WeizmannNo. 17 Spring 2020 - The Brain Issue - Plus: Special section on Weizmann
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Weizmann
No. 17 • Spring 2020
The
International magazine of science and people
The Brain Issue
Plus: Special section on Weizmann
coronavirus response
SPRING 2020 Weizmann MAGAZINE
From the President
Dear friends,
We are in the midst of a global challenge that has
forced everyone to adjust their lives and work
Table of Contents
routines, and the Weizmann Institute of Science is no
exception. At the same time, as part of civil society,
the Institute has a role to play in finding solutions.
We see it as our duty to summon all of our resources
and scientific expertise to contribute to the global
battle against the novel coronavirus, for the benefit of
humanity.
Our campus has swiftly become a hub of
concentrated efforts in three critical directions:
to help ramp up testing capacity, track outbreaks
in the making, and advance promising research
initiatives toward treatments and potential vaccines.
Many of our scientists, each from his or her own
unique angle, are stepping up to the plate to urgently
search for solutions. We have assembled a task
force comprised of researchers and administrators,
including myself and the vice presidents, who are
coordinating all of these efforts and working together
to do our utmost to summon all possible resources to
enable the science to move ahead.
In this issue of Weizmann Magazine, you can
Credits read about some of our initiatives related to the
Briefs Cover Story
coronavirus. You’ll also read about our major new Spotlight On
A publication of the Department of Resource Development
flagship projects in neuroscience and artificial 2 Special section on 22 A wise future for 28 Rising Tide’s quest
intelligence, which remain top priorities: the Institute coronavirus response neuroscience: Weizmann’s to advance cancer
Editorial Staff for Brain and Neural Sciences, and the Artificial new flagship project research and care
Prof. Roee Ozeri, Vice President for Resource Intelligence Enterprise for Scientific Exploration.
Development and Public Affairs ¶ Kelly Avidan,
Director, Department of Resource Development This is my first greeting to you in the magazine as
¶ Tamar Morad, Head, Donor Communications President, and I look forward to many more. Most
¶ Heidi Shulman, Publications and Video Production New Scientists Special Section Beyond the Bench
importantly, I offer you and your families my best
Coordinator, Yarden Jaron, Visual and Digital Production 18 Finding Earth 2.0: Introducing 32 The 2019 Annual General Meeting 58 Brain-saving technology
wishes for health and tranquility.
Dr. Sagi Ben-Ami of the International Board
Writing Staff Alumni
Sincerely, 20 Sleuthing for the fingerprint
Weizmann World 60 A healing solution
Sandy Cash ¶ Dinah Elashvili ¶ Tali Galsky ¶ Sharon of water: Introducing Yael
Reinheimer ¶ Anne Sperling ¶ Edward Truitt Kiro, groundwater detective 50 Stories and updates from our after brain surgery
worldwide committees
Prof. Alon Chen Science Features Art and Science
Illustration President, Weizmann Institute of Science Education 62 The artistry of math
46 Artificial intelligence: the future
Tal Bavli-Ziv 56 Boots on the ground in Ofakim: Israel’s
of smart. AI is reshaping our lives
first science pre-army prep program In Memoriam
and revolutionizing science
Graphic Design 64 Dr. Yael Mutsafi, 1981-2019
Alexey Kletsel, Netgo Ltd.
Photography and renderings
Philipp Böni ¶ Itai Belson, Ohad Herches of the Weizmann Visit us:
Institute Photo Lab ¶ Yael Ilan ¶ Hadar Kaminksy www.weizmann.ac.il/WeizmannCompass
¶ Ronald Korner ¶ Weizmann Institute Photo Archives
¶ Shutterstock ¶ Paul J. Trummer
מכון ויצמן למדע מכון ויצמן למדע
Weizmann MAGAZINE Coronavirus Response SPRING 2020 Weizmann MAGAZINE
Coronavirus Response 2–3
Ș In parallel, an effort by Profs. Eran Elinav and Ido The Weizmann Coronavirus
Amit is underway to develop a new testing method
based on a process that involves fewer stages Response Fund
compared to existing tests, vastly expands the The Institute has established the Weizmann
number of samples that can be tested at a time, Coronavirus Response Fund, which will enable
and offers a method that greatly reduces the Institute leadership to urgently disseminate support
biological risk to which the teams that perform to its scientists working on the front lines to find
the tests are exposed. The Weizmann scientists solutions, and to support unique science education
expect to have the capacity to test about initiatives to address the demand for online
20,000 samples per day. distance learning.
The Response Fund aims to raise approximately
$25 million for the urgent allocation of support. More
Video: It’s a revolution: massive than 50 projects across campus are underway.
ramp-up in safer testing A sampling of our other efforts are described in this
special section, including:
Special section: Ș Searches for the perfect drug or vaccine, such as
the projects underway by Prof. Sarel Fleishman,
Weizmannn coronavirus response
Dr. Ron Diskin, and Dr. Nir London
A model to sustain Ș An effort spearhead by Profs. Eran Segal
economic activity and Benjamin Geiger is tracking geographic
A
clusters in which the coronavirus is prevalent
s we find ourselves—all of humanity—in the midst of a pandemic Ș As the state of the economy becomes an and will likely spread.
Ș The Davidson Institute of Science Education at
caused by the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2, the Weizmann Institute of increasing source of concern, Prof. Uri Alon
and his graduate students Omer Karin and Yael Weizmann launched a new website called Stuck
Science is advancing major research efforts and other initiatives to Korem-Kohanim, together with senior engineer at Home? which offers a suite of digital science
activities at a time when students, teachers,
Boaz Dudovich of Applied Materials, have
address this challenge: more than 50 projects are now underway. developed an epidemiological model that shows and parents are in need of quality distance-
how it is possible to enact a nationwide policy learning content.
The new coronavirus is a global health threat that is has been transformed into a center for the rapid to effectively suppress the coronavirus and at
unprecedented in any of our lifetimes. The Weizmann production of diagnostic tests, in coordination You can read more about the Weizmann Coronavirus
the same time allow sustainable, albeit reduced,
Institute, with its world-renown in immunology, with Israel’s Ministry of Health. This move has Response Fund on the Institute website, or via the QR
economic activity. The model is based on the
structural biology, computational science and enabled a multi-fold rise in the number of tests code below.
mathematics of an intermittent lockdown: five
artificial intelligence, cellular sequencing, and drug produced and Prof. Robert Fluhr is heading this
effort. The G-INCPM is home to the country’s most days of lockdown and two days of work every
discovery, is poised to make key breakthroughs at week. In this way, the virus replication number—
comprehensive and advanced infrastructure
this critical time. the number of people infected by each contagious
for genomic and proteomic analysis, making it a
vital resource for Israel’s scientific and medical carrier—drops below 1: the magic number that
In this section, you may read a sampling or our efforts, would lead to a decline in the epidemic.
community as they seek to create new coronavirus
focusing in three main directions: ramping up testing
testing approaches. A four-day work/ten-day lockdown strategy
capacity, tracking outbreaks in the making, and
advancing promising research initiatives toward is even better, they suggest, allowing those
treatments and potential vaccines. infected at work to cease becoming infectious at
home. Prof. Alon suggests that after several such
Video: Coronavirus testing center cycles, the number of infected people will drop More on the Weizmann
Ramping up testing at the Grand Center on campus dramatically. The epidemic can be contained until
sufficient testing, effective treatment, or a vaccine
Coronavirus Response Fund
Ș The Nancy and Stephen Grand Center for is developed, which would negate the need for a
Personalized Medicine (G-INCPM) on campus lockdown.
מכון ויצמן למדע מכון ויצמן למדע
Weizmann MAGAZINE Coronavirus Response SPRING 2020 Weizmann MAGAZINE
4–5
Mapping corona in stealth mode Towards a drug against COVID-19
Predict Corona fuses data on symptoms, geography to predict Co-led by Dr. Nir London, global consortium aims to drastically
outbreaks in the making accelerate development of drug
W A
eizmann Institute scientists have Already, the scientists have detected a n international initiative led by the initial hits that can potentially serve as
developed a method for monitoring, significant increase in symptoms reported Weizmann Institute’s Dr. Nir London starting points for a drug. The Oxford
identifying, and predicting by the public in areas where verified has brought together a range of University team and the Diamond Light
geographical clusters in which the coronavirus patients are known to key players in the drug development Source (the UK’s national synchrotron
coronavirus is prevalent and will have been. The mapping may enable process—from academia in light source science facility), were
likely spread, by tracking symptoms health authorities to concentrate four countries, to biotech and able, in turn, to determine crystal
throughout the Israeli public—both anti-contagion efforts on areas in contract research organizations, to structures showing how these
healthy and sick individuals. which an outbreak and spread of the specialized software companies—to compounds bind in the protease’s
The method is at the core of the virus is predicted—while allowing accelerate the development of a drug active site.
Predict Corona project, spearheaded them to ease measures in areas where against COVID-19.
by Institute’s Prof. Eran Segal and an outbreak is not expected. So far, they have identified 78 hits
Prof. Benjamin Geiger, together with the Dr. London is collaborating with against the SARS-CoV-2 protease, 37 of
Hebrew University’s Prof. Yuval Dor. The initiative relies on this daily researchers at Oxford University, Memorial which are covalent fragments originating
questionnaire, which can be accessed in Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, University from the London lab. Now, they must narrow
g Prof. Benny Geiger Dr. Nir London
g
Predict Corona is being rolled out to the five languages (Hebrew, Arabic, English, of British Columbia, a California biotech down the possibilities, which requires the
entire Israeli public in coordination with Russian, and Amharic). company PostEra, and Enamine, one input of medicinal chemists and chemo-
Israel’s Ministry of Health and the country’s of the largest chemical vendors in the informatics and design experts.
HMOs, and is being adopted now by over Together with Prof. Ran Balicer of the Clalit world, to develop small molecules to target a key
10 countries, including the U.S., Italy, Research Institute (affiliated with Clalit SARS-CoV-2 protein that can halt and counteract the
and Spain. Health Services, Israel’s largest HMO) virus. Crowdsourcing for science
and other researchers, the scientists
“Viral spread occurs in clusters of called on other countries to The partners have developed the means to To that end, the researchers are hosting an online
infection,” says Prof. Segal. “Therefore, implement the strategy. The interest characterize the structure of the main protease crowdsourcing challenge to ask medicinal chemists
early identification of clusters may was immediate, and countries of SARS-CoV-2—an essential enzyme that is and computer-aided drug design experts around
facilitate various actions aimed at including the U.S., Italy, Spain, India, responsible for a key step in the virus life cycle. the world to design better molecules based on the
slowing down the spread of the virus.” Luxembourg, Malaysia, Germany, and The researchers have agreed to share all their available fragments. Close to 2,000 designs have
Britain, are using the tool. data openly to avoid bureaucracy and intellectual been submitted so far, and the challenge is ongoing.
The scientists describe their method in a property considerations. All data is available in real PostEra’s AI-based computational models are used
fast-tracked publication in Nature Medicine. Prof. Segal and researchers from the time to the entire research community, inspiring a to prioritize chemical synthesis and drug-binding
U.S. are spearheading the formation of an true open-science global collaboration. simulations created by software project called
g Prof. Eran Segal
AI in the service
international consortium that will share Folding@Home would be used to predict binding
methods, insights, and summary data to Their goal: to target this enzyme’s activity effectively, affinity. Together, these efforts will significantly
of public health build predictive tools and compare across
all countries. Companies such as Intel, as well as
which would be a key antiviral approach. By ramping
up research production in a coordinated effort
accelerate the compound-design cycle.
Predict Corona is a brief, one-minute voluntary academic researchers and members of the Israeli with contract research organizations (CROs) they Once such promising candidate drugs are identified,
survey that asks Israelis to share their geographical military, have reached out to offer their assistance are hoping the effort will lead to an effective anti- Enamine and CROs will be on called to synthesize
location (including street and neighborhood), and and are already contributing to this effort. COVID-19 drug candidate in a matter of months. and test every compound’s safety.
any symptoms associated with COVID-19 —while
protecting patient privacy—to assess infection Dr. London and his team in the Department of
patterns for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Organic Chemistry are experts on drugs that rely on
A framework for identifying the formation of covalent bonds, and their innovative
COVID-19. The questionnaire tracks the development
regional outbreak and spread Video: Dr. Nir London: The race for
of virus-induced symptoms, and the analysis relies electrophile-fragment screening platform has been
of COVID-19 from one-minute a cure
on Big Data algorithms and artificial intelligence. population-wide surveys used against various proteins. In the past two weeks,
they have applied it to the viral protein (produced and
shipped from the UK) and have identified promising
Weizmann MAGAZINE Coronavirus Response SPRING 2020 Weizmann MAGAZINE
6–7
Learning from other lethal viruses Designing the perfect antibody
Insights on Ebola, arenaviruses pave way Prof. Sarel Fleishman is applying computer modeling tools to create
for Dr. Ron Diskin’s next target: the coronavirus a coronavirus-blocking solution
I P
n an effort to find solutions for the novel rof. Sarel Fleishman and his team in the provoke a protective immune response that short-
coronavirus, structural biologist Dr. Ron Diskin is Department of Biomolecular Sciences are using circuited infection by the malaria parasite, they
expediting two parallel investigations to counter a unique platform developed in their lab to were also cost-effective to produce, and remained
the disease based on his previous research on similar address the coronavirus problem by designing and stable at extremely high temperatures—a significant
animal-borne contagions, and on the vaccine for testing millions of “nanobodies”—small synthetic advantage for impoverished populations living in
Ebola, a virus that, like SARS CoV-2, is also believed antibodies that could potentially slip through the tropical climates. Successfully tested in laboratory
to have originated in bats. coronavirus’s formidable defenses. Once they home studies by Prof. Fleishman’s colleagues in the UK,
in on the most effective nanobodies, it may become the new proteins are being scaled up for release as a
In the last six months, Dr. Diskin, of the Weizmann possible to design a treatment capable of stopping commercial vaccine.
Institute’s Department of Structural Biology, has the deadly virus.
made a series of crucial discoveries related to viruses Antibodies that are
that cross over from animals to humans. In fact, A structural biologist and technology innovator, perfectly primed to
papers published by Dr. Diskin just weeks before Prof. Fleishman has developed computer modeling block coronavirus
the coronavirus outbreak, and another one in more tools that support the rapid and inexpensive design will not be easy to
recent weeks, may point to new ways to find a cure of customized proteins. Much of his work focuses on design, however. That’s
not only for the coronavirus—but a wide range of antibodies—proteins that defend the body against because the spike
highly infectious and lethal viruses that cross over disease-causing invaders, like viruses and bacteria. protein structures that
from animals (particularly rodents) to humans. Now, he is focused on a particular structural element drive infection are
in the coronavirus—the “spike protein” recently shielded by particularly
In January in Nature Communications, he described a characterized by scientists at the University of Texas complex structures
molecular decoy he and his lab members engineered in Austin, which plays a key role in the infection known as glycans.
that leads a group of animal-borne viruses, called process. His goal is to design a robust antibody that To get past this glycan Prof. Sarel Fleishman’s
g method
arenaviruses, to avert cell membranes—and thereby would bind to vulnerable points on the spike protein shield, Prof. Fleishman has been proven in the
prevents infection. The lab is applying the same development of a potential
and stop infection in its tracks. will massively expand a malaria vacccine.
approach used to create this new molecule, which computational protocol
they call “Arenacept,” to the coronavirus.
Lessons from malaria
already validated on a
small scale in his lab.
Dr. Diskin also recently published two other
important studies, in Nature Medicine and Cell Host & The potential impact of this design approach is His team, comprising doctoral student Lucas Krauss,
Microbe, respectively, showing just how the vaccine g Dr. Ron Diskin illustrated by a recent breakthrough achieved in and Drs. Ravit Netzer and Adi Goldenzweig, are
against the Ebola virus activates the immune system the Fleishman lab against another infectious killer: leveraging their suite of protein design tools to
to fight off the virus. In collaboration with partners in the parasite Plasmodium falciparum, which causes generate computer models of millions of designed
mechanisms of lethal viruses, he plans to investigate
Cologne, Germany, the Diskin lab mapped out how malaria. The lab invented a methodology to design antibodies in search of those most likely to bind
the novel coronavirus—with his eyes set on a cure
the antibodies bind to the virus and destroy them— computer-based models of proteins, including successfully to one or more of the coronavirus’s
or vaccine. In the first avenue, he is conducting a
and discovered that smaller doses than what are antibodies, that do not exist in nature, and which vulnerable sites, and winnow down the set using
comprehensive screening for identifying a decoy
currently administered are just as effective. The latter have superior properties. The tools—available online experimental high-throughput screening technology,
molecule that will have all the desired properties
study identified the precise molecular target of and used by labs around the world—encode how thereby identifying the top antibody candidates.
needed to construct an immunotherapeutic
these specific antibodies acquired by all vaccinated proteins fold and function and predict how specific
molecule (immunoadhesin). In the second avenue,
individuals and Ebola patients who had recovered mutations would impact protein characteristics on
Dr. Diskin is collaborating with several groups to
from the disease, and described the mechanism by the atomic level.
isolate antibodies from recovered coronavirus
which a common immunological response against Video: Prof. Sarel Fleishman:
patients. They intend to elucidate three-dimensional Two years ago, an algorithm created by Dr. Adi Designing a coronavirus
Ebola is elicited.
structures to reveal how these antibodies bind to the Goldenzweig—then a PhD student in the Fleishman vaccine
These discoveries are incredibly timely, and taken SARS-CoV-2 virus, which could lead to a potential lab—resulted in the design of an anti-malarial
together with Dr. Diskin’s other insights on the vaccine or antibody treatment for coronavirus. vaccine. Not only did these synthetic proteins
Weizmann MAGAZINE Coronavirus Response SPRING 2020 Weizmann MAGAZINE
8–9
Prof. Ruth Arnon: So, notes Prof. Arnon, it isn’t
enough to generate a vaccine—it
Coronavirus by
Lessons from influenza has to be delivered to everyone at
risk in order to be truly effective. the numbers
For COVID-19, that’s the whole
What the quest for a universal flu vaccine can teach us world. By the time that happens, A measured approach to understanding—and
the current outbreak may have run defeating—the COVID-19 pandemic
W
ith infections, as with football, a best offense is its course.
often a good defense. But while that strategy
It’s also not clear whether, if a The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is a harsh reminder that, whether the virus is
works for many infectious diseases, it doesn’t
spreading within a single human host or in a wave of infection spanning
work with influenza; thanks to its readiness to mutate, vaccine is developed for COVID-19,
continents, many of the most critical answers we seek about this unprecedented
the influenza virus effectively “shifts the goalposts” coronaviruses will have a seasonal
crisis are expressed in numbers. Quantitative questions include: How long does
each year, requiring a new vaccination. fluctuation and die out like
it take a single infected person to infect a million others? How long does the
influenza, which is what happens to coronavirus survive on surfaces? How effective is social distancing, and how
Renowned Weizmann Institute immunologist the flu, thanks to the herd immunity
Prof. Ruth Arnon is spearheading a new defense—a many lives can this policy potentially save?
caused by the seasonal flu vaccine,
universal influenza vaccine that is currently in Phase
as well as the arrival of warmer More than a decade ago, during his postdoc at Harvard Medical School,
III of the clinical trial process—that focuses on the
temperatures to which the virus is Prof. Ron Milo created an online, shareable resource for “bio-numbers”—values
parts of the flu virus that stay the same from year to
ill suited. culled from the scientific literature that relate to biological processes as they
year, gluing the goalposts to the ground once and
occur on all scales, from the levels of atoms and molecules, to the levels of
for all.
Coronaviruses are a common organisms and ecosystems. Over the years, Prof. Milo’s initiative grew into a
Prof. Arnon, who emphasized that she is not an type of virus, and they come in a massive database called BioNumbers that allows scientists around the world
expert on coronavirus, says she thinks a similar variety of strains. Most of these to search bio-based data to find answers to their questions, and to identify
strategy might also be useful for countering strains produce the mildest of interesting questions that had never occurred to them before.
coronaviruses, including the current SARS- cold symptoms in the infected
Now, he and his colleagues are applying the same approach to the fight against
CoV2 strain (which causes the COVID-19 disease). individual. From time to time—and
g Prof. Arnon is the past president of the Israel the coronavirus. Those colleagues include Yinon Bar-On, a PhD student in the
Academy of Sciences and Humanities, and co- with frustrating unpredictability—a
That is, a possible pharmaceutical approach to Milo lab in the Weizmann Institute’s Department of Plant and Environmental
developer of the blockbuster multiple sclerosis virulent variety appears, such as Sciences, Prof. Rob Phillips from the California Institute of Technology, and
creating a vaccine against COVID-19 involves drug Copaxone. Her universal flu vaccine is the SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV) Dr. Avi Flamholz of the University of California at Berkeley.
targeting a particular viral protein, called SPIKE, in Phase III clinical trials.
strain of 2003, MERS-CoV in
which is an important offensive player in the
2012 (both of which petered out In a recent publication in eLife, the researchers used existing peer-reviewed
virus’s infection game. Another approach would
by summer) and most recently, literature to create something that could well be called “Corona-by-the-
be targeting a protein, or segments of the virus
in humans, which means preclinical trials will likely SARS-CoV-2. If this latest one sticks numbers”—a comprehensive collection of the key biological properties
proteins, that are common across the most virulent
have to be carried out. Moreover, a vaccine must around, or if it decides to keep currently known about the coronavirus that can be measured in numerical terms.
types of coronavirus, including SARS-CoV-2, and
be tested in people for safety—a process that can They will be curating these numbers, and updating them as new data emerge
MERS-CoV. reappearing like influenza, having a
take weeks to months. And then, once a vaccine is from laboratories, clinical centers, and public health authorities worldwide.
vaccine will be crucial.
identified, it must be produced in sufficient mass
“If I were working in the coronavirus field,” says
quantities—and administered far and wide—in A range of scientific insights could potentially emerge from the use of this
Prof. Arnon, “this non-changing protein approach is While a universal coronavirus
order for herd immunity to take effect. Herd immunity data. For example, the carefully curated values may spark new ideas about
where I would focus my efforts.” vaccine may not help us win the
is a form of indirect protection that occurs when how the immune system could be stimulated to fight the virus. They may
a large percentage of a population has become current outbreak, says Prof. Arnon,
It’s going to take time and patience. Even if a reveal how the coronavirus is similar to, or different from, other viruses against
immune to an infection, thereby providing a it would help us mount the best
universal coronavirus vaccine were identified today, which preventative strategies already exist. Measurements of viral particle
measure of protection to individuals who are not defense for the future. concentration could aid in the design of diagnostic kits for asymptomatic
it is unlikely to be of use this year.
vaccinated. In effect, the virus runs out of hosts. patients. And by offering measurements of factors that influence the speed at
which the disease spreads, the data Prof. Milo and his colleagues compile may
Time and patience Furthermore, vaccine trials tend to take longer
than trials for, say, cancer drugs; the vaccines are
lead to new strategies for protecting populations worldwide.
Video: What is
Part of the challenge is one that is common to all administered to healthy people, and efficacy can only “Knowledge of the numbers related to the coronavirus can give us a ‘sixth sense’
a vaccine?
vaccine production processes. Vaccines must be be determined through a painstaking “wait and see” that allows us recognize what we can’t see or feel—thereby serving as a basis
tested in animals, but there are no good animal approach, to find out whether the vaccines indeed for thoughtful, quantitative insights that may lead to important discoveries,”
models of how the COVID-19 infection cycle works fend off infection. Prof. Milo says.
Weizmann MAGAZINE Coronavirus Response SPRING 2020 Weizmann MAGAZINE
Science Briefs 10–11
Homeschooling in
the time of corona
The Davidson Institute offers distance-learning solutions
Science vs. neurodegeneration
S
chools everywhere have closed due to the users—about 250,000. Before the crisis, the site
T
spread of the novel coronavirus, and teachers received about 20,000 visits per day. While most wo Weizmann Institute labs have taken the lead molecules that bind to Spt5 and block the expression
are turning to remote learning to keep their surfers are accessing the site from Israel, several in the battle against neurodegeneration, with of the mutated protein. However, in cases where the
students on track. If the online world wasn’t already thousand are from other countries as well, primarily discoveries that may eventually contribute huntingtin gene appears in its normal, non-mutated
a central fixture of our lives, now the Internet has the US. While Stuck at Home? is in Hebrew, Arabic, to treatments—or even cures—for two separate form, these molecules allow protein expression
become a primary portal to the outside world for and English, and efforts are underway to translate it conditions: Huntington’s disease (HD) and to occur. These findings represent an important
parents and kids cooped up at home—and in Israel, into Spanish. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as step forward in the eventual development of a drug
school lessons and assignments have shifted almost Lou Gehrig’s disease. capable of “short circuiting” a molecular dynamic that
drives Huntington’s disease.
exclusively to the online space.
Science on demand Huntington’s disease is a fatal genetic disorder
caused by mutations in the huntingtin gene, leading In a separate advance, Prof. Eran Hornstein of
The Davidson Institute of Science Education at
The site offers a diverse range of science-related to the progressive breakdown of nerve cells in the the Department of Molecular Genetics recently
the Weizmann Institute, which operates dozens of
topics and it is also a portal to other Davidson brain. Often striking in the prime of life and causing discovered a molecule involved in the onset of
curricular and extracurricular programs, is on the
content, such as its free and popular Science VOD deterioration of both physical and cognitive abilities, ALS. Prof. Hornstein and his colleagues led a
front lines of this effort with its robust Davidson page, which includes an extensive library of videos HD currently has no cure. large international collaboration that identified a
website. It launched a new site called Stuck at Home?, on demand. Davidson also launched a page with a microRNA gene that plays a crucial role in motor
which offers a suite of digital science activities for the suite of articles on the COVID-19 outbreak, as well Now, Prof. Rivka Dikstein of the Department of neurons. This microRNA gene is expressed at
entire family. as posts related to virology and epidemiology in Biomolecular Sciences has identified two molecules lower levels in ALS patients as compared to healthy
general. The staff is also maintaining a daily report that can block the activity of Spt5, a gene involved individuals—something that makes it a powerful
Stuck at Home? includes videos, articles, puzzles, tracking the spread of the virus. in HD onset. A regulator of gene transcription—an biomarker for early ALS diagnosis. The team also
science experiments that can be conducted at early stage in the process that leads to protein identified rare mutations in the gene that codes for
home, and other innovative science and math production—Spt5 is specifically required for this ALS-associated microRNA.
activities. The Davidson Institute has shared the transcribing the mutant huntingtin gene associated
link to this content via social networks, groups with HD progression. Prof. Hornstein’s research could lead the way toward
Visit the 'Stuck at Home?'
within the Ministry of Education and WhatsApp new strategies in which the microRNA he and his
website.
groups. The response has been overwhelming: A team led by Dr. Anat Bahat, a staff scientist colleagues discovered would be used to mediate
On the first day after schools in Israel were closed, in the Dikstein lab, screened a library of about ALS symptoms, thereby transforming ALS from a
the Davidson Institute website was flooded with 100,000 small molecules, and discovered two death sentence into a chronic, manageable illness.
מכון ויצמן למדע מכון ויצמן למדע
Weizmann MAGAZINE Science Briefs SPRING 2020 Weizmann MAGAZINE
“Our uncle Mort Zuckerman would be kvelling over the impressive group
here today, especially by the overwhelming number of women in the
program,” says Eric Gertler. 12–13
Zuckerman Symposium:
Women in STEM
T
he third annual Zuckerman US-Israel Symposium, industry and government. The speakers included
focused on the advancement of women in Dina Ben-Yehuda, Dean of the Hadassah – Hebrew
STEM subjects, took place in November on University School of Medicine; Dr. Irit Idan, Executive
g Tipping the gender balance: women physicists at an international workshop on campus in November the Weizmann Institute campus. The symposium Vice President of Research Development at Rafael
was part of the Mortimer B. Zuckerman STEM Advanced Defense Systems; and Marissa Gross Yarm,
Where are the female physicists?
Leadership Program, which awards financial grants Head of International Student Affairs at the Israeli
to American postdoctoral fellows doing research in Council for Higher Education. Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen
It’s not a theoretical question
Israel, provides vital resources to Israeli universities, from the Science Mission Directorate of NASA also
facilitates the return of Israeli scholars to Israeli took part.
institutions, and helps support Israeli postdocs
doing research in the US. From the Weizmann Institute, participants included
P
hysics has historically been a male-dominated “The challenges are many, starting at the high
Prof. Ada Yonath, who won the Nobel Prize for
field, but a new initiative in the Weizmann school level when girls first encounter physics, The Zuckerman STEM Program, established in 2016, Chemistry in 2009, and a former postdoctoral
Institute’s Faculty of Physics is trying to and the roadblocks continue until the point of
has funded 125 scholars at 63 American universities researcher in her lab, Dr. Moran Shalev-Benami of
understand why—and take proactive steps to career choice,” says Dr. Eran-Jona. One of the
and seven Israeli universities to date. In the the Department of Structural Biology, a Zuckerman
shifting the gender balance. biggest “forks in the road,” she says, is when
2019-2020 year, three out of its four faculty scholars Scholar, who described her research on visualizing
women consider pursuing postdoctoral positions
In November, the faculty held a workshop that are women, and women comprise 54% of this protein function.
abroad—the unwritten prerequisite to attaining a
attracted physicists and gender diversity experts year’s grantees.
position in Israeli academia. It’s a decision that often
from around the world to analyze the problem and
requires uprooting a spouse and young children
discuss success stories from other institutions and “Our uncle Mort Zuckerman would
and surviving on a typically low postdoc salary in
countries. The conference was co-led by Prof. Yossi be kvelling over the impressive
expensive international cities. This is a crossroads
Nir of the Department of Particle Physics and group here today, especially by the
for women across the sciences, but is particularly
Astrophysics; Dr. Meytal Eran-Jona, a sociologist overwhelming number of women
acute in physics, “a male-dominated field where,
who recently became the Institute’s first Director in the program,” says Eric Gertler, a
of Diversity at the Feinberg Graduate School; and unfortunately, women do not always feel at home,”
trustee of the Zuckerman Institute.
Prof. Marika Taylor, a professor of theoretical physics says Prof. Nir.
“We consider the Zuckerman STEM
at of the University of Southampton in the UK. It was Leadership Program to be a ripple
Since the November workshop, several initiatives
sponsored by the Schwartz/Reisman Institute for of hope and a center of energy,
have taken root, include: launching postdoctoral
Theoretical Physics.
grants for people with childcare responsibilities; and we’re confident that this great
With a grant from Israel’s Ministry of Science and embracing an anti-harassment legal policy for collaboration will have a lasting
Technology, Prof. Nir and Dr. Eran-Jona investigated prevention and enforcement of proper workplace impact on the world.”
the gender imbalance in the field of physics behavior; and enhancing female visibility as
nationwide. They found that while 38 percent of speakers in conferences and seminars. James Gertler, another trustee of
high school students who study advanced physics the Zuckerman Institute, says, “We
are girls, that percentage continues to decline Dr. Eran-Jona has also been working with FGS look forward to more and more
throughout the stages of higher education and career and the Faculty of Physics to adjust the student successes for the women in our STEM
choice. Only 16 percent of undergraduate physics recruitment process. Additional gains include program and the United States-Israel
majors are female, and only six percent of physicists the Faculty’s exposure to and active participation academic exchange.”
in tenured or tenure-track positions are women. Just in gender diversity efforts in physics worldwide,
16 women hold tenure or tenure-track or positions in including a new affiliation with a European The event included talks and panels g Prof. Ada Yonath, the keynote speaker at the Zuckerman Symposium
physics in Israel. organization dedicated to this subject. including women from academia,
מכון ויצמן למדע מכון ויצמן למדע
Weizmann MAGAZINE Science Briefs SPRING 2020 Weizmann MAGAZINE
“Recognizing and supporting promising scientists early in their
careers is essential to ensure that they maximize the impact
of their future research,” says Len Blavatnik. 14–15
Weizmann scientists win all
three Blavatnik Awards
Honors highlight research in cryptography, genetics,
and protein assembly
T
he annual Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists “Recognizing and supporting promising scientists
in Israel have gone to three Weizmann early in their careers is essential to ensure that
scientists—the first time that all three awards will they maximize the impact of their future research,”
be bestowed exclusively on Weizmann researchers. says Len Blavatnik, Head of the Blavatnik Family
Dr. Igor Ulitsky, a biologist who is studying how Foundation that awards the prizes. “For the past
a type of genetic material—long noncoding several decades, Israel has been a powerhouse
RNA—works to influence health and disease, of scientific breakthroughs and technological
received the award in the Life Sciences category. innovation. The three young scientists recognized
Dr. Emmanuel Levy, a biochemist investigating how by these awards are outstanding examples of the
proteins assemble and interact, won the Chemistry enormous potential of Israeli scientific talent.”
award. And computer scientist Prof. Guy Rothblum,
who is advancing the study of The Blavatnik Foundation, which offers a series of
cryptography, received prizes for outstanding scientists, launched its
the Physical Sciences & Israel awards in 2017 in collaboration
Engineering award. with the Israel Academy of
Sciences and the Humanities.
g Profs. Ido Amit and Eran Elinav flanking Joao Monteiro and Ursula Weiss of Nature.
Next Gen Immunology
Conference 2020
H
undreds of world-leading researchers in like in vivo imaging, single-cell sequencing, and
immunology convened February 2-5 at the Next new genomics approaches that will advance the
Gen Immunology Conference at the Weizmann understanding of the microbiome, the nervous
Institute—a gathering that has now become the “go- system, cancer, metabolism, and beyond.
to” conference in in the field for scientists, postdocs, The conference included some 85 poster sessions.
and students. The conference is held every two years g Dr. Igor Ulitsky g Prof. Guy Rothblum g Dr. Emmanuel Levy
in partnership with the prestigious journal Nature. The event was sponsored by the Moross Integrated
Cancer Center, the Azrieli Institute for Systems
Led by Profs. Eran Elinav and Ido Amit of the Biology, the Nancy and Stephen Grand Israel
Department of Immunology, the conference National Center for Personalized Medicine,
highlighted discussions between scientists, and industry partners including Merck and
clinicians, and the pharma industry; and new tools Teva Pharmaceuticals.
מכון ויצמן למדע
Weizmann MAGAZINE Science Briefs SPRING 2020 Weizmann MAGAZINE
“Our purpose was to generate enthusiasm for science among
Sweet news: AI advances the young patients, and to allow them to step away from
the difficulty of their illnesses and the hospital routine for a
diagnosis of gestational diabetes moment,” says Prof. Schuldiner. 16–17
A
new algorithm developed by Weizmann Institute scientists can predict which pregnant
Bringing the lab to the hospital
women are at a high risk of gestational diabetes, a common condition in which
women without diabetes develop high blood sugar levels. The study was
authored by Prof. Eran Segal and reported in Nature Medicine.
Analyzing data on nearly 600,000 pregnancies available from Israel’s largest Prof. Maya Schuldiner's group makes a visit to Kaplan
health organization, Clalit Health Services, the study determined that, Medical Center
based on the predictions offered by the algorithm on these data, it may
be possible to predict and prevent gestational diabetes.
S
cientists from the
“Our ultimate goal is to help the health system take measures
Department of
to prevent diabetes from occurring in pregnancy,” says senior
Molecular Genetics
author Prof. Segal, who has dual appointments in the Department
visited patients in the
Computer Science and Applied Mathematics and the Department
pediatrics unit at Kaplan
of Molecular Cell Biology. The study was done in collaboration with
Medical Center in Rehovot
researchers at Rabin Medical Center in Petah Tikvah and Clalit.
to teach a bit of science
and conduct a few simple
Gestational diabetes is fraught with health risks for both mother
experiments. The visit
and baby. Typically, the condition is diagnosed in the second
was initiated by Michal
trimester, by way of a glucose tolerance test in which the woman
Eisenberg, a PhD student
drinks a glucose solution and then undergoes a blood test to see
in Prof. Maya Schuldiner’s
how quickly the glucose is cleared from her blood.
lab.
Prof. Segal and his colleagues processed a dataset of more “Our purpose was to
than 2,000 parameters for each pregnancy, including each generate enthusiasm
woman’s blood test results and medical history, and ran for science among the
the data through an algorithm built to “connect the dots” young patients, and to
between the medical data and the diagnosis. It revealed that allow them to step away
nine of the parameters were sufficient to accurately identify from the difficulty of their
the women who were at a high risk of developing gestational illnesses and the hospital
diabetes. The nine parameters include the woman’s age, body routine for a moment,”
mass index, family history of diabetes, and results of her glucose tests says Prof. Schuldiner.
during any previous pregnancies. “We witness the kids’
involvement and
These findings suggest that by having a woman answer just curiosity around science
nine questions, it should be possible to tell in advance whether and it always moves
she is at a high risk of developing gestational diabetes. And us.” She hopes the
if this information is available early on—in the early stages of partnership with Kaplan
pregnancy or even before the woman has conceived—it might be will continue.
possible to reduce her risk of acquiring the condition by making
lifestyle modifications such as exercise and diet. Prof. Amnon Zung, Head of
Pediatrics at Kaplan, says Prof. Maya Schuldiner’ (at right) and her colleagues with pediatric patients
Meanwhile, women identified by the questionnaire as being at that the partnership with
g at Kapalan Medical Center.
a low risk for gestational diabetes may be spared the cost and Weizmann is welcome,
inconvenience of the glucose testing. and the experiments with
Weizmann scientists a partnership with the Weizmann Institute, and no doubt that the geographic
The study is another step forward in advancing artificial intelligence offer a meaningful and proximity between our two institutions, focused on health and science in
techniques for health—demonstrating the usefulness of large stimulating experience Rehovot, can lead to additional partnerships in the future.”
human-based datasets, specifically electronic health records, for for the patients. “We
deriving personalized disease predictions that can lead to prevention are happy to be the first In a particularly special moment, Prof. Zung met his daughter, MSc student
and intervention. hospital to have such Naama Zung, who was part of the Weizmann group, for a big hug and kiss.
מכון ויצמן למדע מכון ויצמן למדעWeizmann MAGAZINE New Scientists SPRING 2020 Weizmann MAGAZINE
New Scientists 18–19
A first clue may be that life as we know it requires of the origin of life—and may have been a key energy
oxygen to survive. Indeed, the existence of molecular source in Earth’s infancy. Until now, scientists have
oxygen, O2, is one of the strongest indicators of had limited tools for detecting the UV habitable zone,
planetary life, and its detection would be a key step the area around a star that is optimal for the evolution
in finding a life-supporting biosphere similar that of of life based on its UV radiation.
the Earth. And though a new generation of extremely
large telescopes (ELTs) will become a reality in the Dr. Ben-Ami will be a part of the latest revolutionary
coming decade and greatly increase scientists’ project in space exploration: the Israel-U.S. space-
ability to find and characterize terrestrial planets, borne ULTRASAT mission, spearheaded by the
none of them will be able to detect oxygen. Weizmann Institute’s Prof. Eli Waxman. ULTRASAT
represents a revolutionary step forward for the
So Dr. Ben-Ami set out to develop a spectrograph— astrophysics community, because it is capable of
an instrument used to measure properties of detecting and measuring the UV emissions from
light—but whose ability to capture extremely high transient explosions minutes after they occur—not
Introducing spectral resolutions will enable the detection of
O2 as well. Initially, this instrument will be used
the days or weeks captured by current telescopic
systems. ULTRASAT is expected to generate a
Dr. Sagi Ben-Ami
alongside today’s telescopes, which, though not “discovery rate”—the rate at which celestial events
equipped to detect molecular oxygen, can help in are identified—that is 300 times greater than today’s
the study of large-sized planet atmospheres. Later, technologies, revolutionizing our understanding of
when ELTs become available to the wider scientific a wide range of explosive transient events, like the
community, his spectrograph archetype can be explosions of stars and the disruption of stars by
used in conjunction with one of these ground-based massive black holes.
D
telescopes to detect O2.
r. Sagi Ben-Ami, an experimental A native of Tel Aviv, Dr. Sagi Ben-Ami earned his
BA (2005) and MSc (2008) in physics from the
astrophysicist, is developing Here comes the sun Technion — Israel Institute of Technology and his
advanced instruments and Another major factor in a planet’s capacity for
PhD (2014) in physics from the Weizmann Institute
of Science.
methods that will help detect bioactivity is the ultraviolet (UV) radiation field from
its host star. Most of us think of UV radiation as In 2014, he was awarded a NASA Einstein Fellowship
“bio-signatures”—substances that something we need to shield ourselves from with and conducted his postdoctoral research at the
sunscreen and hats. And while high levels of UV Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. He
provide scientific evidence of past or radiation can destroy emerging biomolecules, we returned to Israel with his wife, whom he met while
present life—on planets outside of our wouldn’t be here on Earth without it: UV radiation is at Harvard, and rejoined the Weizmann family in
an important factor in the development of prebiotic January 2020 in the Department of Particle Physics
solar system. molecules—chemical or environmental precursors and Astrophysics.
FINDING מכון ויצמן למדע
EARTH 2.0
מכון ויצמן למדעWeizmann MAGAZINE New Scientists SPRING 2020 Weizmann MAGAZINE
About half of the world population lives in coastal regions and relies, in part,
Sleuthing for the on groundwater from coastal aquifers. The interface between land and sea,
and the interaction between groundwater and seawater, present a complex
fingerprint of water
and interconnected system. 20–21
Introducing Dr. Yael Kiro, groundwater detective
G
of declining rainfall. Israel has few reservoirs, and is University. Analyzing these samples will give a
roundwater, seawater, ice, micro-droplets trapped in sediments, now desalinating seawater for human consumption detailed picture of the area’s paleoclimate over tens
and agricultural use. of thousands of years.
and evaporated minerals like Dead Sea salts can carry a chemical
At the Weizmann Institute, Dr. Kiro has expanded her She also worked with a team in Norway, looking for
signature that can be unlocked and read with the sophisticated research to study the circulation of seawater and identifiable signatures to enable radium isotope
analytical tools being developed by scientists like Dr. Yael Kiro in the groundwater in aquifers beneath the coastline of fingerprinting of water unlocked by melting
permafrost. Permafrost in circumpolar regions has
Israel and the Mediterranean and is comparing that
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences. to other coasts around the world. One collaborative recently undergone massive thawing, with severe
field project underway examines the coastal environmental consequences, including the release
Dr. Kiro is a geochemist who uses radioactive
isotopes and chemical clues to read the
Reading rocks like a book sediments and aquifers of the Delaware coast in
the eastern United States, which present a very
of greenhouse
environmental record preserved in groundwater, Geologists and geochemists like Dr. Kiro can read different profile than Israel’s.
lake sediments, ice cores, and coastal aquifers. layers of sedimentary rock like a book that reveals
As a PhD student at the Hebrew University hundreds of thousands of years of history. Using
of Jerusalem, Dr. Kiro focused her 1,500 feet of core samples from the bottom of the
research on hydrology in Dead Sea, Dr. Kiro co-led an international study
the Dead that showed evidence of two “mega” droughts from
this geological record: one that began
approximately 120,000 years
About half of the world population
lives in coastal regions and relies,
in part, on groundwater from gases
coastal aquifers. The interface and the possible amplification
ago, when between land and sea, and of global warming.
average global the interaction between The research team found
temperatures rose about four groundwater and seawater, an identifiable permafrost
degrees Fahrenheit, and another present a complex and radioisotope fingerprint,
about 10,000 years ago, following the last interconnected system. and showed that it could be
ice age. Understanding its used to track the thawing of
Sea, and went on to develop a new concept for dynamics is important for these long-trapped bodies
using radioactive isotopes to estimate the age of In a recent study, Dr. Kiro helped compare the trace practical purposes such as of water.
groundwater systems and to track the circulation of chemicals in the tiny pockets of saline fluids found in water management, with many
water in aquifers deep underground. core samples drilled in the deepest floor of the Dead as-yet-unexplored questions Dr. Kiro received a long string
Sea. This gives scientists new insights into the Dead of awards and recognitions as
for a geochemist.
Water is a precious commodity in the arid Middle Sea during the last interglacial and glacial periods a student and in her postdoctoral
East, and groundwater aquifers are a big part of and some clues about changes in rainfall patterns at The geologic record can also reveal years, including a three-month
Israel’s water equation. Dr. Kiro provides some of the that time which might be relevant for the changes in past climate changes and provide internship with the U.S. Geological Survey
tools needed to learn how much water is present in store to Israel in the near geological future. information for environmental and climate Dr. Yael Kiro funded by the United States–Israel Binational
g
an aquifer, its salinity, and what kinds of minerals and models that are essential for future Science Foundation (BSF) in 2009. She did
pollutants are present. Being able to age and track The alarming rate of the Dead Sea’s shrinkage— predictions. her postdoctoral fellowship at the Lamont-
samples of groundwater can provide data on how about a meter per year—is a well-known and Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia
long an aquifer takes to circulate and recharge. This lamented phenomenon that is the result of water Dr. Kiro spent much of the summer of 2019 along the University, and spent time there as an associate
is vital information for politicians and planners as well diversion projects, and industry pumping out the Chilean coast in South America taking core samples research scientist before joining the faculty of the
as earth scientists. salty, profitable water for potash. It’s also the result from the ocean sediments with a team from Rutgers Weizmann Institute in 2019.
מכון ויצמן למדע מכון ויצמן למדעWeizmann MAGAZINE Cover Story SPRING 2020 Weizmann MAGAZINE
A wise future Cover Story 22–23
for neuroscience neuroscience to be too high bear, and the success
rate of neurological medicines too low. Achieving
the scientific momentum necessary to address the
urgent need for solutions demands collaborative,
neuroscience research to a new level, the Weizmann
Institute of Science is launching a $200 million
flagship project, the Institute for Brain and Neural
Weizmann’s flagship initiative will make us smarter
Sciences. It will take shape through the construction
multidisciplinary partnerships that combine of a state-of-the-art building that will serve as a
than ever about the human brain excellence in neurobiology with
insights from chemistry, physics,
hub for more than 40 internationally renowned
groups actively investigating topics of relevance
linguistics, computer science,
N
to brain research and neuroscience—including
euroscience is at a critical juncture, with and engineering, among
other fields.
from physicists and computer scientists working
beyond the archetypical borders of the life sciences.
breakthroughs coming at a rapid pace. In the The building will also house a range of innovative
To take advantage technologies that will allow scientists to explore the
last decade alone, new imaging techniques of recent brain in entirely new ways.
developments
and tools that allow scientists to see, stimulate, and The Institute for Brain and Neural Sciences will
and record brain activity have opened the catapult comprise eight integrated research centers
and an additional center for new technology
door to previously unfeasible studies. An development.
explosion of knowledge in genomics has It is expected to generate a synergy that leverages
spurred explorations of psychiatric and the Weizmann Institute’s permeable boundaries
between departments, and its small size and informal
other brain disorders. Links between culture that enable free-flowing interactions and
collaborations. And, of course, its great science.
the brain and the immune system
have led to new ways to think about
Snapshot of success
diseases like Alzheimer’s, and the
The results speak for themselves. The December
brain has been shown to be far 2019 issue of Nature Neuroscience—the highest-
impact journal in the field—featured a record
more malleable than we ever three articles from one institution, and that
thought possible. institution was the Weizmann Institute. In that
issue, Prof. Alon Chen identified four distinct
Yet many fundamental mysteries remain temperaments among mice—comparable to
unsolved. How do consciousness and personality characteristics in humans—and
cognition emerge from the brain’s complex linked them to specific genetic profiles,
neural networks? How does the brain respond a major step towards enabling scientists
to everyday experience, and to emotional to more deeply study mental health and
stress and physical trauma? Why does brain illness in people. Prof. Rony Paz revealed
function decline with age, and what are the how emotional learning and memory are
circumstances underlying mental illness or represented in the brain by showing that
neurodegeneration? temporal sequences across neurons in the
amygdala serve as a coding mechanism.
Paradoxically, these technological advances Prof. Ofer Yizhar used cutting-edge
and bold questions come on the fleeing optogenetics to track the dynamics of how
heels of big pharmaceutical companies, the brain encodes social sensory cues, with
who have found the risk/reward ratio in relevance to autism spectrum disorder.
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