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.
Jul 25, 2019...
BiondVax
A universal flu vaccine is the key to combating the ever-mutating flu virus, but did we ever really stop to think about whether there is a better way?
The flu virus, or influenza, is far more than a week-long inconvenience that pulls us away from our commitments, although that, in and of itself, is pretty annoying. The flu can get deadly fast. According to the World Health Organization, influenza kills up to 650,000 people each year. Read that number again. In the US alone, the flu kills about 12,000 people in mild years, and up to 56,000 people in the more severe years, according to the Center for Disease Control.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/in-the-news/israeli-woman-is-europe-s-top-young-researcher/
Mar 28, 2012...
Courtesy Lam Velitz Studios
Multinational cosmetics firm L’Oreal and UNESCO have named a Weizmann Institute biologist working in the field of probiotics, commonly referred to as beneficial bacteria, “Europe’s top young researcher.” For her work in researching probiotics to treat disease, Dr. Naama Geva-Zatorsky will receive a two-year $40,000 postdoctoral scholarship.
During the past three years, young Israeli women have been able to apply for the program, which began 14 years ago and aims at promoting research among women starting out their scientific careers. There are only 15 annual fellowship winners around the world.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/in-the-news/stem-cells-might-heal-damaged-lungs/
Jul 15, 2015...
Can embryonic lung stem cells alleviate chronic respiratory diseases? (image by Shutterstock.com)
A new Israeli study shows how it might be possible to use embryonic stem cells to repair damaged lung tissue and help alleviate chronic respiratory disease weaknesses.
Weizmann Institute scientists began their research knowing that certain stem cells that normally reside in the lungs are similar to those in the bone marrow. In each organ, the stem cells are concentrated in special compartments that contain all the provisions that stem cells need.
Nov 18, 2019...
The idea of ‘gut health’ barely existed a few years ago, but now, people in the UK spend around £750 million every year on probiotic products — ‘beneficial’ bacteria which is supposed to boost our health.
People take probiotics believing they increase levels of beneficial bacteria and will boost their immune system, digestion, mental health and more.
But last week, an expert warned that fermented foods such as sauerkraut — often consumed because of their probiotic effect — may trigger bloating, headaches and allergies.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/in-the-news/brain-s-immune-system-key-to-reversing-dementia/
Aug 18, 2015...
New research gives hope to those suffering with dementia
Leading neurobiologist Professor Michal Schwartz said the findings were “very exciting” – and showed for the first time that a diseased brain was able to fight the debilitating condition.
Scientists saw a significant drop in the symptoms of dementia when they reduced the cells that prevent the immune system from reacting.
The study by experts at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel and published in journal Nature Communications, offers hope of a drug for the disease which affects about 850,000 people in Britain.
Nov 24, 2016...
New research offers insight into why it’s so difficult for dieters to maintain their weight loss. (Getty Images)
For those who have lost the same 10, 20 or 50 pounds not once but many times over, new research may help explain why yo-yo dieters so often fail to maintain their hard-won weight loss.
The community of microorganisms that inhabit the gut are a key culprit, experiments in mice suggest. After being altered by obesity, this collection of bacteria, viruses and protozoa — collectively known as the gut microbiome — subverts any effort to keep lost weight off. Instead, it seems to encourage the body to regain lost weight by storing more calories as fat, and it does so in ways that exaggerate the body’s unhealthy metabolic response to weight gain.
Nov 01, 2014...
A scientist looks through a microscope. (photo credit:INGIMAGE)
How the brain ages is still largely an open question – in part because this most important organ is mostly insulated from direct contact with other systems in the body, including the blood and immune systems. In research that was recently published in the journal Science, Weizmann Institute researchers Prof. Michal Schwartz of the neurobiology department and Dr. Ido Amit of the immunology department found evidence of a unique “signature” that may be the “missing link” between cognitive decline and aging. The scientists believe that this discovery may lead in the future to treatments that can slow or reverse cognitive decline in older people.
Jan 26, 2017...
A malaria vaccine based on stabilized proteins could circumvent today’s problems with creating an inexpensive, stable vaccine
Despite decades of malaria research, the disease still afflicts hundreds of millions and kills around half a million people each year – most of them children in tropical regions. Part of the problem is that the malaria parasite is a shape-shifter, making it hard to target. But another part of the problem is that even the parasite’s proteins, which could be used as vaccines, are unstable at tropical temperatures and require complicated, expensive cellular systems to produce them in large quantities. Unfortunately, the vaccines are most needed in areas where refrigeration is lacking and funds to buy vaccines are scarce. However, a new approach developed at the Weizmann Institute of Science, recently reported in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS), could, in the future, lead to an inexpensive malaria vaccine that can be stored at room temperature.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/in-the-news/could-your-healthy-diet-make-me-fat/
Nov 28, 2015...
Marie Mirgaine
Some people eat as little fat as possible to lose weight and stay healthy, while others avoid carbohydrates. A vegan diet (with no animal products) and the paleo diet (with lots) both have enthusiastic devotees. One popular diet encourages intermittent fasting, another frequent small meals. Who’s right?
Perhaps they all are, according to the new field of “personalized nutrition.”
Oct 29, 2014... Dr. Eran Elinav is a medical doctor as well as a scientist, which makes him ideal to conduct research on gut microbiota and how they impact our health. Dr. Elinav's groundbreaking work to date includes being able to determine how our individual bodies will react to specific foods. His research has tremendous potential for improving our everyday lives, making us fitter, healthier, and happier.
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