July 20, 2020
CONVERTING WASTE INTO ETHANOL FOR USE IN HAND SANITIZERS 
Prof. Yoram Gerchman of the University of Haifa's Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology and Prof. Hadas Mamane of Tel Aviv University, have developed a "simple" and low-cost method for converting waste into ethanol, which can be used as sanitizers in the battle against the Coronavirus.

Their novel method, produces ethanol without generating toxins, providing an alternative for the need to import hand sanitizer gels.  Read more
STUDYING ANCIENT VIRUSES TO DETERMINE HOW TUMOURS GROW
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo is collaborating with the Tauber Bioinformatics Research Center at University of Haifa. Their research will focus on new computational genomic approaches to the analysis of tumour “retrobiome,” which they described as inherited vestiges of ancient viruses that may be a key factor in how some cancers occur and grow.

The two organizations began working together last summer after separate trips to Israel by both Roswell Par k CEO  Candace Johnson  and Gov.  Andrew Cuomo . Johnson said the combined strengths of the two institutions are highly complementary, and represent an important and groundbreaking alliance. Read more
HAIFA RESEARCHERS MAKE AMAZING DINOSAUR DISCOVERY
A University of Haifa research team have found evidence that the Microraptor shed its feathers like modern birds. They noticed several short feathers in a fossilized Microraptor from China. It is evidence that the dinosaur shed its feathers gradually.

“Sequential molting" as it is called is also done by today's birds in order to replace old or damaged feathers without losing the ability to fly. If the researchers are right, “the find would push back the estimated origins of sequential molting by 50 million years or so,” as the Microraptor existed 120 million years ago, reports Science News.

The Israeli team included doctoral student Yosef Kiat and his mentor Prof. Nir Sapir of University of Haifa's Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology.
"ISRAEL IS BLIND TO THE POTENTIAL OF THE SEA" - Prof. Admiral (ret.) Shaul Chorev
Chorev, head of the University of Haifa's Maritime Policy & Strategy Research Center and former Director-General of Israel’s Atomic Energy Commission, told  The Jerusalem Post in a recent interview that Israel needs to go from "maritime blindness to maritime awareness"

Israel’s Navy is relatively small compared to other IDF corps but it has a significant amount of territory to protect since the expansion of the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ). While Israel only has 35 trade ships around the world, 99% of Israel’s trade is transported by sea and tensions continue to rise in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Pointing to the September declaration of the Palestinian Authority regarding its maritime borders and EEZ, Chorev told the Post that the move went unnoticed in Israel.