WIM no. 17 Spring 2020

מכון ויצמן למדע From the President Dear friends, We are in the midst of a global challenge that has forced everyone to adjust their lives and work routines, and the Weizmann Institute of Science is no exception. At the same time, as part of civil society, the Institute has a role to play in finding solutions. We see it as our duty to summon all of our resources and scientific expertise to contribute to the global battle against the novel coronavirus, for the benefit of humanity. Our campus has swiftly become a hub of concentrated efforts in three critical directions: to help ramp up testing capacity, track outbreaks in the making, and advance promising research initiatives toward treatments and potential vaccines. Many of our scientists, each from his or her own unique angle, are stepping up to the plate to urgently search for solutions. We have assembled a task force comprised of researchers and administrators, including myself and the vice presidents, who are coordinating all of these efforts and working together to do our utmost to summon all possible resources to enable the science to move ahead. In this issue of Weizmann Magazine , you can read about some of our initiatives related to the coronavirus. You’ll also read about our major new flagship projects in neuroscience and artificial intelligence, which remain top priorities: the Institute for Brain and Neural Sciences, and the Artificial Intelligence Enterprise for Scientific Exploration. This is my first greeting to you in the magazine as President, and I look forward to many more. Most importantly, I offer you and your families my best wishes for health and tranquility. Sincerely, Prof. Alon Chen President, Weizmann Institute of Science Credits A publication of the Department of Resource Development Editorial Staff Prof. Roee Ozeri, Vice President for Resource Development and Public Affairs ¶ Kelly Avidan, Director, Department of Resource Development ¶ Tamar Morad, Head, Donor Communications ¶ Heidi Shulman, Publications and Video Production Coordinator, Yarden Jaron, Visual and Digital Production Writing Staff Sandy Cash ¶ Dinah Elashvili ¶ Tali Galsky ¶  Sharon Reinheimer ¶ Anne Sperling ¶ Edward Truitt Illustration Tal Bavli-Ziv Graphic Design Alexey Kletsel, Netgo Ltd. Photography and renderings Philipp Böni ¶ Itai Belson, Ohad Herches of the Weizmann Institute Photo Lab ¶ Yael Ilan ¶ Hadar Kaminksy ¶ Ronald Korner ¶ Weizmann Institute Photo Archives ¶ Shutterstock ¶ Paul J. Trummer Visit us: www.weizmann.ac.il/WeizmannCompass