TECHNION Institute of Technology

OCTOBER 2017

www.focus.technion.ac.il

TECHNION ISRAEL - USA - CHINA

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NEW YORK CITY GUANGDONG HAIFA

for Technion EMET PRIZE LAUREATE $200M Start-ups Venture capital fund to support start-ups istinguished Prof. Jacob Medal, and Claude E. Shannon based on Technion-created knowhow Ziv of the Andrew Award. He has held positions and Erna Viterbi including President of the At the closing plenary of the 2017 meeting of Technion’s Board of Faculty of Electrical Israel Academy of Sciences, Governors, the Technion Research & Development Foundation Ltd. DEngineering has been chosen Chair of the Planning and (TRDF) and UG Capital Management Ltd. (UGC) announced their intent as laureate for the 2017 Budgeting Committee of to establish a new venture capital fund of $200 million. The fund will EMET Prize in the category the Israeli Council for Higher focus on investments in science and technology companies mainly of ‘Exact Sciences: Computer Education, and has been a related to Technion and its alumni. and Electronic Engineering.’ The member of leading American prize is awarded annually under and European societies. UGC is the venture capital arm of United Gain Investment Ltd. (UGI), Prof. Jacob Ziv the auspices of the Prime Minister The Lempel-Ziv algorithm, which a fund management company with extensive experience in global of Israel, and consists of five categories of Prof. Ziv developed together with investments, asset management, and consulting services. academic or professional achievements that have Prof. Abraham Lempel of Technion’s Faculty significantly benefited society. of Computer Science, is an algorithm for The fund’s joint management team, with offices in Israel and Hong compressing information that enables lossless Kong, includes Jonathan Mitchell, CY Lau, and Thomas Lau of UGC; and Prof. Ziv is being recognized for his game- compression regardless of the structure of the Eddy Shalev, Dr Eyal Kishon, and Gary Gannot of Genesis Partners. changing contribution to the fields of information data and without prior knowledge of its statistical and communications. properties. Many of the compression technologies Prof. Wayne Kaplan, Executive Vice President for Research and currently used in memory devices, computers, Director General of TRDF, thanked the team that led the development Over the years, Prof. Ziv has won prestigious and smartphones were developed based on on behalf of Technion and said, “Technion has been increasing its awards including the BBVA Frontiers of this algorithm. commercialization activities in recent years and we have already noted Knowledge Award, Israel Prize in the Exact many successes in this field, including more than doubling the number Sciences, Israel Defense Prize (twice), Marconi The award ceremony is scheduled to take place of startup companies set up at Technion through the new DRIVE International Award, IEEE Richard W. Hamming on November 5, 2017. Accelerator. However, we must not rest on our laurels.”

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IN MEMORY INTERNATIONAL NOBEL URBAN In this issue… 02 03 PREDICTOR 06 ECOLOGY 08 OCTOBERMAY 2009 2017

FROM THE PRESIDENT

Ullmann Teaching Center; and the renovated David and Janet Polak Visitors Center is gaining an exhibitions wing.

Our plans are no less ambitious. Amongst others, a state- of-the-art dorms building in downtown Haifa will eventually accommodate 220 medical students. The Rappaport Faculty of Medicine will also acquire a new building to house the Integrated Cancer Research Center. At the Andrew and Erna Viterbi Faculty of Electrical Engineering, an additional wing will expand research space. The Center for Intelligent Composite Materials, a new wing of laboratories, Technion President Prof. Peretz Lavie addresses the audience at the historic is set to be added to the Faculty of Materials Science and opening of the campus, Sept. 12, 2017 Engineering. A new building will provide much needed laboratory space for research in Life Sciences. The Amado Welcome to this Autumn 2017 edition of FOCUS. Mathematics Building will gain a wing, the Andrew and News Technion is opening the academic year at the Jacobs Aviva Goldenberg Architecture Studio Pavilion. In Loving Memory Institute in New York; in Shantou, China, where the 2 Guangdong Technion Israel Institute of Technology (GTIIT) The quest continues. As one of Technion’s founders, Amanda (Mandy) Jaffe-Katz commences its first semester; and here, in Haifa, where Albert Einstein, said, “The more I learn, the more I realize 1960 - 2017 for over a century, Technion has been a wellspring of how much I don’t yet know.” The more our knowledge of pioneering science, technology, and engineering. our world expands thanks to Technion’s devoted pursuit through both microscopes and telescopes, the more we Amanda (Mandy) Jaffe-Katz was a valued and highly Here, at Technion, is the fertile soil out of which the great realize just how much more is unknown and needs to be respected figure at Technion, known for her brilliant and tree of human progress grows. From superbugs and researched, and therefore just how much space is needed sharp mind, high standards, professionalism, and loyalty cancer research, to energy research, quantum physics, and to accommodate it all. to the Institute. She was the driving force and editor world-class computer science - this is where it starts. of FOCUS for the past 16 years, which she developed As Technion’s campuses in three global technology hubs as an exemplary medium of science communication, Over the past year, we have completed several exciting welcome the new academic year, we look forward to disseminating groundbreaking discoveries, global news, building projects. Four nine-story dormitory buildings with the collaboration, opportunity, and innovation they will and campus life with an unparalleled richness. 116 apartments will house 488 additional undergraduate undoubtedly bring. students. Research laboratories were renovated at the We all consulted with Mandy. Her brilliant mind was like Schulich Faculty of Chemistry, Wolfson Faculty of Chemical Peretz Lavie an encyclopedia of everything “Technion” - from its history Engineering, and Rappaport Faculty of Medicine for the to the latest research breakthroughs. She was an avid use of our graduate students. A Learning Center has been fact-checker, initiator, and editor and will be missed as a added to the Zielony Student Union Building. devoted colleague of the highest standard.

As we look with anticipation towards the coming academic $200M To quote Technion Vice President Prof. Boaz Golany: year and the Jewish year 5778, many projects are for Technion Start-ups “Mandy was a model for dedication, professionalism, and underway, both those already under construction and responsibility in everything she did.” several in the planning stage. Our two main entrance Continued from page 1 gates have already begun to undergo major upgrades; She held two degrees in psychology from Manchester an additional floor of classrooms is being added to the University and Haifa University. Over this past year, Mandy bravely battled her illness. She is survived by her loving husband, Gili, and three children Dror, Brit, and Nir in Haifa, and in England by sisters Jacqui and Carrie and mother Pamela.

Mandy is remembered lovingly and will be missed by all Technion FOCUS is published by the Division of Public Affairs and Resource Development who worked with her at Technion, as well as her plethora Technion – Israel Institute of Technology of friends and colleagues worldwide. Haifa 3200004, Israel

[email protected] www.focus.technion.ac.il www.youtube.com/Technion http://pard.technion.ac.il Technion Drive start-up Nanosynex, led by Diane Abensur (l), business mentoring, and office space, as well as access CEO, and Michelle Heymann (r), VP of Marketing and to Technion’s research facilities and equipment. VP External Relations and Resource Development: Prof. Boaz Golany Business Development Head, Communications & External Relations: Gil Lainer One of the many startups that has already benefitted Head, Public Affairs: Yvette Gershon “You could say we’re doing alchemy here,” said Jonathan from the Accelerator is Nanosynex, headed by Technion Editor: Polina Brill Mitchell. “We’ve combined a number of components – alumnae (MBA) Diane Abensur and Michelle Heymann. Contributors: Itzhar Vardi, Polina Brill Design: CastroNawy the Israeli mind, institutional and private investors, and of Photo Coordinator: Hilda Favel course Technion and the local staff – and with all this we “You could say we’re doing Photography: Thorsten Jochim, Elad Sarig, will contribute to the welfare of the world.” Danny Shapiro, Shitzu Photography, Rami Shlush, Sharon Tzur, Nitzan Zohar alchemy here” - Jonathan Mitchell

NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATORY POLICY AS TO STUDENTS The seed project is in the process of bringing to market The Technion admits students of any religion, gender, race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, a microfluidic diagnostic test to check bacterial resistance privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded to antibiotics in record time. The biotech innovation is the or made available to students at the school. It does brainchild of Prof. Shulamit Levenberg, Dean of Technion’s not discriminate on the basis of religion, gender, race, The Technion DRIVE (Dream, Research, Invent, Venture, Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, and doctoral student color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship Excel) Accelerator is a 9-month program whose goal is Jonathan Avesar. and loan programs, and athletic and other school- to capitalize on Technion’s unique eco-system, innovative administered programs. capabilities, and human capital. It offers seed funding, © Kobi Gideon/GPO © Kobi

April 2016. Founded in cooperation with the Israeli National TECHNOLOGY Cyber Bureau, the Center concentrates on technical aspects of computer and cyber security, and has been named in FOR HUMANITY honor of Dr Fujiwara. “Japan and Israel share many similarities, as both are highly Japan eyes Technion expertise developed countries that rely heavily on technology as an economic booster,” said Prof. Boaz Golany, Technion Vice “Israel and Japan share a common vision of developing President for External Relations and Resource Development. advanced technologies for the benefit of humanity,” said “We strongly believe that [this] pledge will enable us to better Yosuke Tsuruho, Japan’s Minister of Science, Technology, prepare ourselves for some of the cyber challenges both and Space, at Technion during his first ever visit to Israel in countries face at present and even more so in the future.” May. Accompanied by a large delegation of executives and academics, Tsuruho also met with Prof. Pini Gurfil, Director Dr Fujiwara first visited Israel and Technion in 2016. Nobel Laureate Robert Grubbs (l) and Prof. (r) of the Asher Space Research Institute (ASRI). During his visit, Dr Fujiwara met with President Lavie as next to the “Chemistry Wall of Fame.” well as researchers and faculty. “I discovered a wide range International “Technion graduates have always been a key factor in of topics for potential cooperation between Israeli and the technological development of the State of Israel,” Japanese researchers and entrepreneurs,” Dr Fujiwara 3 said Technion President Prof. Peretz Lavie. “Over the explained. “My involvement is intended to create the Curiosity: past 20 years Technion graduates have been involved in infrastructure for such cooperation with the hope that it establishing and managing more than 1,600 companies will lead to the commercialization of technologies that in Israel. These companies generate revenues of more will benefit both countries. The field of cyber security is The Key to than $30 billion and have created 95,500 jobs in Israel.” one where Technion’s leadership in the field perfectly President Lavie highlighted Technion’s groundbreaking matches the growing need in Japan and other countries to Nobel-winning global initiatives in New York and China, as well as the dramatically increase our abilities to face future threats.” expansion of the Technion’s network of global academic Chemistry collaborations. Nobel Laureate Prof. Grubbs at the Schulich Faculty of Chemistry

The Yitzhak Apeloig Distinguished Visiting Lectureship series was founded by the American Technion Society (ATS) and Technion Canada as a tribute to Prof. Yitzhak Apeloig at the end of his tenure as Technion President in “The field of cyber security is 2009. Nobel Laureate Prof. Robert Grubbs, of California one where Technion’s leadership Institute of Technology (Caltech), was the third lecturer in the field perfectly matches in the series. The two previous lecturers were Nobel Prof. Peretz Lavie (l) converses with Minister Yosuke Tsuruho (r) on Laureates Profs. Roald Hoffmann and Jean-Marie Lehn. his visit to Technion the growing need in Japan and Prof. Grubbs met with faculty members and outstanding other countries to dramatically PhD students of the Faculty. In June, Technion announced a $4 million gift donated by Dr Hiroshi Fujiwara, founder and president of Tokyo-based increase our abilities to face Prof. Grubbs won the Nobel Prize in 2005 for his firms BroadBand Tower (BBTower) and Internet Research future threats.” achievements in the study of the metathesis reaction, Institute (IRI). The transformative gift is dedicated to the a reaction of two organic compounds with double - Dr Hiroshi Fujiwara Technion Cyber Security Research Center, which opened in bonds, which switch their substituents with the help of a catalyst. His unique contribution was the discovery and development of Grubbs Catalysts, ruthenium- based catalysts that enable the reaction to be easily performed and controlled so that only the desired China and the products are obtained. Technion Model “The metathesis reaction is a great example of the importance of curiosity-driven basic research,” said Prof. Apeloig. “Initial interest in this reaction stemmed from a “Only using the Technion model desire to understand the mechanism by which it takes will we be able to catch up with place, and this understanding has made it highly useful in many reactions in industry, worth billions of dollars. the Western world in the fields of President Lavie (l) presents Hu Chunhua with a personalized artistic representation of Technion Today, we find compounds synthesized by the metathesis science and technology.” reaction in medicine cabinets, fuel tanks, innovative - Hu Chunhua of Technion will we be able to succeed, and this is the plastics, tires, road surfaces, and more. In fact, nothing idea that led to the establishment of GTIIT.” limits the use of this reaction except the imagination.”

Hu Chunhua, Secretary of the Guangdong Provincial Party, Technion President Prof. Peretz Lavie welcomed Chunhua visited Technion at the helm of a delegation of senior and said, “GTIIT, which was only a dream two years ago, “Nothing limits the use of this Chinese academics and government officials. The visit was will be inaugurated this year. Only China can realize such a milestone in the establishment of GTIIT, the Guangdong a large project in such a short time, and we at Technion reaction except the imagination.” Technion Israel Institute of Technology, whose campus will feel that we are your true partners. Together with the team - Prof. Yitzhak Apeloig be dedicated in December 2017 in the city of Shantou. leading this important cooperation on behalf of Technion, Other senior officials who took part in the visit were we are in the process of recruiting the Institute’s future Party Secretary of Shantou, Chen Liangxian, and China’s faculty members, who are chosen according to Technion’s In his lecture, Prof. Grubbs focused on innovations in Ambassador to Israel, Zhan Yongxin. criteria, so that the level of instruction at the new institute the development of new catalysts and new uses for the will not fall below that of Technion in Israel.” At the end metathesis reaction to synthesize innovative polymers “Guangdong is the leading province in China in terms of of his speech, paraphrasing Confucius’ famous adage, and photonic crystals. He added his signature to the gross domestic product, but in the fields of science and President Lavie said, “Technion is your partner in a journey “Chemistry Wall of Fame,” which bears the signatures of technology we have not yet caught up with the Western of a thousand miles, in which we have already taken Nobel laureates and other groundbreaking chemists who world,” said Chunhua. “Only by adopting a model like that much more than a single step.” have visited Technion. OCTOBER 2017

Prof. Eugen Rabkin

Research WHAT DOES GOLD REMEMBER?

4 Think of a car that recovers its defects-mediated diffusion. The study, published in crystal through which it undergoes plastic deformation). original shape after being totaled in Advanced Science, was conducted by doctoral student The loops, which egress at the free surfaces, form terraces Oleg Kovalenko and Dr Leonid Klinger, led by Prof. Eugen and ledges on the flat facets of the particle, with the ledges an accident or the scent of perfume Rabkin of Technion’s Faculty of Materials Science and serving as “guide rails,” directing the diffusion of gold atoms returning to the bottle all by itself. Engineering, together with Dr Christian Brandl of KIT. back to the indented site during high-temperature anneal. It does not sound realistic, just like Thus, the particle recovers its original shape. Shape memory has been observed in a few metal alloys, spilled coffee jumping from the floor such as Nitinol (nickel titanium), however this is the first The discovery may lead to the development of mechanically back into the cup. time the phenomenon has been demonstrated in a pure stable and damage-tolerant electronic components and metal. The researchers indented gold particles with a sharp devices. One of the main reasons for the failure of mobile Both plastic deformation (car damage) and atomic diamond tip controlled by an atomic force microscope electronics is mechanical wear. Designing a contact geometry diffusion (scent spreading) are classic examples of (AFM). Annealing of the indented particles at a temperature based on shape memory could solve this problem once thermodynamically irreversible processes, which proceed of 600°C (about 65% of the absolute melting temperature and for all: the electric current flowing through the damaged only in one direction, and there is no way back to the of gold) resulted in full healing of the damage, and recovery electrical contact would heat up the contact area, and heat initial state. It is remarkable that a combination of these of the particles’ shape prior to deformation. would be utilized to repair the damage. can lead to damage recovery and the restoration of the shape of small particles of pure gold. The researchers investigated the atomic motion during Another possible use is controlled drug delivery to specific indentation and heating using atomistic molecular dynamic areas of a patient’s body. A drug could be injected into the Researchers from Technion, Israel, and the Karlsruhe computer simulations. They demonstrated that the plastic cavity on the particle surface produced by indentation, and Institute of Technology (KIT), Germany, were first to deformation during the indentation process is mediated released after heating. demonstrate the phenomena of “shape memory” and by the nucleation and glide of dislocation half-loops (the self-healing in gold microparticles, achieved through dislocations are linear, one-dimensional defects in the Like coffee that returns to the cup of its own accord.

WHEN REWARDS CURE DISEASE

Fighting illness by triggering areas of the brain

“Technion, one of few technological institutes with a HHMI, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Wellcome medical school, offers the unique opportunity to harness Trust, and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation will jointly technological capabilities along with medical developments,” award a total of nearly $26.7 million to 41 early-career said Prof. Asya Rolls of the Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty scientists from 16 countries. of Medicine upon being named a Howard Hughes Medical (l-r) Technion President Prof. Peretz Lavie, Prof. Asya Rolls, and Institute (HHMI)-Wellcome International Research Scholar. The award is a big boon for scientists early in their careers, Rebecca and Sidney Boukhris of the Adelis Foundation and offers the freedom to pursue new research directions The prestigious award is given to promising researchers and creative projects that could develop into top-notch outside the US poised to advance biomedical research scientific programs. Their research covers a broad variety Rolls: Adelis Brain Research Award across the globe. of biological and medical research areas including neuroscience, genetics, biophysics, computational biology, The 2017 Adelis Award for groundbreaking research by a The focus of Prof. Rolls’ research is the effect of and parasitology. young scientist was presented to Technion’s Prof. Asya Rolls experiences in the brain on the immune system. “All for her work in the field of brain-regulated immunity. The emotions, all thoughts, involve the activity of specific brain ceremony took place during Technion’s Board of Governors. regions,” she explained. “By understanding how such Prof. Rolls joined Technion’s Rappaport Faculty of Medicine in October 2012 after completing her postdoctoral training activity affects immunity, we will be able to manipulate the In 2016, Prof. Rolls published an outstanding paper at Stanford University. She obtained her PhD from the potential embedded in the brain to cure disease.” Weizmann Institute, and her MSc from Technion. She in Nature Medicine in which she demonstrated a is an elected member of the Federation of European mechanism that connects the placebo effect to systemic “We will be able to manipulate Neuroscience Societies (FENS)-Kavli network of excellence immune activation. In her submission to the Adelis the potential embedded in the (2015-2019); she received the Fulbright, Rothschild, and Foundation, Prof. Rolls proposed to test how the reward European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) long-term system affects the immune system – a novel approach to brain to cure disease.” fellowships; the NARSAD Young Investigator Award; and the fighting tumors. Krill Prize, awarded by the Wolf Foundation. - Prof. Asya Rolls SUPPRESSING THE RESISTANCE

In 2014, infections with Engineering and doctoral student antimicrobial resistance Marianna Truman-Rosentsvit, in Close-up of SNDA-AST (AMR) claimed the lives of cooperation with Dr Yuval Geffen, head of the Microbiology Laboratory more than 700,000 people worldwide. at Rambam Health Care Campus. It Using nanotechnology, Technion was funded by a KAMIN grant from researchers have developed a system the Innovation Authority and the that enables rapid and accurate Israeli Centers of Research Excellence (I-CORE). The findings were published customization of an antibiotic to in the Proceedings of the National the patient. Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

For patients with life-threatening infections, urgent treatment is required; for every hour that effective antibiotic treatment is delayed, survival rates drop by about 8% for patients Prof. Shulamit Levenberg Research with septic shock. In order not to leave the patient without adequate protection while awaiting the results, many The study was led by Prof. Shulamit Levenberg, Dean doctors prescribe an antibiotic with a broad spectrum of the Technion Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, and Charting Bacterial 5 of activity in large doses. This phenomenon facilitates carried out by three researchers in her lab: doctoral the emergence of AMR and affects the microbiota – the students Jonathan Avesar and Tom Ben-Arye, and Socialization population of “good” bacteria found in the human body. postdoctoral student Dekel Rosenfeld. Technion team to lay out how bacteria The importance of technologies that can predetermine In addition, the researchers demonstrated the ability to interact in their natural habitats the resistance of a specific bacterium to specific antibiotics test bacteria directly from raw patient urine samples, is obvious: they would enable the healthcare team to thereby skipping the isolation step, and potentially saving choose the most effective antibiotic a day earlier than two vital days for patients with urinary tract infections. traditional methods. The system makes for faster diagnostics, earlier and more effective treatment of infectious bacteria, and improved Such a system, developed at Technion, enables rapid patient recovery times. and accurate customization of an antibiotic to the patient. It quickly analyzes bacteria isolated from patients with According to Avesar, “The use of the technology we infections, and assesses their level of resistance to specific developed reduces the size of the required sample by antibiotics. The device is a chip with hundreds of nanoliter several orders of magnitude, reduces the scanning time by (1,000 times smaller than a milliliter) wells inside it, each half, significantly reduces lab space required for testing, and containing a few bacteria and a specific antibiotic. Bacterial reduces the cost per test.” response is detected using a fluorescent marker, image processing tools, and statistical analysis of the The study was carried out in cooperation with Prof. Prof. Roy Kishony fluorescent signal. Moran Bercovici of the Technion Faculty of Mechanical Three teams of researchers will receive the Kavli Microbiome Ideas Challenge grant, which supports the development of novel tools and methods in the field of microbiome research. One of the teams is led by Roy Viterbi’s Golden Nugget Kishony, professor of Biology and Computer Science at Technion, who promises to introduce an innovative method of mapping interactions between bacterial species Algorithm that changed the face of within their natural communities. The team’s research will digital communication marks 50th use micro-droplet co-localization and rare-element DNA anniversary at Technion labeling in order to uncover which species support or inhibit the growth of others, and quantitative biodiversity and stability in microbial communities. “I didn’t set out to produce an algorithm which would receive the attention which it has,” wrote Prof. Andrew Viterbi recently. “I’d stumbled over a golden nugget which others might have ignored because it didn’t look shiny.”

Upon publication of the algorithm, Viterbi announced Bacteria in action that he was donating it to the benefit of the public and waiving royalties. The algorithm has been adopted Prof. Andrew Viterbi The two other teams are from the University of and deployed in a variety of applications, including Washington and the University of Oregon. voice transmission over phone calls, image and voice Albert Einstein Prize; and the establishment of the Andrew The Kavli Ideas Challenge is led by the American Society transmission in video calls, and Internet and cellular and Erna Finci Viterbi Center for Advanced Studies in for Microbiology (ASM), and carried out in partnership transmission, revolutionizing data decoding and optimal Computer Technology, Andrew J. and Erna F. Viterbi Chair with the American Chemical Society (ACS) and American noise and interference filtering, and leading to the in Information Systems/Computer Science, Andrew and Physical Society (APS). “The Kavli Microbiome Ideas development of key communications technologies Erna Finci Viterbi Fellowship Program, and Viterbi Family Challenge is an exciting opportunity to support high risk, including Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA). Foundation Faculty Recruitment Program. His greatest interdisciplinary research that does not normally receive contribution to Technion’s Faculty of Electrical Engineering, traditional funding,” said Tim Donohue, Chair of the Prof. Viterbi visited Israel for the first time in 1967, the $50 million, was announced in 2015, and followed by the Scientific Advisory Board for the Kavli Challenge. “The year the algorithm was published. Here, at Technion’s naming of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering after him grants selected for funding demonstrated great potential Faculty of Electrical Engineering, he established close and his late wife, Erna. for the generation of novel tools and methods that will friendships with Profs. Jacob Ziv and Abraham Lempel be broadly applicable across the many environments and who later became the developers of the Lempel- Technion marked the jubilee of the Viterbi Algorithm at move the field forward in the causal understanding of Ziv algorithm, which also revolutionized the field of a festive ceremony. The event was held during the 7th microbial and community function.” communications. Over the years, Prof. Viterbi’s close ties Annual Henry Taub TCE (Technion Computer Engineering) with Technion have found expression in his activities at the Conference, which focused on coding for storage and In June, Prof. Kishony was amongst 65 outstanding life scientists American Technion Society (ATS), which awarded him the information systems. elected as members of the European Society of Molecular Biology (EMBO), joining a group of more than 1,700 of the best researchers in Europe and around the world. OCTOBER 2017

Nobel

PREDICTOR (l-r) Prof. Hegemann, Prof. Emeritus Thorne, President Lavie, Prof. Emeritus Weiss, Prof. Deisseroth, Dr Drever, and Prof. Hagit Attiya

Harvey Prize awarded for the discovery In the field of science and technology, the prize was Prof. Deisseroth said, “The development of optogenetics of gravitational waves and development awarded to Profs. Emeritus Ronald Drever and Kip is indeed a tremendous achievement; however, it does of optogenetics Stephen Thorne of the California Institute of Technology not belong solely to two researchers, but to generations (Caltech) and to Prof. Emeritus Rainer Weiss of the of scientists whose work led to the accumulation of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The three knowledge necessary for the breakthrough.” He continued, The 2016 Harvey Prize was awarded to two research scientists, who led the LIGO experiment, received the prize “Basic science often leads to dramatic developments groups that revolutionized two fields of science: for the discovery of gravitational waves, which verified a in medicine without the scientist knowing at the outset astrophysics and brain research, with the ceremony held key prediction of Einstein’s general theory of relativity and where his research will lead. The lesson to be learned as part of Technion’s 2017 Board of Governors events. opened a new window to the universe. from the development of optogenetics is the importance “Both of these groups have contributed significantly to our of public support for basic science.” Board of Governors understanding of the universe,” said Technion President Prof. Drever passed away in March. His brother, Dr Ian Prof. Peretz Lavie. “One achieved a breakthrough in our Drever, who accepted the prize on his behalf, said that 6 understanding of the outer universe, and the other at the Ronald was a born scientist who invented many things most internal level – the living cell.” even in childhood. JUST

The Prize is the most prestigious scientific award In the field of human health, the prize was awarded to ANNOUNCED conferred by Technion, and has been awarded annually Prof. Karl Deisseroth of Stanford University and Prof. Peter Oct. 3, 2017 since 1972 in recognition of outstanding contributions Hegemann of the Humboldt University of Berlin. They to science, technology, medicine, and peace. The received the prize for the discovery of the opsin molecules prize fund was established by the late Leo M. Harvey, involved in sensing light in microorganism cells and their Nobel Laureates, Physics an industrialist and inventor from Los Angeles. Scott digitalization in the development of optogenetics. This Kip Thorne Leemaster, Chair of the American Technion Society innovative and original approach, which has revolutionized (ATS), said that the Harvey Prize has become a “Nobel the field of neurobiology, enables the study of the function Rainer Weiss predictor,” since around 20% of its winners are later of nerve cells, and the connection between neural awarded the Nobel Prize. networks and animal behavior.

Planting the Seeds of a Promising Future

Technion’s Ronald S. and Jo Carole Lauder Student Dormitory building was inaugurated at a festive ceremony “Technion [is] an integral part of attended by Minister of Education Naftali Bennett, and Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav. The state-of-the art structure Israeli society and of the vision was donated by World Jewish Congress President Ronald of the State of Israel.” (l-r) Avi Balashnikov, Naftali Bennett (Minister of Lauder and his wife, Jo Carole. Education), and President Lavie unveil the Lauder building - Naftali Bennett Bennett said at the ceremony, “Technion’s secret lies in its “The Lauder family visited Technion about three years role as an integral part of Israeli society and of the vision The complex consists of 116 apartments in four 9-storey ago and fell in love with it,” said Avi Balashnikov, Ronald of the State of Israel. You are not hidden away in an ivory buildings. The new dormitories will house 408 single Lauder’s representative in Israel. “The Lauder Foundation tower. On the contrary, you are connected to the Israeli students and 40 couples. works to promote education and academia in Israel and the experience and operate out of a commitment to society… donation to Technion continues this important support for … The new dormitories will enable students to invest their “This is a great day of celebration for us,” said Technion the advancement of higher education in the State of Israel.” time and energy in their demanding studies. On this day, President Prof. Peretz Lavie. “It is our explicit policy to we are planting the seeds of a promising future.” make dorms available to all students, practicing what we preach in terms of diversity and equal opportunity.”

Life-saving “On many terrains, such as bicycle paths, it is impossible to reach the injured person by car, or else the time required for evacuation is too great,” explained Ada. “We UNICYCLE were asked to develop a lightweight stretcher with a carrying mechanism that would . . . include a rigid surface Technion students develop a to protect the injured person’s spine, for easy and quick lightweight rescue stretcher evacuation to the means of transportation.”

The Product Design Exhibition is held annually at Atinesh added, “We developed a folding stretcher Technion’s Faculty of Mechanical Engineering as part of the comprised of a surface with carrying beams, with a New Product Design course, led by Dr Hagay Bamberger single tire attached to it. We manufactured it from and under the guidance of Prof. Reuven Katz. aluminum and it weighs 14 kg. In a future development it will be manufactured from magnesium and its total One unique development presented this year was a field weight will be about 11 kg, so that two medics can carry stretcher developed by students Michael Ada and Roy it on their backs.” Atinesh, under the guidance of Dr Zvi Fruchter, for United Michael Ada (l) and Roy Atinesh (r) with prototype Rescue of Israel and with the assistance of Segal Bikes Ltd. SciTech the WorldaBetterPlace Universities’ RoleinMaking Emanuel Zvi Paul Liban,Martin Moshal,JosephNeubauer, andProf. L.RafaelReif The Doctors(frontrow, Honorary l-r) : Prof. BernardAmadei,DrJosephCiechanover, Prof. DavidL.Donoho,Prof. OdileEisenstein, a betterworld.” education, inresearch,andsolvingproblems-tomake forresearchuniversitiestobeleaders:in opportunity In fact,Ibelievethatthismomentoffersaremarkable steadyforceforgood. universities canbeapowerful, around theglobe,itisusefultoremindourselvesthat “Now isamomentofchange.Aswenavigateuncertainty universities canbeapowerful, “Now isamomentofchange. around theglobe,itisuseful As wenavigateuncertainty to remindourselvesthat steady forceforgood.” - MIT PresidentProf.RafaelReif - MIT

and duetothisperspective,Ichoseacademia.” Education isthetoolthatallowsyoutoinventyourfuture, the onethingyouwillalwaystakewithiseducation. my brotherandmethatevenifyouleaveyourhome, nothing –nolanguage,money, nofriends.They taught anddisease.MyparentscametoVenezuelastarvation with before mostoftheirfamilieswereexterminatedordied roots: in1938,myparentsfledEasternEuropeshortly colleagues Ideeplyrespect.Mychoicealsohadpersonal year in1988here–atauniversitythatIadmireandwith to itssize,andthatiswhyIchosespendmysabbatical said, “Technion’s impactontheworldisenormousrelative Prof. Reif, respondingonbehalfoftheeightrecipients, Fourth IndustrialRevolution,whichweareinthemidstof.” doubt thatwewillbeabletosuccessfullydealwiththe Doctoraterecipients,Ihaveno leaders likeyou,Honorary between academia,government,andindustry. Thanks to thetriangularrelationship research, andstrengthen world, expandaframeworktoencourageinterdisciplinary forthenew adopt theappropriatelearningmethodologies labormarket, the toolstheywillneedinchanging “Among otherthings,wemustprovideourstudentswith worldandacademia’srapidly changing dutytoadapt. Technion PresidentProf. Peretz Laviespokeaboutthe Conferment Ceremony. Prof. RafaelReif, attheTechnion’s Doctorate Honorary President The remarksweremadeinJunebyMIT participated inthemonth-longchallenge. participated Cyprus, France, andUS India,Israel,Korea, Spain, UK, This year, 60 youthfromAustralia,Brazil,Canada,China, on campus. facilities academic staff,makinguseof thestate-of-theart by work onaresearchprojectoftheirchoice,supervised research withculturalandsocialactivities.Participants students fromaroundtheworld,andcombinesscientific Technion’s annualSciTech attractshighschool program MISSION WITH A YOUTH leadership qualities. scientific achievementsand thanks tohisextraordinary Zuckerman Faculty Scholar, Was selectedasa Biomedical Engineering Prof. Yoav Shechtman stage disease. medical diagnosisofearly- approaches tonon-invasive development ofcutting-edge significant contributionstothe University ofHaifaforhis fromthe Doctorate degree Was awardedanHonorary Chemical Engineering Prof. HossamHaick in thehumanities,socialsciences,andnaturalsciences. Humanities, whichiscomprisedofleadingyoungscholars Academy (IYA) oftheIsraelAcademySciencesand (Computer Science)waselectedtotheIsraelYoung researchers. Prof. EranYahav fortop-level reserved and Humanities,anhonor Israel AcademyofSciences lifetime membersofthe ofonly125 elite group Was electedtojointhe Electrical Engineering Prof. Yonina Eldar HONOR ROLL North America. North is thefirstmemberfromoutsideof Academy ofConstruction(NAC). He member oftheAmericanNational Was electedasanhonorary Civil andEnvironmentalEngineering Prof. Aviad Shapira breakthroughs. and potentialforsignificant proven outstandingtalent,creativity, under theageof50whohave Israeli scientistsandresearchers Won theBrunoPrize,awardedto Chemistry Prof. AshrafBrik hardware andsoftwaredesigns. a methodforformallyverifying for developingmodelchecking, University ofMunich.Sheisknown Mathematics fromtheTechnical inInformaticsand degree Doctorate Received anHonorary Computer Science Prof. OrnaGrumberg of

7 Honors OCTOBER 2017

Science, Politics, and Ideology … and what the three have to do with forest fires

Fires in Haifa On the Table Prof. Daniel Orenstein 8 late November 2016, Haifa experienced its is an excess of knowledge regarding how to contend with all, protecting communities against forest fires would first large scale urban fire: smoke the threat. mean reducing the number of trees that provide shade turned the skies a cloudy orange for houses, streets, and prime cookout spots. The historic and was visible from outer space. OPINION Prof. Orenstein believes the main factor is role of tree planting in Israel has also not been forgotten. failure to implement recommendations made As the Professional Committee for the Restoration and Was it impossible to avoid more than 500 after the fires of 1989, 1995, 1998, 2005, Development of the Carmel noted in 1990, they were homes being destroyed or damaged? Did the situation and 2010. Each fire was followed by a review committee “aware that a large number of donors and volunteers in have to escalate to the point that 75,000 people – one- and funding for research grants, and yet the threat Israel and abroad were raised on tree planting as a value quarter of the city’s population – needed to be evacuated, continues to exist. and a symbol.” 1,600 were left homeless, and 163 hospitalized? For more than 25 years, ecologists and fire experts have This places foresters, eager to implement buffer zones Similar questions were asked following a previous fire, recommended more fire stations, equipment, access around neighborhoods, in a difficult situation; as one said the 2010 Carmel Forest fire, which claimed 44 lives, roads, and airborne capabilities; prevention through in 2012, “We’re getting sued twice: once for ruining the dozens of homes, and 2,500 hectares of oaks, carobs, fire breaks and buffer zones; reduction in fuel load; the view by cutting down trees and once for endangering and pines. While there have been forest fires around the facilitation of natural regeneration, reintroduction of native homes by not cutting down trees.” Mediterranean for as long as humans have been around species, thinning and removal of biomass; and even a to witness them, Prof. Daniel Orenstein from Technion’s biosphere initiative. Faculty of Architecture and Town Planning analyzes why fires continue to threaten lives and property when there Much of the population, however, is appalled by the unaesthetic appearance of some such measures. After

DESIGN STATE OF MIND

Because even Israel’s leading technology Design Thinking, a method used by designers to solve university has an eye for art complex problems, is quickly becoming one of the leading engines of innovation, and universities that have realized According to Prof. Ezri Tarazi, who has chaired the this are encouraging the synergy between engineering Industrial Design graduate program at Technion’s Faculty and design. Designers help ‘good’ innovations become of Architecture and Town Planning since 2016, “We are at ‘great,’ which improves their chances of succeeding “It is my mission to bring a crucial moment in the history of technology and the way in the market, and in turn help more people embrace design and Design Thinking it is transforming the lives of people. As a designer who technology. loves technology, I see a huge opportunity to collaborate into the heart of a technology with almost every department at Technion.” He founded Prof. Tarazi sees an opportunity for Technion to develop and chaired the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design innovative methodologies with both humans and hub such as Technion.” Master’s Degree Program in Industrial Design before the environment as a top priority. He is founding a - Prof. Ezri Tarazi coming to Technion, and believes that design is critical to ‘Design and Make’ laboratory – DMion (‘imagination’ the advancement of technology. in Hebrew) – at Technion, which will explore the way digital fabrication technology such as huge 3D printing Before joining Technion, Tarazi was responsible for creating machines could enable the creation of objects the size an exhibition that has been in high demand at museums of a chair. “We are on the verge of a fourth industrial around the world. The exhibition, titled “Higher View,” is revolution, and design plays a major role. Designers and a series of ten coffee tables that reflect various aspects engineers play key roles.” of Jerusalem’s history, culture, and sociology. Each table’s profile is in fact that of the walls of the Old City, and made As a designer, he believes it is his mission of materials found in the city. The tables were digitally to “bring design and Design Thinking into manufactured using high technologies including 3D the heart of a technology hub such as printing, computer controlled machining (CNC), and water Technion.” jet cutting, and interactive technologies that combined 3D cameras or computer-based music.

Table made of objects found in the Old City of Jerusalem, symbolizing its fragmentation