HUJI Research Infrastructure

During his Ph.D. under Prof. ‏Meital Reches‏, ‏Daniel Boas‏ noticed an unusual solvent behavior while separating peptide-metal reaction products. What seemed like bubbles turned out to reveal new emulsification properties, leading to a groundbreaking discovery in peptides and drug delivery. The peptide, composed of four amino acids, was able to bind metal ions such as zinc and copper. When this binding occurred, the peptide-metal complex became amphiphilic. The peptide altered its structural conformation and could stabilize emulsions — a significant advantage in delivering water-insoluble drugs, such as paclitaxel (an anti-cancer drug). As part of the research, Daniel used advanced methods to analyze the emulsions. Molecular dynamics simulations conducted at the lab of Prof. ‏Tell Tuttle‏ from the University of Strathclyde, clarified the peptide’s dynamic structure and conformational changes. Prof. ‏Debbie Shalev‏ from the Wolfson Centre for Applied Structural Biology at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem conducted NMR measurements to further understand these interactions. UV-vis spectroscopy and circular dichroism (CD) provided additional insights into peptide-metal interactions and structural effects. The stability of the emulsion depended on the peptide-metal bond, which breaks around pH 6. Luckily, since the extracellular pH of tumors is more acidic than that of normal tissues, this allowed for selective release of the encapsulated drug near the cancer cells. This selectivity could enhance the drug’s efficacy while also reducing side effects. This system successfully encapsulated paclitaxel and improved its efficacy due to the simultaneous delivery of water-soluble zinc ions—something not possible with conventional emulsions. Cancer cell viability assays, conducted in collaboration with Prof. Edit Tshuva’s lab at the Hebrew University, demonstrated that this system enabled co-delivery of the drug and zinc ions, achieving an effective IC50 value of 70 nM. Moreover, the presence of metal ions on the emulsion droplets allowed further functionalization with fluorophores, proteins, or antibodies, expanding the potential applications of emulsions in drug delivery and beyond. This result positions the peptide as a 'key' to improving drug delivery, reducing the need for high doses, minimizing side effects, and increasing treatment efficacy. Thank you to Daniel and Meital for their groundbreaking research, to Yissum, The Hebrew University Tech Transfer Company for their support, and to all the partners involved.

Temperature Sensitivity The resonance frequencies of nuclear magnetic resonances are sensitive to temperature changes. It is therefore important to measure and report the sample temperature for the experiment in order to obtain consistent results. Examples of materials where this phenomenon is particularly noticeable are hydroxides and amines. Kinetic and diffusion studies are very susceptible to temperature changes. The NMR Thermometer app, developed by Dr. Roy Hoffman, is an online tool designed to determine the temperature of a sample using NMR spectroscopy. Here's how it works: Measurement: You measure the 1H NMR spectrum of a standard sample under the same conditions as your experimental sample. The standard sample could be deuterium oxide (D2O), methanol-d4, glycol, or other specified standards. Chemical Shifts: The app calculates the temperature based on the chemical shift difference between two peaks in the NMR spectrum of the standard sample. For example, in methanol-d4, the separation between the two peaks is used to determine the temperature. Input: You enter the chemical shifts or the separation (in ppm) of the two peaks into the app. The app then calculates and displays the temperature. Accuracy: The app provides the temperature with an accuracy up to ±0.03°C. It also warns you if the entered values are out of range. This app is particularly useful for researchers who need to determine the temperature of their samples accurately and conveniently without additional equipment. The NMR laboratory at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem is equipped with facilities from the company Bruker. Link to the NMR lab app and YouTube channel with fascinating insights in the first few comments!

A Historic Moment-Israel Unveils Its First Quantum Computer!

We are hiring! We are looking for Electron Microscopy expert to join the Nano Characterization team at the Nano Center. If you are an expert in the field, or know someone who is, this is the link: https://lnkd.in/d7H63sGs. For more details, contact Dr. Inna Popov innap@savion.huji.ac.il, Head of the NanoCharacterization.

Fluorescent staining of microscopic samples isn’t just visually impressive—it’s critical for uncovering 3D details invisible to standard light microscopy. However, many of these methods were originally tailored to specific model organisms, making their application to non-model organisms particularly challenging. This is especially true in embryonic development, where distinguishing between cells often relies on their gene expression profiles.   "In the past two years, I’ve immersed myself in mRNA fluorescent in Olympus FV1200 confocal microscope staining techniques to track the development of the nervous system in the milkweed bug (Oncopeltus fasciatus)—an insect not commonly used as a model organism This process demanded extensive learning about buffer chemistry, RNA-protein interactions, the physics of fluorophores, and microscopy techniques, alongside a great deal of trial and error. Despite these challenges, we succeeded in producing sharp, high-resolution images of developing neural cells, stained with specific wavelengths that enabled us to visualize their 3D structure in unprecedented detail. These images reveal gene expression patterns of key genes vital to neural development. Nitzan Alon, a PhD student under the guidance of Prof. Ariel Chipman, conducted the research at Bio-Imaging Unit - The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Science, under the guidance of Dr. Naomi Melamed-Book Alon is not only an outstanding scientist but also a remarkable example of persistence and hard work. After years of working with the confocal microscope, a single image reflects two years of dedicated research ניצן אלון

One of the ongoing debates in the chemical sciences is which molecules came first?  was it solely RNA? Peptides? or a mixture of both? RNA is needed for protein production, but proteins are also required to create RNA. Which came first? Or perhaps there were other important molecules? Dr. Moran Frenkel-Pinter from the Institute of Chemistry, who specializes in abiogenesis and prebiotic chemistry, discovered through in-depth research that primordial RNA and primordial peptides interact to stabilize each other, which suggests that they might have evolved alongside one another. "This has never been a dilemma, as they evolved together," says Dr. Frenkel-Pinter. Following this conclusion, she focused on the question and examined which molecules took the lead—was it just one type, such as RNA or peptides, or a more chaotic system? One of the discoveries in her research is that a subset of twenty amino acids found in today’s proteins can create peptides more easily in the absence of enzymes compared to amino acids that were abundant in the prebiotic soup but didn’t make it to today’s biology, under the same conditions. "We were able to understand the forces that shaped protein evolution from a chemical perspective, and then the interactions between them were examined." Today, Dr. Moran Frenkel-Pinter is researching reactions between the building blocks of life by mimicking the dried environment that created the polymers to create and develop functional polymers. Last September, Dr. Frenkel-Pinter received a grant from the European Research Council (ERC) as part of funding for promising young researchers around the world. Dr. Frenkel-Pinter is studying how sugars form functional polymers capable of assembly and catalysis. After completing a doctorate in which she studied the role of changes in glycosylation of proteins in Alzheimer's disease and studied the effect of glycosylation on the self-assembly of peptides, now Moran studies the role of early sugars in the origins of life. Through research in her group, Dr. Frenkel-Pinter aims to develop an innovative high-throughput synthesis platform that will allow the production of chemical libraries of small polymers that have different functions such as binding to nucleic acids. Once the platform is operational, it will have many additional applications, such as designing molecules to inhibit the aggregation of proteins associated with degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s or serving as scaffolds for therapeutic regeneration. Let us know what you think about the article – has the debate finally been settled, or have we opened up a whole new genre of questions about the origins of life?

Arthropoda is the largest group of animals on Earth, with more than 1 million described species. Despite the great diversity of habitats, lifestyles, and body plans, all this variation is unified by one common feature: the chitinous cuticle, the external covering of arthropods. Due to the rigidity of the cuticle, it must be periodically shed to allow for further growth and development. The process that leads to cuticle renewal is called the molting cycle. The cuticle is not considered very diverse in terms of elemental composition, as it mostly consists of organogenic elements such as carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen. The rigidity of the cuticle is achieved through two main strategies. In crustaceans, the incorporation of calcium salts into the protein-chitin matrix is an essential step for cuticle formation, leading to mineralization. In contrast, insects primarily undergo a process of cuticle tanning, where organic agents crosslink the cuticular proteins. In addition to calcium, other inorganic elements are found in high concentrations within the cuticle of specialized structures in different arthropod groups. Examples include zinc, manganese, and iron in the scorpion's stinger, the spider's fang, and ant mandibles. These elements are thought to enhance the mechanical properties of the cuticle, contributing to increased stiffness and sharpness. Elemental profiling of the cuticle has mostly been done for spiders, scorpions, and insects, while other arthropod lineages remain unexplored. Another question that remains understudied is the fate of these elements during molting. It is not clear whether they are reabsorbed before molting, as calcium is in freshwater and terrestrial crustaceans, or shed along with the old cuticle. Olga Volovych, an international postdoctoral researcher under the supervision of Professor Ariel Chipman, is working on the elemental profiling of the cuticles of understudied arthropod lineages in relation to their molting cycles. Scanning electron microscopy with elemental mapping, provided by Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, is being performed on cuticle samples from animals and their shed exuviae for further comparison. Special focus is placed on mouth appendages, as these structures may be reinforced with various metals. This work is just one puzzle piece of a larger interdisciplinary research project on molting in arthropods, conducted by a team from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and University of Lausanne, and funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation SNSF Sinergia award.

The past year has strengthened our commitment to continue exploring and reaching every atom of existence, extracting new information and insights about the world. It hasn’t been the easiest year, so thank you for being a part of it. Together, we can continue to spread knowledge, professionalism, innovation and work towards making the world a better place.

For the second consecutive year, three Israeli universities are ranked among the top 100 institutions globally. Alongside the Hebrew University, ranked 81st, are the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology (85th) and the Weizmann Institute of Science (69th). This is an outstanding achievement for Israeli academia and especially for the Hebrew University.   Professor Asher Cohen, President of the Hebrew University, stated: "The presence of three Israeli universities in the list of the top 100 universities globally is an exceptional achievement in such a challenging and complex year. The Hebrew University's rise to 81st place in the world's most prestigious academic ranking is a testament to the groundbreaking research and commitment to excellence that we uphold as a way of life. We take pride in and extend our gratitude to the university's researchers, academic staff, and administrative team, who continue to promote excellent research daily. We will continue to be the most important civilian institution for the city of #Jerusalem, the State of #Israel, and a source of international pride."   Professor Tamir Sheafer, Rector of the Hebrew University, added: "For nearly 100 years, the Hebrew University has remained committed to excellence in research and teaching. Thanks to our outstanding researchers, we are at the forefront of the global scientific stage, making a decisive impact on humanity's progress towards a better future. We recently concluded the academic year amidst the longest war since the establishment of the State of Israel. Through the united efforts and unwavering dedication of our academic staff, who have earned us a place among the top 100 universities in the world, we provided academic, financial, and social support to all the Hebrew University students serving in the reserves, ensuring that each and every one of them could complete the year without being left behind." The Shanghai Ranking, published annually, is considered one of the most reliable academic rankings globally. The rankings evaluate the quality of research at academic institutions, based on various indicators, including the number of faculty members and alumni who have won Nobel Prizes and Fields Medals, as well as the quantity and quality of publications in leading journals. The ranking includes approximately 2,500 universities. Among the top 100 institutions, 38 are in the United States, 14 in China, 8 in the United Kingdom, 5 in Australia, 4 in France, 4 in Germany, 3 in Canada, and 3 in Israel.