2019 - Technion - Israel Institute of Technology

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Israeli researchers have developed new technology for transporting drugs within silicon nanostructures to the brain. These nanostructures release an essential protein, which can inhibit the development of Alzheimer’s disease, and can provide targeted delivery in the brain with the use of a “gene gun”.

Cover photo in Small, dedicated to the research of Prof. Ester Segal. The silicon chips are inserted into the brain of a mouse by safe implantation or with a gene gun. The chips break down while releasing a neural growth factor, a protein that prevents the death of nerve cells in Alzheimer’s disease. (credit : Ella Maru Studio)

Prof. Ester Segal

Researchers at the Technion–Israel Institute of Technology and their partners at Bar Ilan University have developed new technology to inhibit the development of Alzheimer’s disease. The work was recently published in the journal Small and also appears on the magazine cover. The research was led by Professor Ester Segal and Ph.D. student Michal Rosenberg from the Technion Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering and their partners, Professor Orit Shefi and Ph.D. student Neta Zilony-Hanin from the Bar Ilan University Faculty of Engineering.

Alzheimer’s, the most common form of dementia, is characterized by symptoms that include memory loss, speech impairments, orientation problems, and significant impairment of motor functions. The disease primarily strikes the elderly population, and after the age of 85 reaches a prevalence of some 30%. Due to the increase in life expectancy and the increase in the elderly population, the overall incidence of the disease has grown and is today referred to as the “gray epidemic” or the “21st century plague.”

Prof. Orit Shefi

Alzheimer’s is a neurodegenerative disease, meaning that it originates in the brain cells. The major cause of the disease is the accumulation of a protein called amyloid beta (Aβ) in brain tissues. The protein blocks kill the nerve cells, also called neurons, in different regions of the brain. This leads, in part, to damage to the cholinergic mechanisms essential for brain function.

Administering a specific protein, neural growth factor, inhibits the damage to the cholinergic mechanisms and the exacerbation of the disease. But delivering the protein into the target area of the brain is not a simple task because the brain rests beneath the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which protects the central nervous system (the brain) from being infiltrated by bacteria and harmful substances from the blood. This barrier also restricts the passage, from the bloodstream to the brain, of drugs intended to treat brain diseases.

Ph.D. Student Michal Rosenberg

The Technion and Bar Ilan University researchers have presented an innovative solution to this challenge: Nanoscale silicon chips for direct insertion of the protein into the brain and its release into the target tissue. The dedicated silicon chips, developed in Prof. Segal’s lab, have a nanoscale porous structure that allows them to be loaded with large amounts of protein. Through precise control of chip properties –- pore dimensions, surface chemical properties and more – the researchers were able to reach an optimal configuration that retains the protein in its active form and then releases it gradually, over a period of about a month. Afterwards, the chips safely degrade in the brain and dissolve.

In this way, as mentioned, the protein is not required to cross the blood-brain barrier since it is inserted directly into the brain in one of two ways: by implanting it into the brain (as a chip) or sending it to its target as microparticles with the use of a dedicated gene gun. Upon reaching the target location in the brain, the protein is released from the chip and the chip breaks down into non-toxic components.

Ph.D. Student Neta Zilony-Hanin

“In a series of experiments, we showed in mice that the two ways of delivering the platform into the brain led to the desired result,” said Technion doctoral student Michal Rosenberg. “Furthermore, our technology has also been tested in a cellular model of Alzheimer’s disease and indeed, the protein release has led to rescuing the nerve cells.”

The research was conducted with the support of the Russel Berrie Nanotechnology Institute at the Technion.

For the full article in the journal Small click here

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Researchers from the Technion have Developed and Tested a New Technology for Transporting Live Seafood

Researchers from the Technion–Israel Institute of Technology have developed an innovative technology for live seafood transportation storage. The technology, which is based on a physiochemical approach for water treatment, is based on the research of Professor Ori Lahav’s research group. Its advanced R&D phase is being supported by funding from the European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT).

Seafood is considered a premium product with a high trade value almost all over the world. The revenue from live shellfish, for example, maybe up to 20 times higher than the revenue that can be obtained from the frozen product. Still, most shellfish are not sold alive because of the challenges posed by their transportation to consumers. For the same reasons live fish are most often sold alive close to the area in which they are caught, most live shipments are operated under conditions that are effective only for short-distance transportations. This is because the water quality tends to deteriorate rapidly during these shipments due to the accumulation of toxic metabolites (ammonia, phosphorus, and carbon dioxide) and microorganisms that are sustained by them, affecting the fish prosperity and increasing mortality.

Professor Ori Lahav

This is where Prof. Lahav, Prof. Youri Gendel and Dr. Raz Ben-Asher, the team that conceived and developed the technology, enter the picture. The new technology is based on a physicochemical approach for water treatment. The treatment unit removes toxic ammonia via electrolysis, i.e. by applying direct electrical current on the water, which converts chloride ions naturally existing in the water, into chlorine that attacks the ammonia. The ammonia oxidizes to benign gaseous N2, which is the major component of the atmosphere. In parallel to the ammonia removal, the system also disinfects the water, an action that contributes to the welfare of the fish and minimizes microbial presence.

One of the main advantages of using such electrochemical processes for livestock holding is that the ammonia removal rate is not affected by temperature. During the shipment, the water temperature is reduced to a minimal value, commonly 2-5 oC, in order to reduce the livestock’s metabolism rate and minimize the excretion of metabolites. Bio-treatment options, which are often used for water treatment inland aquaculture facilities, are ineffective in low temperatures, so they are not relevant for transportation applications.

Prof. Youri Gendel

Prof. Lahav’s research group is currently finishing a series of experiments with a pilot system, based on the new technology, that was designed for prolonged live seafood transportation in closed facilities. Within the examined products are European brown crab, green sea urchin, and arctic char. The experiments are being conducted by the group in the Netherlands and in Iceland, in order to demonstrate the technological abilities under the observation of potential customers.

EIT Food is a foundation under the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) that aims to lead and direct European food production in the coming decades. EIT Food has provided a grant for the project to assist in the development and commercialization of the new technology.

Dr. Raz Ben-Asher

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0144860916300656

An experiment designed by the Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering at the Technion will examine the behavior of anti-bacterial substances in space and their effect on bacteria under conditions of zero gravity.

Prof. Giuseppe Falini from the University of Bologna (right) and Prof. Boaz Pokroy from the Technion.

How does micro-gravity (zero gravity) affect our living world? Technion researchers and their partners in Italy will soon be launching two experiments into outer space to shed light on this fascinating field of inquiry.

The experiments, which examine different effects of micro-gravity, will be launched from French Guinea on a European Space Agency launch. The project is part of a collaboration between the Israeli Space Agency at the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Italian Space Agency, which includes four experiments conducted by the company “Space Pharma.” Each experiment includes one Israeli and one Italian researcher.

The first experiment examines the behavior of anti-microbial molecules and their effect on bacteria and was designed by Prof. Boaz Pokroy of the Technion’s Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering and his partner Prof. Giuseppe Falini of the University of Bologna. The second experiment examines the speed at which blood proteins bind to chemical materials, and was designed by researchers from the Rappaport Faculty of Medicine at the Technion and Tre University in Rome.

The experiment of Prof. Pokroy and Prof. Falini is called SpaceLysis and will examine the effect of micro-gravity on the kinetics of anti-microbial materials and their action on bacteria. On Earth, the interaction between bacteria and these substances depends on diffusion and convection, whereas in space, there will be zero convection, and so the interaction is expected to change significantly, explains Prof. Pokroy. The researchers, who have already conducted the experiment on Earth, seek to study the effect of microgravity on these interactions through the innovative space experiment.

“Your future is here”: 700 outstanding high school students take part in Tech Women at Technion this month.

“Your future is here,” announced computer science student Karen Yitzhak to the group of excellent female high school students attending this year’s Tech Women, which she hosted.

Arriving at Technion City from Israel’s four corners, the 700 female students are presently excelling in math and science at school. During the Tech Women even at Technion – Israel Institute of Technology the students met with researchers, faculty, and graduates, touring laboratories and encountering a range of research fields.

Tech Women events are held at the initiation of the Rosalyn August Women Girls Empowerment Mission (GEM) and are designed to inspire female students with the field of possibility and opportunity at Technion and to encourage them to pursue undergraduate studies in science and engineering.

Technion Vice President for External Relations and Resource Development Prof. Alon Wolf, who opened the event.

“Already in the Technion’s first class in 1924, the 17 students studied included one female. This was at a time when, in many countries, academia was closed to women. Since its first day, the Technion has received male and female students based on their abilities alone and regardless of religion, race and gender,” said Prof. Alon Wolf, Vice President for External Relations and Resource Development who opened the event. “You also came here to the Technion today because of your abilities. If you want to influence the future of the world and determine what it will look like in fifty years’ time, come study at the Technion.”

The opening event was hosted by student Keren Yitzhak, who began her studies at the Technion Preparatory Program some five years ago and will soon complete here bachelor’s degree in computer science. “You were selected to attend this event because you are brilliant, and we have no doubt that your future is here,” said Yitzhak, who in parallel to her studies works at Melanox. “Even if you aren’t sure what you want to do when you grow up, the Technion is a great starting point for you.”

Dr. Rotem Vishinkin, who received her PhD from the Technion this year, spoke about her path at Technion and about the studies she conducted under the guidance of Prof. Hossam Haick of the Wolfson Faculty of Chemical Engineering. In recent years, Dr. Vishinkin innovated a sticker to diagnose tuberculosis. The development, supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

Host of the event, student Karen Yitzhak of the Faculty of Computer Science

and the European Union, is expected to save the lives of millions of people in developing countries through early diagnosis and compatible care. “As a young girl, I dreamed of becoming a doctor,” she told the students. “But in the end, I chose chemical engineering studies, where I combine engineering and life sciences. As the director of the Apatch group, where research partners from academia, hospitals and various companies are developing a sticker to diagnose tuberculosis, I feel that I’m making a unique and significant contribution to humanity.”

Israeli and American scientists have discovered that administering probiotics in hospital intensive care units may lead to blood infections, and in some cases, the adverse effects could outweigh the potential benefits

Scientists from Technion – Israel Institute of Technology and Boston Children’s Hospital have discovered that probiotic consumption may lead to blood infections. Published in Nature Medicine, the study is based on a collaboration between Technion scientists Professor Roy Kishony and Dr. Idan Yelin and research groups led by Professors Gregory Priebe and Thomas Sandora from Boston Children’s Hospital. According to the results of the study, in certain cases, the risk of taking probiotics may outweigh the benefits.

Genetic evidence that infections are caused by probiotic bacteria from administered capsules

Administering probiotics is a common protocol during medical treatments, and its use in hospitals is constantly expanding as a means for preventing diarrhea and intestinal diseases, and sometimes against pneumonia, pancreatitis, and sepsis.

It now appears consuming probiotic bacteria may result in serious side effects. The study by the research team explored the possibility that these same bacteria find their way to the bloodstream and cause an infection. The hypothesis that probiotics may have harmful effects was raised in the past, but until now no decisive evidence had been presented that proved a causal link. But by using advanced whole-genome mapping technology, the Technion and Boston Children’s Hospital scientists showed that in some cases, infection-causing bacteria do originate in the probiotics administered to the patient.

Prof. Roy Kishony

The research is based on data collected over a 5 1/2 -year period from patients being treated at Boston Children’s Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit. During this period, the ICU treated 22,174 patients, of whom 552 received probiotic capsules as part of their treatment. These consisted of Lactobacillus rhamnosus bacteria containing LGG.

During the study, six patients were diagnosed with Lactobacillus rhamnosus blood infections; all were part of the group who received probiotic treatments. Among the thousands of patients who did not receive probiotics, none was diagnosed with this type of blood infection.

In their article in Nature Medicine, the scientists provide evidence that the source of the blood infection was indeed the probiotic bacteria. They used innovative genomic tools to prove the infection-causing bacteria originated in the probiotic. The DNA sequences of the bacteria from the infections were fully extracted at the Technion Genome Center, along with the DNA of bacteria from the probiotic capsules. This showed that the bacteria in the blood also contained LGG.

Dr. Idan Yelin

Further analysis of the data revealed that the bacteria in the capsules and in the blood can not be genetically separated. Furthermore, the limited genetic variety found in the capsules was also found in blood isolates. Some of these bacteria found in the bloodstream were new mutations that were not identified among the capsule bacteria, including a mutation that imparts resistance to antibiotics that was found in an isolate from one of the patients. In other words, in addition to the risk of infection, probiotic consumption may also trigger the growth of bacteria resilient to antibiotics – one of the processes that harm the effectiveness of medical treatments and endangers the patient.

Technion’s share of the research was supported by an ERC grant from the European Union, NIH, and the Beutler Foundation.

Click here for the paper in Nature Medicine

L-R : Gregory Priebe, Christina Merakou, Alexander McAdam, and Tom Sandora
(Photo: Michael Goderre/Boston Children’s Hospital)

In 1969 the Faculty of Computer Science was established, making it an important year in Technion’s history. Three years later, in 1972, the first class of 10 students, including four women graduated. This year 300 graduates completed their studies in the faculty (2018-19 academic year).

In the fifty years of the faculty’s existence, research has expanded and faculty members have made pioneering research discoveries. Some of these include: the Lempel-Ziv algorithm, published in 1977 by Profs. Jacob Ziv and Abraham Lempel which served as the basis for essential ZIP compression technologies; a system to improve 3D cameras developed by Prof. Ron Kimmel and sold to Intel; and the hacking into the GSM cellular network led by Prof. Eli Biham.

On Oct. 30th thousands of students, faculty, staff and alumni and their families joined the 50th-anniversary celebration of the faculty. The celebratory science and technology event included workshops and sessions for children and adults and informal scientific lectures in the format of the popular “Science at the Bar.”

Faculty alumni in attendance included Dr. Yoelle Maarek, Vice President of Amazon worldwide; Dr. Eran Eden, co-founder and CEO of MeMed; Karin Eibschitz Segal, CEO of Intel Israel’s development center; Dr. Kira Radinsky, co-founder and chairwoman of Diagnostic Robotics; and Oded Cohen, director of the IBM research center.

“We have built an amazing place here during the past 50 years,” said Faculty Dean Prof. Dan Geiger. “This faculty is the backbone of the Israeli hi-tech industry and its graduates serve in key positions in the Israeli economy. Computer science is an area that is increasingly concerned with all aspects of life. It is a science that provides challenges and delivers successes at a dizzying pace in: Artificial Intelligence, machine learning, cyber, constant improvement in the ability to organize data, use it in creative ways, and protect it. In the past four years, there has been a 50% increase in the number of undergraduate degrees in computer science and a 90% increase in graduates in advanced degrees. This year, we were also honored and proud that the faculty received the Yanai Award for Teaching Excellence.

“Technion’s Computer Science Faculty has a wonderful history,” said Technion
President Prof. Uri Sivan, “We all proudly follow its ascent. I wish the students, faculty and staff a Happy Jubilee. I am sure they will continue to prosper and succeed.”

For the sixth time: Technion wins a gold medal at the iGEM competition in Boston. Additionally, the team ranked in the top five in the category of community contribution. The group has developed a technology for the creation of bee-free honey.

The Technion team for the iGEM international competition returned from Boston with a gold medal – the sixth gold medal given to the Technion in this competition over the years.

The Technion team at the iGEM competition

The Technion team has been working on the development of bee-free honey for the past year. The synthetic honey is produced by the bacterium Bacillus subtilis, which “learns” to produce the honey following reprogramming in the lab. The innovation gains importance within the context of the decline in bee populations in many parts of the world. Moreover, in the artificial production of honey, the manufacturer can determine the properties of the honey, including its taste.

iGEM is a prestigious competition established in 2004 by MIT – The Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The competition gives students the opportunity to study and experiment with all aspects of scientific and applied research in synthetic biology. Some 300 teams from universities all over the world took part in the competition.

This year, with the support of the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Technion, a delegation left for the US comprised of 12 students from six different faculties at the Technion: Biomedical Engineering; Medicine; Biotechnology and Food Engineering; Industrial Management and Engineering; Chemical Engineering; and Aerospace Engineering. The students are: Asaf Licht; Lior Haim; Zeinat Awwad; Nir Litver; Mai Dror; Ofri Warsha; Ilan Brajzblat; Oriyet Tibi; Yehonatan Zur; Dor Ben Meir; Shira Levi; and Lidya Tannenzapf.

The Technion team at the airport

Student groups from the Technion have been participating in the iGEM competition since 2012 under the initiative of Prof. Roee Amit, head of the Synthetic Biology Laboratory for the Decipherment of Genomic Codes in the Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, and Lab Director Dr. Orna Atar. This year the group was also guided by mentors Noa Eden, Tzila Davidov, and Liron Abrahami-Patchuk.

The competition is structured so that groups are required to both develop a scientific-technological idea, and to present themselves as real business enterprises. In addition to the development of new technology, group members are required to raise research funding; meet with relevant experts from academia and industry; and perform experiments to improve the product. Over the years, dozens of startups have been born through the international competition.

“The winnings in the competition are definitely exciting, but equally important is the intellectual property created around the project,” said Prof. Roee Amit. “Just this year, we’ve shortlisted two rare achievements with developments from previous student competitions: a scientific article published January 2, 2019; and a patent approved in the United States on March 26, 2019.”

The article, which was published in the ACS Biomaterials Science and Engineering journal, describes the use of engineered bacteria to detect and measure harmful substances in food and water. Patent No. 10240132, which Prof. Amit and Dr. Attar are signed onto together with students Alexei Tomsov and Maayan Lufton who participated in the 2015 delegation, is a device for preventing baldness based on body bacteria activity.

One parameter for participation in the competition is social contribution. Within this framework, the Technion group held a unique Hackathon on environmental issues and sustainability. At the Hackathon, 44 outstanding students from 10th-12th grade in Haifa participated, with “The Green Choice” group winning first place, developing a solution to reduce the amount of food waste in the world. This was achieved through an application that allows supermarkets to offer lower prices on products that are about to expire. The Hackathon organization put the Technion team among the top five in the iGEM Community Engagement category.

Technion Awards Harvey Prize to Developers of the CRISPR-Cas9 Genetic Editing Technology, and to Father of Algorithmic Game Theory

From left: Prof. Christos H. Papadimitriou, Prof. Emmanuelle Charpentier, Technion President Prof. Uri Sivan, Prof. Feng Zhang

The prestigious Harvey Prize for science and technology was awarded on Sunday at Technion to Prof. Emmanuelle Charpentier, Prof. Jennifer Doudna, and Prof. Feng Zhang, who developed the groundbreaking genetic editing technology CRISPR-Cas9, and to Prof. Christos H. Papadimitriou, one of the founding fathers of algorithmic game theory. The ceremony was attended by Technion President Prof. Uri Sivan, Executive V.P. for Research Prof. Koby Rubinstein, Executive V.P. for Academic Affairs Prof. Shimon Marom, Senior Executive V.P. Prof. Oded Rabinovitch, V.P. for External Relations and Resource Development Prof. Alon Wolf, deans, and faculty members. The master of ceremonies was Prof. Adi Salzberg of the Rappaport Faculty of Medicine.

“The four individuals who received the prize are proof that curiosity, creativity and determination can indeed change the world.”

“The Harvey Prize epitomizes the institution that I have the honor of heading,” Technion President Prof. Uri Sivan said at the ceremony. “It represents excellence on a global scale, celebrates human ingenuity and accomplishments, and showcases the power of science to improve humanity. The four individuals who received the prize are proof that curiosity, creativity and determination can indeed change the world.”

Technion President Prof. Uri Sivan awards the prize to Prof. Emmanuelle Charpentier

Prof. Emmanuelle Charpentier from the Max Planck Institute and Prof. Jennifer Doudna from UC Berkeley published their historic article in 2012 in the prestigious journal Science, describing how the bacterial protein CRISPR-Cas9 can identify targets in the DNA. The article demonstrated how Cas9 can be easily programmed to edit a broad range of DNA targets. Prof. Charpentier and Prof. Doudna were awarded the Harvey Prize for their extraordinary contribution to understanding central aspects of the CRISPR-Cas9 bacterial defense system and its use as a genome-editing tool to program eukaryotic cells, as well as for clarifying structural biology and the biochemistry of the CRISPR-Cas9 system and its translation to applied science. These dramatic discoveries generated a revolution in life sciences and make it possible to edit, modify and repair DNA. In the future, these breakthroughs are expected to spark the development of innovative treatments for diseases and aging.

“Basic science did not lose its importance, and it is still crucial for developing important applications,” said Prof. Charpentier, who is head of the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Pathogens, at the ceremony. “A deep understanding of biological processes is necessary for developing medical applications and innovative treatments for serious diseases, and I am extremely grateful for the academic freedom we are given and for the financial support for our work.

“It is a great honor for me to receive this prize, and I thank the Technion for acknowledging the importance of our research. I would not have been able to embark by myself on the long journey that led to the development of the CRISPR-Cas9 technology as a genetic editing tool, and I would like to thank all the young students and brilliant colleagues who worked with me over the years, and especially my partner Prof. Jennifer Doudna.”

Prof. Doudna, who was unable to attend the ceremony, expressed gratitude for the prize in a video clip. “It’s a wonderful honor to be receiving the Harvey Prize for the development of the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technology. I congratulate my co-recipients and in particular, I acknowledge the wonderful collaboration with the lab of Prof. Emmanuelle Charpentier. Our teams worked together to understand the fundamental biology of a bacterial immune system known as CRISPR. When we figured out how Cas9 works as a programmable enzyme, we recognized it could be harnessed as a powerful technology to change the DNA sequences cells and of organisms – in ways that scientists around the world are now using towards curing genetic diseases and coming up with agricultural solutions to the problems of climate change and pestilence.”

Technion President Prof. Uri Sivan awards the prize to Prof. Feng Zhang

Prof. Feng Zhang received the prize for a landmark article published in Science in 2013 on CRISPR-Cas9 technology for genomic editing in developed organisms and on using the CRISPR-Cas9 system as an RNA-programmable system for use in eukaryotic cells. “Working with scientists from all over the world creates close research and personal relationships, and I’m glad that I have wonderful friends and colleagues also from Israel,” Prof. Feng Zhang said at the ceremony. Prof. Zhang, who is 38, is the youngest person to ever win a Harvey Prize. “The Harvey Prize is a huge honor for me, and I have no doubt that it will motivate me to return to the lab and continue working hard.”

The winner in the field of Computer Science, Prof. Christos H. Papadimitriou, is considered the father of algorithmic game theory. He taught at Harvard, the National Technical University of Athens, Stanford, UC San Diego and UC Berkeley, and is currently a professor of Computer Science at Columbia University. He is one of the leading scientists in the theory of computer science, and is best known for his work on computational complexity. Prof. Papadimitriou won a Gödel Prize in 2012.

Technion President Prof. Uri Sivan awards the prize to Prof. Christos H. Papadimitriou

Prof. Papadimitriou said at the ceremony that, “Twenty-five years ago, Computer Science’s center of gravity shifted from the computer itself to the Internet. This process led to studies that were crucial for the development of Science, for improving humanity and for understanding the universe. I’m happy that I was able to participate in these developments and to work with outstanding researchers from the Technion, especially the late Prof. Shimon Even. It is a big honor for me not just to receive the prize, but also to receive it together with the developers of CRISPR-Cas9, who are responsible for a revolution in life sciences.”

The Harvey Prize, which was established in 1971 by Leo M. Harvey of Los Angeles, is awarded annually at Technion for exceptional achievements in science, technology, and human health, and for outstanding contributions to peace in the Middle East, to society and to the economy. Over the years, more than a quarter of Harvey laureates have subsequently won the Nobel Prize and therefore the Harvey Prize is considered a “Nobel predictor.”

Technion Academic Year Opens: More than 2,000 new students start their studies at Technion. More than 16,500 students will be at Technion in the 2019/20 academic year

Some 2,060 new students began their studies at Technion – Israel Institute of Technology this morning. During the 2019/20 academic year, some 16,520 students will study at Technion – approximately 12,250 undergraduates and some 4,270 graduate students (master’s and doctorate). Additionally, 294 international graduate students will study at the Technion this year.*

This year, 172 students will study at the Technion International School. Technion International initially held courses in civil and environmental engineering, this year the school has added courses in mechanical engineering, chemical engineering and biotechnology and food engineering. Of the students who completed their bachelor’s degrees at Technion International last year – 22 out of 42 will continue on to pursue a master’s degree at Technion. The Joan and Irwin Jacobs Technion- Cornell Institute in New York will have 144 students enrolled and 727 students will study at the Guangdong-Technion-Israel Institute of Technology (GTIIT) in China.

In his remarks to the new students, Technion President Prof. Uri Sivan said: “Nearly a century has passed since studies began at Technion with a class of 17 students, 16 males, and one female. Since that humble beginning and with constant adherence to the vision of its founders, the Technion has provided over eighty thousand engineers, researchers, and doctors, whose tremendous contributions to the state and society can be found everywhere. Technion fosters co-existence within Israeli society, and the education our students receive enables them to improve society and the quality of life worldwide for present and future generations.”

The Technion is actively continuing on-campus development – with the building of new classrooms, additional dorms, sports facilities and other infrastructure for student welfare. At the same time, Technion is expanding its international research collaborations with more than 200 universities around the world. The Technion continues to lead in the annual survey on teaching quality by the National Student Association, placing it at the top of Israeli research universities.

This year, for the first time in Israel, the Technion will introduce a compulsory course on construction safety. The “Introduction to Management and Safety in Construction” course will be taught by Dr. Avi Griffel, one of the leading experts in the field of work safety.

* Data as per the date of this publication.