New tech enhances sperm selection, boosting IVF success.
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Research
Feb 9th, 2025
Innovative Technology from TAU researchers can double IVF Success Rates
- Biology
- Engineering
A new technology developed at Tel Aviv University and implemented at Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon has demonstrated a significant increase in the success rates of fertilization, pregnancy, and the birth of a healthy baby through in vitro fertilization (IVF). According to the findings collected thus far, the technology has increased IVF success rates from 34% to 65% — resulting in 20 pregnancies out of 31 embryo transfers compared to only 14 pregnancies out of 41 embryo transfers in the control group. Among the notable cases was a couple who, after enduring 15 unsuccessful IVF cycles over several years, conceived for the first time using this technology and finally became parents. The research team highlights that this method enables laboratories to select high-quality sperm cells (as defined by the World Health Organization) for fertilization, dramatically improving the likelihood of pregnancy and the birth of a healthy baby.
The groundbreaking technology was developed in the lab of Prof. Natan T. Shaked, Chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering, Fleischman Faculty of Engineering at Tel Aviv University, and is being implemented through QART Medical, a startup company established with the support of the university’s investment fund, its technology transfer company, Ramot, as well as external investors. The method has been published in leading journals, including PNAS, Advanced Science, and Fertility and Sterility. In addition to Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon, the technology has recently been implemented in clinical research at Meir Medical Center in Kfar Saba, Assuta Medical Center in Ramat HaHayal, HaEmek Medical Center in Afula, and Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya. It is also used at two leading international medical institutions: UCSF Medical Center in California and the University of Tokyo Hospital in Japan. To date, dozens of couples have enrolled in clinical trials.
Fertility Challenges: Declining Sperm Counts and IVF Solutions
Dr. Bozhena Saar-Ryss, Director of the IVF Unit and the Sperm Bank at Barzilai Medical Center, explains: “Fertility issues are becoming increasingly critical: one in six couples faces fertility problems, with male-related issues accounting for half of the cases. Additionally, in certain countries like Japan, Korea, and Spain, dramatic declines in birth rates are leading to population shrinkage. The causes for this are diverse and include societal trends like career prioritization and delayed marriages, as well as health issues potentially caused by environmental pollutants. Over the past few decades, sperm counts in young, healthy men have dropped by approximately 50%. One of the major challenges in IVF is selecting a sperm cell with high-quality structure and motility to inject into the egg, which enables the development of a healthy embryo”. The clinical study at Brazilai Medical Center was led by the embryologist Dr. Yulia Michailov, the Director of the IVF unit and the sperm lab at Brazilai.
Prof. Natan T. Shaked, Chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Tel Aviv University, explains the technology: “Biological cells are transparent, making it necessary to use chemical dyes to examine their internal structure for research or fertility diagnostic purposes. These dyes enable the analysis and measurement of the cell’s internal structure under conventional microscopes. However, when it comes to IVF, using dyes on sperm cells is prohibited, as the dye may penetrate the embryo’s DNA and cause damage. Currently, because embryologists rely on subjective assessments of sperm cells based on their external appearance and motility, about 90% of sperm cells that appear suitable to embryologists fail to meet the internal morphological criteria recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). Live birth rates in IVF are only 15–25%, and many couples undergo over five treatment cycles before achieving pregnancy”.
Prof. Natan T. Shaked
Is 3D Imaging the Future of Sperm Selection for IVF?
Prof. Shaked adds: “Our technology provides embryologists with a new and essential tool to identify sperm cells that meet the WHO criteria for IVF labs. This new method provides three-dimensional imaging and visualization of the internal structure of biological cells without chemical staining, as it is based on the light-conducting properties of the cell contents, known as the refractive index. This method allows embryologists to analyze the internal structure and contents of live sperm cells and even measure new parameters like mass and volume. Embryologists can therefore select sperm cells that meet the WHO’s structural criteria, achieving results comparable to chemical staining for live cells in the first time. This significantly increases the chances of successful fertilization, pregnancy, and the birth of a healthy baby, as demonstrated by the clinical trial results”.
Dr. Ronen Kreizman, CEO of Ramot: “Ramot congratulates Prof. Shaked and his team, as well as QART Medical, on their remarkable achievements. Successes like this are a testament to the immense potential of inventions originating from Tel Aviv University. Ramot takes great pride in playing an active role in establishing innovative companies like QART Medical, which implement the groundbreaking technologies developed at Tel Aviv University. We believe that the model of creating companies around research technologies makes a significant contribution both to the economy and to humanity”.
Currently, Prof. Shaked’s team is developing a new method to detect DNA fragmentation in sperm cells, which will be integrated into the new technology. Prof. Shaked: “Our goal is to provide embryologists with a technology that enables individual sperm selection based on three essential criteria: motility, internal structure, and unfragmented DNA. This will allow embryologists to select the best sperm cell for fertilization and dramatically improve success rates in this vital procedure.
Research
Feb 5th, 2025
Diamonds, Gold and the New Alchemy of Materials
How can a simple shift create something more valuable than gold?
- Exact Sciences
Can copper be turned into gold? For centuries, alchemists pursued this dream, unaware that such a transformation requires a nuclear reaction. In contrast, graphite—the material found in pencil tips—and diamond are both composed entirely of carbon atoms; the key difference lies in how these atoms are arranged. Converting graphite into diamond requires extreme temperatures and pressures to break and reform chemical bonds, making the process impractical.
A more feasible transformation, according to Prof. Moshe Ben Shalom, head of the Quantum Layered Matter Group at Tel Aviv University, involves reconfiguring the atomic layers of graphite by shifting them against relatively weak van der Waals forces. This study, led by Prof. Ben Shalom and PhD students Maayan Vizner Stern and Simon Salleh Atri, all from the School of Physics & Astronomy at Tel Aviv University, was recently published in the prestigious journal Nature Review Physics.
The research team
While this method won’t create diamonds, if the switching process is fast and efficient enough, it could serve as a tiny electronic memory unit. In this case, the value of these newly engineered “polytype” materials could surpass that of both diamonds and gold.
Like LEGO, But Atomic
PhD student Maayan Vizner Stern explains: “Like graphite, nature produces many other materials with weakly bonded layers. Each layer behaves like a LEGO brick—breaking a single brick is difficult, but separating and reconnecting two bricks is relatively simple. Similarly, in layered materials, the layers prefer specific stacking positions where atoms align perfectly with those in the neighboring layer. Sliding between these positions happens in tiny, discrete jumps—just an atomic distance at a time”.
PhD student Simon Salleh Atri describes their research: “We are developing new methods to slide the layers into different arrangements and study the resulting materials. By applying an electric field or mechanical pressure, we can shift the layers into various stable configurations. Since these layers remain in their final position even after the external force is removed, they can store information—functioning as a tiny memory unit”.
A New World of Materials Emerges, Layer by Layer
Their team has also explored how different numbers of layers influence material properties. For example, three layers of a material with two types of atoms can create six distinct stable materials, each with unique internal polarizations. With five layers, this number increases to 45 different possible structures. By switching between these configurations, researchers can control electrical, magnetic, and optical properties. Even graphite, composed solely of carbon, can rearrange into six different crystalline forms, each with distinct electrical conductivities, infrared responses, magnetizations, and superconducting properties.
The main challenge is maintaining the material’s stability while ensuring controlled structural transitions. Their recent perspective paper summarizes ongoing studies and proposes new methods to refine this “Slidetronics” switching mechanism, paving the way for innovative applications in electronics, computing, and beyond.
With continued research, these sliding materials could revolutionize technology, offering faster, more efficient memory storage and unprecedented control over material properties. The ability to manipulate atomic layers with precision is opening doors to a new era in material science—one where the most valuable discoveries may not come from creating gold, but from unlocking the hidden potential of everyday elements.
Research
Jan 22nd, 2025
Should Platforms Control Your Data?
Game theory shows data sharing benefits.
- Management
Researchers from Tel Aviv University used mathematical tools from game theory to show that in certain situations, allowing platforms to retain decision-making power over the collection and commercialization of their users’ data can enhance overall welfare. The study was conducted by Prof. Yaron Yehezkel from the Coller School of Management at Tel Aviv University, in collaboration with Prof. Sarit Markovich from Northwestern University in Illinois. The surprising findings were published in the Journal of Economics & Management Strategy.
Prof. Yaron Yehezkel. Photo credit: Israel Hadari, Tel Aviv University.
Prof. Sarit Markovich. Photo credit: Evanston Photographic Studios.
“Our research examined platforms that collect and commercialize user data”, explains Prof. Yehezkel. “For instance, when we search for information on Google, the platform can collect data about us. Similarly, when we listen to music on Spotify, Spotify can gather information about our habits. Platforms can choose to trade this data—for instance, selling it to advertisers who then use it to display targeted ads based on our activity on Google or Spotify. In this study, we asked: Who should have the right to impose the collection and sale of this data on users? Who benefits, who loses, and under what circumstances?”.
Data Privacy: American vs. European Models
Broadly, there are two approaches to this issue. The American model grants platforms full discretion over data collection and usage. When a user signs up for a platform, they agree to its terms, effectively relinquishing control over the data collected about them. Platforms are free to use the data as they see fit, and users who disagree can simply stop using the platform. The European model, in contrast, is embodied by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Under GDPR, users, not platforms, retain control over their data. Users can decide how their data is used while still being able to access the platform. This is why European users encounter consent pop-ups when browsing platforms like Google, allowing them to approve or deny various uses of their data. In Israel, the American model is the prevailing approach.
“The question we explored is which approach is better—giving users control over their data or leaving control with the platform”, says Prof. Yehezkel.
He continues: “Our study was mathematical and theoretical, rather than quantitative and empirical. We used game theory to model the behavior of users and platforms through mathematical utility functions that reflect societal benefit and company profit, aiming to identify the market’s equilibrium point”.
In their research, Prof. Yehezkel and Prof. Markovich were the first to demonstrate that data has not only economic value but also social value. “A platform that uses data it collects from me can provide better services to other users,” explains Prof. Yehezkel. For instance, Waze can sell user data to advertisers, but it also uses this data to guide other drivers to less congested routes. Similarly, Spotify can recommend music based on listening habits, age, and other preferences. Data can, therefore, have social value, benefitting society as a whole.
According to the researchers, the key question is identifying scenarios where data provides social value versus cases where its value is purely economic. “Data has a negative side when sold to third parties that infringe on our privacy, but it also has a positive side when used to improve platforms for the benefit of all users”, says Prof. Yehezkel. “Imagine a scenario where I use Waze to find the quickest route to Tel Aviv University but restrict the app from collecting information about my trip. The platform’s efficiency would drop, leading to longer traffic jams for everyone. Our model shows that in cases of low social value, the European approach has a clear advantage. However, in cases of high social value, particularly with less sensitive data, the American all-or-nothing approach offers significant benefits”.
