A new study led by researchers from the University of Haifa and Tel Aviv University discovered the presence of certain bacteria in the saliva can indicate post-trauma in veteran soldiers. Comparing the results of over 200 veteran soldiers who participated in the study, researchers found that those with PTSD and high psychopathological indications exhibited a unique oral microbiotic signature. They hope that this new discovery will promote easier diagnosis of post-trauma in soldiers. The UofH team was led by Prof. Emeritus Avi Sagi-Schwartz (School of Psychological Sciences). The findings were published in Nature's Molecular Psychiatry Journal.

As global temperatures rise, insect populations have expanded to new regions and reproduce more rapidly – making them a serious threat to cultivated wheat. A new study led by University of Haifa and Ben Gurion University of the Negev has identified a trait in wild Emmer wheat that protect it from insects. Emmer wheat, native to Israel, has at least two defense methods against insects: a coating of “hairs” that prevent insects from finding a place to burrow into the stalk; and poison it produces called "benzoxazinoid" that discourages bugs from eating it. Dr. Hanan Sela (Institute of Evolution) suggest that these protective traits may be bred into cultivated wheat varieties. The study was published in Journal of Experimental Botany and Frontiers in Plant Science.

In a first-of-a-kind study, a team of UofH researchers set sail to shed light on how sailors navigated strong Mediterranean winds in ancient times. The team used big data technology to collect 750 million records of weather data over 15 years before embarking on the sea journey. The team sailed aboard the Replica Ship, modeled after the ship that sank near Kibbutz Ma'agan Mikhael 2,400 years ago. The study was conducted by PhD student David Gal under the supervision of Prof. Deborah Cvikel (School of Archaeology and Maritime Cultures), and Prof. Hadas Saaroni from Tel Aviv University. Their findings were published in Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory.

Dr. Nizan Geslevich Packin (Faculty of Law) and Dr. Ori Freiman (University of Toronto) explored the recent debate in a recent article in Calcalist, as to whether algorithms (AI) are legal entities with liability. "Questions about whether a sophisticated algorithm is sentient, if algorithms can have legal rights, and if products are legal entities … distract well-intentioned industry players, regulators and the public from considering who should be liable and morally responsible for decisions made. They open the door for corporations to make the case that any negative outcomes of AI-based products and services are the AI’s responsibility and liability, rather than that of the corporate entity."

UofH archaeologists, under the direction of Dr. Ian Stern (School of Archaeology and Maritime Cultures), uncovered a unique collection of astragalos from the Hellenistic period during excavations in the Maresha-Bet Guvrin National Park. According to the researchers, the well-preserved pieces date from 2,300 years ago and have inscriptions of Aphrodite, Eros, Hermes, Hera and Nike. Some of the pieces also have engraved inscriptions such as: “Robber”, “Stop, ” and “You are burnt”.