WEIZMANN MAGAZINE SPRING 2020 No. 17 • Spring 2020 TheWe i z m a n n International magazine of science and people The Brain Issue VOLUME 16 Plus: Special section on Weizmann coronavirus response SPRING 2020 We i z m a n n MAGAZINE From the President Dear friends, We are in the midst of a global challenge that has Table of Contents forced everyone to adjust their lives and work routines, and the Weizmann Institute of Science is no exception. At the same time, as part of civil society, the Institute has a role to play in finding solutions. We see it as our duty to summon all of our resources and scientific expertise to contribute to the global battle against the novel coronavirus, for the benefit of humanity. Our campus has swiftly become a hub of concentrated efforts in three critical directions: to help ramp up testing capacity, track outbreaks in the making, and advance promising research initiatives toward treatments and potential vaccines. Many of our scientists, each from his or her own unique angle, are stepping up to the plate to urgently search for solutions. We have assembled a task force comprised of researchers and administrators, including myself and the vice presidents, who are coordinating all of these efforts and working together to do our utmost to summon all possible resources to enable the science to move ahead. In this issue of Weizmann Magazine, you can read about some of our initiatives related to the Credits Briefs Cover Story coronavirus. You’ll also read about our major new Spotlight On A publication of the Department of Resource Development flagship projects in neuroscience and artificial 2 Special section on 22 A wise future for 28 Rising Tide’s quest intelligence, which remain top priorities: the Institute coronavirus response neuroscience: Weizmann’s to advance cancer Editorial Staff for Brain and Neural Sciences, and the Artificial new flagship project research and care Prof. Roee Ozeri, Vice President for Resource Intelligence Enterprise for Scientific Exploration. Development and Public Affairs ¶ Kelly Avidan, Director, Department of Resource Development This is my first greeting to you in the magazine as ¶ Tamar Morad, Head, Donor Communications President, and I look forward to many more. Most New Scientists Special Section Beyond the Bench ¶ Heidi Shulman, Publications and Video Production importantly, I offer you and your families my best Coordinator, Yarden Jaron, Visual and Digital Production 18 Finding Earth 2.0: Introducing 32 The 2019 Annual General Meeting 58 Brain-saving technology wishes for health and tranquility. Dr. Sagi Ben-Ami of the International Board Alumni Writing Staff Sincerely, 20 Sleuthing for the fingerprint Weizmann World 60 A healing solution Sandy Cash ¶ Dinah Elashvili ¶ Tali Galsky ¶ Sharon of water: Introducing Yael Reinheimer ¶ Anne Sperling ¶ Edward Truitt Kiro, groundwater detective 50 Stories and updates from our after brain surgery worldwide committees Prof. Alon Chen Science Features Art and Science Illustration President, Weizmann Institute of Science Education 46 Artificial intelligence: the future 62 The artistry of math Tal Bavli-Ziv of smart. AI is reshaping our lives 56 Boots on the ground in Ofakim: Israel’s In Memoriam and revolutionizing science first science pre-army prep program Graphic Design 64 Dr. Yael Mutsafi, 1981-2019 Alexey Kletsel, Netgo Ltd. Photography and renderings Philipp Böni ¶ Itai Belson, Ohad Herches of the Weizmann Visit us: Institute Photo Lab ¶ Yael Ilan ¶ Hadar Kaminksy www.weizmann.ac.il/WeizmannCompass ¶ Ronald Korner ¶ Weizmann Institute Photo Archives ¶ Shutterstock ¶ Paul J. Trummer מכון ויצמן למדע מכון ויצמן למדע We i z m a n n MAGAZINE Coronavirus Response SPRING 2020 We i z m a n n MAGAZINE Coronavirus Response 2–3 Ș In parallel, an effort byProfs. Eran Elinav and Ido The Weizmann Coronavirus Amit is underway to develop a new testing method based on a process that involves fewer stages Response Fund compared to existing tests, vastly expands the The Institute has established the Weizmann number of samples that can be tested at a time, Coronavirus Response Fund, which will enable and offers a method that greatly reduces the Institute leadership to urgently disseminate support biological risk to which the teams that perform to its scientists working on the front lines to find the tests are exposed. The Weizmann scientists solutions, and to support unique science education expect to have the capacity to test about initiatives to address the demand for online 20,000 samples per day. distance learning. The Response Fund aims to raise approximately $25 million for the urgent allocation of support. More Video: It’s a revolution: massive than 50 projects across campus are underway. ramp-up in safer testing A sampling of our other efforts are described in this special section, including: Ș Searches for the perfect drug or vaccine, such as Special section: the projects underway by Prof. Sarel Fleishman, Dr. Ron Diskin, and Dr. Nir London Weizmannn coronavirus response A model to sustain Ș An effort spearhead by Profs. Eran Segal and Benjamin Geiger is tracking geographic economic activity clusters in which the coronavirus is prevalent s we find ourselves—all of humanity—in the midst of a pandemic Ș As the state of the economy becomes an and will likely spread. caused by the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2, the Weizmann Institute of increasing source of concern, Prof. Uri Alon Ș The Davidson Institute of Science Education at and his graduate students Omer Karin and Yael Weizmann launched a new website called Stuck Science is advancing major research efforts and other initiatives to Korem-Kohanim, together with senior engineer at Home? which offers a suite of digital science A Boaz Dudovich of Applied Materials, have activities at a time when students, teachers, address this challenge: more than 50 projects are now underway. developed an epidemiological model that shows and parents are in need of quality distance- how it is possible to enact a nationwide policy learning content. The new coronavirus is a global health threat that is has been transformed into a center for the rapid to effectively suppress the coronavirus and at production of diagnostic tests, in coordination unprecedented in any of our lifetimes. The Weizmann the same time allow sustainable, albeit reduced, You can read more about the Weizmann Coronavirus with Israel’s Ministry of Health. This move has Institute, with its world-renown in immunology, economic activity. The model is based on the Response Fund on the Institute website, or via the QR enabled a multi-fold rise in the number of tests structural biology, computational science and mathematics of an intermittent lockdown: five code below. produced and Prof. Robert Fluhr is heading this artificial intelligence, cellular sequencing, and drug days of lockdown and two days of work every discovery, is poised to make key breakthroughs at effort. The G-INCPM is home to the country’s most comprehensive and advanced infrastructure week. In this way, the virus replication number— this critical time. for genomic and proteomic analysis, making it a the number of people infected by each contagious vital resource for Israel’s scientific and medical carrier—drops below 1: the magic number that In this section, you may read a sampling or our efforts, community as they seek to create new coronavirus would lead to a decline in the epidemic. focusing in three main directions: ramping up testing testing approaches. capacity, tracking outbreaks in the making, and A four-day work/ten-day lockdown strategy advancing promising research initiatives toward is even better, they suggest, allowing those treatments and potential vaccines. infected at work to cease becoming infectious at home. Prof. Alon suggests that after several such Video: Coronavirus testing center cycles, the number of infected people will drop More on the Weizmann at the Grand Center on campus dramatically. The epidemic can be contained until Coronavirus Response Fund Ramping up testing sufficient testing, effective treatment, or a vaccine Ș The Nancy and Stephen Grand Center for is developed, which would negate the need for a Personalized Medicine (G-INCPM) on campus lockdown. מכון ויצמן למדע מכון ויצמן למדע We i z m a n n MAGAZINE Coronavirus Response SPRING 2020 We i z m a n n MAGAZINE 4–5 Mapping corona in stealth mode Towards a drug against COVID-19 Predict Corona fuses data on symptoms, geography to predict Co-led by Dr. Nir London, global consortium aims to drastically outbreaks in the making accelerate development of drug eizmann Institute scientists have Already, the scientists have detected a n international initiative led by the initial hits that can potentially serve as developed a method for monitoring, significant increase in symptoms reported Weizmann Institute’s Dr. Nir London starting points for a drug. The Oxford W identifying, and predicting by the public in areas where verified A has brought together a range of University team and the Diamond Light geographical clusters in which the coronavirus patients are known to key players in the drug development Source (the UK’s national synchrotron coronavirus is prevalent and will have been. The mapping may enable process—from academia in light source science facility), were likely spread, by tracking symptoms health authorities to concentrate four countries, to biotech and able, in turn, to determine crystal throughout the Israeli public—both anti-contagion efforts on areas in contract research organizations, to structures showing how these healthy and sick individuals. which an outbreak and spread of the specialized software companies—to compounds bind in the protease’s The method is at the core of the virus is predicted—while allowing accelerate the development of a drug active site. Predict Corona project, spearheaded them to ease measures in areas where against COVID-19.