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Dear Friends,
Never Again — In Memory Is Redemption
Last week we commemorated International Holocaust Remembrance Day and the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. In the memory of the Holocaust, like a phoenix arising from the ashes, Israel was reborn — a new nation built on knowledge and innovation. Tel Aviv University (TAU) embodies the spirit of the country as Israel’s largest educational institution, driving cutting-edge research, finding the answers, and shaping the global future.
Professor Dan Peer is a pioneer in the development of mRNA therapeutics, and he is also Director of the Laboratory of Precision Nanomedicine at the Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research. An innovative breakthrough from his lab has successfully delivered mRNA-based drugs to the intestine without passing through the liver. By altering the composition of the nanoparticles, the researchers demonstrated that mRNA-based drugs can be directed straight to target cells, avoiding the liver. This is the first time a drug has been delivered to the immune system of the small and large intestine, and itmay enable treatments for inflammatory diseases such as Crohn's and colitis.
Professor Ines Zucker, a mechanical, material, and environmental engineer (and a TAU alum), uses nanomaterials to solve environmental challenges like improving soil and removing pollutants from the air. Her lab is developing ways to clean ground water with nanoparticles that can absorb unlimited plastics, giving scientists the ability to clean reservoirs and protect water sources. She also created man-made-plastic standards to be used for research in the field, which means that every scientist who studies plastics and the environment uses the Zucker lab guidelines.
The EIC Accelerator Grant is given to scientists who have innovative game changing products to translate their research into a company. Professor Ronit Satchi-Fainaro is the first in Israel to win the prestigious grant, which is worth 2.5 million Euros. She and her team are developing a cancer vaccine for gastrointestinal cancers which targets the biomarkers for colon cancer and other GI cancers. The vaccine is designed to prevent metastasis. In this brief video, she explains how cancer grows in the body.
Professor Noam Shomron, head of the Functional Genomics Lab at TAU, uses AI and data to predict disease and to solve problems. He wears multiple hats between academia, industry, and national service as a Major in the IDF, and he has worked since October 8th to help identify DNA samples and remains. Professor Shomron's lab has spun off several companies from its research, from a blood test that reads an embryo's DNA to a test that reads a patient's DNA and can predict disease. Current research projects include working with cannabis to study how it helps cognition in the elderly and can be used to treat PTSD.
If you are interested in hearing Professor Shomron speak, I encourage you to consider registering for Tel Aviv University Discovery Day, a full-day symposium featuring TAU experts and researchers discussing pressing issues and current events. Discovery Day will take place in Boca Raton, FL, on Saturday, March 8, 2025.
I feel fortunate to be a part of Israel's greatest resource, and I am proud to share the work of the University with you each month.
Shabbat shalom.
Sincerely,
Dr. Garry A. Rayant
Chairman, American Friends of Tel Aviv University
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