Appliance of science
A DELEGATION of high-achieving scientists from Israel cast light on their groundbreaking discoveries at an inspiring evening last week hosted by Australian Friends of the Hebrew University.
A DELEGATION of high-achieving scientists from Israel cast light on their groundbreaking discoveries at an inspiring evening last week hosted by Australian Friends of the Hebrew University.
In the presence of Professor Menahem Ben-Sasson, president of the university, an audience of 150 people heard from Sarit Sternberg, a 16-year-old conducting research under the auspices of the university’s Alpha program for gifted high school students.
Sternberg and her team’s research has the potential to treat antibiotic-resistant anthrax and offset its use as a biological weapon.
“Antibiotics were probably the best invention of the 20th century, but unfortunately they are starting to lose their effect,” commented Sternberg. The discovery of two bacteriophages, viruses that infect the bacteria that cause anthrax, is therefore “a promising solution for bacterial disease and antibiotic resistance”.
The audience at the InterContinental hotel in Double Bay also heard from Professor Oded Shoseyov, an expert in nanobiotechnology and medical cannabis research, on harnessing natural materials to create super-performing products. Alarmed by the problem of using synthetic materials for medical implants that “tend to disintegrate if they are too weak or too strong”, Shoseyov’s team turned to nature for a creative solution. By manufacturing a transgenic tobacco plant with the ability to produce human collagen, Shoseyov’s genetic engineering feat has enabled the use of collagen for bone void fillers and a gel for diabetic ulcers.
“I believe that some time during evolution, plants were not just meant to feed us but also to cure us,” reflected Shoseyov. “I am happy to say that many countries today realise that cannabis has the potential to significantly reduce symptoms of many illnesses.”
An appeal was held on the evening for the university’s brain disease research centre – a faculty designed to leverage cutting-edge research and find cures for brain disease.
During their stay in Sydney, the delegation also attended a joint event of the University of Sydney and the Hebrew University to discuss the commercialisation of science. Sternberg separately addressed year 11 students at Emanuel School.
SOPHIE DEUTSCH
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