A pioneer in his field, groundbreaking and unique

The Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology was established at Tel Aviv University 12 years ago, and was the pioneer in its field in Israel. in the world in their fields, who have registered more than 300 patents in recent years

"The Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology of Tel Aviv University was founded in 2000, and was the pioneer in its field in Israel. It is an expression of the state's decision to focus on nanotechnology as the science of the future," says the head of the center, Prof. Yael Hanin - who replaced Prof. Uri Cheshnovsky in 2012, who held the position with great success for seven years. "The center was established and operates according to a unique model, unprecedented in the academic arena, which strengthens the three-way interface between basic research, applied research and industry. Here we promote basic research on the behavior of materials at the nanometer level of molecules and atoms, encourage the development of scientific discoveries for all useful applications, and make the infrastructure and research products accessible to Israeli industry. According to this principle, we recently launched a first-of-its-kind national initiative: a research project of 11 groups, designed to lay a technological infrastructure for an innovative nanomedical industry in just five years."

Creative collaborations
To promote nanotechnology research at the university, the center operates with an interdisciplinary approach, in the spirit of 21st century science. Today, it gathers under its wings about 300 researchers - of which about 70 are senior scientists, among the world's leaders in their fields - representing diverse fields from all over the campus: physics, chemistry, biology, engineering and medicine. According to Prof. Hanin, the opportunity for a cross-fertile meeting under one roof yields a large number of creative collaborations, which lead to surprising and innovative developments. According to her, "some of the researchers are returning scientists, young and promising, who were recruited to the center from important research institutions abroad, as part of a national mission to return the outstanding brains to our country."

The Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology is a focal point for training the future generation of Israeli researchers in the field of nanotechnology, who will greatly contribute to shaping our world in the coming decades. Hundreds of outstanding graduate students conduct their research here, with the help of the infrastructure and scholarships provided by the center. Upon completion of their studies, many of them end up in senior positions in the world of high-tech and biotechnology.

In the last five years, the center's researchers registered more than 50 patents in fields such as nanomedicine, electronics, biotechnology, metallurgy and optics. For eight of them, licenses have already been issued to commercial companies, and they are in various stages of product development. Among them: drug carriers that navigate their way straight to the damaged site in the body; Highly sensitive biological and chemical sensors; transparent and flexible conductors designed for a new generation of electronic devices; efficient facilities for energy storage; Smart photovoltaic cells to produce electricity from solar energy; and fuel cells that allow the use of green energy.

Alongside the scientists, the center opens its doors to the people of Israeli industry, and serves as a national knowledge center in the field of nanotechnology. It provides industrialists with advanced research infrastructures and one of the most sophisticated laboratories in the world, alongside groundbreaking scientific developments. Today, more than 30 leading Israeli companies in the fields of high-tech and biotechnology use its services, which are provided by a team of engineers and researchers, experts in their field.

In the series of articles, we will reveal the fruits of the labor of 12 leading researchers, who represent the wide range of activity at Tel Aviv University's Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology.

Prof. Yael Hanin is the head of Tel Aviv University's Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, an associate professor in the School of Electrical Engineering, and associate academic director of the university's nano and micro infrastructures. Prof. Hanin is a physicist who heads a research group in the field of neural engineering, which focuses on the development of electronic nanodevices - especially devices that create an interface with brain cells. She serves as VP at the Israeli start-up company 'Nano-Retina', which develops a retinal implant. In 2009, Prof. Hanin was selected as an outstanding young scientist for the World Economic Forum's conference of young scientists, and since 2010 she is a member of the Young World Academy. In 2012, Prof. Hanin won a prestigious grant from the European Research Council (ERC).