2023-2024 Acdemic Year Schedule and Guidlines
10 December, 2023
All the News
How can Israel address rampant food insecurity? Aron Troen, Roni Strier
The Jerusalem Post, June 23rd 2023
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How can Israel address rampant food insecurity? - opinion
The government can take significant steps toward eradicating food insecurity and creating a fair and sustainable food system for all Israelis.
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French dairy giant Danone invests in cultured milk startup
French dairy giant Danone leads $3.5m investment into Israeli cultured milk startup
Researchers Develop New Drought Tolerant Variety of Tomatoes
19 April, 2023
Faculty Scientists Led by Prof. Dani Zamir Develop Drought-Resistant Tomatoes
AFHU, April 19th 2023
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New variety can grow with half as much water; study comes as tomato prices expected to surge
Israeli researchers have developed a new variety of tomato that is more resistant to drought conditions and could help farmers cope with the destructive impact of climate change.
An in-depth genetic analysis led by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s Shai Torgeman and Professor Dani Zamir identified interactions between two areas of the tomato’s genome that lead to increased yield and resistance to dry conditions.
The resulting new tomato variety, which has yet to be named, can cope with extreme weather conditions. The study’s findings were published on Monday in the peer-reviewed Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS) journal.
“Commercial tomato breeds grown in open-field conditions and that you find in supermarkets on average require 317,000 gallons per acre each season,” Shai Torgeman, a doctoral candidate at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, told The Media Line. “In our study, we cut this water amount in half and got great results.”
To achieve this, scientists crossbred two species of tomatoes – a wild variety that comes all the way from the deserts of western Peru, with a common commercial cultivar that is widely available.
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FoodTech Conference Highlights Companies
Geektime, Oct 20th 2022
New Therapeutic Nutrition Clinic
20 September, 2022
New Biological Sensor Detects Hidden Disease in Potatoes
23 August, 2022
Israel’s Hebrew University & Volcani Institute Team Up to Prevent Looming Global Food Crisis:
(Jerusalem, August 23, 2022)-- Despite advances in increased food production, half of all world’s harvested food is lost due to שבrots caused by microorganisms. Plants emit various volatile organic compounds into their surrounding environment, which can be monitored for early detection of plant disease and prevent food loss.
Desert Regions May Predict Climate Change in Wetter Areas
16 August, 2022
(Jerusalem, August 16, 2022)—When it comes to the world’s climate, in the past decade, planet Earth keeps sending us its summer siren’s call. According to NASA, nineteen of the hottest years have occurred since 2000, with 2016 and 2020 tied for the hottest on record. This summer is already making worldwide headlines, with England scorching beyond 40 degrees Celsius.
New study to test for low iodine in desalinated water
Concerned by low iodine levels in desalinated water, Israel starts nationwide study
Hebrew University tests water supplies after Health Ministry finds iodine concentration among Israelis far below WHO-recommended levels, prompting childhood development worries
Hebrew University tests water supplies after Health Ministry finds iodine concentration among Israelis far below WHO-recommended levels, prompting childhood development worries
Gluten-Free Superfood From Ethiopia Is Coming To Israel
Hebrew University develops vintage teff seeds into a commercial crop for farmers
Researchers are bringing teff – the staple food for millions of Ethiopians – to Israel.
Researchers are bringing teff – the staple food for millions of Ethiopians – to Israel.
Kaye Innovation Award to Prof Zvi Hayouka
23 June, 2022
Random Antimicrobial Peptide Mixture to Tackle Bacterial Contamination in Various Technologies
Cannabis Strain with 20% More THC
31 May, 2022
A WORLD FIRST: Hebrew University Engineers Enhanced Cannabis Strain with 20% More THC
Findings will Help Develop New Strains for Medical Cannabis Users and Increase Crop Yields
(Jerusalem, May 31, 2022)—Throughout the world, the cannabis plant is gaining in popularity and legitimacy as a medical treatment for a broad range of illnesses. Now, researchers at the laboratory of Professor Alexander (Sasha) Vainstein at the Hebrew University of Jerusalerm (HU)’s Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, in partnership with and funding from Mariana Bioscience Ltd, have successfully engineered a cannabis plant with higher levels of medically-important substances, such as THC.
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The researchers successfully increased the level of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the main psychoactive component in cannabis, by close to 17%, and the level of CBG (cannabigerol), often referred to as the mother of all cannabinoids, by close to 25%. Further, Vainstein and his team were able to increase the ratio of terpenes, which are responsible for maximizing the euphoric effects of cannabis, by 20–30%.
The stated goal of their study was to find a way to intervene in the biochemical pathways in the cannabis plant in order to increase or decrease the production of active substances. The researchers accomplished this by manipulating a plant-based virus, that had first been neutralized so that it could not harm the plant, and then manipulating it to express the genes that influence the production of active substances in the cannabis plant. “This represents an innovative use of these tools, which were constructed using synthetic biology tools,” explained Vainstein. “Next, we developed an innovative technology based on infection with an engineered virus to facilitate chemical reactions that increase the quantities of desired substances. In collaboration with Mariana Bioscience Ltd., we examined the infected plants and found that the levels of the substances in question had indeed risen.” This is the first time that researchers have succeeded in performing such a feat with cannabis plants.
Currently, there is a great deal of research activity aimed at identifying additional substances and medical treatments that can be derived from the cannabis plant, in addition to the more than 200 active ingredients that have already been identified. Until now, there had been no way to tailor strains to produce certain cannabis substances or to alter the ratio between them. According to Vainstein, “These study results will be valuable both to industry—to increase the yield of active substances, and to medical researcher—to cultivate and develop new strains for medical cannabis users.” Vainstein added that more extensive experiments with the engineered plant are currently underway and should be available to cannabis industry leaders and medical research in the next few months.
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Wednesday Afternoon Concerts
14 September, 2021
You are cordially invited to a series of concerts
hosted by The Faculty of Agriculture of The Hebrew University, at
The Ariovitch Auditorium
- Free Admission -
The concerts will take place once a month on Wednesday, at 13:00, and will last around 1 hour