Israel Institute for Biological Research

Israel Institute for Biological Research (IIBR) is a government defense research institute specializing in biology, medicinal chemistry and environmental science. It is located in Ness Ziona, 20 kilometers south of Tel Aviv. IIBR has approximately 350 employees, 150 of whom are scientists.

Description

IIBR is under the jurisdiction of the Prime Minister of Israel's office and works in close cooperation with government agencies. IIBR has many public projects on which it works in cooperations with international research organizations (governmental and non-governmental) and universities. Its research findings are often published in national and international scientific publications.

IIBR was founded in 1952 by Professor Ernest Bergmann, Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion's science adviser and the head of R&D at the Ministry of Defense, and Dr. Alexander Keynan. Alexander Keynan was IIBR's first director.

Some of the fields in which IIBR conducts research include:
* Medical diagnostic techniques
* Mechanisms of pathogenic diseases
* Vaccines and pharmaceuticals
* Protein and enzyme syenthesis and engineering
* Process biotechnology
* Air pollution risk assessment
* Environmental detectors and biosensors

IIBR also has a non-public scope of operation. Due to its secretive and defense-related nature, it is widely assumed that the institute develops vaccines and antidotes for chemical and biological warfare. Some sources speculate that the IIBR also develops offensive capabilities in these fields. The IIBR provided the poison and the antidote used in the attempted assassination of a Hamas leader (Khaled Mashal) in Jordan in 1998.

El Al Flight 1862, which crashed in the Netherlands in 1992, was carrying cargo destined for the Israel Institute for Biological Research which included 190 litres of dimethyl methylphosphonate, used in the synthesis of Sarin nerve gas. The shipment was from a U.S. chemical plant under a U.S. Department of Commerce licence. Dimethyl methylphosphonate is now a Chemical Weapons Convention schedule 2 chemical. [cite news|title=Israel says El Al crash chemical 'non-toxic'|date=October 2, 1998|publisher=BBC|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/185199.stm|accessdate=2006-07-02] [cite news|title= Nerve-Gas Element Was in El Al Plane Lost in 1992 Crash|date=October 2, 1998|publisher=New York Times|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E04E5D91538F931A35753C1A96E958260&pagewanted=all|accessdate=2007-10-11]

Life Science Research Israel

Life Science Research Israel (LSRI), a subsidiary of IIBR, is dedicated to the commercial exploitation of innovative technologies developed by IIBR. According to its 2000 annual report ( [http://www.gca.gov.il/reshut/heb/621.htm] , in Hebrew), the 2000 budget was 16.6 million NIS (about US $4 million), with revenues of 12.9 million NIS (US $3 million).

Markus Klingberg

Marcus Klingberg, IIBR's deputy director, was arrested in 1983 and convicted of espionage for the Soviet Union. His arrest and sentencing was kept a secret for over a decade. Klingberg was released to house arrest for medical reasons in 1998 (and completely in 2003), but remains silent about his career or treason according to an agreement he signed before being released.

ee also

*Israel and weapons of mass destruction

External links

* [http://www.iibr.gov.il/ Israel Institute for Biological Research] - official website
* [http://www.bsos.umd.edu/pgsd/people/staffpubs/Avner-CBWart.pdf Israel and Chemical/Biological Weapons: History, Deterrence, and Arms Control] - Avner Cohen
* [http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/israel/cbw.htm Nes Ziyyona] - GlobalSecurity.org
* [http://www.nti.org/e_research/profiles/Israel/Biological/3649.html Israel Biological Facilities] - Nuclear Threat Initiative, information about IIBR's founding
* [http://communication.ucsd.edu/911/massdestruction.html Israeli WMD - Israel's Weapons of Mass Destruction] , ZNet, October 11, 2002
* [http://www.gca.gov.il/reshut/heb/621.htm LSRI annual report, 2000] (in Hebrew)

References