Author: AUFTAU

A Rising Star in STEM and Social Engagement

Written by AUFTAU on 28 June 2022. Posted in Scholarship stories.

TAU student and Schulich Leader Kochava Pavlov overcame adversity to succeed in academia and beyond.

TAU undergrad Kochava Pavlov always loved learning, but for many years she didn’t believe that she would be part of the academic world because she wouldn’t be able to afford it or wouldn’t qualify.

Pavlov, 25, grew up in Jerusalem in challenging family circumstances. At age 10, social services placed her in Israel’s boarding school system which houses youth who need a safe place to live. At 14, a friend’s family adopted her, providing her with vital support through her high school years.

“I used to doubt that I would even graduate high school let alone enter university,” she says.

Nonetheless, she excelled in high school—particularly in scientific disciplines—and went on to volunteer and work in roles teaching youth and children with special needs. With her standout academics and record of social leadership, she was one of 10 TAU students selected for the 2020-21 Schulich Leader Scholarships program. Now, finishing her second year at TAU studying math with a concentration in computer science, she has her sights set on making a difference for Israeli society.

“Winning the Scholarship showed me how much others believe in me and want me to succeed,” says Pavlov. “It reaffirmed my belief in what I can accomplish and is helping me pursue my dream of getting a university degree.”

The Schulich Leader Scholarships program accepts 55 students in total from five participating Israeli universities each year. It was established in 2012 by prominent Canadian entrepreneur and philanthropist, Seymour Schulich. The competitive program enables outstanding students – in Israel and Canada – to dedicate themselves to their demanding studies and aims to nurture the next global scientific leaders. The scholarships are granted based on merit, social leadership, and financial need.

The program supports the entire course of studies for an undergraduate degree in scientific and technological fields. Nearly 90 scholarships have been granted to TAU students since the program’s launch.

Paying it Forward

In spite of her challenging upbringing, Pavlov explains that several of her teachers were key to keeping her motivated early in her academic journey. At age 11, she began fencing, in which she excelled. In high school she faced a dilemma of whether to focus on qualifying for Israel’s National Team or schoolwork. Ultimately, she stuck with academics as she believed it would provide her with more opportunities.

“My teachers’ belief in me helped me to not fall [victim to my circumstances] during my childhood,” she says.

Pavlov credits the support throughout the years from the boarding school staff to social workers, her adopted family, and the Schulich Scholarship for helping her reach her current successes.

After high school, Pavlov joined Israel’s Sherut Leumi (“National Service”), a voluntary alternative to military duty, where she discovered her passion for working with children with special needs.

After finishing her year of national service at age 19, she tutored a child on the autism spectrum for two years. Then, after a few months volunteering and traveling in Africa, she returned to Israel and was accepted to TAU.

“Ultimately, my dream is to combine my abilities and academic knowledge of math and computer science with my love for helping kids, perhaps by working at an NGO or a school,” she says. “I hope to pay forward the support I’ve received and help others who come from hard backgrounds or struggle with uncertainty.”

She adds that part of her ambition is to empower others who come from unconventional backgrounds to realize their potential to succeed.

“When you come from a hard family life, something causes you to think you might not succeed in the way that people from other backgrounds do,” she says. “I want to show others that it is possible to follow their dreams.”

– By Julie Steigerwald

Mexican Archaeologist Aspires to Bridge Countries, Cultures

Written by AUFTAU on 27 June 2022. Posted in Scholarship stories.

Scholarship helped TAU student Andrea Garza pursue graduate studies in Israel.

As an undergraduate student in her native Mexico, Andrea Garza first visited Israel as a volunteer on an archaeological excavation after finishing her BA in archaeology in Mexico.

“I was impressed by the methodologies and the way they research,” says Garza. That experience planted the seed for pursuing an advanced degree in the field a decade later.

Thanks to scholarships from Tel Aviv University’s Department of Archaeology and Ancient Near Eastern Cultures and Mexican Friends of TAU, she enrolled in the master’s program in Ancient Israel Studies at TAU International. Now in her second year, she is writing a thesis about pottery production traditions in the Hellenistic and Roman Periods at Magdala in the Galilee under the supervision of TAU’s Prof. Oded Lipschits and Prof. Andrea Berlin (Boston University).

“I am very thankful for my scholarships because without them it wouldn’t have been possible to study at TAU and realize my dreams,” she says. “The scholarship allows me to focus on my studies, without having to constantly search for ways to support myself.”

“What I like about studying at TAU is that we are very well-connected to professional professors. Also, what we learn in the classroom can be applied very quickly in the field, in archaeological sites throughout Israel.”

For Garza, studying in Israel, and at TAU specifically, is a unique opportunity.

In my country, archaeology is different, says Garza; no one in Mexico studies ancient pottery or coins from the Levant, for example. Israel has an “exquisite … material culture,” she adds, people in both countries aren’t familiar with the treasures of the other. “I would love to be the bridge between these two amazing cultures.”

To this end, Garza hopes to pursue a PhD at TAU.

Her future plans underscore how crucial the scholarships have been to the success of her TAU studies.

“My doctoral studies are conditional on whether I can obtain financial support,” she explains. “Without assistance, it will be very difficult to complete my studies and focus on my research.”

Beyond her own career, she values the wide-ranging impact of scholarships for both students and the University.

“Here at TAU, you have great potential to learn a lot from faculty and in the labs and the field. There are a lot of students who want to be a part of this,” she says. “Scholarships are the link that bring them together.”

– By Melanie Takefman

Bringing Healthy Smiles to the Ultra-Orthodox Community

Written by AUFTAU on 27 June 2022. Posted in Scholarship stories.

Backed by scholarship and support program, dental student Alon Elias pursues his dream of helping his community.

After spending his formative years in Israel’s ultra-Orthodox education system, Alon Elias decided to pursue a career in which he would make a broader impact on his community and Israeli society.

He’d always considered himself a people’s person and had a particular interest in healthcare and wellness professions. Standing over six feet tall and with a megawatt smile, Elias exudes an inviting and serene disposition that would welcome any patient.

The 32-year-old father of six is now completing his second year at TAU’s Maurice and Gabriela Goldschleger School of Dental Medicine.

Elias, whose father is a dentist, hopes to use his first-hand familiarity with the ultra-Orthodox community to drive the profession forward and overcome some of the concerns and challenges that he has encountered regarding dental health.

“When I finish my studies, I hope to use my knowledge as a practicing dentist to help the Haredi [ultra-Orthodox] community and increase understanding and awareness of the importance of oral health,” he says.

To help Elias achieve his academic ambitions at TAU, he received a Presidential Scholarship under the framework of Trailblazers: The Program for Integrating the Ultra-Orthodox into Tel Aviv University. The Program offers a special admission track and comprehensive support services to ease the entry of ultra-Orthodox Jewish students into secular academia.

“With intensive studies almost every day and a busy home life, there isn’t much time to work for extra income,” he says. “The scholarship helps me finance my studies and the cost of living, so that I can have the same opportunities as my fellow students to excel and achieve my dreams.”

He adds, beaming, that the Trailblazers program “gives me everything to succeed, including social and academic resources like private tutoring and English lessons, which have made a big difference for me.”

Overall, he sees great value in scholarships that provide opportunities for students from diverse backgrounds.

“Scholarships help to even the playing field for students who don’t all come with the same privileges and advantages,” he muses. “To the donors who support scholarships, I say: Thank you and keep up the incredible work!”

– By Julie Steigerwald

Scholarship Helps Student Balance Top Internship with Graduate Studies

Written by AUFTAU on 26 June 2022. Posted in Scholarship stories.

Legal Scholar David Bodenheim hopes to pay forward donor generosity.

Several years ago, David Bodenheim was a father of baby triplets. He had a full-time job in real estate during the day and studied for a bachelor’s degree in law at a community college at night.

It was at that frenetic juncture in his life that he decided to make a change.

“It was my personal goal to study law, a field that always interested me because of the intellectual challenges it offers both in academia and in practice,” said Bodenheim, who is now in his second year of a master’s degree at TAU’s Buchmann Faculty of Law. Even though he had a lot on his plate, he knew that if he didn’t start then, it would never happen.

Seeking Experiences

Bodenheim has always known how to seek out opportunities for personal development and fulfillment. Growing up in Jerusalem as one of eight children, his parents couldn’t afford the extracurricular activities and enrichment classes he craved. So he convinced his brother-in-law to start a boys’ choir. He says the experience imbued him with confidence, especially when speaking in public—an important skill for a lawyer.

After earning his undergraduate degree, Bodenheim was accepted to TAU’s LL.M. program in civil and commercial law. Alongside his studies, he is completing an internship at Herzog Fox & Neeman (HFN), one of Israel’s largest and most reputable law firms.

A Match Made at TAU

Yet, he couldn’t finance his graduate studies alone.

He applied for financial aid, and TAU matched him with the Wahl scholarship to fund his studies. “Receiving the scholarship basically made the choice for me of going to Tel Aviv University,” said Bodenheim. The choice was right. “TAU is an excellent place, and I’ve met amazing people.”

“As a small person in the world, being able to get a scholarship that would help me through school was an amazing feeling. It’s a tremendous advantage not having to pay full tuition. It allows me to focus on my internship and my academic studies.” He is also part of Trailblazers: The Program for Integrating the Ultra-Orthodox into Tel Aviv University. The Program offers a special admission track and support services for ultra-Orthodox students.

In the meantime, Bodenheim is not slowing down. Alongside his internship, he plans to pursue a PhD at TAU and aspires to eventually become a partner at HFN.

“Scholarships in general give a tremendous help to different people coming from different backgrounds who don’t have the financial options to pursue advanced degrees,” he said. “It helps people change the world.”

“My scholarship made a huge difference in my life. I hope to be able to pass that on in the future as a donor myself.”

– By Melanie Takefman

Cyber Week 2022 at TAU: Combating ‘Real and Growing’ Threats

Written by AUFTAU on 24 June 2022. Posted in Newsroom.

Cyber Week, one of the top cybersecurity events in the world, is making a full return to Tel Aviv University campus in its usual in-person format on June 27th – 30th.

With thousands of attendees from more than 80 countries, including top CISOs and government decision makers from around the globe, this year’s conference offers a thought-provoking exchange of knowledge, methods, and ideas on burning topics like fraud, crypto, cloud, the supply chain, cybersecurity for aviation, maritime, automotive, data protection, capacity building and the future cyber landscape.

The events will run for a full week and include over 40 roundtables, panels, workshops, forums, competitions, and more.

Pressing Need for Cyber Security Solutions

Cybercrime has never been a bigger threat than it is now, with a 600% increase in malicious emails since the beginning of the pandemic and related damage predicted to hit $10.5 trillion annually by 2025.

Furthermore, since the outbreak of Russia’s war on Ukraine, cyber experts have seen a dramatic and concerning rise in cyber warfare activity, with a sustained and ongoing conflict which still threatens to escalate dramatically.

It has become increasingly important as a result, to inspire innovation and effective cyber security solutions in the industry. Major Gen (Ret) Prof. Isaac Ben Israel Head of the Blavatnik Interdisciplinary Cyber Research Center and Chairman of the Conference stresses, “Cyber is an increasingly vulnerable space that is affecting everyone. Businesses must wise up to the real and growing threat of cyber-attacks, and cybersecurity experts must be ready to respond to the escalating demand for cyber security with novel solutions. We must prepare now to be ready for what we know tomorrow will inevitably hold.”

Cyber Week’s events span a wide variety of topics dealing with all aspects of the issue, including regulation and law, startup innovation, artificial intelligence, financial technologies, healthcare and cyber defense, and aim to inspire innovation, drive solutions and encourage collaboration.

Israeli outgoing Prime Minister Naftali Bennett spoke at last year’s Cyber Week conference at Tel Aviv University

Experts from Near and Far

The Conference is now in its 12th year, and its Main Plenary Event (held from June 28th to June 29th) is the largest and most anticipated event of Cyber Week each year, during which some of the most renowned names in the cyber world will discuss crucial dilemmas and issues facing the public and private sectors of every company, city, and country in the world today.

This year’s speakers include: Outgoing Prime Minister of Israel Naftali Bennett; Benjamin Gantz, Israel Minister of Defense; Anne Neuberger, Deputy Assistant to the President & Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber & Emerging Technologies, White House, USA; Chris Inglis, National Cyber Director of the Executive Office of the US President; Gaby Portnoy, the Director General of the Israel National Cyber Directorate; Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Prof. Isaac Ben-Israel, Conference Chairman of Cyber Week and Director of Blavatnik Interdisciplinary Cyber Research Center at the Tel Aviv University; Jane Horvath, Chief Privacy Officer of Apple, Inc.; Lindy Cameron, CEO of the National Cyber Security Center; Tim Brown, CISO of SolarWinds; Cecilie Fjellhøy, Founder of action:reaction, Netflix-star Tinder Swindler; Jason Chan; Former VP, Information Security of Netflix and many more.

Want to Join?

Cyber Week is hosted by the Blavatnik Interdisciplinary Cyber Research Center and the Yuval Ne’eman Workshop for Science, Technology and Security, at Tel Aviv University, headed by Major Gen. (Ret.) Prof. Isaac Ben-Israel, together with the National Cyber Directorate at the Prime Minister’s Office, The Ministry of Economy and Industry and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Olive Trees Were First Domesticated 7,000 Years Ago

Written by AUFTAU on 17 June 2022. Posted in Newsroom.

A joint study by researchers from Tel Aviv University and the Hebrew University unraveled the earliest evidence for domestication of a fruit tree. The researchers analyzed remnants of charcoal from the Chalcolithic site of Tel Zaf in the Jordan Valley and determined that they came from olive trees. Since the olive did not grow naturally in the Jordan Valley, this means that the inhabitants planted the tree intentionally about 7,000 years ago. Some of the earliest stamps were also found at the site, and as a whole, the researchers say the findings indicate wealth, and early steps toward the formation of a complex multilevel society.

The groundbreaking study was led by Dr. Dafna Langgut of the The Jacob M. Alkow Department of Archaeology & Ancient Near Eastern Cultures, The Sonia & Marco Nadler Institute of Archaeology and the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History at Tel Aviv University. The charcoal remnants were found in the archaeological excavation directed by Prof. Yosef Garfinkel of the Institute of Archaeology at the Hebrew University. The findings were published in the journal Scientific Reports from the publishers of Nature.

‘Indisputable Proof of Domestication’

According to Dr. Langgut, Head of the Laboratory of Archaeobotany & Ancient Environments which specializes in microscopic identification of plant remains, “trees, even when burned down to charcoal, can be identified by their anatomic structure. Wood was the ‘plastic’ of the ancient world. It was used for construction, for making tools and furniture, and as a source of energy. That’s why identifying tree remnants found at archaeological sites, such as charcoal from hearths, is a key to understanding what kinds of trees grew in the natural environment at the time, and when humans began to cultivate fruit trees.”

In her lab, Dr. Langgut identified the charcoal from Tel Zaf as belonging to olive and fig trees. “Olive trees grow in the wild in the land of Israel, but they do not grow in the Jordan Valley,” she says. “This means that someone brought them there intentionally – took the knowledge and the plant itself to a place that is outside its natural habitat. In archaeobotany, this is considered indisputable proof of domestication, which means that we have here the earliest evidence of the olive’s domestication anywhere in the world.”

7,000 years-old microscopic remains of charred olive wood (Olea) recovered from Tel Tsaf (Photo: Dr. Dafna Langgut)

“I also identified many remnants of young fig branches. The fig tree did grow naturally in the Jordan Valley, but its branches had little value as either firewood or raw materials for tools or furniture, so people had no reason to gather large quantities and bring them to the village. Apparently, these fig branches resulted from pruning, a method still used today to increase the yield of fruit trees.”

Evidence of Luxury

The tree remnants examined by Dr. Langgut were collected by Prof. Yosef Garfinkel of the Hebrew University, who headed the dig at Tel Zaf. Prof. Garfinkel: “Tel Zaf was a large prehistoric village in the middle Jordan Valley south of Beit She’an, inhabited between 7,200 and 6,700 years ago. Large houses with courtyards were discovered at the site, each with several granaries for storing crops. Storage capacities were up to 20 times greater than any single family’s calorie consumption, so clearly these were caches for storing great wealth. The wealth of the village was manifested in the production of elaborate pottery, painted with remarkable skill. In addition, we found articles brought from afar: pottery of the Ubaid culture from Mesopotamia, obsidian from Anatolia, a copper awl from the Caucasus, and more.”

Dr. Langgut and Prof. Garfinkel were not surprised to discover that the inhabitants of Tel Zaf were the first in the world to intentionally grow olive and fig groves, since growing fruit trees is evidence of luxury, and this site is known to have been exceptionally wealthy.

Dr. Langgut: “The domestication of fruit trees is a process that takes many years, and therefore befits a society of plenty, rather than one that struggles to survive. Trees give fruit only 3-4 years after being planted. Since groves of fruit trees require a substantial initial investment, and then live on for a long time, they have great economic and social significance in terms of owning land and bequeathing it to future generations – procedures suggesting the beginnings of a complex society. Moreover, it’s quite possible that the residents of Tel Zaf traded in products derived from the fruit trees, such as olives, olive oil, and dried figs, which have a long shelf life. Such products may have enabled long-distance trade that led to the accumulation of material wealth, and possibly even taxation – initial steps in turning the locals into a society with a socio-economic hierarchy supported by an administrative system.”

Dr. Langgut concludes: “At the Tel Zaf archaeological site we found the first evidence in the world for the domestication of fruit trees, alongside some of the earliest stamps – suggesting the beginnings of administrative procedures. As a whole, the findings indicate wealth, and early steps toward the formation of a complex multilevel society, with the class of farmers supplemented by classes of clerks and merchants.”

Asper Foundation, TAU Launch Innovative Clean Water Project

Written by AUFTAU on 15 June 2022. Posted in Newsroom.

Gift enhances partnership between Tel Aviv University and one of Canada’s largest foundation.

Tel Aviv University together with the Canadian Friends of Tel Aviv University (CFTAU) on June 14 inaugurated the Asper Clean Water Fund, established with a $407,000 gift from The Asper Foundation, one of Canada’s largest private foundations. The funds will bolster the work of TAU’s Water Energy (WE) Lab to further develop technology that produces safe drinking water in the developing world.

Headed by Prof. Hadas Mamane of TAU’s Fleischman Faculty of Engineering, the Lab is among numerous research teams devising solutions to address global water scarcity. Her Lab has developed a patented technology that uses LED lighting and solar energy to disinfect water. The laptop-sized device—called SoLED—operates without any chemicals or electricity to kill 99.9% of bacteria and viruses from water, making it cheaper and easier to use than existing solutions in remote areas.

At least 2 billion people around the world use water from contaminated sources. Furthermore, unsafe water is linked to the deaths of an estimated 800 children each day. The issue predominantly affects people in the developing world, where access to clean water resources is often unaffordable or inaccessible. More so, as the impact of climate change increases, water scarcity will affect nearly half the world’s population by 2025, according to expert estimates.

Among attendees at the inauguration ceremony at TAU were Gail Asper, President and Trustee of The Asper Foundation; Moses Levy, Executive Director of The Asper Foundation; TAU Vice President for Resource Development Amos Elad; Dean of the Engineering Faculty Prof. Noam Eliaz; and Prof. Mamane together with researchers from her lab.

“My late parents, Israel and Babs, would be incredibly proud of this endeavor which will make such a positive impact on people’s lives,” said Gail Asper. “The research at Prof. Mamane’s Water-Energy Lab and at Tel Aviv University aligns with our Foundation’s commitment to supporting entrepreneurial spirit and to creating a better world. We are excited to embark on this journey to advance innovative ideas and change lives.”

The support of The Asper Foundation, a leading force in Jewish and general philanthropy in Israel and Canada, will enable Prof. Mamane and her team to further expand the capabilities of the technology and field-test the device. Their ultimate goal is to produce a scalable version that could be manufactured for mass distribution.

Prof. Hadas Mamane, head of Tel Aviv University’s Water Energy (WE) Lab, with the SoLED device. (Credit: Rafael Ben-Menashe/TAU)

The gift enhances the existing partnership of philanthropic support and collaboration between the Asper Family, based in Winnipeg, and the University.

Tel Aviv University President Prof. Ariel Porat said: “As Israel’s largest research university, TAU places great importance on creating solutions to global challenges to the environment and society. We are thrilled to welcome The Asper Foundation as a partner and look forward to working with its team.”

Prof. Mamane, Head of the Water-Energy Lab and Environmental Engineering Program at TAU, explained that her passion for the project stems from her deep-seated desire to help bridge the disparities in affordable clean water access, particularly for vulnerable peoples in rural and low-income communities. Her lab works with interdisciplinary teams from disciplines including Social Sciences, Psychology and Public Policy to determine the most effective ways to incorporate her technology into broader safe water delivery processes.

“My team and I are delighted and honored by The Asper Foundation’s support,” she said. “This gift will accelerate our efforts to provide underserved populations with access to clean water—a basic human right and an endeavor that stands to save thousands of lives.”

Canadian Friends of Tel Aviv University Chief Executive Officer (Ontario & Western Canada) Stephen Adler added: “CFTAU is proud to be a link between the great Canadian family and Israel’s leading research university. We look forward to seeing the fruits of this research and identifying ways to maximize its impact in Israel, Canada and around the world. We thank The Asper Family Foundation and the Asper Family for their continued support and friendship.”

Breakthrough Technology Could Lead to One-Time HIV Treatment

Written by AUFTAU on 14 June 2022. Posted in Newsroom.

Researchers from Tel Aviv University demonstrated success of a novel technology that may be developed into a one-time vaccine to treat people with HIV and AIDS. The team used CRISP systems, best known as a gene-editing technique, to engineer type B white blood cells that activate the immune system to produce HIV-neutralizing antibodies.

The study was led by Dr. Adi Barzel and PhD student Alessio Nehmad, both from the School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry and Biophysics at The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences and the Dotan Center for Advanced Therapies at TAU in collaboration with the Sourasky Medical Center (Ichilov). The study was conducted in collaboration with additional researchers from Israel and the US. The study was published in the prestigious journal Nature.

An Inside Operation

There is currently no permanent cure for AIDS. There is also no genetic treatment for AIDS, so the research opportunities are vast. “Based on this study,” says Dr. Barzel, “we can expect that over the coming years we will be able to produce a medication for AIDS, additional infectious diseases and certain types of cancer caused by a virus, such as cervical cancer, head and neck cancer and more.”

Dr. Barzel explains: “We developed an innovative treatment that may defeat the virus with a one-time injection, with the potential of bringing about tremendous improvement in the patients’ condition. When the engineered B cells encounter the virus, the virus stimulates and encourages them to divide, so we are utilizing the very cause of the disease to combat it. Furthermore, if the virus changes, the B cells will also change accordingly in order to combat it, so we have created the first medication ever that can evolve in the body and defeat viruses in the ‘arms race’.”

Over the last two decades, the lives of many AIDS patients have improved as a result of game-changing treatments. These treatments control the virus to convert the disease from what was once a universally lethal to a chronic illness. However, the researchers underline that there is still a long way to go before a treatment is found that would provide patients with a permanent cure. The development from Dr. Barzel’s laboratory offers one possible route for the endeavor. HIV destroys certain white blood cells that are critical for immune health, weakening the body’s defenses against serious infections. The technique developed in his lab involves the injection of genetically-engineered type B white blood cells into a patient’s body, catalyzing the immune system to secrete antibodies that neutralize the HIV.

B cells are a type of white blood cells responsible for generating antibodies against viruses, bacteria and more formed in bone marrow. When they mature, B cells move into the blood and lymphatic system and from there to the different body parts.

Dr Barzel explains: “Until now, only a few scientists, and we among them, had been able to engineer B cells outside of the body. In this study, we were the first to do this within body and then make those cells generate the desired antibodies. The genetic engineering is conducted with viral carriers derived from viruses that were also engineered. We did this to avoid causing any damage, and solely bring the gene coded for the antibody into the B cells in the body.”

“Additionally, in this case we have been able to accurately introduce the antibodies into a desired site in the B cell genome. All lab models that had been administered the treatment responded, and had high quantities of the desired antibody in their blood. We produced the antibody from the blood and made sure it was actually effective in neutralizing the HIV virus in the lab dish.”

Modifying B Cells Inside the Body

The genetic editing was done with a CRISPR, a technology based on a bacterial immune system against viruses. The bacteria use the CRISPR systems as a sort of molecular “search engine” to locate viral sequences and cut them in order to disable them.

PhD student Alessio Nehmad elaborates on the use of CRISPR: “We incorporate the capability of a CRISPR to direct the introduction of genes into desired sites along with the capabilities of viral carriers to bring desired genes to desired cells. Thus, we are able to engineer the B cells inside a patient’s body. We use two viral carriers of the AAV family, one carrier codes for the desired antibody and the second carrier codes the CRISPR system. When the CRISPR cuts in the desired site in the genome of the B cells it directs the introduction of the desired gene: the gene coding for the antibody against the HIV virus, which causes AIDS.”

The “Nobel of Mathematics”: TAU Prof. Noga Alon Wins the Prestigious Shaw Prize in Mathematical Sciences

Written by AUFTAU on 9 June 2022. Posted in Newsroom.

Prof. Noga Alon of Tel Aviv University and Princeton University has won the 2002 Shaw Prize in Mathematical Sciences. Prof. Alon, one of the world’s leading researchers in mathematics and computer science, is the second Israeli in history to receive the prestigious prize.

Noga Alon, born in 1956, is Professor Emeritus of Mathematics and Computer Science at Tel Aviv University and Professor of Mathematics at Princeton University. Prof. Alon joined Tel Aviv University in 1985, where he served as head of the School of Mathematical Sciences and was entrusted with the Chair of Combinatorics and Computer Science at TAU’s Blavatnik School of Computer Science. He is a member of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities and the Academia Europaea. In the past, he has won the Israel Prize, the EMET Prize, Gödel Prize and the Steele Prize.

The Shaw Prize was awarded to Prof. Alon for the entirety of his groundbreaking work, which has included laying the foundations for streaming algorithms used in Big Data analysis and the development of algebraic and probabilistic methods to deal with problems in graph theory and additive number theory. “[Noga Alon] introduced new methods and achieved fundamental results which entirely shaped the field,” the judges wrote.

Equivalent to the Nobel

The Shaw Prize was founded in 2002 by Hong Kong media tycoon Run Run Shaw, who decided to award it annually to “individuals, regardless of race, nationality, gender and religious belief, who have recently achieved significant breakthroughs in academic and scientific research or applications and whose work has resulted in a positive and profound impact on mankind,” in three categories – mathematics, astronomy, and life sciences and medicine. The prize in each category is $1.2 million.

“Because there is no Nobel Prize in mathematics, there are two prizes, the Abel Prize and the Shaw Prize, which see themselves as equivalent to the Nobel in this field,” explains Prof. Alon. “Obviously, as with any other award, winning depends on various factors, including the composition of the committee, and perhaps ultimately it’s also a matter of luck – because there are certainly quite a few researchers in the world who are deserving of this award. For me, this is a very pleasant surprise; the list of previous winners of the Shaw Prize is really very impressive.”

“Israel is a country that is very strong in the sciences in general, and in mathematics and computer science in particular,” says Prof. Alon. “The global standing of Israeli research in these fields far exceeds the relative size of the population. My own research focuses on combinatorics, which is the mathematics of finite structures, with uses and applications in computer science, additive number theory, combinatorial geometry and other related fields.”

“Prof. Noga Alon has been one of the most influential and prolific scientists in the field for the past decades,” says Head of the School of Mathematical Sciences, Raymond & Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences,Yaron Ostrover. “His research is characterized by originality, an exceptional ability to solve difficult problems, often using an impressive variety of tools and methods. In addition to his outstanding scientific achievements, Prof. Alon has established a long line of outstanding students who have become leading researchers in mathematics and computer science in their own right, and hold positions at prestigious research universities in Israel and abroad.”

In 2020, the Shaw Prize was awarded to Prof. David Kashdan of the Hebrew University, and this year Prof. Alon shares the prize with another Israeli – Prof. Ehud Hrushovski of Oxford.

Featured image: Prof. Noga Alon (photo: Wikipedia)

If We Let Them Go, They Won’t Come Crawling Back

Written by AUFTAU on 6 June 2022. Posted in Newsroom.

One in every five species of reptiles is facing extinction.

There are over 12,000 species of reptiles crawling our planet, but according to a new international study, involving researchers from Tel Aviv University and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 21% of these, or a total of about 2,000 species, are threatened with extinction. How can we save them? Or is it too late?

15.6B Years of Evolution Down the Drain?

The comprehensive study, the first of its kind in history, was conducted by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and included 52 researchers from around the world, including Prof. Shai Meiri of Tel Aviv University’s School of Zoology, The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences and the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, and Dr. Uri Roll of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. The study was published in the prestigious journal Nature.

The findings of the study show that 30% of forest-dwelling reptiles and about 14% of those living in arid areas are threatened, and that 58% of all turtle species and 50% of all crocodile species are in danger of becoming extinct. The researchers sadly point out that if all of the 1,829 species of turtles, crocodiles, lizards, and snakes that have been found to be threatened do indeed become extinct in the coming years, the world will lose a cumulative wealth of 15.6 billion years of evolution.

Fortunately, no species of reptile has become extinct in Israel in the last decade, but there are many species that are endangered, such as the Hermon Gecko, the Be’er Sheva fringe-fingered lizard and several more.

50% of all crocodile species are in danger of becoming extinct

Mapping Out the Threats

The IUCN is an international body whose role is, among other things, to assess the threat of extinction posed to various species. Each species of animal or plant receives a score on a five-point scale. The purpose of this ranking is to define those species that are the most endangered, thereby enabling decision makers and various bodies, such the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, to outline policies accordingly.

In 2004, the IUCN released a comprehensive report on amphibians, and a few years later it issued reports on birds and mammals. The IUCN has been working on the reptile report for the past 18 years, having invited experts on this taxonomic group from all over the world to participate.

“In general, the state of reptiles in the world is bad,” says Prof. Meiri. “It’s worse than that of birds and mammals, though not as bad as that of the amphibians. And of course there are a lot of nuances. We see that turtles are in a worse position than lizards and snakes, but that may be because we know more about turtles. Perhaps if we knew more about snakes, we would see that they, too, are in big trouble.”

“The biggest threat to reptiles is the destruction of their habitats due to agriculture, deforestation, and urban development, and less because of direct hunting, which mainly affects turtles and crocodiles. We created detailed maps of these threats. For example, if a particular species is highly threatened in the Israel’s Arava desert, but not in the rest of its habitat range that may span the entire Arabian Peninsula, then globally it is not considered a threatened species. The new assessments, for more than 10,000 species of reptiles, will allow us to understand their conservation needs, and hopefully enable us to find far more intelligent solutions for them than we have been able to so far.”

Prof. Shai Meiri

Dr. Uri Roll adds, “This is important work that forms the initial basis for risk assessment among various reptiles around the world, but is certainly not the end of the story. We still lack a lot of information about the various risks facing reptiles. For example, climate change is expected to have significant effects on reptiles. The current assessment that has just been published does not yet include these future threats in its reptile risk assessments. We still have a lot of work ahead of us.”

When asked whether it is still possible to stop the wheels from turning, Prof. Meiri says that “There’s room for optimism, but not overly so. It is finally possible, thanks in part to this study, to plan dedicated nature conservations for reptiles as well – there is more awareness and there are ways in which we can help them. In Israel, great efforts are made to protect various kinds of turtles. Less attention is paid to most species of lizards and snakes, however, which make up the vast majority.”

Featured image: Endangered: Egyptian mastigure (Photo: Alex slavenko)

Author: AUFTAU

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