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Calcium is an element that is vital to our health. While its effects on bone strength are particularly well known, it has a far broader function in the human body. Calcium is a “messenger” that transmits signals between cells and plays an important part in processes that control gene expression in immune cells, muscle contraction, electrical transmission in the nervous system, and many other body functions. Abnormal changes in calcium levels in cells are liable to lead to various illnesses, and as a result, a complex control system that regulates the levels of calcium in cells has developed throughout the course of evolution.

Professor Raz Palty of the Rappaport Faculty of Medicine has spent many years studying a central cellular process called store-operated calcium entry that nearly all types of cells use in order to control the levels of their internal calcium stores. Previous research studies have shown that two different proteins called STIM and Orai play a key role in this machinery. The STIM protein senses the levels of calcium in the cell’s internal stores. When the stores empty, STIM communicates this information to Orai, which is a calcium entry channel in the plasma (cell) membrane. Opening of the Orai channel by STIM allows for calcium entry into the cell and replenishment of the cell’s stores.

L-R: Dr. Elia Zomot, Hadas Achildiev Cohen, Ruslana Kotsofruk and Professor Raz Palty

L-R: Dr. Elia Zomot, Hadas Achildiev Cohen, Ruslana Kotsofruk and Prof. Raz Palty

That is how the function of the Orai-STIM store-operated calcium entry system works under normal conditions. However, when this regulation system stops working (for example due to loss of function mutation to one of the two essential proteins), the clinical consequences can be catastrophic, including serious harm to the function of T cells, which are an essential part of the immune system.

“The store-operated calcium shuttling system in the cell has been studied for many years,” explained Prof. Palty, who conducted the research together with Dr. Ronald Udasin and Dr. Elia Zomot. “But since this is a highly complex system that generates different calcium signals in different types of cells and also works alongside other calcium entry mechanisms, in a ‘noisy’ environment, it is often very hard to study the role of this cellular machinery under normal physiological settings in which cells are exposed to their native agonists.”

Over the past few years, Prof. Palty’s research group has worked on this challenge, using a variety of techniques from chemistry, biology, and physics, in collaboration with the research groups headed by Professor Yuval Shaked of the Rappaport Faculty of Medicine and Professor Michael Kienzler of the University of Connecticut. The researchers’ article in PNAS describes the present breakthrough in establishing a technology that allows for a precise spatial and temporal control of calcium entry via STIM and Orai.

The technology presented in the article is based on a novel approach called photopharmacology – the activation of drugs that block calcium entry through Orai channels in the target tissue using light. The researchers built a form of optical switch that grants them control of when and where drugs introduced to the body are active, and in a reversible manner. In this way, they are able to control the level of calcium influx via the Orai channel into the cell and to do it in the desired location and time. Using this technology, the research group succeeded in modulating calcium entry in T lymphocytes and in regulating the production of cytokines that are crucial to the functioning of the immune system.

Furthermore, in a series of experiments in collaboration with a research group led by Professor Alex Binshtok of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the researchers found that the Orai-STIM store-operated calcium shuttling machinery is also active in the sensation of pain, meaning that its manipulation may facilitate a more accurate understanding of pain transmission mechanisms. The follow-up study with research groups of Professor Michael Kienzler and Prof. Binshtok is designed to provide the researchers with a deeper understanding of these regulation mechanisms and to broaden the clinical applications of the technology they have developed.

Calcium cell level. On the left – intervention-free; on the right – after using the technology developed by the Technion research group. The white circle marks the illuminated area in which the light activates the molecule that triggers calcium influx into the cell.

The research was sponsored by the U.S. National Science Foundation, the Israel Science Foundation, the Cecile and Seymour Alpert Chair in Pain Research at the Hebrew University, the US – Israel Binational Science Foundation, and the Rappaport Family Institute for Research in the Medical Sciences at the Technion.

For the full article in PNAS click here.

On May 9 – one year after PTC signed a long-term strategic collaboration to invest 15 million New Israeli Shekel ($5 Million U.S.) in the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology – an international team from various PTC offices worldwide came to the Technion to discuss progress, share hopes and excitement, and visit the newly dedicated Research and Development center on campus, which is in the final stages of being built.

Left to right: Ziv Belfer, Technion President Prof. Uri Sivan and Kevin Wrenn

A team of 9 people from PTC international and 8 from PTC Israel including Kevin Wrenn (U.S.) – EVP, Products and Ziv Belfer (Israel), Executive VP, PTC R&D arrived to meet Professor Uri Sivan, the President of the Technion, Professor Boaz Golany, Executive Vice President & Director General and Professor Koby Rubinstein, Executive Vice President for Research, to discuss their unique cooperation. This pioneering model for industry-academia collaboration is the fruit of Technion’s long history with PTC and a model the Technion hopes will serve as the first of many between itself and industry.

PTC delegation with representatives of the Technion management

Technion President Prof. Uri Sivan opened the meeting by welcoming the PTC delegation to the Technion and to Israel. He outlined the importance of the Technion in the history of Israel’s development from civil infrastructure through micro and optoelectronics to aerospace. He said that “We do the best research we can and train our students as best we can, but we also consider Israel’s economy and security as part of our mission. Indeed, our impact is unparalleled”. He further updated that the Technion is building a new eco-system with industry by strengthening ties with a selected group of industrial partners and that he is proud to have PTC as such a close partner.

Kevin Wrenn, EVP, Products, PTC spoke on behalf of PTC with an “incredibly optimistic outlook on this very important partnership.” He went on to talk about the “three goals being basic research, working with the Technion to train the best engineers possible and joining forces between Technion, PTC, and their subset of customers” (some 30,000 industrial customers around the world). He talked about the incredibly sophisticated engineering techniques that PTC is developing and the digital transformation that is taking place.

“We are very excited about this partnership,” said Ziv Belfer, Executive Vice President of Global Research and Development and General Manager, PTC Israel. “Technion will become the first place in the world to teach this technology [generative engineering] in a university. Industrial research can make sure that education is at the forefront of what’s happening in the world.” He went on to say that the new R&D center at the Technion will be a front arm for PTC and that together they will influence research and collaborate on education. He also said that the digital engineering center will evolve to be strategically important.

PTC delegation in front of their new R&D building in the Gutwirth Industrial Park in the Technion

Executive Vice President & Director General Professor Boaz Golany talked about how PTC is aligned with the three frontiers of Technion’s strategic plan: human health, sustainability, and digital industries, each of which was open to input and fertilization from all faculties. He likened PTC’s involvement in the partnership to being the “future captain of an industrial club,” which would then serve as a model for others.

The PTC delegation continued their visit to their R&D center on campus, which is due to open in November and which will be home to around 100 people.

PTC delegates on a visit to the Microfluidic Technologies Laboratory of Prof. Moran Bercovici in the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering

After more than two years of disruptive pandemic, we’re delighted to host our board of governors meeting on campus. Entitled “Science & Innovation for a Sustainable Future,” the weeklong event will kick off of the Technion’s centennial celebrations, and feature meetings with students and faculty, as well as off-campus tours.

The weeklong event will also feature a tech summit whose speakers are some of Israel’s leading figures in high-tech. Open to the general public, this is the first time TheMarker will host its prestigious “Technovation” conference in Haifa. The conference will be held at the Technion, in Hebrew, on June 14. Register here.

Check out our BOG meeting and other news by reading the May 2022 edition of our newsletter, ‘Technion LIVE,’ which also includes items on the lens fabricated in space for the first time; a historic agreement; digital health revolution, and more exciting news.

Click here to read the latest e-newsletter. For past issues, click here.

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Researchers in the Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology have developed “bionic bacteria.” The innovative technology has many potential applications in industry (e.g. improved production of chiral compounds and fuels), in the environment (e.g. sensing hazardous substances using bacteria), and in precise medicine (e.g. targeted release of biological drugs in the body using external light).

The study was led by Assistant Professor Omer Yehezkeli and Ph.D. student Oren Bachar, and co-authored by doctoral student Matan Meirovich and master’s student Yara Zeibaq. The journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition, which published the study, chose it as a “hot paper”.

Asst Prof. Omer Yehezkeli

“My research group deals with the interface between engineering and biotechnology at the nanoscale level,” explained Prof. Yehezkeli. “Our goal is to blur the current boundaries between the different disciplines and mostly between nanometer materials and biological systems such as bacteria. In our research, we use the unique properties of nanoscale particles on the one hand, and the tremendous selectivity of biological systems on the other, to create bionic systems that perform synergistically.”

Nanoscale semiconductor particles are usually produced in chemical processes that require high temperatures and organic solvents. In the current study, the researchers were able to create, using engineered proteins, an environment that enables the growth of nanometer particles under biological conditions and at room temperature. In turn, the grown nanoparticles can lead to light-induced processes of biological components.

“The use of engineered proteins for the self-growth of nanomaterials is a promising strategy that opens up new scientific horizons for combining inanimate and living matter,” said Prof. Yehezkeli. “In the current study, we demonstrated the use of engineered proteins to grow CdS nanoparticles capable of recycling NADPH through light radiation. NADPH is crucial in many enzymatic processes and therefore its generation is desired.”

Enzymes are a common biological component involved in all living cell functions. These are proteinaceous structures that drive desirable actions by creating a suitable biochemical environment. Billions of years of evolution have led to the development of a broad spectrum of enzymes responsible for the many and varied functions in the cell.

Ph.D. student Oren Bachar

In their study, the researchers showed that NADPH could be produced (recycled) using the genetically modified SP1 protein. This protein is made up of 12 repeating subunits that form a “donut-like” structure with a 3 nanometers “hole” (3 billion meters in diameter). Using biotechnology engineering tools, the researchers made changes in the sub-units so that it would allow the growth of a nanometer particle to grow in the protein cavity. The resulting particle can be triggered by light to induce electron flux. These electrons are then utilized for redox enzyme activation toward the production of chiral products. Chiral substances are molecules that have a “mirror” molecule – the same molecule, but in the opposite direction. Many natural processes, both in the human body and other life forms, for example in bacteria, are chiral; only one form will be catalyzed by the desired biological process, while the “mirror” molecule will not. In some cases, the mirror molecules can harm the host or even be lethal. The pharmaceutical industry usually requires a pure enantiomer (the molecule without the conjugated “mirror”). Enzymes are great catalysts for this because they are also mostly chiral and produce pure chiral substances. The developed nano-bio hybrid system that consists of enzymes and nanoparticles operates under visible light for at least 22 hours to produce a clean chiral product (over 99%), and with a conversion efficiency of the substrate reaching 82%.

“This is a preliminary demonstration of the direct connection of inanimate matter (abiotic) with living matter (biotic) and a platform for its operation in a way that does not exist in nature,” said Prof. Yehezkeli. “The technology we have developed enables the creation of hybrid components that connect these two types of materials into one unit, and we are already working on fully integrated living cells with promising initial results. We believe that beyond the specific technological success in the production of NADPH and the production of chiral materials, there is evidence of the feasibility of a new paradigm that may contribute greatly to improving performance in many areas including energy, medicine, and the environment.”

Figure depicting how the nanoparticle forms in the protein cavity and is subsequently activated by a light-induced reaction to enable the enzymes NADPH reductase (FNR) and imine reductase that leads to the formation of chiral cyclic amines. (Illustration: Neta Kasher)

Assistant Professor Omer Yehezkeli is a faculty member in the Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering and a member of the Russell Berrie Nanotechnology Institute (RBNI) and the Nancy and Stephen Grand Technion Energy Program (GTEP). The article was supported by the Ministry of Energy, the Russell Berrie Nanotechnology Institute, and the Grand Technion Energy Program.

For the full article in Angewandte Chemie International Edition click here

Half the oxygen in the world is produced not by plants on earth, but by single-cell “plants” that live in the ocean. One of the major groups of these “plants” are the cyanobacteria (also formerly known as “blue-green algae”). Like land plants, cyanobacteria perform photosynthesis: they trap CO₂ to produce oxygen and organic compounds (fats, sugars, etc.). Like any other living organism, sometimes cyanobacteria get infected by viruses. Now a team headed by Professor Debbie Lindell from the Technion Faculty of Biology finds that just like humans, cyanobacteria can experience viral epidemics that significantly affect their population. These findings were published in Nature Microbiology.

Prof. Debbie Lindell

Dr. Michael Carlson, a postdoctoral fellow in Prof. Lindell’s lab, sailed along the Pacific Ocean to study the populations of two common cyanobacteria: Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus. The two genera live in different latitudes: Prochlorococcus lives in warmer but less nutrient-rich waters, while Synechococcus prefers colder and more nutrient-rich latitudes. In the area between, both thrive, creating a hotspot, or “cyanobacteria-city.”

Dr. Michael Carlson

This hotspot, it turns out, is also a hotspot of viral activity. Much like a bustling city sees considerably more viral infection than a remote village, in the “cyanobacteria-city” more cyanobacteria are infected. Thrice more, normally, as Prof. Lindell and Dr. Carlson saw in 2015 and 2016. But when the team arrived at the same location in 2017, they found the Prochlorococcus population in the hotspot significantly reduced and displaying 10 times more infection than normal. In 2017, the Prochlorococcus population declined at 17^oC, when normally these cyanobacteria are comfortable at temperatures as low as 12^oC. The Prochlorococcus, in short, suffered a viral outbreak, causing a high percentage of them to die.

Until now, it had not been known that viral infection could have such a dramatic effect on cyanobacterial populations. It was known that viruses infected and killed cyanobacteria, certainly. But among the other factors affecting cyanobacterial population size, such as being eaten by bigger organisms, water temperature, and nutrient availability, to name a few, viral infection was not known to be significant. Prof. Lindell’s group’s findings are comparable in their impact to someone who, after having known for years about the existence of the flu, suddenly discovers the 1918 Spanish influenza.

Research vessel

This discovery was made possible by technologies Prof. Lindell’s lab had developed earlier. The group devised novel methods to quantify the groups of viruses that infect the cyanobacteria, and the extent to which these viruses infect their hosts. Sailing northwards from Hawaii, the group was able to sample the same locations over three years at high spatial resolution, and discover the 2017 infection event. Satellite data on water temperature and chlorophyll concentration allowed the group to infer that the phenomenon they observed was spread across the North Pacific Ocean, and not limited to the single cruise track they sailed along.

The lab on the ship

While the Prochlorococcus population suffered in 2017, the population of Synechococcus was less affected, and in fact increased in size and spread, benefitting from the reduced competition. Prof. Lindell and her team believe this to be due to the fact that Synechococcus reproduce faster: the viruses killed Prochlorococcus before they were able to reproduce, but it didn’t have the same impact on Synechococcus.

At least half the earth’s oxygen production and primary production of organic compounds comes from the ocean. Oceans cover 70% of the planet’s surface, they drive weather and regulate temperature. Yet much remains unknown about the oceans and the organisms that live in them. The work of Prof. Lindell’s lab helps shed a little light into what goes on in the depths of the ocean.

Graph from the Nature Microbiology article: cyanophage abundance in the North Pacific, as mapped by the Technion team. Warmer colours represent higher abundance. The black lines indicate the cruise track in 2016-2017. The grey areas represent regions with no values due to cloud cover or that were beyond the limits of the predictive model. The hotspot peak corresponds to yellow regions

This study was led by Prof. Lindell and Dr. Carlson, in collaboration with researchers from the University of Washington and the University of Hawaii. It was supported by the European Research Council (ERC) and the Simons Foundation as part of the Simons Collaboration on Ocean Processes and Ecology (SCOPE). Dr. Carlson was supported by a Fulbright Postdoctoral Fellowship.

For the full article in Nature Microbiology click here

Scientists in the Technion Faculty of Biology have discovered a new mechanism that regulates DNA damage repair. The study, published in Molecular Cell, was conducted by Professor Nabieh Ayoub and members of his research group, Enas Abu-Zhaiya, Laila Bishara, Feras Machour, Alma Barisaac, and Bella Ben-Oz.

The genetic material (DNA) is a double-stranded molecule located at the nucleus of each cell of our body. DNA molecules can experience hundreds of thousands of lesions (mutations) each day. One of the most dangerous DNA lesions is a double-stranded break (DSB) that affects both strands of DNA. Fortunately, our cells contain hundreds of proteins that are involved in repairing these mutations and keeping our DNA intact.

Defective DSB repair could lead to accumulation of mutations compromising the stability of our genome, which contributes to premature aging, developmental disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer. For example, loss of BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene (two critical genes for proper repair of DSBs) might lead to the development of breast and ovarian cancer. Prof. Ayoub’s lab is interested in understanding how cells repair DSBs and is focused on identifying new repair proteins and characterizing their role in DNA damage repair and cancer development. Their ultimate goal is to translate these discoveries into diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to selectively eradicate cancer cells.

Transcription refers to the process of copying the information in DNA to a new molecule of messenger RNA that can encode proteins. DSB induction that happens in close proximity to active genes inhibits transcriptional activity to avoid transcribing broken genes (known as DSB-induced transcriptional silencing). Importantly, failure to silence broken genes can cause cancer. While it is widely accepted today that DSB-induced transcriptional silencing is necessary for effective DSB repair, the mechanisms that ensure DSB-induced transcriptional silencing remain largely unknown.

The authors of the article hold a double-stranded DNA-molecule containing histones with crotonyl (Kcr) modification on them, in a routine state where gene expression is possible (marked with a green light). R-L: Feras Machour, Prof. Nabieh Ayoub, Enas Abu Zhahyia, Bella Ben-Oz, Alma Barisaac and Laila Bishara

Recently, scientists from Prof. Ayoub’s lab discovered a dual role of CDYL1 protein in DSB repair and in DSB-induced transcriptional silencing. The researchers showed that CDYL1 protein is rapidly recruited to DSB sites and contributes to their repair. In addition, they discovered that CDYL1 protein participates in DSB-induced transcriptional silencing. Mechanistically, CDYL1 promotes DSB-induced silencing by removing a chemical modification called crotonyl (Kcr) from histones (proteins that wrap the DNA and control its activity) at DSB sites. The researchers found that contrary to the current dogma, DSB-induced transcriptional silencing is not required for intact DSB repair. Broadly speaking, these findings expand our understanding of the mechanism that regulates gene expression after DNA damage, and shed new insights into the crosstalk between DNA repair and transcription regulation.

Click here for the paper in Molecular Cell

Technion scientists have developed a unique water pump powered solely by solar energy to improve agricultural yield in remote areas. This solar energy-powered water pump does not require an electrical power supply. The pump, built from simple and inexpensive components, does not contain moving parts, therefore it is cost-effective to manufacture and maintain. The prototype, built at the Technion, demonstrates the efficiency of this technology to pump water from wells in arid and remote areas.

From Haifa to Mek’ele Kristos

Ethiopia is a country in East Africa, with an agriculture-based economy. Many regions in the country suffer from an ongoing drought and lack of available sources of water. In 2013, the first connection was established between the Technion and the village of Mek’ele Kristos in northern Ethiopia, as part of the activities of the Technion branch of Engineers Without Borders (EWB), headed by Prof. Mark Talesnick. Their first project in the village, with the participation of 15 Technion students and many members of the local community, was a system for storing rainwater at the local school. The system provides drinking water to the school and eliminates the need to transport water in buckets from the nearest well. This development freed village children to study, rather than prioritize bringing water.

For Africa

The current project, a thermoacoustic pump, was born following the establishment of the Mauerberger Foundation Fund (MFF) Research Award for Transformative Technologies for Africa in 2019, with a large prize of half a million dollars. Two groups were selected in the first round of finalists for the award: the first was a group of researchers from the Technion and South Africa – Prof. Guy Ramon, Prof. Mark Talesnick and Prof. Yehuda Agnon of the Technion Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Lesley Petrick of the University of the Western Cape in South Africa. The other finalists were a group of researchers from Ben Gurion University of the Negev.

Prof. Ramon says, “The study granted us the unique opportunity to harness technology that we developed in the laboratory for the benefit of the village. It led to thoughts in several different directions, beginning with extraction of water from the air and then also considerations of water purification, but it was important for us to understand which technology would generate the greatest positive change – where we would find the maximum potential impact. Here the EWB Technion people came to our aid. They conducted an in-depth survey of the target community and came back to us with a clear answer – the most urgent need of the community and the solution that will make the greatest contribution to the villagers’ quality of life is pumping water from the wells. We learned that most of the wells in Ethiopia are not usable for agriculture because they do not have pumps, or the pumps are damaged, and a solution to that will bring dramatic change for the better.”

The solar water pump

The challenge

The most popular crop in Ethiopia is teff – a plant from the grain family used to prepare various foods, among them injera. Ethiopia is responsible for 90% of the world’s teff production.

“One of the problems in growing teff in the Mek’ele Kristos region,” explains Prof. Talesnick, “is that due to the lack of availability of water for agriculture, the crop grows solely on rainwater, which leads to only one annual growing season. Irrigation water from wells could add at least one more growing cycle per year.”

The challenge was to develop a simple, inexpensive and durable pump that does not require an electrical power source (which is unavailable in many parts of Ethiopia), or fuel (which is very expensive).

The technology

The system developed by the Technion is based on a thermoacoustic engine – an engine that does not have pistons or other moving parts. Such engines have interested Prof. Guy Ramon since his doctorate at the Technion, which he completed under the supervision of Prof. Yehuda Agnon in the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Heat engines, such as gasoline engines in cars, operate on compression and expansion of gas. A piston compresses a mixture of fuel and air, a spark ignites it, and the rapid expansion of the gas pushes the piston back and propels the vehicle wheels. These engines contain many moving parts, which increases the cost of manufacturing and maintenance.

A thermoacoustic engine does not have moving parts. The engine built in the Technion looks like a conical pipe, which is used as an acoustic resonator. The wide end absorbs sunlight and heats the gas in that area. The hot gas expands along the pipe, where it cools and contracts. According to Prof. Agnon, “This intermittent action causes thermoacoustic instability, to put it simply, sound waves. Thermoacoustic instability is a disturbing phenomenon in many contexts, such as jet and rocket engines, where instability can cause structural damage. However, here, this phenomenon is harnessed to operate the engine. The sound wave acts as a kind of moving piston that generates pumping in pulses – the water is pumped and streamed in pulses, not continuously.”

מימין לשמאל: עידו בן-הרצל, אבישי מאיר, ג׳ואי קאסל, נתן בלנק, פרופ’ גיא רמון, ענבל שגב, פרופ’ יהודה עגנון, פרופ’ מרק טלסניק

The research team

Lab engineer Avishai Meir says that the planning and building process to complete the current prototype took around a year and a half. “We hope that soon we will be able to demonstrate the system in the sun outside the lab. The idea is that this device is composed of inexpensive and available parts – radiator parts, recycled plastic, the main metal pipe, and more. This will make it possible to construct it anywhere in the world, no matter how remote. Our thoughts are currently directed toward Ethiopia, but this concept can be implemented anywhere, certainly in remote areas that do not have a regular power supply, but also in the Western world.”

“Moreover”, says Prof. Ramon, “the technology we’re developing has other uses besides pumping – cooling (refrigerators and air conditioners, in which the sound wave replaces the compressor), ventilation, power generation, water purification, and more. That’s why we hope and believe that this development will bring change not only in Mek’ele Kristos, but in many places that suffer from inadequate water and power availability, as well as reduction of our dependence on electricity for space cooling.”

Tonight, on Israel’s Independence Day, three Technion professors will receive the prestigious Israel Prize, an unprecedented number: Prof. Emeritus Joshua Zak of the Faculty of Physics will be awarded for Physics and Chemistry Research; Prof. Emeritus Yoram Palti of the Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine will receive the award in the field of Entrepreneurship and Technological Innovation; and Prof. Emeritus Moussa Youdim of the Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine for his research in Life Sciences.

The ceremony will be held tonight (Israel’s Independence Day), May 5, 2022, at 6:30 pm at the International Convention Center (ICC) in Jerusalem.

Prof. Zak’s scientific contributions serve, and will continue to serve, in gaining an understanding of materials physics

The Israel Prize Committee has decided to honor Prof. Zak for “the development of mathematical tools such as the Zak Transform and the Zak Phase for the study of quantum phenomena in crystalline solids. These tools allow for the prediction of materials with unique properties to build electronic devices… His scientific contributions serve, and will continue to serve, in gaining an understanding of materials physics.”

Prof. Zak

Known for the Zak Transform and the Zak Phase, Prof. Zak is awarded for his contribution to the understanding of condensed matter physics. “Prof. Zak’s research has ‎led to breakthroughs in understanding fundamental phenomena at the ‎forefront of research into quantum mechanics, while contributing greatly to practical engineering ‎applications,” Technion President Prof. Uri Sivan said. “He is a member of the generation of giants that founded the Department of ‎Physics at the Technion, laying the foundations for theoretical physics in Israel.”

Prof. Palti’s work is an excellent example of the integration of engineering and medicine – integration that is among the Technion’s most distinctive hallmarks

Prof. Palti will be awarded the Israel Prize for developing “a groundbreaking method for electrical treatment of several types of cancer. The treatment is noninvasive and highly selective… This type of breakthrough necessitates thinking outside the box and a deep conviction, requiring Prof. Palti to challenge and change existing approaches in this field.”

Prof. Palti has dedicated himself to applying his research to the clinical field. Novocure, the company he founded in 2000, developed an innovative treatment for cancer patients based on special electric fields (Tumor Treating Fields) that attack the cancerous cells without harming surrounding healthy cells, and therefore do not produce side effects or other risks. Successful clinical trials led to FDA approval for the treatment of three types of cancer. Novocure’s technology also received CE approval (the European equivalent of the FDA) for treating all types of solid cancer. Treatments for six additional types of cancer, including pancreatic, liver, ovarian, and lung cancer, are currently at various stages of clinical trials.

Prof. Sivan: “Prof. Palti not only developed a new technology, but a groundbreaking new approach to the treatment of cancer – an approach that does not involve chemotherapy or other drugs. His work is an excellent example of the integration of engineering and medicine – integration that is among the Technion’s most distinctive hallmarks.”

Prof. Palti (photo by Peter Doyle)

Prof. Youdim’s brilliant work has brought about a dramatic change in the understanding of ‎neurodegenerative diseases and transformed the quality of life of Parkinson’s ‎patients‎

Prof. Youdim is awarded the Israel Prize for “his pioneering, groundbreaking scientific achievements in the field of neuropharmacology. He has trained generations of undergraduate and graduate students, many of whom hold key positions in Israeli academia and in the biotechnology industry.”

Prof. Youdim and his colleague Prof. John Finberg of the Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, developed innovative Parkinson’s drug Azilect® (Rasagiline), together with Teva Pharmaceuticals. The innovative drug, which was approved by the FDA in 2006, is the first medication of its kind that not only alleviates the symptoms of the disease, but actually slows it down, especially when given in the early stages.

Prof. Youdim’s 800 publications have gained broad international acclaim. He has twice won the Hershel Rich Prize from the Technion, as well as the Henry Taub Prize. He also received the EMET Prize for Brain Science and many other international awards.

Prof. Youdim

Said Sivan: “The applicative and far-reaching nature of his achievements make Prof. Youdim a member of an elite group of scientists privileged to see their research applied to benefit humankind. His brilliant work has brought about a dramatic change in the understanding of neurodegenerative diseases and transformed the quality of life of Parkinson’s patients the world over.”

Israel’s 74th Independence Day is an opportunity to look back through the years since the 1924 founding of the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, and to look forward to a diverse future in research, teaching, and the Technion’s place in the development of Israel.

Nearly 100 years have passed since the Technion opened its doors to 17 students in the historic Technion building in Hadar HaCarmel (today’s “Madatech” – the National Science Museum). The establishment of the Technion a quarter of a century before the State of Israel secured the country’s future and at the same time, cast the Technion’s DNA, and created an inseparable bond between the State and the University. I do not know of any other university in Israel or the world whose scope of influence compares to that which the Technion has on Israeli society, its economy, and its security. As we approach our centennial, we remain committed to this mission.

Looking back on the achievements of the State and our own accomplishments, we should all have a sense of great pride. None of it would have been possible without the talent and commitment of generations of students and academic and administrative staff. None of it would have also been realized without the continued support of our dedicated friends around the world – the Technion Family.

The Technion’s accomplishments have culminated this year in a remarkable record – three laureates of the Israel Prize – the most prestigious recognition bestowed by the State of Israel upon the few who have had an outstanding impact on Israel’s culture, society, and science. Beyond their groundbreaking scientific achievements and pioneering discoveries, Professor emeritus Yoram Palti and Professor emeritus Moussa Youdim, both from the Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, and Professor emeritus Joshua Zak from the Faculty of Physics, have contributed to humanity in translating basic science into applications that affect the lives of so many. We are all proud in their achievements.

I wish you all a happy, meaningful Independence Day.

Chag Sameach,

Prof. Uri Sivan

President

Technion – Israel Institute of Technology

How do marine organisms produce hard tissues from the materials available to them, and under the hostile conditions that prevail under the waves? That question is the basis of a study by an international group led by Professor Boaz Pokroy, doctoral student Nuphar Bianco-Stein (as part of her Ph.D. thesis), and researcher Dr. Alex Kartsman from the Technion Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, with the assistance of Dr. Catherine Dejoie from the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in Grenoble, France.

The study, published in PNAS, focused on the involvement of magnesium-containing calcite in the aforementioned processes. Magnesium is a strong and light metallic element that plays many roles in the animal world, including in the human body. Calcite is a very common mineral that constitutes about 4% of the mass of the Earth’s crust. This material is an essential component in biomineralization, the process by which organisms form various structures – pearls, bones, shells, etc. – from the materials available to them.

“Biomineralization processes,” explained Prof. Pokroy, “build structures that surpass artificial products of engineering processes in many aspects, such as strength and resistance to fractures. So, there is no doubt that we have a lot to learn from these biological processes, and that our findings may lead to improved engineering processes in a variety of areas.”

Prof. Boaz Pokroy

In the biomineralization process, organisms use various strategies to produce strong structures such as an external skeleton. The team from the Technion and ESRF showed in their study that one of the common strategies in this regard is the sedimentation of magnesium-rich nanoscale calcite particles within a magnesium deficient substance. According to Prof. Pokroy, “We have discovered that this phenomenon occurs in a huge variety of creatures, even creatures from different kingdoms in the animal world, and we estimate that it is even broader than what we have discovered. Therefore, it is likely to be a very general phenomenon.”

Nuphar Bianco-Stein

In the current study, the researchers focused on nine different organisms belonging to different kingdoms and phyla including brittle stars, red algae, starfish, coral, and sea urchins. The two main players in the process are, as mentioned, magnesium and calcite. The researchers found that the sedimentation of the calcite particles in the magnesium-poor substance creates compressive stress in the skeletons that increase their rigidity – without the need for mechanical compression used in the production of similar materials in classical engineering processes.

The nine organisms studied and their structure

In brittle stars, the unique crystallization process takes place in the calcite lenses scattered on their arms; these lenses function as a kind of primitive but effective set of eyes. These lenses, which are similar in nature to tempered glass, focus sunlight on nerve centers that transmit information to the rest of the body through the nervous system. In contrast to man-made tempered glass which is produced at high heat and under pressure, the brittle star lenses are created at the water temperature in their natural habitat and without external mechanical pressure other than the water pressure. An important step in this process is the transition of the calcite from an amorphous (disordered) phase – to the ordered crystalline phase.

The red algae that the international research team studied are the common algae found in shallow water, where they are subjected to external pressures of the sea waves and therefore must be resistant to tearing and fracture. Therefore, their cells are coated with the same strong nanoscale crystals of magnesium-calcite. These crystals form hollow micro-structures that increase their strength and durability.

Although brittle stars and red algae are very different creatures, they exhibit common structural aspects including the crystallization of strong structures in the process of sedimentation of magnesium-rich nanometer crystals in a substance characterized by low magnesium levels.

The researchers found that this crystallization process improves both the hardness of the material and the resistance to fractures. Moreover, they show in the study that even a slight reduction of the magnesium content in the substance doubles the hardness of the material by some 100%.

The precipitation of magnesium-rich nanometer calcite particles in different orgasms depends on the magnesium content in their skeleton

The study was supported by an EU grant from the ERC and was conducted in collaboration with the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility in Grenoble, France and the Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois, USA.

Click here for the paper in PNAS