Centers and institutes

The Azrieli Institute for Systems Biology provides a platform for a large range of disciplines that apply holistic tools to comprehending biological phenomena, from genome architecture and function to model organism development and cancer.

The Mary and Tom Beck Canadian Center for Alternative Energy Research (Prof. Ron Milo, Director) provides funding that supports the Alternative Sustainable Energy Research Initiative (SAERI). Together, these entities encourage fundamental scientific research to explore new ways to create and use clean energy sources. Areas of exploration include solar energy, wind, and hydroelectric, geothermal energy, and biofuels.

The Nella and Leon Benoziyo Center for Astrophysics promotes research in theoretical and experimental astrophysics, cosmology, and related topics including observational astronomy, computational astrophysics, and experimental particle astrophysics.

The Y. Leon Benoziyo Institute for Molecular Medicine supports biomedical research and utilizes high-throughput DNA sequencing and protein purification and identification of research relevant to translational medicine and facilitates ties between the laboratory and the medical clinic.

The Nella and Leon Benoziyo Center for Neurosciences supports research on the complex neuronal mechanisms underlying learning, memory, and sensory processing, as well as the relationship between brain and mind.

The Joseph H. and Belle R. Braun Center for Submicron Research explores the miniaturization of electronic devices. Scientists pursue the design, material growth, fabrication, and characterization of submicron semiconductors, which are essential for a new type of quantum electronics which is leading to the development of smaller and faster computer chips for tomorrow’s advanced electronics industry.

The Clore Center for Biological Physics supports research activities that use the methods of physics and physical chemistry to study biological systems. Under the center’s auspices, biologists, chemists, computer scientists, and physicists work together to explore a variety of fundamental issues in biology, and develop new approaches to address them.

The Crown Institute for Genomics provides next-generation gene sequencing services and data analysis to help scientists at the Weizmann Institute; and researchers from academia, hospitals, and industry; to conduct biomedical research in collaboration with the Nancy & Stephen Grand Israel National Center for Personalized Medicine.

The Crown Photonics Centert promotes the study of light and its applications. The Weizmann Institute is a global leader in basic photonics research. Photonics has given rise to the discovery of gamma rays, ultraviolet light, infrared light, microwaves, and radio waves, with applications ranging from biomedicine to homeland security, and including computing, medical diagnostics, imaging, on-chip data communication, and laser defense.

The de Botton Institute for Protein Profiling uses the latest tools to provide comprehensive and quantitative analysis of proteins in any biological sample for researchers pursuing basic research and research in personalized medicine. It also serves as a center for innovation in proteomic analysis through collaborative work with researchers and clinicians.

The André Deloro Institute for Space and Optics Research explores the nature of the universe from the smallest sub-particle to the most distant galaxies. It brings together scientists investigating the nature of light and matter on the quantum scale of particle physics; planetary and space scientists working on an astronomical scale ranging from micro-meteors to giant gas planets to supernova explosions at the outer edges of the universe; and theoretical scientists who work on scales both vast and infinitesimal.

The Center for the Development of Scientific Resources provides funds that permit staff scientists and engineers to develop ways to get the most out of the existing equipment and improve their performance to address special research needs. Such support is targeted to enable innovative solutions to cases in which researchers have non-standard demands that require specific adjustments of standard protocols or higher accuracy than manufacturer's standards.

Dwek Institute for Cancer Therapy Research, part of the Moross Integrated Cancer Center (MICC), explores the molecular mechanisms of cancer cells and the tumor microenvironment (surrounding tissues, blood vessels, immune cells, etc.); strives for an in-depth understanding of the programmed cell death installed in every cell; and searches for new and efficient biological approaches to override the resistance of tumor cells to treatments. Our goal is to identify drugs and other types of treatment modalities that would kill cancer and cancer accessory cells with minimal or no damage to healthy tissues.

The Dolfi and Lola Ebner Center for Biomedical Research supports research on human diseases at the molecular level including studies addressing biochemical mechanisms that underlie the major threats to human health, such as cardiovascular defects, cancer, and infectious diseases.

The Ekard Research School of Biological Science was founded in 2010 by donors who chose to remain anonymous. The Ekard Research School gives graduate students in biology the tools to excel and grow in their research and studies.

The Center for Energy Research promotes research in all aspects of energy including direct conversion of sunlight, thermal electricity generation, thermally driven chemical processes, and photochemistry.

The Leo and Julia Forchheimer Center for Molecular Genetics funds research on the molecular and genetic mechanisms that underlie basic biological processes in complex organisms at the level of single-cell organisms and cells in culture.

The Nancy and Stephen Grand Israel National Center for Personalized Medicine is based at and managed by the Weizmann Institute. It offers multi-disciplinary teams of scientists, clinicians, biomedical and pharmaceutical companies the ability to conduct research involving genomics, protein profiling, bioinformatics, and drug discovery. The insights arising from this research are applied to the clinic for the benefit of human health.

The Murray H. and Meyer Grodetsky Center for Research of Higher Brain Functions advances understanding of the link between cognitive processes such as perception, action, memory and emotional regulation, and the multiple scales of spatio-temporal patterns of brain activity.

The Fritz Haber Center for Physical Chemistry supports research on physical chemistry and chemical physics requiring the purification of biological and chemical samples, imaging of specimens and animal models, investigations of contaminants in pharmaceuticals, and light microscopy studies.

The J&R Center for Scientific Research supports research grants in diverse fields of study and a variety of Institute-wide needs: equipment, the Feinberg Graduate School, the operation of common core facilities, and targeted departmental support. It plays an important role in the Weizmann Institute’s campus development activities, such as funding construction and refurbishment of labs for new scientists.

The Kahn Family Research Center for Systems Biology of the Human Cell fosters high-level research in systems biology, a holistic approach to the study of biology with the objective of simultaneously monitoring all biological processes operating as an integrated system.

The Maurice and Ilse Katz Center for Science Teaching advances research in science teaching in Israeli schools toward improving methods for teaching and learning.

The Kekst Family Institute for Medical Genetics supports research on the genetic mechanisms of life and their application to medicine.

The Helen and Martin Kimmel Institute for Magnetic Resonance Research drives improvements magnetic resonance technologies, making new and long-lasting contributions to the basic science and applications of magnetic resonance.

The Helen and Martin Kimmel Center for Nanoscale Science nurtures links between molecular biology and nanoscale science with the aim of identifying new and improved nanomaterials. The Center also supports the Helen and Martin Kimmel Nanoscale Laboratories (NL) at the Weizmann Institute

The Helen and Martin Kimmel Institute for Stem Cell Research promotes research in the rapidly developing field of stem cell biology.

The Kleinman Cancer Cell Sorting Facility, part of the Moross Integrated Cancer Center (MICC), provides Institute researchers with advanced cell sorting technologies that make it possible to identify, sort and analyze cancer cells, and cells in the surrounding environment. Studying the communication circuits between cells helps contributes to the design of personalized cancer therapy solutions.

The Henry Chanoch Krenter Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Genomics enables the convergence of high-resolution bioimaging and genomics techniques toward a coherent picture of cancer’s ability to function, grow, evade treatment, and respond to treatment.

The Lorry I. Lokey Research School of Biochemical Science was established by Lorry Lokey of San Francisco, in 2007 for the benefit of graduate students working in biochemistry. It was the first of the five Research Schools created to support and enhance graduate education at the Weizmann Institute’s Feinberg Graduate School.

The Mantoux Institute for Bioinformatics uses innovative computational tools to help scientists efficiently and accurately analyze the reams of intricate information that modern, large-scale basic, preclinical, and clinical studies generates. This merger of biology and computing has become a major driving force in biological investigation worldwide.

The Joseph and Ceil Mazer Center for Structural Biology focuses elucidating the molecular structure of biological macromolecules, particularly proteins and nucleic acids; how they acquire their structures; and how alterations in their structures affect their function - an area of major importance to biologists because macromolecules carry out most of the functions of cells.

The Institute for Microbiome Research promotes the integrated application of immunology, molecular cell biology, and mathematical approaches to the examination of how microbial species, residing naturally in the intestinal tract, influence the incidence and progress of a host of human conditions and diseases. Built around the “Personalized Nutrition Project” and resting on intensive collaboration with clinical researchers, Institute activities have implications for the eventual design of personalized treatments for disorders including obesity and diabetes, inflammation, cancer, and neurodegeneration.

The Dr. Josef Cohn Minerva Center for Biomembrane Research was inaugurated in 1988 to commemorate Dr. Cohn's major contributions to the scientific links between Germany and Israel. Through its activities, special attention has been given to promoting contacts between Israeli and German scientists.

The John von Neumann Minerva Center for the Development of Reactive Systems advances the development of complex reactive systems, mainly through the processes of modeling and analysis. Research concentrates on visual formalisms and supporting tools for modeling, and on powerful simulation and analysis methods. The center works closely with applications for industry; other projects include service-oriented computing, tactical simulators and health care processes.

The Minerva Center for Life under Extreme Planetary Conditions is devoted to understanding life in extreme conditions on solar system planets and beyond, studying the physical, geochemical, and biological aspects of the topic, and seeking to develop a framework for addressing questions at the forefront of the search for life in the universe.

The Minerva Center for Nonlinear Physics of Complex Systems supports research on nonlinear dynamics and its applications including turbulent flows, theoretical and experimental investigations of pattern formations, and pattern selection and variability. These studies are applied to specific problems taken from astrophysics, geophysics and biology.

The Moross Integrated Cancer Center (MICC) works to unravel the complexity of cancer by harnessing the power of basic research to facilitate translation into the clinical arena in the quest for cancer prevention, early diagnosis and, ultimately, a cure. The overarching goal of the MICC is to move toward personalized cancer medicine, facilitating translational research by enabling the flow of insights from the lab and feedback from patient treatment and samples. The MICC includes six components: the Swiss Society Institute for Cancer Prevention Research, the Ekard Institute for Cancer Diagnosis Research, the Dwek Institute for Cancer Therapy Research, The de Picciotto-Lesser Cancer Cell Observatory in Memory of Wolf and Ruth Lesser, the Weizmann-Brazil Tumor Bank, and the Kleinman Cancer Cell Sorting Facility.

The Irving and Cherna Moskowitz Center for Nano and Bio-nano Imaging is focused on enhancing the imaging capacities of the Weizmann Institute. The center encourages new initiatives for improving imaging techniques and capabilities and supports the purchase of new, state-of-the-art equipment and the upgrade of existing facilities.

The Center for New Scientists administers charitable gifts and endowments dedicated to helping young faculty members and researchers excel during their critical first years at the Weizmann Institute of Science.

The Perlman Institute of Chemical Sciences supports the regular maintenance and activities of the Perlman Chemical Sciences Building, established by the late Harold Perlman, a founding member of the Chicago Committee of the Weizmann Institute of Science. Through its support, scientists at the Department of Materials and Interfaces and the Department of Chemical Physics enjoy a modern research facility. Scientific research projects conducted at the Perlman Building are diverse and include, among other things, the development of advanced chemical nano-structures such as nanotubes; finding alternative energy sources and improving existing technologies for the production of sustainable energy; identifying theoretical models of cellular shapes and dynamics; and exploring advanced methods of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance.

The Center for Quantum Science and Technology promotes research on quantum mechanics and its application to critical challenges in physics, chemistry, optics, and engineering. Building on earlier discoveries about how matter behaves at the nanoscale, scientists associated with the Center are examining how complex quantum properties such as superposition and entanglement may make it possible to construct the powerful and massively efficient technologies of the future.

The Gabrielle Rich Center for Transplantation Biology Research was created to especially support the research of Prof. Tsvee Lapidot, Prof. Dov Zipori and Prof. Yair Reisner, dedicated to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

The Dr. Scholl Center for Water and Climate funds projects on water and climate toward advancing an improved understanding of the global environment.

Schwartz /Reisman Institute for Theoretical Physics (SRitp) creates an informal intellectual framework for physicists by hosting extended, loosely structured international workshops in theoretical physics.

The David and Fela Shapell Family Center for Genetic Disorders Research supports research on Down's syndrome and other genetic disorders. The center utilizes transgenic technologies toward elucidating the molecular mechanisms by which genetic mutations affect cell characteristics.

The Dr. Barry Sherman Institute for Medicinal Chemistry funds 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.

The Mary and Tom Beck Canadian Center for Alternative Energy Research provides funding that supports the Alternative Sustainable Energy Research Initiative (AERI). Together, these entities encourage fundamental scientific research to explore new ways to create and use clean energy sources. Areas of exploration include solar energy, wind, and hydroelectric, geothermal energy, and biofuels.

This center provides a financial backbone required for transforming innovative projects that have strong translational potential from curiosity-driven basic science into more mature technologies, thereby increasing the likelihood of industry’s willingness to invest in their technology transfer and subsequent commercialization.

The Weizmann-Brazil Tumor Bank, part of the Moross Integrated Cancer Center (MICC), supports the preservation and an in-depth investigation of tumors in various stages of progression, both in vitro and in vivo. The facility helps Weizmann Institute researchers identify genes associated with tumor growth, thereby promoting the development of new strategies for cancer treatment.

The Willner Family Leadership Institute provides support for scientific research, education, and leadership development. Funding is used for the recruitment of young scientists and outfitting their labs, new research and technology initiatives, the purchase of scientific instrumentation systems, and science education.

The Maurice and Vivienne Wohl Institute for Drug Discovery – is a nationally accessible resource, open to qualified Israeli researchers at universities, research institutes, and biopharmaceutical companies. It provides screening and analysis of thousands of potentially bioactive molecules in order to support biomedical discovery and targets for creating new therapeutic drugs. Dr. Haim Barr, Head.

The Yad Abraham Research Center for Cancer Diagnostics and Therapy promotes cancer research with a focus on its genetic components and toward developing new avenues for early detection of malignant processes and of novel therapeutic approaches.