Weizmann Institute

Heart attacks happen at night. The image was prepared using DALEE and should not be considered a scientific image.

Why do more heart attacks and asthma occur at night?

Weizmann Institute of Science scientists have discovered why the small hours of the night may be prone to disaster
C. worm Elegance. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Grab the model by the throat

The swallowing organ of a transparent worm reveals the potential inherent in mathematical tools for the study of biological systems
Section of breast tissue from a triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) patient, on the right, and healthy breast tissue, on the left. In the cancer patient, the cancer cells (indicated in light blue) surround cells in their microenvironment that express a high level of CD84 (indicated in purple)

burn the bridges of cancer

The institute's scientists revealed how aggressive breast cancer disrupts the immune response against it, and developed a treatment using an antibody that may be suitable for many types of cancer
malaria. Illustrative infographic: depositphotos.com

to look directly into the dark crystal of the malaria parasite

The malaria-causing parasite exacts a bloody toll from humanity, not least thanks to its ability to produce unique, dark crystals inside our blood cells. New research fully deciphers the structure of these crystals and calcns
A sample from a tumor of a human patient with the most common lung cancer (adenocarcinoma). The presence of senescent cells expressing the proteins P16 (in red) and PD-L1 (in green) can be detected. The cell nuclei in the sample are marked in blue

to open blockages in the immune system

Color medical imaging reviews of anatomical structures with bilateral symmetry.

Gene therapy in an improved recipe

An innovative treatment for Gaucher's disease shows promising results in mice and gives hope to patients after decades of research
The multi-layered structures of two different biological species: the cuticle (cuticle), the external skeleton of the scorpion, and the spicule (spicule), the internal skeleton of the sea sponge (the zoom level in the diagram increases from left to right)

The scorpion and the sponge present: food for thought

Weizmann Institute of Science scientists draw inspiration from nature in developing new materials for a greener future
Shaking hands may allow humans to communicate through the sense of smell. Illustration courtesy of the Weizmann Institute

Shaking hands may allow humans to communicate through the sense of smell

  • No comments
Research has shown that people sniff their hands often, and that they do so for a longer period of time after shaking someone else's hand.
This is how the bloom collapses: four giant hexagon-shaped viruses that have replicated in a unicellular alga (the rough texture on the right) are on their way out to infect more algae. Three of the viruses are normal and ready for action - and one is white and empty of DNA. Photo: Dr. Daniela Shatz

The hunt for giant viruses in the ocean

Couple therapy of bacteria. Weizmann Institute illustration

in couples therapy

The list of crystals in the zebrafish: in the gill covers (top row) - long and narrow crystals, in the eye of the fish (middle row) shorter crystals, and in the skin (bottom row) - the shortest

The animals' secret recipe book for creating colorful and versatile crystals has been revealed

Sophisticated climate change models predict that the areas of storms and rain will be shifted towards the poles due to global warming. Source: NASA.

A weak world order

How human activity weakens the natural "ventilation systems" of the earth
Internal structure of a frozen chloroplast. The image provides a glimpse of the organelle membranes and the arrangement of the photosynthetic proteins on their surface. Photographed with a cryogenic scanning electron microscope

from darkness to light

Will a better understanding of the process of photosynthesis help to grow plants under artificial lighting?
immunotherapy. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Faster, stronger

Weizmann Institute scientists have developed a new approach to increase the rate of division of immune cells in the laboratory, while preserving their ability to kill cancer cells, and have identified optimal time windows in which the cells are particularly lethal. The method may promote
Plastic waste washed ashore on the island of Bali. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Green, hard, flexible and even edible

Plastic waste accumulates in the heart of the oceans and on the ground and tiny plastic particles enter our bloodstream. As long as suitable substitutes are not found for the common industrial material, this pollution is expected to continue and even increase. Institute scientists
Heart Attack. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Discovery of violations

Copaxone may protect heart muscle cells and improve its function after a heart attack
DNA structure. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Break the cell boundaries

Weizmann Institute of Science scientists have created the smallest artificial genetic circuit ever. The new development based on a single DNA molecule is expected to promote the next generation of nanobiotechnological applications
The layers of glioblastoma tumors: first layer of necrotic tissue in the center of the tumor that does not receive oxygen supply (red), second layer of cancer cells that mimic fetal connective tissue (yellow), third layer of immune cells (green) and blood vessels (white) and fourth layer of tumor cells that receive oxygen and imitate normal tissues in the brain (in pink and light blue)

peel back the layers from the brain tumors

In two recently published studies, Weizmann Institute of Science scientists mapped common brain cancer tumors with unprecedented resolution, and identified a possible reason why some patients do not respond to a new treatment
Today it is understood that Ofrat is not child's play. Illustration: depositphotos.com

A lead-free future

  • No comments
Weizmann Institute of Science scientists have created a new ceramic material that may replace lead-based components in a large number of electronic devices - from cell phones to printers

The strange dance of ion and atom

A cold, strange and short molecule created in an experiment at the Weizmann Institute of Science following a collision between particles may shed light on chemical reactions at extremely low temperatures
From the right: Dr. Shagit Meir, Dr. Eva Heinig, Dr. Nikolai Kuzmich, Prof. Assaf Aharoni, Dr. Shirley Berman, Dr. Yoav Peleg, Hila Hart and Dr. Ilana Rogchev (photographed in the nursery Regev)

Hallucinations of cacti

The secrets of the production of mescaline have been revealed - a natural hallucinogenic drug with therapeutic potential * The drug extracted from the extinct peyote cactus has been used in religious ceremonies for thousands of years. Its effect on serotonin receptors in the brain
Imaging of human small intestine tissue using a fluorescence staining method that allows marking a large number of proteins at the same time and thus mapping which proteins are produced in the entire basal area of ​​the intestine

navigate the digestive tract

Photomicrograph of a biopsy from a patient's lungs. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Towards a new generation of treatments for old age diseases

  • No comments
Histological section of the nasal cavity and turbinates of a mouse that received a nasal vaccine

The immune cells discovered under the nose

The scientists of the Weizmann Institute of Science have discovered antibody-producing cells in the bone tissue of the nasal concha and thereby plant hope for the development of more effective nasal vaccines and new treatments for allergies and neurological and autoimmune diseases
An electron microscope image of phages that replicated inside bacterial cells that possess the immune system discovered in the study. The immune system attached a ubiquitin-like protein (marked with black dots and white arrows) to the tails of the phages, thus preventing them from infecting additional bacterial cells

to the tail of viruses

Weizmann Institute of Science scientists have discovered a bacterial immune system that "neuters" the tails of viruses. The new system is based on a protein previously discovered by Nobel laureates Avraham Hershko and Aharon Chachanover
Illustration: depositphotos.com

The fertilized egg and its war in patriarchy

If you asked yourself why we only inherit the mitochondria from the mother, the answer is - the egg is the one that destroys the father's mitochondria very shortly after fertilization
Cells with cancerous p53 proteins (in red), in the presence of the accompanying protein DNAJA2 (left) and in the presence of its version without a "hairpin" (right). In its presence, the structure of the cancerous proteins is stabilized and they do not stick to each other and therefore remain scattered throughout the cell. In its absence, the cell is not colored red since the proteins form aggregates (red dots) that the cell can recognize and destroy (in blue - the genetic material in the cell nuclei)

stick a pin in the tumor

Weizmann Institute of Science scientists have discovered a new cellular mechanism for identifying proteins whose 3D structure has been unraveled, thereby revealing a targeted target for cancer treatment
A normal MRI scan is unable to detect a pancreatic tumor (left). After injecting a transgenic sugar and improving the sensitivity of the scan, the tumor appears clearly in the new MRI approach developed by the researchers (right)

illuminate the malignancy

A new MRI method developed by Weizmann Institute of Science scientists is expected to pave the way for early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer
On the left - a photo of a couple in the kitchen, on the right - a photo created by the computerized model after it was shown the original photo along with the instruction: "Two robots dancing in the kitchen"

The video giant

Dr. Tali Dekel is at the forefront of generative AI research and a partner in the development of Lumiere - Google's video generator. "We want to know if machines can allow us to see the world better,"
The dedicated gardener: Kif2a protein deficiency led to wild growth of nerve fibers in the skin of adult mice (right), while in mice without the protein deficiency the nerve endings were carefully nurtured (left)

Painful but less

Weizmann Institute of Science scientists have discovered a protein that regulates pain sensitivity throughout life
The institute's scientists were looking for how to establish an efficient method for processing information in quantum computers - and unexpectedly discovered a new type of vortices that are created when two photons collide

When a particle of light sees the light

The institute's scientists were looking for how to establish an efficient method for processing information in quantum computers - and unexpectedly discovered a new type of vortices that are created when two photons collide
Right: the opening (red) of the phagophore (green) remains narrow thanks to the coordinated activity of two protein clusters. Left: The opening widened after the scientists reduced the action of the valve that is responsible for closing it

open a little mouth

This is how you maintain a balanced diet of the autophagy organs - the self-eating mechanism in our body cells that removes waste and strengthens our health
The researchers used protein staining techniques to reveal the identity of the cells in the organoids they created. In the picture you can see four organoids of the central nervous system in the fetus, where in purple are proteins associated with the development of the front and middle brain, in green - the hindbrain, and in red - the center of the spinal cord

from the brain to the tail

Researchers from the University of Michigan and the Weizmann Institute of Science have for the first time developed a central nervous system on a chip that faithfully simulates that of the human fetus - from the end of the spinal cord to the forebrain
Anabina under the microscope. The blue bacteria inspired the research

Bacteria against mutants

Weizmann Institute of Science scientists made bacterial cells mimic processes characteristic of multicellular organisms, and discovered a possible defense mechanism against cancer
Excavation site in the City of David showing signs of the earthquake that occurred in 750 BC (photo: Yohana Regev)

Carbon Jerusalem: extensive and accurate dating of the city during the Kingdom of Judah

Weizmann Institute of Science scientists overcame a cosmic phenomenon that makes it difficult for archaeologists around the world and presented for the first time an absolute dating of Jerusalem in the Iron Age
Fish trip. Figure: The knowledge site using DALEE. The image is for illustration only and should not be considered a scientific image

Fish trip

The institute's scientists have developed a method for detecting the neurological effects of psychedelic drugs. Middle: Zebrafish on hallucinogenic mushrooms. The goal: to pave the way for more effective treatments for depression and other mood disorders
Muscle in the making: stem cells of muscle tissue (their nuclei are marked in blue) gradually change their structure and function and become mature muscle cells (the cells whose nuclei have turned red). These cells will eventually fuse into one long, multinucleated muscle cell. The ability of this muscle to contract is thanks to a large number of protein fibers produced in the mature muscle cells (marked in green)

How a muscle is born

An artificial intelligence model sheds light on the specialization pathway of muscle cells and reveals an important control node along the way
Social hierarchy in mice. The image was produced using DALEE and should not be considered a scientific image

The race to the top of the wild mouse

Research in field mice under conditions simulating a natural environment reveals the different strategies used by females and males in creating social hierarchies
The bright twinkling is the supernova SN 2023ixf in the Vane Galaxy. Image based on telescopic data obtained on May 20, 21 and 22, 2023. Credit: Travis Dew, University of Arizona (Hosseinzadeh et al. 2023)

A once-in-a-lifetime supernova: unprecedented mapping of a stellar explosion

The new yeast was discovered for the first time by chance in a mouse intestine (fluorescence microscope image of intestinal tissue, in red - yeast cells named after Weizmann)

Yeast against yeast: Healthy competition between different fungal species in the gut may protect against life-threatening infections

Scientists of the Weizmann Institute of Science have discovered a new species of Schmer that is able to push the legs of other species that may be dangerous to health; The scientists named the new species after Dr. Chaim Weizman
The experimental setup: microfluidic channels with a diameter of 1 micron in which E. coli bacteria were grown for several generations using a variety of fluorescent markers. These markers make it possible to follow important events in the bacterium's life cycle at the single cell level

How does a bacterium know it's time?

on the cellular division plan
Personalized medicine. The image was prepared with the help of DALEE artificial intelligence software and is not a scientific image

Towards a treatment for Huntington's: two small molecules may revolutionize the treatment of an incurable disease

Weizmann Institute scientists have shown in a mouse model that the drugs succeed in penetrating through the blood-brain barrier, delaying the progression of the disease and even reversing it
The cover of the scientific journal shows the 3D structure of a new protein, as predicted by three different artificial intelligence algorithms

Proteins without parents

Collaboration between Israeli researchers, Chinese students and artificial intelligence reveals new wrinkles between the folds of orphan proteins and updates chapters in the theory of evolution
Mouse, rabbit and human embryos (right to left) in the same developmental stage - gastrulation (days 8-7.5 of pregnancy in rabbits and mice and around day 18 of development in humans). At this stage the human, rabbit and other vertebrate embryos are almost flat disc-shaped, while the mouse embryo is elongated cylinder-shaped. The images of the mouse and rabbit embryos were created as part of the current study, the image of the human embryo is taken from a study published in 2021 (Richard CV Tyser et al. Single-cell transcriptomic characterization of a gastrulating human embryo. Nature 600: 285-289)

In the rabbit hole

The institute's scientists developed a method that allows real-time monitoring of the development of embryos at the beginning of their journey and applied it for the first time to rabbits. The comparison they made between embryonic development in rabbits and mice gave rise to answers to fascinating questions about
The pituitary gland of the zebrafish. The variety of cell types are marked in different colors: in purple - phytocytes, in red and green - two types of hormone-producing cells

Where does the fish secrete from: back to the origins of the pituitary gland

Weizmann Institute scientists are challenging a 200-year-old doctrine about the formation of the gland from the secretion of hormones. Their findings may lead to new approaches in the treatment of various medical problems
Antibody engineering. Illustration: depositphotos.com

humanize the messenger

An algorithm developed by the institute's scientists heralds a leap forward in the field of humanizing antibodies and may enable the rapid, efficient and cheaper development of new drugs. The key: stability
Battle team: A dendritic cell (right) and a T cell connected by BiCE antibody (in yellow). were produced from a lymph node of a mouse with skin cancer

Together we will win: combining forces between the cells of the immune system may lead to improved cancer treatments

Weizmann Institute of Science scientists have developed a new approach to immunotherapy based on communication between the cells of the immune system
Oats and grains of wheat. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Local heroes

The growth of wheat has become an Israeli symbol of hope and renewal after a disaster. So are Prof. Avraham Levy's field experiments in the Gaza Envelope, which continue a glorious Israeli legacy of studying the evolution and genetics of the grain
Cells infected with the corona virus. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Medicines in the evolution test

Drug safety tests often focus on "physiological safety", meaning their possible effect on patients. Weizmann Institute of Science scientists propose a new type of test: evolutionary safety
The tears flow by themselves. Illustration: depositphotos.com

In the tears you cry: smelling women's tears reduces aggression in men

Scientists at the Weizmann Institute of Science discovered that tears activate human olfactory receptors, even though they are odorless, affecting the brain activity associated with aggression - and leading to more peaceful and less vengeful behavior
Science website logo
SEARCH