Review the latest edition of Technion FOCUS, including Technion innovation in China; student inroads to former US President Bill Clinton; the online learning revolution; and how to build an energy friendly formula race car.

Over twenty students from Yale University were hosted at Technion last week as part of the Global Network Week (GNW) program. GNW is an international program held for the first time at Technion. The event organizers, Professor Miriam Erez and Dr. Harry Yuklea from the Technion MBA program, said that as a result of the project’s overwhelming success, another event will be held in March.

GNW is a unique student exchange program that enables MBA students study at different MBA schools. This framework allows students from different schools to network at a week-long event that focuses on specific business topics and exposes them to other academic curricula. Technion is the first and only Israeli institute that is a member of this global network.

The GNW week at Technion was dedicated to the topic of “Startup Nation”. Apart from the Yale students, additional ten students from the Technion (studying at the Haifa Campus and Tel Aviv Branch), and six students from Spain, Mexico and China participated in the event. During this week, students were exposed to Israeli entrepreneurship and to the relationship between academic, industry and innovation. They heard seminars termed “Israel’s Innovative Culture,” “Capital and Innovation – the Israeli Model,” and “Serial High-Tech Entrepreneurs in Israel.” Vivian, a Chinese student from Yale, said that “Up until now, I only linked Israel with tension and conflicts, but this week I discovered a magical land, a country that is modern and multicultural, filled with warm, intelligent and inquisitive people.”

Oren Dvoskin, a student of Technion’s MBA program, said that, “This was an exciting and intensive week, in which we were given a wide prospective with respect to academics, entrepreneurship, strategy and financial aspects, and about inventors who went on to become entrepreneurs. I gained a better understanding of the importance for entrepreneurs to be capable of seeing the big picture, as well as continually validating their target audience who would be interested in the technology they are developing.”

“The principal logic of the program,” explains Dr. Yuklea, “is to impart to students that there is no such thing as a “secret recipe” for entrepreneurship, but that we can give them the ‘spices’ with which they can prepare their unique dish. All of this week’s participants were brilliant students, and I believe that the process they underwent showed them the complexity of entrepreneurial work as well as the important attributes that an entrepreneur requires beyond the knowledge that can be learned at a university.”

As part of Technion’s membership in the GNW network, six MBA students from the Technion travelled abroad: four students went to Yale University in the US, and two students travelled to Fudan University in China.

Researchers in Israel have identified an antioxidant that can lower cholesterol levels as well as eliminating free radicals. This compound could be a promising alternative to statins, the most prescribed cholesterol-lowering drugs in the world.

High cholesterol and excess free radicals in the body are major risk factors for developing cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Healthy lifestyle and low cholesterol intake certainly help prevent CVD, but people still often fail to maintain the levels of cholesterol required.

Most cholesterol in the body does not come from food, but is produced internally. Statins reduce cholesterol levels by acting as competitive inhibitors of 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA (HMG-CoA) reductase, an enzyme that catalyses cholesterol biosynthesis. Yet, some people do not respond to statins.

Now, Adi Haber, Zeev Gross and colleagues  have proposed a new alternative to statins. Combining pure chemistry, biochemistry and animal studies they found that the catalytic antioxidant, 1-Fe, an iron(III) complex of an amphipolar corrole, and its analogues, inhibit HMG-CoA reductase in a way quite different to statins. ‘These compounds have nothing to do with statins,’ says Gross, ‘they are completely different entities.’

The macrocycle in 1-Fe is important for binding to HMG-CoA reductase at points where the body’s chemicals do not usually bind to inhibit the catalytic activity of the enzyme. ‘We have found a new mode of action – corroles and statins inhibit the same enzyme, but use a different mechanism,’ adds Gross.

‘Our antioxidant eliminates free radicals in a catalytic fashion,’ explains Gross, ‘antioxidants from food, wine and vitamins fight free radicals in a one-to-one reaction, where one molecule eliminates one radical. Catalytic antioxidants can take care of thousands of radicals.’

Bato Korać, who studies redox regulation mechanisms in health and disease at the University of Belgrade in Serbia, recognises the advantages of the new complex. ‘This antioxidant affects the metabolism and controls cholesterol homeostasis at multiple points – lower cellular uptake, better removal, and decreased de novo synthesis of cholesterol. These results reveal a new perspective in the treatment of hypercholesterolemic disease.’

Gross and his group now plan to study 1-Fe efficacy in other cholesterol-related diseases like diabetes.

REFERENCES

1 A Haber et al, 2013, Chem. Commun., 2013, DOI: 10.1039/c3cc44740e
2 A Haber, M Aviram and Z Gross, Chem. Sci., 2011, 2, 295 (DOI: 10.1039/c0sc00448k)

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1912 – 2012: Technion Cornerstone Centennial.

This is the story of how one stone changed the world.

1912. 36 years before Israel declared independence, a ceremony took place on the barren slopes of Mount Carmel near the port of Haifa, which was then occupied by the Ottoman Empire. Unknown to the Haifa community witnessing the event, this would be a milestone in history. This first cornerstone embodied an implausible vision of creating a world-class institute of scientific and technological education in the Holy Land.
The story of the “Technikum” – the original German name of the Technion – is a tale of the century. The second industrial revolution created the printing presses and communications infrastructure allowing Jews scattered across the globe to organize in face of rising anti-Semitism. As Jews were often barred from technical education, the establishment of a technical school was a first priority to rebuilding a Jewish homeland.

The Technion was to become unique worldwide as a university that would precede, create, shape, and protect a modern state.

The cornerstone laid on April 11, 1912, set in motion a century of progress responding to national and global needs. Technion would grow rapidly, becoming a global pioneer in fields such as biotechnology, stem cells, space, computer science, nanotechnology, and energy.

Three Technion professors have won Nobel Prizes. As it celebrates its cornerstone centennial in 2012, Technion City is a thriving world center of research and teaching, with 12,850 students and 80 graduate programs trailblazing excellence in research and teaching for the benefit of humanity.

Thanks to the Steven Spielberg Jewish Film Archives of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the World Zionist Organization for historical footage.

UN General Assembly hears of Technion innovation.

On September 27, 2012, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin (Bibi) Netanyahu addressed the General Assembly of the United Nations. In his address, Netanyahu showcased Technion as an institute producing many of the life saving innovations that are making the world a better place. (5:49)

“At the end of Yom Kippur we celebrate the rebirth of Israel… we celebrate the marvel of the flourishing modern Jewish State,” said Netanyahu, sharing the blend of ancient and state-of-the-art which characterizes Israeli culture,  “We blaze new trails in science. technology, medicine, agriculture… in Israel the past and the future find common ground…” Netanyahu outlined the vision of modernity, in which Israel is seeking “a bright future in which the rights of all are protected, in which an ever expanding digital library is available in the palm of every child, in which every life is sacred.”

“Israel is also making the world a better place. Our scientists win Nobel Prizes, Our know-how is in every cellphone and computer that you’re using. We prevent hunger by irrigating arid land in Africa and Asia,” said the Israeli Prime Minister.

Three of world’s leading tech entrepreneurs will provide guidance to university leadership, helping to shape the vision for the new campus: Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Qualcomm Founder Irwin Jacobs and Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt

“This is a dream team of three of the best entrepreneurs in the world. Their guidance will ensure that the Roosevelt Island campus will become a world leader in technology innovation with a global impact. I cannot think of a better guiding team.”

Technion President Peretz Lavie.

Cornell NYC Tech has announced that New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Qualcomm Founder Irwin Jacobs, and Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt will provide ongoing guidance on the programmatic and physical development of the new world-class tech campus in New York City, including the Technion-Cornell Innovation Institute – the premier academic partnership at Cornell NYC Tech. This senior group brings together three of the world’s leading tech entrepreneurs to lend unparalleled expertise to the campus in this critical early stage.

Mayor Bloomberg, who is serving ex-officio in his official capacity as mayor, Dr. Jacobs and Dr. Schmidt – will provide advice to tech campus leadership on the educational, research, economic development and community engagement functions of the campus, helping to promote new national and international models connecting academia and industry. The group’s focus will include critical elements that will shape the campus and its programs, including topics such as the interface between the campus and New York City, the role of the local and global tech community, the approaches to intellectual property and commercialization of technology, and the creation of partnership strategies.

“New York City’s growing tech industry is about to be infused with new talent, thanks to the historic investments made by the City and Cornell for the new campus on Roosevelt Island,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “Ensuring that the new campus is connected in the right way to the thriving entrepreneurial sector is important to delivering on the promise of economic growth that is at the center of this project. I look forward to advising the university leadership on how we can achieve these goals.”

“Both Cornell, where I received an excellent undergraduate engineering education, and Technion, which has trained many of the engineers working at Qualcomm Israel in Haifa, have the energy and experience to surpass our great expectations.” Qualcomm Founder Irwin Jacobs.

“Throughout my career as an educator and as founder of two companies based on innovation, I have experienced great satisfaction in developing unique products and growing large markets by exploiting rapid advances in applied science and engineering,” said Irwin Jacobs. “I am excited by this opportunity to work with Mayor Bloomberg and Eric Schmidt in guiding Cornell NYC Tech and the Technion-Cornell Innovation Institute through a rapid transition from startup to major player in applied science education and the formation of impactful new companies. Both Cornell, where I received an excellent undergraduate engineering education, and Technion, which has trained many of the engineers working at Qualcomm Israel in Haifa, have the energy and experience to surpass our great expectations.”

“I am pleased to join the steering committee for Cornell NYC Tech as they build their presence in New York City,” said Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt. “This campus is an important step forward for the development of the city’s tech sector and its continued economic growth.”

“Cornell University is honored to have the wisdom and guidance of three legends in tech entrepreneurship as we develop and shape this groundbreaking new campus,” said Cornell President David J. Skorton. “Our vision for Cornell NYC Tech is already bold, and Mayor Bloomberg, Dr. Schmidt and Dr. Jacobs are leaders who will raise the bar even higher. We are committed to harnessing this extraordinary brainpower as we establish a center of technology leadership in the heart of New York City.”

“This is a dream team of three of the best entrepreneurs in the world,” said Technion President Peretz Lavie. “Their guidance will ensure that the Roosevelt Island campus will become a world leader in technology innovation with a global impact. I cannot think of a better guiding team.”

The new campus is offering a distinctive model of graduate tech education that fuses educational excellence with real-world commercial applications and entrepreneurship, rooted in the latest academic research. Students, faculty and industry experts will learn and work together to launch ideas and create new ventures that have global impact. The campus will attract the best and brightest in technology, immerse them in an entrepreneurial culture with deep ties to the local business community, and spur the creation of new companies and new industries in New York City.

The addition of this senior-level guidance is another major milestone for the campus. Cornell NYC Tech is now accepting applications for a “beta” class of computer science master of engineering students, which will begin classes in January in temporary space donated by Google in its New York City headquarters in Chelsea. The campus soon will be launching additional academic programs including interdisciplinary Technion-Cornell dual degrees, is actively recruiting star faculty, developing a distinctive new model of tech entrepreneurship, and designing its permanent campus on Roosevelt Island.

The City’s groundbreaking Applied Sciences NYC initiative was designed to capitalize on the considerable growth presently occurring within the science, technology and research fields in New York, and builds on the Bloomberg Administration’s record of creating a more diversified and competitive economy for the future. In July of 2011, New York City Economic Development Corporation issued the Request for Proposals seeking a university, institution or consortium to develop and operate a new or expanded campus in the City in exchange for City capital, access to City-owned land – at the Navy Hospital Campus at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, the Goldwater Hospital Campus on Roosevelt Island, or on Governors Island – and the full support and partnership of the Bloomberg Administration. In October, the City received seven responses from 17 world-class institutions from around the globe. In December of 2011, the Cornell and Technion partnership was selected by the City as the first winner of the competition and was provided with land on Roosevelt Island and $100 million in City capital to build the $2 billion, 2 million square foot tech campus. When completed, the new Roosevelt Island campus will house approximately 2,000 full-time, graduate students.

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A science and technology research university, among the world’s top ten, dedicated to the creation of knowledge and the development of human capital and leadership, for the advancement of the State of Israel and all humanity. 

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