For decades, the Energy Tower by Dan Zaslavsky was one of the most audacious clean-energy ideas never built. And it was the first story we covered when Green Prophet was founded in 2007!

Dan Zaslavsky date unknown
Dan Zaslavsky date unknown

Conceived by Dr. Phillip Carlson and championed by Professor Dan Zaslavsky of the Technion in Israel, the Energy Tower proposed something almost magical: spray seawater into the top of a giant desert tower, cool the hot air, let it plunge downward at high speed, and generate electricity through turbines at the base. The hotter and drier the desert, the better it would work. Zaslavsky envisioned towers over 1,000 metres tall rising from the Negev, Jordan Valley, and Red Sea region, generating power day and night while potentially producing fresh water.

Energy Tower
The Energy Tower

The idea never made the leap from drawings and engineering studies to full-scale construction. We have the original PDF proposal and science —> LINK HERE

The UN advertised its potential in 2001 but noted then that the $20M USD cost to build it was limiting. But nearly two decades after most people stopped talking about it, the concept is quietly evolving in two unexpected places: China and Iran. The concept let dreamers dream and doers do – figuring out more pleasing designs and engineering.

The Downdraft Energy Tower
The Downdraft Energy Tower

China turns the Energy Tower into a climate machine

The Chinese methane paper, on the other hand, is much closer to the original Energy Tower because it explicitly describes spraying water into the top of the tower to create the downdraft, exactly as Carlson and Zaslavsky envisioned.
The Chinese methane paper, on the other hand, is much closer to the original Energy Tower because it explicitly describes spraying water into the top of the tower to create the downdraft, exactly as Carlson and Zaslavsky envisioned.

In 2023, researchers from the University of Edinburgh, Wuhan University of Technology and other institutions revisited the downdraft Energy Tower concept with a new purpose: removing methane from the atmosphere. Their study proposed that the humid air released from a downdraft tower could increase the formation of hydroxyl radicals, the atmosphere’s primary cleanser and the main natural sink for methane.

Downdraft Energy Tower (DET)

The researchers estimated that a tower 1,200 metres high and 400 metres in diameter could generate roughly 380 MW of electricity while simultaneously helping remove atmospheric methane. They calculated that a single Jordan-based tower could remove approximately 12.5 tonnes of methane per day under ideal conditions.

Whether those numbers hold up in practice remains to be seen. No commercial-scale downdraft Energy Tower has yet been built. But the research marks a remarkable shift. The tower is no longer viewed merely as a power plant. It is being reimagined as a tool for climate remediation.

Iran transforms the tower into a vertical oasis

Energy Tower from Iran
Iranian Energy Tower

Meanwhile, a team of Iranian architects received an Honorable Mention in the 2025 Skyscraper Competition for their “Regenerative Tower” proposal on Iran’s Makran coast.

Unlike Zaslavsky’s energy-focused concept, the Iranian project imagines the tower as an entire ecosystem. The design combines wind energy generation, atmospheric water harvesting, food production, housing and climate adaptation in a single 200-metre structure.

The tower’s twin wind shafts generate energy. A butterfly-like exoskeleton captures moisture from the air. Vertical farms produce vegetables, fruit and medicinal crops. Residential rings provide shaded housing inspired by traditional Baluchi architecture. The project claims it could generate up to 15,000 litres of water per day while recycling nearly all of its water in a closed-loop system.

Iran energy tower
Iran’s Energy Tower

Although the project does not explicitly employ the classic evaporative downdraft system developed by Carlson and Zaslavsky, its philosophy is strikingly similar: use desert heat, wind and humidity not as obstacles but as resources.

What links these projects is not simply a tower. It is a way of thinking.

Carlson and Zaslavsky believed deserts should not be viewed as barren landscapes waiting for resources to be imported. They believed deserts themselves contained enormous untapped energy. Heat, dryness, wind and seawater could be transformed into electricity, water and prosperity.

China’s methane-removal research expands the concept into the realm of climate engineering. Iran’s Regenerative Tower expands it into urban design and community resilience.

Neither project has yet delivered a functioning tower. But both suggest that Zaslavsky’s dream may have been ahead of its time. From the engineering literature, Carlson appears to have been an American engineer/inventor, and the concept emerged in the United States before being adopted and extensively studied in Israel during the 1970s–1990s. The Israeli work is much better documented than Carlson’s own biography.

Nearly half a century after its invention, Dan Zaslavsky’s giant Energy Tower may finally be finding its moment.

Technion-developed technology allows patients to detect dangerous sleep disorders from home using a simple wearable device and artificial intelligence, eliminating need for costly lab tests.

Nearly 40% of the global population suffers from sleep-related disorders, according to the World Health Organization. Among the most serious, and often undiagnosed, conditions is sleep apnea, a disorder estimated to affect nearly one billion people worldwide.

Diagnosing sleep apnea traditionally requires an overnight stay in a specialised sleep laboratory, such as the facility at Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv. 

Patients are connected to multiple sensors that monitor brain activity, breathing patterns, heart rate, and oxygen levels throughout the night. The process is complex, expensive, and often inaccessible, with costs ranging from $1,170 to $11,700 depending on the clinic.

An Israeli startup, Sleep AI, aims to change that. Developed by researchers at the Technion, the technology uses a lightweight oximeter linked to a mobile app and powered by artificial intelligence. Patients can complete the test from home by simply wearing the device overnight while data is uploaded to the company’s cloud platform for analysis.

Within minutes, physicians receive a detailed medical report that not only evaluates sleep quality, but also maps sleep architecture, identifies signs of sleep apnea, and assesses cardiovascular risks linked to nighttime oxygen deprivation.

Unlike consumer smartwatches, Sleep AI is designed as a medical-grade diagnostic tool. In clinical testing conducted in sleep centres, the system demonstrated an overall accuracy rate of 89% for detecting sleep apnea, rising to 99% for moderate and severe cases.

The company is now pursuing international regulatory approvals with the goal of making sleep apnea diagnosis faster, cheaper, and more widely available — potentially even covered by health insurance in the future.

By moving diagnosis from the sleep lab to the home, Sleep AI hopes to make sleep health screening a routine part of modern medical care.

Technion researchers have developed, for the first time, a comprehensive physical model explaining how the properties of a radiating material, including absorption, emission, and quantum efficiency, affect the fundamental characteristics of the light it emits as a function of temperature. In essence, the emitted light changes its color, intensity, and randomness according to the material’s properties and its temperature. The discovery was published in Optica and opens new possibilities for designing advanced light sources, optical sensors, and thermally based photonic systems.

The research was led by M.Sc. student Tomer Bar-Lev and Prof. Carmel Rotschild from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and the Russell Berrie Nanotechnology Institute at the Technion. According to the researchers, the central phenomenon examined in this work is photoluminescence, a process in which a material emits light in response to incident illumination. In this phenomenon, light particles (photons) are absorbed by the material and re-emitted, forming the basis of many technologies, including LED lighting and optical sensors.

The Technion researchers demonstrated that the influence of fundamental physical laws formulated more than a century ago is far broader than previously thought.

At the beginning of the 20th century, physicist Max Planck showed that a body in thermodynamic equilibrium emits radiation depending on its temperature and material properties. Another German physicist, Gustav Kirchhoff, showed that under the same conditions, a material’s absorption and emission properties must be identical.

The new work by Technion researchers extends beyond the specific case of thermal radiation to all types of radiation, generalizing the relationship between matter and radiation out of equilibrium. Moreover, in their paper, they present a general equation that enables prediction and, crucially, design of the nature of light emitted from luminescent materials.

The new model describes how increasing temperature gradually transforms the emitted light, from well-defined, narrowband emission, such as that of an LED, to broad, multicolored radiation like sunlight. In doing so, the model fully explains, for the first time, how these two phenomena are fundamentally connected.

This scientific discovery paves the way for controlling the properties of light simply by adjusting temperature. Potential future developments include advanced optical devices, communications technologies, precise sensing, and applications in optical cooling and heat management.

According to Prof. Rotschild, “The model we developed provides a broad foundation for understanding light properties and for designing radiation sources with the material characteristics we desire. It offers a new physical framework for the light sources of the next generation.”

The groundbreaking system locates the relevant building permit within municipal archives, rapidly analyses it, and transmits accessible, actionable information directly to rescuers’ mobile devices

The recent ballistic missile attacks from Iran, which claimed the lives of dozens of Israelis, have underscored the urgent need for rescue teams to access precise, real-time information about damaged buildings and the options for extracting civilians trapped inside. In response, researchers from the Technion and the University of Haifa have developed an AI-based tool that delivers critical data at unprecedented speed.

According to the researchers, every building in Israel is documented through its construction permit. However, many local authorities struggle to retrieve these documents in real time. Even in advanced cities such as Tel Aviv, permits are often printed and physically delivered by courier to support rescue efforts; a time-consuming process that can delay operations and reduce the chances of saving lives.

The innovative tool developed by the Technion and University of Haifa teams retrieves building permits directly from municipal systems, analyzes them, and rapidly provides precise engineering information about the damaged structure. This information is sent directly to rescuers in the field via their mobile devices, enabling more efficient and effective rescue operations. The researchers have already begun collaborating with city engineers in Nahariya and Gedera to help save lives and support residents who have lost their homes.

Architect Tal Sadeh
Architect Tal Sadeh
Dr. Yiftach Ashkenazi (Credit: Noa Tal)
Dr. Yiftach Ashkenazi (Credit: Noa Tal)
Prof. Moshe Lavee
Prof. Moshe Lavee
Prof. Yael Allweil (Credit: Lucy Mor Haim)
Prof. Yael Allweil (Credit: Lucy Mor Haim)

From the Technion, members of the Housing Lab research group participated in the development: Prof. Yael Allweil, Dr. Yiftach Ashkenazi, and architect Tal Sadeh. From the Elijah Lab at the University of Haifa, Prof. Moshe Lavee, and Liat Bonen. The researchers also thank the Nur Lab for facilitating the connection with the Home Front Command.

Researchers at the Technion have discovered how changes in genetic regulatory sequences can lead to alterations in the form and structure of animals – even when genetic regulatory systems are stable and resistant to change. The study, published in Science Advances, was led by Dr. Ella Preger-Ben Noon and Ph.D. candidate Areej Said-Ahmad from the Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine.

1. Dr. Ella Preger-Ben Noon (on the right) and Ph.D. candidate Areej Said-Ahmad
1. Dr. Ella Preger-Ben Noon (on the right) and Ph.D. candidate Areej Said-Ahmad צילום: רמי שלוש, דוברות הטכניון
Dr. Ella Preger-Ben Noon (on the right) and Ph.D. candidate Areej Said-Ahmad 
Dr. Ella Preger-Ben Noon (on the right) and Ph.D. candidate Areej Said-Ahmad

Photo Credit: Rami Shelush

The loss of morphological traits is a common phenomenon in evolution. Well-known examples include the loss of legs in snakes and the loss of eyes in cavefish. In many cases, such changes do not result from the loss of the genes responsible for these traits, but rather from changes in how those genes are regulated during development. However, many developmental genes are controlled by multiple regulatory sequences with overlapping activity, forming a stable and robust regulatory system.

This study addresses a fundamental question in biology: how do organisms change form over the course of evolution despite the presence of stable genetic regulatory systems? These systems rely on DNA sequences known as enhancers, which activate genes at precise times, levels, and locations during development. Enhancers often act redundantly, so that if one is impaired, others can compensate and maintain proper gene expression. This redundancy confers stability and resistance to change, but also raises a paradox: how do changes in gene expression still occur, leading to alterations in the shape and structure of organs?

To address this question, the researchers focused on Drosophila flies, particularly the species Drosophila sechellia, in which tiny hair-like structures (trichomes) have disappeared from the larval body during evolution. This trait is controlled by the shavenbaby gene, whose expression is regulated by multiple enhancers. Contrary to expectations that such a system would protect gene expression from change, the researchers found that four different enhancers of shavenbaby lost their activity over the course of evolution, each through a distinct mechanism.

Image: Closely related fruit flies can look quite different because of how a single gene is turned on or off. The larvae on the left have dense rows of tiny hairs, while those on the right have lost many of them. This difference comes from changes in how the shavenbaby gene works during early developmen
Image: Closely related fruit flies can look quite different because of how a single gene is turned on or off. The larvae on the left have dense rows of tiny hairs, while those on the right have lost many of them. This difference comes from changes in how the shavenbaby gene works during early developmen

Through detailed DNA sequence analysis and functional experiments, the researchers found that the loss of enhancer activity occurred via different molecular mechanisms, including deletion of essential sequences, loss of binding sites for activators and gain of repressor binding sites, acquisition of a silencer, and even the unmasking of pre-existing repression. In other words, the same evolutionary outcome – the loss of gene expression – was achieved through different molecular pathways within the same genomic region.

These findings demonstrate that the same evolutionary outcome can arise through multiple routes. The presence of multiple enhancers, while they contribute to stable gene expression, also creates points of vulnerability where mutations can reduce their activity. The study shows that stability does not necessarily act as a barrier to evolution, as there are diverse molecular ways to circumvent it. These insights are relevant to a wide range of biological systems and deepen our understanding of how variation in form and structure arises in nature.

From cultivated milk to sustainable proteins, Technion researchers and graduates are reshaping the future of food

The way the world eats is changing rapidly. As global populations grow, climate pressures intensify and consumers seek healthier, more sustainable alternatives, food technology has emerged as one of the defining industries of the 21st century. At the forefront of this revolution stands the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology.

Featured recently in The Jewish Chronicle, Technion Professor Uri Lesmes highlighted how Israel has become a global centre for food innovation, with Technion researchers, graduates and entrepreneurs leading advances that could transform nutrition, sustainability and food production worldwide.

Reimagining dairy

One of the most exciting examples is Remilk, the Israeli start-up co-founded by two former Technion students. The company has developed a groundbreaking method of producing dairy proteins without cows.

Using precision fermentation, scientists insert the gene responsible for milk protein production into yeast cells. The yeast then produces proteins that are molecularly identical to those found in cow’s milk. The result is a dairy product that contains the same essential proteins, but without lactose, cholesterol, hormones or antibiotics.

This innovation has the potential to dramatically reduce the environmental impact of dairy farming while maintaining the taste, texture and nutritional value consumers expect.

Israel became the first country in the world to approve the sale of lab-grown and alternative proteins in 2024, cementing its reputation as a global food-tech leader. The sector has attracted billions in investment and continues to expand rapidly.

Innovation with purpose

Professor Lesmes, from the Technion’s Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering in Haifa, is helping train the next generation of scientists and entrepreneurs who will shape the future of nutrition.

His work focuses not only on technological breakthroughs, but also on improving public health and accessibility. Among the challenges being tackled are the nutritional needs of ageing populations, healthier processed foods and more sustainable methods of production.

“We’re trained to think about what other people are missing, or what they think is impossible – and then we try to do it,” Professor Lesmes said.

That mindset reflects the wider Technion culture: combining scientific excellence with practical problem-solving that can improve lives around the world.

Food security and resilience

The importance of food innovation has become even more pronounced in recent years. Since October 7, many Israeli researchers and students have also contributed directly to national resilience efforts.

Professor Lesmes himself worked with IDF units to improve nutrition for combat soldiers, helping develop sterilised, ready-to-eat meals suited to frontline conditions.

At the same time, Technion students continue to launch new ventures addressing food security, sustainability and nutrition challenges on a global scale.

From the laboratory to the supermarket

What once sounded like science fiction is increasingly becoming reality. Alternative dairy products, cultivated proteins and advanced nutritional technologies are already reaching supermarket shelves.

Companies founded by Technion graduates are helping redefine how food is produced and consumed, while demonstrating how scientific research can translate into real-world impact.

The Technion’s unique ecosystem — bringing together world-class researchers, ambitious students and close industry collaboration — has positioned Israel as one of the world’s leading food-tech hubs.

Supporting the next generation of innovators

Technion UK is proud to support the pioneering research, education and entrepreneurship taking place at the Technion.

From sustainable food systems to medical breakthroughs, Technion scientists are addressing some of the greatest challenges facing humanity.

As the world searches for smarter, cleaner and more resilient ways to feed future generations, Technion innovation is helping turn pure imagination into reality.

For generations, observant Jews accepted certain culinary boundaries as fixed. Butter on a burger? Impossible. A creamy cappuccino after a meat meal? Out of the question. Cheeseburgers were perhaps the most famous symbol of what Jewish dietary law forbids.

Today, science is quietly dismantling those assumptions.

In laboratories and food technology start-ups across the world, researchers are reimagining the foods we eat. Plant-based milks, precision-fermented dairy proteins and cultivated meats are no longer futuristic curiosities; they are appearing on supermarket shelves and restaurant menus, reshaping both the food industry and religious practice.

At the heart of this revolution is Israel, the world’s original start-up nation. In 2024, Israel became the first country to approve the sale of cultivated beef to consumers. By 2026, it ranked second only to the United States in alternative protein investment, attracting more than $1.3 billion in venture capital.

One of the scientists helping to drive this transformation is Professor Uri Lesmes of Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, where he is training a new generation of food engineers to tackle problems others consider impossible.

Milk Without a Cow

Among the innovations that excite Lesmes most is Remilk, a company co-founded in part by two of his former students.

“It’s a proper alternative to cow’s milk,” Lesmes explains. “And quite distinct from soy milk, which isn’t dairy.”

Remilk’s product is made through precision fermentation. Scientists identified the genes responsible for producing milk proteins in cows and inserted them into yeast. As the yeast ferments and multiplies, it produces proteins that are biochemically identical to those found in conventional milk.

The result is genuine dairy protein, but without the cow.

According to the company, the milk contains no cholesterol, lactose, hormones or antibiotics. Yet its molecular structure is the same as that of traditional dairy.

In Israel, Remilk and its competitor Cow-Free are already being produced at scale. Their absence from European shelves is not due to scientific limitations, Lesmes says, but regulatory ones.

“Many regulations in Europe are yet to catch up on such rapid innovations.”

For observant Jews, however, the implications are extraordinary. Because these products are not derived from animals, rabbinic authorities have ruled them to be parev – neither meat nor dairy. Suddenly, the once-forbidden cheeseburger becomes a halachic possibility.

Teaching Through Beer

While Lesmes’ research is transforming global food systems, he is equally passionate about teaching.

One of his most imaginative projects combines food science, entrepreneurship and rehabilitation. Working with Beit Halochem (House of Warriors), Lesmes developed a course in which students are paired with wounded veterans and given 1,500 shekels – roughly £360 – to brew 25 litres of beer.

The teams use Technion’s facilities to create their own recipes, brands and production processes. At the end of the course, a professional panel judges the beers in a blind tasting.

“It’s a huge celebration,” Lesmes says with a smile, “with a lot of beer.”

One group attracted national attention when they created a beer called HEROES. The label featured the faces of four fallen friends and family members, transforming a scientific exercise into a moving act of remembrance.

Feeding Soldiers in Wartime

Like every Israeli, Lesmes’ life changed after the Hamas attacks of 7 October 2023.

Though exempt from military service since 2015, he felt compelled to contribute.

“Like everybody, I wanted to chip in,” he recalls.

He contacted friends in the Israel Defense Forces and offered his expertise in nutrition and food engineering. The army accepted, and Lesmes became a consultant tasked with improving meals for frontline soldiers.

The outcome was a range of sterilised pouch meals that could withstand battlefield conditions while providing comfort and nutrition. Menu options included shawarma, mujaddara – a Middle Eastern rice and lentil dish – and tofu-based meals.

In wartime, food becomes more than sustenance. It becomes a source of morale, familiarity and resilience.

Nutrition for an Ageing World

Lesmes is also focused on another pressing challenge: global ageing.

“One cannot avoid the fact that the world is ageing,” he says.

At Technion, this demographic shift is treated as a grand challenge. Lesmes and his colleagues are redesigning everyday foods to meet the nutritional needs of older adults, many of whom struggle to consume enough calories and protein.

One product he highlights with particular pride is a reformulated breakfast cereal.

“We’re giving it a higher protein content and a higher calorific content, and we cut down on sugar by almost five times to make space for the other things,” he explains. “You have to make every bite count.”

He describes this approach as “health by stealth” – improving nutrition without requiring consumers to change their habits or preferences.

The concept has proven effective before. In the United States, the fortification of bread with folic acid dramatically reduced neural tube defects in newborn babies. Lesmes believes similar strategies can enhance quality of life for ageing populations around the world.

A Culture of Solutions

What distinguishes Technion, Lesmes says, is its mindset.

“We’re trained to think about what other people are missing, or what they think is impossible – and then we try to do it.”

It is a philosophy rooted in practical optimism.

“I was taught not to talk about problems, but to talk about solutions,” he says. “And we’re looking for solutions to things that people are yet to identify as problems.”

That ethos has helped turn Israel into a global centre for food innovation. From dairy without cows to meat without slaughter and cereals designed to combat malnutrition, scientists are redefining what food can be.

Science in Service of Humanity

For Lesmes, the ultimate goal is not novelty for its own sake, but human wellbeing.

“My responsibility is to make more products which contain everything, so that people have better choices,” he says.

Then he offers a reflection that captures both his humility and his ambition.

“Life is not perfect. But through science, we can try to shed light on things we don’t understand, so that we can make them better for everyone.”

It is a sentiment that resonates far beyond the laboratory.

In an era defined by environmental pressures, health challenges and changing traditions, the foods of the future are being shaped by people willing to question what is possible.

And sometimes, that future tastes remarkably like a cheeseburger.

Israeli startup ZyG, founded by alumni of ironSource, has raised $60 million in a Series A round at a valuation of $500 million. The round comes just a year after the company’s founding and shortly after it emerged from stealth, bringing total funding to $118 million.

The financing was led by Accel, with participation from existing investors including Lightspeed Venture Partners, Viola Ventures, Bessemer Venture Partners, Access Industries (Clal Tech), Stardom Ventures, Emerge, Disruptive AI, and Jibe. New investors Felix Capital, O.G. Venture Partners, QP Ventures, and Wiz CEO Assaf Rappaport also joined the round. Sonali De Rycker, partner at Accel, will join the company’s board of directors.

ZyG was recently ranked fourth in Calcalist’s list of most promising startups for 2026.

The company was founded in 2025 by a group of former ironSource executives and employees following the company’s sale to Unity. Its founders include Tomer Bar-Zeev (Chairman), Omer Kaplan (CEO), Assaf Ben Ami (CFO & COO), Nadav Ashkenazy, and Daniel Shinar, alongside cybersecurity and artificial intelligence experts from Unit 81: Dr. Eyal Amitt, Omri Steinmetz, and Guy Tsur. The company currently employs 65 people.

ZyG has developed a platform aimed at addressing key challenges in the e-commerce sector through artificial intelligence. The system identifies products with high growth potential using advanced data models, assigning each a proprietary “ZyG Score.”

For products that receive a high score, the platform functions as an end-to-end operating system, managing the full lifecycle of scaling a product. This includes building online stores, developing brands, creating advertising campaigns, executing digital marketing strategies, optimising search and AI-driven discovery, working with influencers, handling customer acquisition and retention, and improving logistics, all within a unified platform.

“Shopify and Amazon opened the door for anyone who wants to start selling online. But shifting from selling to scaling remains overwhelmingly complex. It forces founders to manage fragmented tools, siloed data, and the many teams or agencies needed to execute every aspect of scale,” said Omer Kaplan, CEO and Co-Founder of ZyG. “ZyG OS flips that model with an end-to-end solution that solves the entire problem, not pieces of it. With a complex agentic infrastructure, ZyG OS executes the endless elements needed to scale, freeing founders to focus on building great products.”

The 4-kilogram CloudCT satellite, built through an international project involving the Weizmann Institute, Technion and Germany’s Center for Telematics, will test AI-based cloud tomography technology ahead of a planned 10-satellite constellation

The first tiny satellite in an Israeli-German research satellite network, CloudCT, has been built, tested and prepared for launch from California. The launch is expected in June.

The success of the pioneering mission is expected to pave the way for the launch of 10 additional CloudCT satellites next year and advance research into clouds and their role in the climate.

The satellite is the product of seven years of intensive joint research by Israeli and German scientists from the Weizmann Institute of Science, led by Prof. Ilan Koren; the Technion, led by Prof. Yoav Schechner; and the Center for Telematics in Germany, led by Prof. Klaus Schilling.

The achievement was made possible by a prestigious ERC Synergy research grant from the European Research Council. Discoveries by the international research team on AI-based tomographic observation methods, cloud physics and advances in satellite technology have been published in leading scientific journals.

מערכת CloudCT

“The mission focuses on in-depth study of small clouds, which are often not observed by current remote-sensing technologies,” said Koren, a world-renowned expert in atmospheric and climate research. “The mission addresses significant sources of uncertainty that currently limit long-term climate models and forecasts.”

Researchers said that after flight tests, the pioneer satellite will test its innovative sensing technology from orbit. The satellite weighs only about 4 kilograms and must autonomously tilt itself toward specific cloud fields.

ודים חולודובסקי ופרופ' יואב שכנר בחדר הנקי במכון אשר לחקר החלל עם המערכת שבנו כדי לבדוק ולכייל את מצלמת CloudCT

“Precise aiming and coordination between 10 tiny satellites flying in formation in space are significant challenges for such small guidance and control systems,” said Schilling, president of the Center for Telematics and an expert in small-satellite development. “This is the key to autonomous formation flying.”

פרופ' אילן קורן

The group developed an entirely new observation approach inspired by medical CT, or computed tomography. The method maps the internal structure and properties of clouds in three dimensions, including unprecedented measurements of the microphysics of cloud droplets. It uses AI and allows scientists to assess the reliability of the mapping.

“Optical CT of clouds requires simultaneous images from many directions in space, using a unique camera,” said Schechner, an expert in computational photography. “The camera is sensitive to light polarization: polarization is invisible to the human eye but provides information about cloud droplets. The camera was developed especially for CloudCT, and we will test its performance in space in the upcoming mission.”

A historic Independence Day achievement for the six members of Israel’s student delegation, trained at the Schulich Faculty of Chemistry at the Technion

A historic accomplishment was achieved by the six members of Israel’s student delegation, all of whom won medals at the International Mendeleev Chemistry Olympiad held in Moscow. The 60th anniversary of the Mendeleev Olympiad was marked this year with a particularly impressive event, featuring 35 countries and 165 participants. The six students were trained at the Schulich Faculty of Chemistry at the Technion.

Members of the delegation:

  • Itamar Ben Shmuel (Ramat Gan), a 12th-grade student at Hakfar Hayarok – Gold Medal (5th place in the world!)
  • Daniel Granovsky (Holon), an 11th-grade student at Pinhas Ayalon High School – Silver Medal
  • Yehonadav Marienberg (Mazkeret Batya), an 11th-grade student at Yeshivat Har Etzion for Young Men, Alon Shvut – Silver Medal
  • Yogev Cohen Ben Zaken (Tzoran), a 12th-grade student at Hakfar Hayarok – Bronze Medal
  • Yoav Pripaz Cohen (Ramat Gan), a 12th-grade student at Ohel Shem High School – Bronze Medal
  • Noam Margulies (Petah Tikva), an 11th-grade student at Moshe Arens High School – Bronze Medal
The Closing Ceremony Israel’s Mendeleev Chemistry Olympiad Delegation 2026
The Closing Ceremony Israel’s Mendeleev Chemistry Olympiad Delegation 2026

The delegation was accompanied by Itamar Steinitz, head of the delegation, an Olympiad medalist and instructor in Israel’s Chemistry Olympiad team, who holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and linguistics; and Guy Zimmerman, an Olympiad medalist, an outstanding instructor in the national team, who holds a dual bachelor’s degree in chemistry and physics, and is a master’s student in chemistry.

Prof. Zeev Gross, academic director of the program, who joined the delegation, said: “It is hard to imagine a more moving event at this time than a competition that began the day after Holocaust Remembrance Day and concluded at noon on Independence Day, with the announcement that all six members of the Israeli delegation had won medals and their ascent to the stage with the Israeli flag.”

The closing and medal ceremonies were attended by two representatives from the Israeli Embassy in Moscow: political advisor Shir Hasson and embassy spokesperson Alexandra Zakhary.

The Closing Ceremony Israel’s Mendeleev Chemistry Olympiad Delegation 2026

The students underwent intensive training during this challenging year under head coach Dr. Reut Shapira and the dedicated coaching team: Dr. Yuri Andreev, Dr. Slava Kutuzov, laboratory manager Dr. Idan Avigdori, educational advisor Shir Kagan, and past Olympiad medalists Asaf Moadah, Guy Zimmerman, Sean Hantz, Maxim Sevostyanov, Omer Ben Ami, Noya Dishon, and Yonatan Gontmacher.

The Closing Ceremony Israel’s Mendeleev Chemistry Olympiad Delegation 2026

The high school Olympiad project is a joint initiative of the Future Scientists Center (Maimonides Fund) and the Ministry of Education. The Technion was selected as the academic institution responsible for selecting and training the students who form the core of the delegation. Training takes place at the Schulich Faculty of Chemistry in close collaboration with the faculty’s academic and administrative staff.