Thinking about studying Life Sciences at Bar-Ilan University?
Every question opens a door. Every answer is the start of a journey in science.
- How do bacterial, plant, and animal cells produce thousands of different compounds from a limited set of basic building blocks?
- How do the photosynthetic reaction centers in plant leaves convert sunlight into chemical energy with remarkable efficiency?
- How can the photosynthetic system, composed of hundreds of highly organized proteins and pigments, adapt to changes in light intensity and color?
- How are nerve impulses generated and transmitted?
These are just a few of the fundamental questions explored in biochemistry and physiology.
- Which matters more: genetics or environment?
- Did you know that rat pups receiving attentive maternal care are less likely to develop anxiety as adults because early experiences can leave epigenetic marks on their DNA?
- Which genes contribute to anorexia?
- Is there a molecular connection between dietary restriction and the biological mechanisms of aging?
These are only a few examples of the questions investigated in molecular genetics.
- Can a fruit fly be induced to grow legs where its antennae should be, and what can this teach us about the formation of tissues and organs?
- Can a flower be engineered to produce endless layers of petals instead of reproductive organs?
- How does an embryo determine which end will become the head and which will become the tail?
- Will stem-cell technologies soon provide replacement tissues and organs grown in the laboratory?
If questions like these fascinate you, developmental biology may be your field.
- Will future generations still experience sand dunes, mangrove forests, and tropical rainforests?
- Why are scientists concerned about the rapid loss of biodiversity on land and in the oceans?
- How do climate-driven changes cause corals and the microscopic algae that have lived in symbiosis with them for millions of years to separate, leading to coral reef decline?
If these challenges inspire you, ecology may be the field for you.
- How do ancient microorganisms survive in boiling acidic springs?
- Could antibiotic-resistant strains of plague, leprosy, or other infectious diseases re-emerge?
- How can viruses be harnessed for gene therapy, and how can bacteria be used to neutralize pollutants in industrial waste?
Viruses and bacteria can be both friend and foe. Microbiology explores their remarkable diversity and impact on life.
- How can we develop sweeter tomatoes or more fragrant roses?
- How do plants defend themselves against fungi, insects, and soil pests?
- Did you know that plants can release airborne chemical signals that attract beneficial insects to help defend them against herbivorous pests?
- What limits plant growth, crop yield, and protein production? How does water travel to the tops of the tallest trees?
If questions like these capture your imagination, plant sciences may be your calling.
- Why are billions of sperm cells needed for a single successful fertilization?
- How can microscopic analysis of sperm cells help address infertility?
- Do lifestyle factors such as smoking or clothing choices really affect fertility?
Our faculty is home to vibrant, clinically connected research in reproduction and reproductive physiology.
- How do we learn, and why do we sometimes forget?
- What determines which memories last and which disappear?
- How does the brain function, and how can research help people living with depression, schizophrenia, addiction, and other neurological disorders?
Neurobiology explores the most complex system in the human body and beyond.
- Every day we encounter millions of bacteria and viruses without becoming ill. How does the immune system recognize and distinguish potential threats?
- When and why do immune defenses weaken?
- How does the body generate such a vast repertoire of antibodies capable of recognizing almost any foreign molecule?
- What causes autoimmune diseases, in which the body attacks its own tissues?
Immunology courses explore one of the most fascinating and essential systems for human health.
Biotechnology (Single Major) (.B.Sc.) – Everything You Need to Know About Undergraduate Studies
- How is insulin manufactured on a commercial scale for the treatment of diabetes?
- How can scientists develop drugs that selectively kill cancer cells while leaving healthy cells unharmed?
- How can therapies be designed to prevent the formation of blood vessels that supply growing tumors?
- How are biological pest-control solutions developed and brought to market as alternatives to chemical pesticides?
Biotechnology applies knowledge gained from studying biological systems to develop products and technologies with real-world applications in medicine, agriculture, environmental sustainability, and beyond.
- Can simple mathematical principles explain how the immune system "remembers" infections encountered years earlier?
- Which computational models can help predict the spread of infectious diseases and future epidemics?
- Can we identify, in advance, which proteins among the tens of thousands operating in a living cell perform specialized tasks and which serve as central regulators coordinating many biological processes?
If questions like these spark your curiosity, computational biology (bioinformatics) may be the field for you.
Computational Biology: What Is It? How Is It Connected to Computer Science?
- Can the one-dimensional amino acid sequence of a protein predict its three-dimensional structure after folding?
- What does an enzyme's active site look like, and how does it change in response to signals from its environment?
Structural biology seeks to uncover how the tiny molecular machines that drive all living organisms are built and how they function.
