In a study published recently in Nature Chemical Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science researchers solved the mystery and provided a comprehensive description of the “biological recipes” that cells use to cook up such a varied and useful menu of crystals.

Prof. Leslie Leiserowitz realized that malaria was in fact surprisingly pertinent to his research. He learned that the malaria parasite thrives inside red blood cells thanks to its knack for crafting crystals, and he set out to study these crystals, later joining forces with a chemistry faculty colleague, Prof. Michael Elbaum.

A new study – headed by Elbaum and Leiserowitz and conducted in collaboration with prominent research teams around the world – has culminated in a scientific paper that might help outwit the malaria parasite. It reveals in unprecedented detail the structure of crystals that the parasite builds in order to survive. Since most antimalarial drugs are thought to work by interfering with the formation and growth of these crystals, the new findings might lead to improved antimalarial medications.

As we age our bodies are flooded by aging, or senescent, cells, which have stopped dividing but, instead of dying, remain active and build up in body tissues. Recent studies have shown that getting rid of these cells might delay age-related diseases, reduce inflammation and extend lives. Despite the great potential, however, there is currently no drug that can target these cells directly and efficiently.

Now, Weizmann Institute of Science researchers suggest an alternative approach. In a new study published in Nature Cell Biology, they reveal that senescent cells build up in the body by clogging up the immune system, thereby preventing their own removal. The scientists demonstrated in mice how to unclog this blockage using immunotherapy, the new generation of treatments that is revolutionizing cancer therapy. These findings could pave the way for innovative treatment of age-related diseases and other chronic disorders.

Humans are by no means alone in the search for more sustainable materials. Nature, too, has been “working” on the problem of sustainability, and it’s been at it for a great deal longer. In a new study, researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science show how design tricks employed by ancient creatures such as scorpions and sponges can help optimize the resilience of human-made materials, ultimately advancing sustainable design.

The human body contains proteins that are designed to protect us from cancerous growths. Like most proteins, to do their job properly, these “guardians” have to fold into a specific three-dimensional structure – and they often need a helping hand to do so. Guarding these guardians, therefore, are chaperone proteins – molecules that ensure that proteins are folded properly so they can function as they are supposed to.

On occasion, genetic mutations in guardian proteins can turn them from inhibitors into promoters of cancer. Unable to discern the change, the chaperones that guard them unfortunately provide them with the same assistance that they do for regular proteins. In a new study, Dr. Rina Rosenzweig and her research team at the Weizmann Institute of Science have uncovered a mechanism by which chaperones protect a protein with a cancerous mutation. Their findings, published in Molecular Cell, could pave the way for the development of new, targeted cancer treatments.

Not only do the nasal conchae serve as a leading site for pathogen invasion into the airways, but they also have a major weak spot: Because they are located so close to the brain, they are not accessible to the antibodies dispatched by our immune system via the blood stream during an upper airway infection. How, then, are we relatively protected from invading microbes and not constantly sick? In a new study published today in Nature, researchers from the Weizmann Institute of Science discovered that antibody-secreting cells migrate to the nasal conchae whenever we are sick or given a vaccination, and from there they secrete antibodies locally into the nasal cavity. This discovery could pave the way for more effective nasal vaccinations and new treatments for nervous system disorders, allergies and autoimmune diseases.