ANNUAL REPORT 2025
Table Of Contents | 2 | 2025 Annual Report Executive Summary 4 The BINA Team 8 Research Faculty 10 BINA Members’ Awards 12 Alzheimer's and the Future of Early Diagnosis 14
| 3 | Chain Link 18 Collaborations 22 A Bigger Vision for Bar-Ilan 24 Innovation as a Two-Way Street 28 Mutual Benefits 30 Research Map 32
| 4 | 2025 Annual Report Pacesetting Prof. Ehud Banin and Dr. Ilana Perelshtein Executive Summary
| 5 | Since we assumed management of BINA just over two years ago, we’ve often been asked about our mission for the institute. Early on, we realized that our answer is deceptively simple: leverage excellence and relevance in research into both national and international leadership in nanotechnology innovation. Why “deceptively simple”? Because the pace of advancements in science at the nanoscale is much faster and, we think, more exciting than in even our biggest dreams. New materials, breakthroughs in nanomedicine, and the integration of nanotechnology with AI, all these developments are disrupting diverse industries, from healthcare and transportation to agriculture and energy. Supporting the research that enables these game-changing developments is thus a challenge in itself. It requires that we always be on the move, and on multiple pathways to boot. Fortunately, the inauguration in BINA and the Dept. of Chemistry this past May of the Adelson Institute for Smart Materials granted us a running start. Designed to accelerate the development of materials capable of responding dynamically to environmental factors such as temperature, pressure and light, the institute is one of just a handful in universities around the world that focuses on automating smart materials synthesis. This AI-driven automation ensures not only high-quality and consistency, but also enables high-throughput materials development and complex-process scalability. Having travelled the world to visit similar institutes and take key lessons for our design, we can say with confidence that the Adelson Institute will cement BINA’s status as a nexus between academia and industry, bridging gaps between research and commercial solutions. Of course, a key to supporting cutting-edge research is providing the most state of the art equipment. This year, that meant installing two of the newest JEOL transmission electron microscopes; we also plan to install another in the months to come. This instrumentation is the first of its kind in Israel and will enhance our high-resolution imaging and analysis services. In turn, this will build our capacity to advance world-class materials science, nanotechnology, and life sciences research. ״We can say with confidence that the Adelson Institute will cement BINA’s status as a nexus between academia and industry, bridging gaps between research and commercial solutions.״ We are proud to be a beta site for these microscopes’ testing and invite researchers from across the country and the globe to help us refine them through feedback. Significantly, we are also working hard to upgrade our facilities. These renovations are strategic investments in our innovation capacity, reflecting our commitment to meet the needs of our pioneering researchers not only where they are today, but also as they explore tomorrow’s frontiers. Finally, speaking of investment, we continued to strengthen one of our most important assets: our personnel. Subsequent to the retirement of Dr. Yossi Abulafia, who headed our Nanofabrication Unit with dedication and diligence from its establishment, we welcomed Dr. Olga Girshevitz as unit head. Two new staff researchers joined the unit, as well, and we are in the process of hiring a new technician to join
| 6 | 2025 Annual Report "Pace of advancements in science at the nanoscale is much faster and, we think, more exciting than in even our biggest dreams"
| 7 | the unit’s growing team. We also worked to elevate our team’s services through specialized training and upskilling workshops, recognizing that our team’s efficiency and productivity are key to meeting our researchers’ needs. And of course, we encouraged excellence, hard work, and ambition through student scholarships, including ones granted specifically to students who served for extended periods in the reserves. We are delighted and grateful that two of our industry partners, NOVA and KLA, granted scholarships to our students, too, enhancing the mutually beneficial connection between academia and industry. ״BINA is a true community, whose members not only warmly support each other on their innovation journeys. They also take pride in promoting something bigger: the BINA vision of world made safer and healthier through nanotechnology.״ All this work was essential to keeping pace with the fast evolving field of nanotechnology. Yet our mission was never merely to keep pace, but rather stay several steps ahead, anticipating the needs of academia and industry and meeting them proactively. To that end, we initiated this year a strategic planning process, intended to chart the future direction of the institution. Together with a professional consulting firm, and based on research with stakeholders in academia and industry, we are developing a detailed action plan for becoming a national and international leader in nanotechnology innovation. This is an exciting development, and one that marks a new chapter in our institute’s long history. To be sure, change of any kind isn’t easy. Nonetheless, we are confident about the plan’s prospects for success, for the same reason that we have weathered the challenges of the last two years and come out stronger as a result. BINA is a true community, whose members not only warmly support each other on their innovation journeys. They also take pride in promoting something bigger: the BINA vision of world made safer and healthier through nanotechnology. Whether you’re an academic researcher, at BarIlan or another university; a member of Israeli or international industry; or a savvy investor who recognizes BINA’s potential for transformative impact, you are invited to get to know us better, and join our remarkable community of pioneering scientists on the move. Prof. Ehud Banin Director Dr. Ilana Perelshtein Manager
| 8 | 2025 Annual Report Prof. Banin Ehud Director Oksman Mark Process Engineer Feldberg Moshe Clean Room Staff Dr. Perelshtein Ilana Manager Pozin Irina Process Engineer Dr. LangzamYaakov Biological Samples Preparation Specialist Dr. Girshevitz Olga Head of Service Center Dr. Radovsky Gal EM Specialist Dr. Dudchenko Nataliia Synthesis of Smart Materials Specialist Dr. Abu Salha Belal IBA Specialist Sabanay Helena EM & Biological Samples Preparation Specialist Dr. Fleger Yafit Industrial Relations Manager With backgrounds in science and engineering, as well as deep expertise in the techniques required for nanotechnology product development, BINA staff ensure that our research is conducted with diligence, patience, precision, and at the highest standards of excellence. More than simply implementing production processes, our personnel are trusted partners in driving your innovation. BINA Team
| 9 | BaramDana Process Engineer Shabi Nahum IBA Specialist Titelbom Zehavit Office Manager Dr. Cohen-Taguri Gili XRD Specialist Dr. Teblum Eti AFM Specialist & Project Manager Barak Liora Secretary Dr. Domantovsky Sasha FIB Specialist Dr. Vestfrid Yulia EM Specialist Rosh Hodes Eli Maintenance Lasnoy Erel 3D Printing Specialist Hefetz-Giterman Lior EM & Biological Samples Preparation Specialist
| 10 | 2025 Annual Report Research Faculty
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| 12 | 2025 Annual Report Prof. Sharon Shwartz Department of Physics Appointed as the Chairperson of the National Committee on Synchrotron Radiation Prof. Doron Aurbach Department of Chemistry Goodenough Award in Electrochemistry Prof. Zeev Zalevsky Faculty of Engineering Gabor Prize, SPIE BINA Members’ Awardss
| 13 | Prof. Shulamit Michaeli Faculty of Science Life Appointed as a member of the Planning and Budgeting Committee (PBC) of the Council for Higher Education Prof. Gal Kaminka Department of Computer Science Appointed AAAI Fellow for significant contributions to artificial intelligence Prof. Nissan Yissachar Faculty of Science Life Lupus Research Alliance - Global Team Science Award
| 14 | 2025 Annual Report Soluble oligomers of proteins are fickle, tricky things. Highly unstable and frustratingly heterogeneous, these small protein aggregates escape detection by standard spectroscopy techniques. “Researchers think of them as ghosts, because they’re so hard to find,” says Prof. Shai Rahimipour, a biochemist and the newest member of Bar-Ilan’s Institute of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials. “But they’re undeniably present in the brain. And increasingly, we’re learning that they were the real culprits behind Alzheimer’s all along.” The search for a drug target for Alzheimer’s began in the early 2000s, when Rahimipour was first starting his academic carrier in Bar-Ilan’s Department of Chemistry. According to the prevailing scientific consensus, Alzheimer’s was caused by the non-soluble form of the Amyloid-beta protein. In the course of the protein’s folding, it erroneously forms into pleated structures; these structures stick together and stack on top of each other, forming dense clumps in the brain. Fittingly, Rahimipour calls these amyloids, or misfolded-protein aggregates, “greasy proteins.” These clumps known to scientists as “plaques” then spread out and fill the space between neurons, eventually impairing neuron function and damaging brain tissue irreparably. Because the plaques are visible under a microscope, scientists understandably reasoned that the non-soluble form of their protein was the root cause of the disease. Excitedly, pharmaceutical companies developed target antibodies with the goal of “clearing out the brain” and arresting the progress of the disease. That isn’t what happened. To the disappointment of researchers and drug companies alike, the antibodies failed to set the majority of Alzheimer’s cases back. Moreover, the treatment was often scuttled on account of a dangerous side effect: brain bleeds triggered by inflammation, which itself resulted from the antibodies’ excitation of an immune response. It was clear that the disease needed a new target drug. “Essentially, instead of a paradigm that says, ‘let’s try to treat Alzheimer’s once its symptoms are started,’ we would develop a way to stop it before it even begins.” Alzheimer's and the Future of Early Diagnosis New BINA Member Prof. Shai Rahimipour By focusing on the role of “invisible” protein aggregates in atrophying the brain, a biochemist may have found a way to prevent the onset of degenerative disease.
| 15 | ״Essentially, instead of a paradigm that says, ‘let’s try to treat Alzheimer’s once its symptoms are started,’ we would develop a way to stop it before it even begins.״ Around the same time, the field of structural biology was discovering the impact of a protein’s shape on causing the Amyloid-beta aggregation. Eventually, it concluded that amyloids acted like carrier pigeons, spreading “instructions” among each other to misfold and clump. These instructions are then spread throughout the brain like any infection. For Rahimipour, this insight into the mechanism of amyloid communication was like a light bulb going off. “It was,” he said, the moment in time “that changed everything for me.” For many therapeutic innovations, academic research is the indispensable jumping-off point, providing the pre-competitive science that large, risk-averse pharmaceutical firms are reluctant to undertake. In the case of Alzheimer’s, by the time Rahimipour turned his attention to the disease, new antibodies developed to target the Amyloid-beta’s “ghost” oligomers were successfully slowing the disease’s progression by as much as 30 percent. AMYLOID FORMATION IN ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE Misfolded Ab Dimers Toxic Oligomers Fibrils Amyloid Plaque Amyloid Formation In Alzheimer’s Disease
| 16 | 2025 Annual Report Still, there remained the problem of antibodies’ toxic side effects. Also, by the time plaques are noticeable enough to warrant intervention, a significant amount of brain damage has been done. What was needed, then, was a different approach to targeting these oligomers. Rahimipour thought he could find it, not in antibodies, but rather small abiotic peptides. “The soluble oligomers in different amyloids are very similar,” he explains. “In terms of their three dimensional structures, they’re essentially the same. That’s when I realized that a small molecule with the same structure could be made to ‘speak’ the amyloid’s language. But instead of telling it to misfold, which sets off a reaction that leads to plaques in the brain, the molecule would tell it not to clump. And since small molecules are not protein-like, they could get their message easily across the Blood Brain Barrier,” Rahimipour says. ״BINA works as a lever, providing access to expanded networks, infrastructure, and potential funding that accelerates what we researchers do.״ His search for the right small molecules to inhibit the aggregation of lethal brain plaques led him to the cyclic peptide CP-2, which has a history of interaction with different oligomeric amyloids. When his molecules were combined with Amyloid-beta in vitro, their soluble oligomers’ messages were blocked and no additional aggregation occurred. Next, he tested the efficacy of the molecules in transgenic C. elegans worms, known to develop Alzheimer’s-like symptoms.
| 17 | ״When, in a couple of decades, Alzheimer’s is long forgotten, it will have been my privilege to play a role in bringing about its demise.״ Again, the molecules prevented the formation of toxic oligomers, proving Rahimipour’s theory that aggregation itself could be stopped in the earliest stages of the disease. Rahimipour’s big breakthrough, however, occurred when he used a radioactive version of the molecules to obtain a pre-symptomatic diagnosis of Alzheimer’s in mice. Amazingly, he was able to detect early Amyloid-beta oligomers in the thalamus prior to their spread to other parts of the brain. “This is the holy grail of Alzheimer’s,” Rahimipour says. “If we can determine who’s at risk of Amyloidbeta plaques before the onset of symptoms, we can begin treatment in time to protect the brain’s full functionality.” Published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Rahimipour’s theranostics is being commercialized by Bar-Ilan’s Research Authority. He is currently refining his intervention for pre-clinical and clinical trials, so that its efficacy can be assessed on human patients. Perhaps most significant, he is developing his peptides into a platform for the seamless diagnosis and treatment of other degenerative disease. This includes Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, ALS, and systematic amyloidosis, all of which feature misfolded proteins whose aggregation impedes cell function as a precursor to specific symptoms. For this research, he explains, membership in BINA has been key. “BINA works as a lever, providing access to expanded networks, infrastructure, and potential funding that accelerates what we researchers do,” Rahimipour says. Particularly for the students in his group, the affiliation opens doors to resources that advance their work with Rahimipour and, by extension, their emerging careers. Each one of them, he points out, will bring their knowledge of degenerative disease into the wider community of scientists working on a cure. “We’re providing a foundation for pharmaceutical innovation,” Rahimipour says. “When, in a couple of decades, Alzheimer’s is long forgotten, it will have been my privilege to play a role in bringing about its demise.”
| 18 | 2025 Annual Report The importance of materials to human life is made clear by the periodization of ancient history: The stone, iron, and bronze ages are all named for the primary materials in weapons and tools. Likewise, many hail the 20th century as the age of silicon, in a nod to the foundational material that enabled the Internet revolution. Yet there are arguably other, still more ubiquitous materials that define modern existence. Understanding the rules that govern them, in both their synthetic and natural forms, can help us achieve the next era in electronics, manufacturing, medicine, and more. Fortunately, we’re getting closer thanks to new models and computational tools. Polymers, or long chains of repeating molecules, show up in everything from plastic and rubber to proteins and DNA. The unique properties of these polymeric systems, such as elasticity, durability, and thermal resistance, all result from the size, structure, and interactions of their molecular chains. It follows, then, that changes at invisibly small scales to the arrangement, say, or the bonding of a polymer’s A polymeric materials theorist is helping take modern life to the next level by predicting the next experiments. molecules will express themselves as changes in a material’s behaviour at the human scale, too. “If you understand their fundamental principles, from how they perform to how they change under different conditions, you can design polymers that will allow you to make a rubber that’s both strong and elastic, for example, or a gel with just the right water solubility,” says Dr. Liel Sapir. A physical chemist in Bar-Ilan’s Institute of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials (BINA), Sapir’s focus is the role of polymers in advanced materials and cell biology. The problem is that many polymers are dynamic, with structures that constantly change. Polymers can also be influenced by temperature or pressure, which may cause them to behave in unexpected ways. And then there’s the challenge presented by very long and entangled polymer chains. In such cases, simpler models for small molecules can’t sufficiently predict a polymer’s behavior. For that, we need the frameworks and principles provided by polymer theories. Chain Link New BINA Member Dr. Liel Sapir
| 19 | ״If you understand their fundamental principles, from how they perform to how they change under different conditions, you can design polymers that will allow you to make a rubber that’s both strong and elastic, for example, or a gel with just the right water solubility.״ Since the beginning of materials science, experiment has been a critical theme. With the need to understand increasingly complex materials’ structures, however, such as those of nanoparticle crystals, experimentation has turned to theory, which aims to explore and explain polymer behavior by predictive physical models. At the same time, researchers like Sapir are exploiting our increased computing power to develop predictive, data-driven models of polymer behavior through simulations. “Simulations can act as a bridge between analytical calculations and experiments,” Sapir explains. The result is a better understanding of the mechanisms governing these materials, which in turn can guide the design of new and still more useful materials in a wide range of fields. The Kuhn length of a polymer chain, which is related to its flexibility, is gradually decreasing as a chain is being stretched (say by AFM) due to loss of long-range interactions between monomers
| 20 | 2025 Annual Report For example, Sapir is studying the molecular properties of rubbers, a type of polymer-based materials also known as elastomers. These materials can be stretched and squashed repeatedly yet still return to their original shape. Understandably, elastomers have key applications in construction and the automotive industry, but they’re also widely used in medical devices, electronics, and numerous consumer goods. But they’re not completely indestructible: Subject to enough strain, they’ll begin to crack or degrade. Currently, efforts to make elastomers more durable involve a trade-off, such as more strength for less flexibility. Sapir’s theories are exploring how to fix that, to “have your elasticity and eat it, too.” “Simulations can act as a bridge between analytical calculations and experiments,” Sapir explains. The result is a better understanding of the mechanisms governing these materials, which in turn can guide the design of new and still more useful materials in a wide range of fields. Sapir is also using theories and molecular simulations to research polymer membranes, used for separating gaseous and liquid mixtures. Together with BarIlan chemist Prof. David Zitoun, he is studying the microstructure of these membranes’ polymer networks, with the aim of informing the design and improvement of a host of applications. Understanding gas separation, for example, is particularly important
| 21 | to sustainability, with implications for CO2 capture and natural gas processing. ״These organelles still remain a mystery,” Sapir says, “As with so many things, we believe that many of the answers can be found at the level of their molecular chains.” “Especially as someone at the beginning of his academic career, the access to so many top BarIlan scientists is one of the primary advantages of membership in BINA, as much if note more as the specialized equipment,” says Sapir, who is currently working on projects with Dr. Tamar Goldzak from the Alexander Kofkin Faculty of Engineering and Prof. Sharon Ruthstein from the Department of Chemistry, along with his work with Zitoun. “I’ve gained a community from which I can learn a tremendous amount, and which opens doors to exciting collaborations.” In the field of biophysics, Sapir studies “disordered” proteins, or types of polymers that don’t fold into specific structures and have a diversity of configurations. “About fifteen years ago,” says Sapir, “scientists discovered that these proteins can undergo liquidliquid phase separation in cells. Think of that circle of balsamic vinegar floating in olive oil: They’re two separate liquid components that can’t be mixed.” These proteins’ phase separations result in “membrane-less organelles” in the cell, which are essentially separate compartments that are governed by their own rules. Sapir wants to provide the theoretical foundation for understanding how these organelles work. How exactly do they form? What is their structure? How do they interact with other structures in the cell? Ultimately, this information can help us determine if the organelles can be made to perform a needed function. No less important, it can help us understand what happens if they don’t function correctly. “These organelles still remain a mystery,” Sapir says, “As with so many things, we believe that many of the answers can be found at the level of their molecular chains.”
| 22 | 2025 Annual Report LIFE SCIENCES Nissan Yissachar Erez Levanon Nitzan Gonen Ronit Sarid Ehud Banin Galit Shohat-Ophir Yaron Shav-Tal Yossi Mandel Doron Gerber Amit Tzur Shulamit Michaeli CHEMISTRY 1. Studying retina diseases with spatial genomics. 2. Studying neuronal encoding of motivation with spatial genomics. 3. Towards in situ sequencing of immune response. 4. Implantable bridges for neuronal recovery. 5. Theory and Experimental Demonstration of Quantum Invariant Filtering. 6. Data-Driven Reconstruction and Characterization of Stochastic Dynamics via Dynamical Mode Decomposition. 7. 3D manipulation of neuronal networks by magnetic nanoparticles. 8. Superconducting single photon detectors and other effects. 9. Controllabel meta-surfaces. 10. Electrolysis for GOR/ORR. 11. Post translation modifications. 12. Biosensors. 13. Microfluidic device for production of nanoparticles. 14. Optical Materials. 15. Untitle. 16. Graphen-hBN devices. 17. Untitle. 18. Untitle. 19. Superresolution, photon-number-splitting, quantum imaging, Photon Number Splitting Attack – Proposal and Analysis of an Experimental Scheme. 20. Quantum sensing and temporal quantum optics, quantum temporal imaging. 21. Classical and quantum imaging. 22. Single photon emitters. 23. Quantum Illumination and quantum radar. 24. X-ray imaging. 25. Magnetic sensing. 26. An ultra-sensitive dual imaging system of diffusion reflection and fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy using metal enhanced fluorescence. 27. All-optical, computation-free time-multiplexing super-resolved imaging based on speckle illumination. 28. Experimentally testing the role of blood vessels in the full scattering profile. 29. Free space communication with folded mirror. 30. Temporal meta surfaces. 31. Acid stable OER electrocatalysts. 32. Electrical properties of halide perovskites. 33. AI determination of high-entropy oxide crystal structures. 34. Ribosomal RNA and RNA modification during viral infection. 35. Untitle. 36. RNA binding proteins and there modifictions using microfldidic. 37. Exploring microbiome differences between males and females. 38. Untitle. 39. Untitle. 40. X-ray medical imaging. 41. Nonlinear interferometer. 42. Nonlinear interferometer. 43. Micro-printing H2 sensors. 44. Directing neural growth by standing acoustic waves. 45. Acoustically Directed Bone Growth. 46. Spectroscopic Analysis of Thermally Driven Reactions. 47. Interfacial freezing in emulsions. 48. Chiral symmetry breaking in self-shaping emulsions. 49. Nanoparticle characterization. 50. Untitle. 51. Untitle. 52. Untitle. 53. Bond Formation in Amino Acid Clusters. 54. Reconfigurable meta-optics based on vanadium oxide. 55. Femtosecond Laser ablated nanoparticles. 56. Optical properties of chalcogenide and 2D materials. 57. Nanospectroscopy of 2H-WS2 and 2H-WSe2. 58. Using acoustic alignment of collagen fibers and mineral crystallites for construction of bone mimetic materials. 59. Design and analysis of Alumina coatings for improved LIB cathodes. 60. Solid electrolytes development for all solid-state batteries. 61. Design of wireless charging for in operando battery analysis in NMR. 62. Temporal meta surfaces. 63. Renewable energy. 64. Renewable energy. 65. Molecular clusters. 66. Untitled. 67. Untitled. 68. Untitled. 69. Untitled. 70. Untitled. 71. Untitled. 72. Drug delivery to the eye by poteinoids nanoparticles. Collaborations 2024-2025 David Zitoun Yitzhak Mastai Malachi Noked Hagay Shpaizman Shlomo Margel Daniel Nessim Shai Rahimipour Adi Salomon Doron Aurbach Dan T. Major Gil Goobes Yaakov Tischler Lior Elbaz Hannah-Noa Barad Amikam Levy Sharon Ruthstein 5 6 61 60 59 65 63 64 72 58 10 31 33 43 46 44 45 32 67 69 68 11 34 37 52 51 71 70 35 36 12 17 18 13
| 23 | Joint Papers Amos Sharoni (Physics), Tomer Lewi (Engineering); Eliahu Cohen (Engineering), Dror Fixler (Engineering); Eliahu Cohen (Engineering), Avi Pe'er (Physics); Eliahu Cohen (Engineering), Sharon Shwartz (Physics); Dan Major (Chemistry), Doron Aurbach (Chemistry), Malachi Noked (Chemistry); Malachi Noked (Chemistry), Doron Aurbach (Chemistry); Malachi Noked (Chemistry), Dan T. Major (Chemistry), Doron Aurbach (Chemistry); Dror Fixler (Engineering), Eliahu Cohen (Engineering), Zeev Zalevsky (Engineering); Zeev Zalevsky (Engineering), Yossi Mandel (Life Sciences); Nisan Ozana (Engineering), Zeev Zalevsky (Engineering); Zeev Zalevsky (Engineering), David Zitoun (Chemistry); Aviad Frydman (Physics), Beena Kalisky (Physics); Doron Aurbach (Chemistry), Gilbert D Nessim (Chemistry); Doron Aurbach (Chemistry), Malachi Noked (Chemistry), Doron Naveh (Engineering); Doron Aurbach (Chemistry), Gil Goobes (Chemistry); Ehud Banin (Life Sciences), Aharon Gedanken (Chemistry), Ilana Perelshtein (Nano Center); Amos Danielli (Engineering), Ehud Banin (Life Sciences); Shulamit Michaeli (Life Sciences), Yitzhak Mastai (Chemistry); Amos Sharoni (Physics), Yitzhak Mastai (Chemistry); Yaakov Tischler (Chemistry), Amos Sharoni (Physics); Tomer Lewi (Engineering), Doron Naveh (Engineering); Orit Shefi (Engineering), Yaron Shav-Tal (Life Sciences); Yitzhak Mastai (Chemistry), Sharon Ruthstein (Chemistry); Yitzhak Mastai (Chemistry), David Zitoun (Chemistry); David Zitoun (Chemistry), Adi Salomon (Chemistry); Gili Cohen Taguri (Nano Center), Gil Goobes (Chemistry); Gili Cohen Taguri (Nano Center), Gilbert D Nessim (Chemistry); Gili Cohen Taguri (Nano Center), Lior Elbaz (Chemistry); Gili Cohen Taguri (Nano Center) Amos Sharoni (Physics); Gili Cohen Taguri (Nano Center), Lior Elbaz (Chemistry); Olga Girshevitz (Nano Center) Nahum Shabi (Nano Center), Issai Shlimak (Physics); Dror Fixler (Engineering), Olga Girshevitz (Nano Center); Olga Girshevitz (Nano Center), Gal Radovsky (Nano Center) Malachi Noked (Chemistry); Eti Teblum (Nano Center), David Cahen (Chemistry); Eti Teblum (Nano Center), Gilbert D Nessim (Chemistry); Eti Teblum (Nano Center), Shimon Weiss (Physics); Yulia Vestfrid (Nano Center), Doron Aurbach (Chemistry); Gal Radovsky (Nano Center), Malachi Noked (Chemistry); Moshe Feldberg (Nano Center), Adi Salomon (Chemistry); Belal Abu Salha (Nano Center), Aharon Gedanken (Chemistry), Ilana Perelshtein (Nano Center); Ilana Perelshtein (Nano Center), Malachi Noked (Chemistry); Nataliia Dudchenko (Nano Center), Ilana Perelshtein (Nano Center); Ilana Perelshtein (Nano Center), Nataliia Dudchenko (Nano Center), Ehud Banin (Life Sciences), Aharon Gedanken (Chemistry); Belal Abu Salha (Nano Center), Ilana Perelshtein (Nano Center), Aharon Gedanken (Chemistry); Ehud Banin (Life Sciences), Aharon Gedanken (Chemistry); Ehud Banin (Life Sciences), Shlomo Margel (Chemistry); Liel Sapir (Chemistry), Sharon Ruthstein (Chemistry). Kaminka Gal COMPUTER PHYSICS ENGINEERING Eli Sloutskin Moshe Deutsch Hanan Herzig Sheinfux Yoni Toker Avi Peer Beena Kalisky Assaf Hamo Patrick Sebbah Shimon Weiss Yosi Yeshurun Amos Sharoni Sharon Shwartz Doron Naveh Tamar Goldzak Amos Danielli Tomer Kalisky Gur Yaari Tomer Lewi Rachela Popovtzer Shahar Alon Orit Shefi Boris Desiatov Dror Fixler Zeev Zalevsky Eliahu Cohen Moti Fridman 1 4 19 23 26 27 28 29 62 24 25 20 22 21 2 3 14 54 56 55 57 15 16 50 7 8 9 42 53 41 40 38 39 66 47 48 49
| 24 | 2025 Annual Report The path from academic innovation to commercialization is littered with pitfalls. One of them is often a lack of market focus, which leads to poor alignment with industry or user needs. But the biggest trap into which academics fall may be the one before their journey begins: an approach to research absent a clear and practical outcome, or an awareness of the most pressing technological challenges facing industry. This is precisely the problem that Bar-Ilan’s Prof. Zeev Zalevsky seeks to address. Two new Bar-Ilan vice presidents aim to smooth the path from research to discovery and innovation. Along theway, they hope to change howacademic researchers approach the biggest problems facing our world. The new vice president for academia-industry relations, Zalevsky might at first seem like an outlier in the academic-research community. Along with the development of more than 100 registered patents, for example, he was or is currently co-founder of ten different companies. Yet he does not see himself as an exception. On the contrary, the former dean of the Alexander Kofkin Faculty of Engineering believes that many more of his fellow Bar-Ilan researchers are capable of commercializing their technologies. A Bigger Vision for Bar-Ilan Prof. Shav-Tal Yaron and Prof. Zalevsky Zeev Vice Presidents
| 25 | “Many academics are engaged in basic research, which is driven by curiosity and the desire to add to a body of knowledge. But that kind of research isn’t designed to address real issues facing industry,” explains Zalevsky, who points out that his position marks a notable shift at Bar-Ilan from an ad-hoc to a strategic approach to industry collaboration. “If, however, academics are introduced to these issues, as well as to colleagues who conduct research in ways that advance both their own goals and those of industry, they orient themselves differently at the outset. They set themselves on the path to commercialization success.” If we recognize that big problems don’t confine themselves to a single discipline, it makes sense for their solutions to emerge from different disciplines working in tandem. To help make the path between academia and industry a smoother, more two-way street, Zalevsky has set out a number of objectives for the coming years. They include increasing the number of projectbased partnerships between Bar-Ilan and industry researchers and enhancing the efficacy of new BarIlan graduates to key industries (“If our curriculum is developed together with input from industry leaders, our new graduates entering the workforce can deliver value from day one,” Zalevsky explains). And to encourage more Bar-Ilan academics to make the move to applied research, he plans to organize discipline-specific workshops whose objective is improving applied capabilities. An example is a recent seminar with Arieli Capital, the U.S. holdings company that invests in technology and platforms, to facilitate Bar-Ilan researchers’ pharmaceutical breakthroughs. Finally, Zalevsky hopes to increase the number of socalled “glue grants” between researchers engaged in both basic and solution-oriented work. ״If we recognize that big problems don’t confine themselves to a single discipline, it makes sense for their solutions to emerge from different disciplines working in tandem.״ In this, Zalevsky will have help from another new Bar-Ilan appointee: Prof. Yaron Shav-Tal, previously the dean of the Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences and currently the vice president for research. At the core of his vision for research at the university is an expanded understanding of multidisciplinarity. “For most STEM researchers, the natural audience for collaboration is other researchers in the exact sciences,” says Shav-Tal. “Moving forward, we would also like to see researchers in the human sciences, including psychology, economics, and even history and sociology, as potential collaborators, as well. If we recognize that big problems don’t confine themselves to a single discipline, it makes sense for their solutions to emerge from different disciplines working in tandem.” Shav-Tal notes that this multi-disciplinarity is one of the key advantages of the Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology. “BINA has a vast range of expertise across the sciences all under one roof,” he explains. “It also has a wide range of equipment.
| 26 | 2025 Annual Report It can therefore convene groups of experts to consult on a problem and test out ideas as well as products. For industry players, it can be a one-stop-shop for accelerating innovation.” ״Taken together, Zalevsky and Shav-Tal’s activities can create a positive feedback loop between Bar-Ilan research and industry, enabling the university to align both its research and education more closely with industry needs.״ To swell the ranks of Bar-Ilan researchers with top talent in high-demand fields, Shav-Tal is also overseeing a seven-year Returning-Scientists Initiative, which aims to bring at least 50 Israeli researchers currently working overseas home to fulltime positions in Bar-Ilan’s engineering, life sciences, medical, and exact sciences faculties. Notably, he plans to emphasize the recruitment of life sciences researchers who also boast medical degrees, part of Bar-Ilan’s effort, in which BINA plays a key role, to accelerate Israel’s bio-convergence industry. Located at the intersection of biotechnology, medicine, and engineering, bio-convergence was hailed by the Israel Innovation Authority in 2019 as potentially, “one of the Israeli high-tech industry’s most substantial engines of growth.” It is also, points out Shav-Tal, the reason for Bar-Ilan’s multi-million-dollar investment in a joint life sciences campus with Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan’s Health-Tech Valley. He also aims to focus on the field of energy, for which BarIlan is recognized at Israel’s top university. Indeed, the achievements of Bar-Ilan energy researchers (many of whom are members of BINA) are the reason that Bar-Ilan, together with the Technion Israel Institute for Technology, was awarded a $37 million contract by the Israeli government in 2023 to establish the National Institute for Energy Research. Taken together, Zalevsky and Shav-Tal’s activities can create a positive feedback loop between Bar-Ilan research and industry, enabling the university to align both its research and education more closely with industry needs. “Rather than simply responding to industry challenges as they arise,” says Zalevsky, “we aim to anticipate those challenges through constant interaction. We want Bar-Ilan to be the place industry turns for solutions, and we’ll say, ‘we’re already working on that.’”
| 27 | Geo-economic tensions and changing security threats are transforming the global defense landscape, driving up defense budgets and spurring new defense innovations. When developing technologies capable of winning on modern battlefields, researchers must consider a range of factors, from mobility, lethality, and autonomy to adaptability and connectivity. In addition, while prioritizing performance and reliability, defense systems and components have size, weight, and speed requirements that differ from counterparts in industry. Both to respond to global needs and to leverage Bar-Ilan’s proven expertise, Vice President for Academia-Industry Relations Prof. Zeev Zalevsky has determined to increase the university’s research output in the field of “defense tech.” A category that includes Bar-Ilan research in cybersecurity, sensors, data science, nanotechnology, and energy, as well as emergency medicine, international law and resilience, defense tech addresses the full continuum of war and emergency, from prevention to response and through to recovery. ״Defense systems and components have size, weight, and speed requirements that differ from counterparts in industry.״ “We are uniquely positioned to bring our core strengths in specialized fields into critical technology-development programs in industry,” says Zalevsky. He notes that BINA researchers will play a leading role in this effort, particularly through their work in metamaterials and metasurfaces. These artificial materials gain their properties from their structures rather than their constituent parts and can be used, among other things, for improved radar transmission, underwater sound manipulation, advanced stealth and camouflage, and impact protection. ״BINA researchers will play a leading role in this effort, particularly through their work in metamaterials and metasurfaces.״ An example of a commercialized Bar-Ilan defense technology is CogniFiber, a startup co-founded by Zalevksy together with Dr. Eyal Cohen, a former postdoc in Zalevsky’s laboratory, and a group of entrepreneurs. CogniFiber transforms ordinary optical fibers into photonic processors capable of performing rapid calculations; a key advantage is the technology’s extremely low energy consumption. High-efficiency, low-energy processors are particularly important to militaries, which need their high bandwidths to transmit large quantities of data quickly and securely. Recently, the company raised $5 million in seed funding. Playing Defense
| 28 | 2025 Annual Report Innovation as a Two-Way Street: KLA Excellence Awards Avital Fried Cohen, a PhD in physics and member of BINA, insists that receiving this year’s KLA Excellence Award came as a total surprise. Not because her research doesn’t meet the criteria: Her investigation of the Ramp Reversal Memory effect, an effect measured in vanadium dioxide (VO₂) by heating and cooling the system while measuring its electrical resistance, provides a vital contribution to the field of material science. Rather, it’s because her focus wasn’t on the award. Instead, it was on the excellence. “The great thing about KLA’s Excellence Day at BINA is that participating students have to build skills in describing the value of their research and in communicating with industry leaders. Instead of a competition, the event becomes an opportunity to expand our professional abilities.” Fried Cohen explains. When KLA, a leader in processcontrol solutions for the semiconductor industry, selected her as a recipient of one of its awards on the basis of her presentation, it felt “like the outcome of a process that was itself deeply worthwhile,” she says. ״Instead of a competition, the event becomes an opportunity to expand our professional abilities.״ Leveraging Excellence
| 29 | According to BINA Manager Dr. Ilana Perelshtein, building students' skills is precisely the point. “KLA believes in real involvement. For years, top KLA scientists have come to BINA to share what they’re doing, learn what our students are up to, and encourage these students to push the envelope of what they can achieve.” Victoria Palatnik, KLA’s director of diversity and inclusion and the founder of its program for academic relations, explains that this approach stems from a desire to “strengthen the ecosystem.” “KLA recognizes that its own success depends on nurturing knowledge, creating a dialogue between academic and industry researchers, and nurturing the talent that drives forward new technology,” says Palatnik. Noting that globally, more than 60 percent of the KLA workforce has a master’s or PhD, she adds that KLA also seeks to “give back to the academic community that provides the backbone of our company.” ”KLA believes in real involvement. For years, top KLA scientists have come to BINA to share what they’re doing, learn what our students are up to, and encourage these students to push the envelope of what they can achieve.” As for why BINA was the natural partner at BarIlan, Palatnik points to the institute’s inherent multi-disciplinarity. “The problems we’re addressing at KLA are complex, and therefore they require expertise across multiple fields. BINA’s concentration of knowledge from physics, materials science, chemistry, and engineering makes it an excellent fit.” She’s quick to note that that’s not the only reason, however. In the end, it’s about the people as much as the technology. “Both the management and students at BINA have such an open and positive attitude toward collaboration,” says Palatnik. “You see how interested they are, not in what we can do for them, but what they can do for us, to ensure that we meet our challenges. When you bring both excellence and energy to a partnership, how can it not succeed?”
| 30 | 2025 Annual Report Two decades ago, the main goal of the field of meta-optics was the replacement of conventional optical components with completely flat devices. Today, the focus has shifted from “flattening” to improving the performance of the optical components themselves. And it’s working: new meta-surfaces now outperforming traditional components in controlling light’s amplitude, phase, frequency, and polarization. ״Doing cutting-edge research means constant learning and upskilling, including in the use of new tools and methodologies.” Shany Cohen, who began her master’s in electrooptical engineering six years ago at Bar-Ilan, is among those researchers racing to develop these high-quality factor meta-surfaces literally. “The field of high-Q factor meta-surfaces is advancing so quickly, it can be a challenge just to keep up,” says Cohen, now a Bar-Ilan PhD student who is also a member of BINA. Her current research involves refining optical meta-surfaces that can provide large field-of-view signals with both high resolution and real-time performance. Both these factors are the key to next generation computer vision systems. “Doing cutting-edge research means constant learning and upskilling, including in the use of new tools and methodologies.” If this sounds intense, that’s because it is: Electrical engineering is generally considered among the most difficult of the engineering specialties, both on account of the abstract mathematical models used to analyze and design systems, as well as the rapid advances in technology. It Electrical engineering research therefore demands not only intellectual rigor, but also sustained support something Nova recognized when choosing to support Cohen’s academic journey. Last June, at a ceremony attended by Nova Chief Technology Officer Dr. Shay Wolfling and Chief Human Resources Officer Sharon Mutual Benefits By supporting research and engaging with outstanding students, companies help drive scientific discovery, accelerate innovation, and create broader social and technological impact. Leveraging Excellence
| 31 | Dayan, Cohen received the company’s inaugural Excellence Award. ״We need to cultivate as much excellence in this ecosystem as possible, whether that’s through a job in the high-tech industry or in a lab at a university.״ “We recognize that areas of study like Shany’s aren’t ones in which you can earn a degree quickly,” says Einav Yogev, Nova’s global ESG lead. “They’re incredibly important for Israel’s high-tech industry, and yet they require a real investment of time and energy. We want to encourage students to make that investment, and to help develop human capital in areas of national priority.” Yogev adds that Nova also sought to “level the playing field” by encouraging groups such as women traditionally underrepresented in engineering to maximize their potential, whether in industry or academia. Cohen certainly has: She’s about to publish her second paper, something she insists was only possible because the award enabled her to concentrate on her research. For some companies involved in academia-industry collaboration, Yogev’s statement will come as a surprise: Apart from improving brand awareness and increasing customer loyalty, industry powerhouses that support STEM students naturally want to secure great candidates. And no doubt, creating connections with promising students through scholarships, industry mentors, networks, and more allows companies access to outstanding innovators at the outset of their careers. Yet increasingly, companies such as Nova see academia-industry collaboration as a value in and of itself. “All countries depend on innovation to maintain their competitive edge, and all the more so Startup Nation,” Yogev says. “We need to cultivate as much excellence in this ecosystem as possible, whether that’s through a job in the high-tech industry or in a lab at a university.” Recognizing that cultivating excellence is a serious investment, Nova also makes a point of getting to know its award recipients in depth something that impressed Cohen at her scholarship interview. “Instead of a simple meet-and-greet, several senior Nova engineers sat down with me to talk about my research,” she says. “It was clear that they really wanted to understand what I’m trying to do, how my work can help build a foundation for future innovation, and what they can do to help.” Finally, to encourage what Yogev calls “an ongoing and open dialogue with academia,” Nova is developing ideas for a network of Nova award recipients and regular meetups with academic partners. “If Israel is to continue to lead in technological innovation, partnerships like those between BINA and Nova are vital. They not only empower individual researchers but also strengthen the broader ecosystem of academia, industry, and society.”
| 32 | 2025 Annual Report
Research Map | 33 | BINA's Members Achievements 2024 & 2025 180 Grants 422 Publications 122 Collaborations 73 Researchers
| 34 | 2025 Annual Report FACULTY Chemistry Life Sciences Physics Engineering Computer Science Medicine RESEARCH FIELDS Electromagnetism & Spintronics Ben Moshe Assaf 43 Frydman Aviad 51 Hamo Assaf 56 Kalisky Beena 57 Klein Lior 59 Pe’er Avi 71 Sharoni Amos 77 Shlimak Issai 79 Stern Michael 82 Toker Yoni 83 Weiss Shimon 84 Yeshurun Yosef 85 Lewi Tomer 61 Naveh Doron 66 Nano & Advanced Materials Aurbach Doron 37 Barad Hannah-Noa 42 Ben Moshe Assaf 43 Cahen David 45 Elbaz Lior 48 Gedanken Aharon 52 Golub Eyal 54 Goobes Gil 55 Lellouche Jean-Paul 59 Major Dan T. 62 Margel Shlomo 64 Mastai Yitzhak 65 Nessim Gilbert Daniel 67 Noked Malachi 68 Rahimipour Shai 73 Salomon Adi 75 Sapir Liel 75 Shpaisman Hagay 80 Tischler Yaakov 82 Zitoun David 89 Mandel Yossi 63 Barkai Eli 43 Deutsch Moshe 48 Hamo Assaf 56 Herzig Sheinfux Hanan 57 Kalisky Beena 57 Klein Lior 59 Rabin Yitzhak 72 Sharoni Amos 77 Sloutskin Eli 81 Yeshurun Yosef 85 Albo Asaf 36 Alon Shahar 36 Goldzak Tamar 54 Lewi Tomer 61 Naveh Doron 66 Yadid Moran 85 Biomedicine Golub Eyal 54 Goobes Gil 55 Lellouche Jean-Paul 59 Margel Shlomo 64 Rahimipour Shai 73 Ruthstein Sharon 74 Banin Ehud 41 Brodie Chaya 44 Gerber Doron 53 Gonen Nitzan 54 Hendel Ayal 56 Levanon Erez 60 Mandel Yossi 63 Michaeli Shulamit 65 Nir Uri 68 Sarid Ronit 76 Shav-Tal Yaron 78 Shohat-Ophir Galit 79 Tzur Amit 83 Yissachar Nissan 86 Alon Shahar 36 Danielli Amos 47 Kalisky Tomer 58 Ozana Nisan 70 Popovtzer Rachela 72 Shefi Orit 78 Yaari Gur 84 Kaminka Gal 58 Yadid Moran 85 Table Of Contents
| 35 | FACULTY Chemistry Life Sciences Physics Engineering Medicine RESEARCH FIELDS Energy Aurbach Doron 37 Barad Hannah-Noa 42 Cahen David 45 Elbaz Lior 48 Goobes Gil 55 Major Dan T. 62 Nessim Gilbert Daniel 67 Noked Malachi 68 Tischler Yaakov 82 Zitoun David 89 Deutsch Moshe 48 Goldzak Tamar 54 Cleantech Aurbach Doron 37 Gedanken Aharon 52 Goobes Gil 55 Nessim Gilbert Daniel 67 Rahimipour Shai 73 Salomon Adi 75 Zitoun David 89 Banin Ehud 41 Sharoni Amos 77 Photonics Salomon Adi 75 Tischler Yaakov 82 Barkai Eli 43 Deutsch Moshe 48 Herzig Sheinfux Hanan 57 Pe’er Avi 71 Rosenbluh Michael 74 Sebbah Patrick 76 Sharoni Amos 77 Shwartz Sharon 80 Alon Shahar 36 Cohen Eliahu 46 Danielli Amos 47 Desiatov Boris 47 Fixler Dror 50 Fridman Moti 51 Lewi Tomer 61 Ozana Nisan 70 Zalevsky Zeev 87 Bioconvergence Golub Eyal 54 Goobes Gil 55 Major Dan T. 62 Rahimipour Shai 73 Ruthstein Sharon 74 Salomon Adi 75 Tischler Yaakov 82 Banin Ehud 41 Gerber Doron 53 Gonen Nitzan 54 Hendel Ayal 56 Mandel Yossi 63 Michaeli Shulamit 65 Kalisky Beena 57 Sharoni Amos 77 Danielli Amos 47 Fixler Dror 50 Kalisky Tomer 58 Ozana Nisan 70 Popovtzer Rachela 72 Shefi Orit 78 Yaari Gur 84 Yadid Moran 85 Quantum Levy Amikam 61 Major Dan T. 62 Tischler Yaakov 82 Barkai Eli 43 Hamo Assaf 56 Herzig Sheinfux Hanan 57 Kalisky Beena 57 Pe’er Avi 71 Rosenbluh Michael 74 Sharoni Amos 77 Shwartz Sharon 80 Stern Michael 82 Toker Yoni 83 Yeshurun Yosef 85 Cohen Eliahu 46 Desiatov Boris 47 Fridman Moti 51 Goldzak Tamar 54 Lewi Tomer 61 Naveh Doron 66
| 36 | 2025 Annual Report Dr. Abu Salha Belal BINA staff, IBA Publications 2024 and 2025 • Belal Abu Salha, Moorthy Maruthapandi, Ilana Perelshtein, John HT Luong, Aharon Gedanken. “Synergistic Effects of Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Dots on Pepper and Lettuce Growth via Irrigation Enhancement.” Diamond and Related Materials, 2025. Dr. Abulafia Yossi BINA staff, Fabrication unit Publications 2024 and 2025 • Ilya Olevsko, Omer Shavit, Moshe Feldberg, Yossi Abulafia, Adi Salomon, Martin Oheim. “A Colour-Encoded Nanometric Ruler for Axial Super Resolution Microscopies.” Optics Communication, 2024. Dr. Albo Asaf Faculty of Engineering Study and Design of Novel Optoelectronic\Electronic Quantum Devices and Materials Research Areas • Quantum engineering & devices • Thermophotonic devices • Novel optoelectronic materials & devices • Transport in nanostructures • Semiconductor heterostructures • Terahertz quantum cascade lasers Abstract The main interest of my group is the study and design of novel optoelectronic\ electronic quantum devices and materials. We combine modeling, device design and fabrication, various characterization techniques, and novel materials and structure synthesis. Ultimately, we aim to identify and harness novel quantum mechanical physical phenomena to develop real-world technologies. Publications 2024 and 2025 • Shiran Levy, Nathalie Lander Gower, Piotr Mensz, Silvia Piperno, Gad Bahir, Asaf Albo. "Practical Implementation of m-Plane GaN Resonant-Phonon Terahertz Quantum Cascade Laser." Scientific Reports, 2025. • Shiran Levy, Nathalie Lander Gower, Silvia Piperno, Sadhvikas J Addamane, John L Reno, Asaf Albo. "Addressing Broadening Challenges in m-Plane GaN Two-Well Terahertz Quantum Cascade Laser." Optics Express, 2024. • Haolan Wang, Lijuan Xie, Asaf Albo, Yibin Ying, Wendao Xu. "Selective Detection Enabled by Terahertz Spectroscopy and Plasmonics: Principles and Implementations." TrAC Trends in Analytical Chemistry, 2024. • Nathalie Lander Gower, Shiran Levy, Silvia Piperno, Sadhvikas J Addamane, Asaf Albo. "Exploring the Effects of Molecular Beam Epitaxy Growth Characteristics on the Temperature Performance of State-of-the-Art Terahertz Quantum Cascade Lasers." Scientific Reports, 2024. • Shiran Levy, Nathalie Lander Gower, Silvia Piperno, Sadhvikas J Addamane, John L Reno, Asaf Albo. "Analyzing the Effect of Doping Concentration in Split-Well Resonant-Phonon Terahertz Quantum Cascade Lasers." Optics Express, 2024. • Nathalie Lander Gower, Shiran Levy, Silvia Piperno, Sadhvikas J Addamane, John L Reno, Asaf Albo. "Extraction of the Electron Excess Temperature in Terahertz Quantum Cascade Lasers from Laser Characteristics." Nanophotonics, 2024. • Nathalie Lander Gower, Shiran Levy, Silvia Piperno, Sadhvikas J Addamane, John L Reno, Asaf Albo. "Doping Engineering: Next Step Toward Room Temperature Performance of Terahertz Quantum Cascade Lasers." Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology B, 2024. Dr. Alon Shahar Faculty of Engineering Spatial Genomics Group Research Areas • Neuro-genomics • Cancer genomics • RNA complexity Abstract Research in the Spatial Genomics group encompasses a combination of technology development, data analysis, and experimental work aimed at generating new insights into learning and memory, neurological diseases, and cancer biology. Spatial genomics is a new field that seeks to map the physical positions of millions of RNA molecules in cells and tissues, correlating them with normal and pathological conditions. We have developed a technology for RNA sequencing inside tissues, which enables the study of RNA molecules with unprecedented detail. We utilize this technology to elucidate how molecular content is spatially organized within cells,
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