As a central branch of science, chemistry provides vital tools to understand how the human body and the world around us function. ChemLife, the newly established center for translational chemistry at Bar-Ilan university’s Department of Chemistry, translates research findings into practical applications that directly impact our lives.

Pharmaceutical waste and contaminants present a growing global concern, particularly in the context of drinking water and food safety. Addressing this critical issue, a new study by researchers at Bar-Ilan University’s Department of Chemistry and Institute of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials has resulted in the development of a highly sensitive plasmonic-based detector, specifically targeting the detection of harmful piperidine residue in water.

Meet Hillel Gonen, who is studying for an MA in the Bar-Ilan University Department of Middle Eastern Studies. "In recent years, I’ve been interested in geopolitics, and particularly in everything that is happening around us in the Middle East. I focus on economics, sociology, and the culture that connects them. I feel that the degree in the field of the Middle East connects all of these," he shares.