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Lessons in Tolerance and DNA Extraction in Tel Aviv University’s Medical Labs

Written by AUFTAU on . Posted in Newsroom.

High school students on the autism spectrum were integrated for a whole semester in the research laboratories of TAU’s Faculty of Medicine.

A hugely successful pilot project was concluded in Tel Aviv University’s Sackler Faculty of Medicine, in which nine curious high school students on the autism spectrum from the Ahad Ha’Am School in Petah Tikva (a city in the Central District of Israel) were integrated in the University’s medicine labs for one semester. In the labs, the highschoolers experienced research and teamwork under the guidance of TAU medical students and doctoral students. Together, they programmed codes for research analyses, grew bacteria, extracted DNA, and other fascinating activities.

All good things come to an end, and a touching farewell ceremony was held on campus last week. Good news is, because of the project’s success there are now plans to expand the program to include additional School of Medicine labs.

Opening the Labs

The special project was launched by Sharon Naor, a TAU PhD graduate student of the Faculty of Medicine, and Prof. Karen Avraham, Dean of the Faculty, in collaboration with Kobi Malka, Director the of the “גדולים במדים” (“Big in Uniform”) program of the Lend a Hand to a Special Child association. Malka’s program typically works to integrate children on the autistic spectrum into the army.

The project consisted of two-hour sessions every week for an entire semester. Every week, the youth met with graduate and doctoral students who generously contributed their time and knowledge in seven different medical laboratories that were allocated for the project. 

 

Mutual contribution (from left to right): Lily Trossman and Dr. Moran Goren, who took part in the project together

 

“One of the [TAU] students told me during the semester: ‘I’m learning to be more tolerant and to listen to someone who thinks at a different pace. It doesn’t mean that the person is less talented than me.’ In other words: ‘I came to teach and left educated'” Dr. Sharon Naor

 

Came to Teach and Left Educated

“We thought it would be a good idea to introduce young people diagnosed on the autistic spectrum to the world of science, explains Dr. Sharon Naor. “We’re not talking about a day of fun, but to bring them inside some of Tel Aviv University’s many labs and let them be a part of what’s going on there for some time. Who knows, maybe the experience will inspire some of them to become scientists themselves one day,” he muses.

He is convinced that the sessions were mutually beneficial for the highschoolers and for the University students: “One of the graduate students told me during the semester: ‘I’m learning to be more tolerant and to listen to someone who thinks at a different pace. It doesn’t mean that the person is less talented than me.’ In other words, the student joined the project with the intention to teach and was surprised to leave the experience educated.” 

The Dean of Medicine agrees that both highschoolers and students benefitted from the project. Addressing the participants from her Faculty, Prof. Karen Avraham commended the students for dedicating their time to this project and added: “I believe that these two hours a week have nurtured something inside you as well, and that the project opens our hearts. I have no doubt that we will continue this wonderful project.”

 

“What helps build a better society are small human actions, the ability to pay attention to the needs of other people, and to look for ways to accommodate and to provide a suitable response.” Yael Bezalel Zhelezni

 

While We’re on the Topic of the Heart… 

“We work hard to prepare our students for the future by familiarizing them with various systems and institutions that they will encounter, such as the military system, the employment system… and this year we got the opportunity to introduce them to the academic system as well!” said Yael Bezalel Zhelezni, Director of the Ahad Ha’Am School, addressing TAU’s academic staff. She and her staff had witnessed the participating highschoolers’ great excitement about the lab sessions during the semester.

“What helps build a better society are small human actions, the ability to pay attention to the needs of other people, and to look for ways to accommodate and provide a suitable response. This project is a lesson in modesty, respect and friendship… and perhaps the most important lesson they will receive in their lives: how to be a person who sees the other and their needs (…) We are all different in some way or another.”

She noted that, “whereas the apparent target may be our young students, the real target of education in this project is society at large” 

Bezalel Zhelezni expressed her hope for the future generation of health professionals: “I hope, dear students, that these encounters will stay with you in the future, when you provide the most important care for humanity – medical care. And as for the lecturers among you: beyond producing talented new doctors, I hope that you will also pass on a sensitivity to this special group within our population. And that you will do so with pride.”

Featured Image: The project’s trainees, supervising students and Prof. Karen Avraham, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine

Medical Clowns – No Laughing Matter

Written by AUFTAU on . Posted in Newsroom.

Israeli researchers find that medical clowns contribute significantly to the achievement of medical therapeutic goals.

You see them stroll around in the hospitals’ toughest wards with their red noses, colorful clothes, and unwavering smiles, spreading laughter and cheerfulness wherever they go. They are the medical clowns: trained professionals whose goal is to change the hospital environment through humor. 

A new study tested and categorized the skills of medical clowns and found that their importance goes far beyond contributing to a patient’s good mood. The researchers identified 40 different skills of medical clowns, including establishing an emotional connection and creating a personal relationship with the patient, expressing the patient’s frustrations and difficulties to the medical staff, increasing the patient’s motivation to adhere to medical treatment, distracting the patient from pain, and creating a joyful atmosphere.

 

Medical clowns working alongside other therapists (Photo: The Dream Doctors Project, Medical Clowning in Action)

Not Just for Entertainment Purposes

The research was conducted under the leadership of Prof. Orit Karnieli-Miller, with Dr. Lior Rosenthal, both from the Department of Medical Education at TAU’s Sackler Faculty of Medicine, in collaboration with Ms. Orna Divon-Ophir, Dr. Doron Sagi, Prof. Amitai Ziv and Ms. Liat Pessach-Gelblum from the Israel Center for Medical Simulation (MSR). The study was published in Qualitative Health Research, a leading journal in the field of health.

The researchers show that not only do medical clowns help the patients and their family members, but also the medical team and the achievement of treatment goals.

Through use of different communication skills, clowns make it easier for the patient to cooperate with various treatments. The medical clowns work in a team with other therapists, know how to intervene and help whenever an argument or crisis should arise to advance treatment.

 

“From the moment they enter the room, the clowns form a bond with the patients, strengthen them, and give them power and status within the medical system.” Prof. Orit Karnieli-Miller. 

 

Decoding their “Secret Magic”

Studies conducted throughout the years have shown the clowns’ positive influence on the hospital environment through humor, as well as helping patients deal with pain. However, no studies have empirically mapped the skills they use and their therapeutic goals to help understand their “secret magic.” In addition, there was a lack of broad understanding of how clowns can help children, teenagers, and their parents in various challenging situations of distress and difficulty, as well as how they can help patients and medical teams achieve treatment goals. This lack of appreciation of the potential benefits of utilizing the services of medical clowns meant that patients and medical teams would occasionally be reluctant to cooperate with them.

As part of the new study, the researchers focused on qualitative, in-depth systematic identification of the skills of medical clowns through observation and analysis of their actions in challenging encounters with adolescents, parents, and medical staff.

 

Medical clowns help patients and medical teams achieve treatment goals (Photo: The Dream Doctors Project, Medical Clowning in Action)

The team analyzed videotaped sessions of medical clowns in various simulated situations and conducted in-depth interviews with expert medical clowns. The researchers identified 40 different skills used by the medical clowns to achieve four therapeutic goals:

1) building a relationship and connecting to the needs and desires of the patients

2) dealing with emotions and difficulties

3) increasing the patient’s motivation to adhere to the treatment plan

4) increasing the patient’s sense of control and providing encouragement to patients

The clowns examined in the study were trained and recruited by the “Dream Doctors Project”, a non-profit association that employs medical clowns as part of the paramedical system in Israeli hospitals, and trains them to work within multi-disciplinary teams. The Tel Aviv University researchers collaborated with the Israel Center for Medical Simulation (MSR), which created a simulation-based workshop focused on developing the skills of experienced medical clowns.

“From the moment they enter the room, the clowns form a bond with the patients, strengthen them, and give them power and status within the medical system,” explains Prof. Karnieli-Miller. “They do this through an initial connection to the patients’ voice, and even to the patients’ reluctance to implement therapeutic recommendations – an emotional connection that often results in the patient changing their position and cooperating with the medical staff.”

 

Providing the patient with an increased sense of control and courage to face their challenges (Photo: The Dream Doctors Project, Medical Clowning in Action)

According to Prof. Karnieli-Miller the medical system is hierarchical, and it is not always easy for patients to navigate. Therefore, one of the skills of medical clowns is to place themselves in the lowest position in the medical setting. By doing so, they empower the patients by giving them a sense of power and control, including the choice of whether to allow the clown to enter the room as well as to dictate the nature of the patient’s role vis-à-vis that of the clown. This provides the patient with an increased sense of control and courage to face their challenges.

The researchers emphasize that the clowns are very aware of the emotional difficulty associated with staying in a hospital and dealing with an illness. To help deal with these issues, the clowns sometimes distract the patient by using props, humor, and imagination. Other skills include allowing the patient to direct their frustrations towards them, away from medical staff or parents.

Depending on the situation the clowns may also use a comforting touch, soothing music, empathetic listening, or a reinforcing statement to provide an environment where the patient feels comfortable to express their feelings. A patient’s ability to gain legitimacy is important and is strengthened by the clowns.

 

Prof. Orit Karnieli-Miller

 

“Mapping the skills and goals of the medical clowns improves their understanding of their role and may help other health professionals appreciate their work methods and the benefits of incorporating these methods into their own practices when faced with similar challenges” Prof. Orit Karnieli-Miller.

 

Learning from Medical Clowns’ Methods

“Mapping the skills and goals of the medical clowns improves their understanding of their role and may help other health professionals appreciate their work methods and the benefits of incorporating these methods into their own practices when faced with similar challenges,” adds Prof. Karnieli-Miller.

“This research is important because it allows the clowns to enhance their training program and refine their diverse skills to achieve the various therapeutic goals appropriate for different patients, as well as helping health professionals collaborate with the medical clowns. If professionals in the healthcare field gain a clear understanding of how and when to cooperate with the medical clowns, they will be able to help patients overcome challenges, and at the same time they may be more tolerant of the clowns’ ‘disruption’ of the hospital care regimen. This appreciation of the clowns’ contribution will provide the clowns with the time and space to connect with patients and help and encourage patients to become more active participants in their treatment plan,” she concludes.

Featured image: Medical clown with happy customer (Photo: The Dream Doctors Project, Medical Clowning in Action)

Coller School of Management Among World’s Top 100 Business Schools

Written by AUFTAU on . Posted in Newsroom.

 The only Israeli business school included in ranking by CEOWORLD Magazine.

Tel Aviv University’s Coller School of Management was ranked among the 100 “Best Business Schools in The World For 2023”  by CEOWORLD Magazine, the only Israeli school to be included in this comprehensive international ranking. The ranking was conducted through the 2023 Global Business Schools survey among thousands of senior executives around the world and mentioned 500 selected schools among the 13,000 business administration schools operating in the world. Coller School of Management came in on the 99th place.

The ranking is based on seven main indicators of quality and reputation, including academic reputation, admission eligibility conditions, job placement rate, recruiting employer feedback, specialization reputation and global influence, as well as tuition fees and payments.  

Prof. Dan Amiram, Dean of the School of Management, says that the impressive ranking reflects “the hard work and dedication of hundreds of people – researchers, lecturers, students and alumni – who have all contributed to the extensive work which has earned the School its solid reputation over many years. We are very proud of the extraordinary achievements of our students and alumni, as well as the positive feedback and the international appreciation which we receive.”

 

Prof. Dan Amiram, Dean of Tel Aviv University’s School of Management

CEOWORLD Magazine conducted the survey among 35,000 business managers, alumni, international business influencers, industry professionals, business school academics and employers and recruiters in 156 countries, in the period between September 15 – December 22, 2022. 10% of the interviews were conducted by phone, 82% online and 8% by mail or in person. All quantitative interviews were conducted confidentially, without relying on the submission of data by the academic institutions.

This ranking follows shortly after the Pitchbook ranking for 2022 which placed TAU as number seven in the world for entrepreneurship, and on first place outside the U.S.

Tel Aviv University’s First MedTech Hackathon Sets a High Bar

Written by AUFTAU on . Posted in Newsroom.

200 students from six different disciplines find practical solutions to burning challenges in Israeli medicine.

TAU’s first competition for medical innovation ended last weekend (January 11-13) with spectacular results. The TAU MedTech Hackathon, organized by four entrepreneurial students from Tel Aviv University’s faculties of Medicine and Engineering, included 200 students who participated alongside 120 mentors and 30 judges from Israeli medicine and hi-tech. They shared the common goal of finding solutions for today’s burning medical problems. 

Burning Challenges from Israel’s Medical Industry

TAU students from Medicine, Engineering, Computer Science, Bioinformatics, Neuroscience, and Sofaer Global MBA (the flagship global MBA program of the Coller School of Management) worked together in 34 interdisciplinary teams for over 40 hours to come up with practical solutions to critical issues as defined by selected Israeli organizations and hospitals. 

Among the problems: finding a technological solution for early detection of peripartum depression (depression occurring during pregnancy and/or after childbirth); providing remote healthcare to ease the burden on hospitals and individuals who are physically challenged; inventing a new and safe device for brain water drainage in cases of hydrocephalus (a life threatening condition in children), and more.

The participants were not left to their own devices: each team was assigned two mentors, one from the medical world and another from the technological world, each leader in their field. In addition, the participants could join lectures and TED-style talks by industry experts.

Among the 200 participants were 30 international students, eight of them from Sofaer Global MBA. “The hackathon was an amazing experience which allowed our students to help their teams with the business side of the process and implement the knowledge they already gained through their studies into this real life experience. Impact entrepreneurship is the kind of entrepreneurship that we are encouraging and supporting at Sofaer,” said Jackie Goren, Head of the Program and one of the mentors at the hackathon. 

Student Initiative

The students who launched the ambitious initiative were Tom Zukerman, Yael Lieber and Orr Erlich – all third-year medical students, and Ilan Peerutin, a third-year dual B.sc Biomedical Engineering, Biology and Neuroscience student.

Together, the four recruited support from international tech and biomedical engineering giants, as well as hospitals and health care funds. Noteworthy sponsors included: The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, AWS, Meuhedet, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, TAU’s Entrepreneurship Center, Teva, Ichilov Tech, Novartis, Startup Nation Central, Philips and the Sagol Center for Regenerative Medicine.

Tel Aviv University encourages entrepreneurial activities for and by its students, and Prof. Karen Avraham, TAU’s Dean of Medicine, supported the students throughout the process: “This was an incredible initiative, and it came entirely from the students. They asked me if the Faculty of Medicine would support the project, and I immediately agreed (…) This hackathon is particularly thrilling because it is not a given that students would dedicate their time and make the effort required to mobilize so many stakeholders to come up with solutions to save people’s lives and health,” she said. 

And the Winners Are… 

Making the Operating Room Safer

The first prize went to team “OReye” from the Clalit Health Services’ general surgery challenge. Most aspects of patient safety in surgeries today are handled solely by the operating team. OReye utilizes cutting-edge computer vision technology to alleviate some of this responsibility, allowing the team to focus solely on the procedure. OReye’s mission is to improve patient safety in the operating room and reduce stress for surgical teams, making it a valuable tool in the operating room. Their project stood out for its originality, feasibility, and potential impact. 

The winning team will be flying to compete in the renowned Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) medical hackathon competition “MIT Grand Hack,” scheduled for April 2023.

The team will also receive an AION Labs and Sanara Ventures accelerator package, which includes personal mentoring hours with experts, office space and professional tools to help develop their winning idea into a commercial startup.

 

The winning team and Prof. Karen Avraham (from left to right): Adi Sarig, Aviv Ziv, Prof. Karen Avraham, Idan Hezler, Eden Elbaz, Raz Naveh and Daphne Cavanaugh

Early Detection of Peripartum Depression

The runner-ups were the “Mommies,” who competed in the women’s health challenge from the Briah Foundation. The team created a community-based wellness app for the early diagnose and treatment of peripartum depression. “It is a true delight to create something for women,” says team member Juliana Gordon from the Sofaer MBA Program, and adds “This is just the beginning. Hopefully we will be able to impact millions of lives, benefitting society.” 

The team will receive ten mentoring sessions with experts from Weccelerate and the Israeli Leumit Health Services.

 

Team “Mommies” with Alon Pinhas from Weccelerate (from left to right): Juliana Gordon, Victoria Koval, Assaf Gadish, Mirit Halfon, Tal Beit Halevi, Shani Zach and Alon Pinhas (Weccelerate)

Personalized Treatment Plans for Breast Reduction 

Team “ABC3D” competed in the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center Ichilov’s plastic surgery challenge. They developed a service that uses 3D models to create personalized treatment plans for breast reduction surgery. This enables advanced prediction and visualization ahead of surgery.

The team was awarded an entrance ticket to the JumpTAU accelerator program at TAU’s Entrepreneurship Center.

 

Team “ABC3D” with Yair Sakov, Head of TAU Entrepreneur Center (from left to right): Savion Cohen, Sarah Tannenbaum, Alaa Masarwa, Ido Shapira, Lydia Sokolovski and Yair Sakov (TAU Entrepreneur Center)

In addition, all the winning teams will receive legal advice, courtesy of leading Israeli commercial law firm Barnea Jaffa Lande.
 

“Prizes for such hackathons are usually monetary,” notes organizer Tom Zuckerman. “However, it was important to us that the winners receive tools and assistance to develop the skillsets needed to advance their initiatives.”

The Joy of the Process

How do the organizers summarize the event? The hackathon exceeded all their expectations: When we started this project, we didn’t imagine that so many people would believe in our vision. Those 40 hours were incredible; 200 talented and motivated students, accompanied by professionals and super-experienced mentors, and an extraordinary panel of judges. Seeing the results was fantastic, but following the process was an absolute joy.”

“We are already looking forward to next year’s hackathon, where we will continue to push the boundaries of medical innovation and positively impact the healthcare industry. In addition, we will be organizing other events during the year, and you’re all welcome to follow us to stay up to date!”

 

Tired but happy. TAU MEDTech organizers (from left to right) Tom Zuckerman, Orr Erlich, Yael Lieber and Ilan Peerutin

New National Research Center at Tel Aviv University

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The Israel Center for Applied Systems Analysis to be established.

The Israel Ministry of Innovation, Science, and Technology (MOST), the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) in Austria, and Tel Aviv University (TAU) are proud to announce the establishment of a new national Research Center for Applied Systems Analysis, called the Israel Center for Applied Systems Analysis or ICASA for short.

Focus on Sustainability

ICASA will be focused on the topic of sustainability and cooperate with research organizations from around the world, especially with IIASA, aiming to connect research teams from different institutions, foster research innovation, and serve as a hub for science-based policy making at the national and local government levels. Israel has recently renewed its IIASA membership for the next five years, and the institute will use IIASA’s existing integrated assessment models and research framework to localize it for the unique conditions of the Israeli economy.

Israel’s Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology will fund the institute at NIS 3 million for its first five years, with an additional 3 million shekels matched by TAU and other external resources, over this period, following which the center will become an independent national research center.

A multidisciplinary team of TAU researchers will be leading the four main study topics of the center including

  • Prof. Asher Tishler (Energy and Climate)
  • Prof. Hadas Mamane (Technology and Innovation)
  • Prof. Itzik Sasson (Demography and Resiliency) and
  • Dr. Vered Blass (Resource Management)

The topics will include a variety of disciplines such as water, energy, climate change, circular economy, transportation systems, agriculture and food systems, health, biodiversity, economics, demography, and policymaking.

The prioritized research areas of ICASA will be aligned, where appropriate, to the strategic research areas of IIASA. Research areas at IIASA include the following programs: Economic Frontiers; Biodiversity and Natural Resources; Advancing Systems Analysis; Energy, Climate and Environment; Population and Just Societies and Strategic Initiatives.

 

“IIASA is a world-renowned organization whose trust in our brilliant researchers is evident in their decision to invest in Tel Aviv University researchers and Israel at large.” Hilla Haddad Chmelnik, Israel’s Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology

 

Driving Israeli Research Forward

Hilla Haddad Chmelnik, Director General of Israel’s Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, said: “The establishment of the Israel Center for Applied Systems Analysis is of major significance to Israel. We are honored to fund the center, thereby driving Israeli research forward and maintaining its long-held status as the ‘startup nation’ and as an ideal ecosystem for scientific endeavors. IIASA is a world-renowned organization whose trust in our brilliant researchers is evident in their decision to invest in Tel Aviv University researchers and Israel at large. Furthermore, this decision reaffirms Israel’s potential for leadership in some of the most pressing fields of science today. The center will be a force multiplier for Israeli research in terms of its funding, the extent of its research and its subsequent contribution. That is a huge step in bringing Israeli research to the fore and strengthening international collaborations, all at the same time.”

Prof. Itai Sened, the head of the new center and Dean of TAU’s Gershon H. Gordon Faculty of Social Sciences, added: “The aim of the Israeli Center for Applied Systems Analysis is to be a focal point for applied systems analysis to serve the Israeli academia, government and industry in developing and applying integrated models into decision making. Applied systems analysis is a new research theme in Israel and we hope to make Israel a world leader in the field by fostering international collaboration with the next generation of researchers.”

Dr. Vered Blass of the Porter School of the Environment and Earth Sciences, who led the proposal team, added: “If Israel is to meet its goals for preparing for climate change risks, reducing greenhouse emissions and air pollution, while maximizing the efficiency of natural resources use and their associated environmental impacts, it will need to adopt mid to long term planning and policy practices, taking, amongst other innovative planning methodologies, a systems analysis approach. The center will bring together the academic, governmental and private sectors to work on the most pressing challenges facing humanity at this point. Our goal is to find the most sustainable and innovative ways to reduce our ecological footprint while strengthening our natural, economic and social ecosystems.” 

First Israeli Nanosatellite Designed to Communicate from Space with Optical Ground Station

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TAU-SAT3 was successfully launched yesterday. The researchers: “An important step toward demonstrating reliable quantum communication”.

A new technological achievement for Tel Aviv University: in less than two years TAU launched three nanosatellites into space. The third, TAU-SAT3, was launched yesterday on SpaceX’s launch vehicle Falcon 9, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

According to the researchers, TAU-SAT3, developed at the TAU’s Center for Nanosatellites and New Space of TAU’s Iby and Aladar Fleischman Faculty of Engineering, represents a scientific breakthrough, paving the way toward demonstration of optical and quantum communication from space via nanosatellites.

 

 

“As of today, the Faculty of Engineering at Tel Aviv University is the leader of [New Space and building nanosatellites] in Israel and is a focal point for students, schoolchildren, research centers and industry in this field.” Prof. Noam Eliaz

 
 
 
 
TAUSAT3 Launch Jan 3, 2023

WATCH: TAU-SAT3 was successfully launched to space on January 3, 4:45pm Israel time (Credit: from SpaceX’s launch video)

TAU Paves the Way – New Space & Nanosatellites  

The researchers: “TAU leads Israel’s effort to create satellite communication channels based on optical and quantum technologies. To implement long-distance quantum communication over hundreds of kilometers or more we need to go into space. TAU-SAT3 is designed to pave the way toward demonstrating quantum communication via a quantum nanosatellite, to be built in the future at TAU.”

“TAU’s first two nanosatellites were designed to measure cosmic radiation around the Earth and test various means for protecting the electronic systems installed on satellites from this radiation,” explains Prof. Meir Ariel, Head of TAU’s Center for Nanosatellites. “To this end, the nanosatellites carried special payloads built in collaboration with various scientific institutions, including the SOREQ Nuclear Research Center. The third satellite, TAU-SAT3, was the first to be fully designed, developed, and built at TAU.”

Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Prof. Noam Eliaz says, “the Faculty of Engineering at Tel Aviv University is proud of the TAUSAT3 nanosatellite’s successful launching. This is the third nanosatellite we have launched in less than two years. The launching is a result of research and development executed by the Nanosatellites Center at the Faculty of Engineering in collaboration with the QuanTAU Center. This nanosatellite realizes several milestones on our way to achieve quantum communication from space by the means of a quantum nanosatellite, which will be built in Tel Aviv University in the future.”

“Recently, we were the sole winners of a tender by the Ministry of Science and Technology of Israel to build and launch a fleet of satellites while making the field of New Space and building nanosatellites accessible to students in the periphery. As of today, the Faculty of Engineering at Tel Aviv University is the leader of this field in Israel and is a focal point for students, schoolchildren, research centers and industry in this field. “

 

The Satellite Team (Clockwise): Orly Blumberg, Prof. Ofer Amrani, Prof. Meir Ariel, Dr. Dolev Bashi  & Idan Finkelstein

Will Orbit Earth for 5 Years

Launched to an altitude of 550 km, TAU-SAT3 is expected to orbit the earth for about five years and carry out several scientific tasks. It carries on board for the first-time batteries made by the Israeli company Epsilor that will provide it with energy for its entire life in orbit.

Its main mission will be to communicate with the new optical ground station set up on the roof of the Shenkar Physics Building on the TAU campus.

This is the first optical ground station in Israel, and one of very few worldwide, that can lock onto, track, and collect data from a nanosatellite which, viewed from Earth, is smaller than a single pixel. According to the researchers, this means that in the future it will be possible to build and launch nanosatellites for optical communication at a much lower cost compared to large satellites.

TAU-SAT3 will also conduct experiments in satellite communication at very high bit rates and in scenarios where satellite communication channels have been disrupted.

 

 

“The novelty in this project is the ability of the communication systems installed in both the nanosatellite and the ground station to reconstruct the lost data in real time using smart signal processing algorithms developed at TAU.” Prof. Meir Ariel

 

 

Reconstruct Lost Data in Real Time

“TAU-SAT3 is a 20cm nanosatellite carrying an optical device that is only a few centimeters long,” says Prof. Ariel. He explains that “when the satellite passes over Israel, the device will emit light at various wavelengths, and the telescope of the optical ground station will identify the tiny flash, lock onto it, and track it. The nanosatellite will simultaneously send both optical and radio signals back to earth.”

“However, when the optical device turns toward the optical ground station, the antenna will face in a different direction. As a result, a significant portion of the data might be lost. The novelty in this project is the ability of the communication systems installed in both the nanosatellite and the ground station to reconstruct the lost data in real time using smart signal processing algorithms developed at TAU.”

Prof. Yaron Oz, Head of TAU’s Center for Quantum Science and Technology and former Rector of TAU: “The principles of quantum mechanics enable an unconditionally secure encryption method. Whenever a hostile entity tries to intercept a transmitted message, the message immediately dissipates. Moreover, the interception attempt is detected – unlike current encryption methods, in which interceptions remain undetectable.”

 

TAU-SAT3

 

“We hope that TAU-SAT3 will for the first time enable communication between an optical ground station and a satellite, taking us a significant step forward with regard to demonstrating reliable quantum communication.” Prof. Yaron Oz

 

 

“Consequently, eavesdropping-proof quantum communication is today at the forefront of scientific research. Governments and giant organizations around the world are involved in a race for quantum encryption capabilities – especially since quantum computers are expected to crack today’s encryption algorithms. It’s an enormous effort – in terms of science, technology, and budgets.”

Prof. Oz adds: “It must be noted that beyond the encryption of security data, once current encryption methods are cracked by quantum computing, all data will be exposed – including personal medical and financial records, email and WhatsApp messages, etc. This makes quantum encryption highly relevant to protecting everyone’s privacy. Quantum communication is very sensitive to the medium through which it is transmitted, such as optical fibers or the atmosphere. We hope that TAU-SAT3 will for the first time enable communication between an optical ground station and a satellite, taking us a significant step forward with regard to demonstrating reliable quantum communication.”

A large number of TAU faculty members took part in the groundbreaking project, including Prof. Ofer Amrani, the project’s Principal Investigator, Prof. Haim Suchowski, Head of the Femto-Nano Research Laboratory, and the students and researchers who developed the nanosatellite’s systems: Dr. Dolev Bashi, Idan Finkelstein, Michael Tzukran, Ofir Cohen, David Greenberg, Barak Levi, Alon Haramati, Onn Rengingad, Ofir Yafe, Shahar Morag, Ori Dagan, Elad Sagi and Orly Blumberg.

Researchers use Smartwatches to Measure Safety of COVID Vaccine

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Tel Aviv University researchers monitored the physiological data of close to 5,000 Israelis over two years.

In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers at Tel Aviv University equipped close to 5,000 Israelis with smartwatches and monitored their physiological parameters over two years. Of those monitored, 2,038 received the booster dose of the coronavirus vaccine, allowing the researchers to objectively compare measures before and after the participants took the vaccine, and confirm its safety.

In addition, in collaboration with the Kahn Sagol Maccabi Research & Innovation Center (KSM – the research and innovation institute of the Israeli Maccabi Healthcare Services), the researchers examined the safety of the booster by analyzing the medical files of 250,000 members of Maccabi Health Services anonymously (without identifying details) and with the approval of the Helsinki Committee. From the analysis of this large amount of data, the researchers were able to evaluate the safety of the vaccines from three perspectives: subjectively – what the participant reports, objectively – what the watch detects, and clinically – what the doctor diagnoses.

 

“We saw clear and significant changes after administration of the vaccine (…) and then we saw a return to the participant’s baseline, i.e., the pulse levels after vaccination returned to their previous levels after six days. Hence, our study confirms the safety of the vaccine.” Prof. Dan Yamin

 

Confirming the Safety of the Vaccine

The research was carried out by PhD student Matan Yechezkel under the supervision of Prof. Dan Yamin, Head of the Laboratory for Epidemic Research and led in collaboration with Prof. Erez Shmueli, Head of the Big Data Laboratory, all from The Iby and Aladar Fleischman Faculty of Engineering at Tel Aviv University. Other collaborators were Dr. Tal Patalon and Dr. Sivan Gazit, Director and Deputy Director, respectively, of KSM, as well as Dr. Amichai Painsky and Ms. Merav Mofaz from Tel Aviv University. The results of the research were published in the prestigious journal, Lancet Respiratory Medicine.

As Prof. Yamin explains: “We wanted to test the safety of booster vaccines against the coronavirus. We conducted a large-scale, two-year clinical study during which we equipped 4,698 Israelis with smartwatches. The smartwatches were used to monitor several parameters such as heart rate, variation in heart activity, quality of sleep, number of daily steps taken, and more. In addition, the participants were asked to fill out daily questionnaires about their health status in a customized application that we developed. Finally, we analyzed data on potential unusual events from the medical files of a quarter of a million randomly selected, anonymous, insured members of the Maccabi Health Services.”

Since the medical file contains the date the booster vaccine was administered, researchers were able to compare the condition of the vaccinated patient with his/her baseline condition from 42 days before receiving the vaccine to the condition of 42 days after receiving the vaccine. The data was obtained from the questionnaires, smartwatches, and records of the Maccabi Health Fund.

 

Prof. Dan Yamin

“We saw clear and significant changes after administration of the vaccine, such as an increase in heart rate compared to the pulse rate measured before vaccination,” says Prof. Yamin, “and then we saw a return to the participant’s baseline, i.e., the pulse levels after vaccination returned to their previous levels after six days. Hence, our study confirms the safety of the vaccine.”

“The research also allowed us to compare subjective and objective indicators and medical diagnosis of the same participant who received the first booster and a few months later the second booster,” explains Prof. Yamin and adds, “We found no difference in the physiological response recorded by the smartwatches and that reported by the participant in the app.”

 

“The smartwatch sensors ‘felt’ that the vaccine was safe, the vaccinee himself reported that the vaccine was safe, and finally, the doctors determined that the vaccine was safe. The results of the study have far-reaching implications regarding objective testing of vaccine safety in the future.” Prof. Dan Yamin

 

Far-reaching Implications

In the medical literature, twenty-five unusual side effects attributed to the Corona vaccine were reported, and the researchers paid special attention to look for rare cases of inflammation of the heart muscle (myocarditis) and pericarditis. Prof. Yamin and his colleagues checked the frequency of these unusual side effects among a quarter of a million Maccabi members and found no increase in serious incidents of any kind associated with vaccination.

Prof. Yamin concludes: “If the watch reports any minor changes in the muscles, and the participant reports only significant changes he feels, the medical file tells us about unusual events diagnosed by the doctors as well as hospitalizations that may be related to vaccinations, with an emphasis on cardiac events. We did a comprehensive analysis of all those twenty-five unusual side effects, and we did not see an increase in their incidence among those receiving the booster. We found the vaccine to be safe to use. The smartwatch sensors ‘felt’ that the vaccine was safe, the vaccinee himself reported that the vaccine was safe, and finally, the doctors determined that the vaccine was safe. The results of the study have far-reaching implications regarding objective testing of vaccine safety in the future.”

Researchers Identify 100,000 New Types of Viruses

Written by AUFTAU on . Posted in Newsroom.

Tel Aviv University researchers successfully identify new viruses, even specify which organisms they are likely to attack.

A groundbreaking Tel Aviv University study has discovered about 100,000 new types of previously unknown viruses – a ninefold increase in the amount of RNA viruses known to science until now. The viruses were discovered in global environmental data from soil samples, oceans, lakes, and a variety of other ecosystems. The researchers believe that the discovery may help in the development of anti-microbial drugs and in protecting against agriculturally harmful fungi and parasites.

Most Viruses Not Harmful to Humans

The study was led by doctoral student Uri Neri under the guidance of Prof. Uri Gophna of the Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research in The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences at Tel Aviv University. The research was conducted in collaboration with the US-based research bodies NIH and JGI, as well as the Pasteur Institute in France. The study was published in the prestigious journal Cell, and comprised data collected by more than a hundred scientists around the world.

Viruses are genetic parasites, meaning they must infect a living cell to replicate their genetic information, produce new viruses, and complete their infection cycle. Some viruses are disease-causing agents that can cause harm to humans (such as the coronavirus), but most viruses do not harm us – some of them even live inside our bodies without us even being aware of it.

 

“One of the key questions in microbiology is how and why viruses transfer genes between them. We identified several cases in which such gene exchanges enabled viruses to infect new organisms.” Prof. Uri Gophna

 

Harnessing Viruses for Use in Medicine and Agriculture

Uri Neri says that the study used new computational technologies to mine genetic information collected from thousands of different sampling points around the world: oceans, soil, sewage, geysers, and more. The researchers developed a sophisticated computational tool that distinguishes between the genetic material of RNA viruses and that of the hosts and used it to analyze the big data. The discovery allowed the researchers to reconstruct how the viruses underwent diverse acclimation processes throughout their evolutionary development to adapt to different hosts.

In analyzing their findings, the researchers were able to identify viruses suspected of infecting various pathogenic microorganisms, thus enabling viruses to control them. “The system we developed makes it possible to perform in-depth evolutionary analyses and to understand how the various RNA viruses have developed throughout evolutionary history,” explains Prof. Gophna. “One of the key questions in microbiology is how and why viruses transfer genes between them. We identified several cases in which such gene exchanges enabled viruses to infect new organisms.”

“Furthermore, compared to DNA viruses, the diversity and roles of RNA viruses in microbial ecosystems are not well understood. In our study, we found that RNA viruses are not uncommon in the evolutionary landscape and, in fact, that in some respects they are not that different from DNA viruses. This opens the door for future research, and for a better understanding of how viruses can be harnessed for use in medicine and agriculture.”

Featured image: The researchers (from left to right): Uri Neri and Prof. Uri Gophna

“Requiem for a Whale” Won Best Student Film Award at the IDA Documentary Awards Ceremony

Written by AUFTAU on . Posted in Newsroom.

Ido Weisman’s short documentary film won the award at the world’s most prestigious event dedicated to the documentary genre.

“Requiem for a Whale”, a short documentary film by Ido Weisman, an alumnus of The Steve Tisch School of Film and Television at Tel Aviv University’s Faculty of the Arts, won the best student film award at the IDA Awards Ceremony, considered the most prestigious award in the world of documentary films. The ceremony was held recently at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles.

The film also won the Israeli Documentary Forum Annual Awards in the same week.

“Requiem for a Whale”, which was produced as part of a Tisch School alumni project, was screened for the first time in June 2022 at the Docaviv International Documentary Film Festival, where it took second place and won the cinematography award in the student competition. Since then it has been screened at the Brisbane International Film Festival and at the DOC NYC festival (both in November 2022).

The film’s plot centers on a stormy night in early 2021, when a whale’s body is washed ashore at Nitzanim Beach in Israel. During the documentation of the encounters between people and the carcass, the viewer hears from several witnesses, who are reflecting on their impressions of the rare event. From the fabric of responses, a collective experience forms, addressing the dialogue between life and death.

Docaviv Film Festival judges commented that the film won second place “for finding beauty and meaning in a bleak corner of reality these days. For the ability to take a news story and turn it into a poetic cinematic piece on life and death and about the cruel encounter between humans and their environment.” The cinematography award went to Weisman “for smart and precise photography that takes the film to poetic places and adds deep layers to the story.”

Featured image: Ido Weisman on the red carpet (Photo: private collection)

Could a Drone Save Bats from the Terror of Wind Turbine Blades?

Written by AUFTAU on . Posted in Newsroom.

Israeli researchers developed innovative device designed to prevent harm caused to flying animals, in particular bats.

Every year, wind turbines around the world kill millions of bats and other flying animals that fly into the turbine’s blades. A new study by Tel Aviv University and the University of Haifa offers an original solution to the biological challenge of wind turbine operation and helps prevent harm caused to flying animals, in particular bats: a unique drone-mounted technology that transmits a combination of ultrasonic signals and lights. This deters the bats and leads them to fly at a higher altitude, outside the danger zone, thereby allowing the turbines to continue to operate efficiently and continuously.

 

“Our study was the first in the world to combine these technologies – RADAR, LIDAR and high-altitude acoustic recorders – to track bats.” Yuval Werber

 

Innovative Bat Tracking and Signaling

The study was conducted under the leadership of doctoral student Yuval Werber of the Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology at the University of Haifa and his two supervisors, Prof. Yossi Yovel, head of Tel Aviv University’s Sagol School of Neuroscience and faculty member of the School of Zoology, and Prof. Nir Sapir, the Head of the Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology at the University of Haifa, and in collaboration with the company WinGo Energy and the entrepreneur Gadi Hareli. The article was published in the journal Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation, and the study was funded by a research grant from the Israeli Ministry of Energy.

“Wind turbines are considered a promising technology in the field of renewable energy, but their operation involves a variety of biological challenges,” explains Prof. Yossi Yovel. “Today, the only solution to prevent the death of bats is to stop turbine activity at times when the bats are expected to be particularly active. But such interruptions reduce the turbines’ efficiency and the amount of energy they can produce.”

“The advantage of the drone is that it is in constant motion and transmits a combination of visual and acoustic signals designed specifically for bats, warning them of danger. When signals are stationary and constant, animals tend to get used to them and eventually ignore them.”

Yuval Werber shares that, “the study, which is part of my doctoral thesis, was conducted in the Hula Valley, an area with a lot of bat activity. We operated the drone at a height of 100 meters – the average height of the center of a wind turbine, and in motion along a path of about 100 meters, back and forth.”

“To track the bats’ activity, we used RADAR located on the ground, which allowed for tracking at a height of 100 meters and above, and we added a LIDAR device – a laser-based tool that is used to detect objects at short distances, mainly in the automotive industry – for tracking at a lower height. At the same time, we made acoustic recordings of the bats in flight, using receivers placed at three different heights: one meter, 150 meters, and 300 meters. We used a blimp to elevate the receivers. Importantly, our study was the first in the world to combine these technologies – RADAR, LIDAR and high-altitude acoustic recorders – to track bats.”

 

“On the one hand, it prevents the killing of bats, and on the other hand, it enables the operation of the turbine and the production of green energy in a safe, continuous and efficient manner.” Prof. Yossi Yovel

 

Effective Bat Repeller

Using a variety of monitoring methods, the researchers compared the bats’ normal activity with their activity in the presence of the drone carrying the deterrent device. The findings were unequivocal – the device succeeded in keeping the bats away. With the drone’s presence, the bats’ activity underneath it decreased by about 40 percent, at a distance of up to about 400 meters. On the other hand, their activity increased above the drone’s altitude of 100 meters, up to 800 meters.

“It appears that the device is effective in repelling bats from its immediate environment – the bats sense the visual and ultrasonic signals it emits and choose to fly over it, as we had hoped,” says Prof. Yovel.

“We hypothesize that if the device is activated near a turbine, it will lead the bats to fly over the turbine and out of harm’s way. This is an effective and easily-implemented solution that is reasonably priced, with great benefit to all parties: on the one hand, it prevents the killing of bats, and on the other hand, it enables the operation of the turbine and the production of green energy in a safe, continuous and efficient manner. We intend to carry out a follow-up experiment on a wind turbine site, in order to test the efficiency of the device under these conditions.”

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