About Us
Founded in 1944, the American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science develops philanthropic support for the Weizmann Institute in Israel, and advances its mission of science for the future of humanity.
May 14, 2021... This summer, after more than a year of pandemic shutdowns, we are more excited than ever to get outside. But we can’t let down our guard when it comes to sun exposure, which is the primary cause of the most common cancer in the world: skin cancer. In fact, the Skin Cancer Foundation says that over 85% of melanomas are linked to UV radiation, and having more than five sunburns doubles your risk of developing this deadliest form of skin cancer.
https://weizmann-usa.org/news-media/news-releases/bacteria-and-plants-fight-alike/
Dec 01, 2021...
REHOVOT, ISRAEL—December 1, 2021—A brown blotch on a plant leaf may be a sign that the plant’s defenses are hard at work.
A new study at the Weizmann Institute of Science, published today in Nature, points to the evolutionary origins of this plant immune mechanism.
When a plant is infected by a virus, fungus or bacterium, its immune response arrests the spread of the disease by killing the infected cell and those immediately surrounding it. The new Weizmann study may help explain how major plant defenses work and how they may one day be strengthened to increase resilience against plant diseases that each year cause billions of dollars of crop losses worldwide.
Dec 08, 2021... REHOVOT, ISRAEL—December 8, 2021—Cigarette smoking, practiced by over a billion people worldwide, is considered a leading cause of disease, accounting for over six million deaths each year. Many people don’t quit smoking, despite expressing a desire to do so, because they are concerned about the substantial weight gain that often accompanies smoking cessation. The cause of this weight gain is unclear, as studies suggest that most people don’t eat more after quitting smoking. In a study published today in Nature, Weizmann Institute of Science researchers report discovering that obesity developing after “smoking cessation” in mice may be driven by the weight-modulating compounds released by their gut microbes.
Feb 27, 2022...
Israeli scientists say they may be able to cut the risk of heart attack by rebalancing gut bacteria — using capsules containing germs collected from excrement.
Just hours after each of their 200 subjects had a heart attack, researchers studied the bacteria balance in the patients’ guts and compared results to those of a control group. They say it was the largest and most in-depth study on the microbiome in heart patients — and that it threw up a striking pattern that hasn’t been documented until now.
Aug 04, 2022... REHOVOT, ISRAEL—August 4, 2022—The myriads of microbes in our gut, collectively termed the microbiome, are considered important to our health, but they can also harbor bacteria that contribute to inflammatory bowel disease or other disorders. Currently, however, it is impossible to target such disease-contributing bacteria without harming the surrounding beneficial microbes. Antibiotics kill friendly microbes along with the harmful ones, and in any event, they tend to trigger bacterial resistance and to have side effects. In a study published today in Cell, Weizmann Institute of Science researchers have demonstrated the feasibility of a potential therapy for killing inflammation-causing gut bacteria in a targeted manner: by using viruses that infect them.
Aug 19, 2022... REHOVOT, ISRAEL—August 19, 2022—Non-nutritive sweeteners – also known as sugar substitutes or artificial sweeteners – are supposed to deliver all the sweetness of sugar without the calories. But a controlled trial conducted by Weizmann Institute of Science researchers, published today in Cell, suggests that contrary to previous belief, such sweeteners are not inert: They do have an effect on the human body. In fact, some can alter human consumers’ microbiomes – the trillions of microbes that live in our gut – in a way that can change a person’s blood sugar levels. And the effects these sweeteners produce vary greatly among different people.
Sep 29, 2022...
REHOVOT, ISRAEL—September 29, 2022—Cancer tumors contain multiple species of fungi that differ per tumor type, according to a large study led by researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science and the University of California, San Diego.
The study, published today in Cell, potentially has implications for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, as well as for the detection of cancer through a blood test. It complements scientists’ understanding of the interaction between cancer cells and the bacteria that exist in tumors alongside fungi, bacteria that have been shown to affect cancer growth, metastasis, and response to therapy. The researchers systematically profiled fungal communities in more than 17,000 tissue and blood samples taken from patients with 35 types of cancer. They found that fungi can be detected in all of these cancer types. Fungi were mostly found “hiding” inside the cancer cells or in immune cells inside the tumors.
Sep 29, 2022...
Look up an image of a tumor on Google, and you’ll probably end up with a brightly colored cluster of cancer cells on a drab background of healthy tissue. A tumor may also contain millions of microbes, representing dozens of species.
“I think this is an ecosystem,” she said. “It means the cancer cells are not alone.”
Scientists have long known that our bodies are home to microbes, but have tended to treat tumors as if they were sterile. In recent years, however, researchers have laid that notion to rest, demonstrating that tumors are rife with microbes.
https://weizmann-usa.org/blog/chaim-weizmann-s-acetone-discovery-was-key-to-british-wwi-effort/
Nov 10, 2022...
More than a century ago, in 1915, a senior lecturer in biochemistry at the University of Manchester named Dr. Chaim Weizmann invented a fermentation process that converted starch — a poly-sugar readily available from corn and potatoes — into acetone and butyl alcohol, facilitated by a bacteria, Clostridium acetobutylicum, that Dr. Weizmann had previously isolated.
This novel method of acetone production became known as “the Weizmann process.” As serendipity would have it, acetone was a key component in the production of the smokeless gunpowder (cordite) used by the Allies in World War I. Acetone had previously been made from calcium acetate imported from Germany, but since the Allies were at war with Germany, this was no longer possible, and the U.S. had a sparse supply. So, Winston Churchill, then First Lord of the Admiralty, requested that the “Weizmann process” be used to mass produce acetone in England, Canada, and the U.S.
Dec 05, 2022...
There is no cure for Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, the two chronic inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) that cause flareups of abdominal pain, diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss and even malnutrition.
Ulcerative colitis affects only the colon, while Crohn’s can attack any part of the digestive system.
Although scientists debate whether IBD is an autoimmune disorder, they agree that the painful inflammation is caused by an abnormal immune response to lifestyle triggers (such as diet) and environmental triggers (such as bacteria).