11:3)3 Inn vith !WOO V?; 'WM b6 01$;t1:: -.en::: WO:MANN INSTITUTE 1 111rAti OF SCIENCE Meet the Weizmann Institute Rehovot, Israel Off the beaten track, in a quiet town some 14 miles south of Tel Aviv and 35 miles west of Jerusalem, lies one of Israel's major intellectual and scientific centres, the Weizmann Institute of Science. Over 2,000 researchers and scientific and technical support personnel work in its quiet, pastoral sur- roundings. Some 40 buildings, constructed within a beautifully landscaped setting, provide superb facilities in which the staff works, lives and enjoys extensive cultural and athletic activities. The Institute and its scientists enjoy the respect and admiration of the worldwide scientific commu- nity. Just as many Weizmann Institute scientists regularly spend time in the laboratories of the fore- most universities and research centres abroad, hundreds of distinguished visiting scientists come to Israel every year to participate in Weizmann Institute investigations. The conception and birth of the Weizmann Institute took place under extremely modest circum- stances, when Dr. Chaim Weizmann, the first President of the State of Israel and the first President of the Institute, organized his fledgling scientific establishment in 1934. The institution, then with a staff of only ten scientists, was initially dedicated as the Daniel Sieff Research Institute, in memory of the son of British industrialist and philanthropist Israel Sieff, a close friend of Weizmann. Hope for the Third World Infective diseases, particularly the parasitic scourges of Third World countries, are being probed in great detail. A new approach to eradicate dysen- tery amoeba has been designed recently, along with a diagnostic assay for visceral leishmaniasis„ a sand-fly borne disease that can, under epidemic conditions, kill tens of thousands. A new vaccine for hepatitis B is now under clinical evaluation, while improved whooping cough and leishmaniasis vaccinations are also under develop- ment. In fact, the first use of synthetic materials to elicit immune system protective mechanisms was carried out in Rehovot, leading to the development of experimental man-made vaccines that protect animals against the flu, diphtheria, and cholera. Weizmann researchers are also collaborating in clinical trials of several therapies aimed at curing infections of HIV, the virus responsible for AIDS. Rehovot research into immune system diseases, including multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, arthritis and lupus erythematosis, has not only advanced our understanding of why the body's defense mechanisms can turn against normal tissue components, but has also provided some novel approaches to detect them and to halt their destruc- tive path. Institute studies have improved understanding of how biological processes begin to slow down and change as we age: Senior citizens may eventually Combatting Disease benefit from two Rehovot-pioneered vitamin D Research in Rehovot comprises some 800 basic and derivatives, both of which have already been ap- applied projects. In the areas of biological and proved for clinical use to treat bone weakening biochemical research alone, a random selection of associated with kidney failure. past accomplishments could include the design of One of them has also been found to aid the healing chemically reactive porous solids, or affinity reagents, which provided key tools that spurred the develop- - of fractures in animals and may also prove useful in stemming osteoporosis, bone brittleness that develops ment of genetic engineering and transformed the- in some women after menopause. Several groups are whole craft of biomedical research.. tackling the problems of diabetes, a disease most In addition, sugar-binding proteins known as common in older people, and are examining an lectins were extensively probed, leading among other entirely new approach to its therapy. advances to a process for facilitating the transplanta- There is no adequate way to provide a comprehen- tion of bone marrow between noncompatible sive picture of biological science at the Weizmann individuals, a feat that has saved the lives of tens of Institute, as work is also in progress to better under- "bubble children," youngsters born with severely stand the nature of human reproduction, to advance malfunctioning immune systems. Study of the the field of brain chemistry and neurological function, natural antiviral agent interferon and design of and to throw new light on the underlying character of technology for its production have resulted in an a wide range of genetic diseases. Israeli-manufactured pharmaceutical to treat genital herpes, genital warts, and a rare form of human leu- Sun, Soil and Sewage kemia. Weizmann chemistry has contributed not only to Agriculture and aquaculture have already the advance of drug and biomedical research, but also benefited from superior varieties of Weizmann-bred to the provision of new materials and processes of high yielding hybrid cucumbers, widely grown in the interest to industrial and environmental forces. Mediterranean Basin, as well as a provitamin A- Institute workers were responsible for initial evalu- producing algae which is being marketed in Japan and other countries as a nutritious, protein-rich health ation of Israel's water resources and have designed approaches to monitor and protect underground food. water reservoirs from pollution. They also.built one Cancer, the second most important cause of death of the world's first plants for separation and purifica- in Western countries, is today the largest single area tion of stable oxygen isotopes, atoms that are valuable of biomedical research at the Weizmann Institute. for producing labeled materials for chemical and The genetics, biology, and metastatic spread of a biomedical research. variety of experimental and human tumors are under A major recent step forward in Institute chemistry investigation pointing the way towards new ap- was last year's dedication on campus of a national proaches to slow down the growth and spread of ma- centre for solar energy research, which is investigat- lignancy. These include several forms of immune ing the use of solar energy for producing industrial therapy, now under study, for the selective destruc- fuels and for novel high-power industrial lasers. tion of malignant tissue, and novel diagnostic Photoactive dyes for disinfecting sewage, selective approaches for breast cancer, leukemias and solid membranes which may prove useful for softening tumors of various organs. hard water, and a new type of zinc-bromide electrical storage cell now under study are also attracting interest. Reprinted with permission of the Jerusalem Post. 80 FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1989 Prof. Haim Harari President, Weizmann Institute Structural chemists have taken advantage of powerful X-rays at nuclear accelerator centres for advancing our knowledge of the properties of thin organic layers on water and the process of the onset of crystallization - work with implications for envi- ronmental and industrial processes. Physics: An International Endeavor Rehovot physicists participate in some of the world's frontier-breaking research projects. They were involved, for example, in the giant international collaboration that in 1979 discovered the gluon, the fundamental particle for mediating the strong nuclear force, one of the four basic interactions operating in the material universe. They continue to work at many of the world's largest particle accelerators, including the giant of them all, the just-opened LEP at the European Laboratory for Particle Physics (CERN) in Geneva. Two projects under way there are expected to clarify the number of basic building blocks of nature and to replicate - in miniature - the expansion of the universe following the Big Bang of creation. Other Weizmann physicists are developing novel techniques for studying the nature of plasma, improving communication over optical fibres, and analyzing the rules governing apparently "chaotic" systems. A new centre for submicron solid-state re- search is being built on campus, which will enable study of the novel semiconductor chip elements expected to further miniaturize the electronics of the 21st century. The Key Role of Computers While Institute mathematicians and engineers built one of the world's first electronic computers, the WEIZAC, they were also responsible for early surveys of Israel's geological formations. Today, work is proceeding to improve the efficiency of computations, robotics, artificial intelligence and computer-aided design. One researcher, for example, has designed a new concept in pictorial language that aids the development and manufacture of complex systems, such as aircraft, and which has already been adopted by tens of companies in Israel and abroad. Novel cryptographic techniques for enhancing security of computer-generated communications are now being developed for electronic fund-transfer operations, as well as for application to PC and smart- card identification and authentication procedures. Other, mathematicians are using their skills in prob- lems related to health, economics and ecology. A Dedication to Education Education is also high on the Institute agenda, with over 600 students studying for their M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees at the Feinberg Graduate School. These include about 100 foreign students representing 25 countries. In addition, a Department of Science Teaching develops new science curricula, textbooks, TV programs and teaching methods. It also sponsors a wide variety of science programs for young people from Israel and abroad. The skills of Weizmann Institute researchers, their intellectual curiosity, and the results of many hours' work in the laboratory are helping to provide Israel with the know-how needed to successfully compete and prosper in tomorrow's world.