Israel's Weizmann Institute of Science has been voted the best university in the world for life scientists to conduct research. The poll was conducted by The Scientist magazine as part of its third annual 'Best Places to Work in Academia' survey.

The more than 2,600 academics who responded to this year's survey rated relationships with their peers, a sense of accomplishment in their work, and access to research resources as the ingredients that make for a great workplace...

...Weizmann has become a world leader in the commercialization of patents. In 1988, revenues from royalties were $1 million; in 1998, $16 million; in 2003, $93 million.

Yeda now registers about 80 patents a year, 75 percent of them in the life sciences. In all, Weizmann scientists have been responsible for well over 1,000 registered patents, many of which have been developed commercially. More than half of the senior scientific staff at Weizmann is involved in the life sciences, with the rest in computer sciences, chemistry and physics...