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.
Nov 01, 2020... Seven years ago, an understanding of nature inspired a revolutionary new technology, when researchers turned a defense system used by bacteria to thwart viruses into the gene-editing tool now known as CRISPR. But for another emerging gene editor the understanding has lagged the applications. For several years, researchers have been adapting retrons—mysterious complexes of DNA, RNA, and protein found in some bacteria—into a potentially powerful way to alter genomes of single cell organisms. Now, biology is catching up, as two groups report evidence that, like CRISPR, retrons are part of the bacterial immune arsenal, protecting the microbes from viruses called phages.
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.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/video-gallery/bacteria-in-tumors-improving-cancer-treatment/
Dec 17, 2020... This virtual conversation, hosted by the American Committee, features Weizmann’s Dr. Ravid Straussman, the NIH’s Dr. Daniel Douek (Chief of the Human Immunology Section of the Vaccine Research Center), and is moderated by Dr. Alan Leishner, former CEO of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, which publishes the prestigious journal Science.
Feb 01, 2021...
Many bacteria contain retrons, DNA sequences which code for enzymes that transcribe RNA into DNA and an unusual molecule made of both DNA and RNA. But microbiologists have puzzled over retrons’ function. “People suggested . . . this may be a selfish genetic element, [or] it may be involved in virulence,” says the Weizmann Institute of Science’s Rotem Sorek. “But nobody actually knew.”
See “Rotem Sorek Searches for Bacteria’s Defenses Against Viruses”
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/news-releases/bacteria-may-aid-anti-cancer-immune-response/
Mar 17, 2021... REHOVOT, ISRAEL—March 17, 2021—Cancer immunotherapy may get a boost from an unexpected direction: bacteria residing within tumor cells. In a new study published in Nature, researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science and their collaborators have discovered that the immune system “sees” these bacteria and shown that they can be harnessed to provoke an immune reaction against the tumor. The study may also help clarify the connection between immunotherapy and the gut microbiome, explaining the findings of previous research showing that the microbiome affects the success of immunotherapy.
Mar 17, 2021...
Cancer cells present bacterial peptides on the outside of their walls, marking them as a foreign element to the body’s immune system, Weizmann Institute scientists report in a new article published in Nature.
This is crucial as while immunotherapy has been able to help melanoma cancer patients in roughly 40% of cases, the new findings could pave the road to more effective treatments and many lives saved in the future.
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.
May 14, 2021... This summer, after more than a year of pandemic shutdowns, we are more excited than ever to get outside. But we can’t let down our guard when it comes to sun exposure, which is the primary cause of the most common cancer in the world: skin cancer. In fact, the Skin Cancer Foundation says that over 85% of melanomas are linked to UV radiation, and having more than five sunburns doubles your risk of developing this deadliest form of skin cancer.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/news-releases/bacteria-and-plants-fight-alike/
Dec 01, 2021...
REHOVOT, ISRAEL—December 1, 2021—A brown blotch on a plant leaf may be a sign that the plant’s defenses are hard at work.
A new study at the Weizmann Institute of Science, published today in Nature, points to the evolutionary origins of this plant immune mechanism.
When a plant is infected by a virus, fungus or bacterium, its immune response arrests the spread of the disease by killing the infected cell and those immediately surrounding it. The new Weizmann study may help explain how major plant defenses work and how they may one day be strengthened to increase resilience against plant diseases that each year cause billions of dollars of crop losses worldwide.
Dec 08, 2021... REHOVOT, ISRAEL—December 8, 2021—Cigarette smoking, practiced by over a billion people worldwide, is considered a leading cause of disease, accounting for over six million deaths each year. Many people don’t quit smoking, despite expressing a desire to do so, because they are concerned about the substantial weight gain that often accompanies smoking cessation. The cause of this weight gain is unclear, as studies suggest that most people don’t eat more after quitting smoking. In a study published today in Nature, Weizmann Institute of Science researchers report discovering that obesity developing after “smoking cessation” in mice may be driven by the weight-modulating compounds released by their gut microbes.
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