Research interests

         1. Pollen biology

            Looking into molecular mechanisms involved in microspore maturation in Solanaceae species:

• Carbohydrate metabolism and starch accumulation during the late phase of pollen maturation.
• Sucrose & osmolytes accumulation in maturing pollen grains.
• Genes specifically-expressed during microspore maturation.

2. Molecular mechanisms that contribute to high pollen quality under stress conditions

               The heat-stress-response of developing pollen grains of tomato

• Involvement of heat shock proteins (Hsps): small Hsps, Hsp70, Hsp90, Hsp100 family members as well as Hsfs.
• Involvement of reactive oxygen species scavengers: ascorbate peroxidase family members.
• Involvement of osmolytes and plant hormones.
• Involvement of regulatory factors (such as DREB1, a transcription factor shown to regulate cold-responsive genes) in HS signaling.
• We have recently demonstrated that developing pollen posses the capacity for acquired thermotolerance - respective molecular mechanisms are currently studied.

Acquired tolerance of pepper pollen grains to low night temperatures following pre-exposing pepper plants to high day-temperature conditions

• Imposing high day temperature (HDT) conditions, prevented the adverse low night temperature (LNT) effects on vegetative as well as reproductive development..
• A correlation between the acquired tolerance effect and sucrose accumulation in mature pollen grains was demonstrated.
• Additional mechanisms are currently studied..

3. Sweetpotato research

• Induction of storage root formation: Anatomical and molecular characterization.
• The effect of root system architechture on storage root formation (yield).
• The effect of salty water irrigation on quality & yield.
• Introduction of variety (color, shape) and high-nutrition varieties into Israel.