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.
May 12, 2021...
COVID-19 is so dangerous because the virus uses a three-pronged attack mechanism to stop cells from quickly triggering the immune system, Israeli scientists have concluded.
They offer a portrait of how exactly the SARS-CoV-2 virus behaves once inside human cells — they say it’s the most detailed to date — in an article published on Wednesday in the peer-reviewed journal Nature.
After hundreds of hours in their labs monitoring the virus interacting with cells, they have concluded that the virus mounts a hostile takeover on the cell’s protein-making machinery, and stops it from making proteins needed to galvanize the immune system.
Aug 09, 2021... REHOVOT, ISRAEL—August 9, 2021—During the six weeks between the end of the first Covid-19 outbreak in Israel and the beginning of the second one (late April to early June of 2020), researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science initiated a study that sought to assess and understand the mental toll of the pandemic on the country’s adult population. The study included more than 12,000 responses from nearly 5,000 respondents to digital questionnaires.
Aug 04, 2022... REHOVOT, ISRAEL—August 4, 2022—The myriads of microbes in our gut, collectively termed the microbiome, are considered important to our health, but they can also harbor bacteria that contribute to inflammatory bowel disease or other disorders. Currently, however, it is impossible to target such disease-contributing bacteria without harming the surrounding beneficial microbes. Antibiotics kill friendly microbes along with the harmful ones, and in any event, they tend to trigger bacterial resistance and to have side effects. In a study published today in Cell, Weizmann Institute of Science researchers have demonstrated the feasibility of a potential therapy for killing inflammation-causing gut bacteria in a targeted manner: by using viruses that infect them.
Dec 05, 2022...
There is no cure for Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, the two chronic inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) that cause flareups of abdominal pain, diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss and even malnutrition.
Ulcerative colitis affects only the colon, while Crohn’s can attack any part of the digestive system.
Although scientists debate whether IBD is an autoimmune disorder, they agree that the painful inflammation is caused by an abnormal immune response to lifestyle triggers (such as diet) and environmental triggers (such as bacteria).
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/feature-stories/viruses-gain-the-upper-hand/
Dec 14, 2022...
We’re used to thinking of the immune system as a separate entity, almost a distinct organ, but the truth is much more complicated.
Breakthroughs in recent years – some resulting from research performed in Prof. Rotem Sorek’s lab at the Weizmann Institute of Science’s Molecular Genetics Department – have shown that individual bacterial cells possess their own autonomous, innate immune system that can identify, locate, and deal with intruders.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/news-releases/surviving-on-an-empty-battery/
Aug 17, 2023... REHOVOT, ISRAEL—August 17, 2023—Every time we make a call, send a text message, or watch a video, some of the energy stored in the cell phone battery is depleted. Living cells also store energy in “currencies” they can cash in when needed to fuel life processes. The main energy currency used by all life on Earth is a molecule known as ATP. But even though charging cells with ATP molecules is of vital importance, discharging them could be equally crucial – and potentially lifesaving.
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