Droby Samir Full Professor
Senior Research Scientist
- Institute of Postharvest and Food Sciences
- Postharvest Science
- Department of Postharvest Science, Office 101, Lab 107
- +972-506220618
- +972-39683615
Biography
Research Areas
Postharvest pathology of fruits and vegetables
Postharvest treatment of citrus fruit
Development and application of biocontrol strategies for the control of postharvest diseases
The fruit microbiome – characterization and development microbiome bases approaches for postharvest disease control
Pathogenicity mechanisms of Penicillium on citrus and apple fruit
Education
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1977-1980
BSc in agricultural Sciences - Hebrew University of Jerusalem
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1980-1982
MSc in Plant Pathology and Microbiology - Hebrew University of Jerusalem
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1982-1985
PhD in Plant Pathology and Microbiology - Hebrew university of Jerusalem
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1986-1987
Postdoctoral position in Plant Pathology - University of California, Riverside, CA, US
Research Interests
Biological control of postharvest diseases
Pesticide use in agriculture continues to be the focus of public and governmental debate in most countries around the world. Due to the high awareness of food quality and safety in general, and pesticide residues in food in particular, and the long-term negative impact of these substances on public health and the environment, the demand for fresh agricultural produce without chemical residues has been the most important issue in the last years.
A great deal of effort has been made to find alternative means of protection against pathogens and pests. In this context, research has been carried out in our laboratory that examines various directions, including biological methods, as well as the use of natural substances that are considered non-hazardous to the consumer, generally defined as GRAS (Generally Regarded as Safe), and that have antimicrobial activity that could replace toxic synthetic chemicals.
As part of the biological t-control project, we are investigating the mechanism of action of antagonistic microorganisms (mainly yeasts), various application methods, and developing formulations for commercial products.
Studying the microbiome of agricultural produce after harvest
A wide variety of microorganisms inhabit the internal and external parts of plants and animals and constitute the microbiome that maintains continuous and mostly positive interactions in a balanced biological system. As research progresses, the significance and importance of microorganisms in various processes and phenomena in the environment is becoming increasingly obvious. In the field of biotechnological research, an attempt is made to harness the knowledge accumulated for the benefit of the Earth’s ever-growing population.
Our laboratory is conducting extensive research that aims to understand the role of the populations of microorganisms (the microbiome) living on the surface of fruits and vegetables in preventing the development of post-harvest spoilage agents in fruits and vegetables and the possibility of using microbiome manipulations to develop alternative technologies for the use of pesticides. The research includes understanding the structure of microbial communities in fruits and vegetables. It is necessary to investigate the mechanism involved in the formation and dynamics of microbial communities on the surface of fruits and how they are affected by the interactions between themselves and between them and the metabolites of the fruits. This understanding will help us develop innovative approaches to biological control with the aim of reducing losses in fresh agricultural produce in an effective and safe manner.
Research Areas
- Postharvest pathology of fruits and vegetables
- Postharvest treatment of citrus fruit
- Development and application of biocontrol strategies for the control of postharvest diseases
- The fruit microbiome - characterization and development microbiome bases approaches for postharvest disease control
- Pathogenicity mechanisms of Penicillium on citrus and apple fruit
Publications/Articles
- Chen, D., Li, G., Liu, J., Wisniewski, M., Droby, S., Levin, E., Huang, S. and Liu, Y. 2020. Multiple transcriptomic analyses and characterization of pathogen-related core effectors and LysM family members reveal their differential roles in fungal growth and pathogenicity in Penicillium expansum. Molecular Genetics and Genomics. 295 (6) : 1415-1429. DOI: 10.1007/s00438-020-01710-9
- Abdelfattah, A, Whitehead, S.R, Macarisin, D. Liu, J., Burchard, E., Freilich, S., Dardick, C., Droby, S., Wisniewski, M. 2020. Effect of washing, waxing and low-temperature storage on the postharvest microbiome of apple. Microorganisms. 8 (6), 1-21. DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8060944
- Chalupowicz, D., Veltman, B., Droby, S., Eltzov, E. 2020. Evaluating the use of biosensors for monitoring of Penicillium digitatum infection in citrus fruit. Sensors and Actuators, B: Chemical 311, May 2020. DOI: 10.1016/j.snb.2020.127896
- Piombo, E, Abdelfattah, A, Danino, Y., Salim, S., Feygenberg, O., Spadaro, D., Wisniewski, M., Droby, S. 2020. Characterizing the fungal microbiome in date (Phoenix dactylifera) fruit pulp and peel from early development to harvest. Microorganisms 8 (5), May 2020. DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8050641.
- Yeka Zhimo, V., Biasi, A., Kumar, A, Feygenberg, O., Salim, S., Vero, S., Wisniewski, M., Droby, S. 2020. Yeasts and bacterial consortia from kefir grains are effective biocontrol agents of postharvest diseases of fruits. Microorganisms 8 (3), March 2020. DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8030428.
- Zhimo, V.Y., Kumar, A., Biasi, A., Salim, S., Feygenberg, O., Toamy, M.A., Abdelfattaah, A., Medina, S., Freilich, S., Wisniewski, M. and Droby, S., 2021. Compositional shifts in the strawberry fruit microbiome in response to near-harvest application of Metschnikowia fructicola, a yeast biocontrol agent. Postharvest Biology and Technology, 175, p.111469.
- Abdelfattah, A., Freilich, S., Bartuv, R., Zhimo, V.Y., Kumar, A., Biasi, A., Salim, S., Feygenberg, O., Burchard, E., Dardick, C. and Liu, J., 2021. Global analysis of the apple fruit microbiome: are all apples the same?. Environmental Microbiology. DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15469
- Solanki, M.K., Abdelfattah, A., Sadhasivam, S., Zakin, V., Wisniewski, M., Droby, S. and Sionov, E., 2021. Analysis of Stored Wheat Grain-Associated Microbiota Reveals Biocontrol Activity among Microorganisms against Mycotoxigenic Fungi. Journal of Fungi, 7(9), p.781.
- Kumar, A., Zhimo, V.Y., Biasi, A., Feygenberg, O., Salim, S., Wisniewski, M. and Droby, S., 2021. Impact of packhouse treatments on the peel microbiome of mandarin fruit (cv. Orr). Postharvest Biology and Technology, 176, p.111519.
- Biasi, A., Zhimo, V.Y., Kumar, A., Abdelfattah, A., Salim, S., Feygenberg, O., Wisniewski, M. and Droby, S., 2021. Changes in the fungal community assembly of apple fruit following postharvest application of the yeast biocontrol agent Metschnikowia fructicola. Horticulturae, 7(10), p.360.
- Abdelfattah, A., Tack, A.J., Wasserman, B., Liu, J., Berg, G., Norelli, J., Droby, S. and Wisniewski, M., 2022. Evidence for host–microbiome co‐evolution in apple. New Phytologist, 234(6), pp.2088-2100
- Shi, Y., Yang, Q., Zhao, Q., Dhanasekaran, S., Ahima, J., Zhang, X., Zhou, S., Droby, S. and Zhang, H., 2022. Aureobasidium pullulans S-2 reduced the disease incidence of tomato by influencing the postharvest microbiome during storage. Postharvest Biology and Technology, 185, p.111809.
- Garello, M., Piombo, E., Prencipe, S., Schiavon, G., Berra, L., Wisniewski, M., Droby, S. and Spadaro, D., 2023. Fruit microbiome: A powerful tool to study the epidemiology of dry lenticel rot and white haze–Emerging postharvest diseases of apple. Postharvest Biology and Technology, 196, p.112163.
- Liu, J., Abdelfattah, A., Wasserman, B., Wisniewski, M., Droby, S., Fazio, G., Mazzola, M. and Wu, X., 2022. Contrasting effects of genotype and root size on the fungal and bacterial communities associated with apple rootstocks. Horticulture research, 9.
- Zhimo, V.Y., Kumar, A., Biasi, A., Abdelfattah, A., Sharma, V.K., Salim, S., Feygenberg, O., Bartuv, R., Freilich, S., Whitehead, S.R., Wisniewski, M. and Droby, S. 2022. Assembly and dynamics of the apple carposphere microbiome during fruit development and storage. Frontiers in Microbiology, 13.
- Urbaneja, A. Ciancio, A., Droby, S., Hoddle, M., Liu. and Tena, A. 2023. Recent advances in biological control of citrus pests and diseases, Biological Control, Volume 184, doi.org/10.1016/j
- Bartuv R, Berihu M, Medina S, Salim S, Feygenberg O, Faigenboim-Doron A, Zhimo VY, Abdelfattah A, Piombo E, Wisniewski M, Freilich S, Droby S. Functional analysis of the apple fruit microbiome based on shotgun metagenomic sequencing of conventional and organic orchard samples. Environ Microbiol. 2023 Sep;25(9):1728-1746. doi: 10.1111/1462-2920.16353..
- Garello, M., Piombo, E., Prencipe, S., Schiavon, G., Berra, L., Wisniewski, M. and Droby, S. Davide Spadaro, Fruit microbiome: A powerful tool to study the epidemiology of dry lenticel rot and white haze – Emerging postharvest diseases of apple, Postharvest Biology and Technology, Volume 196, 2023, 112163, ISSN 0925-5214, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.postharvbio.2022.112163.
- Guaschino M, Garello M, Nari L, Zhimo YV, Droby S and Spadaro D (2024) Soil, rhizosphere, and root microbiome in kiwifruit vine decline, an emerging multifactorial disease. Front. Microbiol. 15:1330865. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1330865
- Shu C, Sun X, Cao J, Droby S, Jiang W. Antifungal efficiency and mechanisms of ethyl ferulate against postharvest pathogens. Int J Food Microbiol. 2024 Jun 2;417:110710. doi: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2024.110710. Epub 2024 Apr 20. PMID: 38643598.