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 future of humanity.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/blog/chaim-weizmann-s-acetone-discovery-was-key-to-british-wwi-effort/
Nov 10, 2022...
More than a century ago, in 1915, a senior lecturer in biochemistry at the University of Manchester named Dr. Chaim Weizmann invented a fermentation process that converted starch — a poly-sugar readily available from corn and potatoes — into acetone and butyl alcohol, facilitated by a bacteria, Clostridium acetobutylicum, that Dr. Weizmann had previously isolated.
This novel method of acetone production became known as “the Weizmann process.” As serendipity would have it, acetone was a key component in the production of the smokeless gunpowder (cordite) used by the Allies in World War I. Acetone had previously been made from calcium acetate imported from Germany, but since the Allies were at war with Germany, this was no longer possible, and the U.S. had a sparse supply. So, Winston Churchill, then First Lord of the Admiralty, requested that the “Weizmann process” be used to mass produce acetone in England, Canada, and the U.S.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/news-releases/treating-a-heart-attack-before-it-happens/
Mar 08, 2023...
REHOVOT, ISRAEL—March 8, 2023— Imagine getting treatment for a perfectly healthy young heart that would allow it to recover from an otherwise devastating injury decades later.
If you think this prospect seems farfetched, you are not alone. Until recently, Prof. Eldad Tzahor, whose lab at the Weizmann Institute of Science studies heart tissue regeneration, had also considered it science fiction. After all, cardiovascular diseases, which are humanity’s leading cause of death, aren’t generally perceived as something one can prepare for through preventive treatment. But Tzahor and researchers in his lab have now activated a cellular mechanism in healthy mouse hearts that makes these mice resilient to future heart attacks – even when they occur months later.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/news-releases/plant-research-reaches-a-new-high/
Apr 30, 2023... REHOVOT, ISRAEL—May 1, 2023—A South African plant called a woolly umbrella is completely unrelated to the cannabis plant, yet it makes a slew of the active compounds found in cannabis – cannabinoids – including some that may have new medical uses. In a study published today in Nature Plants, Weizmann Institute of Science researchers identified more than 40 cannabinoids in the woolly umbrella, and they revealed the series of biochemical steps the plant takes when it makes these compounds. The researchers also showed how these steps can be reproduced in the lab to synthesize or even engineer new cannabinoids.
May 18, 2023... Dr. Moran Shalev Benami discusses her research on the tiniest details of the human brain: proteins. Using cryo-electron microscope (cryoEM), she works to understand and identify the proteins’ function and how proteins work together.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/news-releases/surviving-on-an-empty-battery/
Aug 17, 2023... REHOVOT, ISRAEL—August 17, 2023—Every time we make a call, send a text message, or watch a video, some of the energy stored in the cell phone battery is depleted. Living cells also store energy in “currencies” they can cash in when needed to fuel life processes. The main energy currency used by all life on Earth is a molecule known as ATP. But even though charging cells with ATP molecules is of vital importance, discharging them could be equally crucial – and potentially lifesaving.
©2023 American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science
