Letters & Articles

Dear Weizmann Institute community,

Rosh Hashana is upon us, and the expectation and hope for a peaceful and happy year ahead is mixed with the heavy-heartedness around the challenges Israel and the Jewish people face today and in the last two years since October 7. After two Iranian missiles struck our beloved campus on June 15, we have been grappling with the most difficult moment in Institute history.

I want to thank everyone who was involved in the recovery efforts, and for the very hard work on many fronts over the last several months. From the initial emergency efforts to the relocation of lab groups to so many aspects of coordination involving scientists, administration and technical staff, students, and postdocs, our community collectively dedicated itself to getting the campus back on its feet as swiftly as possible. A special thanks goes to the lab groups and departments which mobilized immediately to assist and integrate those lab teams whose buildings were badly affected. We still have a long road ahead, but I’m truly awed and grateful for everything that has been done to date to ensure that our research doesn’t stop—and to “pre-thank you” for the work that is needed in the months ahead.

Indeed, thinking to the year ahead, and despite all the challenges this country is facing, I can only be inspired by the courage, strength, and optimism of the Israeli people, and by the outlook of our scientific community, which approaches the world with a profound natural sense of wonder for life and the universe we inhabit. It is with that optimistic sentiment that I wish you all a happy and meaningful Rosh Hashana. May the coming year bring peace, starting with the return of all the hostages in Gaza and a true and lasting end to the war.

In recent months, we lost a dear Weizmann colleague whose impact on the Institute was profound. We were deeply saddened by the passing of Prof. Zelig Eshhar, a world-class immunologist and one of the Weizmann Institute’s most prominent and influential scientists. Zelig is considered a founding father of immunotherapy, which harnesses the immune system to treat disease. He developed CAR-T technology for cancer, which is based on the genetic engineering of T cells and which has revolutionized the treatment of cancer patients. Zelig trained generations of students and scientists. 

We also lost two other dear colleagues. Dov Keren-Yaar was head of the European Committee for many years and also led the Resource Development department. He raised large sums for many scientific endeavors and vastly expanded Weizmann’s circle of friends in Europe. Ilana Eisen held various important positions including as Secretary of the Association, where she was in charge of the routine operation of the Institute’s Board. Both were deeply loyal to the Institute. They will be missed greatly.

Management changes

I’m pleased to announce a series of management changes that will take place on December 1. Three vice presidents who have served with me with great dedication as friends and colleagues since the current management entered office in December 2019 will be stepping down at that time. Each of them has made major strides in their respective areas and has helped navigate the Institute through a pandemic, the government legal reforms, the October 7 war, and a 12-day war with Iran that literally hit home—in addition to a long series of achievements and initiatives that have positioned the Institute for a successful future. I want to deeply thank Vice President Prof. Ziv Reich; Vice President for Development and Communications Prof. Roee Ozeri; and Vice President for Innovation and Technology Transfer Prof. Irit Sagi for their six years of extraordinary work and commitment to our common mission.

I’m pleased to welcome their successors and look forward to working with all of them: Prof. Rony Paz of the Department of Brain Sciences, who will complete his term as Dean of Biology, will be the next Vice President; Prof. Avishay Gal-Yam of the Department of Astrophysics and Particle Physics, and Dean of Physics, will step into the role of Vice President for Development and Communications; and Prof. Tony Futerman of the Department of Biomolecular Sciences, will assume the role of Vice President for Innovation and Technology Transfer.

We are also welcoming three new deans on December 1. Rony will be replaced as Dean of Biology by Prof. Igor Ulitsky of the departments of Immunology and Regenerative Biology and Molecular Neuroscience. Avishay will be replaced as Dean of Physics by Prof. Nirit Dudovich, current head of the Department of Physics of Complex Systems. And Prof. Gilad Perez, Dean of the Weizmann School of Science, will step down at that time, to be replaced by Prof. Maya Schuldiner of the Department of Molecular Genetics, who served as Chair of the Scientific Council until a year ago.

I sincerely thank Rony, Avishay, and Gilad for their years of dedicated work, and am excited to welcome Igor, Nirit, and Maya into their new roles and wish them much success!

Strong leadership is the scaffolding for our scientific endeavor, enabling our scientists to “fly”—that is, pursue their research with ample funding, outstanding postdocs and students, the best possible infrastructure, and smooth and effective administration. As a result, the science continues to soar.

“Wows” of Weizmann  

Here’s a taste of some recent “wows”—wonders of Weizmann.

Dr. Ranit Kedmi of the Department of Systems Immunology recently resolved the mystery of “oral tolerance”—the ability of our immune systems to tolerate food, differentiating it from harmful substances that are foreign to the body like pathogenic bacteria that can cause infection and illness. Her lab identified a previously unrecognized type of cell whose elimination leads to loss of tolerance and food allergies. They found that these cells are part of a network of cells working together to enable safe consumption of food, and that this network allows the system to temporarily set aside the tolerance mechanism to fight off threats when needed. The discovery could lead to improved methods to treat food allergies and sensitivities.

Another avenue of Weizmann biomedical research, spearheaded by Prof. Igor Ulitsky, has helped diagnose and explain a rare and, until now, undiagnosed genetic condition in children. Scientists at the Broad Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts, had sequenced the genome of a young girl who had been suffering from developmental delays, seizures, and other debilitating symptoms. The researchers found that she was missing one copy of a noncoding gene—a gene that does not produce proteins but instead makes something called long noncoding RNAs, or lncRNAs. They realized that this was the Chaserr gene, identified 10 years ago by the Ulitsky lab. The collaboration that ensued established the first genetic disorder caused by a noncoding gene, now called Chaserr-loss syndrome.

In another area of research, RNAs also help explain why central nervous system nerves don’t regenerate, in contrast to nerves in the peripheral nervous system, which do. Prof. Mike Fainzilber of the departments of Biomolecular Sciences and Molecular Neuroscience recently found that hundreds of RNA molecules from one particular family of short, non-coding RNA sequences which were previously thought to have no beneficial role are actually essential for nerve regeneration; peripheral nerve cells use them to promote growth as early as one day after injury. When expression of these sequences was induced in central nervous system neurons, they regenerated faster. His lab and a network of international collaborators are currently testing the implications for stroke recovery, neuropathy, and neurodegenerative diseases.

Life-changing scientific discoveries such as these require significant investment. As you know, Weizmann is a member of the European Research Council’s Horizon 2020 funding program and our scientists typically have a very high acceptance rate relative to their counterparts in Israel and Europe. The last round of proposals, in 2024, was as impressive as ever. Weizmann scientists were the recipients of:

• six Advanced category grants (for veteran scientists), reflecting a 30% success rate, compared to 11% across all institutions;
• seven Consolidator grants (mid-career scientists), reflecting a 50% success rate, compared to the average of 14%;
• eight Starting grants (early-career scientists), reflecting a 62% success rate as compared to 14%;  
• and one Synergy grant, which funds joint projects of several scientists, a 20% acceptance rate compared to the average 10%.
   

ERC grants, together with philanthropy, are the fuel for much of our research. Ultimately, they fuel excellence.

Noteworthy prizes

The excellence of several of our scientists was recognized recently by several prestigious prizes worth noting. Prof. Asaph Aharoni of the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences received the Landau Prize in the food security category, for his pioneering work on plant-based natural compounds. His research, which integrates molecular biology, metabolic engineering, and metabolomics technology, has led to key discoveries as well as patents that lay the groundwork for marketplace solutions in food security and sustainability.

Prof. Yonatan Stelzer of the Department of Molecular Cell Biology was awarded the International Society for Stem Cell Research Outstanding Young Investigator Award— an honor presented annually to a single scientist in recognition of exceptional contributions to the field. Shortly thereafter, he also received the Blavatnik Prize in Life Sciences, a major badge of success. Yonatan has made major strides in uncovering the intricate process by which a single fertilized egg develops into a complete mammalian embryo. His research also sheds light on epigenetics, the molecular mechanisms that regulate gene expression without altering the underlying DNA sequence.

In addition, Dr. Rei Chemke of the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, who investigates climate dynamics, won the Krill Prize for Excellence in Scientific Research, awarded by the Wolf Foundation. Rei’s research addresses the question: How do changes in winds and ocean currents—both manmade and natural—affect climate and weather? Leveraging insights from the most extensive global climate dataset in the world, his lab is refining historical and projected changes in the ocean and atmosphere to shed light on how hospitable the Earth will be to humans in the future.
Welcome, new scientists!

Our activity in environmental sciences is spurred on, as well, with the recruitment of two new scientists who joined us earlier this month. Dr. Nir Galili, joining the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, uses chemical clues in minerals and sediments to reveal how Earth and its oceans have changed over time and what that means for climate. And Dr. Yoav Voicheck, who just joined the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, is investigating strategies that plants use to regulate their genes and how they differ from other organisms—timely and important research that could offer insights into how plants adapt to changing environments and how we might engineer more resilient crops.

In July, we welcomed Dr. Tamar Ben-Shaanan to the Department of Molecular Neuroscience, who will join our growing cadre of neuroscientists affiliated with the Azrieli Institute for Brain and Neural Sciences. Tamar explores peripheral sensory neurons called nociceptors, which detect noxious stimuli and signal pain—an unpleasant but life-preserving sensation. She is also interested in how the neuronal circuitry underlying pain can impact tissue physiology at the cellular level through broader systemic responses, such as the body’s hormonal and immune activity.

I wish Yoav, Nir, and Tamar much luck and I look forward to updating you about their explorations in the years to come!

It bears noting that despite the many labs damaged by the missile strikes, which caused us to conjoin lab groups with labs that were unaffected and use up every last available space on campus, we have not hesitated in welcoming and integrating all our newly hired scientists. We continue to hire new scientists at the same pace as always; physical space may be a temporary challenge, but we are not letting it get in the way of our scientific agenda.

On that note of progress and renewal, I will wish you all a happy and peaceful Jewish New Year for you and your loved ones. Above all, it bears repeating that we yearn for the return of the hostages and an end to the war in Gaza. Shana tova.

Sincerely,
Prof. Alon Chen