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Innovative Technology Improves IVF Success Rates
A new technology developed by the lab of Professor Natan T. Shaked, Chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Tel Aviv University (TAU), has demonstrated a significant increase in the success rates of fertilization, pregnancy, and the birth of a healthy baby through in vitro fertilization (IVF). So far the technology has increased IVF success rates from 34% to 65% — resulting in 20 pregnancies out of 31 embryo transfers, compared to only 14 pregnancies out of 41 embryo transfers in the control group. The research team says that this method enables laboratories to select high-quality sperm cells for fertilization, dramatically improving the likelihood of pregnancy and the birth of a healthy baby. READ MORE
Techological Alchemy for the 21st Century
Inspired by alchemists of past centuries, Professor Moshe Ben Shalom and his team at the School of Physics and Astronomy at Tel Aviv University (TAU) is reconfiguring the atomic layers of graphite, the main component of diamonds, by shifting them against relatively weak van der Waals forces. These new materials have the potential to revolutionize technology, offering faster, more efficient memory storage. It's not exactly turning graphite into diamonds, the goal of those original alchemists, but the value of these newly engineered "polytype" materials could ultimately surpass that of diamonds themselves, the researchers say. READ MORE
Slip-Sliding Improvement for Future Computers
TAU researchers have for the first time enabled the application of the scientific phenomenon of superlubricity, in which friction vanishes or very nearly vanishes, in electronic components only two atoms thick. Friction causes wear and energy loss, so the research team harnessed frictionless sliding to significantly enhance the performance of memory components in computers and other electronic devices. Any improvement in efficiency, durability, and energy consumption directly translates into major technological advancements. READ MORE
Three-Time Winner
Professor Michal Feldman, a leading expert in algorithmic game theory from TAU's Blavatnik School of Computer Science, has been awarded the prestigious European Research Council (ERC) grant for the third time. Winning an ERC grant three times is an extraordinary achievement, reflecting Professor Feldman’s exceptional contributions to research at the crossroads of economics and computer science. Recognized for her groundbreaking achievements, she was also named LaIsha magazine’s "Woman of the Week," celebrating her exceptional contributions to science and academia. READ MORE
UPCOMING EVENTS
Webinar Series
March 19, 2025
Next month, the TAU Alumni Organization and TAU Global Leadership Community in collaboration with YPO Mosaic and YPO Jewish Group will conclude their webinar series featuring top TAU researchers describing their research and new developments at the University. Enjoy a recording of the February 9 seminar, Sports and AI featuring Professor Irad Ben Gal, HERE, and register for the March 19 webinar, Greener Future: The New TAU School for Environmental Innovation featuring Professor Noga Kronfeld-Schor, Chair of TAU's School of Zoology, HERE
ALUMNI IN THE NEWS
The world premiere of TAU alumnus Avner Dorman's A Time to Mourn and a Time to Dance, a concerto for two violins and strings inspired by the work of Johann Sebastian Bach, will take place at Carnegie Hall on April 8, performed by the world-renowned violinists Gil Shaham and Adele Anthony. From now through March 31, readers of this newsletter can enjoy a 15% discount on tickets by using the code SJS51106 when ordering through the link at the end of this item. Congratulations, Avner! READ MORE
HEAR IT NOW
In the latest episode of TAU Unbound, host and TAU alum Ido Aharoni sits down with Professor Uri Ben-David, a leading cancer researcher from TAU’s Faculty of Medicine. At the Ben-David Lab, his team focuses on an understudied trait of cancer — aneuploidy, the presence of an abnormal number of chromosomes in cancer cells. While this genetic instability is a hallmark of tumors, its implications for treatment are still being uncovered. LISTEN
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