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.
Jun 13, 2019...
HiGrade app lets consumers check the potency of any THC cannabis strain with a smartphone. Photo: courtesy
Will this bud get you buzzed, relieve your pain, or leave you dazed and confused?
The HiGrade cannabis analytics app uses your smartphone camera and machine learning algorithms to reveal your dry cannabis flowers’ level of THC, the psychoactive compound in cannabis.
The app can be used, where legal, by medical cannabis users to get a more accurate dose, or by recreational users to be more mindful about what they’re smoking.
Feb 13, 2019...
Physicians attend an ultrasound training at Soroka University Medical Center. (photo credit: COURTESY RAHEL DAVID FOR BGU)
A recent breakthrough in the growing field of artificial intelligence at Weizmannn Institute will save lives by eliminating reliance on human skill in diagnosing cardiac conditions.
The new Al initiative, developed by Professor Yaron Lipman and his colleagues at the NYU School of Medicine, is an automated process that guides ultrasound technicians performing echo-cardiograms to interpret the results in real time with improved accuracy.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/in-the-news/pig-stem-cells-to-be-used-to-grow-human-organs/
Feb 15, 2005...
It might be possible to transplant embryonic stem cells from pigs into humans to grow new organs, a new study shows.
The idea is not new. For more than two decades, scientists have pointed to the potential of embryonic pig tissues as a source for organ transplantation.
Studies in the past, however, have had little success when tissue has been taken relatively late in a pig embryo's development.
Dec 10, 2018...
REHOVOT, ISRAEL—December 10, 2018—In an effort to advance basic research insights for the benefit of therapeutic discoveries, the Weizmann Institute of Science is establishing the Dr. Barry Sherman Institute for Medicinal Chemistry, thanks to a major gift from the Sherman family.
The Sherman Institute for Medicinal Chemistry will fund innovative research on compounds that hold promise for becoming therapies for a range of human diseases and disorders, including autoimmune diseases, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and infectious diseases.
Mar 27, 2017...
Medical treatment must take into account each patient’s individuality. Image via Shutterstock.com
Why is a certain type of cancer more often fatal in obese patients, and another type more fatal in the elderly? Why does a serious eye disease develop in many Bedouin children?
Doctors and researchers in Israel search for answers to medical mysteries like these at the Nancy & Stephen Grand Israel National Center for Personalized Medicine (G-INCPM) at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/feature-stories/harnessing-the-power-of-stem-cells/
Jul 29, 2014... The reason that embryonic stem cells are so appealing is their power: they can give rise to any cell type in the body. This means they could be used to repair damaged tissue, treat autoimmune diseases, and even grow transplant organs. However, in the U.S. and elsewhere, research using embryonic stem cells is severely limited due to religious or ethical issues, as well as limited availability. In order to advance the use of stem cells in medicine, another way must be found – and that’s why Dr. Jacob (Yaqub) Hanna of the Weizmann Institute of Science’s Department of Molecular Genetics is seeking to harness the potential of embryonic stem cells while avoiding the pitfalls.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/feature-stories/building-a-better-antibiotic/
Apr 23, 2012...
Prof. Ada Yonath
When harmful bacteria become resistant to medicine, the cost—to both human health and society—is high. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), microbial resistance not only kills people, but also impedes control of infectious diseases, damages trade and economies, and threatens to return us to the pre-antibiotic era.
Drug resistance is a growing problem, as decades of misuse and overuse of antibiotics have resulted in the evolution of bacteria that do not respond to such medicines, leading to a rise in “superbugs” such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/feature-stories/shipping-and-packing-proteins/
Dec 08, 2010... The billions of cells in our bodies have to work together and be in constant communication in order to sense and react to changes in their environment. They receive signals from other cells that tell them, for example, how much they need to grow, when to divide, and when to produce the proteins that carry out many of the tasks in the cell. “For all this to work, you need a specialized compartment in the cell where you can control the quality of every single protein the cell produces, package it correctly, and then send it on to its destination outside of the cell,” says Dr. Maya Schuldiner of the Weizmann Institute of Science’s Department of Molecular Genetics. She studies this specialized compartment, which is a structure known as the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). “I call it the cell’s shipping and packing department,” she says.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/in-the-news/abbott-steps-up-presence-in-israeli-market/
Feb 07, 2012... Since buying Israeli company Starlims in 2010, Abbott Laboratories, which has a finger in just about every biomed pie, has shown heightened interest in the Israeli market. The company is a leader in drugs and diagnostics, and has a thriving medical devices division, and a nutrition division (Similac, for example). It is even active in animal health, and it has launched a new venture capital fund that seeks technologies in Israel.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/in-the-news/israeli-innovation-extends-to-medical-marijuana/
Mar 20, 2015...
Photo by David Stuck
Israel is widely known as the “startup nation” for the plethora of innovation coming out of its tech-savvy entrepreneurs and researchers. And when it comes to medicinal cannabis, Israel does not disappoint.
From state-of-the-art vaporizers to groundbreaking research, Israel continues to advance the idea that marijuana can be used to treat a host of diseases, according to Lex Pelger. The Jewish state has even emerged as something of a leader in the industry.