Month: July 2019

‘Invasive species of parrots – a danger to agriculture’

Ecologist Dr. Assaf Shwartz of the Technion leads a multi-national team that investigates the effect of invasive species in Israel and Europe: “It is important to prevent the release of non-native species in nature”

Non-native parrots can cause substantial agricultural damage and threaten native biodiversity, although impacts vary strongly depending on where these parrots have been introduced. Brought to Europe as pets, escaped or released parrots have established numerous wild populations across Europe. Tens of thousands of ring-necked and monk parakeets make up the bulk of Europe’s parrots, but several more species are also gaining a foothold. A pan-European team of researchers, conservationists, wildlife managers, and policy-makers worked together under the umbrella of ParrotNet, an EU COST Action, and have reviewed the available evidence on parrot damage, concluding that measures to prevent parrots from invading new areas are paramount for limiting future harm.

Today there are more than 200 populations of parrot species originating in South America and India. “These are parrots that were brought to Israel as pets and some of them were released or escaped from their cages and created huge free populations,” said lead researcher Dr. Assaf Shwartz, of the Faculty of Architecture and Town Planning at the Technion–Israel Institute of Technology. “These populations are growing every year, and today there are more than 10,000 ring-necked parakeets and monk parakeets in Israel.”

Introduced parrots can damage the environment, but severe impacts are rare and localized. Most reports of damage were linked to the widespread and locally abundant ring-necked and monk parakeets. Studies show that in their native ranges, both species can, and regularly do, inflict large crop losses, but in Temperate Europe, expectations of comparable widespread and severe damage to agriculture have so far failed to materialize. Severe impacts on crops were recorded in Mediterranean Europe. Competition with native species presents a more serious problem, especially for ring-necked parakeets as they can compete with native species for food and breeding sites. In the Americas, monk parakeets are notorious for the damage their stick nests cause to power infrastructures by catching fire, yet very little evidence for such problems exist in Europe. Reported impacts for other parakeet species in Europe are virtually nonexistent, probably because these species have been introduced more recently and currently exist as relatively small and localized populations.

The study, published in Neobiota, also highlights that differences in the type of damage, and the way they are reported and summarized influences the outcomes of invasive species impact assessments. The generalized threat level that invasive species pose is often based on their worst known impacts, whilst the capabilities of a species to do damage often requires specific circumstances. While this is relevant information for identifying those invaders that can potentially have major impacts, it is not necessarily representative of the impacts the species is likely to have when introduced to a new area. Similarly, including damage reports from the native range or from other invaded ranges typically results in higher threat level estimates compared to what actually has been observed in Europe.

“The ring-neck parakeets and monk parakeets have already established large populations in Israel and in Europe,” said Dr. Shwartz. “Ultimately, the decision on ways to reduce the damage is in the hands of the decision-makers, but as scientists, it is important to note that the best way to combat species invasions is to prevent the release of non-native species in nature. Studies have shown that in the islands it is possible to eradicate/mitigate populations of invaders (for example in the Seychelles), but on large continents, in areas such as Israel and Europe, there is no ‘silver bullet’ solution to the problems, so it is important to conduct wide cost-benefit studies before taking various measures.”

The paper can be accessed here: Neobiota 

 

Researchers from the Technion Faculty of Biology have discovered a sophisticated, autoregulatory mechanism that makes protein synthesis in the human body more efficient

The researchers say damage to this mechanism may be linked to many illnesses

Researchers from the Technion Faculty of Biology have discovered a sophisticated regulatory mechanism that makes protein synthesis in the human body more efficient. The researchers say damage to this mechanism may be linked to many illnesses, and that their findings are likely to lead to a better understanding and improved treatment of biological disruptions. The findings of the study led by Professor Yoav Arava and doctoral student Ofri Levi were recently published in PLoS Biology.

Proteins, a major component of the human body, are synthesized by a cellular factory known as the ribosome. For protein synthesis, the ribosome uses two main components: mRNA, which contains the necessary code for protein synthesis, and tRNA, which carries the amino acids, the protein’s building blocks. 

The research conducted at the Technion focused on a unique family of enzymes –Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) – that play an important role in properly binding the amino acid molecule to the corresponding tRNA. The precision and efficiency of these enzymes are critical to the quality of the raw materials reaching the ribosome and hence to the quality of the future protein. While research groups around the world have been investigating the role of these enzymes for decades, the Technion researchers discovered another, previously unknown function.

Prof. Arava’s research group discovered that in addition to binding the amino acids to their matching  tRNA, these enzymes also regulate their prevalence in accordance with the amount of available amino acids. When amino acids are abundant and large quantity of enzymes are required, the enzymes activate an autoregulatory mechanism that increases their production. The opposite occurs when a smaller quantity of enzymes is needed. Furthermore, the researchers deciphered the molecular mechanism that executes this action: the enzyme binds its own mRNA in a region that mimics the binding site on its natural tRNA target.

Even though in the current research the Technion researchers focused on a single enzyme from the Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases family, they believe that this autoregulatory mechanism exists in all twenty enzymes belonging to this family. This intelligent mechanism enables the molecule to regulate its amount in accordance with the cell’s needs and probably developed in an early stage of evolution.

Due to the critical role of Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases in determining the quality of the raw materials in the ribosome, any disruption in their activity is likely to lead to the synthesis of harmful proteins. Indeed, mutations of these enzymes are involved in many human illnesses, in particular those related to the nervous system such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT). Hence, this research may lead to a better understanding of illnesses and to the development of new ways to treat them.

The research is funded by the Israel Science Foundation (ISF), the US-Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF) and the Russell Berrie Nanotechnology Institute (RBNI) at the Technion.

Prof. Yoav Arava completed his bachelor’s degree in the Faculty of Agriculture in Rehovot, his master’s and doctorate in the Faculty of Biochemistry at the Weizmann Institute of Science and his post-doctorate in the Department of Biochemistry at Stanford University. He has been the recipient of many awards, including the Yanai Prize for Excellence in Academic Education (2012) and the Mani Award for Excellence in Teaching (2009). Prof. Arava’s laboratory focuses on proteins that bind to RNA molecules and on the biochemical and molecular attributes of their functioning. “We use two main experimental systems: yeast cells (used for the research described here) and nerve cells,” he said. “By generating genetic changes in these systems we attempt to understand the communication between proteins and RNA and its contribution to the physiology of the cell. The current paper is a classic example of the work in our laboratory: we identified a link between proteins and particular RNA molecules, and by generating genetic changes in the protein or the RNA we were able to expose a new physiological function and its underlying mechanism.”

For the article in PLOS Biology click here

 

The Technion Board of Governors Welcomes a New Chairman

Scott Leemaster of Franklin, Michigan, is the new chairman of the Technion Board of Governors, the governing body of the Technion–Israel Institute of Technology. He assumed the post in June 2019 during the Board’s annual meeting, succeeding long-time chairman, Larry Jackier. Both Mr. Leemaster and Mr. Jackier hail from the Detroit area.

“For many years now, I have been fortunate to follow in Larry’s footsteps, and honored to work together with him on behalf of the Technion,” Mr. Leemaster said. “This amazing institution is arguably the fundamental driver not only of Israel’s economic success, but also of its growing international relationships in Africa, India, China, and other parts of Asia. I am deeply honored to be asked to take on this new role and grateful for the opportunity to continue my life-long love affair with the Technion and its people.”

Mr. Leemaster is vice president and principal of Warren, Michigan-based Madison Electric Company, a wholesale distributor of electrical supplies, industrial controls, and automation equipment. He is credited with expanding the company’s product offerings, managing the Madison Electronics division, and improving inventory efficiency.

He became involved with the ATS in the late 1990s, driven by the Jewish value of tikkun olam, Hebrew for repairing the world. “The Technion improves the lives of people around the world through its innovative solutions in science and technology. Technologies related to agriculture, energy, water, and solar all have deep roots at the Technion,” said Mr. Leemaster. 

He participated in an ATS leadership development program, and by 2004 was elected to a two-year term as president of the organization’s Detroit community. In 2008, he assumed the local presidency again. Under his stewardship, Detroit supporters helped fund key Technion projects including laboratories at the Stephen and Nancy Grand Water Research Institute, the Max Gill Emergency Fund for Technion Students, The D. Dan and Betty Kahn Mechanical Engineering Building and the Michigan–Israel Partnership, a research collaboration between the University of Michigan, the Technion and the Weizmann Institute of Science. 

On the national level, Mr. Leemaster became active on the ATS National Board of Directors in 2005, chaired numerous committees including the Audit Committee, and in 2012 became ATS president. During his tenure, he presided over the launch of the organization’s half-billion-dollar fundraising campaign, “Innovation for a Better World.” Most recently, he has served as the national chairman of the board.

He and his wife Susie have participated in and co-chaired many ATS trips to Israel and other destinations. Together with Mr. Jackier, he helped organize a Solidarity Delegation to Israel during Operation Protective Edge in 2014. 

The Leemasters are Technion Guardians, a designation for those who support the university at the highest level. They have generously funded a number of projects including the Departmental Library in the D. Dan & Betty Kahn Mechanical Engineering Building, and the Shared Core Facility in the Sohnis and Forman Families Center of Excellence for Stem Cell and Tissue Regeneration Research. In 2009, Mr. Leemaster was awarded a Technion Honorary Fellowship for his generosity and his hands-on involvement.

Outside of the Technion, Mr. Leemaster’s main philanthropic involvements are with the Hebrew Free Loan, where he served on the board and executive committee. Previously, he was active with the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit. He was recognized for his community service with the Alex J. Etkin Award for Young Leadership in 2001-2002, and with a Distinguished Community Service Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals in 2008. 

He and Susie have one son, Jacob, who participated in the Technion’s SciTech summer science program for high school students. Jacob is now an electrical engineer with MIT, in Boston, Mass. 

Technion researchers have developed innovative technology based on artificial intelligence to detect sleep apnea

An international research team led by the Technion–Israel Institute of Technology has developed an innovative, AI-based technology for monitoring obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The prevalence of this syndrome increases with age and affects more than one in five individuals in the general adult population – particularly males and those who are overweight. 

OSA is characterized by halts in breathing that last for 10 seconds or more during the night and lower oxygen levels in the blood. The syndrome causes fatigue and sleepiness during the day, which can lead to inefficiency and accidents while working, and in some cases, to road accidents. OSA also increases the risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease. 

The study was led by Dr. Joachim Behar, a member of the Technion’s Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, and the research team’s findings were published in The Lancet Group’s open-access journal EClinicalMedicine.

“Sleep apnea can be treated effectively, but many sufferers remain undiagnosed,” said Behar.

The technology used to diagnose the syndrome in sleep labs, called polysomnography, records brain waves and the oxygen level in the blood, as well as the heart rate, breathing and eye and leg movements during sleep.

Although polysomnography is effective in diagnosing the condition, it is not widely available because of its prohibitive costs. OSA diagnosis may also be carried out with home monitoring equipment, though this option is not without cost, nor is it easily accessible to the general population at risk. Less expensive diagnostic methods, based on questionnaires and upper-respiratory morphology, are not accurate enough.

The technology that Dr. Behar and his team developed is based on data from 887 subjects from the general adult population in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The technology received this data and, using artificial intelligence, succeeded in differentiating between OSA sufferers, and those who do not have it. 

The diagnosis was made on the basis of integrating biomarkers obtained from the patients that include oxygen saturation (pulse oximetry) during sleep, demographic information (such as age, height, and weight) and anthropometric information such as neck dimension. The system was able to successfully identify all-important clinical cases of medium or severe OSA. Standardized sleep apnea diagnosis questionnaires, by comparison, missed more than 15% of severe cases. The use of pulse oximetry only detected all severe cases, but failed to identify some of the medium OSA cases. 

“This means that the model we developed is a reliable and effective tool for identifying sleep apnea in large populations,” Dr. Behar said. In the future, with the development of a suitable mobile application, the model will make it possible for anyone with a smart watch or bracelet that includes an oximeter to perform an accurate self-examination for OSA.”

The model the team developed is called OxyDOSA, It is currently available for research at the following URL: https://aim-lab.github.io/oxydosa.html.

Assistant Professor Joachim Behar heads the Artificial Intelligence in Medicine Laboratory (AIMLab) in the Technion–Institute of Technology Faculty of Biomedical Engineering. AIMLab research is focused on the use of artificial intelligence in medicine within the context of physiological time series analysis recorded from portable monitors and wearable devices.

Prof. Behar earned his Ph.D. in biosignals processing and machine learning from the University of Oxford, under the supervision of Prof. Gari D. Clifford and Dr. Julien Oster. He is a two-time winner of the MIT-Physionet-Computing in Cardiology Competition in Biosignal Processing.

To the article in EClinicalMedicine

 

Researchers from the Technion’s Faculty of Biology have deciphered the action of dynamin, the protein in a process that allows the cell to internalize nutrients. The paper was recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

Biological cells, just like the whole organism, cannot live without eating. Since they do not have a mouth, the cells developed a clever technique for the intake of cargo molecules into the cell, known as endocytosis. 

In the endocytosis process, the cell membrane forms a bulge that develops and protrudes inwards. At the end of the process, a separate membrane shell, called a vesicle, forms inside the cell, in which the nutrients are trapped. To complete this process, it is necessary to cut the neck of the budding vesicle and separate it from the cell membrane. A central factor in this act of severing is a protein called dynamin. The dynamin molecules form a chain that tightens around the membrane neck of the bud and severs it, thus releasing the vesicle inside the cell. 

The problem is that this internal process is very difficult to investigate, and even though it has been studied extensively, the mechanics of the process are still not clear. This is why the achievement of Technion researchers Assistant Professor Tom Shemesh and post-doctoral students Dr. Avihay Kadosh and Dr. Ben Yellin is so important. The model the trio proposed was verified experimentally by researchers at the University of Geneva using an atomic-force microscope (AFM). 

Prof. Shemesh is a physicist by training. As a result, he approaches the study of biology by focusing on the physics and mechanics of biological processes. Postdoctoral researcher Dr. Avihay Kadosh, who completed his master’s degree in the Technion Department of Physics, took a similar path from physics from biology.

“The complex dynamics of the cell have many aspects of information processing. This information-centered perspective of biology is attractive for theoreticians, and is undoubtedly a very relevant and promising approach,” explained Prof. Shemesh. “But we focus rather on the mechanical aspects of cellular processes. In fact, we’re looking at “blue-collar work” – pushing, pulling and positioning of the proteins and other molecules. This was our approach for studying the helical structure of dynamin chains in this case.”

A helix is a recurring motif in the structure of living cells, from the renowned double helix of the DNA molecule – the dramatic discovery of Francis Crick, James Watson and Maurice Wilkins in 1953 – to internal features of many proteins and the large super-structures of the cell skeleton. Therefore, researchers say, it can be concluded that this is a structure that stems from basic principles, shared by many systems. 

The dynamin chains that are part of the endocytosis process are also helical in shape, and the discovery by the Technion researchers is related to the tilt of the helix at its point of contact with the cell membrane. “In fact, we developed a physical model that relates the shape of the protein chain to the mechanical forces that develop in the structure,” said Prof. Shemesh. “This model showed that the shape and stability of the dynamin chain are largely determined by the angle of insertion of parts of the dynamin protein into the cell membrane. Using the model, we were also able to provide an explanation for a long-standing puzzle: why do the dynamin chains break-up during the process of membrane remodeling? We found that a change in the angle of insertion drives a partial disassembly of the chain.”

Following the findings, the researchers have presented a new geometric object: the tilted helix.

“Many classical geometries, such as helices, helicoids, and catenoids, have been predicted and found in sub-cellular systems in the past,” said Prof. Shemesh. “Remarkably, in this case, the reverse has happened: the characterization of the tilted helix was motivated by the underlying biology.” 

The researchers found that the angle at which the dynamin protein is embedded in the membrane is critical to the success of the mission, namely, the task of cutting the membrane neck and breaking down the chain of dynamin to release the food inside the cell. Although the study focused on the dynamin molecules, the researchers believe that the considerations that led to the tilted helix model are “universal,” and that understanding them will lead to the explanation of other phenomena of protein-membrane interactions in the cell. 

 

The Technion – Israel Institute of Technology salutes the Apollo 11 heroes who landed on the moon 50 years ago. Buzz Aldrin, who will soon be celebrating his 90th birthday, was an honored guest at Technion Israel during the International Space University, which held its international program at Technion City.

The first moon landing, starring Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, took place 50 years ago on July 20th, 1969. Armstrong descended from the lander to the moon, followed by Aldrin, who described the scene as a “spectacular wilderness” – a phrase he would later use as the title of his autobiography. The astronauts set up the US flag and a memorial plaque on the moon; carried out some pre-determined scientific missions; and spoke to the US President Richard Nixon. They then boarded the lander and returned to Columbia, the commanding cell, where Michael Collins, their colleague on the mission, was waiting for them all the time to orbit the moon. Apollo 11 began its journey back home. They positioned the flag of the United States of American on the moon, together with several other items, including greetings from 73 national leaders. One of these was from the President of the State of Israel, Zalman Shazar, who wrote: “From the President of Israel in Jerusalem, as long as there is a moon, there will be peace.”

Dr. Buzz Aldrin visited the Technion in 2016. In his lecture at the Technion, Dr. Aldrin said: “I have no doubt that I am lucky. My mother was born when the Wright brothers made the first flights in history, and my father was one of the pioneers of the aviation world. I just flew jets in the Korean War and made spacewalks, and yet I got to go on the moon.”

Dr. Aldrin, a graduate of West Point Military Academy and a former combat pilot, received his Ph.D. from MIT in 1963. He was accepted as an astronaut in 1963 and in the summer of 1969, he landed on the moon. “We got a chance to land on the moon, and the opportunity became a milestone, an event that changed the history of mankind,” he said in his lecture at the Technion. “Humanity has succeeded in setting foot in a new and entirely different place: 400,000 people have been involved in the success of this mission and half a billion have watched us in that historical event.”

Over the last three decades, Dr. Aldrin has invested most of his time in the mission of manning Mars. He established the Buzz Aldrin Space Institute in Florida to promote settlement on Mars, with the target year of 2040. “Mars is the island waiting for us in the dark of space: Get your Ass to Mars, because there, as President Kennedy said about the mission of landing on the moon, we have a connection with fate.”

This year, following the crash of the Israeli ship Bereshit, Aldrin tweeted to the project’s people: “Never despair – your efforts, your innovation and the work of your team are an inspiration to us all.”

Like his colleague, Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon, was born in 1930. As a teenager, he worked hard to finance the flight rates that were his ultimate ambition, and at the age of 16, he received a pilot’s license. At the age of 20, he was a fighter pilot, and in the next two years, he performed almost 80 combat flights in Korea. In 1966, as a fresh astronaut, he saved himself and his crew after a dangerous mishap at Gemini 8.

Over the next three years, Armstrong gained extensive experience on the ground and in space and was eventually appointed the commander of the first moon landing mission, Apollo 11. And so on July 20, the voice in the control room said: “Here is the calm sea base. After performing all the steps required for the historic march, he reported this time to half a billion listeners and viewers: “A small step for man, a tremendous leap for mankind.” Four days later, on July 24, 1969, Apollo 11 landed in the Pacific Ocean.

In July 2007, Armstrong visited Madatech in Haifa and spoke with students from the north of Israel. In response to one of the questions, he said that: “the purpose of the flight to the moon was to expand our knowledge, and indeed, we learned that the human race is not connected to the earth in chains, we can go out and live in other places.”

An innovative method for the functional mapping of the cerebral cortex during brain surgery has been developed by a Technion student

The groundbreaking work won first prize at the project fair at the Technion Faculty of Biomedical Engineering

Research projects of Technion undergraduate students in their fourth year of studies were showcased recently at the annual project fair at the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering. Shaked Ron won the first prize of NIS 1,500 for the development of advanced methods for the functional mapping of the cerebral cortex during awake brain surgery. Ron is a student in the double degree track in medicine and biomedical engineering and is currently studying in the Gutfreund Laboratory at the Rappaport Faculty of Medicine. He also works at Mazor Robotics, which was recently acquired by the giant Medtronic for $1.6 billion. Mazor Robotics’ system – which helps surgeons perform accurate surgeries – is based on technology developed by Prof. Moshe Shoham of the Technion Faculty of Mechanical Engineering.

Dean of the Faculty Prof. Shulamit Levenberg thanked Liat and Doron Adler, who annually donate the prizes to the winners and Assoc. Prof. Nati Korin, who is responsible for the project course. “The conference is one of the peak days in the Faculty’s life, and the projects presented by the students here bring to the realization all the knowledge they have accumulated in the faculty during their years of study,” she said. “As in the world outside of academia, students are also required to combine many skills – including engineering thinking, teamwork, creativity, entrepreneurial thinking and cooperation with various laboratories and companies.”

“Awake craniotomy is usually performed in the cases of brain cancer of severe epilepsy,” said Shaked Ron. “Functional mapping is performed during the operation, allowing the removal of as much of the abnormal tissue as possible without damaging brain function.” 

The winning project uses the Electrocorticography (ECoG) method, which may optimize and could replace the traditional mapping method of electrical stimulation of the cortex (ECS) in the future. ECoG is a passive process: in other words, it’s a process that does not require stimulation. Experts in this field estimate that such a process will reduce the risk to the patient. 

In the winning study, Shaked Ron developed a system that enables ECoG mapping of brain activity while synchronizing between the assignment of tasks to the patient and recording of electrical signals from the cortex. Once the information has been processed, the system presents an image-support-decision to the team in the operating room. The work was conducted under the guidance of Dr. Firas Mawase and Dr. Amit Livneh of the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering and Dr. Omer Zarchi of the Rabin Medical Center (Beilinson).

In second place, students Ameer Lawen and Majd Machour were awarded for their excellent research in intercellular communication based on volatile organic components.  The work was supervised by Dr. Arbel Artzy-Schnirman from the laboratory of Prof. Hossam Haick at the Wolfson School of Chemical Engineering at Technion.

Students Auralie Abehssera and Natalie Cohen came in third for the development of an automatic process for the preparation of nanometric particles for treating head and neck cancer. The work was conducted under the supervision of Dr. Arbel Artzy-Schnirman and Hagit Sason-Bauer at the laboratory of Dr. Yosi Shamay of the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering at Technion.

In fourth place, students Ofri Goldenberg and Yuval Ben Sasson were awarded for the development of technology for the automatic monitoring of a genetic disorder that influences heart function. The work was conducted under the supervision of Ido Weiser Biton and Aviv Rosenberg at the laboratory of Prof. Yael Yaniv of the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering.

Fifth place went to students Gal Shleifer and Yael Pistunovich, who developed a recording system for the analysis of cardiovascular signals.  The work was done under the supervision of Aviv Rosenberg, Ido Weiser Biton and Yaron Blinder in the laboratory of Prof. Yael Yaniv of the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering at Technion.  

 

 

Prof. Emeritus Uri Shamir from the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology has been chosen as a distinguished member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)  He is one of only nine selected this year out of the association’s 150,000 members. Prof. Shamir was chosen in recognition of his achievements as an educator and leader in the research and application of scientific hydrology and which includes the development of policy; decision making; management; and the engineering of water systems.

Prof. Shamir is an expert in the planning, design, and implementation of water systems. After arriving from MIT in 1967, he began teaching at the Technion and at some of the most prestigious universities in North America. He advised many organizations – including Mekorot and the Water Authority – and was a member of the diplomatic negotiating team with Israel’s neighboring countries. He has held many positions at the Technion, and was the founder and first director of the Technion’s Grand Water Research Institute (GWRI). In 2013, Prof. Shamir received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Israel Water Association.

 

New Fund Helps US-Israel Research Ties Drive the Global Artificial Intelligence Revolution

The Zuckerman Fund for Interdisciplinary Research in Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence taps into talent at multiple campuses of Israel’s AI research leader, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology

With the fast-growing Artificial Intelligence (AI) sector and its associated fields poised to change the world as we know it, a newly launched fund is leveraging the power of U.S.-Israel collaboration to produce groundbreaking interdisciplinary research that seeks to place Israel at the center of the global AI map.

Introduced today during an event at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, the Zuckerman Fund for Interdisciplinary Research in Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence will support up to six research projects annually that are conducted between researchers affiliated with at least two faculties at the Technion’s main campus in Israel as well as the Jacobs Technion–Cornell Institute in New York. The projects will focus on applied research in the sectors which are increasingly influenced by AI, including health and medicine, financial technology, autonomous vehicles, home, and industrial robots, smart environments, agricultural technology, and defense and homeland security.

The Technion is home to the greatest proportion (28 percent) of the 270 researchers in the fields of AI, data science, and smart robotics working across Israel’s universities and colleges, according to a recent report compiled by the Samuel Neaman Institute for National Policy Research at the request of the Israeli Ministry of Science’s National Council for Research and Development. The report found that the top three interests of the Israeli researchers are machine learning, AI, autonomous systems, and smart robotics, with their other interests spanning human-computer interaction, natural language processing, computer vision, data mining, distributed systems/computing, big data, multi-agent systems, neural networks, and reinforcement learning. 

“We are utilizing both the domestic and global resources of Israel’s AI research leader, the Technion, as a game-changing platform for positioning the ‘start-up nation’ at the forefront of the global AI revolution,” said James Gertler, a trustee of the Zuckerman Institute and Zuckerman Family Foundation, a founding supporter of the AI fund. “The time for this fund is now because the future is now.”

 “Supporting tomorrow’s technological solutions through today’s research is a crucial manifestation of our vision that philanthropy’s ultimate goal is the betterment of society as a whole,” said Eric Gertler, a trustee of the Zuckerman Institute. “Joint innovation in AI and other high-tech areas also forms the bedrock of the next frontier in the U.S.-Israel relationship. We hope that others follow our lead in paving the way for stronger American-Israeli ties through collaborative research.”

Prof. Boaz Golany, Technion’s Vice President for Resource Development and External Relations who also coordinates the Zuckerman STEM Leadership Program on behalf of the Technion, Tel Aviv University, The Hebrew University and the Weizmann Institute added: “we are grateful to our partners at the Zuckerman Institute for their continuous support of our pursuit of academic excellence.  By focusing on AI, an area in which the Technion already has a global leadership position, the Zuckerman Institute will play an important role in boosting our research capabilities in AI.” “I am certain that the fruits of the research projects that will be supported through this new fund will yield great benefits not only to Israel and its major ally – the USA – but also to the rest of the world” stated Prof. Golany.

Mr. Oren Gershon, Inference Group & Site Manager, Artificial Intelligence Products Group (AIPG) at Intel, thanked the Zuckerman Institute for their support of the ML&IS Center where Intel has been a partner over the last year and added that given the significant research results already achieved in the last few months, Intel has decided to extend its support to the program (originally committed to 18 months) for another period well into 2020 .        

About the Zuckerman Fund for Interdisciplinary Research in Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence

The Zuckerman Fund for Interdisciplinary Research in Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence is an initiative of the Zuckerman Institute, which was created for charitable, scientific, literary and educational purposes. Mort Zuckerman is an American businessman, who serves as Chairman Emeritus of Boston Properties — one of the largest real estate companies in the United States. Mort Zuckerman launched the Zuckerman STEM Leadership program in 2016 to support future generations of STEM leaders in Israel and the United States and build strong academic bonds between the countries.

 

 

 

The Bruce and Ruth Rappaport Foundation makes a transformational gift to Technion to establish a Building for Advanced Medical Research

The Bruce and Ruth Rappaport Foundation has made a transformational gift to Technion for the establishment of the Rappaport Integrative Cancer Research Center and the Rappaport Building for Advanced Medical Research adjacent to the Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine.

The cornerstone-laying ceremony for the Rappaport Building for Advanced Medical Research took place in Haifa, in the presence of Ms. Irith Rappaport and Dr. Vered Drenger, daughters of the late Ruth and Bruce Rappaport; Haifa Mayor Dr. Einat Kalisch-Rotem; Technion President Prof. Peretz Lavie; Nobel Laureate Distinguished Prof. Aaron Ciechanover; Rappaport Faculty of Medicine Dean Prof. Elon Eisenberg; and Adv. Moriel Matalon and Mr. Boris Krasny, representatives of the Bruce and Ruth Rappaport Foundation.

The contract for the establishment of the Rappaport Integrative Cancer Research Center was signed at the ceremony. The two events took place at the Rappaport Faculty of Medicine in the Bat Galim neighborhood of Haifa.

Ruth and Bruce Rappaport were philanthropists whose magnanimous support enabled the creation of the Rappaport Medical Faculty Building and the Rappaport Institute for Research in the Medical Sciences at Technion. In the early 1970’s, the Rappaports were enlisted to help Technion expand the activities of its Faculty of Medicine – which until then had been located in a former monastery building in the Rambam Hospital courtyard. Ruth and Bruce responded to the request by then-dean and faculty founder Prof. David Erlik, and contributed the funds for a magnificent 14-story building which houses the faculty to this day. The building was inaugurated in 1979, and even then, the Rappaports believed that faculty members would someday win a Nobel Prize – a prophecy that came true in 2004 when Profs. Avram Hershko and Aaron Ciechanover won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

In 1982 the Rappaport family added new dimension to medical research at Technion, with the establishment of the Rappaport Family Institute for Research in the Medical Sciences. The Rappaport Institute promotes excellence in biomedical research for the benefit of humanity, by supporting cardiovascular, cancer, neuroscience, and genomic research groups.

Throughout the years, the Rappaports continued to support the Faculty of Medicine and the Institute, striving to transform them into a focus for medical education and regional support for all the Middle East. Bruce was fond of quoting Shimon Peres, who often said that science, illness and healthcare have no borders. Any research that proves beneficial in one part of the world, he would say, will ultimately benefit the whole world. His wife Ruth, used to say, “the connection between the Technion and the Rappaport family is a love affair that passes from generation to generation. There is no greater joy than seeing brilliant young men and women, year after year, join the amazing ranks of doctors in the State of Israel, and there is no greater satisfaction than providing a cure for sick people.”

The Rappaport family also contributed generously to the Rambam Healthcare Campus, and in 2014 the Ruth Rappaport Children’s Hospital opened.

After Bruce’s death in 2010, Ruth continued his philanthropic legacy, and since her passing last year, their daughters Irith and Vered have continued their generous support for scientific research.

The Technion is celebrating the establishment of the Rappaport Integrative Cancer Research Center, an idea, conceived 20 years ago by Nobel Laureate Aaron Ciechanover, which will become a reality thanks to the Rappaport family. The center will be housed in the new Advanced Medical Research Building adjacent to the Rappaport Faculty of Medicine Building. 

Ciechanover’s vision together with the generosity of the Rappaport family through the generations has made the Technion Faculty of Medicine a leading global center for cancer research. 

Irith Rappaport said: “In my personal view and that of my family, the role of private philanthropy is to support infrastructure that facilitates research and basic science. Our job is not only to support research and science, but also to exercise our right to give philanthropically while maintaining the highest ethical standards. Philanthropic support of science should cherish the value of pursuing ground-breaking science, knowing that even though a certain percentage of the research may not succeed, we will still be able to garner insight for the benefit of society and humanity as a whole.”

“Two quotations reflect my excitement at the generous contribution of the Rappaport family and the opportunity it affords us to concentrate multidisciplinary efforts by doctors, scientists, and engineers to advance the understanding of the complexity of cancer and to pave the way for discovering new therapies,” said Nobel Laureate Aaron Ciechanover. “The first, ‘If there is no flour, there is no Torah,’ is a saying by our sages that Bruce Rappaport often quoted in order to explain his world view. The second, “If you think research is expensive, try disease!” is by Mary Lasker an American health activist and philanthropist who worked to raise funds for medical research. She would say this in order to explain the connection between basic research and medical advancement.

“The contribution of the Rappaport Foundation to the establishment of the Interdisciplinary Center for Cancer Research,” added Technion President Prof. Peretz Lavie, “places Technion at the forefront of scientific research in efforts to eradicate the disease. I am convinced that with the help of the generous gift, the dreams of the founders of the Rappaport Faculty of Medicine will be realized. A dream in which transdisciplinary cooperation between engineering, life sciences, and medicine will lead to breakthroughs in the diagnosis and treatment of disease.”

“I watch from the side in amazement, wonder, and admiration at what you have done here. Like many others, I also spent numerous hours in the oncology ward nearby, accompanying close relatives,” said Haifa Mayor Dr. Einat Kalisch-Rotem. We always hoped for a better future in the field of cancer, a future where there is a cure for this disease. I am very moved to stand here at this event, that we dreamed of for many years.” The mayor told the guests, “Your job is to heal and my job is to make sure that there are fewer patients. I take off my hat and thank the Rappaport family, the Technion, and everyone involved in this wonderful initiative.”

 

Welcome to the 2019 President’s Report, in which we review a decade of progress and look forward to continuing fruition of the Technion vision.

When I received the tremendous honor of becoming Technion President ten years ago, I felt that I was handed an enormous responsibility: not only to maintain Technion’s status as Israel’s first and leading university but to steer it onward and upward to new levels of excellence and global standing.

Fast forward with AI, EE, Bioprinting and so much more at Technion Israel. Enjoy and subscribe to Technion LIVE!

“Supporting tomorrow’s technological solutions through today’s research is a crucial manifestation of our vision that philanthropy’s ultimate goal is the betterment of society as a whole,” added fellow trustee Eric J. Gertler.