Latest news with #Weizmann
Nahar Net
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Nahar Net
Israeli scientists reel after Iranian missile strikes premier research institute
For years, Israel has targeted Iranian nuclear scientists, hoping to choke progress on Iran's nuclear program by striking at the brains behind it. Now, with Iran and Israel in an open-ended direct conflict, scientists in Israel have found themselves in the crosshairs after an Iranian missile struck a premier research institute known for its work in life sciences and physics, among other fields. While no one was killed in the strike on the Weizmann Institute of Science early Sunday, it caused heavy damage to multiple labs on campus, snuffing out years of scientific research and sending a chilling message to Israeli scientists that they and their expertise are now targets in the escalating conflict with Iran. "It's a moral victory" for Iran, said Oren Schuldiner, a professor in the department of molecular cell biology and the department of molecular neuroscience whose lab was obliterated in the strike. "They managed to harm the crown jewel of science in Israel." Iranian scientists were a prime target in a long shadow war During years of a shadow war between Israel and Iran that preceded the current conflict, Israel repeatedly targeted Iranian nuclear scientists with the aim of setting back Iran's nuclear program. Israel continued that tactic with its initial blow against Iran days ago, killing multiple nuclear scientists, along with top generals, as well as striking nuclear facilities and ballistic missile infrastructure. For its part, Iran has been accused of targeting at least one Weizmann scientist before. Last year, Israeli authorities said they busted an Iranian spy ring that devised a plot to follow and assassinate an Israeli nuclear scientist who worked and lived at the institute. Citing an indictment, Israeli media said the suspects, Palestinians from east Jerusalem, gathered information about the scientist and photographed the exterior of the Weizmann Institute but were arrested before they could proceed. With Iran's intelligence penetration into Israel far less successful than Israel's, those plots have not been seen through, making this week's strike on Weizmann that much more jarring. "The Weizmann Institute has been in Iran's sights," said Yoel Guzansky, an Iran expert and senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies, a Tel Aviv think tank. He stressed that he did not know for certain whether Iran intended to strike the institute but believed it did. While it is a multidisciplinary research institute, Weizmann, like other Israeli universities, has ties to Israel's defense establishment, including collaborations with industry leaders like Elbit Systems, which is why it may have been targeted. But Guzansky said the institute primarily symbolizes "Israeli scientific progress" and the strike against it shows Iran's thinking: "You harm our scientists, so we are also harming (your) scientific cadre." Damage to the institute and labs 'literally decimated' Weizmann, founded in 1934 and later renamed after Israel's first president, ranks among the world's top research institutes. Its scientists and researchers publish hundreds of studies each year. One Nobel laureate in chemistry and three Turing Award laureates have been associated with the institute, which built the first computer in Israel in 1954. Two buildings were hit in the strike, including one housing life sciences labs and a second that was empty and under construction but meant for chemistry study, according to the institute. Dozens of other buildings were damaged. The campus has been closed since the strike, although media were allowed to visit Thursday. Large piles of rock, twisted metal and other debris were strewn on campus. There were shattered windows, collapsed ceiling panels and charred walls. A photo shared on X by one professor showed flames rising near a heavily damaged structure with debris scattered on the ground nearby. "Several buildings were hit quite hard, meaning that some labs were literally decimated, really leaving nothing," said Sarel Fleishman, a professor of biochemics who said he has visited the site since the strike. Life's work of many researchers is gone Many of those labs focus on the life sciences, whose projects are especially sensitive to physical damage, Fleishman said. The labs were studying areas like tissue generation, developmental biology or cancer, with much of their work now halted or severely set back by the damage. "This was the life's work of many people," he said, noting that years' or even decades' worth of research was destroyed. For Schuldiner, the damage means the lab he has worked at for 16 years "is entirely gone. No trace. There is nothing to save." In that once gleaming lab, he kept thousands of genetically modified flies used for research into the development of the human nervous system, which helped provide insights into autism and schizophrenia, he said. The lab housed equipment like sophisticated microscopes. Researchers from Israel and abroad joined hands in the study effort. "All of our studies have stopped," he said, estimating it would take years to rebuild and get the science work back on track. "It's very significant damage to the science that we can create and to the contribution we can make to the world."
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Israeli scientists reel after Iranian missile strikes premier research institute
REHOVOT, Israel (AP) — For years, Israel has targeted Iranian nuclear scientists, hoping to choke progress on Iran's nuclear program by striking at the brains behind it. Now, with Iran and Israel in an open-ended direct conflict, scientists in Israel have found themselves in the crosshairs after an Iranian missile struck a premier research institute known for its work in life sciences and physics, among other fields. While no one was killed in the strike on the Weizmann Institute of Science early Sunday, it caused heavy damage to multiple labs on campus, snuffing out years of scientific research and sending a chilling message to Israeli scientists that they and their expertise are now targets in the escalating conflict with Iran. 'It's a moral victory" for Iran, said Oren Schuldiner, a professor in the department of molecular cell biology and the department of molecular neuroscience whose lab was obliterated in the strike. 'They managed to harm the crown jewel of science in Israel.' Iranian scientists were a prime target in a long shadow war During years of a shadow war between Israel and Iran that preceded the current conflict, Israel repeatedly targeted Iranian nuclear scientists with the aim of setting back Iran's nuclear program. Israel continued that tactic with its initial blow against Iran days ago, killing multiple nuclear scientists, along with top generals, as well as striking nuclear facilities and ballistic missile infrastructure. For its part, Iran has been accused of targeting at least one Weizmann scientist before. Last year, Israeli authorities said they busted an Iranian spy ring that devised a plot to follow and assassinate an Israeli nuclear scientist who worked and lived at the institute. Citing an indictment, Israeli media said the suspects, Palestinians from east Jerusalem, gathered information about the scientist and photographed the exterior of the Weizmann Institute but were arrested before they could proceed. With Iran's intelligence penetration into Israel far less successful than Israel's, those plots have not been seen through, making this week's strike on Weizmann that much more jarring. 'The Weizmann Institute has been in Iran's sights,' said Yoel Guzansky, an Iran expert and senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies, a Tel Aviv think tank. He stressed that he did not know for certain whether Iran intended to strike the institute but believed it did. While it is a multidisciplinary research institute, Weizmann, like other Israeli universities, has ties to Israel's defense establishment, including collaborations with industry leaders like Elbit Systems, which is why it may have been targeted. But Guzansky said the institute primarily symbolizes 'Israeli scientific progress' and the strike against it shows Iran's thinking: 'You harm our scientists, so we are also harming (your) scientific cadre.' Damage to the institute and labs 'literally decimated' Weizmann, founded in 1934 and later renamed after Israel's first president, ranks among the world's top research institutes. Its scientists and researchers publish hundreds of studies each year. One Nobel laureate in chemistry and three Turing Award laureates have been associated with the institute, which built the first computer in Israel in 1954. Two buildings were hit in the strike, including one housing life sciences labs and a second that was empty and under construction but meant for chemistry study, according to the institute. Dozens of other buildings were damaged. The campus has been closed since the strike, although media were allowed to visit Thursday. Large piles of rock, twisted metal and other debris were strewn on campus. There were shattered windows, collapsed ceiling panels and charred walls. A photo shared on X by one professor showed flames rising near a heavily damaged structure with debris scattered on the ground nearby. 'Several buildings were hit quite hard, meaning that some labs were literally decimated, really leaving nothing,' said Sarel Fleishman, a professor of biochemics who said he has visited the site since the strike. Life's work of many researchers is gone Many of those labs focus on the life sciences, whose projects are especially sensitive to physical damage, Fleishman said. The labs were studying areas like tissue generation, developmental biology or cancer, with much of their work now halted or severely set back by the damage. 'This was the life's work of many people,' he said, noting that years' or even decades' worth of research was destroyed. For Schuldiner, the damage means the lab he has worked at for 16 years 'is entirely gone. No trace. There is nothing to save.' In that once gleaming lab, he kept thousands of genetically modified flies used for research into the development of the human nervous system, which helped provide insights into autism and schizophrenia, he said. The lab housed equipment like sophisticated microscopes. Researchers from Israel and abroad joined hands in the study effort. 'All of our studies have stopped,' he said, estimating it would take years to rebuild and get the science work back on track. 'It's very significant damage to the science that we can create and to the contribution we can make to the world.' ___ Goldenberg reported from Tel Aviv, Israel. This story was submitted to Israel's military censor, which made no changes.
Winnipeg Free Press
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Israeli scientists reel after Iranian missile strikes premier research institute
REHOVOT, Israel (AP) — For years, Israel has targeted Iranian nuclear scientists, hoping to choke progress on Iran's nuclear program by striking at the brains behind it. Now, with Iran and Israel in an open-ended direct conflict, scientists in Israel have found themselves in the crosshairs after an Iranian missile struck a premier research institute known for its work in life sciences and physics, among other fields. While no one was killed in the strike on the Weizmann Institute of Science early Sunday, it caused heavy damage to multiple labs on campus, snuffing out years of scientific research and sending a chilling message to Israeli scientists that they and their expertise are now targets in the escalating conflict with Iran. 'It's a moral victory' for Iran, said Oren Schuldiner, a professor in the department of molecular cell biology and the department of molecular neuroscience whose lab was obliterated in the strike. 'They managed to harm the crown jewel of science in Israel.' Iranian scientists were a prime target in a long shadow war During years of a shadow war between Israel and Iran that preceded the current conflict, Israel repeatedly targeted Iranian nuclear scientists with the aim of setting back Iran's nuclear program. Israel continued that tactic with its initial blow against Iran days ago, killing multiple nuclear scientists, along with top generals, as well as striking nuclear facilities and ballistic missile infrastructure. For its part, Iran has been accused of targeting at least one Weizmann scientist before. Last year, Israeli authorities said they busted an Iranian spy ring that devised a plot to follow and assassinate an Israeli nuclear scientist who worked and lived at the institute. Citing an indictment, Israeli media said the suspects, Palestinians from east Jerusalem, gathered information about the scientist and photographed the exterior of the Weizmann Institute but were arrested before they could proceed. With Iran's intelligence penetration into Israel far less successful than Israel's, those plots have not been seen through, making this week's strike on Weizmann that much more jarring. 'The Weizmann Institute has been in Iran's sights,' said Yoel Guzansky, an Iran expert and senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies, a Tel Aviv think tank. He stressed that he did not know for certain whether Iran intended to strike the institute but believed it did. While it is a multidisciplinary research institute, Weizmann, like other Israeli universities, has ties to Israel's defense establishment, including collaborations with industry leaders like Elbit Systems, which is why it may have been targeted. But Guzansky said the institute primarily symbolizes 'Israeli scientific progress' and the strike against it shows Iran's thinking: 'You harm our scientists, so we are also harming (your) scientific cadre.' Damage to the institute and labs 'literally decimated' Weizmann, founded in 1934 and later renamed after Israel's first president, ranks among the world's top research institutes. Its scientists and researchers publish hundreds of studies each year. One Nobel laureate in chemistry and three Turing Award laureates have been associated with the institute, which built the first computer in Israel in 1954. Two buildings were hit in the strike, including one housing life sciences labs and a second that was empty and under construction but meant for chemistry study, according to the institute. Dozens of other buildings were damaged. The campus has been closed since the strike, although media were allowed to visit Thursday. Large piles of rock, twisted metal and other debris were strewn on campus. There were shattered windows, collapsed ceiling panels and charred walls. A photo shared on X by one professor showed flames rising near a heavily damaged structure with debris scattered on the ground nearby. 'Several buildings were hit quite hard, meaning that some labs were literally decimated, really leaving nothing,' said Sarel Fleishman, a professor of biochemics who said he has visited the site since the strike. Life's work of many researchers is gone Many of those labs focus on the life sciences, whose projects are especially sensitive to physical damage, Fleishman said. The labs were studying areas like tissue generation, developmental biology or cancer, with much of their work now halted or severely set back by the damage. 'This was the life's work of many people,' he said, noting that years' or even decades' worth of research was destroyed. For Schuldiner, the damage means the lab he has worked at for 16 years 'is entirely gone. No trace. There is nothing to save.' In that once gleaming lab, he kept thousands of genetically modified flies used for research into the development of the human nervous system, which helped provide insights into autism and schizophrenia, he said. The lab housed equipment like sophisticated microscopes. Researchers from Israel and abroad joined hands in the study effort. 'All of our studies have stopped,' he said, estimating it would take years to rebuild and get the science work back on track. 'It's very significant damage to the science that we can create and to the contribution we can make to the world.' ___ Goldenberg reported from Tel Aviv, Israel. This story was submitted to Israel's military censor, which made no changes.
Business Standard
28-05-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Weizmann reports consolidated net loss of Rs 8.68 crore in the March 2025 quarter
Sales rise 18.31% to Rs 36.25 crore Net loss of Weizmann reported to Rs 8.68 crore in the quarter ended March 2025 as against net profit of Rs 1.82 crore during the previous quarter ended March 2024. Sales rose 18.31% to Rs 36.25 crore in the quarter ended March 2025 as against Rs 30.64 crore during the previous quarter ended March 2024. For the full year,net loss reported to Rs 3.60 crore in the year ended March 2025 as against net profit of Rs 8.96 crore during the previous year ended March 2024. Sales declined 4.60% to Rs 117.25 crore in the year ended March 2025 as against Rs 122.90 crore during the previous year ended March 2024. Particulars Quarter Ended Year Ended Mar. 2025 Mar. 2024 % Var. Mar. 2025 Mar. 2024 % Var. Sales 36.2530.64 18 117.25122.90 -5 OPM % 13.9311.06 - 12.9112.01 - PBDT 4.883.35 46 14.5814.67 -1 PBT 3.512.71 30 11.2111.94 -6 NP -8.681.82 PL -3.608.96 PL
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
One Protein in Male Worm Brains Makes Them Risk Their Lives For Sex
Male roundworms are worse at learning from experience than their mates, according to a new study, often to the point of embracing life-threatening risks. Curiously, this lack of good judgment seems to settle down once they've had sex, suggesting an urge to reproduce dominates the male worm's brain over risk of harm. The researchers link this phenomenon to a specific protein in the worms' brains – one that is closely related to a protein found in other animals. In roundworms, the protein is called neuropeptide receptor, NPR-5, and it is involved in foraging and escape responses, seeming to regulate male learning by modifying brain activity. This receptor has an equivalent in mammals, including humans. Ours is activated by a neuropeptide called NPY, and it is a key regulator of various behaviors, including learning and memory. "In past studies, scientists discovered that female mice have lower levels of NPY than males, and they postulated that this is why they are more sensitive to stress in response to danger," explains Meital Oren-Suissa, who leads the Oren Lab in Weizmann's Department of Brain Sciences. "Even though human behavior is far more complex, our study lays the groundwork for understanding the differences between the sexes in more complex organisms." The study features Caenorhabditis elegans, a species widely used as a model organism. C. elegans has a no-frills nervous system with a few hundred nerve cells, and it's the only species whose neuronal connections have been fully mapped in both sexes. Those connections are all identical at birth, deviating by sex only once the worms mature. The species is ideal for illuminating genetic differences between nematode sexes, since an individual worm's sex is primarily determined by genes, without complicating factors like hormones. Unlike mammals, roundworms have two sexes: males and hermaphrodites, which can be considered 'self-fertile' females with the ability to create their own sperm and reproduce with themselves. The study tested both sexes' ability to learn from experience. Using harmful bacteria that smell appealing to C. elegans, the authors first exposed each sex to a fragrant poison. Once they had experience with this toxin, worms got to choose between the toxic bacteria or a less appetizing, but harmless option. Exposed hermaphrodites were quick to switch to the less harmful food, the study found, but most exposed males stuck with the better-smelling bacteria, even as it sickened them. Only after much more extended training periods did the males start to avoid the toxic food. In exposed hermaphrodite worms, neurons linked to olfactory repulsion became more active when they encountered toxic food again, but a similar effect didn't occur in exposed males. To investigate why that is, the researchers did some tinkering, genetic engineering hermaphroditic worms with male nervous systems. This 'brain swap' was enough to cause a clear decline in the worm's ability to learn. Tellingly, making male worms associate illness with the smell of the toxic bacterium required something more than just tweaking their nervous system. A change in the gender of their digestive anatomy was required as well. "This and other findings led us to postulate that the digestive and nervous systems communicate with one another – possibly using neuropeptides, short proteins that attach themselves to neurons and affect them – and that this communication represses the worms' ability to learn," says lead author and neurobiologist Sonu Peedikayil-Kurien, a doctoral student at the Weizmann Institute of Science. When males were exposed to the toxic bacteria, researchers noticed reduced expression of the NPR-5 receptor in the brain. So they created males that completely lacked this receptor, enhancing their learning in the process. That cognitive advantage vanished when researchers restored NPR-5 expression, leading the researchers to suspect this receptor suppresses learning in males. And while learning to avoid danger is usually adaptive, males also face evolutionary pressure to prioritize reproduction, explains Oren-Suissa, who leads the Oren Lab in Weizmann's Department of Brain Sciences. "One important point that we discovered in this context is that when we allowed male worms to mate with female worms during the [exposure] period, we saw that their ability to learn from experience improved," Oren-Suissa says. "In fact, you could say that the receptor we identified is responsible for the fact that males will prioritize reproduction over learning from experience as part of their decision-making process," she adds. "We know that male worms will abandon food to look for a mate, so it is possible that their urge to procreate overcomes other evolutionary pressures, such as the need to avoid danger." The study was published in Nature Communications. Something Truly Scary Discovered at The Bottom of Belize's Great Blue Hole 'Largest' Rare Earth Metals Deposit Discovered in Kazakhstan Oxygen Metabolism Emerged on Earth Before The Great Oxidation Event, Study Reveals
