Israel Active

Israeli scientists have released 150,000 ladybugs into Northern Israel to get rid of cactus-eating parasites that are threatening Israeli sabra shrubs. The ladybugs were raised in the BioBee Biological Systems laboratories at Kibbutz Sde Eliyahu, near Beit She’an.

Rehovot-based New CO2 Fuels (NCF) plans to use the waste heat released by steel, glass and ceramics factories to drive its innovative fuel production process. NCF currently uses solar energy to produce methanol in its proof of concept, but realized the value of a previously untapped energy source.

Cine’al Ltd., an Israeli nanotechnology start-up, is developing technology to turn jellyfish into Hydromash, Cine’al says that this super-absorbing strong, dry, flexible material is several times more absorbent and more biodegradable than the material used currently for disposable diapers.

Israeli start-up Consumer Physics is developing Scio – a unique handheld sensor that scans any object and tells you what it contains. For food, it reports carbohydrates, fats, calories etc. Medicines will reveal their molecular makeup. Results will also update a central database for future research. (See video)

Israel’s Micronet supplies half a million terminals for fleet vehicles such as trucks and taxis – more than any other manufacturer. The company’s new A317 model just released now allows users to run apps developed for Android-based tablets.

Israel’s Stemrad has developed a belt to protect first responders from gamma radiation - for situations such as the disaster at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. The belt protects the pelvic area, where most of the body's renewable bone marrow is concentrated.

A team of South Korean military and acquisition officials has been dispatched to Israel to purchase low-altitude surveillance radars capable of detecting small, unmanned drones from North Korea. South Korea recently discovered three UAVs near the border.

British trade journal Global Water Intelligence has bestowed its top awards on Israel’s IDE Technologies. Initiatives such as the Soreq plant and the Carlsbad project “will ensure that IDE remains at the cutting edge of the desalination industry for at least another four decades,"

To mark Earth Day, Weizmann Institute’s latest e-magazine includes the work of Professor Berkowitz who has transformed toxic chemicals in water into harmless compounds. Also Professor Bayer who designed bacteria that turns waste paper into sugar. And much more.

Weizmann graduate Yuval Karminka found that 85% of non-musicians wish they had learned to play a musical instrument. He then founded JoyTunes that produces popular music learning apps that encourage the novice musician to advance in their practicing.