Weizmann Institute

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

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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
Patient monitoring using radar. The image was prepared using DALEE and is not a scientific image.

The medical industry lags behind in implementing technology, Prof. Yunina Eldar and her team have found a solution

Israel Prize laureate, Prof. Yunina Eldar, introduces the radar to the clinic. "Radars are small, inexpensive, and emit waves that are not dangerous to humans. Why don't we use them to monitor patients remotely?"

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. 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.
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

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.
A green laboratory, two scientists researching optics, wearing lab coats with complex, computerized equipment.

Strong light and attoseconds: revolutionizing material properties using laser beams

Prof. Nirit Dudovich's lab reveals how strong light rapidly changes the properties of matter, breaking new ground for ultra-fast computing and communication capabilities.

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
Yeast cells before (left column) and after (right column) protein knockdown. In each row, a different representative of a protein family (marked in green) was knocked down that was found to shape the structure of mitochondrial organelles (marked in purple). In total, 220 different proteins were discovered whose absence causes structural disruptions in these essential organelles.

Protein Flash Strike: Unveiling the Secrets of Cellular Life

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

Prof. Yunina Eldar – Israel Prize winner in the field of engineering

"Professor Eldar is an example and role model of a scientist who combines groundbreaking research with the ability to implement and have broad social impact in all sectors of society," the award committee wrote in its reasons.
Intestinal bacteria. Illustration courtesy of Prof. Eran Elinav, Weizmann Institute

We know what you ate: the method that reveals the secrets of the digestive system

Dendrites developed in tin batteries under an electron microscope. Source: Shaked Schwartz and Ian Mighty

Paving the way for the batteries of the future

Researchers from the Weizmann Institute of Science have developed innovative approaches to study dendrites in lithium-metal batteries, with the potential to improve battery life and reduce safety risks.
The connections between the neurons in the brain. Illustration: depositphotos.com

When the Subconscious Meets the Conscious: Human Creativity in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

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Prof. Rafi Malach from the Weizmann Institute reveals how fast bursts and slow waves in the human brain are the basis for conscious and creative processes, and offers ways to utilize the brain's capabilities in the technological age

Ants vs. Humans: The Maze Challenge

Group decision making makes ants smarter. With humans, on the other hand, sometimes it is better to be alone
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

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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"
The D'20 peptide inhibits the cancer-causing enzyme MMP7. The image was prepared using DALEE and is not a scientific image

A new stable and selective inhibitor of a cancer-causing enzyme has been revealed in a new study

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Researchers from the Hebrew University, the Weizmann Institute and the University of Tokyo have developed an innovative peptide that suppresses the activity of the MMP7 enzyme associated with cancer progression, with the potential for targeted therapies in aggressive cancers.
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

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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.
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?
Heart Attack. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Discovery of violations

Copaxone may protect heart muscle cells and improve its function after a heart attack
Today it is understood that Ofrat is not child's play. Illustration: depositphotos.com

A lead-free future

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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
A park in Shanghai. Photo: Avi Blizovsky

Again this year, three Israeli universities star among the top 100 in the Shanghai Index

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The Hebrew University in Jerusalem, the Weizmann Institute and the Technion in Haifa are three Israeli institutions that entered the Shanghai Index 2024, the list of the XNUMX best academic institutions in the world
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

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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
the muscles and the skeleton. Illustration: depositphotos.com

between the muscles and the skeleton

Researchers discovered that in mice lacking a protein that is responsible for muscle contraction, fusion developed between the vertebrae of the spine, which may lead to scoliosis and other orthopedic diseases
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
The Xenon top array detector array of the XENONnT partnership. PR photo

The international XENONnT experiment: first measurement of nuclear recoil from solar neutrinos

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Prof. Rani Bodnik from the Department of Particle Physics and Astrophysics at the Weizmann Institute of Science is a partner in this research, and among other things built the control and calibration systems and took part in the data analysis
Prof. Adi Shamir. Courtesy of the Wolf Prize Foundation

The Wolf Prize in Mathematics for 2024 is awarded jointly to Professors Adi Shamir and Noga Alon

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"For their pioneering contributions to mathematical cryptography, combinatorics and the theory of computer science."
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,"
How the "aging" mechanism called senescence is activated for a short time after an injury to the heart of mice as an essential part of the heart's healing process. Courtesy of the researchers

Researchers have discovered a mechanism of heart tissue regeneration

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Researchers from the Weizmann Institute found that the biological processes associated with aging, it turns out, also do the opposite and help the regeneration of heart tissue * The study emphasizes the need to be careful when using drugs that aim to get rid
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
2,000-year-old tefillin in the Antiquities Authority laboratories. Photo: Emil Eljam, Antiquities Authority

A new study states: 2,000 years ago, Tefillin were not dyed black

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Researchers from Ariel University, the Antiquities Authority, the University of Exeter in England, and the Weizmann Institute conducted a series of scientific tests on ancient tefillin houses from the Judean Desert, and discovered that - contrary to the accepted law, according to which the houses must be painted
Technion President Prof. Uri Sion awards Prof. Ada Yonat the honorary degree. Photo: Rami Shloush, Technion Spokesperson

The Technion awarded an honorary doctorate to writer David Grossman and Nobel laureate Prof. Ada Yonat

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Prof. Ada Yonat from the Weizmann Institute of Science, winner of the 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, received an honorary doctorate "in recognition of her pioneering contribution to the research of the ribosome - the universal complex for translating genetic information into proteins
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