THE INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE No. 6 FALL 2014 OF SCIENCE & PEOPLE PREVENTION DIAGNOSIS T BRAIN O LYM NCOGENE HERA P HOMA C ARCINOMA BREAST ANGIOGENESIS P Y TUMOR microRNA MELANOMA BONE LEUKEMIA PANCREAS C over S tory Profile: Lorry Lokey PAGE 10 The Integrated A Tribute to David Azrieli Cancer Center PAGE 26 PAGE 16 FALL 2014 www.weizmann.ac.il From the President International Summer Science Institute scientific community, with an article were here when the conflict began, and published in the highly esteemed none left. But the war hit home; four scientific journalThe Lancet, as you can soldiers who lost their lives were family also read about in greater detail on the members of our scientists and staff (two following pages. At the same time, we nephews, two grandsons). Though the experienced a tsunami of support from communities in the vicinity of Gaza bore our friends around the world, and we the biggest brunt of the rocket attacks, were buoyed and strengthened by this to here in Rehovot we experienced many an immeasurable degree. sirens and took shelter in the protected Yet against this backdrop, the scientific areas on campus. research being conducted at the We were compelled to postpone the Weizmann Institute is moving along launch of our first Weizmann rapidly as are our many plans for the year International Network (WINE) project, ahead. We are thoroughly involved in Dear Friends, whose primary goal is to bring together a establishing the Integrated Cancer leading group of scientists from around Center, the new major flagship project This summer was a difficult one, and the world, thereby allowing them to have which will encompass all cancer research with Operation Protective Edge behind a significant impact on a central scientific here, with an emphasis on collaborative us, we grieve for the lives lost and look problem. The first WINE project, funded research with the medical community. forward to more peaceful days. Surely by the Rothschild Caesarea Foundation, This is the subject of our cover story in countless lives were saved by the Iron is in systems biology, and is to be led by this issue. Dome system, a feat of science and Prof. Amos Tanay. We expect this project With our International Board meetings technology. But while I always say that to be up and running soon, and for it to around the corner, we are looking science is a stabilizing factor in that it be replicated in other areas of science in forward to many dedications and requires collaboration across borders which Weizmann scientists have a celebrations. Among them are the new and solutions for saving and improving prominent world standing. By building Siem Childcare Center and the David "We know that the immune system's T cells have the ability to destroy tissue," says Prof. Zelig Eshhar, pictured above. "The question, lives, on the flip side science requires an an international network around Moross Fitness Center, gifts of Karen as an immunologist, was how to convince them to attack cancerous tissue, which they do not normally recognize as foreign or environment of stability and plenty to particular areas of expertise, WINE will Siem and David Moross to honor their harmful." More about Prof. Eshhar's designer T cells, which are now in clinical trials for leukemia and lymphoma on p. 21. Prof. truly flourish. serve to increase the visibility and impact father Mandy in his last year as Chairman of Israeli science in general and the of the Board, after nine excellent years Eshhar recently won the Massry Prize; nine winners of this prize have gone on to receive the Nobel Prize. At the Weizmann Institute we tried our . best to operate as usual, with labs busy Weizmann Institute in particular. With very best wishes for peaceful, and productive, and international Meanwhile, amidst all this, we—like productive times ahead, scientific conferences going on as many of you—struggled with the planned during the conflict. However, onslaught of negative reporting against Sincerely, some conferences were cancelled for this Israel and harsh condemnations in the academic year. media and beyond, surprising and often As you will read on the next page, all shocking in its force. It came straight to 80 participants in the Bessie F. Lawrence the doorstep of our international Daniel Zajfman A publication of the Department of Resource Development and Department of Public Affairs and Media Relations Editorial board • Prof. Israel Bar-Joseph, Vice President for Resource Development and Public CONTENTS SPOTLIGHT ON TRIBUTE PROFILE OF A PAIR ALUMNI Affairs • Kelly Avidan, Director, Department 10 Lorry Lokey 26 David Azrieli: architect, 34 Bob and Renee Drake and their 38 Aviad Maizels of PrimeSense of Resource Development and Secretary of 2 OPERATION PROTECTIVE EDGE philanthropist, lover of Israel professorial chair duo the Association • Yivsam Azgad, Head, Media COVER STORY: EDUCATION Department • Tamar Morad, Head, Donor 4 SCIENCE BRIEFS THE INTEGRATED CANCER CENTER ON CAMPUS OFF CAMPUS 40 Dissect, explore, compute: The Communications and Editing 16 New era in breast cancer research 28 Celebrating a mentor of 36 Weizmann UK Gala Dinner School of Contemporary Science Photo research • Heidi Shulman and Naama Pesso NEW SCIENTISTS 19 Prof. Moshe Oren on the new ICC Nobel laureates Dinner at Harry’s Bar 42 Smart way to spend a day Data research • Irit Oz 6 Dr. Michal Rivlin on the 21 Designer immune cells: Prof. 29 Israel Science Day at Weizmann Science on Tap in Seattle Photography • Itai Belson, Ohad Herches, and eye-brain connection Zelig Eshhar 30 TEDx at the Weizmann Institute 37 Karnit Flug, speaks to VISITING SCIENTISTS Haim Ziv of the Weizmann Institute Photolab, 8 Dr. Ran Budnik’s lab is 31 Women in Science Israeli Friends 44 Prof. Retsef Levi of MIT; Putting Weizmann Institute Archives, Stephen Epstein the universe and the 22 SPECIAL SECTION ON THE Science on Tap math to work for efficiency’s sake Graphic design • Irit Sher target is dark matter GLOBAL GATHERING SCIENCE FEATURE Print • A.B. Offset Ltd., Israel 32 DNA’s powerful accomplice 46 THANK YOU TO OUR SUPPORTERS P 1 FALL 2014 O peration The Weizmann Institute P ROTECTIVE and Operation Protective Edge Tunnels of attack When a shrill, one-sided diatribe like The Lancet’s credibility is clear. But this appears in a partisan tabloid, it there is more. Several of us expressed against the world does not move us. But to see the same our concern about the decisions to words printed in the pages of a publish one article and not the The war touched home at the Weizmann booby-trapped building thought to be a planned—with a few intermissions of science respected scientific journal was second—decisions of The Lancet’s Institute, and it was felt well before the UNRWA health clinic. The soldiers had thanks to sirens sounding in reaction to surprising and saddening, to say the editor, whose anti-Israeli sentiments are E first official day of fighting this summer. entered in order to destroy an rockets launched into the area. The By Prof. Daniel Zajfman least. This piece raises the specter of known—in letters sent to leaders in the DGE On June 12, three Israeli teenagers underground tunnel that started from students briskly took shelter, often with another dark day in the history of world of science publishing. None of us were kidnapped while hitchhiking in inside the clinic—and thereby exposed guitar in hand, riding out the tension The following is a translation of scientific publishing: In 1937, the could have predicted what happened the West Bank, and were brutally Hamas’ mega-terror plot planned for with song and chatter. ISSI director the article published in Hebrew scientific journalNature published an next: Qanta Ahmed awoke one murdered in an action for which Hamas Rosh Hashana to send 200 Hamas Michal Simovich said some of the travel in Globes on August 19. article by Johannes Stark, Nobel morning to find in her inbox a message later claimed responsibility. One of them operatives through its network of plans were adjusted for security reasons, Laureate in physics and President of the that the editor of The Lancet was was Naftali Fraenkel z”l, the grandson of tunnels into Israel to kidnap and kill but that the students were eager to Scenes of war such as those coming Imperial Physical-Technical Institute. In “pleased to inform her” that the article Prof. Aviezer Fraenkel of the Israeli civilians in the kibbutzim travel and none of them returned home. out of Gaza naturally arouse emotions, “The Pragmatic and the Dogmatic had been accepted for publishing. It Department of Computer Science and surrounding Gaza. A second war front for Israel, however, including in “objective” reporters. Spirit in Physics,” he claimed that appeared on the 15th of August—with Applied Mathematics. A Palestinian boy One of the other soldiers who was emerged in the media. For the Despite this human tendency, there is Jewish scientists, among them Albert no peer review. from East Jerusalem was beaten and killed in that incident was Guy Algranati, Weizmann Institute, that conflict came one end of the media spectrum—the Einstein, purposely sabotaged the We should, of course, be pleased: burned to death by Jewish youths later 20, also in Maglan, whose grandfather to its doorsteps on July 23, when the end occupied by established, peer- advance of science. Stark, an active Our goal was achieved: the article was that month. When Hamas operatives Maurice is a former employee of the prestigious UK science journal The reviewed, scientific journals—where member of the Nazi party, called the published. But in fact, what we began firing rockets from Gaza to Israel, Institute in the Faculty of Physics.