We izm a nn In s t it u t e 1 9 4 9 - 2 0 1 9 L E A R S I t o v o h e R Facts and Figures The Weizmann Institute of Science at a glance 2019-2020 7 decades of scientific discovery The Weizmann Institute of Science opened in 1949 with 44 scientists,17administrators, and 69 technicians In 1941, Dr. Chaim Weizmann established the first pharmaceutical company in Our Israel, Palestine Pharmaceutical Products, Ltd. Roots For over 80 years—first as the Daniel Sieff Research Institute, then renamed in honor of Dr. Chaim Weizmann, a Zionist pioneer who served as the first President of both the Institute and the newborn State of Israel—the Weizmann Institute of Science has WEIZAC, the first computer contributed thousands of landmark discoveries. in Israel and one of the first The Weizmann Institute of Science was Dr. Weizmann developed the process for producing acetone through bacterial the first to conduct cancer research in the world, was designed fermentation, which was of great importance to the British during World War I. He in Israel and the first to buildparticle and built at the Weizmann worked with Lord Arthur James Balfour to write the Balfour Declaration in support of accelerators. Institute in 1954. the establishment of the State of Israel, and met with U.S. President Harry Truman. Dr. Weizmann’s residence, on the Institute campus, is now a national museum. Discover the Weizmann Institute of Science. One of the world’s top-ranking centers of basic research, the Weizmann Institute of Science is dedicated to curiosity-driven science. The Institute’s mission is to increase knowledge about our natural world, for Faculty and Staff the benefit of all humanity. 2,600 At the Weizmann Institute, exceptionally talented people are given precious gift: the freedom to follow their dreams. Laboratories 280 The Weizmann Institute sets the global standard for excellence in scientific achievement. This year, the Weizmann Faculty of Biology Institute celebrates its 70th anniversary, Biological Regulation Centers and Institutes an apt time to look back in pride, and look Immunology 90 Molecular Cell Biology forward to many more years of success. Faculty of Chemistry Neurobiology Prof. Daniel Zajfman, President Chemical and Biological Physics Life Sciences Core Facilities 5 Faculties Earth and Planetary Sciences Materials and Interfaces Faculty of Biochemistry Departments Organic Chemistry Biomolecular Sciences 18 Structural Biology Molecular Genetics Chemical Research Support Plant and Environmental Sciences Life Sciences Core Facilities Faculty of Physics Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science Condensed Matter Physics Computer Science and Applied Mathematics Particle Physics and Astrophysics Mathematics Please join us on our journey of scientific Physics of Complex Systems discovery, as we continue to reveal Physics Core Facilities Department of Science Teaching important knowledge and offer insights Research that provide real benefit to humanity, I look Scientific Archaeology Unit forward to working with you all. Prof. Alon Chen, President-elect Average temperature July/Aug: 22-32 C (72-90 F) Jan/Feb: 8-19 C (47-65 F) Tel Aviv 27 km (17 miles) Buildings designated for Jerusalem (33 miles) historical24 preservation 53 km 200 Scientists live on campus Students and postdocs live in campus housing Buildings 590 The proximity of faculty on243 campus housing to the research labs Campus and childcare facilities helps Weizmann Institute scientists enjoy Located in the city of Rehovot, the Weizmann Institute is a green oasis dotted with a full family life and a productive research career. outdoor sculptures and orange groves—a perfect environment for creative discourse, There are 170 children of and a place that scientists, staff, and their families are proud to call home. Artesian wells feed into systems Weizmann scientists and of4 pipes: potable water for drinking2 and Dr. Weizmann envisioned a campus in which scientists would work in a pristine, brackish water for irrigation staff—aged four months to natural environment. Here, they interact with one another in labs and outdoors, in Trees of five years—in the Institute’s 5,000different species110 2 a place where scientists can cross disciplinary boundaries with ease, and thereby Campus area (280 acres) on-campus childcare facilities. advance fresh and innovative ideas to further scientific research. 1.1 km There are about active competitive grants1,200 funding Weizmann research at any given time Since 2011, Weizmann Institute success rate for European Research scientists have been awarded million Council50% Starting Grants for the years 2009-2018. in competitive grants$760 The average success rate in Europe is 12%. in European Research Council #1 grants in 2018, as a percentage of total principal investigators on the 2017 Nature Index measuring how effectively #6 basic research translates into applications in the 2018 Leiden University #9 international ranking of Profs. Adi Kimchi and Dan Prof. Michael Sela (pictured at right) is the co-inventor, with Prof. Ruth Arnon and scientific research impact 1 Nobel Prize Yakir were awarded the 2019 Dr. Devorah Teitelbaum of the blockbuster multiple sclerosis drug Copaxone®. His 37 Israel Prizes Israel Prize. research also underpins three cancer drugs, Erbitux®, Portrazza®, and Vectibix®. 3 Turing Awards Japan Prizes Prof. Kimchi was recognized For deciphering the structure and mechanism of ribosomes, the Weizmann Institute’s 2 for her trailblazing work Wolf Prizes Prof. Ada Yonath won the 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. 7 which clarified why cells live or die, and for her discovery of Profs. Moshe Oren and Varda Rotter revealed the importance of the major tumor a tumor suppressor gene. suppressor protein, p53. Their seminal work involved cloning and characterizing the Prof. Yakir was recognized for gene that encodes the p53 protein, which has since become the most-studied protein his groundbreaking insights on in cancer research. Between 2009 and 2018, Weizmann scientists had a nearly 55% success rate in the impact of semi-arid forests The RSA encryption algorithms that allow secure payments over the Internet, and obtaining scientific grants. on the global climate. safeguard many other computer-based transactions, were co-invented by the Weizmann Submissions Institute's Prof. Adi Shamir. Grants received Excellence Africa 2 10 10 South America South 14 14 North America North 151 151 Asia 375 More than principal investigators 150 106 Israel recruited since 2006 Europe 92 Dr. Elena Meirzadeh, a recent 375 Postdoctoral fellows recipient of the women's from 38 countries postdoc award, is currently People conducting her postdoctoral The most valuable asset of the Weizmann Institute of Science is its people. The research at Columbia Institute recruits some of the world’s most outstanding investigators in the natural and University in New York. exact sciences, and then invests in them, supporting their curiosity and new research 280 directions that lead to remarkable breakthroughs. Research groups A full 72% of Women in Every year, the Weizmann Institute hires approximately 12 new scientists, based solely Science fellowship recipients have returned to Israel for jobs on excellence in their respective fields rather than on a department-specific quota. Since 2007, female PhD in academic research, while Weizmann scientists are the recipients of the world's most prestigious research awards graduates throughout136 Israel have others have received jobs in and serve as reviewers and editors of top scientific journals. received fellowships as part of the Israel National Postdoctoral the high-tech and biotech Award Program for Advancing industries. A dozen recipients 190 Staff scientists Women in Science. have joined the Weizmann Institute faculty. Pictured: Prof. Elisabetta Boaretto, Scientific Archaeology Unit USA Czech Germany France Scotland England Italy Canada International Brazil Japan Netherlands Russia Australia International collaborations are the lifeblood of modern science—partnerships that China Spain Percentage of publications enrich research at the Weizmann Institute of Science and beyond. Such collaborations Sweden written in collaboration with Poland Poland include peer-to-peer initiatives, joint grants, and formal institutional agreements. Australia at least one scientist from the Brazil Sweden Scotland countries indicated Czech Republic Spain Collaborations 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 joint grants currently link Weizmann Institute labs to leading research China 370 Visiting scientists institutions all over the world. Russia came840 to campus in 2018 Netherland Weizmann scientists collaborate with colleagues at: For more than a decade, Japan the Making Connections UK Harvard Medical School (USA) Canada Program has brought Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (USA) Italy together Weizmann The Max Planck Society (Germany) scientists with colleagues at University of Oxford (UK) England prestigious UK institutions The University of Science and Technology of China France to work on joint research Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA) projects. The program is École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) (Switzerland) Germany funded by generous UK University of Michigan (USA) USA donors and has served as RIKEN Brain Science Institute (Japan) the inspiration for similar Stanford University (USA) collaborative programs in Pasteur Institute (France) Australia and France. The Garvan Institute of Medical Research (Australia) McGill University (Canada)