The Viral Tipping Point
During the COVID-19 pandemic, we wore masks and kept two meters apart in an effort to reduce the spread of the tiny droplets we release into the air with every breath, conversation or cough. The main goal was to reduce the number of virus particles – known as virions – to which we were exposed. Fo…
The Know-How Kids
When a child asks “Why does a blowfish puff up?”, we often jump in with facts. But what if we paused and suggested that they ask instead, “How does a blowfish puff up?” It may seem like splitting hairs, but this small shift in phrasing could help reshape future generations’ capacity for reasoning…
Prof. Ada Yonath, Nobel Laureate and a Model of Scientific Perseverance, Has Passed Away
Professor Ada Yonath, laureate of the 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry and the Israel Prize, and an international model of scientific courage and perseverance, passed away on August 31, 2026. She was 87.
Yonath, of the Weizmann Institute of Science’s Chemical and Structural Biology Department, pione…
A New Window on the Universe: Solar Neutrinos Measured at Record-Low Energies
Every second, tens of billions of neutrinos produced by nuclear fusion in the Sun pass through every square centimeter of the Earth – and through our bodies – almost without interacting with anything. Although they are one of the most abundant particles emitted by the Sun, their extremely weak int…
When the Gut Can’t Forget: A New Mechanism Promoting Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Every three to five days, the layer of cells lining our intestines is completely renewed – the fastest turnover rate in the human body. Such rapid regeneration is an absolute necessity for tissue that endures constant mechanical stress as well as an abundance of bacteria and contaminants. But what…
From Brain Wiring to Stress and Metabolism: One Gene Has a Finger on the Switch
Many of us find ourselves losing our appetite – or, conversely, overeating – in difficult situations, and these common reactions to stress suggest that our mind and our metabolism are deeply connected. A new study from the Weizmann Institute of Science reveals a previously unknown biological link…
The DNA Repair Crew Has Favorites
When a wound does not heal properly, it leaves a scar. Similarly, mutations – which are permanent changes to genetic code – are often the result of damaged DNA that has not been properly repaired. Mutations can impede the function of genes and lead to disease and aging, but they are also the sourc…
Viagra May Reduce Cancer Metastasis, Study Shows
Viagra was originally developed to treat high blood pressure and chest pain caused by reduced blood flow to the heart, but over the past three decades it has become the world’s best-known therapy for erectile dysfunction. In the future, this blockbuster drug may find yet another use. In a study pu…
Immune Therapy for Alzheimer’s Takes a Step Forward
Dozens of research teams around the world are working to halt, treat and even prevent Alzheimer’s disease, which silently develops in the brain for more than a decade before symptoms appear. Although recent years have brought important advances, researchers continue to search for therapies that ca…