Post on 05-Dec-2021
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Message from the President
REPORTN o v e m b e r 2 0 0 63
I am pleased to see the third report that celebrates the ever-growing activities of the National Institute for Biotechnologyin the Negev. Developments are moving at a rapid pace,thanks to the dedication and unbridled energies of the newly-appointed Director, long-time Deputy-Director, Prof. VardaShoshan-Barmatz. She has nurtured the NIBN through infancy,always acting with a deep concern for the researchers andtheir scientific goals. She is deeply committed to realizingthe ultimate goals of the Institute and to maintaining theexcitement and momentum of creating a new entity. We aretherefore delighted that she has agreed to take on theleadership challenge as the Institute steps into a new phaseof its growth.
Under Prof. Shoshan-Barmatz, the NIBN has recentlyundergone some significant structural changes, includingsteps towards establishing it as an independent legal corporateentity. Also, negotiations with the Government regardingpromised funding are nearing completion, despite the recentwar.
We are grateful for the dedication of a group of scientistsrenowned in biotechnology around the globe, including:Nobel Prize laureates Prof. Sir Aaron Klug OM FRS andProf. Aaron Ciechanover; and admired scientists Prof.Raymond Dwek FRS and Prof. Philip Needleman.Furthermore, the vision, insight and magnanimous supportof Dr. h.c. Edgar de Picciotto of Switzerland have led theway, joined more recently by newer partners, the KahnHumanitarian Fund and the Yeshaya Horowitz Association,both of Israel. Our gratitude to all of these exceptionalindividuals, who have devoted both time and concern to thedevelopment of the NIBN, goes beyond mere thanks.
As we begin the new academic year, I wish our dedicatedteam under the leadership of the International AdvisoryCommittee and Director Prof. Shoshan-Barmatz a year ofexciting new challenges and advancement.
Sincerely,
Prof. Rivka Carmi, M.D.President
Colonies of Bacillus sp. (Magnified x100)
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Teaming Challengeswith Vision
Prof. Varda Shoshan-Barmatz, Director
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The National Institute forBiotechnology in the Negev:Entering a new phase
As I assume the challenge of leading the NIBN, I would like to outline the changesnow underway at the Institute. The NIBN is in the process of transforming itselfinto the first academic institute modeled on a self-organized, independent researchinstitute developed in Israel. Research carried out under its auspices is both basicand applied in nature. As an independent entity, NIBN is responsible for choosingits members, allocating resources for its staff, selecting appropriate researchprojects, and evaluating its research standards.
As incoming Director, I am working to build a roster of NIBN members who arecommitted to realizing these goals. Towards this end, Advisory Scientific Committees(ASC), composed of NIBN members, scientists from BGU and others from industryare completing detailed reviews of current members’ research projects in orderto elucidate their biotechnology potential.
Our primary scientific aim is to provide a natural home for the key areas ofbiotechnology that are emerging from rapid developments in biology andbiomedicine. These areas will form the core research to be conducted at the NIBN.At the same time, it is imperative that we enhance and secure organizational andfinancial support for the research and education agenda of our members. Thenew model includes a mechanism to judge results and as such, the Institute iscommitted to taking an active role in encouraging its members' success inbiotechnological research, while educating a highly-skilled and intellectuallypowerful new workforce. For their part, members must contribute to advancingthe goals of the Institute by exploiting their complementary strengths in both basicand applied research to make major strides forward in their research. The combinedefforts of the University, the International Advisory Committee (IAC) and Institutemembers will assure the evolution of advanced biotechnology at the NIBN.Moreover, while developing into a world-class scientific research center withinits stated fields of specialization, the Institute will have to meet the challenge offorging links between scientists and industry.
Clearly, this is not a simple task. However, with the encouragement of the IAC,which comprises Prof. Sir Aaron Klug, Prof. Raymond Dwek, Prof. PhilipNeedleman and Prof. Aaron Ciechanover, together with our President and Vice-President and Dean for Research and Development, Profs. Rivka Carmi and MotiHerskowitz, respectively, there is no doubt that we will rise to these challenges.
I would also like to take this opportunity to extend my wholehearted thanks toProf. Irun Cohen, who served as the Director from November 2004 until July2006, for his work on behalf of the NIBN. Prof. Irun Cohen was a member of theteam which founded BGU's Faculty of Health Sciences some 30 years ago. TheInternational Advisory Committee, together with then-President Prof. AvishayBraverman, Prof. Rivka Carmi and Prof. Moti Herskowitz, were pleased to attractProf. Cohen to the position. I had the opportunity to work closely with Prof. Cohenwhile serving as Deputy-Director under his tenure and was able to see first-handhow he brought his wide range of interests and expertise to the NIBN. Our teammade considerable progress in developing the NIBN and preparing the groundworkfor the Government of Israel’s plans for its long-term partnership in funding theInstitute.
As we begin the new academic year, I would like to thank the members of thevarious committees for their devotion of time, efforts and continued support ofthe NIBN.
The challenges of creating a new model forexcellence in research at the National Institute forBiotechnology in the Negev (NIBN) have beenmany. Our goal as the International AdvisoryCommittee has been to create a unique and excitingenvironment for scientists from different disciplinesof medicine, biology and engineering to worktogether under the umbrella of the nascent NationalInstitute.
We envisioned the overall model as being onewhich would serve as a magnet, connectinginnovative people emanating from differentresearch subjects and structures and providing theopportunity for researchers to work and collaboratein entirely new ways. Today, the NIBN memberscan recognize new challenges and create newresearch strategies to address them, as well asexplore emerging issues in depth, in a researchenvironment that is designed to respond to theirinterdisciplinary needs. In such a way, the Instituteis expected to enable new advances inbiotechnology and to serve as the glue and linksbetween academia and industry.
As ongoing supporters of this newly-formedacademic entity, we are very pleased to see thatthe NIBN is ready to move on to a new phase undernew leadership. The incoming Director, Prof. VardaShoshan-Barmatz, has enthusiastically andeffectively taken the challenge to move into a newphase of development and lead it to internationalrecognition. The objective today is to search fornew opportunities for innovations in the field ofbiotechnology and that requires the insights andknowledge of individuals in academia.
The winds of excitement and adventure are nowblowing in the rejuvenated NIBN and we trulybelieve that the Institute is marching towards adefined strategic set of goals in biotechnologicalresearch and will begin to fulfill its envisagedfunction of acting as a catalyst for developingbiotechnology in the Negev.
These are stimulating times. However, it is clearthat significant additional funding is pivotal toachieving the goals of the Institute to promoteinnovative research. We are confident that theNIBN is facing an exciting future.
Prof. Sir Aaron Klug OM FRS, ChairmanProf. Raymond Dwek FRSProf. Philip Needleman
The International Advisory Committee
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Honoring NIBN Supporters
The Centennial Anniversary of David Ben-Gurion’s Aliyah toIsrael was marked during the 36th Annual Board of GovernorsMeeting in May 2006 with the presentation of a specialaward recognizing nine outstanding individuals for their“tremendous contributions to the University and the Negev,which have had an immeasurable impact on the region.”Edgar D. de Picciotto of Switzerland, the visionary forcebehind the creation of the National Institute for Biotechnologyin the Negev, was among the recipients, honored for hisforesight and magnanimous support for further developmentof the NIBN.
Also during the Board of Governors meeting, two specialfriends of the NIBN were recognized. Morris S. Kahn,founder of Amdocs, the Aurec Group and other hi-tech andcommunications ventures, received an Honorary DoctoralDegree for his ongoing support of the University and hiscontributions to science, humanity and culture through wide-ranging philanthropic activities focused on scholarship andconcern for others. The generous philanthropic support ofthe Morris Kahn Humanitarian (MKH) Fund has allowed forthe recruitment of young scientists with top credentials intheir fields from leading academic institutions worldwide toBGU.
Yair Green was awarded an Honorary Doctoral Degree inacknowledgment of his support of higher education in Israeland in particular, assistance to the University in fulfilling itsvision to develop the Negev through the Yeshaya HorowitzAssociation. As a member of the University's Board ofGovernors and its Executive Committee, Yair Green is anactive partner in realizing the University's mission. As foundingdirector of the Yeshaya Horowitz Association, he has spurredinnovative research in the fields of nanotechnology andbiotechnology and supports the scientists at the NIBN,amongst other endeavors at BGU.
Marking the honorary degrees bestowed upon Yair Greenand Morris Kahn, a conference on: “Biotechnology: Industryand Academic” was held. Edgar de Picciotto, Yair Green andMorris Kahn had the opportunity to hold discussions withthe NIBN team while at the University and learn about plansto develop sophisticated, state-of-the art laboratories, so asto make the Institute one of the most attractive researchcenters in Israel.
From left: outgoing President Avishay Braverman, President Rivka Carmi,Edgar D. de Picciotto,
From left: President Rivka Carmi, Morris S. Kahn,Rector Jimmy Weinblatt
From left: President Rivka Carmi, Yair Green, Rector Jimmy Weinblatt
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Thinking SmallDr. Levi Gheber
Our lab conducts research in a variety of
interdisciplinary fields, largely but not
exclusively on issues relating to
nanobiotechnology. Nanobiotechnology
is understood as nanotechnology using
biological materials and building blocks,
or alternatively, biotechnology at nano
scales. Whatever the definition, we are
interested in very small biological objects
and ways to use them wisely to create
something useful.
We make intensive use of scanning
probe microscopy (SPM) in conventional
(AFM, NSOM) and in less conventional
ways (nano fountain pen), both to create
small structures and to characterize them.
We also make intensive use of optical
(fluorescence) microscopy in conventional
and less conventional ways (TIRFM). We
are constantly swinging from field to field
– from cell biology to condensed matter
physics, chemistry (organic, bio and photo),
advanced microscopy, digital signal and
image processing, and others. We hope
that what we are doing will find
applications in biochips, bioelectronics,
lab-on-a-chip, biosensors, t issue
engineering, etc.
A few of the projects and achievements
of our laboratory are described below.
Towards nano arrayed biosensorsand lab-on-a-chip.The basic definition of a biosensor is “A
type of biomolecular probe that measures
the presence or concentration of biological
molecules, biological structures, etc., by
translating a biochemical interaction at the
probe surface into a quantifiable physical
signal such as light or electric pulses.”
The well-known DNA chip consists
essentially of many DNA sensors placed
in an array. Each array entry reports the
detection of its complementary sequence
(by fluorescence). The concept of arrayed
biosensors is a very powerful one and can
be applied to many other biomolecules.
Protein chips, for example, though not as
widespread as DNA or RNA chips, are in
common use.
It may seem surprising, but one of the
problems with the current technology of
arrayed biosensors is the size of the
systems. Although in themselves
biosensors are very small, the technology
required is non-portable. Actually reading
the reported data calls for a fully equipped
laboratory, expensive equipment and
trained personnel – facilities found only
in research institutes, large companies and
hospitals. At present, therefore, the idea
of using arrayed biosensors to monitor the
quality of food on supermarket shelves,
drinking water in rivers and lakes,
biological threats in the atmosphere or
levels of various molecules in the
bloodstream of patients still seems an
unattainable dream. Yet this dream could
be realized if we could integrate an entire
laboratory on a chip that would be both
portable and autonomous, i.e. that would
be capable of collecting samples,
performing the required actions –
purification, amplification, labelling, etc.
– and reporting the results. This is precisely
the concept known as lab-on-a-chip.
Obviously, an important step on the way
to achieving such an ambitious goal is to
miniaturize the array of biosensors.
Nowadays bioarrays are manufactured
by a technique that yields single spots
(each spot is an individual biosensor)
approximately 100 µm in size and arranged
at approximately 300 µm intervals. We
are developing the technology to reduce
these dimensions by a factor of 1,000. Our
manufacturing tool is the nanopipette
(originally developed by Prof. Aaron Lewis
of HUJI), which consists of a capillary
tube drawn into a sharp tip with an aperture
of ~100 nm. The nanopipette is mounted
as a probe on a scanning probe microscope
(SPM) and can be controlled with
nanometric precision in three directions
(x,y,z). It is filled with a solution which is
drawn to the tip by capillary forces but
does not flow out unless the pipette is
contacted with a substrate. Upon contact,
minuscule volumes of solution are
delivered to the surface. This is known as
the nano fountain pen (NFP) method.
Protein printingWe have demonstrated our ability to print
spots of proteins ~200 nm in diameter and
spaced ~300 nm apart. Such a reduction
in dimensions increases the information
density by a factor of about 1,000,000 as
compared with existing technologies. This
could be a first step towards the ability to
take the biosensor array on a microscope
slide and fit it on an area one million times
smaller. The figure below shows spots of
green fluorescent protein (GFP) printed
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using NFP, as well as GFP lines. The image
on the left was obtained using atomic force
microscopy (AFM) and the one on the
right, with conventional fluorescence
microscopy.
Enzymatic nanolithographyMicrofluidics is a sub-discipline that has
emerged as a result of the continuous
efforts invested by the scientific community
in the development of a lab-on-a-chip. It
is evident that such an autonomous device
must be based on the fluidics associated
with collecting minute (fluid) samples and
transferring and processing them, which
in turn involves very small channels, wells,
pumps, valves, etc. All these are of interest
to microfluidics and microelectro-
mechanical systems (MEMS).
To reduce the size of arrayed biosensors
by three orders of magnitude (in one
dimension), one has to reduce the fluidics
and associated devices accordingly, leading
to nanofluidics and nanoelectromechanical
systems (NEMS).
Our approach to nanofluidics involves
proteolytic enzymes. These are enzymes
that hydrolyze peptide bonds and thus cut
proteins. The application of minute
volumes of proteolytic enzyme solutions
onto protein films creates depressions, like
wells and channels. In particular, we have
shown how channels and wells of
nanometric dimensions can be formed and
controlled using trypsin to etch bovine
serum albumin (BSA) substrates. The
advantage in using enzymatic etching is
that the etchant specifically recognizes its
substrate, unlike in the inorganic world
(for example, HF etching silicon oxide.)
Owing to this recognition, it is possible to
engineer substrates and appropriate
enzymes to selectively etch three
d imens iona l nanos t ruc tu re s i n
proteinaceous surfaces.
Polymer microlensesUsing the NFP method, it is possible to
deposit small drops of monomer solution,
which can be subsequently polymerized,
to yield spherical caps that act as
microlenses. We are able to produce
microlenses as small as 4 µm. in diameter
by this technique and position them with
nanometric accuracy in places of interest.
We have shown that using such
microlenses enables us to enhance the
fluorescent signal emitted by, for instance,
the fluorescent spots of a nanobiochip.
Nano molecularly imprintedpolymers (MIPs)In molecular imprinting, a target molecule
acts as a template around which cross-
linking monomers are arranged and
copolymerized to form a cast-like shell.
Initially, the monomers form a complex
with the template through covalent or non-
covalent bonds. After polymerization and
removal of the template, binding sites
complementary to the template are held in
place by the cross-
linked structure.
T h e t h r e e -
d i m e n s i o n a l
m o l e c u l a r l y
imprinted polymer
(MIP) network is
patterned with
nanometer-sized
cavities, capable
of se lect ively
binding the target.
MIPs are called
“plastic antibodies” and can be used as
artificial receptors of molecules. They offer
substantial advantages over natural
receptors due to their much greater stability
and lower cost of production.
Using the nano fountain pen, we are
able to create arrays of nanometer-scale
MIPs by a technique similar to that
employed to create microlenses.
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Dr. Ruth Birk
The expression of genetic information can
be highly dependent upon, and be regulated
by, nutrients found in food. The study of
how genes and gene products interact with
dietary compounds to alter phenotype and,
conversely, how gene products metabolize
nutrients, is termed nutritional genomics
or “nutrigenomics.” The new field of
nutrigenomics thus combines medicine,
genomic research and the science of
nutrition to examine the complex
interactions between diet and the human
genome. Nutrigenomics is interested in
food insofar as it comprises complex
dietary compounds, some with bioactive
or pharmacological properties. In the
laboratory of Dr. Ruth Birk, nutrigenomics
research, specifically addressing dietary
lipids and their effects on fat digestion by
the exocrine pancreas and storage in
adipose tissue, is being conducted.
Fats are an essential part of our diet,
serving as a key factor in normal function
and development throughout life, especially
in infancy. However, the same molecules
also act as facilitators of major chronic
diseases such as arteriosclerosis, diabetes
and obesity. Absorption of fat into the
body depends on its breakdown by
enzymes. The interaction of nutrients,
hormonal factors and neural factors in the
regulation of pancreatic digestive enzymes
has yet to be fully understood. We do know
that such regulation can work in two
directions: On the one hand, it is important
as a means of enabling digestion of fat,
thereby facilitating the entry of specific
essential fatty acids into the body. On the
other hand, inhibitory regulation can act
to prevent overflow of fat into the body,
obviating the development of chronic
diseases.
One of the goals of Dr. Birk’s research
is to optimize the digestion of different
types of fats by pancreatic enzymes in
neonates. Dietary fat, both in breast milk
and in formulas, is the largest source of
energy during infancy, accounting for
~50% of caloric intake. The Birk group
addresses special fat groups, such as the
long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids that
play a key role in brain and normal retinal
development during infancy, as well as
medium chain fatty acids, given as
supplements to facilitate growth of
underweight pre-term babies. The Birk
laboratory has demonstrated that medium
chain fatty acid fortification of neonates’
diet beyond a certain threshold actually
diminishes the generation of pancreatic
enzymes, leading to diminished, rather
than enhanced, absorption of fat. Other
work in the laboratory showed that over-
consumption of saturated fatty acids – an
important element of the Western diet –
causes intracellular accumulation of fat in
exocrine pancreas tissue and is associated
with cellular dysfunction and cell death,
ultimately contributing to the pathogenesis
of pancreatic diseases.
Dr. Birk is also exploring the biological
signals that control satiety and hunger and
the mechanisms through which such signals
regulate the synthesis and secretion of
digestive enzymes, thereby controlling the
entry of foods into the body. Her group
showed that some of the signals regulating
satiety and hunger also control the release
or inhibition of digestive enzymes. Future
modification of these signals could serve
as pharmaceutical tools for reducing the
digestion and absorption of dietary fats.
Fat storage is another area under
investigation by the Birk group. Obesity
has reached epidemic proportions in the
Western world, as indicated by recent
reports showing that 25-30% of the West’s
population can be classified as obese.
Obesity is strongly and positively linked
to increased risk of developing chronic
diseases. In the body, adipose tissue
develops from “innocent” pre-adipocytes
into fully differentiated storage cells
possessing the metabolic capability to
efficiently store fat, a process during which
several genes are sequentially activated in
a known sequence. Dr. Birk’s team is
studying one such set of genes. The research
is of interest not only in terms of basic
science but in that it may also serve as a
first step towards the development of new
pharmacological solutions designed to
facilitate or inhibit the development of
adipose tissue.
Towards a strategy for fighting obesity:Understanding the digestion, absorption and accumulation of dietary fats
Fat cell (adipocyte) filled with fat droplets(magnified x100).
A typical cluster of exocrine pancreas cells (acini)(magnified x 40).
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By learning how to reign in “communities”
of microorganisms, microbial ecology, the
study of such communities, holds great
promise in the service of mankind. Of the
thousands of potential applications
imaginable, the ability to grow bacteria
capable of producing enzymes for
industrial use or biomaterials for
biomedical needs is widely used. Microbes
play useful roles as bio-degraders or
“bioremediators” of wastewater and
polluted areas. These and other applications
have helped place research into microbial
diversity at the forefront of scientific
research today. Such efforts are presently
limited, however, by the fact that although
bacteria are found all around us, current
cultivation methods only enable scientists
to grow less then 1 percent of these
organisms in the laboratory. That leaves a
lot of work for Dr. Ariel Kushmaro, a
specialist in the field of microbial ecology
and head of the Microbiological
Biotechnology Laboratory in the National
Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev
(NIBN).
Dr. Kushmaro was awarded a Ph.D.
with distinction from Tel Aviv University
and then trained as a Postdoctoral Fellow
at the Kevin Center for the Study of
Infectious and Tropical Diseases, Hebrew
University of Jerusalem, and in the
Depar tment of Organismic and
Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University.
Upon arriving at Ben-Gurion University
(BGU) in 2001, Dr. Kushmaro established
a laboratory for the study of microbial
ecology and biotechnology. Today, the
Kushmaro laboratory is working towards
developing novel technologies for the
culturing of previously “uncultured”
microorganisms. One promising approach
uses agar sphere polymeric encapsulation
platform technology, where a double layer
encapsulation method that allows capturing
single microorganisms in an agar sphere
is employed. By encasing the sphere in a
polymeric membrane that restricts the
movement of the microorganisms but
allows diffusible to pass freely, Dr.
Kushmaro is able to retrieve novel
microorgan isms f rom d i f fe ren t
environments such as soil or ocean waters.
His lab is also trying to develop high
throughput screening techniques for the
detection of sub-inhibitory concentrations
of anti-microbial compounds from various
environments.
As a Ph.D. student, Dr. Kushmaro
attracted international attention for his
Dr. Ariel Kushmaro
work on the bleaching and subsequent
damage of certain species of coral caused
by bacterial infection. Continuing in this
direction at BGU, Kushmaro has recently
discovered a novel protist-coral association
and described the ecological role of this
interaction. The members of the Kushmaro
lab are now engaged in a range of
investigations from coral microbial ecology
and diseases to the antimicrobial activity
of coral-associated microorganisms.
The approaches being developed by
Dr. Kushmaro and his team will help open
a window onto the world of uncultured
microorganisms, with the ultimate aim of
increasing the possibility of detecting novel
and potentially useful antimicrobial agents.
Given the current need for novel antibiotics
and enzymes, such research is undoubtedly
of high value to the pharmaceutical
industry.
Growing the ”Uncultured“ Microbial Majority
Protist from Fungia granulosa coral mucus A) A large number of protists embedded in the epidermis of F. granulosa. Note the zooxanthellae in gastrodermisB) Photomicrograph of a single protist embedded in the coral epidermis stained by toluidine blue. C) SEM of a protist embedded in the coral epidermisD) Transmission electron micrograph of an protist showing its nucleus. Note the coccoid bodies are encased in a membrane, and the cell body is actuallyembedded in the coral tissue (See, E. Kramarsky-Winter, M Harel, N Siboni, E Ben Dov, I. Brickner, Y. Loya and A. Kushmaro. 2006. Identificationof a protist-coral association and its possible ecological role. Marine Ecology Progress Series 317: 67-73)
Encapsulated spheres incubated on coral Fungia granulosa surface (A). Micro-colonies of bacteriain agar spheres after 3 weeks as observed under the microscope (B).
A
B
A B C D
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Recent Special Events (May-October)Conferences
Grants Awarded
Conference on: “Biotechnology: Industry and Academia”, in honor of Yair Green and Morris Kahn, BGU, May 31, 2006
“Frontiers in Microscopy: The BGU 300 KV Electron Microscope,”inaugural mini-symposium, organized by Dr. O. Medalia.May 28, 2006“Biotechnology: Industry and Academia,” held in honor ofYair Green and Morris Kahn, BGU, May 31, 2006Internal workshop of NIBN scientists, Sede Boqer, July 2, 2006
“From shrimp gender to cancer therapy – Pharmapox annual meeting,” organized by Prof. A. Sagi, Nov. 9-12, 2006“GLYFDIS - The European Commission - 6th Framework Programmeeting”, organized by Prof. Angel Porgador, Dead sea, Israel, Dec. 7-9, 2006“The Negev Systems Biology Get Together.” A mini-conference organized by Dr. E. Rubin, Feb. 20, 2007.
Meeting with the NIBN International Advisory Committee (IAC),including Prof. Sir A. Klug, Prof. P. Needelman and Prof. R. Dwek,May 28-30, 2006. A second 3-day meeting will be held onDec.10-12, 2006.Meetings with special advisors to NIBN and with leaders of biotechnology companies:
Auriga Group - Dr. Uriel Halavee and Prof. Shmuel BukstanBioDiscovery Israel - Prof. Max Herzberg (founder of Orgenics, VBL, Vecta and chairman of Sepal Ltd., a cancer drug company)Biotech Development Consultants (BDC) - Dr. Christian Policard, Adv. Nicole Burle, Dr. Michel Kaczorek (Paris, France)Bio-Rad Haifa, Ltd. (formerly Proteoptics Ltd.)Cabilly Shmuel - Established several companies in Israel, and is a former CTO of Invitrogen Israel, and a holder of the'Cabilly' patentInvitrogen Israel - Dr. Uri Yogev and associatesKeddem Bioscience, Ltd - Dr. Dror OferAnkersmith - Dr. Nir NavotAnigma - Dr. Zeev SmilanskiDr. Anat Eitan, Hagit Sepkuty-Beckenstein - Special advisors to NIBN
At these meetings, NIBN was presented as the first academic modelof a self-organized, independent research institute to be developed
Upcoming Conferences
Industry Contacts and Visits to NIBN
NIBN members were awarded grants from the followingcompetitive foundations: BSF, DIP, GIF and the EuropeanCommission - 6th Framework Program.
Dr. Amir Aharoni (will start Dec. 2006) was awarded a grantof $500,000 from The Legacy Heritage Fund and the IsraelScience Foundation.
During the last year, NIBN members published papers inleading journals such as, Nature Genetics, Proc. Nat. Acd.Sci. USA., Nature protocols, Nano Letters, J. Biol. Chem.,J. Immuno, Nature Immunology
in Israel, under whose auspices both basic and applied researchwill be carried out. It was moreover pointed out that the NIBNis designed to bridge academia and industry. All meetingswere held at NIBN and were accompanied by a visit to theelectron microscope and other units. Discussions concerningpossible collaborations with these companies are ongoing,with some agreements already in preparation.
The National Institutefor Biotechnology in the Negev
Beer-Sheva, 84105, Israel
Tel: 972-8-6461912
Fax: 972-8-6272983
Website: nibn.bgu.ac.il
E-mail: nibn@bgu.ac.il
Director:
Prof. Varda Shoshan-Barmatz
vardasb@bgu.ac.il
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Publications