A pioneering technology for coating plants with a thin wax layer is expected to dramatically reduce the agricultural use of pesticides
According to UN reports, plant diseases destroy about one-third of the world’s agricultural yield, causing an estimated annual economic loss exceeding CAD $95 billion. Findings recently published in Small present SafeWax – a new technology developed at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. Funded by an EU EIC Pathfinder grant, SafeWax could reduce crop disease impact and lower pesticide use by more than 50%. Coordinated by Prof. Boaz Pokroy from the Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, the SafeWax project collaborated with another Technion laboratory led by Prof. Ester Segal from the Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, along with four international partner organizations – BASF (Germany), the University of Bologna (Italy), the French Wine and Vine Institute (France), and Eurofins (France).
Traditional methods of combating plant diseases rely heavily on chemical pesticides, which seep into the soil and endanger both the environment and human health. Moreover, many pesticides have lost their effectiveness due to bacterial resistance. The SafeWax technology offers a promising, sustainable alternative to pesticide use. Through a simple spray application, it creates a thin, uniform, biodegradable layer on the plant surface of superhydrophobic (water-repellent) material that passively prevents fungal spores from germinating, thereby inhibiting disease development. The inspiration for this innovative technology is the cuticle – a natural waxy layer that covers plants such as lotus leaves and broccoli, enabling them to self-clean by repelling bacteria and other contaminants.
In the experiments described in the article published in Small, first authored by Dr. Iryna Polishchuk from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, the new technology was tested on tomatoes, peppers, grapevines, and bamboo plants, and proved both feasible and effective in protecting these plants without affecting essential physiological processes such as photosynthesis. Furthermore, the unique coating filters intense UV radiation that damages crops, shielding the plant from heat and UV exposure while slowing dehydration. Moreover, the coating is transparent to visible light necessary for photosynthesis. The coating material is based on biodegradable fatty acids that can be derived from food waste, thus also helping to reduce global food waste.
The researchers estimate that the SafeWax technology could reduce the use of chemical pesticides by at least 50%. According to Prof. Pokroy, “This is an ecological, efficient, and multifunctional alternative for crop protection, especially in view of challenges that climate change poses to modern agriculture. Beyond providing passive defense against diseases, it enhances the environmental resilience of plants and reduces the ecological footprint of crop cultivation.”
The laboratory, operating at the Viterbi Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, was upgraded with the support of Apple, Intel, and NVIDIA
The Technion inaugurated the renovated VLSI Laboratory at the Andrew and Erna Viterbi Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering. The field of VLSI (Very Large-Scale Integration) – the creation of complex, multi-component integrated circuits—lies at the core of the development of advanced chips.
The laboratory was upgraded through an investment of approximately $1 million from Apple, Intel, and NVIDIA. The upgrade included renovation of the facilities, the addition of personnel, and the renewal of equipment. The inauguration ceremony was held in the presence of Technion President Prof. Uri Sivan, Faculty Dean Prof. Shahar Kvatinsky, the VLSI Laboratory’s Academic Director Prof. Ran Ginosar, and senior executives from the three companies – all Technion alumni: Tamir Azarzar, Senior Vice President of Chip Design at NVIDIA; Karin Eibschitz Segal, CEO of Intel Israel and Corporate Vice President at Intel; and Rony Friedman, GM of Apple Israel.
Over the years, the Viterbi Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering has trained the scientific and technological leadership that has made a decisive contribution to establishing Israel’s status as a “Startup Nation” and as a global center for chip development. The faculty’s researchers and alumni have played a leading role in the evolution of the semiconductor industry and continue to do so in the development of chips and computing architectures for the era of artificial intelligence. The combination of deep foundational knowledge, mathematical excellence, creativity, and engineering innovation gives the faculty’s graduates – who integrate into and lead Israel’s high-tech industry – a sustained competitive advantage at the forefront of global technology.
The VLSI Laboratory focuses on the development of advanced computing architectures and large-scale integrated systems, including in-memory computing, hardware acceleration of artificial intelligence, hardware security, and highly energy-efficient systems. The companies’ investment in the laboratory reflects a deep commitment to training the next generation of VLSI engineers in Israel. This partnership between academia and industry is designed to provide students with practical knowledge at the cutting edge of technology and to ensure a strong pipeline of engineers who will lead chip development in the years ahead.
Students in the new laboratory
The inauguration of the laboratory marks a strategic step in deepening the connection between advanced academic research, education, and Israeli and global industry, and in strengthening the Technion’s position as a leading force in shaping the fields of microelectronics and computational hardware in Israel and worldwide.
Israeli research team develops brick made from recycled salt; this could be solution to dependence on polluting cement
Over the past decade, there has been a growing understanding that we need to rethink not just how we build the structures of the future, but from what materials we build them. The main reason is that the construction industry is one of the world’s leading sources of environmental pollution. Cement production—the most widely used building material—alone accounts for roughly 8% of global carbon emissions.
In response, science and technology are advancing to develop alternative, sustainable building materials with lower carbon footprints, often based on recycled resources while preserving strength and quality. As part of a joint initiative by researchers and students from the Hebrew University and the Technion, a new innovative building material has recently been developed with exceptional environmental potential—made entirely from recycled salt. Could we one day build entire structures from salt?
Construction site (Photo: Shutterstock)
Working with what we have Today, construction is a major environmental burden. According to data from the UK Green Building Council, the industry uses more than 400 million tons of raw materials annually, many of which are tied to ecosystem damage, pollution and high energy consumption. A 2017 United Nations Environment Program study also found that construction accounts for 23% of global air pollution, uses about 36% of all energy produced, and contributes roughly 39% of carbon dioxide emissions.
Construction clearly demands vast energy. In Israel, apart from natural gas, traditional natural resources like oil are scarce. One notable resource is the Dead Sea, one of the world’s largest sources of potassium and salt, where mineral extraction has become a distinctive national asset.
Each year in the southern Dead Sea, millions of tons of excess salt are deposited as a byproduct of decades of industrial production. Over time, enormous quantities have accumulated in evaporation ponds with no practical use. This buildup presents an environmental and logistical challenge, raising the lakebed and shifting shorelines. For years, this surplus salt was viewed as worthless waste.
Since 2015, Professor Danny Mendler of the Chemistry Department at Hebrew University has led research aimed at turning the accumulating Dead Sea salt from waste into a usable raw material. The guiding principle is simple but far‑reaching: treat the salt not as a nuisance to remove, but as a resource that can be refined and used.
Salt deposits on the edges of the Dead Sea(Photo: Shutterstock)
Mendler developed a chemical process that compresses and processes the salt into solid bricks with strength nearly equivalent to concrete. “About 5% additional materials are added to the salt, compressed under high pressure, and you get strong bricks that can be shaped in various forms and sizes,” he explains. “If we can replace even a small portion of cement with salt, the environmental impact would be dramatic. It could significantly reduce the industry’s carbon emissions.”
From lab to architectural studio
This year saw the first collaboration between Mendler and a group of Technion architecture students. As part of the Studio 1:1 program in the Faculty of Architecture and Town Planning, under Michal Bleicher and Dan Price, the students applied architectural thinking to the technology. They translated the new material into a practical building system—defining the brick’s dimensions, understanding its strength requirements and examining its potential for use in the Israeli construction industry.
“What’s interesting here is the connection between chemistry and architecture,” Bleicher says. “The students designed an example structure called the ‘Mediterranean Igloo’ and studied the qualities of salt—translucency, mass, strength. From there we developed the structure and derived the brick itself in proportions of 8 cm x 8 cm x 24 cm. That 1:3 ratio allows flexibility in compositions and building forms.”
The studio, which annually explores alternative materials and develops real‑scale projects, served as an experimental platform linking research, design, and implementation. Based on Mendler’s patent, the students developed the first building brick made entirely from Dead Sea salt, suited to contemporary construction needs and opening the door to reusing a material once deemed worthless. The final product is uniform, producible in series, and adaptable to various shapes, thicknesses and textures. Beyond recycling an existing resource, this material is less polluting and more sustainable compared with conventional building materials.
A direct flight to the Biennale
The initiative was presented in October at Change: The Shape of Transformation, part of the Venice Architecture Biennale—one of the most important global architecture events. The project was selected from 55 academic institutions, with only 10 groups invited to present—a distinction that places the local academic work alongside leading worldwide programs.
Will we soon see salt bricks on construction sites in Israel?(Photo: Shutterstock)
At the Biennale, the students showcased their research, development and material model. Bleicher says their participation represents international recognition of the importance of material research and the potential to turn this waste into a future building resource. “We took bricks with us to Venice and presented the project, and it created incredible buzz,” she says. “This material is both natural and engineered. Our intention, together with Professor Mendler next semester, is to build a real structure in Israel using these bricks. We believe in this technology; it can solve a significant environmental problem and turn waste into something valuable. There is a real breakthrough here for the future of construction and the environment.” The challenges ahead Despite progress in sustainable building solutions, researchers emphasize that improvements are not keeping pace with accelerated construction and rising energy demands. The implications are clear: without new, more environmentally friendly materials and building processes, construction will remain a key driver of the climate crisis. So, will we soon see salt bricks on Israeli construction sites? The answer for now is complex. The path from the Technion lab to widespread industry use is long—especially in construction, an industry known for conservatism. “Introducing a new material into construction takes time and resources,” Bleicher notes. “Every material must undergo prolonged standardization, strength and durability testing—and that takes many years and significant investment. Moreover, there is a lack of regulation and legislative support that complicates the development of new solutions.” Yet the salt that has accumulated for decades as a problematic surplus may yet become a cornerstone of cleaner, more thoughtful architecture—one that views crisis not just as a threat, but as an opportunity for innovation.
Technion researchers find protein-disposal system in brain cells may actually spread toxic proteins linked to Alzheimer’s; instead of destroying them, cells sometimes expel them to neighbouring tissues, potentially accelerating disease progression in brain
In a surprising discovery, researchers at the Technion–Israel Institute of Technology have found that a cellular system tasked with disposing of toxic proteins—crucial in preventing Alzheimer’s disease—may actually be helping the disease spread across the brain.
The study, led by Professor Michael Glickman, dean of the Technion’s Faculty of Biology, and postdoctoral researcher Dr. Ajay Wagh, reveals that, instead of breaking down defective proteins inside the cell, neurons may be pushing this “trash” into surrounding brain tissue. Their findings were published recently in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
At the heart of the discovery is a mutated version of the protein ubiquitin, called UBB+1. While healthy ubiquitin helps cells identify and eliminate damaged proteins, UBB+1 disrupts this process and leads to toxic buildup, which is one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease.
Normally, a cellular protein called p62 helps neutralise this threat by packaging UBB+1 into protective vesicles, keeping it from damaging the cell. The vesicles can then take one of two paths: they’re either sent to the cell’s internal recycling centre (the lysosome), or they’re expelled into the space between cells.
It’s the second option that poses a danger. According to the Technion team, once UBB+1 is released into the brain’s extracellular fluid, fragments of the toxic protein can leak out and be absorbed by neighbouring neurons—potentially accelerating the spread of Alzheimer’s throughout the brain.
“We all want someone to take out the trash,” Glickman said. “But in this case, the cells are dumping their trash on their neighbors. Although this solves an acute problem for the individual cell, it may cause long-term damage to the entire tissue.”
The discovery could pave the way for earlier diagnoses of Alzheimer’s, possibly through testing cerebrospinal fluid for markers of UBB+1. It may also open the door to personalised treatments targeting the faulty disposal pathway.
The research was funded by the Israel Science Foundation and the European Research Council.
10% of the companies on the global “AI Disruptors” list were founded by Technion alumni
Greenfield Partners has released its 2025 AI Disruptors List highlighting the most important new companies in the field of artificial intelligence. Six of the companies on the list were founded by Technion graduates.
Out of the 60 companies on the list from around the world, 16 are Israeli, and among them, the following six were founded by Technion alumni:
Dustphotonics (ultra-fast communication in data centers)
Emerix (AI platform for supply chain, procurement, and inventory management)
Exodigo (subsurface mapping platform without excavation)
Decart (real-time interactive video generation)
PhaseV (optimization, acceleration, and improvement of clinical trials)
Qodo (automated code review and testing)
Itamar Friedman, CEO of Qodo, says that several members of the founding team had previously worked at Alibaba under Prof. Lehi Zelnik-Manor, now the Technion’s Vice President for External Relations and Resource Development. The company is developing an AI-based platform that automates and improves code quality throughout the development lifecycle. The goal: to help developers understand, refine, and maintain the standards they set for themselves – at a time when much of today’s code is generated by AI tools.
Itamar Friedman, CEO of Qodo
Friedman grew up in Karmi Yosef. “Even as a teenager, I started learning software development – specifically website building. I started a company in the field with several friends, and we reached 40 clients before I enlisted in the army. Technology has always fascinated me, and during my military service, I was exposed to the world of robotics, which drew me to the intersection between software and the physical world, and from there to electrical and computer engineering at the Technion. Already in my first year, I began to realize that almost every problem in the physical world boils down to an optimization problem. That fascinated me and pushed me to learn more and more about learning systems.”
He completed his B.Sc. in Electrical and Computer Engineering with highest honors (specializing in learning systems and optimization) and an M.Sc. in machine learning and computer vision under the supervision of Prof. Zelnik-Manor. Today, with 25 years of experience in development – 20 of which involve algorithms and machine learning – he heads Qodo. “I really love sailing – the combination of calm and storm. Unfortunately, that hasn’t happened much since founding Qodo,” he laughed. “Last August I moved to New York with three kids, two cats, and one wife – and I’m trying to keep that exact ratio: no more, no less.”
The AI Disruptors list was presented at the TechCrunch Disrupt conferencein San Francisco. The total valuation of the 60 companies on the list is approximately $3 billion. The publication of this “AI Breakthroughs” list adds to other recognitions of the Technion’s excellence: CSRankings ranks the Technion second in Europe in AI research, and PitchBook ranks the Technion among the top ten universities worldwide for entrepreneurial success of undergraduate alumni (not only in AI). Together, these achievements highlight the Technion’s brilliance – clearly reflected in its global alumni community of about 100,000 graduates.
The Technion held a festive reception for 32 new faculty members who joined the university this year
Thirty-two new faculty members one third of them women, joined the Technion in the current academic year. The research fields represented by the new faculty are wide-ranging, and their diverse specializations reflect the future of science and technology at the global forefront. Among them are experts in quantum communication, AI and deep learning, mathematics and data science, among other fields. They include theorists and experimentalists, inventors, engineers, and, of course, many physicians.
In recent years, the Technion has emphasized incorporating arts and humanities into its curriculum, as well as expanding research in the Department of Humanities and Arts. As a result, the new faculty members include scholars whose work focuses on the history of science, the intersection between the philosophy of science and contemporary science, and even musical communication.
Technion President Prof. Uri Sivan welcomed the new faculty members and said: “To understand the importance of the Technion in the development of the State of Israel, one must ask what the country would look like without the Technion, which was founded a quarter of a century before the state itself. I have no doubt that Israel would have looked completely different. Here at the Technion, the Start-Up Nation was born, but not just that – also many other important industries in the food, aeronautics, chemistry, defense, and other sectors were established here. From my broad perspective as President of the Technion, I am constantly exposed to the institution’s glorious legacy, a legacy that began in the early 20th century, when the idea of establishing a technological university in the Land of Israel was first conceived. Today, you are joining a long tradition of teaching and research, and I am already curious to see the mark you will leave on the world.”
“You are the future of the Technion as the world moves forward and new opportunities for research and education emerge – opportunities we cannot even imagine,” said Prof. Oded Rabinovitch, Vice President for Academic Affairs, to the new faculty members. “You are the future of the Technion when, amid all the technological bustle in the research laboratory and in the classroom, the human factor rises and continues to serve as the leading axis. You are the future of the Technion when challenges arrive at our doorstep that cannot be anticipated. You are the future of the Technion as it continues to lead science, industry, and society in the State of Israel and beyond, past the visible horizon. The future, yours and ours, is a shared future. Your part in this shared future is to succeed, simply to succeed. Our part is to provide you with the environment needed for success: a physical and research environment, and a sharp, open, inclusive, and respectful intellectual environment befitting a supportive academic community. An environment that will enable you to research and teach in your own way. An independent environment, free of external interference and foreign considerations, and one in which the values of our ethical code – pursuit of truth, integrity, responsibility, and freedom of research and expression – are realized without compromise. I am glad that we chose you to be part of our shared future, and I am especially glad that you chose us. I promise that we will do everything to be worthy of that choice.”
The new faculty members are
Schulich Faculty of Chemistry: Dr. Ron Tenne
Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering: Dr. Arad Lang, Dr. Arava Zohar
Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Dr. Huaquan Ying, Dr. Nachman Malkiel, Dr. Rui Yao
Faculty of Data and Decision Sciences: Dr. Nadav Merlis, Dr. Yael Travis-Lumer, Dr. Or Sharir, Dr. Assaf Shocher
Andrew and Erna Viterbi Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Dr. Aviv Karnieli, Dr. Nicolas Wainstein, Dr. Eran Lustig
Henry and Marilyn Taub Faculty of Computer Science: Dr. Oded Stein
Faculty of Mechanical Engineering: Dr. Majdi Gzal
Faculty of Biomedical Engineering: Dr. Eddy Solomon, Dr. Shira Landau
Faculty of Architecture and Town Planning: Dr. Tamara Kerzhner, Assoc. Prof. Yael Alef, Dr. Ofer Berman, Dr. Hatzav Yaffe
Faculty of Mathematics: Dr. Yatir Benari Halevi, Dr. Alan Lew
Faculty of Physics: Prof. Julien Fuchs
Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine: Dr. Daria Pavlov Amiad, Dr. Michal Meir
TCE – Technion Computer Engineering Center: Dr. Yaniv David
Department of Humanities and Arts: Prof. Eitan Globerson, Dr. Assaf Weksler-Fleshner, Dr. Matityahu Yosef Boker, Associate Professor of Creative Arts Orit Wolf, Dr. Topaz Halperin
With the outbreak of the war, the Technion established an unprecedented support system that provided reserve-duty students with financial assistance, academic accommodations, tutoring, and emotional support
The Defense Minister’s Shield for 2025 was awarded to the Technion on Monday, December 29, in recognition of its outstanding support for military reservists. Technion President Prof. Uri Sivan and Vice President for Academic Affairs Prof. Oded Rabinovitch received the shield, which is granted to organizations and institutions that have demonstrated exceptional commitment to reserve-duty personnel. The award is intended to honor support for employees and students serving in the reserves, and to raise awareness of their contributions to society and the security of the state. The shield was presented to the Technion at the Reserve Forces Appreciation Ceremony, held in the presence of Defense Minister Israel Katz, the Chief of the General Staff of the IDF Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, and Chief Reserve Officer Brig. Gen. Benny Ben Ari.
From left to right: CEO of the Council for Higher Education Dr. Maya Lugasi Ben Hamo; the Chief of the General Staff of the IDF Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir; Defense Minister Israel Katz; Technion President Prof. Uri Sivan; Vice President for Academic Affairs Prof. Oded Rabinovitch; and Chief Reserve Officer Brig. Gen. Benny Ben Ari. (Photo: Elad Malka, Ministry of Defense)
The Technion delegation included senior management representatives and members of the academic and administrative staff, alongside students – both women and men – who have served hundreds of days in reserve duty since the outbreak of the Swords of Iron war, including officers, combat soldiers, and staff personnel.
Since the beginning of the war, thousands of Technion students – along with many members of the academic and administrative staff and teaching teams – have been called up for reserve duty under emergency order. More than 1,000 students served over 150 days of reserve duty in the past year, and over 500 served more than 250 days. Since the start of the war, the Technion has provided reserve-duty personnel with an extensive support system that includes academic accommodations, tutoring, personal mentoring, emotional support, and financial assistance—made possible with the help of the Technion’s friends, alumni, and supporters in Israel and around the world.
Executive Vice President and CEO of the Technion, Dr. Rafi Aviram; Vice President for Academic Affairs, Prof. Oded Rabinovitch; Technion President, Prof. Uri Sivan; and Dean of Students Prof. Guedi Capeluto, with students at the ceremony
“We are happy and proud to receive this honor,” said Technion President Prof. Uri Sivan. “Since its founding, the Technion has acted out of a sense of national mission and historical responsibility to Israeli society, its security, and its economy. Receiving the Defense Minister’s Shield is official recognition of the Technion’s commitment to the reservists of the Technion family, of whom we are immensely proud. Thousands of students and academic and administrative staff reported for duty on October 7, and many have since served hundreds of days in reserve duty. We owe them an enormous debt and are doing everything in our power to ease their daily lives – at work and in their studies – and to support them and their families. It is a great privilege.”
The Technion delegation with the Chief of the General Staff of the IDF Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir
Prof. Oded Rabinovitch, Vice President for Academic Affairs, who served throughout the war as the Senior Vice President to the Technion President, said: “Our deep commitment to students serving in the reserves is embedded in the very essence of the Technion. Just as the students stepped forward to serve, the entire Technion community stepped forward for them and did everything possible to ensure their success. We set ourselves the goal of reaching every reservist and providing whatever assistance was needed, while reducing dropout rates to nearly zero. We are proud of our students and of the hundreds of Technion women and men who did everything they could to ensure their success, even amid the complex reality imposed on us by the war.”
Study by researchers at the Technion finds that injecting cancerous serum in mice decreased cardiac fibrosis — paving the way for innovative therapies
A discovery by Prof. Ami Aronheim and his team at the Technion–Israel Institute of Technology shows that the growth of cancerous tumors may actually combat cardiac dysfunction and reduce fibrosis, the scarring process that stiffens the heart muscle.
“The failing heart can beat much better in the presence of cancer cells or a tumor,” said lead investigator Aronheim, dean of the Technion’s Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, speaking to The Times of Israel.
“This is very surprising,” Aronheim said.
Currently, no drugs exist that can reverse fibrosis or improve the heart muscle once it has been damaged, he explained.
The new findings could open the door to the development of innovative and groundbreaking therapeutic approaches.
PhD students Lama Awwad and Laris Achlaug led the research, which was recently published in JACC: CardioOncology, a peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Cardiology.
From left to right: Prof. Ami Aronheim, dean of the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology’s Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, PhD students Lama Awad and Laris Achlaug.(Courtesy)
Heart disease and cancer are the two most significant causes of death in Israel, according to the Health Ministry. While they have been considered separate diseases, researchers now confirm that they are highly connected — and they affect each other’s outcomes.
The diseases also share similar risk factors, including smoking, obesity, diabetes, environmental factors and aging.
“These are two diseases that are all around us, and that people we know suffer from,” Awwad, 28, told The Times of Israel in a recent Zoom interview together with Achlaug.
Moreover, Awwad said, the two conditions share similar mechanisms, which involve inflammation, growth signals, and survival.
Heart disease is a cancer-spreader
In research conducted by Aronheim’s lab five years ago, the scientific team found that a stressed heart can actually accelerate the growth and spread of cancer.
“When we first looked at how heart failure affects cancer, we showed that a damaged heart can make the cancer more aggressive and more metastatic,” Aronheim said.
This can happen because cytokines, chemical messengers that immune cells use to communicate with one another, are released by the heart. These cytokines promote the growth and spread of cancer cells.
However, while doing these experiments, the researchers noticed an unexpected — and inverse — result. In tumor-bearing mice, heart failure was “much less pronounced.”
“This led us to start to think about studying the other direction, how cancer affects heart failure,” Aronheim said.
The scientists implanted cancer cells in mice with heart failure.
“We were surprised to find an improvement not only in the ability of the mice’s hearts to pump blood but also an improvement in the muscular system,” said Achlaug, 31. “It was very motivating.”
Moreover, the extent of fibrotic, or scarred, tissue was significantly decreased in a short period of time.
“This was a breakthrough for us,” Aronheim said. “Of course, it was clear to us that it’s not a possible treatment to use another disease for the sake of repairing heart dysfunction. So we had to study the mechanism.”
The researchers hypothesized that exposing immune cells to cancer cells can yield a process called “immunomodulation,” which enables the immune system to regenerate and begin fighting inflammation.
To test their hypothesis, the scientists injected serum extracted from the blood of the tumor-bearing mice into heart-diseased mice. These mice exhibited rapid improvements in cardiac function and reduced fibrosis.
The researchers analyzed the molecules in the serum and found that the cytokines were released from natural killer cells, also known as NK cells. These are a type of immune cell that attacks foreign cells when activated.
The cytokines activated macrophages, a type of white blood cell that plays a crucial role in consuming pathogens. The cytokines helped reprogram the macrophages into anti-inflammatory, healing-focused cells.
The work of Aronheim’s lab has shed light on the common biological pathways between cancer and heart disease, said Izhak Kehat, head of the department of physiology, biophysics, and systems biology, in the Technion’s Faculty of Medicine, who was not involved in the project.
Prof. Izhak Kehat, head, Department of physiology, biophysics and systems biology, Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. (Courtesy)
“Tumors can release signals that affect the whole body’s repair and immune response,” Kehat said. “And some of these signals can be harnessed to improve heart disease.”
Awwad said the research team has a patent on the serum with “a cocktail of positive factors.”
“We have to test its toxicity and prove that it’s safe to use,” Achlaug explained.
Breaking down social — and scientific — barriers
Awwad, who lives in Tamra, an Arab town in the Galilee, and Achlaug, who lives in Kfar Kama, a Circassian town 60 kilometers (37 miles) away, spoke about their challenges as researchers and as mothers of small children.
They credited their husbands, who are both engineers (Awwad’s husband works at Google and Achlaug’s husband works at Apple), and “who can sometimes work from home during the week,” Achlaug said.
“And also when we take our work home on weekends,” Awwad added.
She noted that approximately 50 percent of the Technion’s graduate students are women, and about 50% of those are Arabs. However, she said there are few female researchers because of the “long hours we spend in the lab.”
In the Circassian community, which numbers 5,000 in Israel, Achlaug said there are only two other women who have PhDs.
Illustrative: A Circassian woman commemorates the Circassian Mourning Day in Kfar Kama on May 21, 2024. (Courtesy/Adam Choshha)
When they attend scientific conferences abroad, Awwad said that people are less curious about them as women and more interested in their lives as Arabs in Israel.
“People ask me a lot of questions about ‘what’s really happening,’” Awwad said. “It’s good because I like to calm them down.”
Achlaug said they never encountered hostility at conferences, but she was “a little nervous” when presenting her paper to a group of scientists from Beirut.
“But there’s a sense of honor among researchers to focus on science,” she said.
“Then, afterwards,” Awwad said, “they can have their opinions.”
Pioneering technology developed at the Technion enables the production of drugs inside the body using live bacteria
Technion researchers have developed an innovative approach that allows drugs to be produced inside the human body. The new technology, developed at the Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, uses live bacteria that manufacture the therapeutic substance. The researchers’ findings were recently published in Advanced Healthcare Materials.
The research was led by Professor Boaz Mizrahi, Dr. Adi Gross, and Ph.D. student Caroline Hali Alperovitz. According to Prof. Mizrahi, “We are used to thinking that to introduce a drug into the body, it must be manufactured in a factory – sometimes on another continent – then formulated and finally administered to the patient via a capsule or an injection. Our paper describes a new paradigm for both drug production and consumption.”
Prof. Boaz MizrahiDr. Adi GrossCaroline Hali Alperovitz
This new paradigm is based on using harmless bacteria modified to produce and secrete the desired drug inside the body. These bacteria are introduced directly into the affected organ, where they manufacture and release the drug locally, eliminating the need for swallowing or injecting additional substances.
The technology offers several key advantages. First, the drug is always fresh, as it is used immediately after being produced – a major benefit for protein-based drugs and molecules sensitive to oxidation. Second, the drug’s bioavailability is higher due to the proximity of the “factory” to the “consumer,” reducing side effects caused by drug degradation during transport in the body. Third, because the bacteria replicate within the tissue, a single “dose” of bacteria may be sufficient for weeks, lowering treatment costs.
In their study, the Technion researchers used the non-pathogenic bacterium Bacillus paralicheniformis, which they modified to produce an important protein called γ-PGA. This protein plays a crucial role in healing severe wounds, improving skin appearance, and reducing inflammation.
Illustration: The new concept — a bacterium (in light blue) serving as a miniature drug factory that produces the active compound in the target organ (the skin).
To deliver the bacteria into the body safely and painlessly, the researchers developed a microneedle patch. When applied to the skin, the tiny needles penetrate the dermal layer (dermis) without harming nerves or blood vessels. Contact with the dermis causes the microneedles to dissolve, releasing the bacteria and allowing them to function as a “smart biological factory” that produces the desired drug from available raw materials. Experiments confirmed the process works effectively, and the team optimized it with a nutrient medium providing the bacteria with essential materials. Detailed chemical analysis verified that the bacteria indeed produced a pure, active therapeutic substance.
To test the technology’s safety, the researchers applied the system to mice and found that their skin remained healthy, with the patch dissolving within just two hours, showing no signs of inflammation or tissue trauma.
“Large biological molecules and proteins are now used to treat a wide range of chronic and acute diseases,” explained Prof. Mizrahi. “Therefore, the innovative approach we developed could revolutionize the field of pharmaceuticals — instead of injections and pills, we could treat patients with a ‘living’ system that minimizes the need to repeatedly administer drugs, as is customary today.”
The research was supported by the Israel Science Foundation (ISF) and by the Russell Berrie Nano-technology Institute of the Technion.
Researchers at the Technion and their colleagues in China have discovered the emergence of photon “swirling” in disordered nanometric systems
The journal Nature Materials reports the discovery of “hidden order” in systems that are disordered in space and time. The breakthrough was achieved by Prof. Erez Hasman from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and the Helen Diller Quantum Center at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, together with colleagues in China led by Prof. Bo Wang, head of Spin Nanophotonics Group, at the School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Prof. Wang conducted his postdoctoral research in Prof. Hasman’s group and was part of the team behind the development of the spin laser made from two-dimensional materials.
In their paper, the researchers present a new physical phenomenon called “spin locking effect induced by Brownian motion,” which enables the detection of spin-order in a physically disordered system.
A brief explanation of two key concepts: Spin – one of the fundamental properties of elementary particles, describing their “rotation” or “twist.” This is a simplified and somewhat inaccurate metaphor, but it is the common way to describe spin. Brownian motion, also known as a “drunkard’s walk,” refers to the random movement of tiny particles (not necessarily atomic in size) suspended in or floating on a liquid. Einstein made this phenomenon famous when he published his findings in 1905.
Until now, it was believed that Brownian motion causes the scattering of photons off particles to be chaotic – that is, unpolarized and incoherent – and so too the spin of the scattered photons.
Illustration: Spin-locking effect of photons scattered from nanoparticles in a liquid, moving randomly due to Brownian motion.
The researchers set out to test whether, under specific light–matter interaction conditions, spin order could emerge – and found that it can. When they shone laser light on nanometric particles suspended in a liquid at room temperature, they discovered that the photons scattered sideways, beyond the laser’s impact zone, became “locked” in their spin. They demonstrated that this spin locking arises precisely because of the particles’ random movement – their Brownian motion.
This process also allowed the researchers to measure the size of the particles, since the spin-locking effect depends on both particle size and material type, thus revealing information about them.
According to Prof. Hasman: “Our discovery beautifully illustrates the importance of experimental physics. We have shown that it is precisely the most disordered systems – in both space and time – that hold the key to the emergence of deep order. The spin-locking effect in a system undergoing Brownian motion is a previously unknown phenomenon, and we hope and believe that its applications – from nanoparticle characterization to the development of new optical technologies – will make a significant contribution to science and industry in the future.”
Cover image featured on the February 2026 issue of Nature Materials
