Ecology and Plant Sciences

עברית

 

ResearcherResearch Focus
Dr. Eyal Gal
  1. Temporal, spatial and vertical dynamics in marine environments
  2. Ecology, biology, and physiology of corals
  3. Palaeoecology and historical ecology for reconstructing ancient marine environments
  4. Shallow, mesophotic, rariphotic and deep-sea marine environments
  5. Fluorescent proteins in marine organisms
  6. Technologies for advanced marine monitoring and research
 Prof. Koren Lee
  1. Temporal, spatial and vertical dynamics in marine environments
  2. Ecology, biology, and physiology of corals
  3. Palaeoecology and historical ecology for reconstructing ancient marine environments
  4. Shallow, mesophotic, rariphotic and deep-sea marine environments
  5. Fluorescent proteins in marine organisms
  6. Technologies for advanced marine monitoring and research

Dr. Kranzler Chana 

The group studies the ecology and biogeochemistry of marine phytoplankton.

The research combines laboratory work with cultures and field studies of natural populations, incorporating molecular, biochemical, physiological, and geochemical approaches.

Research topics include:

  • Dynamics of phytoplankton blooms in the ocean

  • Host–virus interactions in diatoms

  • Ecology of Marnaviridae viruses

  • Biogeochemistry of infected cells

Prof. Levy Oren
  1. Biological Clocks in Marine Organisms
  2. Biology and Molecular Ecology of Cnidarians
  3. Biology, symbiosis, Physiology and Molecular Ecology in Coral Reefs.
  4. Nanotoxicology in Marine Environments
Prof. Miller Gad
  1. Role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in abiotic stress sensing and signaling
  2. Rapid systemic response of plants to high temperature and high light intensity
  3. Identification of heat stress tolerance mechanisms in pollen
  4. Develop flow cytometry-based methods for pollen biology study
Prof. Perl-Treves Rafael
  1. Molecular regulation of early fruit development (fruit set)
  2. Molecular recognition of viral and fungal pathogens by plants
  3. Identifying genes involved in fruit set and resistance to pathogens by CRISPR-CAS9
Dr. Roichman Asael
  1. Metabolite discovery using state-of-the-art HPLC and high-resolution LC-MS platforms coupled with advanced computational pipelines
  2. Identifying bioactive metabolites formed at the diet–gut microbiota–host interface, with a focus on metabolites found in plant-based foods (phytochemicals)
  3. Understanding how diet and the microbiome shape liver function
  4. Revealing mechanisms by which diet–microbiome interactions modulate cancer development and therapeutic response
Dr. Shaul Orit
  1. Regulation of plant gene expression at the level of mRNA stability in the nonsense mediated mRNA decay (NMD) pathway.
  2. Enhancement of plant gene expression by introns at the levels of mRNA content and translational efficiency.
  3. Regulation of plant gene expression by upstream open reading frames (uORFs).
  4. Transport of magnesium and heavy metals into the plant vacuole.
Prof. Schwarz Rakefet
  1. Biofilms of cyanobacteria
  2. Regulated proteolysis of light pigment complexes
  3. Tailoring cyanobacteria for biofuel
Prof. Emeritus Cohen Yigal 
  1. Breeding for resistance against powdery mildew in cucumbers.
  2. Cultivating cucumbers for leaf disease resistance.
  3. Gene transfer from wild basil to cultivated basil for resistance against powdery mildew, Fusarium, and leaf blight.
  4. The relationship between aroma and tolerance to tobacco aphid in basil.
  5. Characterization of cannabinoids in cannabis strains under different cultivation conditions.
  6. Chemical mutagenesis of medical cannabis.
  7. Genetic transformation of cannabis.
  8. Chemical control of powdery mildew.
  9. Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of wart disease in potatoes.
  10. Prevention of mold in cannabis inflorescences.
Prof. Emeritus Steinberger Yosef
  1. Terrestrial ecosystem, dynamics and diversity of soil biota of arid, semiarid and agroecosystems.
  2. Belowground processes in with emphasis on relationship of soil invertebrates and detrital food web structure to primary production monitoring rangeland conditions (health)
  3. Assessing success of rehabilitation efforts on disturbed rangelands, such as improvement of primary production, reverse desertification processes and rehabilitation of coal strip mines
  4. Biological management of soil ecosystems for sustainable agriculture, decomposition processes, climate change effect on biotic component of soil biota. In the belowground processes the emphasis on soil microbial community (bacteria, fungi), free-living nematodes, protozoa, microarthropods and plant organism relationships.
 

Dr. Gal Eyal

Marine Ecological Dynamics, Coral Reefs, and Climate Change

"How do corals survive in a warming ocean? By adapting, until the system reaches its breaking points."

Research Focus: Our research examines coral persistence in the Anthropocene, focusing on Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems (MCEs), the reef’s “Twilight Zone.” We challenge the “Deep Refugia” hypothesis by studying how corals across depth gradients use survival strategies like fluorescence and symbiont “farming.” Integrating genomic lineage analysis, metabolomics, proteomics, and long-term ecological data, we aim to identify the “winners” and “losers” in a warming ocean.

Highlighted Takeaway: Reef resilience is not uniform. Uncovering the hidden diversity in deep-reef habitats and understanding the decoupling of modern reef growth from degradation is critical for predicting the future of Earth’s marine biodiversity.

Methods: Technical Scientific Diving (CCR) · In-situ Fluorescence Imaging · Coral Ecophysiology · Multiomics · Ecological Modeling

Hobbies: Home brewing, trekking, photography

Dr. Asael Roichman

Nutrition, Microbiome, and Metabolites in Cancer and Health

How does what we eat influence cancer? Not just calories - chemistry and microbes.

Research focus: The lab studies how diet interacts with gut bacteria to produce metabolites that affect physiology and disease. We identify bioactive food-derived molecules, track how microbes modify them, and test their effects on liver function, systemic metabolism, and cancer development. A key focus is uncovering hidden nutrition chemistry that may explain why diet influences health and treatment response.

Highlighted takeaway: Nutrition and the microbiome are central to personalized medicine. Understanding active metabolites can reshape disease prevention, diagnosis, and therapy.

Methods: High-resolution metabolomics · HPLC separations · Multi-omics · Cellular & mouse models · Gut microbiology · Advanced computational tools

Hobbies: Hiking, Music, Reading, Having good time with family and friends

Prof. Yigal Cohen

Plant Pathology, Crop Protection & Sustainable Agriculture

How can we protect crops while reducing environmental damage? By replacing heavy pesticide use with genetics, biology, and smart agricultural design.

Research focus: The lab develops sustainable strategies to protect agricultural crops from disease while minimizing pesticide use. Research includes population genetics of Phytophthora infestans, the causal agent of potato and tomato late blight (the Irish famine disease), and the identification and transfer of disease-resistance genes from wild plants into cultivated crops. Additional work focuses on breeding medical cannabis for disease resistance, extracting bioactive natural compounds from medicinal plants, and integrating renewable energy solutions into agricultural systems.

Highlighted takeaway: Sustainable agriculture depends on understanding plant–pathogen interactions and translating that knowledge into resilient, environmentally friendly farming.

Methods: Plant pathology · Population genetics · Resistance breeding · Gene mapping · Medicinal plant research · Sustainable & renewable-energy–based agriculture

Prof. Lee Koren

Wildlife Behavioral Ecology and Endocrinology

How do hormones explain social behaviour? Hormones like testosterone and glucocorticoids influence risk‑taking, mating, parenting and survival in wild vertebrates, revealing how behaviour is mediated in nature.

Research focus: The lab studies the behavioural ecology and endocrine mechanisms of wild vertebrates under natural conditions, exploring how circulating steroid hormones relate to fetal neurodevelopment, sex differences, social behaviour, reproductive success, life‑history trade‑offs and sex‑specific strategies. Long‑term field studies use non‑invasive measures such as steroid levels in hair, feathers, claws, nails and saliva to link physiological variation with individual and group outcomes in wildlife and humans.

Highlighted takeaway: Hormones mediate the anatomy, physiology and behaviour to improve fitness. Measuring levels show how individual traits and life histories are shaped by natural variation.

Methods: Field behavioural observation · Wildlife endocrinology · Fetal development · Non‑invasive sampling (hair, feathers, saliva) · Life history analysis · Comparative ecology · Acoustic communication 

Dr. Chana Kranzler

Phytoplankton Ecology and Marine Virus Dynamics

How do ocean microbes shape Earth’s climate? Phytoplankton drive half of global photosynthesis and play a critical role in global carbon cycling.

Research focus: The lab investigates the ecology, physiology and molecular ecology of marine phytoplankton — the photosynthetic microbes at the base of marine food web and contribute nearly half of the primary production of the planet. Our research aims to identify and characterize the microscale interactions, such as virus infection of phytoplankton, that shape phytoplankton metabolism, growth, mortality and biogeochemical cycling across diverse ocean environments.

Highlighted takeaway: Understanding the interplay between phytoplankton community dynamics and the prevalence and impacts of virus infection reveals how microscale interactions in the ocean underscore marine ecosystem function and global carbon cycling.

Methods: Oceanographic field sampling · Phytoplankton ecophysiology · Marine viral ecology· Molecular and genomic analyses · Metatranscriptomics · Biogeochemical profiling · Phytoplankton–virus interactions

Hobbies: Backpacking, swimming and houseplants

Prof. Gad Miller

Plant Stress Biology and Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) Signaling

How do plants cope with environmental stress? How can we make plants more stress-tolerant? Hot question: How can plant reproduction under high temperatures be improved? 

Abiotic stress, such as drought or heat increase the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can lead to oxidative damage. At the same time, plants use ROS as signaling molecules that activate survival programs locally and over long distances. 

Research focus: The lab studies the role of ascorbate peroxidases (APXs), a small family of anti-oxidative enzymes, in stress acclimation responses at the cellular, tissue, and whole plant levels.  The research aims to understand how changes in ROS metabolism and signaling under stress activate specific genetic programs that determine the plant fate at different developmental stages. In addition, the lab investigates pollen biology, focusing on the processes that make pollen the most sensitive part of the plant. 

Highlighted takeaway: ROS are not merely toxic byproducts — they are essential secondary messengers that enable plants to perceive stress and coordinate protective responses.

Methods: Plant molecular biology · ROS metabolism assays · Stress physiology · Signaling reporters · Pollen and seed stress analysis · Flow cytometry · Genetic and biochemical tools · Proteomics and biochemical profiling

Hobbies: Swimming  · Biking  · Playing chess · Cooking

Prof. Rafi Perl‑Treves

Plant Molecular Genetics and Development

How do plant genes control flower differentiation and fruit set? Do plants have a genetic system to recognize and stop pathogen infections? These are the two major research topics in our lab.

Research focus: The lab conducts molecular genetic research on cucurbit plants (melon, cucumber), analyzing genomes, mapping traits and identifying genes that govern sex differentiation, fruit set and resistance to viruses, fungi and pests. Research addresses developmental‑genetic questions about plant reproduction and pathogen interactions, and has produced DNA markers and cloned genes of biotechnological interest to assist crop improvement.

Highlighted takeaway: Understanding plant genetic control of development and defense reveals how crops grow and survive, offering tools for improved breeding and disease resistance.

Methods: Molecular genetics · Genome mapping · CRISPR/Cas9 mutagenesis · Gene cloning · Resistance gene analysis · Plant–pathogen interaction assays · Diagnostic DNA marker development

Hobbies: Painting - Bird watching - writing

Dr. Orit Shaul

Control of gene expression in plants at the level of mRNA stability

How does the cell distinguish between transcripts that should be stable and those that must be rapidly degraded?

Research focus: We investigate the molecular mechanisms governing mRNA stability in plants, with a focus on Nonsense-Mediated mRNA Decay (NMD). This quality-control pathway regulates the levels of both normal and aberrant mRNAs, thereby serving as a global regulator of the plant transcriptome. Our research aims to delineate the specific cis-acting features that trigger mRNA recognition by the NMD machinery and to map the complex regulatory interactions between the pathway's core components.

Highlighted takeaway: Decoding the rules of NMD reveals how plants maintain high-fidelity gene expression.

Methods: Plant genetic engineering · Plant molecular biology · mRNA expression analysis · Reporter gene assays · Plant transformation

Hobbies: Reading books, listening to music.