associate professor at the Technion Israel Institute of Technology, indicating that cobalt leakage out of hip implants has a role in implanted patients’ vision loss. Tracing cobalt accumulations throughout the optic nerve could unravel critical information needed to create targeted, precise treatment. The optic nerve, brain tissue and other biological samples are not only small but also fragile. “Making biological samples requires a complicated preparation for them to withstand the vacuum conditions inside the sample chamber; blood samples, for example, are dried so as to be compatible with vacuum conditions. On top of the complexity, the samples also lose some vital characteristics in the process.” In light of this need, Dr. Girshevitz and her collogues intend to develop an external ion microbeam line to analyze biological samples such as tears, which have been at the center of an ongoing series of studies at the accelerator lab. One of collaboration projects that can benefit from the new microbeam focuses on people with Wilson’s disease, patients of Prof. Nitza Goldenberg-Cohen and Dr. Alon Zahavi’s, a senior ophthalmologist at the Rabin Medical Center. Wilson’s disease is a genetic disorder in which copper is accumulated in the liver, brain and corneas of the eyes; when untreated, it can cause liver and central nervous system dysfunction and death. “The conventional blood test to diagnose this disease is so expensive that many patients are diagnosed and treated only after exposure to the high levels of copper has already taken its toll, and the effect is devastating,” says Dr. Girshevitz. “We try to provide a simple, accessible and noninvasive test to characterize excess copper in tear samples from Wilson’s patients. Being an inherited disorder, such a test can help physicians to diagnose children with Wilson’s disease early and provide them with preventive care and a normal quality of life.” Inspiration can strike at any time. While deadlifting 105 kg way before sunrise, Dr. Girshevitz had another research idea for which she recruited Ran Nakash and his appraised boxing gym Iron Core. “Harvesting and analyzing tears of professional boxers and nonprofessional trainees revealed high levels of iron in tears of those who follow an intensive training regime. The fact of the iron deficit in the body of athletes is well known,” emphasizes Dr. Girshevitz. “Our novelty is that we can provide this information based on a noninvasive tear test, an easy way for athletes to keep tabs on their iron levels.” Athletes, Wilson’s patients and any other fascinating subjects—we’ll continue to keep tabs on the Surface Analysis Unit’s growth and report its continuous impact. 25
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