·
Israeli
scientists have developed a new treatment for melanoma.
·
Israel
gave free sports footware to Kenyan lacrosse players.
·
Israeli space
technology is out of this world.
·
New Israeli
plastics are eco-friendly and extend food shelf-life.
·
Over 1,000
invest in new Israeli treatment for ALS.
·
Lionel
Richie is coming to Israel.
·
Following
the recent Jewish day of romance, two cancer survivors are to wed.
·
Click here
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ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
A nano-vaccine for melanoma. Scientists at Tel Aviv University have developed a novel nano-vaccine
for melanoma (skin cancer) that has proved effective in laboratory tests. Tiny
particles made of bio-degradable polymer were packed with two “safe” cancer-expressed
peptides for the body to develop immunity against.
New test for Alzheimer’s. The SRY
subsidiary of Jerusalem’s Hadassah Medical Center has developed Vizamyl, a
radioactive agent that can diagnose Alzheimer’s disease. Used in a Positron
Emission Tomography (PET) scan, it estimates amyloid neuritic plaque density in
the brain - the main indication of Alzheimer’s.
Good results for anti-radiation vaccine.
I reported previously (see here) on the PLX-R18 stem cell treatment for radiation sickness from
Israel’s Pluristem. Animal trials by the US Department of Defense demonstrated
that PLX-R18, administered before and after radiation exposure increased survival
rates by 46-70%.
US approval for antibacterial dental fillings. I reported previously (Aug 2018) about Israel’s Nobio and its nano-polymer that causes bacteria to
die immediately on contact. Nobio has just received FDA approval to market its
antibacterial material for dental fillings.
Agreement for psoriasis treatment. I
reported previously (see here) on the small molecule treatments from Israel’s Can-Fite for psoriasis,
liver and inflammatory diseases, and cancer. Can-Fite AND South Korea-based
Kyongbo have just signed a distribution agreement for Can-Fite’s psoriasis
treatment Piclidenoson (CF101).
Innovation hub for hi-tech medicine. Israel’s
Innovation Authority and the National Digital Israel Initiative are setting up
an innovation hub dedicated to computational biology, digital health,
pharmaceuticals, and artificial intelligence. They are asking for bids worth up
to NIS 32 million to build the hub.
Ultrasound skin therapy. Israeli startup
SofWave Medical is developing non-invasive ultrasound technology for skin
tightening. It targets specific layers of skin to reduce wrinkles and has
received CE (European) approval. SofWave has just raised $8.4 million of funding. https://alon-medtech.com/portfolio/
Facial recognition of genetic diseases. Israeli-founded FDNA has developed artificial intelligence to
detect physiological patterns (phenotypes) that reveal disease-causing genetic
variations. With one of the fastest growing and most comprehensive genomic
databases, FDNA is changing the game for precision medicine. https://www.fdna.com/
First response training for medics in Chile. (TY Hazel) Israel’s emergency service Magen David Adom is helping to
train municipal security personnel as first responders to medical emergencies in
the Chilean capital Santiago. It is in preparation for Chile hosting two major
international conferences at the end of the year.
Israeli-Druze officer saves Jordanian boy. (TY Hazel) Kalai Housam Tarif, an Israeli Prison Officer of the
Druze community, donated half of his liver to an unrelated eight-year-old boy
from Jordan. Surgeons at Schneider Children’s Medical Center in Petach Tikvah transplanted
around half of Tarif’s liver to save the boy.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Hi-tech co-existence. (TY UWI & TPS) Nazareth- based NGT (Next Generation Technology) serves as an
incubator for 19 innovative life science and medical technology companies. It
also has a social agenda – to bring Arab and Jewish entrepreneurs together to
work in the same environment and achieve startup success.
UK ambassador’s strong links to Israel. Britain’s
new ambassador to Israel, Neil Wigan, presented his credentials to President
Reuven Rivlin. He revealed that he first met his wife Yael in Israel on a previous
posting in 2002. Also, his grandfather was the commander of British forces that
liberated Bergen-Belsen.
Best foot forward. When
Israel played Kenya in the 2019 Women's Lacrosse U19 World Championships, they saw
that the Kenyans were wearing sneakers instead of lacrosse cleats (shoes with special
studs). The next day, the Israelis
presented each Kenyan with her own pair of cleats.
https://nairobinews.nation.co.ke/sports/this-kenyan-team-played-a-major-tournament-without-proper-kit-their-opponents-rescued-them https://www.israelhayom.com/2019/08/12/israeli-womens-lacrosse-team-gifts-kenyan-opponents-brand-new-cleats/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smA5NOtWklQ
Marine science exchange program. Israel is
to host 27 graduate students from 24 US institutions as part of the Limnology
and Oceanography Research Exchange (LOREX) program. Students will study at the
University of Haifa’s marine sciences school and the Interuniversity Institute
for Marine Sciences in Eilat.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-to-host-27-us-students-in-new-marine-sciences-exchange-program/
Huge delegation of House Reps visits Israel. 72 members of the US Congress (over 15% of the entire House of
Representatives) came to Israel on concurrent Republican and Democrat trips to
get a firsthand view of the challenges Israel faces and to express unconditional,
bipartisan support for the Jewish state.
Improving air safety in the US. Israel’s giant IT company NICE has just won a $137 million order from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to help it improve the safety of air transportation in over 770 sites. NICE’s tools will enable faster incident response and greater visibility into incident data.
Israel leads international tsunami drill. Israel's navy has been leading a major training exercise involving
11 countries in preparation for an expected earthquake and subsequent tsunami. Greece,
France and the US were in the main participants based at Haifa port, supported
by Germany, Italy, Canada, Chile, Cyprus and others.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Amos 17 satellite launched. Israel’s Spacecom’s Amos-17 satellite (see here) was successfully launched by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at Cape Canaveral,
Florida. Great youtube videos.
A satellite to help understand the universe. Israel’s Weizmann Institute and the Israel Space Agency are to
build ULTRASAT - a next-generation satellite with a telescope that will observe
the universe in UV light. It will investigate black holes, neutron stars, stars
with possible habitable planets and much more.
Data from the Sun. I
reported previously (see here) on the CMOS image sensor from Israel’s TowerJazz aboard the NASA
Parker Solar Probe. The high-resolution images of the Sun’s corona taken during
the first two fly-pasts have exceeded all expectations. A third encounter with
the Sun will take place imminently.
The Bible is a jewel. I reported
previously (see here) when scientists from Israel’s Technion Institute produced a Hebrew
Bible the size of a sugar grain. Now Hebrew
University of Jerusalem scientists and Tanaor Jewelry have embedded a nano-sized
Bible into a jewel that can be worn around the neck.
The origin of Israel’s desert water. Researchers
from Israel’s Ben Gurion University have used radio-krypton dating to map the
history of the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer system, which lies beneath Israel’s Negev
desert. It has also identified the
climate conditions that produced it thousands of years ago.
Construction technology saves lives. (TY
Itai) There have been many preventable deaths and injuries at construction
sites. SafetyFirst, Safeguard, SiteAware,
SiteWatch and INTSITE are just five Israeli startups helping to prevent
work-related accidents. It’s the first appearance in my newsletter for all of
these.
https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/construction-technologies-save-lives/ https://margad.wixsite.com/safetyfirst
A better future for plastic. Rotem Shemesh is Head of Research at Israel’s Carmel Olefins. She
is developing plastic that are easier to recycle. Another product is antimicrobial
plastic packaging to prolong the shelf life of food. And she is determined to
remove the plastic particles responsible for that “new car smell”.
Duckweed is a superfood. BGU researchers
have determined that Mankai, a high-protein aquatic plant strain of duckweed,
has significant potential as a superfood. It provides glycemic control needed
after carbohydrate consumption. After two weeks, participants had much better glucose
levels and felt more full.
Unique drone technology. This video
features six innovative Israeli drone technology startups. I’ve featured five of them previously, except
for Civdorne, which develops a device that turns drones into land surveying,
measuring, and marking machines for construction sites.
Eco-friendly vines. Israeli agronomist
and viticulturalist, Michal Akerman, has worked with the Society for the
Preservation of Nature in Israel to make the vines at her Tabor vinyards
friendlier to biodiversity. Her efforts have encouraged storks, otters,
lizards, rabbits, chameleons and wild boar to return to the area.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Direct
flights from Dallas. (TY Janglo)
American Airlines is launching a non-stop service from Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas
to Tel Aviv. The 3-flights-a-week operation will commence in Sep 2020 and will
be American Airlines’ first direct service to Israel since 2015.
https://www.israelhayom.com/2019/08/09/american-airlines-to-fly-nonstop-from-dallas-to-israel-starting-in-2020/ http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/267139
Summer
jobs lead to hi-tech careers. During the summer months, many Israeli hi-tech companies offer 10-week paid
internship programs to the children of their employees. The students receive
practical experience, while the company gets highly motivated temporary workers
for little recruitment cost.
Emigration
from Israel at record low. The number of Israelis moving abroad fell to the lowest level in more
than three decades. Since 2002, emigration has fallen by half, from 27,300
emigrants in 2002 to 14,300 in 2017. Returning Israelis and new immigrants results
in a net increase in Israel of over 22,000 citizens in 2017.
Billion-dollar
exit for Clicksoftware. (TY WIN)
US software giant Salesforce.com has already acquired several Israeli startups
and some 500 of their employees. But its
latest $1.35 billion takeover of Israel’s workforce management software startup
Clicksoftware, and its 700 employees, dwarfs all of them.
Corindus
exits for $1.1 billion. I reported previously (Oct
2014) on Israeli-founded Corindus Vascular Robotics and its robotic-assisted
medical devices for groundbreaking catheterizations. Now, German medtech company Siemens Healthineers is acquiring Corindus,
and its 100 employees, for approximately $1.1 billion.
Another
$200 million for Cybereason. I reported previously (see
here) on Israel’s Cybereason, which uses AI and big data analytics to
protect a company’s endpoints. In two years, Cybereason has tripled its
customer base and now protects 6 million endpoints. Japan’s Softbank has just
led a $200 million investment in Cybereason.
Over one thousand backers for ALS therapy developer. I reported previously (Mar
2017) on Israel’s NeuroSense, which is developing a treatment for
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). NeuroSense has just raised NIS 4 million from
over 1,100 backers in a crowdfunding campaign.
FAA approves
food deliveries by drone. I reported previously (Sep
2017) when Israel’s Flytrex began commercial food deliveries by drone to
customers in Iceland. Now, the US Federal
Aviation Administration has given approval to Flytrex for a trial delivery of
food by drone to residents in Holly Springs, North Carolina.
Defense
manufacturer buys drone company. Israeli defense contractor Rafael (makers of Iron Dome) has bought Israeli
drone manufacturer Aeronautics for an estimated NIS 850 million.
Amazon
buys Israeli storage startup. (TY Janglo)
US retail tech giant Amazon is acquiring Israeli storage technology startup E8
Storage for an estimated $50-60 million. E8 Storage develops flash storage
installations based on software, which E8 Storage say are cheaper than current hardware
solutions, but ten times faster.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Arts, crafts and music on Jerusalem streets. (TY Janglo)
Jerusaem’s Hutzot HaYotzer festival (until 24th Aug) features 150 artists from
Israel and 30 countries. Artisans showcase their creations and sell their
crafts, from watches to hammocks to paintings. Events include live concerts, dance
performances and workshops.
Shakespeare in the Rough. (TY Janglo)
“Measure for Measure: In Motion” by the Theater in the Rough group is being
performed until 27th Aug in the Bloomfield Gardens Jerusalem. Entrance is free
of charge.
37,000 Phantom fans. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s famous musical, Phantom of the Opera, currently
at the Israeli Opera in Tel Aviv, is a smash hit with Israeli audiences. Already,
37,000 tickets have been sold for its 32 performances, running until the first
week in September.
Lionel Richie to say “Hello”. Pop legend Lionel Richie is coming to Israel for a performance on
Sep 12th in Live Park Rishon Lezion. He has rejected BDS boycott calls, indicating
that he is “Stuck On You” Israelis. With such an “Endless Love”, he could be singing
“All Night Long”!
Award-winning
Israeli restaurants. (TY Jacques) Six Israeli restaurants won awards at the World Luxury
Restaurants Awards in St. Petersburg, Russia, voted by 100,000 guests, travelers
and industry professionals. Aria won 3 awards. The other winners were Milgo Milbar, Herbert Samuel, Chloelys, Hola, and
Nomi.
Going
underground. Israel's
unique and breathtaking subterranean scenery is attracting a growing number of
cavers. Around three years ago, Yoav Negev founded the Israel Cave Explorers
Club and, more recently, a rescue unit that is now part of the European Cave
Rescue Association.
NBA’s
loss is Israel’s gain. Omri Caspi was the first Israeli to play in the National Basketball
Association league. He has now returned to Israel, having signed a 3-year
contract to play for Maccabi Tel Aviv. He said he was “proud and excited to be
wearing the Maccabi jersey with the star of David on the back”.
THE JEWISH STATE
Cleaning
up the holy city.
(TY Janglo)
The Jerusalem municipality has instigated several sanitation reforms in order
to improve the environment and quality of life in the capital. These include
garbage disposal on Saturday night, additional cleaning companies, removing
abandoned vehicles and cleaning historic buildings.
Photographic
history of Temple Mount. A new exhibit “The Mount” at the Tower of David Museum offers the public
a unique glimpse at 180 years of photographs of Jerusalem’s Temple Mount. They
document the history of the most holy Jewish site from 1839 to recent times.
Holocaust survivor celebrates with 400
descendants. Holocaust survivor Shoshana Ovitz celebrated
her celebrated her 104th birthday at the Western Wall in Jerusalem together with
90% of her descendants - over 400 children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren.
https://www.algemeiner.com/2019/08/07/104-year-old-holocaust-survivor-celebrates-birthday-at-western-wall-with-400-descendants/
Cancer survivors to wed. University students Eliav Marland and Etti Davidov will marry this
coming week. They met thanks to cancer charity Zichron Menachem having both
recovered from cancer treatment. A lovely story to celebrate Tu b’Av (15th of
Av) - the Jewish traditional day of romance.
Hundreds start new lives in Israel. (TY UWI)
242 new immigrants (Olim) from the US and Canada have just arrived in Israel.
They came on the 60th charter flight organized by NGO Nefesh b’Nefesh and the
Jewish Agency. They included the 60,000th Oleh to be funded by NbN since the
NGO began work in 2002.
