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.
Jun 27, 2022... REHOVOT, ISRAEL—June 27, 2022— Of all the fungi that live in the human body, the most infamous is probably the yeast Candida. This distant cousin of baker’s yeast is notorious for causing various types of thrush that can be a major nuisance, but it can also lead to an invasive infection that may, on occasion, prove fatal. In a study published today in Nature Immunology, a Weizmann Institute of Science research team headed by Prof. Jakub Abramson uncovered a previously unknown defense mechanism employed by the immune system in fighting Candida infections.
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.
Nov 21, 2022... Weizmann Scientist, Prof. Yonina Eldar of the department of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics, explains how Artificial Intelligence can be used to improve signal processing. Signal processing is a crucial component that enables many of the devices we use today including hearing aids and medical imaging equipment, like MRI, CT and X-ray, which can all greatly benefit from better imaging and resolution. Prof. Eldar’s specializes in developing algorithms for signal processing, and for the representation and transmission of information using advanced mathematical techniques. Her lab develops AI tools and to acquire and extract information and combine them with other modes like physics or medicine to pave the way to new technologies that can see, hear, and communicate beyond existing limits. Prof. Eldar’s innovations have helped to make ultrasound devices smaller, cheaper, and uploadable to the cloud; optimize MRI scans for medical imaging, improve data storage and communications, create super-resolution microscopy, and support computational biology.
Dec 29, 2022... Prof. Alon Chen, President of the Weizmann Institute of Science, has been awarded the 2022 Bennett Family Award for Collaboration in the Science of Wellness, along with Juan de Pablo, the Executive Vice President for Science, Innovation, National Laboratories, and Global Initiatives, and the Liew Family Professor in Molecular Engineering at the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago. Each year, the Bennett Family Award will recognize individuals engaged in collaborative research, merging science and wellness for the advancement of human health.
Jan 25, 2023...
WASHINGTON — The United States and Israel are finalizing an agreement that would see NASA contribute to an upcoming Israeli astrophysics mission.
The focus of the agreement, which could be signed as soon as later this month, involves a mission called Ultrasat under development by Israel’s Weizmann Institute of Science with support from the Israel Space Agency and German research center DESY.
As part of the agreement, NASA would provide the launch of Ultrasat, which will operate in geostationary orbit. NASA will likely arrange to fly Ultrasat as a secondary payload on a commercial GEO launch, said James Rhoads, NASA project scientist for Ultrasat, during a session of the 241st Meeting of the American Astronomical Society Jan. 11.
Feb 21, 2023...
REHOVOT, ISRAEL—FEBRUARY 21, 2023 NASA will launch Israel’s first space telescope – the Ultraviolet Transient Astronomy Satellite, or ULTRASAT – into high-Earth orbit in early 2026, as part of a newly signed partnership between United States’ NASA and Israel's Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology.
ULTRASAT, a premier project of the Israel Space Agency (ISA) in the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology and the Weizmann Institute of Science, is expected to revolutionize scientists’ ability to detect and analyze transient events in the universe, such as neutron star mergers and supernova explosions.
Feb 22, 2023... REHOVOT, ISRAEL—FEBRUARY 22, 2023 One of the striking aspects of the quantum world is that a particle, say, an electron, is also a wave, meaning that it exists in many places at the same time. In a new study, reported today in Nature, researchers from the Weizmann Institute of Science make use of this property to develop a new type of tool – the quantum twisting microscope (QTM) – that can create novel quantum materials while simultaneously gazing into the most fundamental quantum nature of their electrons. The study’s findings may be used to create electronic materials with unprecedented functionalities.
Feb 22, 2023...
One of the striking aspects of the quantum world is that a particle is also a wave. Quantum particles exist in many places and forms at the same time.
In a study titled “The Quantum Twisting Microscope” just published in the journal Nature, researchers from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot made use of this property to develop a new type of tool – the quantum twisting microscope (QTM) – that can create novel quantum materials while simultaneously gazing into the most fundamental nature of their electrons. The study’s findings may be used to create electronic materials with unprecedented functionalities.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/blog/2023-impact-report-a-year-of-boundless-exploration/
Mar 08, 2023...
Through the generous support of our donors, Weizmann scientists and students made 2022 another stellar year of innovative research. You can learn all about it in the 2022 Impact Report from the Weizmann Institute of Science.
This new, digital-only publication highlights the phenomenal people, incredible achievements, and vital research advances at the Institute this past year.A digital format helps us reduce our environmental footprint, allows us to share videos, animations, and links, and makes it easy to forward the report to friends and family.
Apr 14, 2023... REHOVOT, ISRAEL—April 13, 2023 — The journey to Jupiter has begun. The European Space Agency’s unmanned spacecraft JUICE (short for JUpiter ICy moons Explorer) is launching today from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. JUICE’s voyage, the ESA’s most ambitious mission to date, will be particularly lengthy: Upon reaching Jupiter’s orbit by 2031, it will embark on a four-year mission to investigate three of Jupiter’s moons – Callisto, Europa and Ganymede – as well as the composition of Jupiter’s atmosphere
©2023 American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science
