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 benefit of humanity.
https://weizmann-usa.org/news-media/in-the-news/former-village-fool-takes-the-prize/
Mar 08, 2008...
When she mounted the podium of the sumptuous hall at UNESCO’s headquarters in Paris to receive her $100,000 prize on Thursday, Weizmann Institute of Science Prof. Ada Yonath could justifiably tell herself: “You have reached your scientific target!”
Ironically, one of Israel’s most distinguished scientists - male or female - was for decades treated “like the village fool” by Israeli and foreign colleagues who had doubts about her findings in the rather obscure and complex field of ribosomal crystallography
Mar 19, 2020... “This is the most important thing I can do,” says the Weizmann Institute’s Prof. Sarel Fleishman. His lab in the Department of Biomolecular Sciences was already studying SARS, which is, like COVID-19, a coronavirus. He is able to quickly apply his knowledge to developing computer models that allow him to design coronavirus antibodies – work that could lead to a vaccine.
Jul 29, 2010... In the future, the practice and precision of medicine may be very different from what they are today. Prof. Uri Alon of the Department of Molecular Cell Biology at the Weizmann Institute of Science foresees a future in which medicine is predictive, personalized, accurate, and rational. In fact, he has already begun to set the groundwork for this transformation by identifying common recurring patterns in the way proteins interact, and developing a novel method for essentially spying on living cells as they undergo chemotherapy.
Jun 19, 2007... REHOVOT, ISRAEL—June 19, 2007—Our bodies could not maintain their existence without thousands of proteins performing myriad vital tasks within cells. Since malfunctioning proteins can cause disease, the study of protein structure and function can lead to the development of drugs and treatments for numerous disorders. For example, the discovery of insulin’s role in diabetes paved the way for the development of a treatment based on insulin injections. Yet, despite enormous research efforts led by scientists worldwide, the cellular function of numerous proteins is still unknown. To reveal this function, scientists perform various genetic manipulations to increase or, conversely, decrease the production of a certain protein, but existing manipulations of this sort are complicated and do not fully meet the researchers’ needs.
Sep 10, 2009... REHOVOT, ISRAEL—September 10, 2009—Why are some pediatric cancers able to spontaneously regress? Prof. Michael Fainzilber and his team in the Weizmann Institute’s Biological Chemistry Department seem to have unexpectedly found part of the answer. Further research toward a better understanding of the mechanism of action might hopefully lead, in the future, to the development of drugs that will be able to induce regression of certain tumors.
https://weizmann-usa.org/news-media/news-releases/science-tips-november-2011/
Nov 11, 2011... Twenty-six science teachers have completed advanced studies in the Rothschild-Weizmann Program for Excellence in Science Teaching and will be awarded MSc degrees in science teaching from the Feinberg Graduate School of the Weizmann Institute of Science. This unique program, the first of its kind in Israel, is designed for high-school science teachers. In the upcoming year, about 100 will be enrolled in the two-year program.
Aug 26, 2007...
The work of Israeli cancer researchers is enhanced by the efforts of the ICRF.
A team of researchers from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, led by ICRF-supported scientist Professor Yosef Yarden, has identified a specific protein that enables breast cancer cells to metastasize and spread to other organs.
The team hopes that the discovery will facilitate the development of drugs that block or inhibit the production of this protein to prevent metastasis in breast and other cancers. Metastasis, when cancer cells break away from the original tumor and spread via the blood stream to other organs, is the leading cause of cancer death.
https://weizmann-usa.org/news-media/in-the-news/maya-schuldiner-receives-embo-gold-medal-2017/
Jun 08, 2017...
Heidelberg, 8 June 2017 – Maya Schuldiner from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel is the recipient of the 2017 EMBO Gold Medal. She receives the award for significantly advancing the understanding of protein synthesis, trafficking and quality control.
The EMBO Gold Medal is awarded annually and recognizes outstanding contributions to the life sciences in Europe by young independent group leaders.
https://weizmann-usa.org/news-media/news-releases/heart-cells-regenerated-in-mice/
Apr 13, 2015... REHOVOT, ISRAEL—April 13, 2015—When a heart attack strikes, heart muscle cells die and scar tissue forms, paving the way for heart failure. Cardiovascular diseases are a major cause of death worldwide, in part because the cells in our most vital organ do not get renewed. As opposed to blood, hair, or skin cells that can renew themselves throughout life, our heart cells cease to divide shortly after birth, with very little renewal in adulthood. New research at the Weizmann Institute of Science provides insight into the question of why the mammalian heart fails to regenerate, and also demonstrated, in adult mice, the possibility of turning back this fate. This research appeared on April 13 in Nature Cell Biology.
Apr 09, 2015...
Regenerating heart tissue could revolutionize heart attack recovery. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock
A breakthrough discovery in cell regeneration may soon change the treatment options for heart attack patients. Doctors have succeeded in regenerating the heart cells of mammals. Although, for now, this feat was only accomplished in lab mice, doctors believe they will be able to confirm in as little as five years if the technique works in humans.