Newsroom – Page 3 – Australian Friends of Tel Aviv University

TAU Sets New Standards: Reservists Admitted Without Psychometric Exams

Written by AUFTAU on 21 February 2024. Posted in Newsroom.

Tel Aviv University announced that for the next school year, many hundreds of students who serve in the IDF reserves will be eligible for admission to study for a bachelor’s degree through a new admission route that will be opened for them in all fields of study on campus (excluding medicine), without the need for a psychometric exam. The admission will be available to candidates who served 60 days or more in 2023 (starting from October 7th 2023) or those who served longer than 28 days in 2024 (from January 1st 2024).

The university recognizes and takes the difficulties that arose into consideration regarding the large amount of university candidates whose preparations for the psychometric exams conflicted with their active reserve duty. In addition, the university will also make the new admission route accessible to evacuees from the conflict lines (pending approval from the government).

According to the university’s decision, those eligible for the new admissions route would get accepted based solely on their high school matriculation grades. Each study program on campus will allocate approximately 10% of the total admissions for the upcoming year to students accepted through the new format. This decision, led by the TAU Rector, Prof. Mark Shtaif, was made after a comprehensive examination of these issues.

Boosting Academic Opportunities

TAU emphasizes that the adjustments in admissions to studies are part of the university’s deep commitment to the IDF reservists and to their success in their studies and are a recognition of the difficulty created by their service even during the application phase before they begin their studies. A significant amount of candidates take the psychometric exams in December and April. During this time, the reservists who took part in the war that started in October (and is still continuing over four months later) have encountered difficulties in preparing for, as well as and taking these exams.

In the current academic year, TAU promised to do as much as possible so that all reservists, men and women alike, complete their studies successfully. Prior to the start of the school year, the university approved a special plan for reservists that included a series of concessions and adjustments, including: a reduction in the number of hours required to complete the degree, the right to receive binary pass/fail grading in some of the courses, more flexibility in choosing exam dates and more.

In light of feedback from the campus as part of the ongoing dialogue with reservist students and the cooperation with the Student Union, the university recently approved additional adjustments, including specific ones for students who have served in the reserves for 28 days or more since the beginning of the semester. In addition, discussions are currently taking place at the university regarding the possible continuation of these concessions into second semester of the current school year as well.

Exploring Responses to Challenges and Cultivating Collaborations

Written by AUFTAU on 21 February 2024. Posted in Newsroom.

The Lowy International School hosted the UCLA delegation at Tel Aviv University on February 20 as part of their solidarity trip to Israel. In a substantive round-table discussion, 27 UCLA faculty members spanning diverse research disciplines engaged in insightful conversations surrounding the events of October 7, the ongoing geopolitical situation, and the actions Tel Aviv University has been taking. TAU President Prof Ariel Porat described the wide range of initiatives launched by TAU to support its student reservists, agricultural communities in the south of Israel, and displaced residents of the south and the north.

“We opened the academic semester with a heavy heart as 2000 of our students are still serving in the reserves. To support them, we’ve started a special program that includes group and individual tutoring sessions to help the students who miss classes.”—Prof Ariel Porat, TAU President

Prof Porat also underscored the paramount importance of academic freedom, cautioning against the potential hazards of political intervention on university campuses.

Prof Neta Ziv, Vice President for Equity, Diversity, and Community at TAU, spoke about creating a shared space for everybody on campus considering that universities are places where many members of Israeli society meet for the first time, having grown up in their separate communities.

“Any tension in the country is immediately reflected on campus. On the one hand, we want our students to be active citizens and express their views and we view the campus as a democratic sphere, but we have to deal with the boundaries,” — Prof Neta Ziv.

Currently, TAU’s student body is highly diverse, encompassing 16% Arab students, along with significant numbers of Druze students, Christian students of Ethiopian descent, and members of the LGBTQ+ community. The university is committed to ensuring that the campus remains a safe and welcoming space for everyone.

TAU’s Response to Post-October 7 Realities

After October 7, new challenges emerged, including the delineation of free speech boundaries and the need to ensure that there are no incidents on campus amid existing tensions between Jews and Arabs once classes resume. Prof Ziv affirmed the university’s steadfast commitment to safety and inclusion:

“Everyone is welcome here; the campus is a place where everyone belongs.”

According to Ziv, the university was inundated with complaints after October 7, with students allegedly supporting terrorism or inciting against Arabs on social media. Emphasizing the imminent threat to free speech during emergency times, she clarified that, out of over 100 cases brought before the Office for Diversity, only three resulted in disciplinary hearings, leading to the expulsion of students who actively supported the massacre.

Prof Neta Ziv, Vice President for Equity, Diversity, and Community at TAU Prior to opening the semester, faculty members received training on how to talk to students about what had happened, what to say and what not to say, how to contain the discourse and controversy in class.

“What do we do to start the school year in a way that would acknowledge that many of our students have gone through trauma, and many of our Arab students are afraid of being targeted?”

As Prof Ziv explained, a lot of of time and resources went into preparing for the school year. Since the start of the semester on December 31, the situation on campus has been quiet despite a small number of isolated incidents because the students really want to have a place where they can study and leave everything else outside the university gate.

Exploring Political and Gender Dimensions of the War

Prof Itamar Rabinovitch Professor Emeritus of Middle Eastern History at Tel Aviv University (Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies,); Israel’s former ambassador to the United States and former Chief Negotiator with Syria in the mid-1990s, and the former President of Tel Aviv University (1999-2007) The expert panel, moderated by Prof Itzhak Friend, featured a talk by Prof Itamar Rabinovitch, former Israel’s Ambassador to the US, addressing the political ramifications of the ongoing conflict and President Biden’s proposed two-state solution. Prof. Daphna Hacker, a distinguished scholar in TAU’s Law and Gender Studies and an Independent Expert to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, provided a compelling analysis of the gender dimensions within the ongoing hostilities.

Prof. Daphna Hacker, Full Professor at the Law Faculty and the TAU Women and Gender Studies Program and an Independent Expert to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women

UCLA Delegation’s Perspective on the Visit

Members of the UCLA delegation discussed the challenges faced by Jews within academic institutions and efforts to counteract instances of antisemitism. Reflecting on the visit, Prof Mark Klingman from the UCLA School of Music emphasized the significance of hearing firsthand experiences from Israelis and being at Israeli academic institutions to understand responses and people’s well-being.

“It’s very different than hearing it on the news. Hearing everyone’s experiences on October 7, what they did and how it impacted their families has reminded me of 9/11.” —Prof Mark Klingman from the UCLA School of Music

Prof Klingman also highlighted the determination and unity he observed among people in Israel during the visit.

Prof Ariel Porat, TAU President, and Nir N. Hoftman, UCLA Another delegation member, Dr. Tabia Lee, Director of Coalition for Empowered Education and Member of Free Black Thought, expressed her happiness in learning about Israel’s rich history of diversity and inclusion. “I’m very excited to hear the perspectives of professors and to hear them actively engage with questions. Seeing people being able to challenge each other, to adjust positions and perspectives is very inspiring, and I’m going to take that back home as a model,” said Lee. She further stated that one of the primary purposes of the visit was to meet local communities, speak to families, witness the actual sights, and express solidarity with the people of Israel during this time.

“The resilience, the ability to still be open to dialog, compassion and wisdom that is here in the people is something that I admire so much. If we can take it and emulate it where we are, our society will improve.” — Dr. Tabia Lee, Director of Coalition for Empowered Education and Member of Free Black Thought

During the concluding discussion, the UCLA delegation expressed their commitment to building relationships with TAU faculty underscoring the collective pursuit of fostering meaningful collaborations on faculty and student level.

Revolutionizing Plant Cloning: Boosting Global Agriculture?

Written by AUFTAU on 20 February 2024. Posted in Newsroom.

In an extensive and multi-phased international study that lasted for eight years, led by researchers from the School of Plant Sciences and Food Security at TAU and the Volcani Institute, there were new compounds developed that significantly increased the rooting efficiency of cuttings (typically small branches) taken from mature trees. The researchers explain that getting cuttings to root is a critical component in modern agriculture: “A significant number of fruit trees, as well as forest trees and ornamental plants, are today based on cutting propagation: the creation of plants that are genetic clones of an individual with desirable characteristics. Improving the rooting process can contribute to global agriculture in various aspects: developing new, high-quality varieties, lowering prices for farmers and consumers, increasing the economic viability of new cultivars of crops, and adapting crops to the changing climate conditions”.

Enhancing Nature

The research was led by Dr. Roy Weinstain, research student Ohad Roth from the School of Plant Sciences and Food Security at TAU and Dr. Einat Sadot from the Institute of Plant Sciences at the Volcani Institute. Also participating in the research were Dr. Inna Vints from the TAU School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Prof. Nir Ben-Tal and Dr. Amit Kessel from the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at TAU, Sela Yechezkel, Ori Serero, Avi Eliyahu, Pan Tzeela, Dr. Vikas Dwivedi, Dr. Mira Carmeli-Weissberg, Felix Shaya, and Dr. Adi Faigenboim-Doron from the Volcani Institute and Prof. Joseph Riov from the Faculty of Agriculture of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The study was in collaboration with researchers from the USA, Germany, Denmark and England and published in the prestigious journal Nature Biotechnology.

Left to right: Dr. Einat Sadot, Dr. Roy Weinstain, Ohad Roth & Sela Yechezkel. Photo credit: The Volcani Institute.

Dr. Sadot explains: “vegetative propagation through cuttings is a method used to propagate plants asexually – not through seeds. In this method, a branch is selected from a plant with desirable properties (e.g. fruit taste, drought resistance, disease resistance, etc.), and parts of that branch, called cuttings or propagules, are exposed to conditions that cause them to grow roots and become independent plants. The new individuals created this way were actually clones with the same genetics as the mother plant. For a crop to be economically viable, rooting percentages of at least 50-60% are necessary, and this figure is a significant consideration for farmers. Rooting percentages vary between different genuses of the same family, between different species of the same genus, and even between different cultivars of the same species, and there are important agricultural plants that are particularly difficult to root”.

Cutting-Edge, Literally

To improve the percentage of plants developing roots, it is necessary to expose cuttings to the plant hormone auxin – a procedure that was discovered more than 70 years ago and has hardly changed since. Dr. Weinstain: “The effectiveness of the existing auxin treatment varies from plant to plant. Numerous agriculturally important plants hardly respond to the standard auxin treatment in terms of root formation that couldn’t be commercialized. In our study, we sought to increase the effect of auxin on the cuttings. Evidence in the scientific literature and observations by experts in the field led us to address the question: will a slow release of the auxin in the plant increase the rooting success of the cuttings?” To do this, the researchers first created a ‘library’ of materials based on synthetic auxin conjugates – molecules in which a synthetic auxin attaches to another chemical group that neutralizes its activity but can be released slowly in plant cells. The library was examined using cuttings from a mature Eucalyptus grandis tree, in which the standard auxin treatment reached low rooting percentages of only 10-15%.

Research student Ohad Roth explains: “The initial examination identified several compounds that have a positive effect on the rooting process, and further research focused on the most effective one. We discovered that this compound enables a combination of high permeability to the plant with a prolonged release of the active substance, the synthetic auxin, so that the auxin stays in the plant much longer, up to a week and a half”. Indeed, the upgraded treatment increased the rooting percentage of the Eucalyptus grandis cuttings to 60% – up to 6 times higher than the rooting percentages found using the standard method.

Later, to more deeply understand the new compound’s mode of action, the researchers used the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. They discovered that the synthetic auxin used in the new material is more stable (breaks down more slowly) in the plant cells compared to the auxin used in the standard treatment. In addition, the researchers identified a family of enzymes in the plant that are responsible for the release of the synthetic auxin. By modeling these enzymes’ structure and biochemical properties, they have identified important characteristics of their activity.

In the next step, the researchers wanted to see if similar enzymes are also present in other plants – assumingly their presence will allow the new material to be used as well as in other crops. They discovered that this family of enzymes is very ancient and preserved throughout evolution in every tree tested. In light of the encouraging findings, they began to test the effectiveness of the materials they developed on various crops.

Transforming Argan Trees to Agricultural Crops

One of the most meaningful crops examined in the study is the argan – the Moroccan oil tree. The researchers: “The global demand for argan oil is increasing by the years because of its incorporation to a large variety of food, health and skincare products. But to date, the almost exclusive source of this oil is the fruits of argan trees that grow endemically in Morocco and multiply by sexual reproduction, i.e. through seeds. All efforts to turn argan into an agricultural crop, which can be propagated by rooting cuttings, have failed – including attempts here in Israel. In our research, we took cuttings from several argan trees growing in Israel, exposed them to the material we developed, and, this way, succeeded in producing large seedlings from elite selections. In collaboration with the Kibbutzim of Ketura, Beit Kama, Hatzerim and Samar, we planted argan plots based on cuttings from individual specimens, which were rooted using the new rooting material, and we are now examining the possibility of turning them into an agricultural crop”.

The Beautiful Argan Tree

Encouraging results were also observed in experiments with cuttings from apple trees rootstocks, poplar and other varieties of eucalyptus. Higher rooting percentages were achieved in all of them – twice as high or more when compared to the standard auxin treatment. The researchers conclude: “During the research, we developed a material that significantly improves the rooting percentages of cuttings from mature trees. The development could be significant for global agriculture in three aspects:

● Cost reduction: improving the efficacy of the rooting procedure may significantly reduce the cost of procuring seedlings for farmers and, ultimately, the agricultural produce for consumers.

● Improved produce quality: Thanks to the new method, more high-quality cultivars could developed and traded, negating the need to ‘compromise’ on lower-quality varieties simply because they have high rooting rates.

● Environmental compatibility: developing new crop cultivars that adapt to climate change conditions is imperative to sustain agricultural output. The new method can expedite this process and make it more efficient.

In follow-up studies, we plan to deepen the understanding of the new substances’ mechanisms of action and look for additional compounds, perhaps even more effective ones, that can be used as conjugates to slow down the release of auxin in the plant.”

Are We Close to Ending Alzheimer’s Memory Loss?

Written by AUFTAU on 15 February 2024. Posted in Newsroom.

In 2022, a team of researchers from the laboratory of Prof. Inna Slutsky from the Faculty of Medical & Health Sciences and the Sagol School of Neuroscience at TAU uncovered a pathological brain phenomenon in an animal model that precedes the first appearance of Alzheimer’s disease symptoms by many years. This is an increased activity in the hippocampus during the states of anesthesia and sleep, which results from damage to the mechanism that stabilizes the neural network.

Breakthrough in Alzheimer’s Study

In the current study published in Nature Communications, Prof. Slutsky’s laboratory team, in collaboration with the Safra Center for Neuroscience at the Hebrew University, found that suppression of neuronal activity in a small nucleus in a specific area of the thalamus (which regulates sleep states) caused a decrease in pathological activity in the hippocampus and prevented the deterioration of the memory in Alzheimer’s in an animal model. The researchers hope that their research will speed up the start of clinical trials in humans, lead to progress in the fields of early detection and prevention of the onset of dementia symptoms in Alzheimer’s disease, and in the field of treating cognitive impairments caused by surgery (POCD – Postoperative Cognitive Dysfunction).

Doctoral Student Shiri Shoob

“As early as 10-20 years before the appearance of the familiar symptoms of memory impairment and cognitive decline, physiological changes slowly and gradually occur within the patients’ brains,” explains the doctoral student who led the study, Shiri Shoob. “There is an accumulation of amyloid-beta deposits and abnormal accumulations of tau protein, a decrease in the volume of the hippocampus, and more. Moreover, about 30% of the people who were found to have a pathology typical of Alzheimer’s disease at postmortem did not develop the typical symptoms of the disease during their lifetime. It seems, then, that the brain has an, admittedly limited, ability to protect itself from the damage of the disease.”

Uncovering Alzheimer’s Protective Mechanisms

The research focused on finding those protective mechanisms that the brain has against the damage from the disease. The researchers found that during sleep – and especially during sleep as a result of general anesthesia – the early symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, which appear many years before the symptoms of dementia, could be more easily identified. Prof. Inna Slutsky: “Anesthesia reveals pathophysiology in the brain activity in the animal model. We think that there are mechanisms that compensate for that same pathology while awake and thus prolong the pre-symptomatic period of the disease”.

Prof. Inna Slutsky

The researchers identified hyperactivity in the hippocampus – “silent seizures,” which look like an epileptic seizure in terms of brain activity, but do not appear externally – in in an animal model of Alzheimer’s disease.This, compared to the reduced activity in the healthy hippocampus during sleep and anesthesia. To examine potential treatment and prevention measures, the researchers tried a variety of methods, but mainly focused on deep brain stimulation (DBS) using electrical signals to the nucleus reuniens – a small nucleus in the brain that connects the affected hippocampus and the thalamus, which is responsible for sleep regulation.

“When we tried to stimulate the nucleus reuniens at high frequencies, as is done in the treatment of Parkinson’s, for example, we found that it worsened the damage to the hippocampus and the silent epileptic seizures,” said Shoob, “only after changing the stimulation pattern to a lower frequency were we able to suppress the seizures and prevent cognitive impairment. We showed that the nucleus reuniens could completely control these seizures. We could increase or decrease the seizures by stimulating it”.

Decoding Alzheimer’s

Prof. Slutsky adds: “Epidemiological studies indicate a link between aging and a phenomenon called POCD – cognitive problems that arise after surgery under general anesthesia. In young people, the symptoms usually pass very quickly, but in older people, the chance of cognitive impairment increases and it may last a long time. Our research indicates a potential mechanism underlying the phenomenon. We found that suppressing the thalamic nucleus reuniens – by pharmacological or electrical means – successfully prevented both pathological activity in the hippocampus during anesthesia and cognitive impairment following anesthesia.

In addition, we identified a relationship between certain pathological activity in the hippocampus during anesthesia in the presymptomatic phase of Alzheimer’s to memory problems in a more advanced stage of the disease. This indicates a potential for predicting the disease in the dormant state, before the onset of cognitive decline”.

The leader of the study, Shiri Shoob, added: “We saw that no matter what means we used, when we inhibited the neural activity in the nucleus, we also measured a decrease in the pathological activity in the hippocampus during anesthesia”.

The research was led by PhD student Shiri Shoob, with the participation of Nadav Buchbinder, PhD student Ortal Shinikamin, Halit Baeloha, Dr. Tomer Langberg, Dr. Daniel Zarhin, Dr. Ilana Shapira and Dr. Gabriella Braun from Prof. Inna Slutsky’s lab and in collaboration with Dr. Naomi Habib and Or Gold from the Hebrew University.

How Does Science Make Us Fall in Love?

Written by AUFTAU on 13 February 2024. Posted in Newsroom.

Are you the sort of person who plans their Valentine’s Day weeks or months in advance with their partner, or the sort who wakes up on February 14th and scrambles up a plan? Either way, It’s hard to imagine that you’ve never heard of this holiday before, which started out as a Christian religious celebration of Saint Valentinus and morphed into the world’s international Day of Love celebration.

But of course, love isn’t a modern invention, and while a major holiday to celebrate being in a relationship didn’t always exist in every culture, the desire to make the people we love pay attention to us and return our affections has always been part of humanity. In fact, according to Prof. Gideon Bohak of the Department of Jewish Philosophy and the Talmud at The Lester and Sally Entin Faculty of Humanities, people were creating love spells 1,500 years ago that are still, amazingly, in use today.

I Put A Spell On You

Prof. Bohak studies ancient Jewish magic and sorcery and claims that “the relationship between love and magic is ancient, and Jewish magic has a lot to say about relationships between two individuals. For example, archeological digs at the ruins of Rimon, next to Kibbutz Lahav, uncovered pottery pieces with an inscription adjuring six angels to set R.’s heart on fire so she would fall in love with A” (unfortunately, the names of R. and A. were not fully preserved).

But not only were people trying to get their crush to notice them back then, according to Prof. Bohak: “while these pieces of pottery were created in the 5th or 6th century CE, they were based on a “recipe” that continued to be in use by people who engage in “practical Kabbalah” until the modern era. These pieces of clay and the recipe itself are evidence of the continuation of Jewish magic from ancient times until this very day”.

The Scent of Passion

Thinking of getting that special someone a bottle of perfume to show your love? It turns out that smell is a means by which humans, like other animals, can manipulate those around them. Prof. Mel Rosenberg from the Department for Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry at the Sackler Faculty of Medicine studies body chemistry, pheromones and our reactions to body odor.

“Why are we attracted to the smell of flowers, which are nothing more than a kind of plant? I don’t know”, Prof. Rosenberg says. “But it’s interesting that we don’t just like those flowery smells, but also the smells of certain animals. For example, there are the musk deer, whose genitals were used to create a pleasant smell that was considered attractive to humans. Today hunting the musk deer is illegal, of course, but we produce the same smell synthetically, in perfumes”.

“Why are we willing to pay so much money for a tiny bottle of perfume? Because perfume ‘creates a great lie’. Each one of us has a unique odor. If we don’t like the smell of a person, then it hurts the relationship. On the contrary, if we find a potential mate’s odor compatible then this has a positive effect on the attraction. Perfume lets us fool our partner. Instead of smelling us, they smell Coco Chanel or Tommy Hilfiger. And then, before you know it, you’re married before the truth comes out”.

It’s likely that most people already get a real sense of their partner’s scent before committing to marriage, Yet Professor Rosenberg’s insight suggests that this act may hold a similar significance to a modern-day enchantment.

Have you ever thought of casting a magic love spell on someone? Or is the kind of “deception” that comes in a small, fancy bottle enough for you? Whatever the case, it’s clear that Valentine’s Day is here to stay, since us humans aren’t giving up on romancing any time soon.

Could Restarting Change the Game for Chemical Research?

Written by AUFTAU on 12 February 2024. Posted in Newsroom.

Not only in Information Technology: restart also works in chemical simulations.

A new study from Tel Aviv University discovered that a common practice in Information Technology can also be applied in chemistry. Researchers found that to enhance the sampling in chemical simulations, all you need to do is stop and restart. The research was led by Ph.D. student Ofir Blumer, in collaboration with Professor Shlomi Reuveni and Dr. Barak Hirshberg from the Sackler School of Chemistry at Tel Aviv University. The study was published in the journal Nature Communications.

If We Could Turn Back Time

The researchers explain that molecular dynamics simulations are like a virtual microscope. They track the motion of all atoms in chemical, physical, and biological systems such as proteins, liquids and crystals. They provide insights into various processes and have different technological applications, including drug design. However, these procedures can only depict events slower than one-millionth of a second, so they can’t show slower processes like protein folding or crystal nucleation. This limitation, known as the timescale problem, is a great challenge in the field.

Ph.D. student Ofir Blumer: “In our new study we show that the timescale problem can be overcome by stochastic resetting of the simulations. It seems counterintuitive at first glance – how can the simulations end faster when restarted? Yet, it turns out that reaction times vary considerably between simulations. In some simulations, reactions occur rapidly, but other simulations get lost in intermediate states for long periods. Resetting prevents the simulations from getting stuck in such intermediates and shortens the average simulation time”.

The researchers also combined stochastic resetting with Metadynamics, a popular method to expedite the simulations of slow chemical processes. The combination allows greater acceleration than either method separately. Moreover, Metadynamics relies on prior knowledge. To speed up the simulation, it’s essential to know the reaction coordinates. The combination of Metadynamics with resetting reduces the dependency on prior knowledge significantly, saving time for practitioners of the method. Finally, the researchers showed that the combination provides more accurate predictions of the rate of slow processes. The combined method was used to enhance simulations of a protein folding in water successfully and it is expected to be applied to more systems in the future.

Strength in Diversity: 1 Out of Every 3 Reservists on Campus is a Woman

Written by AUFTAU on 8 February 2024. Posted in Newsroom.

Since October 7th, hundreds of thousands of citizens, including students, have answered the call for military duty, setting aside all personal responsibilities to protect civilians from the attacks of Hamas. According to new data concerning the initial months of the war, 6,657 students from TAU were called up for reserve duty, and among them, 2,228 were women (34%).

As of January 24th, after most reservists have been discharged, 2,545 students from Tel Aviv University are still serving in the military reserve duty, with 755 of them being women (29%).

Regarding the breakdown by faculties, out of the total 2,228 women in service, 481 came from the Faculty of Medical & Health Sciences, 394 from Engineering, 373 from Life Sciences and Exact Sciences, 308 from Social Sciences, 167 from Law, 100 from Humanities, 96 from Management and others. Further analysis reveals that the majority of male reservists came from the Faculty of Engineering (1,139), followed by Exact Sciences and Life Sciences (804), Medical & Health Sciences (483), Management (333), Social Sciences (301), Law (259), Humanities (238) and others.

Unity in Uniforms

Prof. Neta Ziv, Vice President for Equity, Diversity and Community commended the reservists on campus: “Indeed, the significant contribution of women is evident in all areas of life: military, public, and of course, civilian. Tel Aviv University recognizes and appreciates the contribution of reservists, and does everything to assist all its students who serve in the reserves to successfully integrate their service with the challenging academic year we are in the midst of.”

Shir Shachar, 28, an MA student in the Faculty of Medical & Health Sciences at Tel Aviv University: “I was recruited into the reserves immediately after the outbreak of the war and served as a researcher in the Ground Forces. Our team consisted of both men and women, and the feeling was very touching; each and every one of us contributed immensely to the joint war effort! The commitment, dedication and determination of every reservist in their role, whether in the field or behind the scenes, have a significant impact on success in combat—and only through joint work and commitment from everyone can we win”.

Shir Shachar, MA student in the Faculty of Medical & Health Sciences

Carmel Cohen, a third-year student in the Department of Theatre Arts: “The moment they called me up for reserve duty, I didn’t think twice and immediately reported to Home Front Command and served there for about three months. Every day we assisted civilians affected by the war, and the feeling was incredible; everyone does everything for the sake of the IDF and the country. These are tough times for us, and we try to help as much as we can. Recently, I returned to my studies, and I want to fulfill my dream of becoming an actress and making people smile. And of course, the moment they call me again, I’ll report immediately.”

Supporting Student Soldiers

Tel Aviv University is the largest and most diverse university in Israel with nearly 30,000 students. In recognition of our students’ devotion to their national and military responsibilities, TAU has been implementing many variations of assistance to assure their students’ well-being, aiming to help students restore their academic, social and financial status.

In addition to postponing the academic year to ease the pressure on reservist students, TAU has also made sure that all students who have served in the reserves are entitled to a scholarship ranging from 2,000 to 9,000 shekels, depending on their educational and natural needs. The scholarships are given to students as recognition for their service, understanding that they will also need to assign more time and effort to their studies and simultaneously re-adjust themselves back to their daily lives.

Moreover, TAU has arranged a special week for filling academic gaps and helping those who are still serving in the military with catching up on their studies. This is in addition to the ongoing hybrid and recorded studies conducted by the different Faculties.

According to the University President, Prof. Ariel Porat: “Tel Aviv University is committed to assisting its students who experience the hardships of war firsthand. This primarily includes reservists as well as our students from the south or north who have encountered economic and other difficulties as a result of the war. Our assistance and support is not only financial but also academic. None of our reservists, or any affected students, will be left behind”.

Unveiling the Frontiers of Artificial Intelligence at Tel Aviv University AI Day 2024

Written by AUFTAU on 7 February 2024. Posted in Newsroom.

On February 5, Tel Aviv University brought together key figures in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for the highly anticipated AI Day 2024. This gathering served as a forum for researchers, industry professionals, and experts to delve into crucial issues in AI research and applications, providing insights into the foundational theories driving this rapidly evolving field. The event specifically highlighted AI’s significance in times of war, featuring discussions on computer vision, NLP, regulation, and the complexities of tackling fake news.

Yorai Fainmesser (Co-Founder, General Partner at Disruptive AI VC), Professor Meir Feder (Tel Aviv University), Major General Isaac Ben Israel (Director of TAU Blavatnik ICRC), Professor Ariel Porat (President of Tel Aviv University), Gili Drob-Heistein (Executive Director of the Blavatnik ICRC). Photo courtesy of Blavatnik ICRC Opening the AI Day 2024, Professor Ariel Porat, President of Tel Aviv University, emphasized that the AI Day embodies the resilient spirit of Tel Aviv University and the country – as Israel does not have the privilege to suspend all activities for a year, nor can the university stop training students and producing research. While a full AI week will take place later in the year, alongside the Cyber Week scheduled for June, a one-day event is a testament to the strength of Israel as a nation in these trying times.

Professor Ariel Porat, President of Tel Aviv University (Photo courtesy of Blavatnik ICRC) Prof Porat underscored TAU’s commitment to developing AI and data science expertise through its recently established multidisciplinary center that offers a cluster of AI and data science courses to TAU students from all faculties.

“Ideally all students should have the opportunity to study AI as it is an engine for the development of all research fields. And in each and every field there are different challenges to be overcome”—Professor Ariel Porat, President of Tel Aviv University

In 2023, Tel Aviv University enrolled its first cohort of graduate students in a newly launched master’s program in AI, further cementing TAU’s position as the largest AI center in Israel that fosters interdisciplinary collaborations in the field.

Perspectives on Challenges and Security Concerns

TAU Professor Meir Feder, head of the TAU Center for Artificial Intelligence & Data Science (TAD), offered his view of pressing issues in the field of AI. He addressed the exorbitant costs associated with AI, prompting questions about ownership rights and control.

Professor Meir Feder, Tel Aviv University (Photo courtesy of Blavatnik ICRC) Prof. Feder remarked that, presently, AI falls short of true intelligence, characterizing it as a clever ‘cut and paste’ solution devoid of genuine creativity.

“We know what we built but we do not know why it works,”—Prof. Meir Feder

Major General (Ret.) Isaac Ben Israel, Chairman of the AI Day and the Director of TAU Blavatnik ICRC, highlighted several challenges associated with the rapid development of AI, emphasizing the escalating vulnerability of various spheres of human activity to cyber attacks. This vulnerability becomes ever more pronounced as our dependence on AI grows.

Major General Isaac Ben Israel, Director of TAU Blavatnik ICRC (Photo courtesy of Blavatnik ICRC) Given the critical significance of cybersecurity in light of the rapid proliferation of AI, a dedicated conference track was exclusively focused on security issues. The track centered on exploring the utilization of AI in intelligence gathering and analysis, threat detection, alert investigation, security posture analysis, and other pertinent areas to boost the effectiveness of security teams in their daily operations.

AI at the Service of Democracy and Truth

In the Fake News track, several of the talks focused on the AI tools that can efficiently detect fake images and stories online, identify social media bots and trolls used for commercial and political influence, and uncover deep fakes, which have inundated the social media recently in massive disinformation or influence campaigns.

“The Russia-Ukraine war was the first war fought on social media,”—Tom Alexandrovitch, Executive Director of the Defense Division, Israel National Cyber Directorate (INCD)

Zachary Elisha Bamberger, from the Technion, presented the AI-powered persuasive argumentation agent developed to combat hate and misinformation online in the wake of October 7. The underlying principles of the agent that posts comments under anti-Israeli content on social media include establishing trust by citing sources and figures of authority, effectively using logic and complex reasoning, and leveraging emotional appeal.

(Photo courtesy of Blavatnik ICRC) The solution can adjust the length and tone of the comments, as well as the level of formality and political and ideological stance to suit the target language and culture. It is also capable of understanding context and captions. Using AI on social media provides for faster and more impactful responses across multiple platforms. The AI agent can also predict how popular the content will be and estimate confidence in the response. In addition, it can report hateful posts found online.

By 2026, 90% of media online will be AI-generated —Europol

Professor Irad Ben Gal, Head of TAU LAMBDA lab, discussed the strategy of unveiling inauthentic synchronized campaigns on social media. Emphasizing the importance of combating the infrastructure rather than individually pursuing posts, he highlighted the value of analyzing bot activity. This approach makes it possible to detect coordination of fake users, model their behavior, and make recommendations for exposing and mitigating their impact.

Prof. Ben Gal (Photo courtesy of Blavatnik ICRC) Prof. Ben Gal illustrated this approach with the example of the Gaza hospital attack, where an immediate surge in coordinated activity by a significant number of bots was observed.

$78 bln lost each year due to narrative attacks +400% antisemitic incidents in the USA 88% of investors consider narrative attacks on corporations a serious issue

Michael Matias, CEO of Clarity, stressed that the staggering growth in the number of deepfakes online and AI disinformation in general poses the foremost threat to democracy on a global scale. Therefore, the critical task of detecting deepfakes is of paramount importance at the moment.

“There has been a 900% yearly increase in the number of deepfakes online,”—Michael Matias, CEO of Clarity

In the arms race of generative AI vs detector AI, another major task is protecting the integrity of history, so Clarity has been actively involved in the authentication of media from October 7 massacre.

Danny Bickson, CEO of Visual Layer (Photo courtesy of Blavatnik ICRC) Computer vision experts have also been working with war footage, managing, exploring and visualizing war crime videos. Danny Bickson, CEO of Visual Layer, a startup creating & maintaining the popular open source fastdup for managing large-scale visual data, detailed the pro bono work the company has been doing for the Ministry of Diaspora and Ministry of Defense.

“The Iron Swords War is one of the first wars where critical visual information is found on millions of social network videos released daily.”— Danny Bickson, CEO of Visual Layer

Professor Karine Nahon, Head of Data, Government and Democracy program at Reichman University, emphasized in her talk about the work of the missing and hostages war room that technology alone is not sufficient. It is ultimately down to the people to not only develop new algorithms, but also to create an environment conducive to nurturing ideas.

Professor Karine Nahon, Reichman University, and Gili Drob-Heistein, Executive Director of the Blavatnik ICRC and Yuval Ne’eman Workshop for Science, Technology and Security (Photo courtesy of Blavatnik ICRC) The volunteer initiative spearheaded by Nahon brought together 1500 people from academia and industry. They collaborated to pool data from diverse online sources, including Hamas’s telegram channels, content uploaded by individuals on the ground, and footage from Hamas terrorists. The goal of the team was to devise effective strategies for identifying hostages and kidnappers.

“You can’t use the usual face recognition AI when the face is bleeding. There is also a lot of human intelligence and social network analysis,”— Professor Karine Nahon, Reichman University

This concentrated effort has yielded at least six algorithms that can be helpful in the event of future multi-casualty incidents.

Becoming Stronger with AI

AI has the potential to enhance resilience across various sectors, spanning public services, education, health, defense, economics, emergency response, transportation, science, and climate. In the field of education, AI can assist teachers in crafting personalized learning content tailored to individual student needs. However, it is imperative to consider crucial issues such as responsible AI usage, privacy protection, and ensuring equitable access to these technologies.

“Our goal is to understand how education can use AI in a smart and fair way, helping to create a strong and adaptable learning environment,”— Merav Mofaz, Microsoft Education

In the realm of medicine, AI plays a pivotal role, especially in diagnostics and DNA testing. It proves invaluable in forensic DNA analysis for identification purposes. Professor Noam Shomron, Head of the Functional Genomic Team at the TAU Faculty of Medicine, detailed the work undertaken post-October 7 to identify victims of the massacre using very small or damaged DNA fragments recovered from severely burnt bodies. Additionally, AI can aid in identifying soldiers potentially prone to PTSD, enabling preventive treatment.

Professor Noam Shomron, TAU ( (Photo courtesy of Blavatnik ICRC) Professor Erez Shmueli, Head of the Big Data Lab and Co-Head of the Data Science undergraduate program at Tel Aviv University, presented findings from a study monitoring early signs of PTSD in individuals indirectly exposed to the October 7 events. The results reveal unprecedented levels of stress and PTSD among participants.

“News consumption and the number of gory videos watched significantly correlate with PTSD prevalence,”—Professor Erez Shmueli, Tel Aviv University

Continuous monitoring through smartwatches and daily questionnaires highlighted significant variations in stress, mood, step counts, sleep quality, and duration in the first week post-October 7 events, particularly among those who later developed PTSD.

What the Future Holds

In the fireside chat discussion, Professor Yoav Shoham, Co-founder and Co-CEO at AI21 Labs, shared insights on AI and natural language processing in 2024. He anticipates the continued emergence of new language models, with smaller specialized models potentially remaining open source, while larger models are likely to remain proprietary. Language models will be incorporated in larger, more comprehensive AI tools.

Mor Geva, Assistant Professor at the Blavatnik School of Computer Science, Tel Aviv University and Professor Yoav Shoham, Co-founder and Co-CEO at AI21 Labs (Photo courtesy of Blavatnik ICRC) Shoham emphasized that the relationship with machines will be transformative for humanity rather than destructive. He envisions a future where machines and humans coexist and collaborate.

“We’ll control the potential downside. I’m more concerned that AI won’t be powerful enough than that it will be too powerful,”—Professor Yoav Shoham

Prof. Lior Wolf, in the Computer Vision track, noted that major AI tasks have been solved, leading to the next challenge of building and training general-purpose robots. Dr. Ziv Katzir, head of the national AI program, highlighted global trends toward legal regulation of AI, including a proposed global treaty. Despite an overall decline in funding, there’s exponential growth in generative AI investment.

Dr. Ziv Katzir, head of the National AI program (Photo courtesy of Blavatnik ICRC) Locally, the National AI program shifted focus to practical solutions, emphasizing natural language processing for Hebrew and spoken Arabic, AI talent development through scholarships at all levels of higher education, investment in computer infrastructure, wider AI application in the public sector, and the development of a legal framework for trustworthy AI.

Israel consistently ranks in the top ten overall and is second in terms of per capita investment in AI

Since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, the Israeli Investment Authority has launched a new fast-track fund to fund local high-tech companies in the product development phase to strengthen the sector and national economy as a whole.

(Photo courtesy of Blavatnik ICRC) AI Day 2024, held at Tel Aviv University in cooperation with the Israel Innovation Authority and Israel National Cyber Directorate, captured the collaborative spirit of experts and industry leaders, emphasizing AI’s role in driving positive change. Beyond a gathering, AI Day 2024 embodied a commitment to a future where AI propels innovation and progress in tangible ways.

A Scientific Breakthrough That Will Help Increase Plant Yields in Dry Conditions

Written by AUFTAU on 31 January 2024. Posted in Newsroom.

A new discovery by Tel Aviv University has succeeded in cultivating and characterizing tomato varieties with higher water use efficiency without compromising yield. The researchers, employing CRISPR genetic editing technology, were able to grow tomatoes that consume less water while preserving yield, quality, and taste.

The research was conducted in the laboratories of Prof. Shaul Yalovsky and Dr. Nir Sade, and was led by a team of researchers from the School of Plant Sciences and Food Security at Tel Aviv University’s Wise Faculty of Life Sciences. The team included Dr. Mallikarjuna Rao Puli, a former postdoctoral fellow supervised by Prof. Yalovsky, and Purity Muchoki, a doctoral student jointly supervised by Prof. Yalovsky and Dr. Sade. Additional students and postdoctoral fellows from TAU’s School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, along with researchers from Ben Gurion University and the University of Oregon, also contributed to the research. The study’s findings were published in the academic journal PNAS.

The researchers explain that in light of global warming and the diminishing of freshwater resources, there is a growing demand for agricultural crops that consume less water without compromising yield. Naturally, at the same time, because agricultural crops rely on water to grow and develop, it is particularly challenging to identify suitable plant varieties.

In a process called transpiration, plants evaporate water from their leaves. Concurrently, carbon dioxide enters into the leaves, and is assimilated into sugar by photosynthesis, which also takes place in the leaves. These two processes — transpiration and carbon dioxide uptake — occur simultaneously through special openings in the surface of leaves called stomata. The stomata can open and close, serving as a mechanism through which plants regulate their water status.

The researchers highlight that under drought conditions, plants respond by closing their stomata, thereby reducing water loss by transpiration. The problem is that due to the inextricable coupling between the transpiration of the water and the uptake of carbon dioxide, the closing of the stomata leads to a reduction in the uptake of carbon dioxide by the plant. This decrease in carbon dioxide uptake leads to a decline in the production of sugar by photosynthesis. Since plants rely on the sugar generated in photosynthesis as a vital energy source, a reduction in this process adversely affects plant growth.

In crop plants, the decline in photosynthetic sugar production manifests as a decline in both the quantity and quality of the harvest. In tomatoes, for example, the damage to the crop is reflected in a decrease in the number of fruits, their weight, and the amount of sugar in each fruit. Fruits with lower sugar content are less tasty and less nutritious.

In the present study, the researchers induced a modification in the tomato through genetic editing using the CRISPR method, targeting a gene known as ROP9. The ROP proteins function as switches, toggling between an active or inactive state.

Prof. Yalovsky: “We discovered that eliminating ROP9 by the CRISPR technology cause a partial closure of the stomata. This effect is particularly pronounced during midday, when the rate of water loss from the plants in the transpiration process is at its highest. Conversely, in the morning and afternoon, when the transpiration rate is lower, there was no significant difference in the rate of water loss between the control plants and ROP9-modified plants. Because the stomata remained open in the morning and afternoon, the plants were able to uptake enough carbon dioxide, preventing any decline in sugar production by photosynthesis even during the afternoon hours, when the stomata were more closed in the ROP9-modified plants.”

To assess the impact of the impaired ROP9 on the crop, the researchers conducted an extensive field experiment involving hundreds of plants. The results revealed that although the ROP9-modified plants lose less water during the transpiration process, there is no adverse effect on photosynthesis, crop quantity, or quality (the amount of sugar in the fruits). Furthermore, the study identified a new and unexpected mechanism for regulating the opening and closing of the stomata, related to the level of oxidizing substances, known as reactive oxygen species, in the stomata. This discovery holds significant implications for basic scientific knowledge as well.

Dr. Sade: “There is great similarity between the ROP9 in tomatoes and ROP proteins found in other crop plants such as pepper, eggplant and wheat. Therefore, the discoveries detailed in our article could form the basis for the development of additional crop plants with enhanced water use efficiency, and for a deeper understanding of the mechanisms behind stomatal opening and closing.”

TAU’s Academic Term Officially Begins

Written by AUFTAU on 21 January 2024. Posted in Newsroom.

On December 31, 2023, while many around the world celebrated the close of a year, Tel Aviv University (TAU) marked a new beginning, albeit one that was originally supposed to occur two and a half months before on October 15: the official start of the academic term (for those not in international programs). Classrooms filled up, campus coffee shops were full of chatter, and TAU’s green lawns once again welcomed scores of friends taking in the sunshine between classes. In many ways, the campus is back to normal. And yet, posters advocating for the return of hostages still hang prominently; many of TAU’s reserve students have not yet fully returned to class; and a shadow is cast by October 7 and the Israel-Hamas war.

Nevertheless, for those students who have returned, there is something they can all agree on: having classes to go to again, being with their peers again, is something for which they are entirely grateful.

“People are really excited to see one another and have a bit of a normal life.” — third-year political science and gender studies student Noa Ilona Joffe.

“We’re all trying to see the positive of it, to feel something positive again after a long time,” says Joffe.

Finding Connection After October 7

Joffe, who is a recent immigrant to Israel from Germany, was in South America when October 7 happened, as she had been volunteering in Guatemala with AMRIS, an organization that supports local Indigenous women. When her flight back to Israel on October 12 was canceled, she decided she would stay on in South America and continue volunteering at a hostel. For those students not in the military reserves, Joffe says the months before the academic term have mainly been a waiting period, with most people trying to volunteer or fill up their time in other ways. And that, in some ways, the return to campus feels like the return after COVID-19 lockdowns.

For instance, while classes are currently offered in a hybrid format and can be watched online, Joffe notes that attending in person at TAU is far more popular.

“If you have the possibility to come to class, you come to class. Everyone is extra engaged and really wants to have that connection.”

She also says her instructors have been very accommodating: “They are all wanting to know what we want and trying to adjust everything to us and how we emotionally feel.” Nevertheless, she does at times find class difficult, especially given that she is majoring in political science. “I have a class called ‘Morality and Terror’ and while there are lots of topics to discuss, it always comes back to October 7,” she shares. “Because it is still very fresh and very emotional, it is sometimes a little bit hard to be analyzing from an academic point of view.”

Joffe emphasizes that every Israeli has been impacted significantly by October 7; for her, a girl in her program was murdered and she had two family friends taken hostage (they have since been released). Yet, despite difficult emotions, Joffe emphasizes that being back in university is the right move for her: “I’m a new immigrant and everyone I know in Israel is from university,” she says. “I don’t know what I would do in Israel without university right now, so I’m very happy it started again.”

A New Start for International Students

International student Ma Zengyu is also excited to finally be on campus at TAU. Zengyu received her offer from the university one week before October 7 to begin a PhD track with TAU’s Department of East Asian Studies. Once she got her visa, she kept waiting until she could book her ticket from China to Israel to begin her studies.

She arrived on December 28 and said she’s been enjoying classes since the start of the term and is focused on setting up her life here. “I’m just trying to make some connections with my new friends, new classmates,” she said. Zengyu also previously completed her MA in Ancient Israel Studies at TAU and admits that she does feel like the atmosphere has changed a bit since then; however, her biggest impression is that most people at the university are trying to get a bit of normalcy back.

“Everyone is trying to focus on what they’re doing right now and trying to get everything back on track.”

“I think they are doing all the right things to make sure they can keep going,” — says Zengyu.

From the Reserves to the Classroom

At the same time, many TAU students who are or have been in the military reserves are still very much in a period of transition; while some have returned to campus, more are expected to return in the coming weeks. And for some reserve students, such as Ido Gazit, the feeling of being in transition is especially strong. Gazit, who is a double major at TAU in engineering and the humanities, should have graduated by now; he completed his courses last term and was working with a group to submit their final engineering project on October 15.

However, he got called up for duty the evening of October 7 and had to report to a base in the south of Israel the next morning. “I’m stuck in my third year,” says Gazit. While Gazit continues to work full-time in the military, he was recently restationed somewhere in central Israel and at that point, he approached his commander and got special permission to take a German course through TAU.

“I wanted to do something that made me feel like a person and not a soldier.”

“It makes me feel good – like a student again,” says Gazit, who has taken two German language courses at TAU previously. “And I think it’s something good for me after three months of only doing things for the country.” Concurrently, Gazit is also working to finally defend his project. “It’s already not that fresh in my brain – I had to read everything again and I don’t want to drag it to next year.” While Gazit knows he will not be able to leave his position in the reserves yet, he has asked his commander if his current language-class arrangement could be made permanent. And he is thinking about what his next steps could be after his military service and is seriously considering graduate school. “If I’m going to do it in engineering, I’d do a master’s in electrical engineering; if I do it in humanities, it would probably be something in history,” says Gazit. “However, I also might take some time to work or maybe just be a citizen for a while.

TAU Sets New Standards: Reservists Admitted Without Psychometric Exams

Exploring Responses to Challenges and Cultivating Collaborations