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.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/blog/anxious-who-isn-t-scientists-study-stress-in-the-brain/
Jan 24, 2020... “According to Gallup, in 2018, more Americans were stressed, worried and angry than at any point in the last 12 years. That is extraordinary when you consider that the past dozen years includes the 2008 financial crisis and multiple terrorist attacks. Furthermore, American stress levels are among the highest in the world. Seriously, Americans were as stressed as Iranians and more stressed than citizens of Rwanda, Turkey, and Venezuela,” reports The Washington Post, adding the technically accurate diagnosis: “That’s nuts.”
Jul 30, 2019...
JERUSALEM, July 29 (Xinhua) – Israeli scientists discovered how oxytocin, known as the “love hormone,” is restocked in the brain, the Weizmann Institute of Science (WIS) said Monday.
Oxytocin is responsible, for example, for a burst of happiness with parents gazing at their newborn baby or a loving couple exchanging glances.
However, oxytocin is not only a hormone of love but also plays a role in normal social interaction, birth and breastfeeding, control of stress and appetite and more.
Jan 21, 2020...
Non-communicable diseases including heart disease, cancer and lung disease are now the most common causes of death, accounting for 70 percent of deaths worldwide. These diseases are considered “non-communicable” because they are thought to be caused by a combination of genetic, lifestyle and environmental factors and can't be transmitted between people.
A new research paper in Science by a team of fellows in CIFAR's Humans and the Microbiome program throws this long-held belief into question by providing evidence that many diseases may be transmissible between people through microbes (including bacteria, fungi, and viruses) that live in and on our bodies.
Jul 21, 2019...
Some people are morning exercisers. For them, an early run or swim is as much a part of their wake-up ritual as that first cup of coffee. Others can’t abide the idea. They need a nighttime workout to rid themselves of the day’s stresses.
Does it make a difference? Several recent studies suggest that it does. But it’s complicated.
One recent paper indicates that morning exercise may activate certain genes in the muscle cells, boosting their ability to metabolize sugar and fat. While scientists say this finding requires further study, they think it ultimately might help those who are overweight or suffering from Type 2 diabetes.
Oct 24, 2019...
JERUSALEM, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) – Israeli scientists revealed the mechanism of the sea cone snail’s venom, which may lead to new drugs for abnormal heart rate and high blood pressure, the Weizmann Institute of Science (WIS) reported Thursday.
The findings may also lead to the development of safe natural insecticides, because some components of this venom only kill insects, and not mammals.
The findings, published in the scientific journal PNAS, may explain some of the side effects of potassium-blocking drugs, such as heart arrythmia and hypertension drugs, and lead to the development of better ones.
Feb 25, 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.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/feature-stories/using-science-to-save-our-oceans/
Jul 18, 2019...
It’s the height of summer – time to hit the beach, whether for an afternoon or a week or two. People love the ocean and have always been drawn to it, but as much as it affects us, we affect it, too.
The ocean's health is crucial to the planet’s health – and ours. That’s why the devastating impacts from climate change are so concerning: as the temperatures warm, glaciers melt, and seawater becomes more acidic, as fish and mammals are overfished, the oceans are dying.
Feb 11, 2020...
Even in 2020, with all we know about health and nutrition, heart disease is still the leading cause of death in America, accounting for one in four mortalities. Fortunately, the Weizmann Institute of Science is taking multiple approaches to understanding and treating this too-common killer. February is American Heart Month – and we’d love to share our very latest research with you.
While there are several vital heart-related projects underway at the Institute, the lab of leading researcher Prof. Eldad Tzahor recently made a significant breakthrough: discovering that a non-toxic dye actually helps repair damaged heart tissue, such as the scarring that occurs after a heart attack.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/video-gallery/weizmann-in-focus-episode-11-time-to-get-fit/
Feb 07, 2020...
We’re well into the New Year and many of us have resolved to get fit in 2020 … but does the time we work out make a difference? In the latest episode of Weizmann in Focus, Dave Doneson discusses the research of Dr. Gad Asher, who studies the effects of our biological clocks on everything from fitness to jetlag to liver disease.
Find out Dr. Asher’s take on whether mornings or evenings are the best time to hit the gym. Please share the video with friends via email or social media.
Nov 27, 2019... REHOVOT, ISRAEL—November 27, 2019—Bacteria in the lab of Prof. Ron Milo of the Weizmann Institute of Science have not just sworn off sugar – they have stopped eating all of their normal solid food, existing instead on carbon dioxide (CO2) from their environment. That is, they were able to build all of their biomass from air. This feat, which involved nearly a decade of rational design, genetic engineering, and a sped-up version of evolution in the lab, was reported in Cell. The findings point to means of developing, in the future, carbon-neutral fuels.