for example, malnourished children often have lifelong health problems and difficulty learning.
Two South Korean concerns have committed to investing a total of $12 million in spinout companies incorporated by Yeda Research and Development Co. Ltd., the technology transfer arm of the Weizmann Institute of Science. The first investment – $2 million by Yozma Group Asia – is in On-Sight Medical Inc., jointly owned by Yeda, New York University (NYU), and related parties. For the second, the Korean group BioLeaders Corporation – in which Yozma Group Asia is an investor – has committed to investing $10 million in a new spinout firm that will develop an anti-cancer therapy developed by Weizmann Institute scientists.
March 19, 2019
The Jerusalem Post reports on plant sciences research that was shared by American Committee CEO Dave Doneson in the second episode of his video series, “Weizmann in Focus.”
March 19, 2019
Berkeley Lab biochemist Mina Bissell has received two significant awards – including the 2019 Weizmann Women & Science Award – in recognition of her contributions to breast cancer biology and medicine.
March 19, 2019
©2019 American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science
