BAR-ILAN INSTITUTE OF NANOTECHNOLOGY & ADVANCED MATERIALS | 2019 ANNUAL REPORT

who then chemically induce the required changes to continue optimizing the device. We started this project from scratch and through a very fruitful and stimulating collaborative learning and working process, I can say it holds great promise to future development of miniaturized externally attached or implanted devices, which could allow us, for example, to reveal and monitor neuronal epileptic activity,” says Prof. Shefi. In previous trials, Prof. Shefi has already proven that the nanomaterials she uses are non-toxic and that animals can function as usual within the proximity of these platforms. This means that with further development, this could potentially be harnessed for future medical applications. Prof. Shefi is also involved in other groundbreaking medical developments including a multi-disciplinary flagship project on the brain focused on the role of Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) in neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease and muscular dystrophy. The biologists and neurobiologists of Bar-Ilan University, the Sackler Faculty of Medicine at Tel Aviv University, and Ariel University have joined forces with Beijing’s leading scientists, through the Israeli Ministry of Technology and Science Flagship project, which granted them $2M to conduct their venture. The scientists are defining in which areas of the brain this protein, BDNF, is located, directing it into specific areas or cells to gain a better understanding of the effect it has on cell growth, and leveraging nanotechnology to selectively deliver this factor (and consequently, other drugs) both in vitro and in vivo. For example, BINA has invited me to lecture internationally in places like Torque, Finland, Poland, and China, where I’m not only exposing my own work but also meeting colleagues from all over the world, and getting to know their specific research fields and areas of expertise. Such encounters allow me to initiate outreach activities for the scientific community. Last year, I led a symposium in order to advance international and national organization of the field, and BINA’s administrative support was instrumental,” elaborates Prof. Shefi. It was a Chinese delegation visiting BINA that brought Prof. Wensheng of CAS to Prof. Shefi’s laboratory, igniting a very promising research collaboration. Through this research project, the two laboratories are developing alternative and novel nanotechnologies, which aim to give insights on neuronal cell functioning and intercommunication, noninvasively, potentially obviating the need to penetrate sensitive areas in the brain. This can be achieved by utilizing the fluorescent property of the particular molecules involved in neuronal processes, which start or stop illuminating when they receive a current change or when they merge with another molecule. “We have planned and developed a nano chip that allows us to monitor neuron growth and function by combining our biological knowledge with Prof. Wensheng’s expertise in binding fluorescent molecules. So far, we have demonstrated its feasibility in vitro. I recruited an additional doctoral student for this study, who specializes in microscopy and highly- sensitive measurements. These measurements are used to provide feedback to our Chinese partners The two laboratories are developing alternative and novel nanotechnologies, which aim to give insights on neuronal cell functioning and intercommunication, noninvasively, potentially obviating the need to penetrate sensitive areas in the brain 30