ISRAEL INNOVATION PROJECT

Building on its groundbreaking work engineering bacteria to grow by using carbon dioxide from the atmosphere instead of sugars, the laboratory of Prof. Ron Milo at the Weizmann Institute has developed E. coli with specialized structures that absorb carbon dioxide more efficiently, allowing the bacteria to grow faster. This advancement brings researchers closer to their long-term goal of creating microorganisms that rely entirely on atmospheric carbon dioxide as a sustainable source of nutrition for humans and animals, similar to the way plants convert carbon dioxide into the building blocks needed for growth.

A new study Taub Center for Social Policy Studies found that summer heatwaves in Israel significantly increase emergency room visits and lengthen hospital stays for patients with respiratory, cardiovascular, kidney diseases, and diabetes, resulting in an estimated NIS 380 million in healthcare costs between 2014 and 2025. The findings underscore the need for policymakers to strengthen hospital capacity and staffing during periods of extreme heat, particularly given Israel's already high hospital bed occupancy rates.

Tel Aviv University welcomed Prof. Joel Mokyr, 2025 Nobel Prize winner in Economic Sciences and Visiting Professor at TAU’s Eitan Berglas School of Economics, for a three-day campus visit celebrating his academic contributions and longstanding connection to the university. The visit featured interdisciplinary discussions, a public lecture on the drivers of economic growth, a ceremony honoring him with the dedication of the Economics Student Plaza, and participation in academic events across the university. Prof. Mokyr, an Israeli-American economic historian and Northwestern University professor, was recognized with the Nobel Prize for his influential research on innovation, technological change, and the role of knowledge and institutions in shaping long-term economic growth.

A new study from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev has found that long-term Salmonella infections can severely impair blood stem cells, which are responsible for producing the body’s blood and immune cells, but that this damage is fully reversible. Led by Prof. Roi Gazit and Dr. Ofir Cohen, the research showed that after treatment with effective antibiotics, damaged stem cells quickly recovered their ability to rebuild a healthy blood and immune system. Published in Cell Reports, the findings highlight the importance of treating infections before procedures such as bone marrow transplants and provide new insight into the resilience of adult stem cells.

Researchers from Tel Aviv University’s Gray Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences have identified a biological mechanism that could pave the way for regenerating sensory hair cells in the inner ear, offering potential future treatments for millions of people with irreversible hearing loss. Led by Prof. Karen Avraham and conducted in collaboration with researchers from Tel Aviv University and Creighton University, the study was published in Science Advances and challenges the long-held belief that human hearing cells cannot be regenerated.

Rambam Health Care Campus has performed Israel’s first procedure using innovative Israeli technology developed by Insightec to help a patient overcome severe opioid dependence. The 20-minute, noninvasive treatment is part of an international clinical study exploring new therapeutic approaches, with researchers suggesting the technology could have broad applications for treating a range of neurological and medical conditions.

A team of Israeli and American researchers from the Weizmann Institute of Science, the University of California, Riverside, and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has developed a new method for detecting potential signs of extraterrestrial life by analyzing the diversity of molecular building blocks associated with biological processes. Published in Nature Astronomy, the approach could advance the search for life beyond Earth and is planned for use on the proposed Israeli-led Eureka mission to Jupiter’s moon Europa in the early 2030s.

Researchers from the University of Haifa’s Morris Kahn Marine Research Station documented two sperm whales off the coast of Ashdod during a deep-sea survey, which also coincided with International Ocean Day, marking the first recorded sighting of this rare Mediterranean species in the area since 2022. The discovery highlights the importance of continued marine research and conservation efforts to protect these elusive whales, despite the survey being cut short due to regional security concerns.

BGU study shows that redistributing water sources can increase mating opportunities and strengthen genetic diversity in wild animal populations. By studying a desert-dwelling wild ass population, they showed that adding water sources created new territorial opportunities for males, increasing mating success and gene flow. It is an important and encouraging finding in the context of climate change and ongoing species decline.

Scientists from the Weizmann Institute of Science and Charles University recreated the coronavirus’s evolutionary path in a lab, compressing years of pandemic evolution into just a few months. Using engineered yeast cells and repeated cycles of mutation and selection, the team showed how strong selection pressure can rapidly produce variants resembling Omicron. Researchers say the method could one day help identify dangerous variants before they become dominant, improving pandemic preparedness.