"... there is no doubt that the wild forms, ancestral to the presently cultivated species, deserve the same research efforts as given the cultivated species." (Nikolai I Vavilov, 1887-1943)
Species radiation and divergence involve the change in the genetic make-up as a result of both selection and stochastic processes. The ability of plants to cope with these environments depends on the repertoire of genetic and epigenetic diversity in populations, as well as in plastic and constitutive mechanisms that stabilize or destabilize core functions. Projected climatic changes in the next decades includes temperature increases and fluctuations that would constrain crop productivity and its improvement. It is imperative to go back to the wild ancestors of modern crops and investigate new sources of molecular variation which underlies adaptation to biotic and abiotic challenges. In our group, and in collaboration with others, we explore the triangle Environment-Genotype-Phenoype and device genomics and phenomics tools to identify those needles in the hay (genes) that mediate these interactions in naturally evolved populations and in interspecific populations.
Species radiation and divergence involve the change in the genetic make-up as a result of both selection and stochastic processes. The ability of plants to cope with these environments depends on the repertoire of genetic and epigenetic diversity in populations, as well as in plastic and constitutive mechanisms that stabilize or destabilize core functions. Projected climatic changes in the next decades includes temperature increases and fluctuations that would constrain crop productivity and its improvement. It is imperative to go back to the wild ancestors of modern crops and investigate new sources of molecular variation which underlies adaptation to biotic and abiotic challenges. In our group, and in collaboration with others, we explore the triangle Environment-Genotype-Phenoype and device genomics and phenomics tools to identify those needles in the hay (genes) that mediate these interactions in naturally evolved populations and in interspecific populations.
Lab News
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>November 2020: We welcome Assaf Grunwald (PhD), a new postdoc. Assaf did his PhD in Physical Chemistry with Prof Yuval Ebenstein (Tel Aviv University), and will be leading in our lab nano to kilo research in genome editing of loci underlying simple and complex traits coming from the wild.
> October 2020: Well, RECAS9 project gets accelerated with a new awarded grant from the Chief Scientist of Ministry of Agriculture for three years! In collaboration with Ron Bernstein (ARO) and Asaph Aharoni (Weizmann Institute) we will integrate mechanical and genetic engineering approaches for CRISPR/CAS9 based trait mapping in barley. MSc applicants are welcomed, to join forces with Manas, Orit and Saar. >Aug 2020: Welcome Saar Mitrani! Engineering student is joining the lab to develop tissue culture automation w/Ron Bernstein@ARO. This should help boost our genome editing activities down the road.. >July 2020: CAPITALISE Horizon 2020 project starts!! CAPITALISE-H2020 @photosynth_2030 >April 2020 : Due to COVID-19 some of our planned presentations cancelled or went virtual: 1. The planned talk on RECAS9 in Keystone meeting cancelled with meeting [postponed to 2021; March 8-12, 2021 @ ] 2. Presenting the newly developed barley Cytoplasmic Multiparent Population in PEGQ/TAGC 2020 will be virtual Thursday, April 30 2:30 - 2:32 PM >Jan-1-2020: We welcome Dr. Lalit Dev Tiwari, as a new postdoc in lab. Lalit graduated in University of Delhi, India under the supervision of Prof Anil Grover. > Another great collaborative work with Karl Schmid (@kjschmid ), and newly developed one with Stephan Greiner (Golm, Max Planck) resulted with publication in PCE (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/pce.13606) > Jan-2019: Shelly is awarded the HUJI Excellence Fellowship for MSc students at the Biotechnology track. Way to go! > Jan-1-2019: Manas is awarded the (competitive) ARO fellowship for postdocs for 2019-2020. Congratulations! and great start for 2019 |
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