Weizmann Professor Named to Nature’s Top Ten for Breakthrough in Immune Science

In a remarkable testament to Israeli science, Prof. Yifat Merbl of the Weizmann Institute of Science has been named to Nature’s 10 the prestigious journal’s list of the ten people who most influenced science in 2025. Merbl’s groundbreaking discovery of a previously unknown immune mechanism has opened new avenues in understanding how the human body defends itself and it comes just months after her lab was destroyed in an Iranian missile strike.

A systems biologist in Weizmann’s Department of Systems Immunology, Merbl and her team revealed that ordinary human cells possess an overlooked defensive layer. As proteins inside cells are routinely broken down, they produce short fragments that act as a first line of defense against bacterial invaders a built-in form of protection previously hidden in plain sight.

“For decades, we thought only specialized immune cells were responsible for fighting infection,” said Merbl. “Our findings show that the body produces natural antibacterial fragments as part of its regular housekeeping a powerful, innate mechanism that’s always on.”

The implications are massive. With global antibiotic resistance on the rise, Merbl’s discovery of hundreds of thousands of these immune peptides offers a potential treasure trove of new, natural tools for future treatments. “It doesn’t just expand our understanding,” she said. “It opens the door to therapies grounded in the body’s own design.”

Her recognition comes amid extraordinary personal and professional adversity. Just three months after publishing her research, an Iranian missile targeted the Wolfson building at Weizmann Institute, where Merbl’s lab was located. The attack caused massive damage. She and her family, who live on campus, were nearby when the missile struck.

“The entire building was damaged, filled with debris and shattered glass,” Merbl recalled. With power out and time limited, she and her team worked alongside IDF Home Front Command forces to save frozen samples and critical lab equipment. “It was immediate triage — save whatever we could and rebuild.”

Merbl, who earned her PhD at Harvard and previously studied at Weizmann, emphasized that Israel’s collaborative scientific environment made the discovery possible. Even in the face of destruction, her focus remains forward-looking. “Important things are happening here,” she said. “And Israel has so much to offer the world.”

Prof. Merbl’s work is not just a breakthrough in immunology it’s a symbol of Israel’s unyielding spirit in the pursuit of knowledge, even under fire.

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