Archive for Innovations & Discoveries

| June 8, 2012
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Israeli technology turns greenhouse gas into fuel

Technology developed by head of the Weizmann Institute of Science’s Energy Center creates mixture that can be used for car fuel.

A new Israeli solar Technology is able to transform greenhouse gas emissions from the dirtiest of pollutants into a useable fuel for automobiles.Israeli startup NewCO2Fuels Ltd., in partnership with Australian firm Greenearth Energy Ltd., has acquired the license for a technology developed by Prof. Jacob Karni, head of the Weizmann Institute of Science’s Energy Center in the department of environmental sciences and energy research, as well as supervisor for the institute’s solar program.

The innovation uses concentrated solar energy to dissociate carbon dioxideinto carbon monoxide and oxygen, as well as water into hydrogen and oxygen, allowing for the synthesis of the carbon monoxide and hydrogen into a gaseous hydrocarbon mixture called Syngas.

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| June 7, 2012
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IceCure removes breast cancer tumors without surgery

 

Israeli biomedical company destroys benign breast tumors with ice.

IceCure CEO Hezi HimmelfarbIceCure CEO Hezi Himmelfarb

The Israeli biomedical company, IceCure, has announced that it successfully removed benign breast cancer tumors from patients taking part in a clinical trial in Japan.

“The clinical trial destroyed small cancerous tumors by cryoablation, without the need for a surgical procedure. We believe that cryoablation, using the IceSense3, is an innovative approach best suited for treating small cancerous tumors in the breast,” said IceCure CEO Hezi Himmelfarb.

IceSense3 is an ultrasound-guided procedure that penetrates the tumor and then destroys it cryogenically – engulfing it with ice. Continue Reading »

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| June 5, 2012
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Go with the flow to monitor kidney injuries

 

URINFO, a new medical device from Israel inspired by agricultural technology, takes the guesswork out of diagnosing a kidney injury.

In critical-care units, nurses monitor urine output hourly to help determine kidney function and detect possible damage from injury and illness.

But today’s tools for measuring urine output are primitive. Urine is collected in a container with a plastic bag and must be measured manually – the last of the vital signs still measured this way. The number can be rendered inaccurate just by holding the bag in the wrong spot.

URINFO electronically measures urine flow in real time.

URINFO electronically measures urine flow in real time.

A new medical device from Israel inspired by agricultural technology, already being used in Israeli hospitals, takes the guesswork out of urine monitoring and provides clearer and safer guidelines during surgery and after-care. Continue Reading »

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| June 5, 2012
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2,000 year old treasure found in Kiryat Gat

Hoard of jewels, silver and gold coins from Roman period uncovered at rescue dig carried out by Antiquities Authority in south

Handmade earring with floral pattern Photo: Antiquities Authority

Handmade earring with floral pattern - Photo: Antiquities Authority

 

Worth its weight in gold: An impressive hoard of jewels, silver and gold coins from the Roman period was recently discovered at a rescue dig carried out by the Antiquities Authorityin the Kiryat Gat area.

The dig exposed the remnants of a structure from Roman and Byzantine times. When excavating near the structure’s courtyard the archeologists noticed a pit that was dug out and refilled.

To the archeologist’s surprise, the pit revealed an incredible treasure wrapped in cloth – scraps of which still remained among the findings. Continue Reading »

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| June 5, 2012
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Lessons from Israel’s innovation

Israel can help states like Haryana and Punjab in managing waste, packing, cold storage, dairy processing and recycling sewerage water for use in agriculture
Experts say the practice of milking animals by hand causes contamination. That is why Israel has adopted mechanised milking of cows
Experts say the practice of milking animals by hand causes contamination. That is why Israel has adopted mechanised milking of cows
Israel plans to set up more centres of excellence in Haryana on the pattern of the one in Gharonda. Similar centres will be established in Punjab, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu
Israel has emerged as a leader in various fields, especially water management and renewable energy, science and technology, agriculture and dairy. At Agritech Israel 2012, organised in Tel Aviv from May 15 to 17, Israel showcased some of its latest technologies and farming machinery and dairy practices.
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| June 5, 2012
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Israel Water Technology Sparks Business Venture

Millionare Richard Branson has launched a new business venture, “Virgin Pure,” using technology imported from Israel.

 

Millionaire and entrepreneur Richard Branson has decided to launch a new business venture, “Virgin Pure,” using technology imported from Israel.

Branson recently visited the country and met with Israeli technology companies and scientists, leading him to pursue his most recent undertaking.

When Ofra Strauss, Chairman of the Strauss Group, handed him water that had been purified using technology her company invented, Branson decided to launch a venture of his own.

“Ofra showed me the machine in Israel and I wanted to buy one for our family. Continue Reading »

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| June 4, 2012
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Israeli scientists take the high out of weed

A new breed of marijuana relieves symptoms of patients suffering from medical ailments, without the high; response to new breed has been mixed.

In a move unlikely to win Israel new friends abroad, Israeli scientists have figured out how to neutralize the chemical in marijuana that makes users high.

Marijuana Colombia 4.6.2012

A police officer holds a handful of seized marijuana during a presentation to journalists at a police station in Cali, Colombia - Photo by AP

A new type of marijuana developed in Israel contains no tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the active ingredient in the cannabis plant that causes mind-altering effects when the plant is smoked. Continue Reading »

Category: Innovations & Discoveries |
| June 4, 2012
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Israel to Unveil World’s Smallest Missile

Israel’s Rafael Defense Systems will unveil the world’s smallest missile at the annual Eurosatory exhibition in Paris next week.

 

Israel’s Rafael Defense Systems will unveil the world’s smallest military missile at the annual Eurosatory “Land and Airland Defense and Security” exhibition in Paris next week, Israel Defense reports.

Spike missile

Spike missile - Israel news photo: PR from Rafael Systems

The Mini-Spike electro-optic guided missile is the first missile to implement an anti-personnel precision attack missile. It has range of approximately three quarters of a mile (1.5 km) and is intended for deployment against enemy forces in shelters or trenches.

The entire missile weighs only 8.8 pounds (4 kilograms) and uses wireless communications to view and guide the missile to its target. Continue Reading »

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| June 3, 2012
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Israel 19th most competitive economy

IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook ranks Jewish state first in R&D investments, second for total public expenditure on education

 

Israel ranked in the 19th place among the world’s 59 leading economies in terms of competitiveness, according to the 2012 World Competitiveness Yearbook of the International Institute of Management Development in Switzerland – a two spot drop from the previous year.

Uriel Lynn, President of Israeli Chambers of Commerce Photo: Micha Kirshner

Uriel Lynn, President of Israeli Chambers of Commerce - Photo: Micha Kirshner

The IMD is the world’s most renowned and comprehensive annual report on the competitiveness of nations, ranking and analyzing how a nation’s environment creates and sustains the competitiveness of enterprises. Continue Reading »

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| June 1, 2012
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The surprising source of Israel’s edible exports

Once a barren strip of desert, the Arava today has some 600 farms supplying more than 60 percent of Israel’s exports of fresh vegetables and 10% of ornamentals

Peppers growing in the Arava. Photo by Eyal IzharPeppers growing in the Arava. Photo by Eyal Izhar

How many peppers can Peter Piper pick? Well, if the protagonist in the old tongue twister were picking them in Israel’s Arava Desert, the surprising answer is about 150,000 tons.

Once a deserted 112-mile strip of land stretching from the Dead Sea to the Red Sea, the Arava now has some 600 farms supplying more than 60 percent of total Israeli exports of fresh vegetables and about 10% of ornamentals. Continue Reading »

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| May 31, 2012
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Israeli Scientists Build Better Chemotherapy System

Israeli scientists have figured out a more efficient, “healthier” way to target cancer cells with chemotherapy.

 

Israeli scientists have figured out a more efficient, “healthier” way to target cancer cells with chemotherapy.

Professor Daniel Wreschner at Tel Aviv University’s Department of Cell Research and Immunology is developing antibodies that bind solely to the cancer cells.

The proteins produced by the immune system to fight infection target the cancer cells by binding to a protein  called MUC1. The antibodies can be used as an efficient means of delivering medication by depositing a parcel of toxins directly into the center of the diseased cells, Wreschner found. Continue Reading »

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| May 31, 2012
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Ancient Bethlehem seal unearthed in Jerusalem

Antiquities Authority says archeologists found oldest artifact bearing Bethlehem’s name – 2,700 years old seal

 

The Israel Antiquities Authority says archeologists digging at a Jerusalem site have found the oldest artifact that bears the inscription of Bethlehem – a 2,700 years old seal with the name of Jesus’ traditional birthplace.

2,700 years old seal Photo: Clara Amit, Israel Antiquities Authority

2,700 years old seal - Photo: Clara Amit, Israel Antiquities Authority

Eli Shukron, the authority’s director of excavations, says this is the first time the city’s name has appeared on an artifact from this period.

The clay seal, or bulla, was found in a Jerusalem dig.

Shukron said on Wednesday the seal bears the ancient Hebrew script used during the period of the first biblical Jewish Temple. Continue Reading »

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| May 30, 2012
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Greener ties for Jordan and Israel

A cooperative triangle involving Jordan, Israel and the US turns its attention to producing alternative fuels for the two Mideast neighbors.

 

In wealthy Western countries, renewable energy developments are a source of progress, pride and smart business. For Israel and Jordan, two Middle Eastern countries severely lacking in water and energy resources, renewable energy is a matter of survival.

That’s why there’s been a new green twist to the Trilateral Industrial Development Foundation (TRIDE), founded in 1996 as a pilot project under the wing of the BIRD Foundation – the Israel-US Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation — to create joint ventures between Israeli, Jordanian and American companies. Continue Reading »

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| May 30, 2012
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Israeli researchers: Group of Colorado Indians have common Jewish ancestor

Sheba Medical Center geneticists find common genetic mutation, often called the ‘Ashkenazi mutation.’

Sheba Medical Center geneticists have found that a population of Indians in the U.S. state of Colorado has genetic Jewish roots going back to the expulsion of Jews from Spain.

 

Indian tribes - Reuters - May 30, 2012

Indian tribes meeting in Denver, Colorado. Some Indians from the state have a unique genetic mutation usually found among Ashkenazi Jews - Photo by Reuters

The common marker was a unique genetic mutation on the BRCA1 gene. This mutation, commonly known as the “Ashkenazi mutation,” is found in Jews of Ashkenazi origin and is associated with an increased risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer. Continue Reading »

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| May 30, 2012
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Elbit to Supply Finnish Army

Israeli firm awarded contract for Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance program.

 

Elbit Systems announced Monday that it was awarded a contract by the Finnish Army, to supply advanced dismounted soldier systems, in the first phase of a comprehensive ISTAR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance) program.

The solution offered by Elbit Systems includes enhanced observation soldier equipment (MARS), comprehensive situation awareness software, cutting edge combat soldier wearable radio (PNR1000) and computer systems intended to enhance the operational capabilities of the Finnish Army in the areas of reconnaissance, terrain dominance and dismounted soldiers.

Elbit’s solution will also assist the Finnish Army in developing new combat doctrines, and serve as a basis for developing the military’s future forward observation program. Continue Reading »

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