"We Harness Innovation to Do Good for Humanity"

About four years ago, Prof. Irit Sagi debated whether to accept the offer to become Vice President for Innovation and Technology Transfer at the Weizmann Institute. The offer came in view of her background, as someone who had succeeded in turning basic research, in which she exposed important enzyme structures, into applied research, establishing an innovative approach to developing molecules with therapeutic potential for a variety of diseases. "It was a difficult decision for me because it was clear that I would have to switch back and forth between this challenging managerial role and my daily routine as a scientist in the Faculty of Biology at the Weizmann Institute of Science. It's very challenging for an active scientist."

What made you accept?
"Mainly the desire to preserve the special character of the Weizmann Institute, which is my home, where the researchers are also the directors. It is not a large institution quantitatively—280 researchers in total, and alongside the president there are a few deputies, most of whom are active scientists. Everything here is very family-oriented. I felt I had a responsibility to preserve the special organizational culture that evolved here and to implement the vision of Dr. Chaim Weizmann, the founder, who always saw the importance of developing innovation for the benefit of humanity. This guides us today, and even more so given the standing of Israel in the world. There are so many challenges humanity faces presently – in areas such as climate, global warming, medicine, old age, and hunger – for which solutions may come only from deep science. When I finish my job, another scientist will replace me."

The Weizmann Institute, Prof. Sagi reminds us, was the first academic institution in Israel to develop an applied arm for technology transfer, and the second of its kind in the world. Yeda, which develops, markets, and commercializes products based on research findings and academic knowledge accumulated by Institute scientists, was established in 1959 – a decade after the establishment of the Institute in its second incarnation as the Weizmann Institute of Science. Through Yeda, seven world-renowned drugs were developed and reached the market, the most prominent of which is Copaxone, for the treatment of multiple sclerosis, and several other anti-inflammatory drugs.

"This is the heritage and culture of the Institute – to protect with religious zeal the basic research developed in laboratories, yet allow scientists to take their developments and turn them into applied products, such as medicines, for the benefit of humanity. All along, we make a strict distinction between the development of knowledge per se and implementation, but with the knowledge that we also have a responsibility and obligation, as scientists, to implement research in the general public interest."

Block the destructive activities of enzymes
Prof. Sagi's academic and applied background, which the directors of the Institute considered when they appointed her to the position of Vice President for Innovation and Technology Transfer, spans almost three decades. She is now considered one of the leading researchers worldwide in the area of human enzymes, called metalloproteases. She made an important and pioneering contribution to the development and use of multidisciplinary biochemical and biophysical approaches to understanding the relationship between the structure and dynamics of these atomic-level metalloproteases and their enzymatic activity.

These enzymes turned out to be responsible for normal activity in the body but also for several invasive diseases. Their uniqueness lies in the fact that they operate outside the cell, in the Extracellular Matrix (ECM), connecting and breaking up tissues. Prof. Sagi and her group of scientists demonstrated the importance of these enzymes in intestinal infections, cancer, fibrosis, and infectious diseases. Based on her research, a novel approach could be used in the development of mini-proteins and antibodies that inhibit the catalytic activity of these enzymes, which is the conceptual basis for drug development in general. It was a world-class breakthrough.

Prof. Sagi is considered a prolific scientist and the co-author of more than 150 scientific publications in prestigious scientific journals. Her research has resulted in the registration of about 40 patent families. Her scientific research led to the establishment of MabTrix, a startup for the treatment of inflammatory diseases and cancer, and NanoCell, a company active in the field of female fertility that deals with embryo implantation.

Prof. Sagi was born in Israel. After her military service, she began studying chemistry at the Technion, but following her marriage moved to Washington, D.C. She completed a bachelor's degree in physical chemistry and a PhD, in a direct doctoral track, in physical chemistry and biophysics at Georgetown University. She did her postdoctoral research at the Max Planck Institute in Germany, in the laboratories of Prof. Ada Yonath, who later won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. There she began to specialize in molecular biology. Prof. Yonath greatly influenced her development as a scientist, says Prof. Sagi.

In 1998, she received an offer from the Weizmann Institute to establish an independent research group at the Faculty of Chemistry, which in 2011 she transferred to the Faculty of Biology, and has been there ever since. She served, among others, as Dean of the Feinberg Graduate School between 2014-2019, and currently, in addition to her role as Vice President, she directs her laboratory in the Department of Immunology and Biological Regeneration, where she develops and applies unique, multidisciplinary, and biophysical approaches to the study of molecular processes of tissue regeneration in health and disease..

At the forefront of scientific research in the world
"I started out as a physical chemist, studying the interaction of light and matter. From there, I moved on to specialize in structural biology, looking at the structures and dynamics of proteins, which are very complex molecules," says Prof. Sagi, reflecting on her scientific career. "I developed tools and methods to study the structure of enzymes, which are very important in the world of medicine and curing disease. I observed these tools in real time, in fractions of a second, being able to decipher transitional states that had not been observed before. This gave us a virtuoso ability not only to decipher the mechanisms of these enzymes, which are very similar to each other, but also to design a series of inhibitors (antibodies and receptors) that can block their destructive action, inhibiting or thwarting their negative effects. We are taking the same inhibitors and moving into the realm of physical biology, testing them on laboratory animals and humans. The goal is to treat invasive diseases, such as cancer and inflammation, in order to protect tissues and bring them to a homogeneous-normal state."

"Today we are at the forefront of scientific research in these fields" she says enthusiastically. "Our ability to decipher the 'matrix,' that intercellular medium that scientists have not been able to understand, and use it to protect tissues and heal them, using dynamic structural tools, is a great achievement."

Over the years, Prof. Sagi has won a series of awards and honors, including the 2017 Mifal Hapayis Landau Prize for Arts and Sciences and the Adama Prize for Technological Innovation from the Israel Chemical Society. She also finds time to contribute and become socially involved, including promoting women and young scientists. She sees this contribution as obligatory for those who are generally isolated in the ivory tower of academic research. Among others, Prof. Sagi established the Early Childhood Educational Center at the Weizmann Institute of Science, in cooperation with WIZO. The Center enables young mothers to take on positions and advance in scientific research and serves as an important resource in absorbing young scientists and as a model for other places of employment in Israel, including the Knesset.

Enabling a successful transition from academia to industry
Prof. Sagi brought not only her experience to her role as Vice President for Innovation and Technology Transfer but also a new spirit. In a nutshell, her approach was to expand the infrastructure on which researchers and scientists could implement inventions and technological developments. She decided to establish two complementary arms to Yeda, where she also serves as Chair of the Board. In 2021, she initiated the establishment of Bina, an academic unit that assists in the development of initial ideas of Institute researchers in all fields, helps design a set of scientific experiments, and connects the scientists with senior consultants from industry who assist them. In addition, Bina conducts enrichment, training, and mentoring programs for students and researchers, including academic and industry meetings, workshops, courses, and lectures given by Institute graduates and industry experts.

The other arm is the technological incubator WIN. WIN's goal is to enable the maturation of promising technologies developed at the Weizmann Institute into start-up companies, from the pre-seed to the optimal stage for raising external funding. All this is done in accordance with the highest standards accepted in the industry and guided by consultants and senior opinion leaders in their fields.

"A complete and comprehensive ecosystem has been created, designed to enable a successful transition from academia to industry," says Dr. Yael Klionsky, Business Development Manager at Yeda. "Bina is designed for the conceptual stage. Together with it, we build, among others, through brainstorming, the development and fundraising program, and provide mentoring to scientists. When the mature ideas have reached the point where they can be commercialized, Yeda professionals examine the best way to protect intellectual property and how to help the technology to succeed. The commercialization of the technology can take place by granting a license to existing companies, establishing a new company with external financing, or developing under the WIN umbrella.

"There are three separate arms here, but they integrate with one another, and together leverage basic research to create groundbreaking world-class developments. We nurture feasible and promising developments that can produce a drug, treatment, or innovative technological solution, and that are commercially and economically viable."

What is your main mode of activity?
"In our work, we look both internally – what is happening in the laboratories of the Institute researchers and scientists – and externally, what are the needs of the industry, and suggest ways to connect them. The goal is to bring the early molecules or technologies developed in the laboratory as proof of concept, and from there to clinical trials and advanced development. Scientists don't deal with that. This is exactly the role of the various arms − to move development from its starting point to an intermediate point, minimizing risks and maximizing the chances of success on the market. The next step is to connect with an external company, whether a startup or a large pharma company, and promote the development of a successful product."

Whom do you work with?
"We are open to cooperation with the entire Israeli and global ecosystem. Unlike in the past, when we followed the classic model of licensing and transferred commercialization to companies that were already operating, today we also cooperate with venture capital funds and entrepreneurs to establish joint ventures and develop increasingly innovative tools."

In the end, you are a research institute designed to foster basic research without pushing researchers in a commercial direction. To what extent is there a separation between basic and applied research?
"The separation is absolute. We do not interfere in basic scientific research and fully understand and appreciate its importance. But we are also obligated to ask important questions that follow from the research and see how it can be applied because human progress comes from innovation. At the same time, we receive feedback from the industry and establish companies based on it, or rely on the platforms of existing companies, which take responsibility and move applied research forward. We have a dual responsibility and vision: to protect science and leverage commercialization for the benefit of humanity."

Prof. Sagi: "We see this vision as the bedrock of our existence. Our commitment to innovation and technological development, based on basic research, is the Weizmann Institute. As I said, this is the heritage and this is the culture. My job is to infuse responsibility in the scientists and mobilize their energies. There are so many great results in laboratories that can serve us as a development infrastructure. We need to think about what can be done, on the basis of these developments, for the benefit of humanity – how to save lives or solve a global problem. In this sense, I see myself continuing and expanding the glorious tradition of the Weizmann Institute, which has always worked to turn groundbreaking research into applications that change the lives of millions of people around the world for the better."

Is there sufficient infrastructure in Israel for the development of large pharmaceutical companies?
Dr. Klionsky: Unfortunately, no. We are strong in the early stages of biotech, but we don't know how to establish large pharma companies and don't know how to take advantage of the creative ecosystem that exists here in abundance."

You're probably aware of the deterioration in the attitude of the government toward research, science, and higher education.
Prof. Sagi: "The recent war proved the enormous importance of technological innovation based on science. Without it, we would not have been able to cope with the drone and missile attacks from Iran. Everything is based on research in the fields of optics and physics. Today, after October 7, it is quite clear that without an aggressive expansion of the knowledge base, we won't be able to bring industry to the place where it will satisfy our needs, and if we disregard scientific research we will not be relevant to the world."

How important do you think is the advancement of women in science and technology at the national level? Given the under-representation of women in these fields, should affirmative action be adopted?
"I'm against affirmative action, but I think it's of utmost importance to include women in all roles and all dimensions: in academic research, management, and the entire innovation ecosystem. We must foster entrepreneurship education programs for young women and students, and provide diverse post-doctoral opportunities so that women can integrate into all fields of research and science. It is important to instill a sense of capability in women. At the same time, the government must listen attentively to women and encourage them to advance in science and business entrepreneurship. By the same token, the government should include women at the top as decision makers and not use them to decorate committees. For example, we must strive to have at least 50% women in every public forum, otherwise we won't be able to correct the current situation."

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