Letters & Articles
Dear members of the Weizmann community,
This Passover, the theme of freedom is more relevant than ever, as we await the return of the hostages and as we feel the anguish over the war and the loss of life. This holiday will both remind us of the historical quest for freedom and, too, the urgency of its pursuit today and always. The tension was higher than ever in the last week with Iran’s first-ever direct attack on Israel, which was successfully intercepted by Israel - thanks in great part to Israel’s scientific prowess in defense capabilities - and partnering countries. We hope that there won’t be an escalation with Iran. In this complex reality, I want to wish all of you a happy and safe holiday - chag sameach.
Freedom comes in many forms, and at the Weizmann Institute we have the tools to advance scientific research and science education, which lead to new knowledge, improved health, and productivity - all of which contribute to a free and flourishing society. The Davidson Institute of Science Education has been very active in recent months providing science education activities for children displaced by the war. Beyond the obvious benefits of enriching understanding of science, such programming has offered stability and structure. To date, Davidson has provided tailor-made activities for 6,500 displaced youth in 46 locations.
Also, since the start of the war, the national social impact program PERACH, which connects mentors (university students) and mentees (school-aged children) across the country, started its activities before the beginning of the university academic year to respond to wartime needs, bringing together nearly 6,000 mentors with thousands of children throughout Israel. In addition, about 100 mentors helped hundreds of displaced children in evacuation centers and hotels. PERACH, which is under the Davidson Institute, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
Meanwhile, Yad Chaim Weizmann, which manages the Weizmann House and the Weizmann Archives, helped provide educational programming for displaced families as part of the City of Rehovot’s “Illuminated Shelters” program, held in safe rooms and shelters in the city. It also hosted online programming for schools throughout Israel. And in partnership with our Levinson Visitors Center, it provided free educational programming around the life and legacy of Dr. Chaim Weizmann.
Most of our international students and postdocs have returned from abroad and about two-thirds of our Israeli community members who were called to reserve duty have returned. Our labs are filling up again and most are operating at full or nearly full capacity. We have otherwise essentially returned to normal routine, despite the challenges. Our resilience as a community is strengthened by our collective ability to focus on our core mission: science that benefits humanity in countless and unpredictable ways.
The concept of science as the basis of national resilience was in fact the vision of Dr. Weizmann when he founded the Weizmann Institute in 1934 - established initially as the Daniel Sieff Research Institute before it was renamed for Dr. Weizmann in 1949. This year, the 90th anniversary year of the founding of the Institute, that vision feels more relevant than ever. We wish to mark this special milestone as a way to highlight this enduring vision and the Institute’s achievements throughout the decades. I look forward to updating you about the main event, which will occur in the summer, and a series of programs throughout the year.
Discoveries and Solutions
In one wonderful example of how science can lead to resilience for human health, Prof. Rivka Dikstein in the Department of Biomolecular Sciences (and Dean of Biochemistry) recently identified two molecules that can penetrate the blood-brain barrier and reduce the levels of a defective protein that causes the Huntington’s disease - without causing harm to the overall functioning of related proteins. Huntington’s is an incurable neurodegenerative disorder caused by the excessive repetition of a DNA segment in the huntingtin gene. People with Huntington’s usually have one working copy of the huntingtin gene and one defective copy, which leads to the creation of defective proteins that stick together, forming a toxic residue in the brain. While current experimental treatments require repeated brain or spinal surgery, the molecules discovered in the Dikstein lab could pave the way for an effective and safe treatment.
In research on the monsoon season on the Indian subcontinent, Dr. Shira Raveh-Rubin of the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences studied a type of airstream called a dry intrusion, which is comprised of dry and cold air. It has been assumed that dry intrusions break up the steamy, humid monsoon rainfall (July-Sept.), because until now those studies had not considered dry intrusions that flow over the equator from the Southern Hemisphere. But looking at data spanning 40 years, Shira and her team found that the dry intrusions that travel over the equator are actually followed by a major increase in rainfall - anywhere from 17% to over 100% higher. The study could lead to improved flood warnings in India and Bangladesh, where millions of people live on flood plains and are highly vulnerable to monsoons.
Given the pressing need to create tangible solutions for the climate crisis, Weizmann - through our Bina unit - is funding a growing number of research projects with potential for real-world solutions. One example is a study by Prof. Tamir Klein of the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, which involves testing a novel carbon-uptake monitoring system on about 100 trees on the Weizmann campus. He will also do a complementary study of carbon uptake of trees at the edge of the Arctic Circle, a collaboration with the University of Oulu in Finland. Refined knowledge of the contribution of trees to carbon uptake could translate into real market needs: In facing off against the climate crisis, a growing number of corporations and governments are seeking to offset their carbon emissions, and so there is a thirst for solutions for carbon removal from the atmosphere.
Importantly, Tamir’s research is part of the “campus as a living lab” concept that is part of our Green Campus Initiative led by Prof. Avi Levy of the same department. The new initiative (which I’ll describe more fully in a future letter) was highlighted by both Avi and Tamir at our lovely Tu B’Shevat celebration at the end of January, where we all had an opportunity to plant about 160 mature trees on campus, adding to the beauty of our surroundings.
The Bina unit, led by Dr. Sharon Fireman, is operated by the Office of the Vice President for Innovation and Technology Transfer, under the leadership of Prof. Irit Sagi. Bina’s purview is to both raise awareness across campus labs of industry needs - across all areas of science - and identify and nurture promising projects, through mentoring and funding, that could be successfully translated into intellectual property (IP). That IP then either becomes the basis of new companies or licensed through Yeda to companies that further develop the technology for the marketplace.
An example of a project that successfully completed the Bina “pipeline” is one by Dr. Leeat Keren of the Department of Molecular Cell Biology. Leeat developed an imaging approach called CombPlex that uses machine learning - a type of AI - to increase the efficiency of tissue pathology, with a goal of enabling the analysis of dozens of proteins simultaneously. The technology has been transferred to Yeda, which created the IP, and initial commercialization efforts are underway.
Awards and Honors
Turning to scientific prizes, I want to congratulate Prof. Zelig Eshhar from the Department of Immunology and Regenerative Biology on his winning of the Canada Gairdner Foundation International Award for seminal contributions to the conception, development, and application of C19 CAR-T cell therapy for cancer.
We were recently informed that all three of the annual Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in Israel will go to Weizmann scientists this year - an incredible achievement that reflects the outstanding nature of our young principal investigators. Prof. Schraga Schwartz, who is working to crack the regulatory code of RNA and is a member of the Department of Molecular Genetics, won in the Life Sciences category. Prof. Thomas Vidick, an expert in quantum complexity and cryptography and a member of the Department of Computer Science and Applied Math, won in the Physical Sciences and Engineering category. And Dr. Moran Shalev-Benami, of the Department of Chemical and Structural Biology, won in Chemical Sciences. Moran investigates the complex 3D architecture of the molecular structures inside our cells.
I also want to congratulate Prof. Yifat Merbl of the Department of Systems Immunology for receiving the prestigious Rappaport Prize. Yifat’s expertise is in protein regulation, in particular the mechanisms and processes required to sense and respond to stress and aberrations in protein levels and functions, in the context of cancer and immunity.
And the good news doesn’t end there: Three of our faculty members were recently named winners of the Rothschild Prize. Prof. Ron Milo of the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, whose research focuses on energy and carbon transformation as well as biodiversity, won in the Environmental Sciences category. Prof. Rotem Sorek of the Department of Molecular Genetics won in the Life Sciences, reflecting his outstanding work in elucidating the immune system of bacteria, with relevance to human immunity and the treatment of infectious disease. And Prof. Moni Naor of the Department of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics, won in Computer Sciences; he has made major advances in cryptography which have important implications for the private and safe use of computers and computerized systems.
Mazal tov to all these PIs and their lab teams!
Breaking New Ground
While our scientists continue to break new ground in their fields, I’m delighted to report that we have literally broken ground in two key building projects. Following the demolition of the HaNadiv building, we will soon begin construction on the new neuroscience facility. With space to house around 40 research groups, it will comprise 27,000 sq. m., with five aboveground floors and two belowground. We expect a completion date of 2027.
Meanwhile, we have also broken ground on the Early Childhood Development and Community Center, a two-story, 3,500 sq. m. building. It will integrate some of the existing childcare facilities on campus with additional space for new classrooms and public spaces, including outdoors, for community life - an important characteristic of the Weizmann Institute which drives and enriches our science.
I would like to close by thanking everyone for their hard work throughout this very challenging period. As we head into the Passover holiday, we wish first and foremost for the return of the hostages and quieter days ahead, and of course a chag sameach and a pleasant spring.
Prof. Alon Chen