Scientific Section

RDI in News Issue No. 288 - May 2013

Policy 2

Research Highlights 2

Facts & Figures 4

Events 5

Member State and International News 5

Disclaimer :

RDI News is not a formal communication and does not necessarily represent the official position of the Delegation of the European Union to the State of Israel.

RDI News is an internal service and is not intended as a source for further publication. Some of the material appearing in RDI News has been taken from newspapers, journals and other publications. The Delegation of the European Union to the State of Israel cannot authorize the reproduction of items taken from other publications. Those wishing to reproduce articles are advised to contact the relevant publication

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Policy

Chief scientist: Budget cuts will close programmes Chief Scientist Avi Hasson: A 40% cut is not streamlining or a change in priorities but means that programmes will be closed down http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/docview.asp?did=1000843663&fid=1725

'We may not be 'Start-up Nation' without investment' Chief scientist of Ministry of Economy says state must increase funds for research and development to remain a 'Start-up Nation.' http://www.jpost.com/Enviro-Tech/We-may-not-be-Startup-Nation-without-investment-314640

Did Waze really need the Chief Scientist? Waze would have gotten along without government financing, but the company may be an interesting example of the real potential profits for the Israeli economy. http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/docview.asp?did=1000846914&fid=4111

Israel's high-tech industry is going to pay big for Lapid's budget cuts Instead of learning from the experiences of the past decade, Lapid is repeating the mistake Netanyahu made in 2003 - but this time, Israel can't allow itself another decade of stagnation in the high-tech industry. The Israeli high-tech industry has not grown since 2003. Its output may be growing in absolute terms, but it is no longer growing in proportion to Israel's total output. http://www.haaretz.com/misc/article-print-page/israel-s-high-tech-industry-is-going-to-pay-big-for-lapid- s-budget-cuts.premium-1.523149?trailingPath=2.169%2C2.199%2C

Board of trustees approves appointment of Prof. Daniel Hershkowitz as next president of Bar-Ilan University Rabbi Prof. Hershkowitz, 60, served as Minister of Science and Technology in the previous Israeli government http://www1.biu.ac.il/indexE.php?id=33&pt=20&pid=4&level=1&cPath=4&type=1&news=1899

Research Highlights

European Commission and CERN support major research facility in the Middle East

The European Commission and CERN have today agreed to support the construction of SESAME, one of the most ambitious research facilities in the Middle East. SESAME is a so-called synchrotron light source, functioning in effect like a giant microscope. It will allow researchers from the region to investigate the properties of advanced materials, biological processes and cultural artefacts. SESAME is a unique joint venture based in Jordan that brings together scientists from its members Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Pakistan, the Palestinian Authority and Turkey http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/israel/documents/press_corner/2013/20130528_he.pdf

ICT

Israelis developing ‘Google Glass’ for the blind In the not-so-distant future, people blinded by retinitis pigmentosa may be using Israeli technology to see beyond shadows once again http://israel21c.org/health/israelis-developing-google-glass-for-the-blind/

2 Technion scientists develop an advanced biological computer Technion scientists developed and constructed a molecular transducer, which is an advanced computing machine. This unprecedented device can compute iteratively, namely, it uses the output as a new input for subsequent computations. http://www1.technion.ac.il/_local/includes/blocks/news-items/130523-udi13computer/news-item- en.htm

SPACE

Tel Aviv University team takes part in discovering new planet A team of astronomers at TAU and the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics have announced the first-ever discovery of an extra solar planet via induced relativistic beaming of light from the host star. http://english.tau.ac.il/news/discovering_new_planet

Weather on the outer planets only goes so deep Weizmann Institute researchers and their colleagues set an upper limit for the thickness of jet streams on Uranus and Neptune http://wis-wander.weizmann.ac.il/weather-on-the-outer-planets-only-goes-so-deep#.UZTLAbVHKLo

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) presents latest cyber intelligence and communications solutions IAI has been intensively operating in the cyber arena on defence and intelligence gathering http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/docview.asp?did=1000845458&fid=1725

LIFE SCIENCES

Haifa University links West Nile virus to global warming The Israeli research team was chosen by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control to lead the research http://www.jpost.com/Health-and-Science/Haifa-U-links-West-Nile-Virus-to-global-warming-312956 http://wordpress.haifa.ac.il/?p=4315

Israeli researchers discover compound to protect female cancer patients' eggs In tests on laboratory rats, Israeli researchers found that a synthetic compound - when used in conjunction with chemotherapy - left more eggs viable. http://www.haaretz.com/misc/article-print-page/israeli-researchers-discover-compound-to-protect- female-cancer-patients-eggs.premium-1.524299?trailingPath=2.169%2C2.216%2C2.218%2C http://www.jpost.com/Health-and-Science/Scientists-test-experimental-chemotherapy-drug-313275

Haifa University researcher studying Israeli mushroom as cancer drug A medicinal product derived from a mushroom found in Israel has appeared effective against pancreatic cancer in animal trials conducted by the Haifa mushroom research lab http://www.haaretz.com/misc/article-print-page/haifa-researcher-studying-israeli-mushroom-as-cancer- drug.premium-1.523672?trailingPath=2.169%2C2.216%2C2.218%2C

Cell Cure Neurosciences awarded $1.5m Chief Scientist grant Stem cell developer Cell Cure is developing therapeutic cells for the treatment of retinal and neural degenerative disease. http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/docview.asp?did=1000844426&fid=1725

How chronic stress damages the immune system Researchers from Ben Gurion University’s Faculty of Health Sciences have pinpointed for the first time the leading causes of damage to the immune system's immune regulatory functions in mice under chronic stress. http://www.aabgu.org/media-center/bgu-making-a-difference/stress-causes-damage-to-body.html

3 Israelis give a double punch to triple-negative breast cancer Looking for an effective strategy against a particularly deadly form of breast cancer, Weizmann Institute scientists have a potential winner http://israel21c.org/health/israelis-give-a-double-punch-to-triple-negative-breast-cancer/

Israeli researchers develop seaweed-based treatment for child blindness Researchers at Sheba Medical Center find that powder produced from orange algae can help treat an eye disease that causes blindness at a young age http://www.haaretz.com/misc/article-print-page/israeli-researchers-develop-seaweed-based-treatment- for-child-blindness.premium-1.526133?trailingPath=2.169%2C2.216%2C2.218%2C

DNA nanobots coming to your bloodstream Bar Ilan University's Dr. Ido Bachelet is developing nanobots from DNA sequences for treating cancer http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/docview.asp?did=1000847295&fid=1724

Israeli MD proves dogs can sniff out cancer cells Israeli internist Dr. Uri Yoel, 43, has demonstrated that dogs are indeed capable of differentiating between the scent of cancer cells and non-cancerous cells. “Our research proves that dogs can smell cancer cells in vitro [in lab cultures], and that different types of cancer share the same smell print,” says Yoel, who practices at Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba and teaches at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev’s Faculty of Health Sciences. http://israel21c.org/people/israeli-md-proves-dogs-can-sniff-out-cancer-cells/

Hebrew University researchers suggest boosting body’s natural flu killers as way to offset virus mutation problem A known difficulty in fighting influenza is the ability of the flu viruses to mutate and thus evade various medications that were previously found to be effective. Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have shown recently that another, more promising, approach is to focus on improving drugs that boost the body’s natural flu killer system http://new.huji.ac.il/en/article/17528

Facts & Figures

High-tech Haifa: A start-up hub in the old port is a magnet for entrepreneurs Start-ups in the city tripled in the last year, from 20 to 60, according to the city's new Youth Authority. Although Haifa's multinational high-tech giants are still a major pull for Technion graduates, many young trailblazers are landing here. http://www.haaretz.com/misc/article-print-page/high-tech-haifa-a-start-up-hub-in-the-old-port-is- a-magnet-for-entrepreneurs.premium-1.526290?trailingPath=2.169%2C2.199%2C

Is Israeli pharma giant Teva going to be pushed off its perch? Long the world’s biggest maker of generic drugs, an industry consolidation may well create a bigger rival for Teva. http://www.haaretz.com/misc/article-print-page/is-israeli-pharma-giant-teva-going-to-be-pushed-off-its- perch.premium-1.525736?trailingPath=2.169%2C2.199%2C

Microsoft Israel celebrates in Jaffa Software giant marking first year of its start up accelerator program with 13 new Israeli companies http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4385842,00.html

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Events

The 1st French-Israeli Scientific Colloquium on "Water Production and Wastewater Treatment" The Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research (ZIWR) of The Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, and the Scientific Department at The Embassy of France in Israel, takes great pleasure in inviting you to participate in The 1st French-Israeli Scientific Symposium on: "Water Production and Wastewater Treatment", in the Sede Boqer Campus, Israel. The colloquium will host water scientists and engineers from France, Israel, Palestine and Jordan from the Academy and Water Industry http://w3.bgu.ac.il/ziwr/conference/ISRAEL-FRENCH%20-%20Colloq.%202013/FI-Test1.htm

Palestinian, Israeli tech leaders strengthen ties In Google’s 26th floor Tel Aviv Campus, leaders from Israeli, Palestinian high-tech communities gather to discuss business http://www.jpost.com/Business/Business-Features/Palestinian-Israeli-tech-leaders-strengthen-ties- 314647

Member State and International News

Member States

UK-Israel

"Britain has great potential for Israeli entrepreneurs" UK tech envoy to Israel Saul Klein tells "Globes" that more start up collaborations will benefit Israel and Britain http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/docview.asp?did=1000845415&fid=1724

Israel and Britain signed Memorandum of Understanding on science cooperation The memorandum sets out five priority areas of science cooperation between the UK and Israel: advanced materials and nano-technology; agri-sciences with a focus on water; neuroscience; space research; technology; and regenerative medicine. It celebrates the achievements of the BIRAX Regenerative Medicine programme and confirms that the UK and Israel will award 30 new fellowships in 2013-14. http://most.gov.il/English/news/Pages/birax-britain.aspx http://www.haaretz.com/misc/article-print-page/israel-and-britain-unveil-partnership-to-ramp-up- scientific-research-by-2018.premium-1.525662?trailingPath=2.169%2C2.199%2C

International

New York University to establish research institute at Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv University expands its global network of academic collaborations to include New York University http://english.tau.ac.il/news/nyu_institute_at_tau

New York-Israel collaboration programme in applicative nano scale technologies. The Israeli Industry Center for R&D (MATIMOP), on behalf of the Office of the Chief Scientist (OCS) in the Ministry of Economy; the SUNY College of Nanoscale Science & Engineering (CNSE) in Albany, New York; and the Israel National Nanotechnology Initiative (INNI), are organising an informational session providing an overview on the NEW Israel-New York R&D collaboration platform in the field of Nanoscale Technologies. http://www.matimop.org.il/NY_nano.html

Israel signs R&D agreement with Indian state of Karnataka The first such agreement of its kind between Israel and an Indian state will fund joint projects between Israeli and Karnataka companies http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/docview.asp?did=1000842945&fid=1725 ****

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