Category Archives: News

1st Technion Computer Engineering (TCE) Conference

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“It was quite an eye opener…”
Dadi Perlmutter, Uri Weiser, and other top pioneers tune in at TCE…
The powerful new initiative of the Technion Computer Engineering Center (TCE) – combining computer scientists with electrical engineers – was launched with a dynamic three-day conference in June – attracting global leaders from industry and academia.
The Technion Computer Engineering Center (TCE) was inaugurated in The 1st Technion Computer Engineering (TCE) Conference (June 1-5, 2011). Prominent lectures in the fields of Computer Engineering, Systems and Imaging Sciences, from industry (EMC, IBM, HP, Intel, KLA, Microsoft, nVidia) and leading universities (Stanford, Princeton, Brown, Columbia and more), contributed to the event. A few hundred people participated in the three days conference. The feedback was very enthusiastic and in the participants’ words: “It was quite an eye opener. I enjoyed very much the innovation and ideas presented in this forum and hope to have many fruitful events like this in the future”.

Professor Shimon Gepstin speaks on energy crops – Technion Society of Australia

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Professor Shimon Gepstin speaks on energy crops – Technion Society of Australia

Professor of Biology Shimon Gepstein will speak at the TSA’s next Einstein Supper on 20 July 2011 about his trail blazing work as a member of the Technion’s Grand Energy Program in creating genetically modified plants capable of producing biofuels on marginal lands with minimal requirement for water supply
Developing such plants should provide a net energy gain, have environmental
benefits, be economically competitive and be producible in large quantities for biofuel production without reducing food supplies.
As Australia grapples with ways to reduce carbon emissions and environmental degradation such as salinity in the Murray Darling River system, come and hear how Professor Gepstein’s work could provide solutions and viable alternatives for both energy and food sources.
Professor Gepstein is a former Dean of the Faculty of Biology, a member of the Israeli National Committee for Biotechnology and currently Head of the Technion’s Centre for Pre-University Education which prepares 700 students annually from disadvantaged backgrounds for entry to the Technion.
Professor Gepstein’s visit to Australia follows the highly successful visit in May of Israeli Chief Scientist, Technion Distinguished Professor Daniel Weihs.

Haick files: ‘Electronic nose’ that can sniff out cancer in patients’ breath | Mail Online

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‘Electronic nose’ that can sniff out cancer in patients’ breath | Mail Online

Electronic nose: A nanosensor array inside the device screens for cancer via breath testing

An ‘electronic nose’ has been developed that can sniff out cancer in patients’ breath.
The device can distinguish between people with the disease and healthy individuals.
Scientists believe the breath test could be especially useful for patients with head-and-neck cancers which are often diagnosed late.


The Israeli researchers collected breath samples from 82 people who either had head-and-neck cancer, lung cancer, or were cancer-free.
Lead researcher Professor Hossam Haick, from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, said: ‘There’s an urgent need to develop new ways to detect head-and-neck cancer because diagnosis of the disease is complicated, requiring specialist examinations.


‘We’ve shown that a simple ‘breath test’ can spot the patterns of molecules which are found in head-and-neck patients in a small, early study.
‘We now need to test these results in larger studies to find if this could lead to a potential screening method for the disease.’

Professor Hossam Haick pioneered the device. He said there was an urgent need for an early detector of head and neck cancer


The Nano Artificial NOSE device was even able to detect differences between head-and-neck cancer and lung cancer patients.
The study is published in the Journal of Cancer Research, which is owned by Cancer Research UK.
Dr Lesley Walker, the charity’s head of cancer information, said: ‘These interesting initial results show promise for the development of a breath test to detect head-and-neck cancers which are often diagnosed at an advanced stage.
‘But it’s important to be clear that this is a small study, at a very early stage, so many more years of research with patients will be needed to see if a breath test could be used in the clinic.’
Each year about 8,700 people are diagnosed with head-and-neck cancer in the UK.
The disease includes a range of tumour types occurring in the tissues and organs in the head and neck, for example salivary glands and mucus membranes.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1378745/Electronic-nose-sniff-cancer-patients-breath.html#ixzz1RRigNpbR

Haick files: ‘Electronic nose’ that can sniff out cancer in patients’ breath | Mail Online

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‘Electronic nose’ that can sniff out cancer in patients’ breath | Mail Online

Electronic nose: A nanosensor array inside the device screens for cancer via breath testing

An ‘electronic nose’ has been developed that can sniff out cancer in patients’ breath.
The device can distinguish between people with the disease and healthy individuals.
Scientists believe the breath test could be especially useful for patients with head-and-neck cancers which are often diagnosed late.


The Israeli researchers collected breath samples from 82 people who either had head-and-neck cancer, lung cancer, or were cancer-free.
Lead researcher Professor Hossam Haick, from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, said: ‘There’s an urgent need to develop new ways to detect head-and-neck cancer because diagnosis of the disease is complicated, requiring specialist examinations.


‘We’ve shown that a simple ‘breath test’ can spot the patterns of molecules which are found in head-and-neck patients in a small, early study.
‘We now need to test these results in larger studies to find if this could lead to a potential screening method for the disease.’

Professor Hossam Haick pioneered the device. He said there was an urgent need for an early detector of head and neck cancer


The Nano Artificial NOSE device was even able to detect differences between head-and-neck cancer and lung cancer patients.
The study is published in the Journal of Cancer Research, which is owned by Cancer Research UK.
Dr Lesley Walker, the charity’s head of cancer information, said: ‘These interesting initial results show promise for the development of a breath test to detect head-and-neck cancers which are often diagnosed at an advanced stage.
‘But it’s important to be clear that this is a small study, at a very early stage, so many more years of research with patients will be needed to see if a breath test could be used in the clinic.’
Each year about 8,700 people are diagnosed with head-and-neck cancer in the UK.
The disease includes a range of tumour types occurring in the tissues and organs in the head and neck, for example salivary glands and mucus membranes.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1378745/Electronic-nose-sniff-cancer-patients-breath.html#ixzz1RRigNpbR

Haick Files: Irish Dentist.ie | News | New device sniffs out oral cancer

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Irish Dentist.ie | News | New device sniffs out oral cancer

Scientists have revealed that an ‘electronic nose’ can distinguish between molecules found in the breath of head and neck cancer patients and those of healthy people, according to the results of a small, initial study published in the British Journal of Cancer.

Researchers from Technion – the Israel Institute of Technology – collected breath samples from 82 people from three groups: head and neck cancer patients, lung cancer patients and healthy people.

The team examined the differences in the molecules present in the exhaled breath of each group using tailor-made detection equipment called the Nano Artificial NOSE (NA-NOSE).

The NA-NOSE was able to distinguish between molecules found in the exhaled breath of head and neck cancer patients and healthy volunteers. It also distinguished between lung cancer patients and healthy controls, and between head and neck and lung cancer groups.

Lead researcher and inventor of the NA-NOSE, Professor Hossam Haick, said: ‘There is an urgent need to develop new ways to detect head and neck cancer. Detection of the disease is complicated, requiring specialist examinations and the disease is often diagnosed late.’

The device is in the early stages of being readied for commercialisation through the Alfred Mann Institute of the Technion, a non-profit organisation to bridge the gap between biomedical invention and the creation of commercially successful medical products that improve and save lives.

Haick Files: Irish Dentist.ie | News | New device sniffs out oral cancer

24 Comments

Irish Dentist.ie | News | New device sniffs out oral cancer

Scientists have revealed that an ‘electronic nose’ can distinguish between molecules found in the breath of head and neck cancer patients and those of healthy people, according to the results of a small, initial study published in the British Journal of Cancer.

Researchers from Technion – the Israel Institute of Technology – collected breath samples from 82 people from three groups: head and neck cancer patients, lung cancer patients and healthy people.

The team examined the differences in the molecules present in the exhaled breath of each group using tailor-made detection equipment called the Nano Artificial NOSE (NA-NOSE).

The NA-NOSE was able to distinguish between molecules found in the exhaled breath of head and neck cancer patients and healthy volunteers. It also distinguished between lung cancer patients and healthy controls, and between head and neck and lung cancer groups.

Lead researcher and inventor of the NA-NOSE, Professor Hossam Haick, said: ‘There is an urgent need to develop new ways to detect head and neck cancer. Detection of the disease is complicated, requiring specialist examinations and the disease is often diagnosed late.’

The device is in the early stages of being readied for commercialisation through the Alfred Mann Institute of the Technion, a non-profit organisation to bridge the gap between biomedical invention and the creation of commercially successful medical products that improve and save lives.

Prof. Grader Speech at the Satell Family Lab Dedication

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Ed Satell Family Research Lab Dedication Ceremony – Transcript of Speech from GTEP Director Prof. Gidi Grader.

“If successful, the output of this process would be nitrogen that is emitted back to the atmosphere where it came from, and water that can be recycled.”

June 6, 2011



It is a real pleasure and honor to be here today. It is a pleasure to be among so many great friends and colleagues, without whom none of this would be possible. It is an honor to be part of what I see as a seminal moment for energy research in general and for the Grand Technion Energy Program (the GTEP) in particular.



The GTEP was set up four years ago because Technion management recognized the importance of the global race to find energy solutions. The supply of energy and lack thereof are behind so many issues that we care about such as global security, poverty, terrorism and economics – all of which affect our daily lives.  



New energy supplies will be found in the future if we do the science to generate them today. Not only do we need new sources of energy, we need smarter materials, and efficient and affordable methods to harvest and store the power we can get.



With an astronomical rise in the world population, and similar global increases in energy demand, the energy research within the GTEP is not a luxury but a responsibility. The main mission of the GTEP is to promote and support challenging multidisciplinary projects with global impact. The Ed Satell Family research lab that we are dedicating today is a prime example of such research.



This lab, and these amazing facilities, will be used to develop a new technology to extract the energy from highly energetic nitrogen – based fuels. The materials we are using as fuels in this lab are common fertilizers that are being produced today in huge quantities. These types of materials store a great deal of energy, and we have shown that on an energy per dollar basis they can compete with fossil fuels. Currently these materials are produced from atmospheric nitrogen and hydrogen that is stripped from methane or other fossil fuels. This is the reason why the price of fertilizers is so closely tied up with the price of oil. However in the future, cheap hydrogen will be produced from water splitting. This would decouple the historic link between fertilizers and oil. 


As fuels, fertilizers potentially offer a unique opportunity to develop new types engines that are smaller and more efficient and more powerful than conventional ones. However, the technology to consume the energy of these materials in a controlled, continuous process, that does not emit any pollutants into the atmosphere is not known yet. The optimal materials of construction of such engines are only being developed now in this laboratory. If successful, the output of this process would be nitrogen that is emitted back to the  atmosphere where it came from, and water that can be recycled. The challenging mission of this laboratory is to develop this technology: to make it happen.



Perhaps equally as important, we will be passing this know-how, skills and spirit onto students in the lab who are part of the GTEP program.



This wonderfully equipped lab that we are dedicating today was the lead gift for the whole GTEP. Ed was the first one who Tee’d the program off.Ed Satell has stepped up to the plate as a true visionary leader, and set the stage for many additional very generous gifts that were made since.

This is not the only project Ed has supported. Ed has shown exemplary character, vision and wisdom in all his choices of projects to support. He is open-hearted and is really thinking of what is needed for the well-being of future generations. He has great energy and we are proud of the association and grateful for his support.



Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to say a personal thank you to everyone else who helped to establish this laboratory:


Firstly to all the Technion management for the unwavering support and confidence they have given me on this trail.


Then to the Technion Development and Maintenance Division-


to Dan Ordan –  Assistant Director General for Construction and Management
to Ya’akov Ladevitz – Project Manager
to Igal Kupershmidt – Supervisor
to Menachem Gideon, from GIMEL OSHIA
to Yael and Yaron Granot – Architects


And to everyone form Technion Development and Maintenance Division who continue to support and maintain this project.

I want to thank my close research associate for the last 20 years, Dr. Gennady Shter, my students and research team without whom none of this would be possible. Last on the list, I would like to thank my wife, Orit, and my four kids for letting me play in this adult toy land, for tolerating the long hours I am  away from home working on general GTEP matters, and most of all on this project.  

Thank you all for coming.

Ed and Cyma Satell
Technion President Peretz Lavie with Ed and Cyma Satell 

Prof. Grader Speech at the Satell Family Lab Dedication

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Ed Satell Family Research Lab Dedication Ceremony – Transcript of Speech from GTEP Director Prof. Gidi Grader.

“If successful, the output of this process would be nitrogen that is emitted back to the atmosphere where it came from, and water that can be recycled.”

June 6, 2011



It is a real pleasure and honor to be here today. It is a pleasure to be among so many great friends and colleagues, without whom none of this would be possible. It is an honor to be part of what I see as a seminal moment for energy research in general and for the Grand Technion Energy Program (the GTEP) in particular.



The GTEP was set up four years ago because Technion management recognized the importance of the global race to find energy solutions. The supply of energy and lack thereof are behind so many issues that we care about such as global security, poverty, terrorism and economics – all of which affect our daily lives.  



New energy supplies will be found in the future if we do the science to generate them today. Not only do we need new sources of energy, we need smarter materials, and efficient and affordable methods to harvest and store the power we can get.



With an astronomical rise in the world population, and similar global increases in energy demand, the energy research within the GTEP is not a luxury but a responsibility. The main mission of the GTEP is to promote and support challenging multidisciplinary projects with global impact. The Ed Satell Family research lab that we are dedicating today is a prime example of such research.



This lab, and these amazing facilities, will be used to develop a new technology to extract the energy from highly energetic nitrogen – based fuels. The materials we are using as fuels in this lab are common fertilizers that are being produced today in huge quantities. These types of materials store a great deal of energy, and we have shown that on an energy per dollar basis they can compete with fossil fuels. Currently these materials are produced from atmospheric nitrogen and hydrogen that is stripped from methane or other fossil fuels. This is the reason why the price of fertilizers is so closely tied up with the price of oil. However in the future, cheap hydrogen will be produced from water splitting. This would decouple the historic link between fertilizers and oil. 


As fuels, fertilizers potentially offer a unique opportunity to develop new types engines that are smaller and more efficient and more powerful than conventional ones. However, the technology to consume the energy of these materials in a controlled, continuous process, that does not emit any pollutants into the atmosphere is not known yet. The optimal materials of construction of such engines are only being developed now in this laboratory. If successful, the output of this process would be nitrogen that is emitted back to the  atmosphere where it came from, and water that can be recycled. The challenging mission of this laboratory is to develop this technology: to make it happen.



Perhaps equally as important, we will be passing this know-how, skills and spirit onto students in the lab who are part of the GTEP program.



This wonderfully equipped lab that we are dedicating today was the lead gift for the whole GTEP. Ed was the first one who Tee’d the program off.Ed Satell has stepped up to the plate as a true visionary leader, and set the stage for many additional very generous gifts that were made since.

This is not the only project Ed has supported. Ed has shown exemplary character, vision and wisdom in all his choices of projects to support. He is open-hearted and is really thinking of what is needed for the well-being of future generations. He has great energy and we are proud of the association and grateful for his support.



Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to say a personal thank you to everyone else who helped to establish this laboratory:


Firstly to all the Technion management for the unwavering support and confidence they have given me on this trail.


Then to the Technion Development and Maintenance Division-


to Dan Ordan –  Assistant Director General for Construction and Management
to Ya’akov Ladevitz – Project Manager
to Igal Kupershmidt – Supervisor
to Menachem Gideon, from GIMEL OSHIA
to Yael and Yaron Granot – Architects


And to everyone form Technion Development and Maintenance Division who continue to support and maintain this project.

I want to thank my close research associate for the last 20 years, Dr. Gennady Shter, my students and research team without whom none of this would be possible. Last on the list, I would like to thank my wife, Orit, and my four kids for letting me play in this adult toy land, for tolerating the long hours I am  away from home working on general GTEP matters, and most of all on this project.  

Thank you all for coming.

Ed and Cyma Satell
Technion President Peretz Lavie with Ed and Cyma Satell 

Israel Harnesses the Sun to Increase Solar Power and Independence – Shalom Life

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Israel Harnesses the Sun to Increase Solar Power and Independence – Shalom Life

On Monday, July 4, terrorists, armed with machine guns, detonated explosives, destroying a portion of Egypt’s natural gas pipeline responsible for supplying Israel and Jordan.
It was the third such attack on this vital connection between the three countries in the past six months alone.
Israel’s dependence on foreign energy highlights the need for homegrown energy alternatives, and is one reason why the region of Eilat/Eilot’s remarkable strides as a world leader in solar energy production and renewable energy innovation are more important than ever.
UJA Federation Board Chair Elizabeth Wolfe and President & CEO Ted Sokolsky were recently in Eilat and Eilot, UJA Federation’s partner communities through its P2K initiative, and paid a visit to the new solar field at Kibbutz Ketura. The field, launched on June 5th, generates enough energy to power three communities, and is the first of many planned in an effort to have 10 percent of Israel’s energy come from renewable sources by 2020.
Working with its partners in Eilat/Eilot when the concept of renewable energy was little more than a dream, UJA Federation funded the entire strategic plan to make it a reality as part of its overall, strategic goal of strengthening Israel’s frontier.
Three years ago, UJA Federation began sponsoring Eilat’s Annual Renewable Energy Conference which, ultimately, brought together Siemens and the Arava Power Company, the folks behind Kibbutz Ketura. And, with its eyes looking to the future, UJA also invested in the region’s elementary and high schools, adding renewable energy to their respective curriculums, equipping students with the tools they need to eventually take jobs in the field if they so choose.
“The sun cannot be sabotaged,” said Jon Cohen, CEO of Arava Power Company, an Eilot region-based company leading the way in solar energy production, who met with Wolfe and Sokolsky during their visit. “It is the safest and most available energy source in Israel. Energy security, energy independence and balancing the appropriate combination of energy source are of critical economic importance to Israel’s future.”
And the Ketura Sun solar field is only the beginning in Israel’s quest to become the first major economy to be transformed from carbon-based to solar based. In fact, Arava Power Company has already announced plans to build nearly 50 more solar fields in Israel.
“We should be proud as a Federation that our Israel & Overseas Committee leadership backed the entrepreneurial spirit of the people of Eilat and helped make this bold initiative possible,” said Ted Sokolsky, President & CEO, UJA Federation of Greater Toronto.
“The Eilatis spoke of the changes occurring in their region as being ‘revolutionary,’ said Wolfe. “Locally, not only will the solar energy fields generate crucial income for the kibbutzim whose lands are leased and create new jobs, the entire region is being transformed into a world centre for solar energy, fuelling the transition to renewable energy globally.”

Israel Harnesses the Sun to Increase Solar Power and Independence – Shalom Life

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Israel Harnesses the Sun to Increase Solar Power and Independence – Shalom Life

On Monday, July 4, terrorists, armed with machine guns, detonated explosives, destroying a portion of Egypt’s natural gas pipeline responsible for supplying Israel and Jordan.
It was the third such attack on this vital connection between the three countries in the past six months alone.
Israel’s dependence on foreign energy highlights the need for homegrown energy alternatives, and is one reason why the region of Eilat/Eilot’s remarkable strides as a world leader in solar energy production and renewable energy innovation are more important than ever.
UJA Federation Board Chair Elizabeth Wolfe and President & CEO Ted Sokolsky were recently in Eilat and Eilot, UJA Federation’s partner communities through its P2K initiative, and paid a visit to the new solar field at Kibbutz Ketura. The field, launched on June 5th, generates enough energy to power three communities, and is the first of many planned in an effort to have 10 percent of Israel’s energy come from renewable sources by 2020.
Working with its partners in Eilat/Eilot when the concept of renewable energy was little more than a dream, UJA Federation funded the entire strategic plan to make it a reality as part of its overall, strategic goal of strengthening Israel’s frontier.
Three years ago, UJA Federation began sponsoring Eilat’s Annual Renewable Energy Conference which, ultimately, brought together Siemens and the Arava Power Company, the folks behind Kibbutz Ketura. And, with its eyes looking to the future, UJA also invested in the region’s elementary and high schools, adding renewable energy to their respective curriculums, equipping students with the tools they need to eventually take jobs in the field if they so choose.
“The sun cannot be sabotaged,” said Jon Cohen, CEO of Arava Power Company, an Eilot region-based company leading the way in solar energy production, who met with Wolfe and Sokolsky during their visit. “It is the safest and most available energy source in Israel. Energy security, energy independence and balancing the appropriate combination of energy source are of critical economic importance to Israel’s future.”
And the Ketura Sun solar field is only the beginning in Israel’s quest to become the first major economy to be transformed from carbon-based to solar based. In fact, Arava Power Company has already announced plans to build nearly 50 more solar fields in Israel.
“We should be proud as a Federation that our Israel & Overseas Committee leadership backed the entrepreneurial spirit of the people of Eilat and helped make this bold initiative possible,” said Ted Sokolsky, President & CEO, UJA Federation of Greater Toronto.
“The Eilatis spoke of the changes occurring in their region as being ‘revolutionary,’ said Wolfe. “Locally, not only will the solar energy fields generate crucial income for the kibbutzim whose lands are leased and create new jobs, the entire region is being transformed into a world centre for solar energy, fuelling the transition to renewable energy globally.”