The National Science Foundation has selected 25 groups of researchers to receive research grants as part of the first cycle of the killCorona program

The total scope of the first cycle is about NIS 9 million and another 5 million shekels will be distributed in the second cycle • The judging committee included the best researchers and doctors from all the universities and hospitals in Israel

The spread of the corona virus in the world, including in Israel, led about two and a half months ago to cooperation between the Committee for Planning and Budgeting (VAT) and a series of philanthropic funds for the promotion of basic and applied research that focuses on issues relevant to the spread of the virus and the disease.

In this framework, the HoTA approved a dedicated budget of NIS 7 million that was doubled by several philanthropic foundations: the Yad Hanadiv Foundation, the Kellerman Family Foundation, the William Davidson Foundation, the Russell Berry Foundation, and the Wolfson Family Foundation, which together contributed an additional 7 million NIS, so that the total program budget for the promotion The research grants amount to approximately NIS 14 million for the two cycles of the program.

It should be noted that due to the special situation of the war against the spread of the corona virus, the process of submitting the applications and selecting the winning grants was conducted in an accelerated manner with the help of reviewers and members of a judging committee who are experts in their field from the best researchers and doctors in Israel, while ensuring complete confidentiality and avoiding conflicts of interest. The expedited judging procedure and the announcement of the winning grants was completed within two months. The evaluation of the research proposals was done on the basis of the scientific quality of the research programs, their practical feasibility and the ability to help curb the spread of the corona virus and the disease caused by it, in the short and medium term.

285 research proposals were submitted to the National Science Foundation, for the first cycle, as part of this program. The proposals deal with a wide variety of fields and approaches, including: immunology, virology, pharmacology, molecular and cellular biology, epidemiology, artificial intelligence, robotics, engineering, as well as interdisciplinary studies that combine different approaches.

In submitting to the program, the researchers committed to making the research results immediately and fully accessible to the entire scientific community in Israel and the world, in line with the urgent need and with the mobilization in this spirit of researchers all over the world.
The 25 selected studies will each receive a grant of about 100 thousand dollars (350 thousand NIS). The studies deal with a wide variety of fields related to diagnostics, developing a vaccine against the virus, finding effective treatments for seriously ill patients, and reducing infection in the population.
Recently, another call for registration and submission was opened for the second round of the program - within which the total grants that will be distributed will amount to an additional 1.5 million dollars.

Below are the names of the winning researchers in the first round, institutional affiliation and research topic:

1. Prof. Eran Alinev, Weizmann Institute of Science: development and validation of an automated test using the mass parallel sequencing method for the SARS-CoV-2 virus
2. Prof. Nissim Benvanisti, The Hebrew University: Identification of genes involved in the pathogenicity of COVID-19 for potential drug treatment
3. Prof. Itai Benhar, Tel Aviv University: Isolation of neutralizing antibodies to corona by human antibody display technologies on phage and by cloning individual B cells from vaccinated mice
4. Prof. Beniash Michal, The Hebrew University: Development of human monoclonal antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 pathogenic corona virus
5. Dr. Assaf Bester, Technion: Finding genes that control the penetration and infection of the Corona virus (COVID-19) into cells through a genetic scan of protein-coding and non-coding genes
6. Dr. Yotam Bar-On, Technion: feasibility study - vertical transmission of the corona virus from mother to fetus
7. Dr. Adi Barzel, Tel Aviv University: selection in animals of proteins that neutralize the virus that causes the corona epidemic
8. Prof. Amiram Goldblum and Dr. Lior Nissim, both from the Hebrew University: Blocking the Corona virus through an integrated platform of computational chemistry and synthetic biology to combat current and future virus threats
9. Prof. Hijazi Abdel Raouf, Hadassah Ein Kerem University Hospital: How alpha defensin contributes to the development of mental distress
10. Prof. Tamir Toler, Tel Aviv University, Prof. Yaari Gor, Bar Ilan University: Development of a system to create a passive (passive) vaccine for the SARS-CoV-2 virus including future strains and future epidemics
11. Prof. Levi Carmit, Tel Aviv University: UVB radiation as a generator of immune transformation in corona patients - towards phototherapy treatment
12. Dr. Nir London, Weizmann Institute: Accelerated development of a preclinical inhibitor against the main protease of SARS COV 2
13. Prof. Doron Melamed, Technion: Immune memory to the corona virus among older people: prevention of re-infection and increasing survival
14. Prof. Michal Naaman, Weizmann Institute, Prof. Kubo Michal, Medical Center named after A. Wolfson, Prof. Yigal Simcha, Hadassah University Hospital, Mount Scopus, Prof. Manny Ariel, Sourasky Tel Aviv Medical Center: The effect of corona virus on the characteristics of the placenta and pregnancy risks
15. Prof. Eran Segal, Weizmann Institute: A system for predicting areas of corona infection through a nationwide review by an anonymous questionnaire
16. Prof. Ido Amit, Dr. Haitin Diego, both from the Weizmann Institute: analysis at the single cell level of mild and severe Covid-19 patients; Towards characterizing molecular mechanisms of disease development, finding effective biomarkers and possible treatment pathways
17. Prof. Beaz Pokroi, Prof. Sosnik Alejandro, both from the Technion: Understanding and preventing adhesion by surfaces
18. Prof. Ora Furman, Prof. Dana Reichman, Prof. Francesca Levy-Shafer, Prof. Asaf Friedler, all from the Hebrew University: An integrative approach to the identification and characterization of human proteins targeted by the sars-cov-2 virus
19. Dr. Oren Kobiler, Tel Aviv University, Dr. Yishai Ronan Dana, Sheba - Academic Medical Center, Dr. Ahdot Hagit, Israel Institute for Biological Research: Organoids of the human respiratory system as a model for viral infection with the corona viruses
20. Dr. Naama Mayra Kopelman, Holon Institute of Technology, Dr. Stern Adi, Tel Aviv University: Sequencing the Covid-19 epidemic in Israel: integration of epidemiology and phylogenetic inference
21. Prof. Roy Kishoni, Technion, Prof. Khodik Gabriel, Maccabi Health Services, Dr. Hatam Hossein, Rambam - The medical reading for human health: characterization and improvement of the accuracy and productivity of corona tests
22. Prof. Rotem Karni, Dr. Tabah Yuval, both from the Hebrew University: Silencing essential viral RNA molecules of corona viruses as antiviral therapy in lung epithelial cells
23. Dr. Yoav Ram, Herzliya Interdisciplinary Center, Prof. Hadani Lilach, Tel Aviv University: modeling behavioral dynamics and its effect on the infection and evolution of the corona virus
24. Dr. Ziv Shulman, Weizmann Institute: Characterization and detection of neutralizing antibodies against the corona virus in convalescents for the purpose of treatment and prophylactic protection
25. Prof. Gideon Schreiber, Weizmann Institute: Delaying the entry of CoV-2 by inducing a part of the viral S protein to block its binding to the receptor as a therapeutic option