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.
Nov 24, 2020... Even before COVID-19, the lack of effective treatments for easily spread diseases was a serious concern for scientists and healthcare providers worldwide – particularly as one of humankind’s greatest achievements, antibiotics, are increasingly ineffective. This is because bacteria, like all life forms, are driven to reproduce and live. Able to evolve rapidly, they continually seek ways to survive our killer drugs … and they’re succeeding.
Apr 24, 2021... Exactly five years have passed since the moment the world of medicine most feared became reality. In the spring of 2016, in Pennsylvania, a 49-year-old woman suffering from an infection was attacked by a bacterium bearing the gene scientists had feared: MCR-1. It was the first time a bacterium with this gene had been discovered in a human being. The bad news: The bacterium was resistant to the strongest antibiotic that existed, colistin. The worse news was that it could easily transmit that resistance to other bacteria.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/blog/achy-knees-weizmann-discovery-may-help/
Aug 10, 2021...
The world’s population is trending older – in large part because we take better care of ourselves, such as through exercise. But those years of running, playing, even just of everyday living, take a toll on our joints, often leading to osteoarthritis.
Age is only one risk factor for osteoarthritis, which predominantly occurs in the knees, hips, and hands. Other factors include joint injury or overuse/repetitive stress, such as from running and other sports; gender, with women (of course) being more likely to develop the disease; weight; and genetics.
May 25, 2022...
REHOVOT, ISRAEL – May 25 2022 – Our family origins tend to shape our future in many ways. A Weizmann Institute of Science study, published today in Nature, found that the same holds true for blood vessels. The researchers discovered blood vessels forming from unexpected progenitors and went on to show that this unusual origin determines the vessels’ future function.
“We found that blood vessels must derive from the right source in order to function properly – it’s as if they remember where they came from,” says team leader Prof. Karina Yaniv.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/feature-stories/remembering-prof-michael-sela/
May 31, 2022...
The worldwide community of the Weizmann Institute of Science deeply mourns the passing of our beloved longtime leader, preeminent scientist, and dear friend, Prof. Michael Sela.
Throughout his illustrious career, Michael made numerous discoveries that forever changed immunological research, shedding light on the genetic control of the immune response.
He co-invented the blockbuster drug Copaxone® for the treatment of multiple sclerosis as well as three cancer treatment drugs – Erbitux®, Vectibix®, and Portrazza® – which have improved the lives of millions worldwide.
May 31, 2022... REHOVOT, ISRAEL—May 31, 2022—Ketamine, a well-known anesthetic used in smaller doses as a party drug, was hailed as a “new hope for depression” in a Time magazine cover story in 2017. Two years later, the arrival of the first ketamine-based antidepressant – the nasal spray esketamine, made by Johnson & Johnson – was applauded as the most exciting development in the treatment of mood disorders in decades. Yet the U.S. Food and Drug Administration still limits the spray’s use. It is mainly given to depressed patients who have not been helped by other therapies – in part, because the new drug’s mechanism of action is insufficiently understood, leading to concerns over its safety.
Jul 07, 2022...
NEW YORK, NY—July 7, 2022—The American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science, a nonprofit developing philanthropic support for the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, announced today that four Detroit-area philanthropists have recently committed highly impactful gifts to support breakthrough research initiatives.
Closing out their Fiscal Year on June 30, 2022, the American Committee recognizes their generous Michigan philanthropists for their leadership, dedication, and vision that will deeply impact global health, medicine, education, technology, and more.
Jul 14, 2022...
The American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science (ACWIS) has announced major gifts from four Detroit-area philanthropists in support of programs and initiatives at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel.
The gifts will establish or bolster contributor-named centers and institutes that extend the capacity of Weizmann’s scientific research initiatives in global health, medicine, and science education. No gift amounts were disclosed.
Jul 19, 2022...
The American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science, a nonprofit developing philanthropic support for the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, announced that four Detroit-area philanthropists have recently committed highly impactful gifts to support breakthrough research initiatives.
The American Committee recognizes these generous Michigan philanthropists for their leadership, dedication and vision that will deeply impact global health, medicine, education, technology and more.
Aug 01, 2022... REHOVOT, ISRAEL—August 1, 2022— An egg meets a sperm – that’s a necessary first step in life’s beginnings, and it’s also a common first step in embryonic development research. But in a Weizmann Institute of Science study published today in Cell, researchers have grown synthetic embryo models of mice outside the womb by starting solely with stem cells cultured in a petri dish – that is, without the use of fertilized eggs. The method opens new horizons for studying how stem cells form various organs in the developing embryo, and may one day make it possible to grow tissues and organs for transplantation using synthetic embryo models.
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