Di Liu, December 2016: SYNTHETIC NUCLEIC ACID TOPOLOGY
Di Liu, December 2016: SYNTHETIC NUCLEIC ACID TOPOLOGY
Di Liu, December 2016: SYNTHETIC NUCLEIC ACID TOPOLOGY
Weizmann
Group
Synthetic nucleic acid and plasmonic nanomaterials design group
Recent Lab Happenings
May 6, 2025 - Our invited Account on "Let There Be Heat: Silica-Coated Gold Nanoparticles as Photothermal Reactors for Chemical Synthesis" is online and featured as a cover in Accounts of Chemical Research. Thanks, Aritra and Nir, for your efforts!
April 28, 2025 - We are thrilled to share that Yossi has been awarded the Vice President and Dean’s Award for Breakthrough Applied Research by the Faculty of Natural Sciences!
This prestigious recognition celebrates outstanding achievements in advancing applied research.
Congratulations to Yossi on this well-deserved honor — and a big thank you to the entire group for the ongoing support and collaboration that made this possible!
April 14, 2025 - Paper Accepted in Accounts of Chemical Research!
We are thrilled to share that our manuscript titled
"Let There be Heat: Silica-coated Gold Nanoparticles as Photothermal Reactors for Chemical Synthesis"
has been officially accepted for publication in Accounts of Chemical Research.
This work highlights our recent advances in using silica-coated gold nanoparticles as efficient and controllable photothermal reactors for driving chemical transformations.
Congratulations to Aritra and Nir!
Stay tuned for the full article soon!
April 1st, 2025 - Our paper on "Molecular light-to-heat conversion promotes orthogonal synthesis and assembly of metal-organic frameworks," has been featured on the Editors' Highlights webpage under Physical Sciences research, in the topic of Inorganic and Physical Chemistry. Great job, Aritra and the team!
"The Editors’ Highlights pages aim to showcase the 50 best papers recently published in an area, and we routinely replace papers as more great research is published at Nature Communications."
Link: https://www.nature.com/collections/wtpqpqpgwd
March 20, 2025 - Our paper on "Molecular light-to-heat conversion promotes orthogonal synthesis and assembly of metal-organic frameworks" as been accepted to Nat. commun. Great job led by Aritra! A big congrats to the fantastic team and the rest of the group, for your hard work and dedication! And now is online: https://rdcu.be/eepjh
March 17, 2025 - Congratulations to Adi for receiving the Rector’s Award for Academic Excellence in 2024. Well deserved!
March 10, 2025 - Congratulations to Adi for winning the Best Poster Award at the Women's Scientist Day 2025 in STEM Fields!
Feb 25, 2025 - What a fantastic achievement! Congratulations to all the award recipients! A special shoutout to Gil and Uri for receiving the Department Award for Excellence in M.Sc. Studies (First Year) and to Doron for earning a spot on the Dean’s List for Excellence in Ph.D. Studies (Second Year). Your dedication and hard work have truly paid off—well deserved!
Feb 18-19, 2025 - Here are some members of our amazing group at the 88th Annual Meeting of the Israel Chemical Society.
From left to right: Gil, Doron, Uri, Ofir, Aritra, and Yossi.
Feb 19, 2025 - Here, Aritra delivers his flash talk like a pro.
Dec 08, 2024 - Adi received the Faculty Scholarship for Excellence in MSc. Congratulation!
November 12, 2024 - Congratulations on the acceptance of "Advancing Topoisomerase Research Using DNA Nanotechnology" in Small Methods! It's great to see this perspective featured in the special issue on "Nucleic Acid Nanotechnology." Well done, Doron and Adi, on contributing to this accomplishment.
August 27, 2024 - I'm thrilled to share that Gil has been awarded the Best TA in the University! Below are two photos—on the right, you can see how seriously Gil takes the role (the lab coat gives it away! 😄).
August 15, 2024 - It was time for our group BBQ! Click the 'Photo Albums' button to check out some great moments. Huge thanks to Radik for letting us borrow your home space!
July 15, 2024 - What an amazing achievement! Our group shone brightly at the awards ceremony today, with many of the winners coming from our team. Congratulations to all the award recipients – you truly are superstars! Your hard work and dedication truly paid off. Well deserved!
Below is a photo of the winners, from left to right: Uri, Ofir, Adi, Gil, and Nir.
June 27, 2024 - Adi received the Outstanding Scholarship for Master's Degree Aspirants. Congratulation!
June 19, 2024 - Absolutely thrilled to congratulate Nir Lemcoff for winning the highly prestigious Clore Scholars Award! So proud of you!
This award is designed to promote outstanding young Israeli scientists and aims to significantly advance scientific excellence in Israel. With only ten new scholars appointed each year across all fields of natural sciences—including mathematics, physics, chemistry, life sciences, earth sciences, computer science, agriculture, engineering, and technology—this is a remarkable achievement.
Your accomplishments reflect your dedication and excellence. Congratulations again!
June 17, 2024 - Congratulations to our exceptional students on receiving prestigious awards for their outstanding achievements! So proud of your hard work and dedication.
Below are the well-deserved recognitions:
Nir Lemcoff: Dean's List for Outstanding Achievement in M.Sc. studies (second year)
Ofir Shelonchik: Dean's List for Outstanding Achievement in M.Sc. studies (second year)
Ofir Shelonchik: ADAMA Award for Outstanding Ph.D. Students
Uri Ben Nun: ADAMA Award for Outstanding B.Sc. Students
Gil Gordon: Department Award for Excellence in B.Sc. studies (third year)
Adi Katz: Dean's Award for Outstanding B.Sc. Students (third year)
Adi Katz: ADAMA Award for Outstanding B.Sc. Students
Your achievements are a testament to your dedication and excellence in your studies. Congratulations once again!
April 18, 2024 - Ofir received the Negev-Tzin Fellowship for Midway Outstanding Ph.D. Students, Congratulations!
Feb 11, 2024 - Gil received the Faculty Scholarship for Excellence in MSc. Congratulation!
Feb 7, 2024 - Our paper on "Light-induced MOF synthesis enabling composite photothermal materials" as been accepted to Nat. commun. Great job led by Ofir! A big thanks to the fantastic team and the rest of the group, for your hard work and dedication! And now is online: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-45333-9
Jan 17, 2024 - The group received the Kamin Incentive grant! Many thanks for the support from the Israel Innovation Authority!!!
Jan 7, 2024 - Yossi has started a new role as an Editorial Advisory Board (EAB) Member for ACS Applied Bio Materials, beginning on January 1st, 2024.
https://pubs.acs.org/page/aabmcb/editors.html
Nov 23, 2023 - Doron Yesodi was awarded the Ze'ev Jabotinsky Scholarship by the Ministry of Science and Technology for her direct Ph.D. studies. This prestigious fellowship spans a duration of 4 years! Congratulations!
Please find the University announcement regarding the prestigious award in the following link:
https://www.bgu.ac.il/en/news-and-articles/two-women-doctoral-students-win-prestigious-scholarships/
Oct 17, 2023 - Our newly published paper, titled "Photothermally heated colloidal synthesis of nanoparticles driven by silica-encapsulated plasmonic heat sources" has been featured on the Editors' Highlights webpage for recent research in the field of "Materials Science and Chemistry."
Link: https://www.nature.com/collections/wtpqpqpgwd
Oct 17, 2023 - Nir Lemcoff and Gill Gordon received the School of Sustainability and Climate Change’s Scholarship for Outstanding Masters and Doctoral Students. Congratulations!
October 10, 2023 - Our paper on "Photothermally heated colloidal synthesis of nanoparticles driven by silica-encapsulated plasmonic heat sources" as been accepted to Nat. commun. Great job led by Aritra! A big thanks to the fantastic team, including Nir, Ofir, and the rest of the group, for your hard work and dedication! And now is online: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-42167-9
October 3, 2023 - Yossi as been invited to serve on the Editorial Advisory Board for ACS Applied Bio Materials beginning January 1st, 2024. I'm looking forward to working with a great team for the next two years.
October 3, 2023 - Our paper on "Photothermally heated colloidal synthesis of nanoparticles driven by silica-encapsulated plasmonic heat sources" as been accepted to Nat. commun. Great job led by Aritra! A big thanks to the fantastic team, including Nir, Ofir, and the rest of the group, for your hard work and dedication!
August 29, 2023 - Nir received the Negev Fellowship for Outstading Ph.D. Research Students (2023-2027). Congratulations!
August 17, 2023 - Doron received the Negev STEM Fellowship for Outstanding Ph.D. Research Students (2023-2027). Congratulations!
August 2, 2023 - We thank the BGU UK Foundation for their generous support in funding our research project on "Artficial DNA topology for the design of a topoisomerase activity assay."
June 22, 2023 - We thank the Ilsa Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology for their generous support in funding our collaborative research project on MOF-Derived Materials.
June 19, 2023 - Here are some snapshots captured during the ADAMA Award ceremony. The Weizmann group demonstrated remarkable engagement. Congratulations on a job well done!
From left to right, in the middle picture of the second row, we have Gil, Ofir, Doron, Nir, and Yahel.
June 12, 2023 - Nir, Doron and Ofir received the ADAMA Award for Outstanding M.Sc. Students. Congratulations!
June 12, 2023 - Gil and Yahel received the ADAMA Award for Outstanding B.Sc. Students. Congratulations!
June 04, 2023 - Doron delivered her M.Sc. presentation on "Mimicking Biological Functionality Using Artificial DNA Topology for the Design of a Topoisomerase Activity Assay"! Congratulation on the amazing talk!
May 24, 2023 - Congratulations to Ofir on his exceptional defense of his Master's thesis and Ph.D. proposal. Well done!
May 1, 2023 - Congratulations to Nir for receiving the Distinction Award in Chemistry during the first year of his Master's Degree, and congratulations to Doron for receiving the Chemistry Excellence Award during the first year of her Master's Degree. Well done to both of them!
Feburary 15, 2023 - A group trip to make colorful pasta in Papon Gal Shaish. To view photos from the event, please enter the photo albums
Link: https://www.instagram.com/papona_gal_shaish/?r=nametag
January 30, 2023 - More News on our new paper in Nature Chemistry:
The Jerusalem Post: "Warming up in Mars? BGU finds polymers that heat up when exposed to LED"
EurekAlert|AAAS: "Ben-Gurion University chemists pioneer responsive polymers that heat up when exposed to LED light"
Phys.org: "Chemists pioneer responsive polymers that heat up when exposed to LED light"
January 29, 2023 - We are on the NEWS: "LED פיתוח ישראלי: פולימר הפולט חום בחשיפה לאור"
https://www.ynet.co.il/environment-science/article/skqt811q2i
January 26, 2023 - Olefin metathesis gets the golden touch!
I'm very excited to share our new paper on plasmonic nanoparticles that have been utilized to activate latent ruthenium catalysts carrying light-induced olefin metathesis into the IR range, now online in Nature Chemistry
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41557-022-01124-7
Many thanks and congrats to Nir Lemcoff and the group!
Awesome collaboration with Gabi Lemcoff's group
Plasmonic nanoparticles have been utilized to activate latent ruthenium catalysts carrying light-induced olefin metathesis into the IR range.
January 19, 2023 - Our Minireview on "Point-of-care nucleic acid tests: assays and devices" is online and featured as a cover in Nanoscale. Thanks, Doron and Ofer, for your efforts!
December 7, 2022 - Our Minireview on "Point-of-care nucleic acid tests: assays and devices" is published online in the Journal Nanoscale! Congratulations, Ofer and Doron! The invited minireview is part of the themed collection "Emerging concepts in nucleic acids: structures, functions and applications."
November 13, 2022 - Ofir delivered his M.Sc. presentation on "Light-induced MOF synthesis and catalysis by photothermal activation of plasmonic nanoparticles"! Congratulation on the amazing talk!
November 3, 2022 - Our Topical Review on "RNA nanostructures: from structure to function" is published online in the Journal of Bioconjugate Chemistry! Congratulations, Ofer and Doron! The invited Topical Review is part of the themed collection “Chemistry of DNA Nanotechnology.”
Jun 21, 2022 - Ofir, Nir, and Doron received the Faculty Scholarship for Excellence in MSc. Congratulation!
Jun 21, 2022 - Ella Yonit Finestone received the Dr. Baruch Zinger Memorial Fund for excellence and social contribution.
Congratulations!
Jun 10, 2022 - Congratulation to the BGU international cricket team - the "BGU Striker" who destroyed the Weizmann institute and Technion teams. Our group member Aritra got the highest score - RESPECT!
Nov 1, 2021 - Ofir received the outstanding B.Sc. Award at the ADAMA Awards ceremony day
Oct 20, 2021 - A new postdoc scholar, Dr. Aritra Biswas, has joined our lab. Welcome!
Oct 18, 2021 - Ofir Shelonchick received the ADAMA Award for Outstanding B.Sc. Students. Congratulations!
Oct 11, 2021 - Ofir Shelonchick received the School of Sustainability and Climate Change’s Scholarship for Outstanding Masters and Doctoral Students. Congratulations!
Sep 22, 2021 - Our RNA crystal paper is online and featured as a cover in Science Advances. Thank you all for your efforts!
Nov 12, 2020 - Yossi has received the NSFC-ISF Joint Program Grant! Many thanks for the support from ISF!!! and NSFC!!! And to our collaborator Prof. Xuemei Wang!
Aug 31, 2020 - Yossi has received the Zuckerman Faculty Scholar Award! Many thanks for the support from Zuckerman Institue!!!
Jul 23, 2020 - Yossi has received the New-Faculty Equipment Grant! Many thanks for the support from ISF!!!
Jul 23, 2020 - Yossi has received the Individual Research Grant! Many thanks for the support from ISF!!!
Aug 22, 2018 - JACS symposium featured a great lineup of speakers!
Our cover was featured on the JACS symposium flyer:
Editor-in-Chief Peter Stang with speakers from the JACS symposium: "Spotlight on Nanoscience, Nanotechnology & Beyond"
JACS symposium at ACS meeting celebrating 140 years!
From right to left: Ye Tian, Yossi Weizmann, Ben Feringa, Peter Stang, Hanadi Sleiman, Zhenan Bao
After the symposium, we had lunch with great friends
