Staff

Researchers

Name (Surname, First name) Research Interests / Job description Azoulay-Shemer Tamar, Ph.D. Study Regulation of Stomatal Movements in the Face of Global Climate Change. Our lab uses physiological, biochemical and molecular tools to study different aspects of climate change, in particular, elevation of CO2, drought and heat waves, on the regulation of stomatal conductance. Baram Shahar, Ph.D. Soil hydrology Soil chemistry Nitrogen Use Efficiency Greenhouse gas emissions from agricaltural activity Burger Joseph, Yosef, Ph.D. Genetics, breeding and crop enhancement of melons, with emphasis on fruit quality. Natural materials in cucurbits. Cochavi Amnon, Ph.D. Cucurbits abiotic stress response, plant fluorescence, remote sensing Cohen-Zinder Miri, Ph.D. Development of methods associated with improved efficiency of production in beef cattle, using nutritional and genomic approaches. Identification of genes and polymorphisms associated with meat and muscle quality traits. Biochemical and genetic factors associated with product quality in beef meat. Dor Evgenia, Ph.D. Weed Science, Herbicides resistance, Parasitic plants, Strigolactones, Mutagenesis, Biological control Dovrat Guy, Ph.D. Rangeland management and plant ecology Dudai, Ph.D Nativ, Prof. Aromatic plants: Breeding, agro-techniques and physiology; growing for the fresh herbs market; factors affecting essential oil yield and composition; introduction, selection and breeding of wild plants from the Middle East as peculiar sources of essential oils and other secondary metabolites with biological activity. Allelopathy: essential oils as allelochemicals: mode of action and their potential as bio-herbicides. Sweet basil: breeding of high-quality varieties resistant to Fusarium wilt. Vetiver for soil stabilization. Eizenberg Hanan, Prof. Decision support system in parasitic weeds. Modeling the dynamic of host- parasite relationship Precision agriculture and site specific weed management. Modeling time thermal and spatial distribution of weeds. Optimizing herbicide rates. Integrated control of troublesome weeds in vegetable and field crops. Freilich Shiri, Ph.D. Systems Biology in Ecology & Agriculture: In the group we apply and develop computational approaches towards the study of complex ecological systems with the goal of improving existing practices. For more details please see our group site at https://www.freilich-lab.com/ Freiman Zohar, Ph.D. Ghantous Julia, Ms. Gonda Itay, Ph.D. Genetics and genomics of aromatic and medicinal plants Chemical and agricultural quality of herbs Gur Amit, Ph.D. Genetics of yield and fruit quality in melon. Heterosis in cucurbits. Holland Doron, Ph.D. Molecular Genetics of Deciduous Fruit Trees, Control of Dormancy, Breeding of almond, apricot and pomegranate, regulation of color production (anthocyanin) in pomegranate Ibdah Mwafaq, Ph.D. The Ibdah lab employs biochemical, molecular and genomic tools to elucidate the biosynthetic pathways that produce novel and important plant specialized metabolites in aromatic plants, to uncover the mechanisms responsible for the evolution of these pathways in the plant kingdom and to understand the function of a given natural product in the biology and physiology of a given plant species. "Studying the Biological Function and the Biosynthesis of the Specialized Metabolites" We are looking for postdoctoral/PhD/MSc students in plant biochemistry Komemi Moy Michal, Ph.D. Laor Yael, Ph.D. 1.Composting processes: lab-scale simulations; composting in closed systems with forced aeration; process control; pathogen survival; emissions of gases and odors and their treatment, compost quality and maturity. 2.Odor emissions to the environment: Sampling and analyses of odors and volatile organic compounds (VOCs); chemical-sensory characteristics of malodors emitted from animal feeding operations, sewage treatment plants, waste treatment and recycling. 3.Recycling of olive mill waste in agriculture: Controlled land spreading of olive mill wastewater (OMW) and effects on crops, soil properties and the environment; co-composting of OMW and municipal green wastes. 4.Holistic approaches for sustainable agriculture: Involvement and leadership in multidisciplinary projects: A 9-yr platform for organic farming; a 4-yr platform for land spreading pf OMW; and recently establishing a Model Farm in Neve Ya'ar to study, demonstrate and assimilate key principles of sustainable agriculture Lati Ran, Ph.D. Physical and thermal weed control methods Integrated weed management Precise weed management and precision agriculture 3D plant modelling and phenotyping Lewinsohn Efraim, Ph.D. Biogeneration of specialized metabolites, aroma compounds and essential oils in plants. Biotechnology to improve aromas and flavors of agricultural produce Plant-pests interactions and practical uses of natural products Functional genomics to study and manipulate plant specialized metabolism Matzrafi Maor, Ph.D. Weed science, invasive species, climate change, herbicide resistance Palevsky Eric, Ph.D. 1. Integrated control of plant feeding mites 2. Food web engineering for enhancing the performance of predatory mites: For mite pest control above soil. For arthropod and plant parasitic nematode control below soil. Paporisch Amit, Ph.D. Posmanik Roy, Ph.D. Sustainable resource recovery from agricultural waste Energy recovery via pyrolytic and hydrothermal processes Polymer degradation in subcritical water Nitrogen, phosphorus and carbon cycles Life cycle assessment Ravid Uzi, Ph.D. Determination of the enantiomeric composition of natural compounds by chiral GC, HS-SPME-Chiral-GC-MS and 1H-NMR with chiral shift reagents, and research of new essential oils and oleoresins from native aromatic plants. Additional fields of research: Israeli and Middle Eastern aromatic plants as potential sources for natural flavors and fragrances. Essential oils and their isolates in biological control of insects, spider mites, fleas, nematodes, fungi and bacteria (e.g. monoterpenes, isothiocyanates, phenylpropanoids). Improvement of flavors and fragrances of commercial fruit cultivars (e.g. melon, apple, mango). Natural antioxidants (e.g. carnosol, rosmanol) from herbs and spices. Pesticide residues in fresh herbs. Biotransformation of essential oil components to natural flavors and fragrances. Sadeh Asaf, Ph.D. Agroecology, Community ecology, Disease ecology, Food webs, Functions of biodiversity, Plant-arthropod interactions Shabtay Ariel, Ph.D. Ruminant Molecular Stress Physiology Nutrition, Stress and Disease in Cattle Tadmor Yaakov, Ph.D. The main lines of research I am interested in are: 1. Development and discovery of unique plant material for research and breeding purposes. 2. Genetic and chemical analyses of health and quality compounds and traits in agricultural products. Zagouri Moshe, Ph.D. Zchori-Fein Einat, Ph.D. The diversity and phenotype of secondary symbionts of the sweet potato whitefly Bemisia tabaci The multi-trophic interactions of plants/plant pathogens/arthropod vectors/natural enemies Horizontal transmission of secondary symbionts

Engineers/Technicians

Name (Surname, First name) Research Interests / Job description ‎‎Abu Abied ‎‎Mohamad, Ph.D. Achdari Guy, Mr. Agam Noam, Mr. Agbaria Amir, Mr. Asaf Avyatar, Mr. Avadayev Diana, Ms. Aviram Malka Mali, Ms. Baomkoler Fabian, Mr. Bar Einat, M.Sc. Barber Itsik, Mr. Chaimovitch David, M.Sc. Davidovic-Rikanati Rachel, Ph.D. Egbaria Aiman, Mr. Eizenberg Yoni, Mr. Gal Shira, M.Sc. Garcia Fernando, B.Sc. Ginatt Alon, Mr. Gutman Abraham Moshe, Mr. Hanan Aviva, M.Sc. Harel-Beja Rotem, Ph.D. Harooch Akiva, Mr. Isaacson Lustig Tal, Ph.D. Kahane Tali, B.Sc. Kfir Ronen, Mr. Khatib Kamel, Mr. Louria Yam, Ms. Mandelbuom Alon, B.Sc. Mayorchik Bar, Ms. Medina Shlomit, M.Sc. Meir Ayala, M.Sc. Mermelstein Maayan, Ms. Mozes-Daube Netta, M.Sc. Oren Gilad, Mr. Saadi Ibrahim, Ph.D. Saadi Malak, Mr. Sa'ar Uzi, B.Sc. Shachar Ohali, M.Sc. Shachter Alona, Ph.D. Shemer Or Emma, Ms. Shor Shimoni Einav, Ph.D. Smirnov Eugene, Mr. Trainin Taly, M.Sc. Trofimyuk Olena, Ms. Tsuri Galil, M.Sc. Yacobson Ran, Mr. Zakshevski Navot, Mr. Ziadna Hamam, M.Sc. Zohar Matat, Ph.D.

Scholars

Name (Surname, First name) Research Interests / Job description

Administration

Name (Surname, First name) Research Interests / Job description Ayache Yehuda David, Mr. Baumkoler Clara, Ms. Ben Shlush Rachel, Ms. Ben-Simhon Zohar, Ph.D. Cantor Hanna Ganem Angham, Ms. Gluzman Dalit, Ms. Heeb Sami, Mr. Kerem Moshe Moran Zehavit, Ms. Sa'adi Doya, Ms. Sa'aida Ahmed, Mr. Saaida Mohamed, Mr. Zuabi Aly, Mr.

Retiree

Name (Surname, First name) Research Interests / Job description Aly Radi, Prof. 1. Development of new approaches to parasitic weed control based on genetic engineering, gene silencing and gene editing. 2. Wild plants as a source of new healthy crops 3. Studies on translocation of molecules and macromolecules from host plant to parasitic plants 4. Green Control Bar-Ya’akov Irit, B.Sc. Brosh Arieh, Ph.D. Edelstein Menahem, Prof. Seed production & germination, plant physiology, grafting, effluent Goldwasser Yaakov, Ph.D. Henkin Zalmen, Ph.D. Range Management and Plant Ecology Hershenhorn Joseph, Ph.D. Chemical control of weeds biological control of weeds development of mutants resistant to weedy parasitic plants and to herbicides Joel Daniel M. (Danny), Ph.D. Parasitic mechanisms in plants. The broomrapes (Orobanche and Phelipanche spp.) Carnivory mechanisms in plants. Biological communication Functional plant anatomy. Katzir Nurit, Ph.D. The focus of research of my group at Newe Ya’ar is the genetics of melon (Cucumis melo L.) and other cucurbits. Major topics include fruit ripening, genetic mapping and the assessment of genetic variability of these crops. Our genomic study is directed towards the discovery of genes that control fruit quality traits and disease resistance, with a main goal being the application of these genes in cucurbit fruit quality improvement, through plant breeding and genetic modifications. Nerson Haim, Ph.D. Paris Harry S., Ph.D. Genetics and breeding of cucurbits Portnoy Vitaly, Ph.D. 1.Utilization of genomic approaches for the identification of genes that are involved in key metabolic changes during fruit ripening. 2. Development and characterization of new molecular markers in plants and utilizations markers for genetic mapping. Raviv Michael, Prof. Long-term soil fertility building in Organic Farming Composting of organic wastes including olive mill wastes The use of composts as substrate ingredients and for soil application The role of composts in inducing suppressiveness against soil-borne diseases Plant nutrition in Organic Agriculture Microcalorimetry as a novel approach to energy saving in greenhouse-grown crops and as a tool to assess compost maturity