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.
Mar 15, 2017...
An entire mouse brain viewed from above: Neuronal extensions connect the two amygdalas (the brightest green spots on both sides of the brain) with the prefrontal cortex (top)
Erasing unwanted memories is still the stuff of science fiction, but Weizmann Institute of Science researchers have now managed to erase one type of memory in mice. In a study reported in Nature Neuroscience, they succeeded in shutting down a neuronal mechanism by which memories of fear are formed in the mouse brain. After the procedure, the mice resumed their earlier fearless behavior, “forgetting” that they had previously been frightened.
Dec 25, 2019... The Israeli life science industry is uniquely poised in the global ecosystem and the trajectory is likely to go north. According to a recent report by Israeli Advanced Technology Industries (IATI), the robust Israeli life ecosystem has produced close to 1400 companies in the last decade solving pressing problems in the diverse range of sectors, including but not limited to, biotechnology, medical devices, diagnostics, digital health, healthcare IT, etc. Further, a lion’s share of these companies (about 823) is in the early stages. One of the major reasons for Israeli superiority in the life science industry stems from significant spending on R&D (about 4% of GDP) and the seamless technology transfer from acclaimed research institutions, most notably the Weizmann Institute of Science.
May 08, 2018...
(NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Roman Tkachenko)
Walk away from Facebook, nix the porch light and stroll outside to enjoy the sky tonight. The king of the planets stays very bright throughout this month and reaches “opposition” on Tuesday, which means the planet with the big red spot will be very bright in the southeast sky.
Opposition occurs when Jupiter and the sun are opposite one another from our earthly perspective. Essentially, we revel in a “full” Jupiter — just like a full moon — which can be seen throughout May at -2.5 magnitude (very bright) in the constellation Libra in the southeast after sundown.
Oct 20, 2015... Before breakthroughs in breast cancer research ever appear in the news or on the market, there are cadres of researchers working tirelessly, largely unseen, to develop these improvements. At the Weizmann Institute, these scientists are coming together from across the fields – biologists and mathematicians, geneticists and chemists, plants scientists and physicists – in the interest of defeating breast cancer.
Jul 25, 2018...
The endangered Red Panda has a wild population of less than 10,000 mature individuals Image: REUTERS/Rebecca Naden
Most of us, including scientists, are blind to the full scope of the living world. This was illustrated by an informal survey which asked biologists and ecologists from elite universities two questions. In terms of mass, is the living world mostly composed of animals, plants or bacteria? And is there more global biomass on land or in the oceans? The majority of them answered both questions incorrectly.
Sep 12, 2016...
Prof. Chaim Weizmann in 1949. Credit: Hugo Mendelson via Government Press Office
Although Prof. Chaim Weizmann is well-known as the first president of the State of Israel, his life as a scientist may be even more significant to the country’s founding.
During World War I, Prof. Weizmann, a chemist then living in Britain – where his wife, Vera, served as a doctor – invented a method of industrial fermentation which produced large quantities of acetone. Crucial to the British war effort, his invention has been credited with helping the Allies win. During this time he also became friends with Lord Arthur Balfour, helping persuade him to write his famous Declaration. Today, however, the renowned scientific institution that bears his name may be Prof. Weizmann’s greatest legacy.
Jun 01, 2020...
A joint project by the Jewish Agency for Israel, the Weizmann Institute of Science and healthcare provider Clalit has been to teach the best practices in the fight against coronavirus to Jewish and non-Jewish organizations, communities and medical staffs abroad.
As the peak of the outbreak seems to have come and gone in most of the Western world, the general opinion is that Israel stood the test well. Specifically, the number of deaths was minimized compared to many other countries: as reported by the AFP, with 284 patients who succumbed to COVID-19, the Israel has registered a number of victims equivalent to 31 per million inhabitants, compared with around 310 deaths per million (10 times as many) in the US, about 560 in the UK and 427 in France.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/feature-stories/a-in-digital-science-education/
Apr 24, 2020... Experts from the Department of Science Teaching are the creators of a learning technology platform called PeTeL (short for Personalized Teaching and Learning). Used in hundreds of science classrooms in Israel’s Hebrew- and Arabic-speaking educational sectors, PeTeL gathers real-time data from individual students about what they know and do not know, analyzes student performance using artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms, then offers students targeted follow-up assignments, in accordance with teacher-defined goals.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/feature-stories/a-sniff-test-for-coronavirus/
May 04, 2020... Prof. Noam Sobel, of the Department of Neurobiology, is a leading authority on how olfaction affects human behavior and health. Data emerging from the coronavirus pandemic show that many patients experience a temporary loss of their sense of smell. So dramatic is this loss that, in some countries, patients who report a sudden loss of olfactory acuity are declared to be coronavirus patients, even without further testing. The CDC recently added olfactory loss as a formal symptom of COVID-19.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/feature-stories/navigating-the-new-normal/
May 06, 2020... To roll back this calamitous cascade of events, we need exit strategies— integrated sets of policies that will enable a responsible re-boot of productivity while minimizing the risk of COVID-19 resurgence. One component within such a broad strategy, recently proposed by the Weizmann Institute’s Prof. Uri Alon and Prof. Ron Milo, rests on a novel mathematical model for public health involving a cyclic schedule of lockdown and free movement.