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/news-releases/science-tips-january-2007/
Jan 24, 2007...
Weizmann Institute Scientists Discover a Genetic Risk Factor for Smoking-linked Head and Neck Cancer
A simple blood test may be able to identify those most at risk for developing head and neck cancer as a result of smoking. This was the finding of a recent study by Prof. Zvi Livneh, Head of the Weizmann Institute’s Biological Chemistry Department, Dr. Tamar Paz-Elizur of the same department, and their research team that worked in collaboration with Dr. Rami Ben-Yosef of Tel Aviv-Sourasky Medical Center, Prof. Laurence Freedman of Sheba Medical Center and Prof. Edna Schechtman of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.
Oct 13, 2015...
Charred 10,000 year-old fava beans. An amount like that would have been extremely difficult to gather from wild plants, indicating the legume had been domesticated. Credit: Jacob Vardi, Israel Antiquities Authority
Israelis mix them into their hummus. Egyptians eat them mashed for breakfast. It turns out both are following a proud tradition: A new study strongly suggests that humans living in the Galilee first domesticated fava beans more than 10,000 years ago, eating them as a staple well before grain began to be cultivated in the area.
https://weizmann-usa.org/news-media/news-releases/tiny-flasks-speed-up-chemical-reactions/
Jan 07, 2016...
A cluster of gold nanoparticles under a transmission electron microscope. Empty spaces between the nanoparticles can serve as nanoflasks, as suggested by the drawing.
Miniature self-assembling “flasks” created at the Weizmann Institute of Science may prove to be a useful tool in research and industry. The nanoflasks, which have a span of several nanometers, or millionths of a millimeter, can accelerate chemical reactions for research. In the future, they might facilitate the manufacture of various industrial materials and perhaps even serve as vehicles for drug delivery.
Jul 17, 2015...
Video: Shimmery sea sapphires disappear in a flash
Red and blue and green and violet and… Invisible. Sea sapphires have been described as “the most beautiful animal you’ve never seen”. Even when you do see them, they can vanish in an instant (see video, above). But how do they pull off their trick?
This tiny crustacean has alternating layers of hexagonal guanine crystals and cytoplasm on its back that reflect light in a sparkling array of hues. Different species shimmer in different colours, ranging from gold to blue.
https://weizmann-usa.org/news-media/news-releases/oldest-use-of-flowers-in-grave-lining/
Jul 10, 2013... REHOVOT, ISRAEL—July 10, 2013—When did people first begin to express their feelings with flowers? It turns out that in prehistoric times, Mount Carmel residents in what today is northern Israel buried their dead on a literal bed of fragrant wild flowers, such as Judean sage, as well as blooming plants of the mint and figwort families. Assuming they had the same positive associations with flowers that we do today, these ancient humans must have sought to ensure for the deceased a pleasant passage from the world of the living.
Dec 01, 2009... A bicycle accident and polar bears came together in one curious scientist’s mind, and became the catalyst for research that is changing the world. When Prof. Ada Yonath of the Weizmann Institute of Science was recovering from a concussion suffered while riding her bike, she read an article about hibernating polar bears, which led her to consider the physical processes that enable and support a dormant state. It occurred to her that in order for the bears to go in and out of hibernation, it was possible that ribosomes were packed in an orderly manner—an idea that went against then-current thinking. And she wondered, “Why do they do this?”
Mar 05, 2018...
A mouse, illustrative image. (photo credit: INGIMAGE)
It has been known that male rodents are allured by scent to the opposite sex. But now, researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot have discovered how a mechanism in the brain that processes behavior-changing chemical signals called pheromones determines the sexual preference of male mice, motivating them to prefer females over males.
https://weizmann-usa.org/news-media/in-the-news/eat-a-purple-potato-if-you-know-what-s-good-for-you/
Aug 23, 2017...
Image via Shutterstock.com
Are you ready for violet-colored potatoes? How about orange tobacco? Researchers at Israel’s Weizmann Institute of Science have figured out how produce betalain pigments in plants and flowers that don’t normally have them.
If you’re thinking, “Who needs violet tomatoes?” you should know that red-violet and yellow betalain pigments contain healthful antioxidant properties. They’re also the basis for natural food dyes for products such as strawberry yogurt.
Jan 09, 2007...
NEW YORK, NY—January 9, 2007—Prof. Ada Yonath of the Weizmann Institute of Science’s Department of Structural Biology was named as one of the winners of the prestigious Wolf Prize in Chemistry.
Prof. Yonath will receive the 2006-2007 chemistry prize in May, along with Prof. George Feher, a physicist at the University of California, San Diego. The two scientists will share the $100,000 prize granted by the Wolf Foundation in Israel.
https://weizmann-usa.org/news-media/news-releases/sweet-smell/
Sep 18, 2007... REHOVOT, ISRAEL—September 18, 2007—What makes one smell pleasant and another odious? Is there something in the chemistry of a substance that can serve to predict how we will perceive its smell? Scientists at the Weizmann Institute of Science and the University of California at Berkeley have now discovered that there is indeed such a link, and knowing the molecular structure of a substance can help predict whether we will find its smell heavenly or malodorous.
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