Genetics

Broken glass on a black background, intricate cracks, beauty in destruction and the fragility of glass.

How internal disorder dictates asymmetric refraction

Weizmann Institute of Science scientists have uncovered laws of physics that explain why cracks in a material propagate asymmetrically, laying the foundation for developing more durable materials.

Get rid of the fat and lose weight

Weizmann Institute of Science scientists reveal how the mitochondrial protein Mitch affects obesity and muscle endurance, potentially paving the way for an improved weight loss drug that doesn't have the drawbacks of Ozempic
Garden peas. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Even after 160 years: Mendel's peas are still changing science

Comprehensive genomic map reveals unprecedented genetic diversity in the global pea collection and paves the way for genetic improvements of the legume

Language beyond words

Weizmann Institute of Science scientists have revealed that the melody of English speech behaves like a language with vocabulary and syntax, paving the way for artificial intelligence to understand it.
Women support breast cancer awareness using the pink ribbon symbol. Illustration: depositphotos.com

To put the cancer to sleep

Weizmann Institute of Science scientists reveal how breast cancer cells enter dormancy, how it is maintained over years – and why they suddenly awaken and form metastases
DNA methylation. Illustration: depositphotos.com

DNA Methylation Atlas: The Secret Map of Inheritance

A study led by researchers from the Hebrew University reveals over 325,000 regions in the genome with methylation differences between the paternal and maternal copies – new insights into epigenetics and parental imprinting
DNA. Illustration: depositphotos.com

The genetic switch that brings immune cells back into battle

In Prof. Ido Amit's laboratory at the Weizmann Institute of Science, they identified a gene whose silencing reprograms immune system cells and can transform them from cancer supporters to cancer killers.
Infographic: Macedo Veiga Junior (Valve)

The body as a roadmap: New algorithm unlocks the secrets of our proteins

An illegible microscopy image with overlapping fluorescent labels of seven proteins (left) was translated with great precision using CombPlex into an image that allows the different proteins to be distinguished (right)

All embroidery colors

AI-based technology developed in Dr. Liat Keren's lab enables an unprecedented view of processes in body tissues

A new direction for fighting cancer: making it incriminate itself

Prof. Yardena Samuels' lab at the Weizmann Institute of Science has succeeded in making cancer cells surrender themselves to the immune system. The new approach may offer hope to incurable patients
Pistachios: Credit Bárbara Blanco-Ulate / UC Davis

Cracking the genetic code of the pistachio

New DNA mapping could lead to more nutritious, sustainable pistachios. The climate crisis has brought warmer winters and a drastic reduction in the fog that cooled California. To do this, the tree must adapt to the new conditions,

They will die and not learn: The lesson that male worms refuse to internalize

In Dr. Meital Oren-Suisa's lab at the Weizmann Institute, they discovered that male worms learn less well from experience compared to females, and uncovered a neural receptor that is responsible for the difference between the sexes and is also conserved in humans.
epigenetics. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Breakthrough in epigenetics research: DNA methylation mapping reveals hidden genetic switches

New Hebrew University research maps for the first time the differences in maternal and paternal DNA coding in the body's cells, providing new insights into genetic control, parental inheritance, and the impact of genetic diseases
Jeffrey Dangle, Brian Stacekevich and Jonathan Jones. Photos: Wolf Prize Foundation

Wolf Prize in Agriculture 2025: Recognizing groundbreaking discoveries in the plant immune system

The prize is awarded jointly to Professors Jeffrey Dangle, Jonathan Jones and Brian Stacekevich.

New immune mechanism discovered in the cellular trash can

In the laboratory of Prof. Yifat Marbel at the Weizmann Institute of Science, a vast reservoir of antimicrobial substances was discovered that are naturally produced in the body's cells as part of the process of breaking down proteins that have completed their function. The new discovery is
The ongoing crisis in Ukraine. The crisis in Ukraine. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Flory in exclusive partnership with Ukrainian blood bank as preparations for mass nuclear disaster

A strategic initiative with Hemafund that helps Ukraine deal with radiation hazards and treat victims. Hemafund's infrastructure ensures safe storage and rapid deployment of emergency care
A microscopic image of tissue stained in purple, red, and green to identify various cellular components.

Two ways to a broken heart, two ways to heal

Pull the protein tail

Thousands of proteins depend on their tails to locate themselves in cell membranes and carry out their essential functions. Changes in the tails can lead to rare genetic diseases
The process of gene editing in sperm-derived ESCs to create bipaternal blastocysts.

Chinese scientists engineer a mouse with two male parents

Researchers in China have created a mouse from two ancestors by editing genes in stem cells. The groundbreaking study could impact our understanding of reproduction and the future of medicine.
Artificial intelligence decodes the genome. The illustration was prepared using DALEE and is not a scientific image.

A new method follows the "learning curve" of artificial intelligence to decipher complex genomic data

Researchers from the Hebrew University have developed Annotatability—an innovative framework that enables the detection of errors in genomic data, the improvement of biological analyses, and the identification of cellular pathways related to development and diseases
chromatin structure. Illustration: depositphotos.com

How proteins and DNA shape cell identity

New research reveals a fascinating mechanism of "guided search," in which DNA and chromatin structure act as a "road map," directing proteins to specific genetic targets. The mechanism provides new insights into the acquisition of cellular identity that may promote
A whole and shining sea lily. The green color marks the location where there is enrichment for stem cells. Photo: Shani Talisa

A unique method from the world of medicine will save the corals from bleaching due to the climate crisis

The researchers from the Laboratory of Comparative Immunology at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev decided to develop the ability to transplant stem cells between corals, just like bone marrow transplants in humans
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
3D imaging of protein structure in the bitter taste gland. Figure courtesy of the researchers

A hidden pocket in the bitter taste receptor has been discovered in the human body

The research shows that the TAS2R receptors are involved in many processes such as breathing, digestion and the immune system. "The opposite sense of taste: an unusual sensory mechanism discovered in the detection of bitter taste in humans"
T cells attack a cancer cell. Illustration: depositphotos.com

T cells: revealing the mechanisms for activating the immune system

Using the innovative Bayesian meta-modeling method, the researchers were able to combine data from advanced microscopy techniques and stochastic simulations, and reveal complex and new patterns in the initial signaling of T cells
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
Statue of Christopher Columbus in Barcelona, ​​Spain. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Genetic tests proved - Christopher Columbus was a Spanish Jew

The researchers found evidence of his Jewish origin in the mitochondrial genome of the son of Christopher Hernando, who is buried in the cathedral in Seville. Thus the claim of his Italian identity was also denied
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
The mechanism of the flow of genetic information from the DNA molecule to microRNA molecules and from there to proteins. The identical genetic information is stored in the DNA of all cells in our body. This situation requires precise regulation of gene activity so that only the correct set of genes is active in each type of cell. Courtesy of the Nobel Prize Committee

Gary Rubcon and Victor Ambrose won the 2024 Nobel Prize in Medicine for the discovery of microRNA and its effect on gene regulation (extension)

The two scientists were recognized for their contribution to the understanding of genetic regulatory mechanisms through the discovery of microRNAs - tiny RNA molecules that play an essential role in the processes of development and function in cells
Japanese women wearing kimono. Illustration: depositphotos.com

A new study has discovered three main genetic groups in Japan and not two as previously thought

A new study analyzed whole-genome sequencing data from 3256 people across Japan, using the Japan Biobank database. The division is: a group in Okinawa, related to an ancient population living in Japan, mud in northeastern Japan, possibly related
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

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

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