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.
May 04, 2011...
REHOVOT, ISRAEL—May 4, 2011—Weizmann Institutescientists have added another piece to the obesity puzzle, showing howand why a certain protein that is active in a small part of the braincontributes to weight gain. This research appeared today in Cell Metabolism.
Prof. Ari Elson and his team in the Institute’s Molecular GeneticsDepartment made the discovery when working with female mice that weregenetically engineered to lack this protein, called protein tyrosinephosphatase epsilon (PTPe, for short). The scientists had originallyintended to investigate osteoporosis, and thus, they also removed theovaries of these mice. Taking out ovaries typically causes mice to gainweight to the point of obesity – so the scientists were surprised tofind that the weight of the genetically-engineered mice remained stable.Working with Dr. Alon Chen and his group in the Neurobiology Departmentand Prof. Hilla Knobler, Head of the Unit of Metabolic Disease andDiabetes of Kaplan Medical Center, the researchers fed these mice ahigh-fat diet, yet the PTPe-deficient mice maintained their sveltefigures; they burned more energy and had more stable glucose levels aswell.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/news-releases/birth-of-an-enzyme/
Mar 24, 2008...
REHOVOT, ISRAEL—March 24, 2008—Mankind triumphed in a recent “competition” against nature when scientists succeeded in creating a new type of enzyme for a reaction for which no naturally occurring enzyme has evolved. This achievement opens the door to the development of a variety of potential applications in medicine and industry.
Enzymes are, without a doubt, a valuable model for understanding the intricate works of nature. These molecular machines – which life would not exist without – are responsible for initiating chemical reactions within the body. Millions of years of natural selection have fine-tuned the activity of such enzymes, allowing chemical reactions to take place millions of times faster. In order to create artificial enzymes, a comprehensive understanding of the structure of natural enzymes and their mode of action, as well as advanced protein engineering techniques, is needed. A team of scientists from the University of Washington, Seattle, and the Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel, have made a crucial breakthrough toward this endeavor. Their findings have recently been published in the scientific journal Nature.
Mar 28, 2019...
Imagine the ability to prevent all strains of the flu for many years—in a single shot. In the third episode of Weizmann in Focus, CEO Dave Doneson spotlights Prof. Ruth Arnon’s remarkable progress on a universal flu vaccine. The vaccine, being brought to market by Israeli startup Biondvax, holds the promise of protecting us from current and future varieties of the virus.
Click below to watch—and please share the video with friends via email or social media.
Jul 23, 2015...
Photo via www.shutterstock.com
Lung cancer patients know that the statistics for a full recovery are not in their favor, but new research coming out of Israel could alter these grim figures. According to the Weizmann Institute of Science’s Prof. Yosef Yarden, an innovative strategy involving a three-pronged approach might keep an aggressive form of lung cancer at bay.
Yarden and his lab staff showed on mouse models that their approach stops lung cancer cells from developing resistance to chemotherapy.
May 29, 2008...
REHOVOT, ISRAEL—May 29, 2008—A Weizmann Institute study provides important new insights into the process of viral infection. The study, reported in the online journal PLoS Biology, reveals certain mechanisms by which mimivirus—a virus so called because it was originally thought to mimic bacteria in various aspects of their behavior—invades amoeba cells.
Living cells become infected by viruses in two steps. First, the virus penetrates the cell. Next, in the second and crucial step, the cell starts producing new viruses, which spread and infect additional cells. At the beginning of this production process, the cell makes the outer wall of the virus, which is a container of sorts composed of proteins and known as the capsid. The cell then makes copies of viral DNA and inserts it into the capsid. The result is a new, functioning virus that is ready to leave the host cell and infect more cells.
Oct 07, 2009...
October 7, 2009—The American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science congratulates Prof. Ada Yonath on receiving the 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry and is proud of her scientific achievements. We are delighted that the Nobel Committee for Chemistry has recognized the significance of Prof. Yonath's scientific research and awarded her this important prize.
Prof. Yonath's research is driven by curiosity and ambition to better understand the world and our place within it. This research aims high: to understand one of the most complicated "machines" of the biological system.
Oct 29, 2014...
Receiving a vaccine (illustrative photo: Miriam Alster/Flash90)
A universal flu vaccine developed by Israel’s BiondVax has been granted patents by both the European Union and Japan, the company announced Wednesday. BiondVax’s technology had previously received patents in the United States, Hong Kong, Australia, China, Russia and Mexico, and the two new approvals extend its reach dramatically.
With the newest patent approvals, the company said that it can now enter into wide-scale development programs with pharmaceutical companies and governments that will license its technology to develop a one-stop-shop vaccine for influenza.
Nov 22, 2011... REHOVOT, ISRAEL—November 22, 2011—The clinical trial conducted by Andromeda Biotech on a drug developed by Prof. Irun Cohen of the Weizmann Institute of Science to treat Type 1 diabetes was random, regulated, double-blinded, and broad-based. The drug was tested on 457 patients, aged 16-45, who had been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes a short time before joining the trial. The trial took place in around 40 medical centers in Europe, Israel, and South Africa. The involved patients were randomly assigned to one of two groups: one received the trial drug, DiaPep277®, through a subcutaneous injection once every three months, for a period of two years, while the second group, a control group, was given a placebo in the same way. In addition, all of the patients received insulin as needed to stabilize their glucose levels.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/in-the-news/israelis-find-cure-for-stem-cell-debate/
Oct 21, 2013...
Stem cells. Image via Shutterstock.com
By now, the fact that Israel is the world’s innovation hub is no longer a hot news flash. But a recent medical/scientific breakthrough emanating from the Weizmann Institute illustrates the significance of Israeli ingenuity beyond the obvious concrete and financial benefits.
The important and widely publicized revelation, conducted by a research team headed by Dr. Yaqub Hanna, involves the production of stem cells.
Mar 19, 2019...
(l-r) Yeda CEO Gil Granot-Mayer, BioLeaders CEO Dr. Young-Chul Park, and Weizmann Institute Vice President for Technology Transfer Prof. Mordechai Sheves
REHOVOT, ISRAEL—March 19, 2019—Two South Korean concerns have committed to investing a total of $12 million in spinout companies incorporated by Yeda Research and Development Co. Ltd., the technology transfer arm of the Weizmann Institute of Science. The first investment – $2 million by Yozma Group Asia – is in On-Sight Medical Inc., jointly owned by Yeda, New York University (NYU), and related parties. For the second, the Korean group BioLeaders Corporation – in which Yozma Group Asia is an investor – has committed to investing $10 million in a new spinout firm that will develop an anti-cancer therapy developed by Weizmann Institute scientists.
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