Research Interest:

• Date palm physiology
• True-to-Typeness and somaclonal variation in date palms
• Control of vegetative growth of palms and other crop trees
• Fertilization and fruit setting of date palms
• Mango breeding
• Anthocyanin biosynthetic pathways and color development of fruits

Current Research Projects:

Current Lab Members:

Mazal Ish-Shalom ( (Lab technician)
David Saada (Field technician)
Amichai Zarfin (M.Sc. student)

 Former Lab Members:

Raia Korchinsky (Lab Technician)
Makesh Sekar (Post Doctoral fellow)
Hewan Demissie Degu (Post doctoral Fellow)
Vyacheslav (Slava) Gurevich (M.Sc. student)
Anat Krepkanovitch (M.Sc. student) 
Uria Edom (Undergraduate student)
Dagan Aloni (M.Sc. student)
Maor Shochat (M.Sc. student)
David Birger (M.Sc. student)
Filip slavkovic (M.Sc. Student)
Lee sudai (M.Sc. student)
Miri Benita (Lab technician)
Shirley Gazit (Post Doctoral fellow)
Chen Karp (Undergraduate student)
Raanan Pumerantz  (Undergraduate student)
Hila Hazon  (Undergraduate student)

List of publications

Articles in reviewed journals:

Goldshtein, E., Cohen, Y., Hezroni, A., Cohen, Y., Soroker, V. (2020). The spatiotemporal dynamics and range expansion of the red palm weevil in Israel. Journal of Pest Science, 93, 691-702. DOI: 10.1007/s10340-019-01176-8.

Denisov, Y., Glick, S., Zviran, T., Ish-Shalom, M., Levin, A., Faigenboim, A., Cohen, Y., Vered Irihimovitch (2017). Distinct organ-specific and temporal expression profiles of auxin-related genes during mango fruitlet drop. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry 115, 439-448. DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2017.04.021.

Kuhn, D.N., Bally, I.S.E., Dillon, N.L., Innes, D., Groh, A.M., Rahaman, J, Ophir, R., Cohen, Y., Sherman, A. (2017). Genetic map of mango: a tool for mango breeding. Frontiers in Plant Sciences 8, 577. DOI:10.3389/fpls.2017.00577.

Cohen, Y., Belausov, E., Maymon, M., Elazar, M., Shulman, I., Saada, D., Shtienberg D., Freeman S. (2016). Fusarium mangiferae localization in planta during initiation and development of mango malformation disease. Plant Pathology, DOI: 10.1111/ppa.12650.

Hezroni, A., Soroker, V., Cohen, Y. (2016).Towards practical acoustic red palm weevil detection. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 124, 100-106. DOI: 10.1016/j.compag.2016.03.018. .

Slavkovic, F., Greenberg, A., Sadowsky, A., Zemach, H., Ish-Shalom, M., Kamenetsky, R. Cohen, Y. (2016). Effects of applying variable temperature conditions around inflorescences on fertilization and fruit set in date palms. Scientia Horticulturae, 202: 83-90, doi: 10.1016/j.scienta.2016.02.030.

Sherman, A., Rubinstein, M., Eshed, R., Benita, M., Ish-Shalom, M., Sharabi-Schwager, M., Rozen, A., Saada, D., Cohen Y., and Ophir, R. (2015). "Mango (Mangifera indica L.) germplasm diversity based on single nucleotide polymorphisms derived from the transcriptome." BMC Plant Biology 15(1): 277. doi:10.1186/s12870-015-0663-6.

Kim, H.-Y. Minas, I. S., Farcuh, M., Cohen, Y., Sadka, A. Crisosto, C, Blumwald, E. (2015). Non-climacteric ripening and sorbitol homeostasis in plum fruits. Plant Science, 231:30-39. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.plantsci.2014.11.002.

Cohen, Y., Aloni, DA., Adur, U., Hazon, H., Klein, J.D. (2013). Characterization of growth retardant effects on vegetative growth of date palm seedlings. Journal of Plant Growth Regulation, 32, 533-541. DOI: 10.1007/s00344-013-9320-1

Delatorrea, C.A., Cohen, Y., Liu, L., Peleg Z., Blumwald, E. (2012). The regulation of the SARK promoter activity by hormones and environmental signals. Plant Science, DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2012.05.005.

Freiman, A., Shlizerman, L., Golobovitch, S., Yablovitz, Z., Korchinsky, R., Cohen, Y., Samach, A., Chevreau E., Le Roux, P.M., Patocchi, A., Flaishman, M.A. (2012). Development of a transgenic early flowering pear (Pyrus communis L.) genotype by RNAi silencing of PcTFL1-1 and PcTFL1-2. Planta, DOI: 10.1007/s00425-011-1571-0. 

Cohen Y., Alchanatis V., Prigojin, A., Levi, A., Soroker V., Cohen Y. (2011). Evaluation of palm trees water availability using remote thermal imaging. Precision Agriculture, DOI: 10.1007/s11119-011-9232-7..

Cohen, Y., Freeman, S., Zveibil, A., Ben Zvi, R., Nakashe, Y., Biton, S. and Soroker, V. (2010). Reevaluation of factors affecting bunch drop in date palm. HortScience, 45, 1-7.

Vishnevetsky, J., Flaishman, M., Cohen, Y., Elad, I., Velcheva, M., Hanania, U. and Perl, A. (2010). Improved tolerance toward fungal diseases in transgenic Cavendish banana (Musa spp. AAA group) cv. ‘Grand Nain'. Transgenic Research, in press.

Stern, R.A., Korchinsky, R., Ben-Arie, R. and Cohen, Y. (2010). Early application of the synthetic auxin 2,4-DP enhances red colouration of 'Cripp's Pink' apple. J. Hort. Sci. Biotech. 85, 35-41.

Gugerli, F., Sallon, S., Cohen, Y., Egli, M., Solowey, E., Kislev, M., Simchoni, O. (2008). Old Seeds Coming in from the Cold. Science, 322, 1789b-1790

Sallon, S., Solowey, E., Cohen, Y., Korchinsky, R., Egli, M., Woodhatch, I., Simchoni, O., Kislev, M. (2008). Germination, Genetics and Growth of an Ancient Date Seed. Science, 320, 1464

Ben-Yehudah, G., Korchinsky, R., Redel, G., Ovadia, R., Shamir, M., and Cohen, Y. (2005) Colour accumulation patterns and the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway in 'Red Delicious' apple variants.  J. Hort. Sci. & Biotech., 80, 187-192.

Gurevich, V., Lavi, U. and Cohen, Y. (2005) Genetic variation in date palms from offshoots and tissue culture. J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci., 130, 46-53.

Cohen, Y., Korchinsky, R., Tripler E. (2004) Flower abnormalities cause abnormal fruit setting in tissue culture - propagated date palms (Phoenix dactylifera L.). J. Hort. Sci. & Biotech., 79, 1007-1013.

Cohen, Y., Gisel, A., Zambryski, P. (2000). Cell-to-cell and systemic movement of recombinant GFP Turnip Crinkle Viruses. Virology, 273, 258-266.

Cohen Y., Qu F, Gisel, A., Morris J. and Zambryski P. (2000). Nuclear localization of turnip crinkle virus movement protein P8. Virology, 273, 276-285.

Minai, L., Cohen, Y., Chitnis, P.R. and Nechushtai, R. (1996). The precursor of PsaD assembles into the photosystem I complex in two steps. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 93, 6338-6342.

Cohen, Y., Nelson, N., Chitnis, P. R. and Nechushtai, R. (1995).The carboxyl-terminal region of the spinach PsaD subunit contains information for its specific assembly into plant thylakoids. Photosynthesis Research., 44, 157-164

Cohen, Y., Chitnis, V. P., Nechushtai, R. and Chitnis, P. R. (1993). Stable assembly of PsaE into photosynthetic membranes is dependent on the presence of other accessory subunits of photosystem I in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. Plant Mol. Biol., 23, 895-900.

Lotan, O., Cohen, Y., Michaeli, D. and Nechushtai, R. (1993). High levels of photosystem I subunit II (PsaD) - mRNA result in the accumulation of the PsaD polypeptide only in the presence of light. J. Biol. Chem., 268, 16185-16189.

Cohen, Y. and Nechushtai, R. (1992). Assembly and processing of subunit II (PsaD) precursor in the isolated photosystem I complex. FEBS Lett., 302, 15-17.

Cohen, Y., Steppuhn, J., Yalovsky, S., Herrmann, R. G. and Nechushtai, R. (1992). Insertion and assembly of the precursor of subunit II into the photosystem I complex may precede its processing. EMBO J., 11, 79-85.

  Book chapters and Invited reviews

Cohen, Y. Morphology and physiology of palm trees in relation to Rhynchophorus ferrugineus and Paysandisia archon infestation and management. In: Handbook of Rhynchophorus ferrugineus and Paysandisia archon: biology and management (Soroker, V. and Colazza, S. Eds.). Wiley, in press.

Pontikakos, C., Karamaouna, F., Hetzroni, A., Kontodimas, D., Soroker, V., Samiou, F., Cohen, Y., Giorgoudelli, S., Melita, O., Papageorgiou, S., Benjamin, P., Goldshtein, E. Information system CPLAS as a monitoring tool for integrated management of palm pests. In: Handbook of Rhynchophorus ferrugineus and Paysandisia archon: biology and management (Soroker, V. and Colazza, S. Eds.). Wiley, in press.

Pontikakos, C., Karamaouna, F., Hetzroni, A., Kontodimas, D., Soroker, V., Samiou, F., Cohen, Y., Giorgoudelli, S., Melita, O., Papageorgiou, S., Benjamin, P., Goldshtein, E. Information system CPLAS as a monitoring tool for integrated management of palm pests. In: Handbook of Rhynchophorus ferrugineus and Paysandisia archon: biology and management (Soroker, V. and Colazza, S. Eds.). Wiley, in press.

Cohen, Y. and Glasner, B. (2015). Date Palm Status and Perspective in Israel In: Date palm Genetic Resources, Cultivar Assessment, Cultivation Practices and Novel Products (Al-Khayri, J., Jain, S.M., Johnson, D.V. (Eds.) Vol 2: Asia and Europe. Springer Science + Buisness Media B. V., 265-298. Volume 2: Asia and Europe, DOI 10.1007/978-94-017-9707-8_8.

Cohen, Y. (2011). Molecular detection of somaclonal variation in date palms
In: Date Palm Biotechnology (Jain, S.M., Al-Khayri, J., Johnson, D.V. (Eds.) Springer Science + Buisness Media B. V., 221-235. DOI 10.1007/978-94-007-1318-5_11.

 Articles of symposia proceedings

Aloni, D.D., Hazon, H., Edom, U., Karp, C., Pumeranc, R., Sandelham, D. and Cohen, Y. (2010). Effects of growth retardants on vegetative growth of date palms Acta Horticulturae, 884 207-213.

Flaishman, Yablovich, Z., Golobovich, S., Salomon, A., Cohen, Y., Perl, A., Yancheva, S.D., Kerem, Z., Haklay, E.. (2008). Molecular breeding in fig (Ficus carica) by the use of genetic transformation Acta Horticulturae, 798, 151-158.

Cohen Y., Alchanatis V., Levi, A., Soroker V., Prigojin, A., Cohen Y. (2009). Evaluation of palm trees water availability using remote thermal imaging. E.J. van Henten, D. Goense and C. Lokhorst (eds.), European Conference in Precision Agriculture 2009, Wageningen, Netherland. Wageningen Acad. Publ. The Netherlands. Pages:159-166.

Cohen, Y., Gurevich, V., Korchinsky, R., Shochat, M., Sekar, M., Lavi, U. (2007) Molecular and phenotypic characterization of somaclonal variation in date palm off-types originated from tissue culture Acta Horticulturae, 738, 417-423.

Lavi, U., Gurevitz, S., Ben Ari, G., Saada, D., Kashkush, K., Paz, T., Twito, T., Cohen, Y., Hillel, Y., Simchen, G. (2006) Potential application of modern biological techniques in breeding fruit trees Journal of Fruit and Ornamental Plant Research, 14 (suppl. 1) 13-19.

Flaishman, M.A, Shlizerman, L., Cohen, Y., Kerem, Z., Sivan, L. (2005) Expression of the health-beneficial stilbenes in transgenic Spadona pear (Pyrus communis L.) Acta Horticulturae, 671, 283-288.

Cohen, Y., Gurevich, V., Korchinsky, R, Tripler, E., Lavi, U. (2005) Phenotypic and molecular characterization of date palm off-types. Proceedings of The international Workshop on True-To-Typeness of Date Palm Tissue Culture-Derived Plants, Marrakesh, Morocco.

Shahak, Y., Gussakovsky, E.E., Cohen, Y., Lurie, S., Stern, R., Kfir, S., Naor, A., Atzmon, I., Doron, I. Greenblat-Avron, Y. (2004) ColorNets: A New Approach for Light Manipulation in Fruit Trees. Acta Horticulturae, 636, 609-616.