“We will be able to see atoms and extract information about chemical bonds between atoms using this first-of-its-kind 4.5 meter high piece of equipment that weighs in at over 2000 kg…”
Technion RBNI’s Prof. Wayne Kaplan
The Titan moves in…
Prof. Arie Admon of the biology faculty claims that the test will provide doctors with a rich variety of information that until now has not been available and is suited to the trend of “personalized medicine,” in which treatment is suited to the genetic and other characteristics of the patient. The development was part of the doctoral work of Dr. Michal Bassani- Sternberg and will help suit medication to the patient.
As opposed to current blood tests for cancer which merely note whether cancerous cells are still in the blood stream, the new test will be able to differentiate between different kinds of cancers and tumors as well as other diseases. Scientists are now working on the technique.
Admon said it was known that when the proteins in a cell deteriorate or end their roles, they are broken down into their building blocks of amino acids to create new proteins. Some of the products of this process, however, are not completely broken down and remain as pieces of short proteins called peptides.
Meanwhile, some of these peptides are displayed on the surface of the cells with help from the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) protein. When the peptides from the proteins of the disease “report” their state of health to the immune system, the immune cells kill the sick cells and prevent the spread of the disease.
The body cells not only present the HLA protein on their surfaces but also release part of these protein molecules into the bloodstream with the characteristic peptides. Cancer cells release larger amounts of the HLA protein with the peptides into the blood in an effort to “confuse” the immune system, explained Admon. Thus, the two Technion researchers reached the conclusion that by characterizing the variety of peptides linked to the HLA proteins that were released into the blood, they could diagnose cancer and other disorders.
The researchers separated the HLA proteins from the other blood proteins and then released the linked peptides. Using a mass spectrometer device, they succeeded in identifying the sequence of amino acids of the separated peptides and the original proteins that were in the cells in which the peptides were produced.
In one blood sample, thousands of different peptides can be identified, providing vital information about the disease or the tumor. There are peptides that are not present in healthy people, and when they are found, the patient can be sent for additional tests, the researchers said.
Research
Among the many exciting research projects at GTEP, one laboratory received special attention this month: the lab of GTEP Prof. Yair Ein Eli. Prof. Ein Eli has registered two patents for his innovative silicon air battery – an all-green battery alternative that uses silicon – an abundant resource – and which promises 1000s of hours of life.
While the endorsement of Technion friends means that the dream of developing the silicon air battery to create a rechargeable version for electric cars and a multitude of other applications could well be realized in coming years, first on the horizon is a new generation of batteries for hearing aids. The beauty of the silicon-air battery is that hearing-aid users will only have to change batteries once every several months – as opposed to once a week. Read more here.
Alternative Fuels
Prof. Gideon Grader of the faculty of Chemical Engineering and Head of the Grand Technion Energy Program, discusses the development of hydrogen nitrogen alternative fuels to break our dependence on oil. Film made by the American Technion Society.
The potential effects of new energy technologies are revolutionary, but as knowledge accumulates, challenges multiply even faster. Solutions depend upon unprecedented integration of tools and concepts originating from a wide range of science and engineering fields.
In order to train the next generation of researchers and engineers, the Technion has established an interdisciplinary graduate study program under the auspices of GTEP. This program provides the wide-ranging education necessary to discover the next generation of energy solutions. GTEP provides an environment conducive to interdisciplinary research, the resources necessary to recruit and retain the best minds, which together will generate unparalleled cross-fertilization in a stimulating environment.
The Technion is uniquely suited to carry out this initiative because it has all the individual components required for success: strong engineering and basic science faculties – including aerospace, chemical, biotechnology and food, civil and environmental, architecture and town planning, electrical, materials and mechanical engineering, as well as chemistry, biology and physics.
GTEP is looking to cooperate with leading international universities on student exchange programs in the field of energy. The idea is to enable students to benefit from the developments and advances in other countries.
Managed by an interdisciplinary committee for graduate studies in energy, the GTEP Graduate Study Program is designed to attract highly motivated graduates in science and engineering who are eager to develop expertise, and provide them with the necessary infrastructure and research framework. The students are required to carry out a research project under the guidance of professors from different disciplines.
Tomorrow’s energy researchers and engineers will need to be educated in all classical science and engineering subjects, as well as know-how in economics and policy. Thus, the study program will produce scientists, engineers and researchers with a better understanding of all energy-related issues.
