ISRAEL INNOVATION PROJECT

A new technology developed at Technion – Israel Institute of Technology can harvest electrical current directly from seaweed using a method that is both efficient and environmentally friendly. The method capitalizes on electrochemical cells linked to photosynthesis in seaweed that in aggregate can produce currents similar in magnitude to those produced by solar cells.

Sheba Medical Center began the world’s first trial of a fourth dose of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine in 150 of their employees whose antibody levels registered as low after receiving a third dose in August 2021. In the wake of a round of new infections caused by the hyper-contagious Omicron variant, the study aims to gauge the effectiveness and benefits of a fourth vaccine dose to inform government policy on what portions of the population should receive a fourth dose and when.

Researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science have developed a new method to examine the cellular makeup of growth plates in three dimensions, providing new insight into the process of healthy bone growth. The method shows in great detail what happens to thousands of cells within the growth plate mapped onto a three-dimensional model of the entire growth plate, allowing scientists to explore disruptions in this growth that may lead to dwarfism.

Researchers at Tel Aviv University have uncovered the biological mechanism that leads to nerve destruction in the early stages of ALS. Using an experimental molecule, the team showed an ability to dismantle toxic protein buildup and activate the process of neuron regeneration in ALS patients, providing hope for new treatment methods for the disease.

Researchers at Technion – Israel Institute of Technology and Sheba Medical Center have developed a method for 3D-printng “scaffolding” as the basis for a replacement ear for people born with congenitally deformed ears. The prosthetic ear showed good biological function when tested on rats, and scientists hope to tailor the technology for other uses such as nasal reconstruction and other orthopedic implants.

Scientists from the Weizmann Institute of Science and Yale School of Medicine found insulin-producing cells in the fetal intestine, a capability previously only found in beta cells in the pancreas. Because beta cells become dysfunctional or scarce in individuals with diabetes, scientists hope they can find a way to “turn on” these cells once again to help regulate insulin levels in diabetic patients.

Israel has allocated over $17 million to allow healthcare organizations to create and utilize digital infrastructure to enable the anonymous sharing of data for research and development collaborations among organizations. The goal of the program is “to build better healthcare, create solutions for health systems, and improve public health” through new, collaborative, data-driven research ventures previously unattainable.

Israel announced an $18 million initiative to help health organizations collaborate with the tech industry to continue the country’s efforts to digitize healthcare, including the use of artificial intelligence in health settings. The program is designed to help the growth of startups in the digital health field, promote customized medical research, and implement digital tools in the Israeli healthcare system.

A Tel Aviv University research team found that their drug candidate resulted in a dramatic decrease in the buildup of tau in the brains of mice, a protein that becomes misfolded and abnormally shaped in Alzheimer’s patients. The administration of the drug was also linked to a reduction of changes to the brain’s electrical activity typical of Alzheimer’s, leaving scientists with hope the drug could be a good choice to fight the onset of dementia and other memory diseases.

The Ministry of Transport and Road Safety introduced a draft law that would allow 400 self-driving electric taxis to hit Israel streets as early as 2022. According to the Transportation Ministry, 640 Israeli startups are currently working on autonomous vehicles, bringing the country closer to their goal of zero road accidents.

New AI developed in Israel can detect routine blood samples that are at the highest risk for blood diseases, prompting doctors to monitor those patients more closely and direct precious hospital resources to the places they are needed most. The new tech can predict responses with 82% accuracy and will be rolled out at Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center.

From ISRAEL12c - High Hopes Labs, based in Ramat Gan, is developing a system to capture frozen carbon dioxide at high altitudes using high-tech materials carried by balloons. The idea capitalizes on low temperatures to make the harmful greenhouse gas easier to filter out from the atmosphere, making carbon capture much more efficient and feasible on the large scale necessary to make a dent in the global climate crisis.

A new study out of Israel shows that a mutation of a single gene, CDH2, can cause ADHD. Further, the insertion of the human mutation in mice caused hereditary hyperactivity. The study’s findings allow scientists to further study novel medications for ADHD using both mutant human cells and the mouse strain carrying the human mutation as a model.

A study from scientists at Weizmann Institute of Science found that the biological defense mechanism that protects plants from infection is also used by bacteria. Researchers transferred this bacterial signal to plants and found it triggered bacterial death, which could lead to methods of enhancing the immune system of plants to boost crop yields.

Tel Aviv-based startup ZzappMalaria signed a deal with Israeli autonomous drone company Airobotics to implement a pilot project to locate stagnant water where mosquitos are likely to congregate in sub-Saharan Africa. ZzappMalaria’s software uses satellite imagery and climate data to predict mosquito breeding hotspots – Airobotics drone systems will improve this data via arial maps, video, and thermal imaging, better supporting malaria operations in the field.

From Technion - Israel Institute of Technology - Chemical engineers at Technion – Israel Institute of Technology have created a smart dressing free of sutures to bind wounds together, fight off infection, and report the condition of the wound to doctors’ computers. The dressing is applied before surgery and incisions are made through the dressing itself – when the procedure is finished, the dressing will bind itself together in three seconds, holding the wound closed.

Hebrew University researchers collaborated with Nanyang Technological University in Singapore to invent a window coating that will block out the sun’s heat without blocking views. The coating uses nanoparticles of titanium dioxide and tungsten trioxide, among others, to keep out up to 70% of the sun’s infrared radiation while still allowing up to 90% of sunlight through. The coating can be “turned on and off” by electricity, standing to save significant amounts of energy on air conditioning and heat regulation.

Researchers from Hebrew University of Jerusalem documented a “chaotic state” of bacteria that allows them to dodge antibiotics. In this state, bacteria do not reproduce normally, as antibiotic treatments target, allowing them to recover completely and regrow. The research will allow developers to focus on drugs to fight bacteria in this chaotic state.

BGU Technologies and Fujitsu Limited signed a three-year joint research agreement “to develop technologies and solutions to contribute to the realization of safe, real-world applications of AI and machine learning technologies.” Projects will mainly focus on improving the trustworthiness and security of AI-based systems and software by making them resistant to outside attacks.

Bar Ilan University announced a 10-year, $75 million project to combat diabetes in the Galilee region of northern Israel, where residents are three times more likely to develop diabetes and suffer complications. The project includes opening a new medical facility and providing support to local governments to combat the disease by promoting a healthy lifestyle and providing health services.

Israeli startup Nostromo Energy is tackling the challenge of storing solar energy overnight, sunset to sunrise. The company created a modular IceBrick that stores energy in ice capsules before directing it to commercial space cooling. The device, which can be installed on the roofs, walls, or basements of commercial buildings, will be piloted in 20 countries.

Scientists at Technion – Israel Institute of Technology recently published findings on the development of an artificial molecule that could inhibit Alzheimer’s disease. The molecule targets certain copper ions that can lead to cell toxicity by creating free radicals, thereby inhibiting cell death related to the development of Alzheimer’s.

Salignostics, a Jerusalem-based medical startup, announced the launch of the world’s first saliva pregnancy test. The test uses technology developed for coronavirus testing to identify pregnancy with 95% sensitivity. The company recently finished clinical trials in Israel and will take their product to the commercial market in early 2022.

Israeli company Armis Security is helping large companies protect their devices from malicious attacks. To do so, Armis catalogs all devices owned and operated by a company to create a real-time continuous imaging map. The company draws data from over a billion devices worldwide to understand what threats are posed to each type of device and apply safety measures on a scale previously unattainable.

Dieticians at Sheba Medical Center have found a way to turn liquid nutritional supplements into ice cream to improve quality of life for geriatric patients. The move came after doctors noticed deteriorating mental and nutritional health of patients during the pandemic and was very successful, providing patients a healthy comfort-food option without the off-putting taste of traditional supplements.

Technion scientists recently published a study uncovering a physiological mechanism to psychosomatic illness. The study, performed on mice, first used genetic manipulation to “capture” groups of neurons that showed increased activity when inflammation was induced. The researchers were then able to induce inflammation again simply by stimulating these same neurons, sparking hope that chronic inflammatory conditions may be able to be treated by memory tracing in the brain.

Scientists at the Weizmann Institute of Science developed a new method of studying rare cell types, called “Clump Sequencing.” The method relies on abundant cell types to set “genetic landmarks” through gene expression to find the location of rare cell types for further study and analysis. Understanding location-based behavior of cells could help us better understand disorders such as allergies or asthma.

For the first time, Tel Aviv University researchers were able to identify five of the 29 proteins that make up the SARS-CoV-2 virus that are responsible for damaging blood vessels. The team inserted various RNA sequences from each of the virus’ proteins into human blood vessel cells in lab and identified five that caused damage. The team hopes the identification of these proteins will help in the development of targeted drugs to reduce vascular damage in Covid-19 patients.

Neuromagen Pharma is in the development stages of a drug to treat ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, as well as other neurodegenerative diseases. The company, incubated at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, found delayed onset and delayed progression of the disease in ALS animal models, as well as increasing survival of neurons by 60%. The goal of the drug is to delay onset of the disease to improve quality and length of life for patients.

From NoCamels - Jerusalem-based company Oramed Pharmaceuticals received approval from the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority to begin patient enrollment for Phase 1 clinical trials for its Oravax pill. The first trial will consist of 24 unvaccinated volunteers, who will be monitored for antibodies over a few months. The oral vaccine targets three proteins in the virus instead of just one, making it more likely to stand up to mutations than single-protein vaccines.

From Tel Aviv University News - Tel Aviv University announced the launch of their new Center for Innovation Laboratories, a set of labs designed to “adapt research to the needs of society, industry and public institutions.” The Center will focus on research projects with potential applicability 3-7 years from the moment research begins. Research topics will be chosen in consultation with industry and public bodies, such as hospitals, to meet industry demands directly, the first time this has been done in Israeli academia.

An Israeli study found that a third booster shot was 92% effective at preventing serious illness compared with those only receiving two doses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine at least five months before. The study, published in the Lancet medical journal, was based on over 720,000 individuals that received a third shot, compared with a control group of a similar size that did not. The study also found the booster was 81% more effective at preventing deaths than the initial two-shot round.

Intel launched their 12th-generation processers based on a hybrid architecture for PC users. The project, developed over three years and over 1,000 engineers at Intel Israel, will allow PC users to scale their workloads while conserving energy and receiving better performance from their machines. With 80% of PCs utilizing Intel processors, the new chip stands to benefit billions around the globe.

Scientists from Weizmann Institute of Science and NASA’s Juno mission found that Jupiter’s Great Red Spot, a giant persistent storm, extends about 500 kilometers below the planet’s surface clouds, the first time such a measurement has been found. The measurement was obtained using an innovative method of analyzing the inner structure of planetary winds through gravity measurements. The mission also found that Jupiter’s atmospheric circulation cells closely resemble Earth’s Ferrel cells.

A wound dressing developed by Herzliya-based company MedCu Technologies has been found to aid in the healing of diabetic wounds. The dressing is infused with copper oxide, a compound with antimicrobial efficacy that keeps the wound protected from infection from bacteria, fungi, viruses, and other pathogens. A study on the product found an average of 65% reduction in size of the wound, and recorded improvement in all wounds regardless of initial size or other factors besides weight-bearing pressure.

The Israel Innovation Authority established four new consortia for cultivated meat, insect farming, human-robot interface, and fluid sampling focused on medical diagnosis totaling $69 million. The aim of the program is to promote technological cooperation in the development of products and infrastructure in the Agtech sector. The announcement represents the largest public-sector investment in cultivated meat in the world.

The Technion is investigating a new method to treating type 2 diabetes involving an autograft of muscle cells engineered to take in sugar at increased rates. A study on the method found that mice displayed normal blood sugar levels for months after receiving a single treatment, while the grafted muscle tissue also improved sugar absorption of the mice’s other muscle cells as well. Scientists hope a one-time treatment could both improve quality of life and increase life expectancy for type 2 diabetes patients.

A team of researchers from Weizmann Institute of Science have developed a method for identifying features common to many cancerous tumors to aid patients’ immune systems. The scientists identified a neoantigen known as RAS involved in a third of all cancers and engineered T cells to express this receptor, resulting in the selective killing of cells displaying the neoantigen. The team hopes their findings can create new immunotherapies that allow T cells to be prepared in advance to recognize cancer hotspots.

AI company Quris officially announced their launch, along with $9 million in seed funding, to continue building out their platform to predict which drug candidates will work the most safely and effectively in humans. The platform uses miniaturized disposable biology chips coupled with real-time nano-sensor and nano-circulation chips to continuously train the AI’s engine and predictor, aiming to avoid the risks and costs associated with failed clinical trials.

Researchers at Weizmann Institute of Science are pondering new questions regarding the theory of evolution, focusing on patterns of interactions between basic chemical materials instead of the fundamental chemistry of the building blocks of life. The team, headed by Dr. Sergey Semenov, produced only the second human-made chemical oscillator built completely from synthetic organic molecules. The oscillator is an example of a chemical feedback loop, a mechanism cells may use as a “clock” that could lead to deeper understanding of cellular biology.

Israel Aerospace Industries was announced as the leader of the Israeli Space Exhibit for the International Astronautical Congress to be held in Dubai. IAI will present a variety of new space technology, including Israel’s lunar lander, two new spy satellites, and a mini-communications satellite concept. The event will allow for the building of new relationships with the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf countries.

Scientists from three institutions, including Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, have developed a process to both improve the quality and lower the cost of desalinated water. The process uses cheaper porous electrodes to remove boron through capacitive deionization, as opposed to more expensive membranes. With 80% of Israel’s drinking water coming from desalination plants, the breakthrough stands to make the desalination process more effective and more feasible for populations around the globe.

Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Merck, Teva Pharmaceuticals, Amazon Web Services, and the Israeli Biotech Fund announced the opening of an innovation lab in Israel to foster the creation of new startups focused on personalizing medicine with computational AI. The facility, named AION Labs, will include both a biomedical wet lab and a cloud-based computational lab to assist early-stage entrepreneurs and to bring together early research, academia, and startups in the field.

Israeli startup Fieldin hopes their new monitoring system will further digitize agriculture businesses to make them more sustainable and efficient. The system attaches sensors to farming equipment to wirelessly transmit data on what’s happening in the fields, including data on process efficiency, water use, carbon emissions, and potential errors. The company hopes their holistic approach to making farms “outdoor food manufacturing facilities” will create higher quality food at better prices, with more profit for farmers.

Sheba Medical Center has launched a new smartphone gaming-based program to help overweight and obese children live a healthier lifestyle. The program uses positive psychology, competition, and games to help children adopt healthy habits while monitoring an individual’s sleep, heart rate, and physical activity with a smartwatch. With sedentary pandemic lifestyles exacerbating the issue, developers and doctors hope the new app will keep kids connected and engaged for longer periods of time.

Israel’s National Drone Initiative reached another milestone, entering the third of eight stages in its development of a nationwide delivery drone network. The initiative involves 16 companies, many affiliated with the military, and over 9,000 flights have been completed to date, including in urban areas such as Tel Aviv and Haifa. The two-year program hopes to reduce congestion on urban roads through a delivery system of commercial goods via the skies.

Developers at Facebook’s R&D center in Israel are leading the Express Wi-Fi project, an initiative to make the Internet accessible to people in developing nations. The program involves the development of a platform to help network providers offer faster and cost-effective connectivity services, already operating in more than 30 countries. Facebook also announced their intent to develop a transatlantic cable capable of providing 200 times more Internet capacity than current cables.

New research from Sheba Medical Center shows waning effectiveness of the Covid-19 vaccine six months after a patient’s second dose. The study followed 5,000 medical personnel and found a significant drop in the number of antibodies after the first three months, as well as a moderate drop after six months, including a slightly sharper drop for men than women. The study comes as countries begin to roll out third vaccine doses in the hopes of improving long-term immune response to the virus.

Start-up Nation Central signed a new partnership with The IndUS Entrepreneurs (TiE) to promote the implementation of Israeli and Indian sustainable food technologies. The agreement focuses on the fields of novel foods, post-harvest solutions, alternative protein, food safety, and packaging, and includes details of a special mentorship program to connect industry leaders to Israeli and Indian startups. The non-profits hope the partnership will position Israel and India as global leaders in the field of impact tech.

A team of BGU scientists found that three of six FDA-approved artificial sweeteners may significantly interfere with bacterial communication. While the study did not find that any of the sweeteners actively kill the bacteria, it did find an interruption of quorum sensing communication which could lead to digestive diseases and discomfort. The research team recommends the reevaluation of the use of artificial sweeteners and better labeling of sweetening ingredients in product packaging.

Startup IntellAct is offering transportation hubs the opportunity to decrease delays and solve logistics problems more efficiently to keep their operations running on time. Their monitoring system uses AI to analyze footage from surveillance cameras at airports and seaports to identify bottlenecks and hazards faster and to eliminate inefficiencies that would otherwise go unnoticed, saving companies from cost delays.

The DeserTech community announced a new startup competition at the Israeli pavilion at Expo Dubai that aims to “boost technological innovation to deal with global desert challenges, including extreme climate, land degradation, water scarcity and limited access to water, as well as geographical remoteness of people and marginal living.” With over 3 billion people already affected by desertification, the Israel Innovation Institute hopes the competition will promote a global task force to cope with the effects of climate change while finding innovative solutions to real problems faced by more and more affected individuals.

Israeli company MeMed, headquartered in Haifa, has received FDA approval for a groundbreaking new test to determine whether an infection is viral or bacterial. The test relies on immune-based protein signatures and can provide results in 15 minutes or less. The company hopes the approval will allow doctors to better diagnose infections in patients and to reduce the overuse of antibiotic medications.

Researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev have developed a new method for search engines to better identify individuals’ names, resulting in significantly more accurate search results. The new algorithm overcomes differences in name spellings that previous string similarity algorithms performed poorly against, as well as names that sound similar due to pronunciation in a specific language or accent but are spelled differently. The development of the new algorithm harnessed data from 17 million people, including 700,000 individual names and 500,000 unique last names.

Several research institutions, including Weizmann Institute of Science, are participating in COVID Moonshot, the world’s largest open-science drug discovery effort, to develop an easily manufactured oral treatment to combat Covid-19. The project involves more than 150 scientists crowdsourcing ideas for molecular compounds and modeling them. Ongoing since March 2020, the project seeks to identify pre-clinical candidate molecules by the end of 2021.

Scientists at Technion – Israel Institute of Technology have created a hierarchal network of blood vessels necessary for supplying blood to implanted tissue for the first time. The research will enable blood vessels to be printed with tissues and implanted together, made of a patient’s own cells to eliminate rejection risk. While engineered tissues previously required transplant into a healthy limb to be permeated by the host’s blood vessels, this intermediary step may no longer be necessary with this new breakthrough.

Israeli startup Addionics is developing an electric car battery capable of faster charging and greater range with only a minor change in the design of the battery. The change focuses on the electric current collector, thin metal sheets layered around the active material – the Addionics design includes more of this material throughout the battery, minimizing unused space using nanotechnology. The company hopes the change will be able to integrate smoothly into existing production lines.

Israeli company Gauzy showcased their new smart glass technology at the International Motor Show in Munich, Germany. Partnering with LG Display, the company combined their Light Control Glass with a transparent OLED to create a new heads-up display that also allows for customized shading, solar control, energy conservation, and privacy. Car manufacturers have also reached out to partner with Gauzy, including BMW, Mercedes, and McLaren.

Israeli company N-Drip, headed by Prof. Uri Shani of Hebrew University of Jerusalem, is pioneering a microdrip irrigation system cheap enough for utilization in the growing of commodity crops like soy and corn. The system allows water to flow through a tube-like shape inside of hoses such that no one particle of debris may block the flow, allowing gravity to provide the force necessary to move the water through the piping without assistance from pumps. Microdrip irrigation allows farmers to use less water than traditional flood irrigation, improving crop yield, water usage, and farmers’ bottom line.

Prof. Eilam Gross of the Weizmann Institute of Science is pioneering a new approach to refining research methods in the field of particle physics. Gross established a new research group that focuses on solving major questions in high energy physics using machine learning approaches, including an algorithm to distinguish different types of quarks. The development represents a new way to improve research methods without the need to build more sensitive equipment.

Israeli startup Vanilla Vida has developed a proprietary greenhouse technology capable of controlling how and when orchids bloom, resulting in what the company claims is a far better bean product. The technology uses metabolic solutions to enhance flavor profiles, while increasing production to stabilize the supply chain of vanilla beans during the global climate crisis. With their ability to produce five times as much vanilla per square foot as their competitors, the company hopes to drive wholesale costs down and convert part of the artificial vanilla market to their natural product.

Preliminary results from vaccinated staff at Sheba Medical Center outside of Tel Aviv found that antibody levels after a third Covid-19 vaccine dose were ten times higher than those detected after a second dose. Results were measured one week after both the second and third doses. Israel became the first country to officially offer a third dose of the vaccine to its population, and plans are already underway for the administration of a fourth dose, though it could only be necessary after a longer period.

Researchers at Tel Aviv University have found that white blood cells called eosinophils can fight cancer in two ways: by destroying cancer cells themselves, and by recruiting T-cells to protect the body against infection. The findings could have large ramifications for the development of new immunotherapies, which rely on enhancing the number and power of T-cells to activate the body’s immune response to fight the cancer, leaving the patient with longer protection and fewer side effects than with chemotherapy.

The Israel Cancer Research Fund (ICRF) announced 74 new cancer research grants for 2021-22 totaling over $4.6 million. The new grants include awards for career development, Israeli scientists returning from their studies abroad, and US-Israeli research collaboration. The ICRF was the largest non-governmental contributor of cancer research in Israel last year and focuses on many types of cancers, particularly through molecular biology, immunology and immunotherapy, genetics and genomics, and tumor microenvironment research.

Jerusalem-based startup Illumigyn has struck a deal to send 2,500 high-tech cervical examination systems to Gulf states, valued at an estimated $150 million. The system resembles a gynecology endoscope but allows high-resolution imaging to be obtained and uploaded to the cloud remotely, allowing remote diagnosis and reducing instances of multiple invasive procedures. At the company’s kickoff summit in Dubai, the company reiterated their goal to drive digital health innovations and solutions in the MENA region.

Prisma Photonics has signed an agreement with Israel Electric Corporation to supply monitoring services using their PrismaPower system. The system uses the preexisting optical fiber network to detect events linked to power tower locations in real time, allowing the faster identification of dangerous events such as electrical faults, short circuits, and extreme weather conditions without the installation of new sensors on powerlines or towers, making the monitoring service both cost effective and environmentally conscious.

Eviation Aircraft, an Israeli-American company, is making final preparations for the first flight of its electrically-powered airplane, expected to take place before the end of the year. While the company’s first goal was to develop a short-route commuter aircraft that could be likened to “Uber in the sky”, the company recently broadened their scope by signing a deal with DHL to deliver 12 electric cargo aircraft to the shipping giant. The aircraft itself requires less than 30 minutes of charging time per hour of flight time and is on track to receive regulatory approval for commercial use by 2024.

Researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev have developed a model that can assist policymakers with their decisions on how to allocate vaccines and what social distancing measures to implement to combat the Covid-19 pandemic. The model considers several different variables into its prediction, including vaccine supply, evolving virus transmissibility, and population susceptibility to serious illness. The model will allow countries to test their multi-layered response before implementing to find a solution that is best for the health of their population.

The Center for Climate Action at Tel Aviv University is leading a shift in how climate research is organized, focusing now on how to deal with the effects of climate change rather than simply how our living conditions will change. The Center is taking a four-pronged approach to tackling climate issues, focusing on regional stability, financial sector participation, changes to public behavior, and the linkage of climate change to public health through new student fellowships for climate research, new courses on climate change available to all TAU students, and reducing the carbon footprint of TAU.

Mobileye, a Jerusalem-based derivative of Intel Corporation, will roll out a pilot of autonomous taxis and ride-hailing services in Munich and Tel Aviv in 2022, pending regulatory approval. The autonomous driving system includes cameras and radar sensors to create vision sensing and Road Experience Management mapping to provide a high-definition map of driving infrastructure. Passengers will be able to book the cars through an app that combines ride-hailing, ridesharing, and car rentals.

From Technion - Israel Institute of Technology - Researchers from Taiwan, the United States and Israel found that airborne transmission is a major or dominant pathway for most respiratory diseases, not just Covid-19. The research is contrary to previous understanding about how viruses spread, which was previously thought to be mainly via large droplets or contact with contaminated surfaces. The new findings will allow scientists to recommend better safety measures to prevent viral transmission, such as masking, and to eliminate measures that may actually make viral transmission worse, such as plexiglass barriers.

Margalit Startup City Galil, a new hub for food tech innovation, was recently launched in northern Israel to develop applications of food science and food technologies. The hub will bring together food and agriculture technology companies, community organizations, and research institutions to further develop Israel’s involvement in the rapidly growing field. The launch event included presentations from Foodtech startups on their products, as well as a showcase of projects from local schools.

From Tel Aviv University News - A Tel Aviv University study found that nicotine residues were found in the hair samples of 70% of children of smokers, indicating substantial exposure to tobacco smoke. The study also found that just performing the test on the children was enough to change parents’ behavior even without knowing the results, with significant decreases in nicotine detection six months after the start of the study. Researchers therefore recommend routine testing of young children to monitor levels of nicotine and smoke exposure.

A team of researchers from Tel Aviv University found a way to predict the type of cancer in a patient, as well as their probability of survival, based on silent mutations in coded proteins, mutations that do not change the sequence of amino acids in proteins. The study found that silent mutations were just as predictive as “ordinary” mutations and taking both together could improve predictive power in 68% of cancer types. The researchers intend to form a startup focusing on diagnostic and prognostic tools based on silent mutations.

Israeli space computing company Ramon.Space was chosen by the Israel Space Agency to provide a space computing payload for an early 2022 mission. The digital payload will perform computing while in orbit, including software updates, bringing computing capabilities to space that were previously only attainable on earth. The company’s radiation-shielded technology can turn satellites into smart, autonomous objects, drastically increasing their lifetime.

Israeli data scientist Gil David claims that species are going extinct at a rate 58 times faster than without human impact on the environment. While we should expect eight species of vertebrates to go extinct every 100 years naturally, in practice a total of 520 vertebrates have gone extinct in the past 100 years, meaning a million years’ worth of extinction would occur in just 5,800 years at the current rate. David theorizes the causes of this trend is mostly due to humans, including overhunting, uncontrolled pollution, and unrestrained exploitation of the earth’s resources.

From Weizmann Wonder Wander - A study at the Weizmann Institute of Science has proposed a method to store information in qubits for longer periods of time. While quantum computing offers several times more processing power than regular bits thanks to superposition, its sensitivity to its physical environment causes its data to be lost in just a tiny fraction of a second. The proposed method capitalizes on the spin direction of nuclei of rare noble gases to store information for longer periods of time, and while much more research is needed, the potential exists to finally create a stable quantum memory system.

Technion scientists created a wearable motion sensor capable of identifying bending and twisting movements. The sensor is made of a highly stretchable electronic material and can recognize the movements that human joints normally make. The materials used to make the device are also inexpensive, opening doorways to applications in medicine, robotics, and industrial uses.

Israeli plant-based meat alternative manufacturer SavorEat is partnering with Sodexo Operations to offer its products to consumers in the United States, beginning with institutions of higher education. While the meat substitute is grounded by a proprietary plant-based cellulose fiber, SavorEat’s “robot chef” 3D printer can customize each batch according to different specifications by adding different amounts of protein, fat, cellulose, water, and various flavorings and colorings. The company hopes to be accessible to consumers with dietary restrictions as well as to offer an alternative to the inefficient and resource-draining production of meat around the globe.

Scientists at Rabin Medical Center have found a way to alter organs from pigs to make them compatible with the human body. The method involves creating a “hybrid organ” by replacing the innermost lining of blood vessels in the donor organ with human-derived cells, allowing the human immune system to respond to antirejection medications and not recognizing the organ as foreign. If found safe, the technology could create an abundant supply of hybrid organs; clinical trials could begin within five years.

A new study from Weizmann Institute of Science researchers found a new therapeutic approach to treat Covid-19 in the hopes of combatting new variants that continue to pose a threat to society. The new approach physically jams the “entry port” on our cells’ membrane that the virus uses to attach itself to the cell to enter it, differing from most existing treatments that target the viral “spike protein” itself. Because of this, the aerosol-based inhaled treatment would not be susceptible to further mutations or variants of the virus.

A team of researchers headed by the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology has found a breakthrough in the study of hematite, a material that acts as a photochemical water splitter to generate hydrogen gas from solar energy as energy storage. Using a new method of analysis, researchers were able to measure electron-hole separation efficiency and quantum efficiency in the generation of localized and non-localized electrons separately for the first time, a key step in explaining the gap between the theoretical and practical energy yield of the material.

A team of researchers at Tel Aviv University created the world’s first fully functioning 3D-printed model of a glioblastoma tumor, the notoriously fatal brain cancer that makes up most brain tumors in patients. The method combines a small tissue sample of a patient’s tumor with the patient’s MRI to bio-print a replica made of a gel composition that behaves as if it were inside a patient. Since cancer cells behave very differently in a petri dish than in a patient’s body, researchers hope the technology will make the development of cancer-fighting drugs more efficient and more effective.

A long-term marine science project between four institutions, including University of Haifa and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, discovered the largest concentration of deep-water shark eggs ever found. The hotbed, located in the Eastern Mediterranean just off the coast of Israel, was previously assumed to be a desert ocean environment; instead, researchers found an entire ecosystem thriving on brine pools and methane. The team’s findings provides scientists with new information regarding the resilience of marine ecosystems around the globe against climate change.

With new variants of Covid-19 dominating world headlines, attention has returned to the search for a drug or treatment to mitigate the effects of contracting the virus. Several different approaches are being taken to find such a treatment in Israel, ranging from immunotherapy to combat side effects, to an oral pill that aims to inhibit virus replication, to an inhaled medication that seeks to curb an immune overresponse to the virus in the lungs. With each patient reacting differently to Covid-19, several drugs may be necessary to treat different subsets of patients depending on their body’s response.

Doctors at Rambam Healthcare Campus in Haifa have removed cancerous tumors from the bladder of multiple patients by freezing them instead of cutting them out, claiming to be the first in the world to do so. The treatment involves a specially designed liquid carbon dioxide spray that allows cancerous cells to die without scarring healthy tissue. All four patients that have undergone the procedure have been discharged without side effects, leaving doctors hopeful the method can reduce bleeding, pain, and infection risk.

Four companies were granted funding in the second round of a pilot program from the Israel Innovation Authority to support the expansion of 5G network use in Israel. Projects funded include the connection of smart traffic cameras on main roads from RAD Data Communications, as well as C4I and Cyber Systems’ project to operate a decentralized 5G network for Israel Fire and Rescue Services. The program hopes to position Israeli high-tech as global leaders in the field, as well as provide significant growth to the country’s economy.

Researchers from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev collaborated on a project that can identify the type and antibiotic susceptibility of bacteria in urinary tract infections. The method uses infrared spectrums of the bacteria and machine learning algorithms and takes just 30-40 minutes to complete. In over 1,000 urine samples, the method was able to discriminate between bacteria with 97% accuracy and determine susceptibility to different antibiotics with 85% accuracy.

A joint study between researchers from Weizmann Institute of Science and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem discovered how three-dimensional space is represented in the brain of mammals for the first time. The study found that grid cells in bats, which provide the brain with its “GPS”-like capabilities, are not organized in a hexagonal lattice as was predicted by previous observations of grid cells in two dimensions. The experiment shows more complexity in grid cells than previously thought and prompts revising of long-accepted classical theories.

Beyon3D, an Israeli company specializing in the manufacturing of construction materials, is set to launch its proprietary digital manufacturing process for concrete building products in the United States, Canada, and across Europe. The process stands to reduce manufacturing costs, ecological footprint, and dependence on manual labor while delivering tailor made materials to construction firms. The company recently celebrated their IPO on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange in June.

The Peres Center for Peace and Innovation launched a new tour from the perspective of female innovators, titled “Women Creating Innovation.” The tour is sponsored by Salesforce Israel and focuses on women that have broken into the innovation sectors of industries both in Israel and around the world. The launch event for the tour included a panel of women founders and CEOs who spoke on their experiences in innovation and entrepreneurship.

From The Jerusalem Post - The Rimon School of Music’s Innovation Lab is combining entrepreneurship and programming classes with traditional music education to better prepare its students to enter the rapidly changing music industry. The program encourages Rimon students to explore the innovative side to several aspects of the music industry, from the creation of new platforms to self-promotion tools, to the production of an individual’s own music. With innovations like Spotify changing how music is consumed, the program hopes to put its students on the frontlines of the technological revolution.

Data science and healthcare company Verily announced the opening of their new research and development center in Israel with the goal of applying artificial intelligence technologies to biomedical problems including endoscopy, minimally invasive surgeries, and other imaging modalities. The first task of the new center will be to advance research conducted by Google Health on the detection of colonic polyps using AI. In addition, the company is building a Verily Israel team of innovators co-located with Google in Haifa and Tel Aviv.

From Tel Aviv University News - A team led by Tel Aviv University has identified a new indicator of metastatic breast cancer, also known as Stage 4 breast cancer, which occurs when cancer has spread, or “metastasized,” to other parts of the body. The study found that certain tissues called fibroblasts “prepare the area” to create a hospitable environment for the tumors. By keying on these changes, doctors could know when and where cancer will appear before it does, laying the groundwork for preventative treatment that could save millions of lives.

Research center StartupBlink ranked Israel second globally in coronavirus innovation, only behind the United States. The nod was supported by 38 Israeli innovations on a list of 1,300 compiled by the research center, including robots to enable Covid-19 patients to consult with their doctors, a wearable smart respiratory monitoring system, and a vaccine tracker maintained in Tel Aviv. Israel also placed strongest in the categories of prevention, treatment, and diagnostics largely thanks to their swift and effective vaccine rollout.

An Israeli study from Hebrew University suggests the global death toll from the Covid-19 pandemic may be severely underreported by official statistics. While around 4.22 million people have reportedly died from the virus worldwide, the study estimates this number could undershoot the actual total by as many as 1 million lives lost due to inaccuracies in some countries and intentional downplaying of the virus in others, particularly in countries under authoritarian regimes.

The first organ exchange between Israel and the United Arab Emirates took place in a three-way swap in which family members of patients donated their kidneys to other patients in exchange for kidneys for their ailing loved ones. The exchange was made possible by the Abraham Accords signed between the two nations last September. Doctors hope this collaboration will open the door for future partnerships in medicine between Israel and the UAE.

The Israeli government announced a five-year plan to invest more than $150 million in the promotion of high tech and science within the Arab sector. The plan hopes to combat the low Arab participation in the technology sector, about 2%, through science and high-tech education initiatives, the establishment of science and technology centers in the Arab sector, and two new research and development facilities in Arab population centers in Israel. The Israel Innovation Authority will also offer professional training to workers and give funding preference to projects originating from the Arab sector.

A newly discovered editing rule may be exploited to correct genetic defects. A recent study at the Weizmann Institute of Science uncovered a key principle governing RNA editing, a naturally occurring type of RNA modification. A key mutation found in many genetic disorders is the presence of adenosine (A) in a DNA sequence where there should be guanosine (G) – by exploiting the regularity of editing by the ADAR enzyme, scientists were able to correct the G-to-A mutation through natural RNA editing. Because RNA molecules are short-lived, the effects of editing are transient, making them safer than creating permanent changes in DNA.

Israel-founded company Theator is partnering with the urology and gynecology departments of the Mayo Clinic to test their annotation and video analytics technology in surgical rooms around the United States. The software scans real-time video footage of surgeries and breaks the procedure down into steps, offering digital summaries of a surgeon’s performance and pinpointing areas of focus for more training. Theator hopes the partnership will allow them to revise their product and help them in their goal to elevate the standard of care for patients.

From Forbes - Oravax Medical received approval from the review board of Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv to begin trials of their orally administered Covid-19 vaccine. Oral vaccines are much easier to transport, store and administer than traditional injected vaccines, breaking current barriers to mass immunization. If trials are successful, Oravax plans to seek emergency authorization in countries that have been unable to acquire enough vaccines for their population.

Unilabs announced an agreement with Tel Aviv-based company Ibex Medical Labs to use their cancer diagnostic software across Europe. As opposed to traditional pathology involving pathologists examining slides under microscopes, Ibex’s software uses AI-based algorithms and machine learning to analyze images from tissue biopsies to provide a second opinion and avoid diagnostic errors. The partnership will bring the technology to 16 or more European countries.

Research from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem suggests a classification of existing drugs called ion channel blockers may be effective at treating Covid-19. Ion channels allow the virus to control the acidity and salinity of its environment; blocking these channels may prevent the virus from spreading. The research group identified gliclazide and memantine, both already approved for use in humans, as two E protein ion channel inhibitors that could have potential to help treat the virus, prompting a call for clinical research on the drugs.

From Ben-Gurion University of the Negev - A team of psychology researchers from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and Harvard University found that having a prediction confirmed, such as culturally based gender stereotypes or preconceived notions about politicians, triggers a reward center in the brain. Researchers suspect the nucleus accumbens, an area of the brain previously linked to rewarding experiences, contributes to this reaction.

The World Expo, scheduled for October 2021 in Dubai, will use drone security technology developed by Israeli company Airobotics to protect its 25 million visitors over five months. The autonomous drone system will replace security personnel and will cut police response times from an average of 4.4 minutes to just one minute without a pilot or operations team to manage the drones themselves. The UAE chose the system shortly after the signing of the Abraham Accords with Israel as a test case for the integration of drones in security activities.

Prof. Yossi Yovel of Tel Aviv University has developed a revolutionary new attachable sensor to monitor fruit bats in the wild. The sensor includes GPS monitoring, a microphone, a heartbeat recorder, and an accelerometer among other features, all amassing to a maximum of just two grams. By putting the device on the animal, scientists will be able to monitor the behavior of bats outside of lab conditions, where natural behavior hardly ever takes place, without the cost and difficulties of tracking a flying creature during its activities.

A team of scientists from the Weizmann Institute of Science, led by Prof. Idit Shachar, found that the CD74 cell receptor, which improves the survival of white blood cells, causes chemical reactions that causes blood stem cells to die. They found that in mice genetically engineered to lack CD74, the blood stem cells in their bone marrow increased in count, longevity, and ability to transplant into mice lacking bone marrow. The research points to a potential path to more effective bone marrow transplants for patients with cancers such as leukemia.

Tel Aviv-based startup Wasteless is aiming to reduce food waste through software that lowers the price of food as it nears its expiration date. The software uses AI to analyze how consumers react to dynamic pricing to find the perfect discount for the retailer. While the dynamic pricing system is only directly applicable to products like produce and fresh meat that spoil relatively quickly, a pilot with a retailer in Spain showed a decrease in food waste of 32.75% and a 6.3% revenue increase.

Scientists at Tel Aviv University have developed a sensor that can restore the sense of touch lost due to nerve damage from amputation or injury. The sensor is implanted in the nerve injured limb and connected to a healthy nerve; when the limb touches an object, the sensor conducts electric current to the healthy nerve, simulating the sense of touch, without a battery or electricity. Tests on animals have yielded promising results and more animal trials will be conducted before the tech undergoes clinical trials.

The Israel Health Ministry informed health providers that they are cleared to administer a third Covid booster shot to immunocompromised adults, becoming the first country in the world to do so. The announcement comes with growing correlation between Israelis infected by the Delta variant and those who got their vaccine early in January and February, though experts say it’s too early to draw conclusions. Pfizer, currently seeking US and European authorization of its third booster shot, claims another shot within 12 months could drastically boost immunity.

Porsche has acquired a minority stake in Israeli startup firm Griiip, a cloud-based software development company aiming to give fans and racing teams a better look inside race cars. The company’s platform, called Racing Media Platform or RAMP, gives viewers access to raw data about the car and driver, including lap times, the vehicle’s battery status, and the driver’s stress levels, as well as content and charts personalized to each viewer’s interests. The company has already signed cooperation contracts with several racing championships.

Israeli startup TailorMed has developed an automated system for financially at-risk patients in the United States to match them with programs and organizations that can help lower out-of-pocket medical expenses. The company hopes to centralize sources of financial assistance for patients, taking pressure off financial counselors at hospitals and connecting patients with resources in a quicker and more efficient manner.

TAU researchers have found a way to store electric information in a device only two atoms thick, the thinnest unit known to science. The technology consists of two layers, one atom thick each, of boron and nitrogen arranged in a repeating hexagonal structure and uses quantum-mechanical electron tunneling to store information. The thin size of the material will allow information to move at higher speeds than today’s crystalline devices of about a hundred atoms thick.

Israeli company Nova Milan opened its first Innovation Center with the goal of producing sustainable fabrics and bioplastics from plant waste. Costa Rica has struggled with waste production from banana, coconut, pineapple and yuca crops. The company developed technology to recycle these agricultural waste byproducts into valuable materials, making it the world’s first and only petroleum-free vegan leather.

New devices engineered by Israeli startup RescueDose aim to eliminate human errors in medication dosage, especially when administering liquid medications. The company’s first product automates the dosage of radioisotopes for imaging procedures, keeping dosage accurate and eliminating staff exposure. A second robot, much lighter and cheaper than competitors, will dispense powdered and liquid medications into ready-to-use IV bags, eliminating errors in patient-specific chemotherapy treatments.

Israeli company Sight Diagnostics penned a deal with Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem to perform new research that aims to identify blood cancer cases using data from the company’s OLO device and patient clinical information provided by the hospital. The OLO device is capable of producing a digitized version of blood samples that allows researchers to look for visual abnormalities that could be cause for caution. The partnership hopes to better differentiate between malignant and reactive lymphocytes, a difficult task that could help doctors catch blood cancers earlier and more reliably.

Diagnosing tuberculosis may become faster, easier and less invasive due to a new sticker developed by researchers at Israel’s Technion. The sticker absorbs compounds released from the skin upon contact and uses artificial intelligence to determine whether the patient has tuberculosis. The test currently has 90% sensitivity and 70% specificity, potentially lifting a major roadblock to diagnosis in developing countries where cases are routinely missed.

A new nanoparticle drug developed at Tel Aviv University can treat inflammation without touching healthy immune cells. The treatment uses RNA to apply the treatment at precisely the right cells. Studies on mice found that the drug is as effective as familiar antibody treatments and human trials are expected to begin within two years.

Israeli company Future Meat Technologies has found a way to affordably mass-produce its lab-grown meat at its industrial cultured meat facility outside Tel Aviv. The new facility will allow the company to speed up regulatory approval for market entry by 2022 by producing 500 kilograms of cultured meat per day when fully operational. The production process provides animal cells with certain feed to rapidly grow before they are harvested, producing meat products sustainably and without cruelty.

An anthropology team from Tel Aviv University, along with an archaeology team from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, unearthed the bones of an early human thought to have lived beside modern humans (Homo sapiens) near the city of Ramla between 140,000 and 120,000 years ago. The discovery suggests that the Neanderthals of Western Europe are the remnants of a larger population that lived in the Levant, not the other way around as previously theorized.

A study out of the hydrochemistry laboratory at TAU found that atmospheric water captured from the urban Tel Aviv environment met the strict drinking quality standards set by the State of Israel and the World Health Organization. The study also found that wind direction can determine the composition of trace minerals and chemicals found in the water produced from air. While a large portion of the drinking water consumed in Israel is desalinated sea water, scientists hope these findings may be able to help secure clean water for communities not in close proximity to the sea.

Israeli startup Better Juices has raised $8 million in seed funding for sales, marketing, and the construction of its manufacturing facility. The company uses enzymes to convert naturally occurring sugars in juices into non-digestible molecules to reduce the sugar content of juices by up to 80%. The process does not include genetic modification, but instead involves a bioreactor device that the company hopes to sell to juice manufacturers to produce a low-calorie juice with a less sweet taste.

Israeli startup NurExone Biologic is developing a new treatment for spinal cord injuries that uses exosomes as smart delivery platforms. The treatment hopes to introduce loaded exosomes into the body nasally, which naturally target neuron damage. The company hopes to prepare their treatment for clinical trial after a successful animal trial provided proof of concept.

Israeli startup Edete Precision Technologies for Agriculture is expanding their artificial pollination technology to wind-pollinated crops, including pistachios, in addition to insect-pollinated crops. The process of pollination is delicate, complex, and one that farmers to this day have little control over, particularly for plants that depend on ever-inconsistent wind to procreate. Edete’s mechanical pollinators are capable of collecting flowers to produce pure pollen and applying the pollen to targeted trees autonomously.

Startup company Clair Labs has raised $9 million in seed funding for its projects developing and testing sensors to monitor a patient’s heartrate, respiration, airflow, body temperature and oxygen saturation without touching the patient. The sensors compile data based on the wavelengths of photons of different wavelengths emitted from the skin, which is fed to smart-learning algorithms to provide a holistic picture of a patient’s overall wellbeing. The technology is currently in clinical trial and pilot programs are scheduled for later this year.

Israeli vegan food startup Imagindairy has produced an alternative to non-dairy milk options based on the same proteins found in cow’s milk. The AI-based production process involves the creation of single-celled organisms designed to extract individual compounds that act as substitutes for whey and casein proteins. The company claims their product has the same taste and texture as cow’s milk while being cruelty-free.

Israeli startup company Beewise has developed a new technology called Beehome, a robotic beehive that can house up to 40 colonies and 1 million bees at a time. The system, completely solar powered, contains a robot that uses AI to constantly monitor and adjust conditions to keep the colonies healthy. Beewise hopes the system will help fight Colony Collapse Disorder and increase the world’s bee population.

Dr. Barak Rotblat of the Department of Life Sciences in BGU led a research study linking a specific gene to both aging and brain cancers. The study found that the YY1 protein increased activity of the TP73-AS1 gene, known to provide protection against chemotherapy for tumor cells. The protein is also known to activate genes in the aging process, prompting researchers to call for more investigation into the linkage between the TP73-AS1 gene, aging, and glioblastoma brain cancer.

Prof. Mark Schvartzman and a team of BGU scientists have developed a nanochip that could have huge impacts on cancer immunotherapy. The years-long project produced a silicone nanochip that mimics an artificial cancer cell, allowing scientists to observe exactly how blood cell receptors react. “This study has two innovative and important aspects – one from a nanotechnology perspective and the other from a biological perspective.”

A preclinical trial on rats showed a new Israeli-made Covid-19 vaccine could act as a booster. All 70 subjects showed increased levels of antibodies without side effects. The vaccine, developed by MigVax, is administered orally as drops on the tongue, greatly easing the vaccination process. The booster could be ready for humans by early 2022.

Innovation management software supplier Qmarkets has partnered with HeroX, a platform for crowdsourced idea competitions, to expose Qmarkets users to a new community of problem-solvers. Using an “open innovation” model, the partnership will include an API integration that will allow Qmarkets users to easily publicize idea challenges in the HeroX community and will allow HeroX users to submit ideas directly to their client. The partnership aims to remove barriers between solution-seekers and problem-solvers to increase overall return on investment.

Tel Aviv University announced the launch of its new Center for Climate Change Action, a multidisciplinary center charged with finding innovative solutions to the global climate crisis. The first of its kind in Israel, the center will focus on developing green technologies, raising public awareness, and promoting environmental legislation in government. The opening is a demonstration of TAU’s institutional commitment to solving the issue of climate change.

Scientists at the Sheba Medical Center have developed a retinal scanning procedure that acts as a blood count test, reporting on the number and type of cells in a patient’s blood. The device is scheduled to be tested on the International Space Station in October, alongside other Israeli technologies, where factors such as tears in the eye that could skew results are not present.

The Soroka Medical Center and Israel Aerospace Industries are teaming up to create a new innovation center for the conversion of defense projects into medical ones, along with new medical research. Doctors from the medical center will analyze and specify the medical and engineering needs, while IAI engineers will build solutions through new and existing technologies.

A report by Catalyst Investments shows that it takes six years on average for Israeli firms to reach a $1 billion valuation for companies set up after 2008, a jump of more than double the 15-year average mark for companies set up between 1999 and 2008. Shifts in the private equity ecosystem have resulted in more US money poured into Startup Nation, with the number of billion-dollar “unicorns” in Israel jumping from one in 2013 to 18 in in 2019, and 65 as of May 2021.

Textile manufacturer Delta Galil is partnering with Sonovia, a company that makes textiles with sustainable and antimicrobial properties, to offer their customers new, environmentally friendly products. Sonovia’s technologies, which produce a fabric that is antimicrobial, anti-odor and water repellant, will be utilized in the form of an ultrasonic fabric-finishing applicator in the Delta facilities, which uses patented nanotechnology to embed specific particles in the textile to give it its desired properties.

Prof. Haim Cohen of Bar-Ilan University led an international team of scientists that found the life expectancy of mice increased an average of 30% when engineered to produce high levels of the SIRT6 protein. The study published in the journal Nature Communications, also found that mice with extra SIRT6 broke down more fats and lactic acid into sugars used for energy and movement than mice that did not, a finding that suggests the protein could be a tool to help regulate healthy aging.

Novidea, an Israel-based insurance software company, recently closed a $30 million round of financing. The company provides a cloud-based platform for brokers, agents and MGAs to analyze operations data and enable growth in distribution and efficiency. The company hopes to drive the digitalization of insurance distribution.

From The Times of Israel - A new discovery by scientists at Ben Gurion University points to a new method that may limit the dangers of the BRD4 protein, known to stimulate cancer-causing genes when overstimulated. Boosting the production of the SETD6 enzyme was found to reduce the risks associated with the protein, potentially inhibiting activity. The lab is now working to identify drugs that can help regulate the protein-enzyme relationship.

Israel was one of 40 nations that participated in the Global Climate Summit to discuss the environmental challenges climate change poses to global society. Of key interest was the issue of water scarcity, of which the desert nation of Israel is leading the way in innovation and technology, treating 93% of the country’s wastewater and recycling 86% for agriculture. Israel has also partnered with other nations such as India, Jordan, and the UAE to share their knowledge and best practices surrounding water use.

Israel’s government signed a deal with Amazon Web Services and Google worth over $1 billion to provide cloud services to the Israeli military and government operations. The initiative, titled “Nimbus”, is a multi-year project to move government data to the cloud in order to better provide citizens with government services, increase economic efficiency, and promote innovation into a cloud-based ecosystem.

A Bar-Ilan University scientist has developed a new software that assesses how and where mistakes occur in genome editing procedures. The software is designed to be used with the CRISPR genome editing system, which cuts DNA with microscopic scissors and has been plagued by accuracy issues in the past. The software is designed to enable scientists to fix errors quickly and prevent false alarms that may slow research.

From ISRAEL21c - Israeli company EVR Motors has developed a compact electric motor to be used in electric vehicles that is less than half the size of existing models. The motor utilizes proprietary Trapezoidal Stator Radial Flux technology, replacing traditional radial flux permanent magnet motors, to pack the same power in a much smaller size. A smaller motor will allow car manufacturers improved performance and installation flexibility while reducing costs.

Tel Aviv firm Playermaker has been selected to participate in FIFA’s Innovation Programme, a year-old initiative to allow companies to test and revise their technologies to meet the standards of soccer players at the highest levels of the game. Playermaker’s product is a shoe-mounted wearable sensor capable of providing insight into a player’s performance from new data sources. The sensor is the first wearable technology accepted into the Innovation Programme.

Cybersecurity company Cybint, the 8200 Alumni Association, and video platform myInterview are collaborating to identify candidates for a three-month cybersecurity bootcamp for underrepresented groups in Israel, including women, ultra-Orthodox, new immigrants and Arab populations. The project, subsidized by Israel’s Innovation Authority, aims to combat the current talent shortage experienced by Startup Nation. The new platform allowed Cybing and the 8200 Alumni Association to screen candidates more efficiently and to expedite the recruitment process to move people through the program and into cybersecurity roles in startup companies.

From The Times of Israel - : Israeli healthcare startup CytoReason announced a partnership with Ferring Pharmaceuticals to find new treatments for inflammatory bowel disease. The partnership hopes to combine Ferring’s medical expertise and experience with CytoReason’s software, which models the human immune system and diseases using artificial intelligence, to model and test new treatments for the disease. The collaboration will make the development process faster and cheaper, ultimately improving the efficiency of new drug development projects.

TAU researchers discovered a sea creature in the Gulf of Eilat capable of fully regenerating its organs, even when dissected into three fragments. The study found that each portion of the dissected organism was able to regenerate all missing organs in a relatively short period of time, and each piece knew which organs were needed to regain function. Such regenerative capacity has never been observed in an animal that reproduces only by sexual reproduction.

Israeli data science startup Explorium closed a series C round of funding totaling $75 million, bringing their total fundraising to $127 million. Explorium’s platform analyzes data models, searches a collection of thousands of external data signals, and selects the most relevant signals to improve machine learning. The company, which currently employs 130 people, plans to expand its workforce in both the US and Israel in the near future.

Israel-based startup PatenSee is developing a new device for the treatment of patients undergoing kidney dialysis. The device, which is currently in two separate clinical trials in Israel, is designed to identify or even predict blockages in fistula that can develop over time in dialysis patients, which can cause blood clots thrombosis. The imaging device is contactless, radiation-free, and takes under two minutes while still reducing the risks of complications of dialysis.

From Weizmann Wonder Wander: Science news and culture. A study at the Weizmann Institute of Science found that beta-sitosterol, a plant-derived substance, reduces anxiety in mice. The study found this effect held when the compound was administered both on its own and in parallel with antianxiety drug Prozac. Researchers suggest a clinical trial to confirm the study’s findings, which, if upheld, could revolutionize the way we treat anxiety.

A study at Tel Aviv University found that fireflies emit a very strong ultrasonic sound that may serve to protect themselves against bats, a sound that the fireflies themselves cannot hear. The discovery was made when ultrasonic sounds of unknown source were detected by a microphone at similar frequency to those of bats; further investigation showed the sound originated from the movement of fireflies’ wings. While further research is required, scientists say early indications point to these sounds developing as a defense mechanism.

A collaborative study between the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology and the Weizmann Institute of Science found that single beating heart cells, called cardiomyocytes, can regulate their differences in beating oscillations, or noise. Researchers discovered that over hours, the pulses that were slower or faster from the cells’ typical beat frequency came in “bunches” of tens of minutes, suggesting gene transcription or protein translation are involved in the process.

Prof. Ofer Yizhar led a team at the Weizmann Institute of Science that recently developed a new method of investigating how our brain works. The method involves rhodopsins, a type of light-sensing protein, harvested from mosquitoes that allow scientists to control the activity of neurons in a mouse brain. Scientists hope this new method of analysis will help them solve age-old mysteries about the brain and spark the development of new therapies for neurological conditions.

Real-world data from Israel shows that the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine is 96.7% effective at preventing death, 97.5% effective at preventing serious illness, and 95.3% effective at preventing infection, according to a new study published in medical journal The Lancet. The study stated that Covid-19 outcomes declined “in all age groups” and that the vaccine proved “highly effective” at preventing infection and death, even against the British variant of the virus, sparking hope that the vaccine will help control the pandemic.

Israeli startup company Empathy has created a smartphone app that assists users in the logistics of losing a loved one. Co-founder Ron Gura estimates that families spend over 500 hours on average performing tasks to deal with an estate, including planning services, closing accounts, and claiming benefits, among other items. The app, which raised over $13 million in seed funding last month, also helps users cope with grief and aims to help ease the bureaucratic burden of loss.

Israeli food startup DouxMatok recently launched a new line of cocoa spreads using highly engineered sugar to cut the sugar content of their product by nearly 50%. Called Incredo sugar, the cane sugar used in the product contains a grain of silica in the crystal, boosting the potency of the sweet flavor and enabling the company to use less sugar per product without compromising taste or texture.

Scientists at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev collaborated on a project to develop a pair of “molecular tweezers” that can be used to destroy the protective biofilm of antibiotic resistant bacteria after it enters the body. The tweezers were tested on Staph bacteria and were found to prevent infection without building an antibiotic resistance.

US agriculture infrastructure maker Valmont agreed to purchase Israeli startup Prospera for $300 million, the culmination of a two-year partnership established between the companies in 2019. Technologies developed by Prospera include climatic sensors that use artificial intelligence to monitor crops and allow farmers to remotely manage their fields, thereby maximizing their crop yields. A statement put out by the two companies claimed the merger creates the “largest global, vertically-integrated artificial intelligence (AI) company in agriculture.”

Israel’s Ministry of Science and Technology, in collaboration with The Ramon Foundation, announced 44 experiments to be performed as part of the Rakia Mission to the International Space Station. The experiments will be a part of the first private mission to the ISS, scheduled for the beginning of 2022. The experiments were chosen for their potential for technological, scientific and medical breakthroughs and for their promise of economic impact.

TAU and Google announced a new three-year program to promote multidisciplinary research related to artificial intelligence focusing on social issues on the global agenda. 10 grant winners were announced whose projects ranged from the fields of zoology, to biblical studies, to electrical engineering and beyond. The program will also include a joint seminar on machine learning.

Intel intends to expand its research and development facilities and boost its manufacturing capacity in Israel, CEO Pat Gelsinger announced during a one-day trip to the country. The corporation, which employs 14,000 people on their current Israel campuses, previously announced plans for a new, $200 million facility in Israel to design new chips and to hire another 1,000 workers.

Israel-based medical startup Montfort has created an app that uses smartphone technology and artificial intelligence to conduct brain monitoring and digital neurological tests for Parkinson’s and Huntington’s patients remotely. The app expands Montfort’s original platform, which collected data from a patient’s motoric reactions and on-screen commands, to include more indicators like a patient’s social interaction and activity level and uses clinical data in AI models to predict brain connectivity disturbances.

Israel’s REE Automotive announced a partnership with Hino Motors Co., a subsidiary of Toyota, to develop and deliver electric commercial vehicles to transport goods, services, and people in the near future. The partnership hopes to capitalize on Hino’s experience as a vehicle manufacturer and REE’s proprietary electric vehicle technologies to deliver hardware prototypes of a modular EV platform by 2022.

Prof. Abraham Katzir of Tel Aviv University has developed a new method for detecting and distinguishing between different types of skin cancer. The testing involves infrared sensors and optical fibers to determine the properties of skin lesions, then matching their coloration on the infrared spectrum with that of known cancers. An initial study on 100 patients was published in the International Journal of Medical Physics Research and Practice, with a follow-up study on hundreds more in the works at TAU. Katzir also aims to make the technology more cost-effective and scalable to every hospital and clinic in the world.

From The Jerusalem Post - Israeli company HELIOS has developed a technology to produce oxygen gas directly from the surface of the moon, a development that could play a key role in upcoming space missions. The design, which has received funding from the Israeli Space Agency, involves a special furnace that harvests oxygen and other metals directly from the moon’s surface without supplementary materials brought from earth.

Israeli company Memic Innovative Surgery received FDA marketing approval, along with $96 million of investment, for their Hominis robotic surgery system. Hominis is the first robotic platform with human-level flexibility and dexterity authorized by the FDA and stands to make hysterectomies undergone by over 600,000 American women yearly both safer and easier. Designed to replicate a surgeon’s hand, wrist, elbow and shoulder joints, the system may also be operated by a handheld controller, making it much more cost-effective than other robots requiring larger, more expensive remotes.

The Energy Ministry announced their plan to curb gas emissions by 80% in the next 30 years. The plan includes the closing of all of Israel’s coal-fired powerplants by 2025, which would be the fastest rate of coal reduction in the world. The plan depends on the usage of hydrogen and natural gas, as well as new digital and smart grids, to meet its goals, as well as flexibility to utilize new technological developments that will emerge in the coming years. The plan also set benchmarks to reduce emissions in the energy sector by 75-85% by 2050, as well as improve the country’s energy intensity index by 1.3% each year, goals twice as ambitious as those communicated at the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement.

Non-profit organization Start-Up Nation Central announced the launch of a “new economic and research policy institute focused on Israeli innovation”. The institute, whose name has yet to be determined, will work closely with several Israeli government agencies, such as the Israeli Innovation Authority, to help research and develop economic policy to maintain Israel’s economic edge on emerging technologies. The institute’s co-chair, Eugene Kandel, explained in an interview that “the competition between innovation ecosystems has intensified” in the last decade, and he hopes that the institute will be able to collaborate with other organizations to address the needs of Israel’s innovation ecosystem “10 or 15 years ahead”.

After a booming, $5 billion first quarter of 2021 for Israeli companies, the month of April could meet or exceed those achievements alone, led by a billion-dollar day in the first week. Leading the way are two companies, Trax Image Recognition and Redis Labs, with the former closing a $640 million investment deal and the latter reporting two transactions totaling $310 million in investment.

From The Times of Israel - Israeli researchers from Tel Aviv University’s Cancer Biology Research Center are optimistic about the results of a study on mice with glioblastoma, a deadly brain cancer which for humans has a 40% survival rate within one year and 5% after five years.

A clinical trial at the Sheba Medical Center is testing the effects of chest compressions based on personalized treatment algorithms on clearing mucus and improving the breathing of patients with cystic fibrosis and other chronic lung diseases. The trial will bring the physiotherapy system to the study’s participants in their own homes, making the state-of-the-art treatments accessible. If the study yields positive results, the new treatment method could improve the lives of patients with chronic lung diseases who require airway clearance on a daily basis.

Israeli infrastructure startup ECOncrete was named one of 12 BloombergNEF Pioneers for 2021 for their work in developing more sustainable concrete blocks for coastal and marine infrastructure projects. The company uses bio-mimicry techniques in their design to simulate natural shapes and structures of the marine environment in order to allow fish and other marine organisms to live and grow around the structures. BNEF Pioneers are named each year to highlight early-stage companies developing ecofriendly products.

From Jewish News Syndicate - "A high rate of genetic Parkinson’s makes Israel a perfect lab for finding ways to prevent, stop and even cure this fast-growing neurological disorder."

Aura Air, an Israeli start-up company focused on developing clean-air technologies, will open a production and innovation facility in Ethiopia that will serve as a basis for other health projects around the African continent. After piloting their purification system in Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer last year, which saw virus and bacteria eliminated at a 99.97% rate, the company will shift their attention to bringing Israeli technologies to Africa.

Israeli startup Belkin Laser has developed an alternative glaucoma treatment that may change how patients with glaucoma are treated. While traditional methods rely either on eye drops, which patients have historically had a hard time keeping up with, or traditional laser surgery, which can be performed only by a handful of specialists and is an uncomfortable, lengthy procedure, Belkin’s new laser treatment is automated, can be performed by any ophthalmologist, and takes only seconds.

From The New York Times - An experiment at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel successfully grew mouse embryos inside an artificial uterus for the first time. The study, authored by Dr. Jacob Hanna, included description of over a thousand embryos grown by removing embryos at five days gestation and growing them for six additional days in artificial uteruses, together totaling half of their development.

Using an “ear-on-a-chip” method, scientists at Tel Aviv University have successfully created a robot that replaces an electronic microphone with a bio-hybrid insect’s ear. The design concept used the ear’s ability to detect electrical signals from the surrounding environment and convert those signals to that of a robot. The system successfully responds to sounds as if the electronic microphone was still being used and is sensitive to a wide range of frequencies. Scientists are hopeful the principle can be used and applied to other senses such as sight, touch, or vision.