…that advances in laser beam technology could lead to advances in x-rays? Researchers have found a way to pre-treat a laser beam so that it enters opaque surfaces without dispersing—like a headlight that’s able to cut through heavy fog at full strength. The discovery from scientists at Yale University and the Missouri University of Science & Technology has potential applications for deep-tissue imaging and optogenetics, in which light is used to probe and manipulate cells in living tissue. A study announcing the technique appears in the March 4 edition of the journal Nature Photonics. Former BSF grantee Chia Wei Hsu, now a post-doctoral researcher at Yale, is one of the study’s authors. Read more here.


 

…that a missing gene could make a big difference in a patient’s recovery from a mild stroke? UCLA neuroscientists have found that patients born without a gene called CCR5 recover better from mild stroke than patients with the gene. The team partnered with Israeli researchers to study the missing gene’s effect on brain function. Published February 21 in the journal Cell, the findings could lead to the first pill to reverse the physical and mental aftermath of mild strokes. Neuroscientist Einor Ben Assayag, a former BSF grantee from Tel Aviv University, has played an integral role in the project. Read more here.

 


Dr. Erez Berg

 

…that former BSF grantee Dr. Erez Berg has been named one of Israel’s top young scientists? Former BSF grantee Dr. Erez Berg of the Condensed Matter Physics Department at Weizmann Institute of Science is among three winners of the Blavatnik Award for Young Scientists in Israel. Berg earned BSF grants in the areas of materials research and physics. His pioneering research in quantum materials could accelerate the advancement of next-generation electronics, including quantum computing, magnetic resonance imaging and superconducting power lines. Read more about Berg and the other outstanding young researchers here.