ביוטכנולוגיה

בבית הספר שלנו, מספר קבוצות מבצעות מחקרים ביוטכנולוגיים.

במחקרים אלו אנו חוקרים ומהנדסים מיקרו אצות וצמחים יבשתיים. בסוג זה של מחקר, מדעני TAU מפתחים דרכים חדשות לייצור כימיקלים וסחורות בעלי ערך גבוה כמו דלק ביולוגי. הניסיונות ההנדסיים נעשים באמצעות שינוי מנגנונים מולקולריים כמו פוטוסינתזה או תגובות הקשורות לסטרס.

 

התוצאה של יוזמות כאלה הן זנים בעלי יכולת לגדול מהר יותר או יכולת להתמודד עם אתגרים אביוטיים קשים כמו אור רב, בצורת או פתוגנים.

 

כחלק מהשאיפה שלנו להשיג כימיה ירוקה וכלכלה מעגלית, אנו לומדים ומפתחים את ערכת הכלים המאפשרת חיווט של אנזימים זרים למנגנון הפוטוסינתטי כך שהיכולת הטבעית שלו לספק כוח מחזר תנוצל לפיתוח תעשייה כימית חדשה העושה שימוש באצות ובצמחים בראקטורים.

 

Biotechnology

 

In our school, several groups perform biotechnology driven studies.

 

We study microalgae and higher plants. In this kind of research, TAU scientists are developing novel ways for production of high value chemicals and commodities such as biofuels. The engineering attempts are made via genetically modifying molecular mechanisms such as photosynthesis or stress related responses.

 

The outcome of such initiatives are strains with ability to grow faster or capability to face harsh abiotic challenges such as high light, drought or pathogens.

 

In our quest to gain green chemistry and circular economy, we study and develop the tool kit allowing the wiring of exogenous enzymes to the photosynthetic apparatus such that its natural capability to supply reducing power will be exploited to new chemistries in algae and plants.

 

Researchers in this field:

 

Prof. Iftach Yacoby

We study how to store green energy as hydrogen gas. For that aim we study energy transfer in photosynthesis and use synthetic biology to engineer microalgae for the purposes of producing fuels such as hydrogen gas and valuable materials. We also combine nanotechnology as a framework to stabilize energy converting enzymes such as hydrogenase (hydrogen producers). In our research we use advanced chemical and physical methods to analyze the kinetics of gases in solutions, we apply mass spectrometry and gas chromatography. We also use super-fast spectroscopical methods including laser excitation to study natural and engineered photosynthetic microalgae. We perform anaerobic protein isolation and purification, membrane proteins research and construct and design of photobioreactors for scaling up hydrogen and biomass production. 

Lab Website: www.energylabtau.com

 

 

Prof. Adi Avni

Our lab has two main research areas: 1. We focus on understanding the signal transduction pathway by which a fungal protein effector (MAMP) induces innate immunity in plants. We address this question from several angles: We use a genetic approach, gene editing (CRISPR) to isolate the plant gene controlling the plant response to the fungal protein. 2. We develop biosensors for agriculture where we use micro and nano-scale technologies in collaboration with electrical engineering. Our goal is to develop low-cost sensors that will be integrated into the plant (i.e. leaves, stem, rhizosphere, etc.) for early detection of various parameters that are of interest to the key factors in the food chain (i.e. farmers, wholesalers, transportation, government, and the food industry in general and the customers). To do that we use bio-convergence for direct sensing of plants’ health status, using the plants as sensors themselves. In our research, we integrate methods of synthetic biology, biotechnology, and electrochemical and electronic impedance spectroscopy (EIS). 

Lab Website: https://adiavni.weebly.com/

 

 

Dr. Haim Treves

 

Our lab overreaching aim is to gain deep systems-level understanding of photosynthetic metabolism in algae, and the role it plays in stirring photosynthesis efficiency and growth. To address these goals, we apply a set of tools, including state-of-the-art flux-metabolomics, modeling, molecular biology and physiology. We also have online monitoring based algal growth systems, perform metabolic profiling of photosynthetic metabolism, and 13C-labelling of photosynthetic cultures and plants.

Lab Website: www.treveslab.com

 

 

Dr. Roy Weinstain

We are a dynamic, interdisciplinary, medium-size lab (4-6 students, typically) working at the interface of chemistry and biology. We work on the development of chemical biology methods to study and control biological processes in living plants. Our main interest is in small signalling molecules, such as plant hormones, that function as deliverers of information throughout the plant. We develop tools and methods to study not only the functions of such molecules, but also the regulatory mechanisms that govern them. We specialize in combining synthetic organic chemistry with molecular biology and genetics of plants. Our multi-disciplinary capabilities enable us to interrogate the functions of endogenous and synthetic small molecules in plants in a comprehensive manner.

Lab Website: https://roywlab.wixsite.com/rwlab

 

 

Dr. Nir Sade

My lab research is focused on important agricultural traits which are highly effected by abiotic stress such as water movement (hydraulics), water use efficiency, root morphology and carbon/nitrogen allocation. In my lab, efforts are underway, to both discover the genes that regulate those traits as well as to generate crops with better tolerance to harsh conditions. In addition to common molecular and biochemical tools, we use advanced systems for phenotypic characterization of crop plants, including pressure cells, lysimeter systems, systems for measuring gas exchange, and hyperspectral cameras.

Lab Website: https://nirsade1978.wixsite.com/nirsadelab

 

 

Prof. Shaul Yalovsky

Research in my laboratory focusses on the interfaces of development and cell biology with abiotic stress responses in plants. We study signaling mechanisms that increase plant tolerance to drought and salt stress and increase water use efficiency. We are also interested in signaling mechanisms that regulate secondary cell wall formation in plants and the regulation of lignin content with the aim of developing crops with reduced cell wall recalcitrance toward biofuel formation. In our research, we use cell and molecular biology, biochemistry, and physiology methods such as CRISPR-mediated genome editing, confocal and light microscopy, RNA-seq, DNA-seq, protein-protein interaction, and gas exchange.

Lab Website: https://www.yalovskylab.sites.tau.ac.il/

 

 

Prof. Eilon Shani

The Shani lab develops next-generation genetics tools that enhance basic plant research and crop resilience. To uncover “hidden” traits that are important for plant resilience and food security, we developed the Multi-Knock technology - the first genome-scale multi-targeted CRISPR libraries in plants. Multi-Knock can be applied to most crops and all breeding traits. Therefore, we expect the new toolbox we develop here to transform how scientists and breeders perform genetics. We utilize the next-generation genetics CRISPR libraries to reveal and characterize transport mechanisms of the main plant hormones - abscisic acid, auxin, cytokinin, and gibberellin. We study how subcellular, cell-to-cell, long-distance hormone movement, and local hormone sinks trigger or prevent hormone-mediated responses. In these studies, we utilize a range of approaches and methods, including plant genetics, plant biotechnology, genome editing, genome-scale CRISPR libraries, plant physiology, response to drought and salt, and fluorescent microscopy.

Lab Website: https://www.shanilab.sites.tau.ac.il/

 

Prof. Amir Sharon

Our lab has two main research areas: (1) Biology of plant pathogenic fungi and their interactions with plants, (2) Isolation of disease resistance genes from wild species and their use in development of disease resistant wheat. In the first project we study the interaction of the plant pathogenic fungus Botrytis cinerea with plants (Bi et al., 2022). We use molecular genetics as well as plant pathology approaches to obtain deep knowledge of the molecular mechanisms that regulate Botrytis – plant interactions (Bi et al., 2021) and use it for development of alternative disease control methods that will help reducing the use of synthetic fungicides. In the second project we use advanced genomic methods to isolate new disease resistance genes from a collection of wheat wild relatives (Avni et al., 2022; Yu et al., 2022a,b). We use genetic transformation and gene editing methods to generate disease-resistance wheat.

Lab Website: https://www.amirsharonlab.sites.tau.ac.il/

 

 

Dr. Yosef Fichman

Plants respond to changes in their environment to survive and grow. When one part of a plant is stressed, the whole plant responds within minutes. This is called systemic acclimation, a process by which plants adjust their metabolism, physiology, and biochemistry to adapt to changes in their growth conditions or environment. 

Our research focuses on the molecular mechanisms on of systemic acclimation to light and other abiotic stresses. We study how signals such as reactive oxygen species, calcium, and membrane depolarization spread rapidly within cells and from cell to cell. We also investigate how these signals affect amino acid metabolism, which plays a role in acclimation. 

To answer these questions, we use a variety of methods, including molecular biology, genetic screens, imaging, physiological assays, and omics.