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 temperature-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 HsfA2.
• 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.

              Acquired tolerance of pepper pollen grains to low night temperatures by 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 the mature pollen grains was demonstrated.
• Involvement of members of the sHsps and Hsp70 families in the acquired tolerance of developing pollen grains is currently studied.

3. Male sterility and hybrid seed production.

4. Sweetpotato research

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