Biology and Medicine

Blocking a stress mechanism in glioblastoma cells restored their sensitivity to chemotherapy

Blocking a stress mechanism in glioblastoma cells restored their sensitivity to chemotherapy

  • No comments
The experimental compound BA-101 blocked an enzyme involved in the production of excess nitric oxide. When combined with the drug temozolomide, it slowed tumor growth in mice and increased cancer cell death – but has not yet been tested in humans.
Engineered ribozyme demonstrates how ancient RNA could have repaired itself

Engineered ribozyme demonstrates how ancient RNA could have repaired itself

  • No comments
An enzyme made of RNA selectively recognizes a chemical mark that characterizes broken strands and attaches additional RNA to them. The discovery strengthens the possibility that ancient life in the RNA world could have preserved genetic information even without proteins
Joseph Rapoport – Hero of War and Science

Joseph Rapoport – Hero of War and Science

  • No comments
Joseph Rapoport was a decorated combat officer and pioneering geneticist. After refusing to submit to the pseudoscientific teachings of Trofim Lysenko, he was expelled from the Communist Party and from his scientific work. Years later, he returned to research and was one of the founders of the field of genetics.
To mimic a single human neuron requires a deep neural network

To mimic a single human neuron requires a deep neural network

  • No comments
Researchers from the Hebrew University used artificial intelligence as a “computational twin” of a neuron and found that the branched structure of dendrites and the nonlinear responses at synapses give human cells high computational complexity. The finding does not prove that a single cell
Have antibodies to Alzheimer's been discovered? Illustration: depositphotos.com.

Experimental Alzheimer's antibody passes first safety test

  • No comments
The antibody IBC-Ab002, based on research by Prof. Michal Schwartz of the Weizmann Institute of Science, was tested in 40 patients in the early stages of the disease. The treatment was found to be safe and tolerable at the doses tested and led to changes in biomarkers, but
Dr. Iman Khatib-Masalha and Prof. Zvi Lapidot. Putting an end to sepsis. Photo: Weizmann Institute Spokesperson

Lactate isn't just a byproduct: Here's how it may worsen sepsis

Weizmann Institute of Science scientists discovered in mice that neutrophils secrete lactate during inflammation, and that the molecule helps them break through the blood-vessel barrier in the bone marrow and enter the bloodstream. Inhibiting lactate production or
The evolution of human body size was not a straight path of growth.

The evolution of human body size was not a straight path of growth.

  • 3 תגובות
An analysis of 386 fossils from 21 hominin species found a combination of a gradual increase in body weight and a significant jump that occurred within the genus Homo about two million to two and a half million years ago. At the same time,
Can an algorithm make decisions without a doctor? Israel to test autonomous medical artificial intelligence

Can an algorithm make decisions without a doctor? Israel to test autonomous medical artificial intelligence

  • No comments
The Ministry of Health and the Innovation Authority are launching a regulatory sandbox for medical artificial intelligence with a high level of independence. The key test is not just whether the algorithm is right most of the time, but whether it knows when it is not.
The color of feces reveals from space what Adélie penguins eat

The color of feces reveals from space what Adélie penguins eat

  • No comments
Satellites can't spot a single penguin from the Landsat program, but they can identify the spots left by nesting colonies. New research shows that the spectral signature of droppings can reveal not only the
Astronaut Scott Kelly and cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko on the International Space Station. The pair spent 340 days in space as part of a mission designed to study the effects of prolonged spaceflight on the human body. Credit: NASA

Radiation and microgravity caused changes in the liver that resemble accelerated aging in astronauts who spent a long time in space.

  • No comments
Researchers at the University of Central Florida exposed an animal model to simulated microgravity and radiation that simulates deep space travel. The liver showed changes associated with cellular aging, inflammation, and fibrosis. Some of the genetic signatures resembled data from samples
Researchers have programmed human cells to perform logical operations and make decisions

Researchers have programmed human cells to perform logical operations and make decisions

  • No comments
A genetic system developed by researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem allows cells to process several signals simultaneously, choose a response based on the combination of signals, and even alert to an abnormal condition. In the future, the approach may be used to develop therapeutic cells.
Artificial intelligence translates protein sequences into natural language descriptions

Artificial intelligence translates protein sequences into natural language descriptions

  • 2 תגובות
The BetaDescribe system, developed by researchers from the Technion and Tel Aviv University, takes a sequence of amino acids and produces a verbal description of the protein's function, chemical activity, and possible binding sites. The researchers hope the system will help choose
Sea anemone used in research on the CARDIB protein and protection against viruses

The “Brake” That Protects Against Viruses: The Sea Anemone Reveals an Immune Pathway We Didn’t Know Existed

  • No comments
Researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte discovered that the CARDIB protein normally suppresses the sea anemone's antiviral response, but in its absence, viruses multiply more easily. The finding suggests that
A two-headed compound caused the death of treatment-resistant cancer cells

A two-headed compound caused the death of treatment-resistant cancer cells

  • 2 תגובות
Researchers at the Technion have developed a family of molecules called R4VPs, which simultaneously degrade two proteins that help cancer cells survive. The compounds damaged resistant melanoma cells and sarcoma cells from patients, with little damage to the cells themselves.
The interior of a fossilized skull of Trawdenia planti, showing signs of nervous tissue.

Brain tissue more than 300 million years old preserved in a tiny fish fossil

  • No comments
Advanced scans of the ancient fish Trawdenia planti have revealed neural tissue that filled almost the entire skull cavity. The finding provides clues to the early evolution of fin rays and allows fossil skulls to be used to reconstruct structure
Reconstructing the environment of northern Alaska in the Late Cretaceous: The Arctic was forested and inhabited by dinosaurs and small mammals, but the animals had to cope with months of winter darkness. Credit: James Havens.

Mammal fossils from Alaska reveal: The Arctic was an evolutionary crossroads during the age of dinosaurs

  • No comments
Tiny fossilized teeth, some 73 million years old, have led to the identification of three previously unknown mammal species. The findings point to a diverse Arctic ecosystem and an ancient migratory route that connected Asia
An illustration of epigenome editing: A CRISPR-guided system binds to a specific region of DNA and changes chemical marks that affect gene activity, without cutting the genetic sequence itself.

The Next Generation of CRISPR: Epigenome Editing Moves to Human Trials

  • No comments
New systems use CRISPR's navigational capabilities to silence or activate genes without cutting DNA. First clinical trials in FSHD and hepatitis B are testing whether epigenetic modification can be targeted, safe
Amphioxus embryo after molecular staining of a gene related to the development of the excretory system

The kidney and skeleton may share an earlier embryonic origin than previously thought

  • No comments
A study led by the University of Haifa found that the first cells of the primary kidney in the embryos of a river otter and a catfish appear within the somites – embryonic units from which muscles, tendons and parts of the skeleton also develop. The findings
Nicotiana benthamiana, a relative of tobacco used in research laboratories, has been trained by researchers to produce a biological cocktail of psychedelic substances. Credit: Weizmann Institute of Science

A genetically engineered lab plant produced five psychedelic substances from three kingdoms of nature

  • 4 תגובות
Weizmann Institute researchers have deciphered the DMT production pathway in plants and integrated genes from plants, fungi, and animals into the model plant. The system may be used in the future for the controlled production of compounds for research and drug development –
Common striped hyenas clean parasites from a common warthog in Uganda

The secret language that allows animals to cooperate across species

  • No comments
A new review shows that sounds, body postures, colors, vibrations, and chemical signals allow animals of different species to coordinate actions, exchange services, and reduce the risk of exploitation or predation.
Targeted cancer therapy. Illustration: depositphotos.com

New approach to treating brain cancer forces glucose-starved tumor cells to collapse from within

  • No comments
A study led by Prof. Barak Rotblatt of Ben-Gurion University found that the 4EBP protein helps cancer cells survive glucose deprivation. Damaging this mechanism may open up a new therapeutic direction, especially in brain tumors.
Koala in a eucalyptus tree. New genomic research shows that the major decline in koala populations began about 100 years ago, before humans arrived in Australia. Credit: Enhua Lee / University of Sydney

Genome reveals: Koala population collapse began about 100 years ago

  • No comments
The first measurement of the mutation rate in koalas shows that their population began to collapse about 100 years ago – before humans arrived in Australia. A small eastern population survived and re-expanded.
A young gannet of the subspecies unique to the St Kilda archipelago, with colourful identification rings on its legs. St Kilda gannets are considerably larger than their relatives on mainland Britain. Craig Nisbet

In the Scottish Isles, tiny grebes have become "giants" – and perhaps on the way to new species

  • No comments
The Shetland and St Kilda gannets are almost twice as heavy as their British relatives, differ in song and genome, and may be in the early stages of becoming new species.
Hunter-gatherers in Siberia. A plague 5,000 years ago. Illustration: Al-Hidaan website using AI

Ancient DNA reveals: This killed hunter-gatherers in Siberia as early as 5,500 years ago

  • No comments
The disease didn't wait for cities to be founded: Ancient DNA from Lake Baikal reveals two deadly outbreaks that affected hunter-gatherer families about 5,500 years ago.
Major Oak, the ancient oak associated with the Robin Hood legends, stands in Sherwood Forest in England

After about a thousand years: "Robin Hood's Tree" in Sherwood Forest is dead

  • No comments
After centuries in the heart of Sherwood Forest, Major Oak has stopped growing leaves. Experts explain how visitor damage to the soil, weakened roots, drought and heatwaves have overwhelmed the oak associated with Robin Hood legends
A jumping spider is not susceptible to certain optical illusions, and it may have four pairs of eyes—a hint that it may perceive time differently than humans and other animals. Illustration: depositphotos.com

From dragonfly to starfish: Why don't animals see time at the same pace?

  • 6 תגובות
Flying animals and predators chasing prey perceive visual changes much faster than slow-moving animals. Extensive research reveals how lifestyle and environment have shaped the “picture rate” of visual systems.
“Imagination of the giant octopus Nanaimoteuthis haggarti, which lived in the oceans of the Late Cretaceous.” Credit: Yohei Utsuki, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Hokkaido University.

Were giant octopuses super predators in the oceans of the age of dinosaurs?

  • No comments
Jaw fossils from Japan and Canada suggest that ancient giant octopuses of the genus Nanaimoteuthis may have reached lengths of 7–19 meters and hunted hard-shelled prey, and their diet also included marine reptiles.
Diagram of the mechanism of activation of immune cells called raptoblasts by activin

Immune cells that explode and destroy their environment discovered in flatworms

  • No comments
Researchers have observed cells that suddenly disappear under the microscope, leaving a zone of dead cells around them. Now it turns out that this is a timed immune mechanism: the cells explode in response to a distress signal and release a deadly mixture.
Tiny metal fibers inside sports fabric

The innocent-looking tank top caused a burn on the MRI: The hidden danger in sportswear

  • No comments
An 11-year-old girl underwent an MRI scan under anesthesia while wearing a perfectly normal-looking tank top. After the scan, her body was found to have second-degree burns, apparently caused by conductive silver fibers embedded in the fabric and not specified.
A four-legged robot learned to change its movement style to traverse a forest and jump over obstacles

The man who built genomes

  • No comments
Golden-furred ground squirrel. Illustration: depositphotos.com

700-year-old dung reveals Ice Age ground squirrel menu

  • No comments
The floor of Wonderwerk Cave during excavations. Credit: Wonderwerk Cave Project

New evidence: Human ancestors used fire in caves as early as 1.79 million years ago

  • No comments
An international study with the participation of the Hebrew University has found signs of burning in tiny bones from Wonderwork Cave in South Africa. The findings do not prove that early humans knew how to make fire, but they do indicate that they introduced natural fire
Brain scans. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Stem cell “mini-brains” reveal therapeutic direction for rare childhood disease

  • No comments
Researchers created brain organoids from cells from patients with a rare disease linked to the DHDDS gene, and identified impairment in lipid metabolism, glycosylation, and mitochondrial function.
Graptolites, creatures that lived after the Cambrian explosion. Are they descendants of connected cell colonies from the Ediacaran period? Illustration: depositphotos.com

Did reproduction slow down the evolution of the first animals?

  • No comments
COVID-19 illustration: depositphotos.com

Broad COVID vaccine designed with AI tested in humans for the first time

  • No comments
An experimental vaccine designed with the help of artificial intelligence has passed its first human trial. It was found to be safe and well-tolerated, but it is still too early to know whether it will protect against a broad family of coronaviruses.
An ancient basalt tool from the Gesher Bnot Yaakov site, which was used to study the sources of hominin raw material about 780 years ago.

Already 780 years ago: Hominins in the Galilee planned the production of stone tools in advance

  • 6 תגובות
Excavation by the Israel Antiquities Authority and the University of Haifa in the prehistoric cave uncovered in Foreidis. The site dates to a period between approximately 400 and 250 years ago. Photo: Emil Aljem, Israel Antiquities Authority

A rare prehistoric cave from about 300 years ago was discovered in Foreidis

  • One response
The Israel Antiquities Authority and the University of Haifa unveil a time capsule from the Acheul-Yabrodian culture, a rare period in the study of human evolution, in which more complex lifestyles and technologies began to develop.
An adult male dragonfly that is blue. Photo: Tali Lamkof

The Spriters teach how to produce strong colors without polluting pigments

  • One response
Ben-Gurion University-led research reveals how spiders produce a saturated blue-green color from imperfect nanoscale structures. The mechanism may aid in the development of sustainable structural dyes
The illustration shows the **Enh13** control region alongside the **Sox9** gene as a sort of “battlefield” between the two sex development pathways. Factors that promote female development act to repress **Sox9** by binding to **Enh13**, while factors that promote male development activate it. It is the balance between these opposing forces that ultimately determines whether male or female development occurs. Credit: Neta Varsano.

Tiny change in DNA caused female mice to develop in a male pathway

  • No comments
Researchers from Bar-Ilan University have shown that a single letter change in a non-protein-coding control region can activate the Sox9 gene and alter the course of sexual development in mice. The study highlights the importance of
A colony of the coral Acropora eurystoma in the Gulf of Eilat, where reproductive hormone patterns were studied over three years.

Corals have a hormonal clock and it may help detect distress on reefs

  • No comments
A three-year study of corals from the Gulf of Eilat has found cyclical patterns of reproductive hormones, including estrogen and progesterone. The findings may help in the future with early detection of damage to the reproductive capacity of coral reefs.
First-of-its-kind experimental gene therapy administered at Schneider Children's Center to a baby with WOREE syndrome, a rare disease caused by a defect in the WWOX gene. Credit: Hebrew University / Schneider Children's Center.

For the first time: Experimental WWOX gene therapy injected into the brain of a baby with severe genetic epilepsy

  • No comments
Conceptual illustration of an AAV9 vector that delivers the WWOX gene to nerve cells in the brain as part of experimental gene therapy for WOREE syndrome.
A humpback whale in the Mediterranean Sea. Photo by Aviad Sheinin

A rare sighting in Israel's deep sea: Two humpback whales were recorded west of Ashdod

  • No comments
Researchers at the Maurice Kahn Marine Research Station at the University of Haifa have located two tadpoles in the deep sea, shortly before they were forced to halt an acoustic survey due to the security situation. This is only the second time since 2022 that
An illustration of our solar system. The asteroid belt lies between Mars and Jupiter, dividing the solar system into what we call the inner and outer regions. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Did Jupiter help keep the ingredients for life near Earth?

  • No comments
Jupiter may have played an important role in shaping the phosphorus and nitrogen reserves that helped Earth become a habitable world.
Illustration illustrating the location of the hippocampus. Illustration: depositphotos.com

A “switchboard” in the hippocampus may explain how the brain learns without erasing memories

  • No comments
New research suggests that the brain uses the same cells in different patterns to learn new information without erasing previous memories.
Bacterial resistance to antibiotics. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Menicomycin: An Antibiotic Candidate That Attacks Bacteria at a New Exit Point

  • No comments
A new antibiotic candidate attacks bacteria through a previously untapped site on the ribosome, offering a new direction in the fight against antibiotic resistance.
A California two-spot octopus in front of a mirror at the Dartmouth Octopus Laboratory. Credit: Mary Kieseler, Dartmouth.

Octopuses have learned to use their eyes to find hidden prey.

  • No comments
Octopuses have been able to use their eyes to find prey behind them, providing new evidence of the surprising evolution of intelligence.
Researchers in the lab simulate the evolution of the coronavirus to identify dangerous variants

A fast-moving pandemic: Researchers simulated an entire pandemic in the lab – and predicted how a dangerous variant might emerge

Scientists from the Weizmann Institute and Charles University in Prague have succeeded in simulating in the laboratory, within months, an evolutionary trajectory that resembles the development of the coronavirus throughout an entire pandemic. The research may help in the early identification of dangerous variants and in preparing for pandemics.
Just one Rika was able to reduce bad cholesterol levels by up to 80% through genetic editing. Illustration: Dr. Roy Tsezana via Gemini

A one-shot genetic vaccine for heart disease? One-time treatment reduced bad cholesterol by up to 80%

Just one injection has been shown to reduce bad cholesterol levels by up to 80% through gene editing. New research could pave the way for long-term preventive treatments against heart disease.
The killifish is an emerging research model for studying the genetic architecture of aging and age-related pathologies, which often exhibit sex-dependent patterns between females (left) and males (right). Credit: Itamar Harel

The gene that speeds up the start of life – and may take a toll in old age

  • No comments
New research led by the Hebrew University points to a gene that demonstrates a rare evolutionary compromise: it aids in rapid growth and early sexual maturation, but may shorten life expectancy and increase the risk of tumors later in life.
A simulation of an asteroid impact on the ancient Earth, an event that may have created warm lakes that supported early microbial life.

Asteroid craters may have been havens for early life on Earth

  • No comments
Asteroid craters are often seen as symbols of destruction, but new research suggests they may have also been havens for ancient life. Stromatolites discovered in Hapcheon Crater in South Korea may indicate hot, mineral-rich lakes that supported
Science website logo
SEARCH