PHOTO: Prof. Shimon Benita of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Biotechnology is widely regarded as the world's fastest growing scientific field.
The once distinct pursuits of biological and technological research have finally merged, promising the development of previously unimagined, combined-discipline applications. How does The Hebrew University fit into the global picture?
The Hebrew University conducts more biotechnology research than any other Israeli academic institution. It leads not only in the numbers of currently studying graduate students in biotech fields, but also in the number of field-related patents registered. Fully half of Israel's biotech industry is centered around the University's Rehovot and Givat Ram campuses.
Recent developments:
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Pioneering research at the Center for Genomic Technologies, the only center in Israel providing whole genome scans. Helped identify regions in the human genome associated with schizophrenia, asthma, and deafness
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Neurophysiologists teaming with engineers from the School of Engineering and Computer Science to develop a chip that will capture electrical signals from the brain and transmit those "orders" to an artificial limb.
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School of Applied Science attaching biochips to bacteria, hoping to guard against bio-terrorism by detecting and identifying toxins in water
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Nanotechnology research involving microscopic sensors that blood glucose levels in diabetics
