Cancer is the leading cause of death world wide, the most common form of which is breast cancer. There are over 2 million global cases of breast cancer annually, resulting in nearly 700,000 deaths. The vast majority of cases involve women, many of whom face the prospect of having invasive surgery to remove their tumours.

These painful procedures could be a thing of the past,however, thanks to pioneering new technology called ProSense that has been developed in Israel. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently designated the ProSense system as a Breakthrough Device, official recognition of the impact it can have in saving lives.

The ProSense uses cryotherapy technology to destroy tumours without the need for surgery. Rather than employing traditional methods that involve cutting the diseased cells out of the body, the ProSense utilises a probe being inserted directly into the tumour. Liquid nitrogen then lowers the temperature of the tumour until it freezes into ice. Rapidly alternating between thawing and re-freezing the targeted area destroys the tumour while leaving the healthy tissue around it undamaged.

This radical new procedure was developed by Israeli company IceCure Medical, where several staff members are graduates of Technion – the Israel Institute of Technology.

Technion graduates are frequently seen leading exciting companies such as IceCure. Since 1912, the academic institution has been at the forefront of spearheading Israel’s scientific endeavours. Israel today is the country with the highest percentage of scientists and engineers – and the majority of them studied at the Technion, home to three of Israel’s five science Nobel Laureates.

Alan Aziz, CEO of Technion UK, commented: “Breast cancer is one of the most common health complications a woman can face. Until now, invasive surgery was the only possibility for removing tumours, but Technion graduates are looking to put those old methods on ice.”

In the past few years there has been a huge spike in demand for vegan products. Once regarded as a fringe or fad diet, veganism has now become increasingly mainstream. More and more people are interested in cruelty-free substitutes for previous staples such as meat and milk.

The latest development in this field from an Israeli start-up couldhowever completely transform the dairy industry.
Imagindairy, Ltd is the latest company to enter the vegan milk space, competing with popular alternatives such as soy, almond and oat. However, unlike those vegan substitutes, Imagindairy’s product is not derived from plants, but made from the same proteins as actual milk.

The start-up, which was founded in 2020, uses AI to manage a technique called “precision fermentation.” This process involves the brewing of single-celled organisms that have been specifically designed to create individual compounds. In the case of Imagindairy, the compounds made would be the whey and casein proteins that are traditionally derived from milk – without the use of cows.

There are multiple benefits to this new method of production. As well as the benefits associated with veganism, such as lower impact on the environment and cruelty-free production, Imagindairy’s products could also be seen as an improvement on vegan substitutes currently available. For example, the whey and casein proteins will enable the company to re-create the natural flavour and texture of cheeses in a way that other vegan ingredients struggle to. In turn, this could help persuade more people to try vegan foods.

If Imagindairy is successful, it could also capture a significant portion of the increasingly valuable vegan milk market. The plant-based milk sector is worth $2.5 billion just in America, let alone worldwide.
Imagindairy was co-founded by its CEO, Eyal Afergan, who is a graduate of the Technion – the Israel Institute of Technology. Since 1912, the academic institution has been at the forefront of spearheading Israel’s scientific endeavours. Israel today is the country with the highest percentage of scientists and engineers – and the majority of them studied at the Technion, home to three of Israel’s five science Nobel Laureates.

Alan Aziz, CEO of Technion UK, commented: “Up until now, the vegan sector has focused on trying to find the closest alternatives to everyday dairy products. But it turns out that the best substitutes for milk and cheese are just milk and cheese – minus the cows. Technion isn’t trying to milk the news of another revolutionary start-up created by one of our graduates, but we are proud to see a former student yet again set on transforming the way we live our lives.”

About The Technion:
The Technion has earned a global reputation for its pioneering work in nanotechnology, life sciences, stem-cell technology, water management, sustainable energy, information technology, biotechnology, materials engineering and aerospace. It is also one of only five similar institutes worldwide that include a medical school, encouraging rapid progress in biotechnology, drug development, and stem-cell technology. As Israel’s centre for high-tech education and research, the Technion is central to the nation’s economic progress. As the premier institute of its kind in the region, Technion breakthroughs can benefit all the nations of the Middle East. As a worldclass research university, the Technion helps advance the frontiers of science and technology to benefit people around the world.

Across the world, there is a growing acceptance that more needs to be done to fight climate change. In 2016, the Paris Agreement committed signatory countries to reducing their emissions to decrease the rate at which the planet’s temperature is rising.

The most significant way of achieving this is by replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy sources, but these are not always as effective as staples such as coal and oil. New research by Israeli scientists, however, might be about to revolutionise one of the key renewable energy sources – solar.

Solar power is one of the most well-known sources of renewable energy, with solar panels converting the light rays emitted by the sun into another form of power such as electricity. The potential for solar power to replace fossil fuels is significant – some sources estimate that the amount of sunlight that hits the Earth in just an hour and a half is enough to cover our global energy consumption for an entire year.
Israeli scientists have therefore taken the lead in increasing the efficiency of solar panels. Professor Avner Rothschild, who works at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Technion, the Israel Institute of Technology, has lead researchers from his university working in partnership with Ben Gurion University and Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin.

Between the three universities, they have developed a breakthrough in understanding semiconductors – a key component of how one form of solar panels work. Solar panels either use photovoltaic cells or photoelectrochemical cells. The latter can only generate energy during the day and require external batteries to store energy during the night.
Photovoltaic cells don’t require these batteries but use semiconductors instead. These semiconductors enable light energy to split water molecules into oxygen and hydrogen, which are then stored as a separate fuel source for later. The most common material used as a semiconductor – hematite – is not as efficient as it could be though, leading to a loss of energy.

The scientists, led by Professor Rothschild from the Technion, have now developed a new technique for testing the efficiency of hematite and other semiconductor materials. This will in turn allow for the creation of more effective solar panels.

This breakthrough is only the latest success story to emerge from Technion – the Israel Institute of Technology. Since 1912, the academic institution has been at the forefront of spearheading Israel’s scientific endeavours. Israel today is the country with the highest percentage of scientists and engineers – and the majority of them studied at the Technion, home to three of Israel’s five science Nobel Laureates.

Alan Aziz, CEO of Technion UK, commented: “Reducing our use of fossil fuels is the single most important challenge our planet faces, and the answer has to be using the free energy that is all around us. Improving solar panels is just another bright idea to emerge from Technion scientists.”

About The Technion:

The Technion has earned a global reputation for its pioneering work in nanotechnology, life sciences, stem-cell technology, water management, sustainable energy, information technology, biotechnology, materials engineering and aerospace. It is also one of only five similar institutes worldwide that include a medical school, encouraging rapid progress in biotechnology, drug development, and stem-cell technology. As Israel’s centre for high-tech education and research, the Technion is central to the nation’s economic progress. As the premier institute of its kind in the region, Technion breakthroughs can benefit all the nations of the Middle East. As a worldclass research university, the Technion helps advance the frontiers of science and technology to benefit people around the world.

In recent years society has become much more open about discussing issues relating to mental health. Slogans such as ‘it’s ok to not be ok’ and campaigns such as Movember have sought to remove the stigma that is still attached to mental health problems such as depression or anxiety. The global impact of Covid-19, which saw social-distancing restrictions increase mental health worries, has only accelerated this conversation.

Despite this progress, receiving appropriate diagnosis and treatment for a mental health condition is still not easy, even in relatively well developed and affluent societies. This could all be about to change, however, due to pioneering new technology from Israel.

Israeli start-up Montfort believe their new smartphone technology could transform how mental health is diagnosed, making the process much closer to how physical ailments are identified. This technology, coined “Brain Profiler,” looks to diagnose psychiatric disorders in a more scientific fashion, rather than simply relying on a patient’s subjective descriptions of their symptoms.

Montfort already used smartphone technology and artificial intelligence in digital tests for neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease. Their new approach came about after collaborating with Dr Abraham Peled, department chair at Sha’ar Menashe Psychiatric Hospital and a lecturer at Technion–the Israel Institute of technology. Working with Dr Peled, Montford added new indicators to the smartphone technology which would assess common mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety. These new indicators, combined with AI technology, should take out much of the time and guess-work from diagnosing mental health problems.

Using this type of approach could have a huge impact. More than 6,000 people across the UK and Republic of Ireland taketheir own lives each year, while tens of thousands more attempt suicide. According to the WHO, depression could be the leading cause of global morbidity by 2030.

This breakthrough would be another example of the valuable contributions made by Technion staff. Since 1912, the academic institution has been at the forefront of spearheading Israel’s scientific endeavours. Israel today is the country with the highest percentage of scientists and engineers – and the majority of them studied at the Technion, home to three of Israel’s five science Nobel Laureates.

Alan Aziz, CEO of Technion UK, commented: “Swiftly and easily diagnosing mental health problems is a literal lifesaver. Thanks to Montfort and Technion, modern technology can shrink your shrink and put them in your smartphone.”

Notes to editor about Technion:

The Technion has earned a global reputation for its pioneering work in nanotechnology, life sciences, stem-cell technology, water management, sustainable energy, information technology, biotechnology, materials engineering and aerospace. It is also one of only five similar institutes worldwide that include a medical school, encouraging rapid progress in biotechnology, drug development, and stem-cell technology. As Israel’s centre for high-tech education and research, the Technion is central to the nation’s economic progress. As the premier institute of its kind in the region, Technion breakthroughs can benefit all the nations of the Middle East. As a worldclass research university, the Technion helps advance the frontiers of science and technology to benefit people around the world.

It sounds like the plot from the 1966 science-fiction film Fantastic Voyage: tiny surgeons travelling into a human brain to destroy blood clots without harming the patient. New technology from Israel could make that a reality however, thanks to pioneering developments from Technion – the Israel Institute of Technology.

For many years, brain surgery has been regarded as one of the most difficult challenges in the medical profession. Invasive surgery to remove cancerous cells or blood clots must be performed with incredible precision, as any harm to the surrounding brain tissue can result in life-changing consequences to the patient. Even successful operations can result in losing the ability to walk or talk – an outcome that has to be considered in even the most pressing situations.

This could be about to change, however, thanks to pioneering technology from newly-launched Israeli start-up, Tamar Robotics. Instead of traditional methods, the company is trialing a tiny robotic needle that is inserted via a small incision and then controlled remotely by the surgeon. It can then move harmlessly through the brain before destroying tumours and clots with jets of water.

Tamar Robotics has been co-founded by Professor Moshe Shoham, a professor at Technion, where he started the Kahn Medical Robotics Laboratory. He co-founded it with Dr Hadad Ziso, his former graduate student at the Technion, with the two developing the technology together for 5 years before launching Tamar.

Their partnership is just the latest example of the impact Technion can have. Since 1912, the academic institution has been at the forefront of spearheading Israel’s scientific endeavours. Israel today is the country with the highest percentage of scientists and engineers – and the majority ofthem studied at the Technion, home to three of Israel’s five science Nobel Laureates.

Alan Aziz, CEO of Technion UK, commented: “Technion prides itself on the brainpower it can bring to problems – and few are as challenging as actual brain surgery. Tamar Robotics once again shows how Israel is turning science fiction into science fact.”

Notes to editor about Technion:

The Technion has earned a global reputation for its pioneering work in nanotechnology, life sciences, stem-cell technology, water management, sustainable energy, information technology, biotechnology, materials engineering and aerospace. It is also one of only five similar institutes worldwide that include a medical school, encouraging rapid progress in biotechnology, drug development, and stem-cell technology. As Israel’s centre for high-tech education and research, the Technion is central to the nation’s economic progress. As the premier institute of its kind in the region, Technion breakthroughs can benefit all the nations of the Middle East. As a worldclass research university, the Technion helps advance the frontiers of science and technology to benefit people around the world.

For years, self-driving cars have been seen as the next big step in the evolution of the vehicle industry. Tesla, one of the world’s biggest companies, offers limited autonomous driving for its cars, but its cutting-edge vehicles are outside the price range of the majority of consumers.

With progress hampered by both technological challenges and safety concerns, it seems that driverless cars are still a long way away from mass adoption.
Students from around the world are working to change this however – with a little help from Technion, the Israel Institute of Technology.

Every year the prestigious university holds the Nadav Shoham Robotraffic contest, open to teams of students across the world. This year the competition had to be held virtually due to the pandemic, but this didn’t stop teams from 10 different countries submitting their entries.
Students enter robot vehicles designed especially for the competition. These robots include sensors for analysing the conditions around them and modifying their behavior in response – key features of any successful autonomous car. While simple self-piloting robots are already used in the real world, the environments they operate in are considerably less complex than the one these students are attempting to master: the everyday traffic system.

With this in mind, students taking part in the competition are assessed in several different categories that each relate to how cars actually operate on our roads. These categories include “Careful Driving,” “Traffic safety initiatives, ”and even “Reverse Parking.” The winning team of the Careful Driving category will even have the chance to develop their ideas, as all the students won a full one-year scholarship to Technion International’s undergraduate degree programme.

The Nadav Shoham Robotraffic competition is just one example of Technion’s commitment to technological progress. Since 1912, the academic institution has been at the forefront of spearheading Israel’s scientific endeavours. Israel today is the country with the highest percentage of scientists and engineers – and the majority of them studied at the Technion, home to three of Israel’s five science Nobel Laureates.

Alan Aziz, CEO of Technion UK, commented: “For over a decade the Robotraffic contest has put students across the world in the driving seat when it comes designing autonomous vehicles. When future generations are being chauffeured around by driverless cards, the chances are that they will have the Technion to thank for it.”

Notes to editor about Technion:

The Technion has earned a global reputation for its pioneering work in nanotechnology, life sciences, stem-cell technology, water management, sustainable energy, information technology, biotechnology, materials engineering and aerospace. It is also one of only five similar institutes worldwide that include a medical school, encouraging rapid progress in biotechnology, drug development, and stem-cell technology. As Israel’s centre for high-tech education and research, the Technion is central to the nation’s economic progress. As the premier institute of its kind in the region, Technion breakthroughs can benefit all the nations of the Middle East. As a worldclass research university, the Technion helps advance the frontiers of science and technology to benefit people around the world.

Pfizer is the latest company to turn to Israeli tech. When it comes to pharmaceutical giants, there are few that are larger than Pfizer. Founded over 150 years ago, the American company is one of the most famous and successful of its kind in the world.

Developing and producing many different products – including the first Covid-19 vaccine approved for general usage – Pfizer makes over £50 billion in revenue annually. All this expertise and experience in researching new drugs therefore makes it even more impressive that Pfizer has turned to a new Israeli company for assistance in creating its latest medicines.

Founded in 2016 by scientists from Technion (the Israel Institute of Technology), CytoReason focuses on using machine learning to help assess the efficacy of new techniques. It does this with cutting-edge technology that simulates the effect of trails on the human immune system at cell level. Anything that can increase the accuracy of these trails has the potential to save considerable amounts of time and money.

CytoReason’s machine learning technology can even help with non-human biology. The company recently announced a new model for translating the effects of drugs on mice to humans – again, another method for saving time and resources given that all such products are first tested on these rodents.

Despite its young age, CytoReason’s partnership with Pfizer shows that it already has the potential to dramatically improve how new medications are developed. It also represents another showcase for the impact that Technion can have. Since 1912, the academic institution has been at the forefront of spearheading Israel’s scientific endeavours. Israel today is the country with the highest percentage of scientists and engineers – and the majority of them studied at the Technion, home to three of Israel’s five science Nobel Laureates.

Alan Aziz, CEO of Technion UK, commented: “One of the lessons of Covid-19 is how important it is to be able to quickly and safely develop new pharmaceutical products such as vaccines. It might seem remarkable that a huge company such as Pfizer has partnered with a tiny Israeli start-up to help develop the next generation of life-saving drugs, but this kind of impact is exactly what we’ve come to expect from Technion graduates.”

Notes to editor about Technion:

The Technion has earned a global reputation for its pioneering work in nanotechnology, life sciences, stem-cell technology, water management, sustainable energy, information technology, biotechnology, materials engineering and aerospace. It is also one of only five similar institutes worldwide that include a medical school, encouraging rapid progress in biotechnology, drug development, and stem-cell technology. As Israel’s centre for high-tech education and research, the Technion is central to the nation’s economic progress. As the premier institute of its kind in the region, Technion breakthroughs can benefit all the nations of the Middle East. As a worldclass research university, the Technion helps advance the frontiers of science and technology to benefit people around the world.