Weizmann Institute of Science

The Weizmann Institute of Science was established in 1934 as a public research university in Rehovot, fourteen years before the State of Israel was founded.
The institute is now a multidisciplinary research center, employing around 3,800 scientists, postdoctoral fellows, Ph.D. and M.Sc. students, and scientific, technical, and administrative staff working at the institute. Unlike other Israeli universities, it exclusively offers postgraduate-only degrees in the natural and exact sciences.
As of 2019, the Weizmann Institute of Science has been associated with six Nobel laureates and three Turing Award winners.

History

The institute was founded in 1934 by Chaim Weizmann and his initial team, which included Benjamin M. Bloch, as the Daniel Sieff Research Institute. Weizmann had invited Nobel Prize laureate Fritz Haber to be the director, but following Haber's death en route to Palestine, Weizmann assumed the directorship himself. Before he became President of Israel in February 1949, Weizmann conducted his research in organic chemistry at its laboratories. On November 2, 1949, in agreement with the Sieff family, the institute was renamed the Weizmann Institute of Science in his honor.
WEIZAC, one of the world's first electronic computers was locally built by the institute in 1954–1955 and was recognized by the IEEE in 2006 as a milestone achievement in the history of electrical and electronic engineering.
In 1959, the institute set up a wholly owned subsidiary called Yeda Research and Development Company to commercialize inventions made at the institute. Yeda has more marine genetic patents than any other research institute. By 2013 the institute was earning between $50 and $100 million in royalties annually on marketed drugs including Copaxone, Rebif, and Erbitux.
The Weizmann Institute of Science and Elbit Systems have collaborated on various projects, notably including the development and supply of the space telescope for Israel's Ultraviolet Transient Astronomy Satellite program and research into bio-inspired materials for defense applications.

Iranian airstrike

Several buildings in the Institute were destroyed by an Iranian missile strike on 15 June 2025, two days after the 13 June Israeli attack on Iran's nuclear facilities and scientists. It has been proposed by analysts to be either a retaliatory attack for the aforementioned Israeli strike, to previous targeting of Iranian nuclear scientists, or the ties to the defense industry via Elbit Systems. The attack directly hit two buildings — a life sciences building and a chemistry building that was still under construction. Dozens more were damaged. No casualties occurred as the attacks happened at night when most researchers were away. The strike wiped out a hub of cancer research that had international reach, including decades‑old cell lines and cancer biomarker studies, anti-cancer vaccinations research, and more.

Graduate program

As of 2015, the Weizmann Institute had approximately 2,500 students, postdoctoral fellows, staff, and faculty, and awards M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in mathematics, computer science, physics, chemistry, biochemistry, and biology, as well as several interdisciplinary programs. The symbol of the Weizmann Institute of Science is the multibranched Ficus tree. Undergraduates and recent graduates must apply to M.Sc. programs, while those earning an M.Sc. or an MD can apply directly to Ph.D. programs. Full fellowships are given to all students.

Youth programs

In addition to its academic programs, the Weizmann Institute runs programs for youth, including science clubs, camps, and competitions. The Bessie F. Lawrence International Summer Science Institute accepts high-school graduates from all over the world for a four-week, science-based summer camp. The Clore Garden of Science, which opened in 1999, is the world's first completely interactive outdoor science museum.

Rankings

The Weizmann Institute of Science was ranked number 2, globally, for research quality by the Nature Index in 2019, and in the top 25 research institutes/universities in the world in two main categories by U-Multirank, 2019: Top Cited Publications and Patents Awarded. The institute was in 7th place in the European Research Council report in 2020 for its high rate of success in obtaining research grants.
In 2018 the institute was ranked 9th, globally, by the CWTS Leiden Ranking, which is based on the proportion of a university's scientific papers published between 2012 and 2015 that made the 10% most cited in their field.

Achievements and developments

Over the years, groundbreaking discoveries have emerged from research at the Institute, leading to the development of various technologies and applications. As mentioned, the Institute receives royalties from patents and applications developed within its framework through Yeda Research and Development Company, which manages the Institute's intellectual property.
In 2021, the pre-application research unit "BINA" was established under the Office of the Vice President for Innovation and Applications, Professor Irit Sagi. The unit bridges basic research on campus with commercial activity conducted via Yeda, helps develop early-stage ideas, assists with scientific experiment planning, and connects scientists with industry experts to mature commercial concepts.
From its inception until 2024, around 120 startup companies based on Weizmann Institute research and technologies were founded. In 2022, products based on Institute research generated global sales of over $23 billion.

Notable applications in mathematics and computer science

"WEIZAC", a computer built at the Weizmann Institute and launched in 1955, was the first computer in Israel. It was followed by three "Golem" computers.
In April 2004, the world's first biological computer was completed by Professor Ehud Shapiro.
Encryption and decryption systems developed by Institute scientists are manufactured in Israel and used, among other applications, for scrambling and decoding television broadcasts.
Notable applications in physics
In 1967, Hector R. Rubinstein and his young collaborators at Weizmann Miguel Ángel Virasoro and Gabriele Veneziano have done some foundational research that culminated in the famous Veneziano amplitude that gave birth to string theory.
In 1983, astrophysicist Mordehai Milgrom developed MOND – Modified Newtonian Dynamics – the most robust alternative to dark matter theories. MOND has been highly successful empirically in explaining galactic rotation curves.
Advanced laser systems for precise cutting of diamonds.
In 2022, Israel's first quantum computer, named "WeizQC", was launched. It was developed by Professor Roee Ozeri.
Notable applications in medicine

Applications and technologies in medicine originating from basic research by Weizmann Institute scientists include:

Affinity chromatography – a method for separating biological substances, central to the biotechnology industry.
Living polymers – a technique foundational to the polymer industry.
Discovery of the ribosome structure and understanding of its function, which earned Prof. Ada Yonath the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
Several medications developed at the Institute are in use worldwide. The best-selling drugs based on Weizmann research include: Copaxone, Rebif, Humira, Erbitux, Vectibix, Enbrel, and Remicade.
An original method for non-matching bone marrow transplantation, applied in several hospitals in Israel and abroad, as well as a non-invasive procedure to distinguish between malignant tumors and benign tumors using magnetic resonance imaging.
Applications in agriculture
Institute scientists developed improved varieties of agricultural crops: high-protein and high-yield wheat, early-ripening melons, and disease-resistant cucumbers.
A method for growing hybrid seeds that do not transmit diseases between generations. This helps protect food crops from various pests.
In the 1980s, Professor Mordechai Avron's lab succeeded in getting a single-celled alga called Dunaliella to produce beta-carotene at high levels. Beta-carotene helps prevent eye and skin diseases, high blood pressure, and is a precursor to vitamin A. In cooperation with the Japanese company "Nikken Sohonsha", a nutritional supplement was produced from the alga in a factory established in Eilat.
Collaborations with the Science Park

Institute scientists initiated the establishment of technology incubators to help scientific and technological personnel—especially immigrants from former Soviet Union countries in the 1990s, develop innovative ideas. One of the first incubators was founded in the nearby Kiryat Weizmann Science Park, chaired by Professor Ruth Arnon. Many scientists from the Institute have served, and continue to serve, in various public roles.

Sustainability

In 1989, the first solar tower in Israel was built on campus.
In 2006, the Sustainability and Energy Research Initiative was launched to support scientific discoveries in the field of alternative energy, and later expanded to include other areas of environmental and sustainability research. This initiative evolved into the Institute for Environmental Sustainability, which aims to consolidate the Weizmann Institute's research and expertise in sustainability under one umbrella. enabling shared resources and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration. Areas covered include food security, climate research, biodiversity, renewable energy, marine science, environment and health, and sustainable materials.

Architectural planning at the Weizmann Institute of Science

The Institute's campus spans an area of 1,250 dunams. It includes over 100 buildings with a total area of approximately 155,000 m², as well as around 100 residential units for scientists. About 120 research students live in the Institute's student dormitories. The Institute also holds land reserves near the Davidson Institute, which were purchased in advance by donors.