Our mission focuses on unraveling the biomolecular mechanisms employed by microorganisms to control the cycling of elements in the marine environment.
We are interested in how microorganisms, the tiniest forms of life, adapt to, shape, and influence their microenvironment through growth and interaction, thereby shaping the foundation of the marine ecosystem.

Computational and experimental structural biology of membrane proteins: use and development of novel experimental and computational approaches to elucidate membrane proteins structure.

Membrane traffic in health and disease (endocytosis, exocytosis, transcytosis); Membrane domains; Epithelial cell polarity; Cell biology of enteric bacterial pathogens; Pathogenic bacteria – epithelial host interactions; Inflammatory bowel diseases (Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis) 

The mechanism of exocytosis; Neurodegeneration: Development of drugs for Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disorders.

We are interested in understanding how plants recycle cellular components when disposing of unwanted proteins and organelles for energy production. This occurs during the development of non-photosynthetic tissues and under stress conditions in which photosynthesis is not functioning well.
We are focusing on a cellular degradation mechanism called ‘Autophagy’ and investigating it using molecular and metabolomic approaches. Our research topics include basic questions in plant physiology but also have applicative implications, such as developing plants with higher tolerance and increased yield.

Understanding the mechanisms of flight control in insects; bio-mimetic robotics

Microbial ecology of extreme environments, with a focus on the microbial populations of salt-excreting plants; Microbial water quality; Genetically engineered microbial sensors for environmental monitoring, with an emphasis on toxicity and genotoxicity assessment and on the detection of specific classes of compounds, including trace pharmaceuticals and explosives.

Developmental Neuro-Genetics: the study of bHLH transcription factors regulating embryonic development, focusing on the nervous system. Characterization of the role and function of the transcription factors at the cellular and whole organism levels, utilizing chick embryos and knockout and transgenic mice. Revealing their molecular mode of action at various levels (transcription regulation of target genes, molecular interactions: DNA-protein, protein-protein etc.). We also study the involvement of transcription factors in human diseases (developmental, inherited and cancer).

Differentiation and genetic manipulation of human embryonic stem cells ; Human genetic disorder and human embryonic stem cells ; Genomic analysis of human development ; Oncogenic properties of stem cells

The past decade has witnessed a paradigm shift in brain research. A transition from a dogmatic brain-focused approach toward a holistic conception of health that integrates key signaling hubs of the human body—such as the gut and its microbial populations, the peripheral immune system, and other mucosal barrier surfaces—is increasingly acknowledged as necessary to understand and cure neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease, stroke and brain tumors. We investigate the physiological connections between the digestive, immune and nervous systems in a holistic approach, allowing better understanding of neurological diseases in the context of aging. We study how processes which take place in the gut, affect brain functions in health and disease, and looking at the whole-organism level to identify novel targets to treat brain pathologies.

We study the evolution and mechanisms underlying sociality and social behavior, using bees as a model. Our main research focuses are:

1. The interplay between circadian rhythms and social behavior.
2. Size-related division of labor in bumblebees.
3. The social evolution of juvenile hormone signaling.
4. The interplay between sleep and social behavior.
5. The involvement of non-coding RNA and RNA editing in behavioral plasticity.
6. Hormones and social behavior.
7. social and molecular mechanisms regulating body size and caste differentiation in bees.

Biophysics Cell-matrix interactions in directing cell-fate decision making, Remodeling of the nuclear matrix of lamins and chromatin

The ability to sequence DNA from bones and teeth opened the opportunity to read the genetic makeup of ancient populations like Neanderthals and Mammoths. The work in my lab focuses in identifying the genetic changes that made us humans, in studying the epigenetics of ancient populations, and in general understanding evolutionary and historical processes.

Studying arthropod evolution using different sources of information: Comparative embryology, comparative genomics, paleontology and systematics.

Neuroscience, molecular mechanisms of learning and memory, drug addiction, feeding disorders, experience-dependent plasticity, neural circuit adaptations, synaptic physiology and plasticity, transcriptional regulatory networks, non-coding RNA.

Plasticity in the somatosensory system in mammals. Neural mechanisms whereby injury provokes sensory dysfunction and chronic pain. Pathophysiology of injured nerve and abnormal impulse generation. Synaptic reorganization in the brain and spinal cord after peripheral nerve injury. Regeneration and collateral sprouting of injured nerve fibers. Animal models of chronic pain states and pain relief. Heritability of chronic pain. Neural mechanisms of loss of pain response and of consciousness in general anesthesia.

Epigenetic regulation of gene expression. Cancer epigenetics.

Development of constitutively active MAP/stress kinases for studies of the etiology cancer and inflammation. Revealing the mechanism of gene expression under stress in yeast and mammalian cells. Focusing on Gcn4, Hsf1 and Msn2/4. Analysis expression of stress-related genes in oncogenically-transformed cells.

The marine environment is challenged by global and local environmental changes. Our laboratory is engaged in understanding the processes that shape marine ecosystems under scenarios of environmental change. From observations at sea, to controlled aquarium systems and laboratory experiments, our group works to understand processes that will shape the marine environment in the years to come.

Biological oceanography; Marine phytoplankton ecology and cell biology; Population dynamics; Life cycle strategies. My lab focus on the investigation of the main ecological and cellular differentiation between life cycle phases, understanding the role of each phase and the interplay with other organisms in the oceans as well as on the search for triggers regulating life phase transitions.

A main subject in the lab is the gene expression changes underlying the process of whole-body regeneration (the remarkable ability of some animals to form their body again after dissection into pieces) in the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis. We are analyzing the molecular genetics at the base of this amazing regenerative ability and compare this process to embryonic development. In our research we have discovered a little-known gene family, which has a role in regeneration but is also notorious for being involved in the metastasis of cells in many aggressive cancers in man.

Benthic-pelagic coupling. Predator-prey interactions in the marine environment. Biomechanics and effects of flow on corals, invertebrates and fish.

Cancer genetics, Early events in cancer development, Cell cycle, Genomic stability,  The Cellular response to DNA damage , Cell cycle checkpoints , DNA repair 

Circadian rhythms in plants:

1. Interactions between the components of the circadian system.
2. Cell-specific circadian rhythms.
3. The adaptive advantages of circadian rhythms

We are interested in dynamics of eco-evolutionary processes and how they can be read from studying genomic data. We model and analyze population genomic datasets of humans and other species, with applications to conservation biology and paleogenomics. We are also interested in an emerging species control technology called 'gene drives', and are using models to understand the ecological aspects of its potential deployment in the wild.  

To address a major challenge in aging research, the lack of short-lived vertebrate genetic model, I have developed a comprehensive genetic platform for rapid exploration of aging and disease in the shortest-lived vertebrate model, the African turquoise killifish.
This genome-to-phenotype platform includes a sequenced genome, CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing, and mutant fish for many aging- and disease-relates genes.
Taking advantage of this exciting platform the we explore fundamental questions in biology, such as why is aging such a strong driver for disease? And what is the molecular basis behind the outstanding diversity of vertebrate lifespan (which can reach up to 1000-fold).

Experimental biology of vertebrate aging and age-related diseases using the short-lived African turquoise killifish; The genetic basis behind the outstanding diversity of lifespan between different animals; Genetic engineering and live imaging of age-related traits in multiple complex organs.

Ecological and evolutionary aspects of predator-prey interactions, stress ecology, inducible defenses, above-below ground interactions, ecological-traps, nutritional ecology, individual syndrome, ecology and evolution of conspicuous anti-predator colors and patterns, herpetology and especially lizard ecology, desert ecology, ecosystem conservation and restoration.

Synthesis of carotenoid pigments in plants; Genetic regulation of natural products in the fruit; Gene cloning from tomato and their molecular analysis; Genome editing in tomato; Biotechnology and genetic engineering of natural compounds in tomato; Regulatory mechanisms of the hormone ABA in the plant.

The relation between cell adhesiveness and growth control in malignant lymphoma cells. Molecular mechanisms involved in the selection of non-malignant variant cells from malignant cell populations. Different approaches to reversal of multi-drug resistance of malignant cells. Growth regulation of malignant lymphoma. Metastasis of malignant lymphoma.

• Motor control of the flexible arms of the octopus - inspiration for robotics.
• Neurobiology of learning and memory in an advanced invertebrate - the Octopus.

Vision: information processing in the mammalian and primate visual pathway. Computational neuroscience. Perception, learning and conciousness.

Plant population and community ecology. Plant demography; vegetation dynamics; succession. Landscape ecology, geographical information systems (GIS); conservation.

Structural biology of large protein complexes. Mass-spectrometry. Computational structural modeling based on multiple information sources. Protein structure prediction.

We  study how can some ecological communities harbor hundreds of relatively similar species in a small area, while others have just a few? Why do ecological communities change in space and time, and what can these changes teach us? And how can we use data science and models to study these extremely complex systems?

1. Genomic instability as a major driving force for tumorigenesis – the molecular mechanisms underlying DNA replication stress and chromosomal instability.
2. Personalized medicine for Cystic Fibrosis (CF) patients.

The Keren research group works on the interaction of photosynthetic organisms with natural environmental conditions. Our lab is currently working on two aspects of this problem (a) the transport, storage and assembly of transition metals into photosynthetic catalysts (b) Elucidating the biophysical principles of energy and electron transport in photosynthetic systems.

1. Dynamic structural biology of intrinsically disordered proteins
2. The molecular etiology of Parkinson's disease and other Synucleinopathies
3. Bio-condensates and biological phase separation
4. Biological Fluorescence

Signal transduction, Signal transduction therapy,Cancer Research, Medicinal Chemistry.

The dynamic processes of nerve terminals and the molecular aspects of synapse functioning. Control of exocytosis in regulated secretory systems. Differentiation and neurotransmitter phenotype acquisition in neurons, a study by proteomics and genomics approaches. Bioinformatics. Large scale studies of biological sequences and their global organization. Proteomics. Structural genomics.

• To unravel how bacterial pathogens manipulate host physiology and drive immune responses to change the intestinal environment, overcome the competition of the microbiota, expand, and transmit to the next host. 
• To understand how intestinal inflammatory diseases initiate and progress, and how intestinal homeostasis is maintained and regulated.  

• Manipulating the pathogen (using bacterial genetics and bacteriology techniques).
• Analyzing host responses (using different genetic mouse models, drugs, dietary interventions, etc.).
• Controlling the microbiota (using germ-free mice, defined microbial communities, and microbial community analysis).  

Structural determination of biologically related macromolecules via X-ray crystallographic techniques. Ligand recognition, initial signaling events, and the role of dimer/oligomer orientation in cytokine receptor systems. Structural studies of avidin/streptavidin - biotin high affinity systems. Structural based drug design and optimization. Combinatorial approaches in drug discovery.

Decision-making and reinforcement learning, Reinforcement learning and cellular plasticity, The neuronal mechanisms underlying contraction bias, the functional architecture of the cerebellar cortex.

Neural and dendritic computation and coding, Neuronal noise, neural basis of vocal communication, information theory analysis of neural communication.

Epigenetics in stem cells, neuronal differentiation and neurons; Modeling neurodegenerative diseases using pluripotent stem cells; Paleo-epigenetics: reconstructing methylation in ancient DNA; Live imaging of nuclear dynamics in stem cell differentiation; Signaling pathways and molecular networks in stem cells and cancer

Genes coding for factors involved in control of differentiation and development. Control of proliferation and differentiation in adult tissues. Epithelial mesenchymal interactions. Gene therapy, angiogenesis, ageing. Differentiation of stem cells. Cell therapy.

The roles of microRNAs in cnidarian development; Evolution of sea anemone (and other strange animal) toxins; Evolution of voltage-gated sodium channels

1. Metabolic programing: nuclear reactors-based control of metabolism 2. Human embryonic stem cell differentiation to hepatocytes 3. Liver tissue engineering and liver regeneration 4. Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection

Theoretical and applied population and community ecology, and aspects of movement ecology, in particular. Ecology and evolution of dispersal using an integrated theoretical-empirical approach, spatiotemporal population dynamics, Mechanistic models. Gene flow; frugivory plant-animal interactions, bird migration, ornithology, rarity, macroecology, conservation biology.

The structure-function relationships of membrane proteins mainly of the photosynthetic apparatus. Chloroplast development and light regulated expression of chlorophyll-protein complexes.

Plants synthesize an amazing diversity of specialized metabolites, estimated between 200,000 to 1,000,000 metabolites in the plant kingdom and ~3,000 in each individual species. Despite a growing understanding of biosynthetic mechanisms of many specialized metabolites, the in-planta function of the vast majority remains unknow. We are interested in examining the functions of specialized metabolites in the plants that synthesize them naturally, with an emphasis on protection from herbivory, and functions in a natural setting. In such a setting, we may examine complex interactions including several trophic levels and discover interactions that we didn’t previously hypothesize.

Responses of neurons in the auditory system to complex sounds

1. Transcriptional control of genes involved in sex steroid synthesis in the gonads and placenta.
2. Proteolysis and protein quality control during mitochondria organellogenesis in steroidogenic cells.

The main aims of our research are designed to investigate the nature of nuclear-organellar interactions, which link mitochondrial genome status and expression and plant phenotypic response.

Molecular membrane biology, structure biology, bioenergetics, biochemistry, biophysics.

Chromatin biology, Epigenomic mechanisms, Cellular differentiation, Cellular heterogeneity, single cell technology

High throughput analysis of signals that trigger misfolded protein elimination and the contribution of cellular chaperones. 

System biology of redox regulation, intrinsically disordered chaperones, computational and experimental biology,proteomics and mass spectrometry.

Experimental and theoretical neurobiology. Computational neuroscience; the neuron as a complicated computing element; individual nerve cells as information processing devices. Time coding by neurons.

Development of computational method for redesign of protein-protein interfaces for altered affinity and binding specificity. the projects include redesign of calmodulin-target interactions, AChE-toxin interactions, Ras-effector interactions, and prion protein interactions.

Genetics of autism and schizophrenia; The role of chromatin regulators in brain development and function; Genetics of the variation in gene expression

Molecular genetics in yeast: meiosis, cell cycle, chromosome pairing, segregation and recombination in meiosis. Instability in the human, mouse and yeast genomes. DNA repair.

Stress responses. Antisense technology. Acetylcholinesterase biology. Molecular neurobiology. Messenger RNA studies

Structure and function of the nuclear pre-mRNA processing machine. Pre-mRNA splicing. Pre-mRNA processing. Regulation of gene expression in eukaryotes. Assembly and structural studies of biological systems. Autoantibodies against nuclear RNPs-probes for inflammatory myopathies and RNA processing. Physical biochemistry. Electron microscopy.

• To study the immune recognition neutralization of HCV by the adaptive immune system.
• To explore the interactions between the HCV envelope proteins and the host cells receptors.
• Structural elucidation of the entry mechanism of HCV and HCV-related hepaciviruses.

The three-dimensional structure, function and regulation of telomeres and telomerase; Human genetic diseases caused by telomere dysfunction.

In our group we study different aspects of the biology of fertility. We focus on the study of the way oocytes develop, and what cause their rapid aging.

Research students in the lab use a variety of methods such as:

1. Single-cell RNA-Seq
2. CRISPR/Cas9 
3. Genomic analyses
4. High resolution microscopy

Cellular physiology of central neurons. Subthreshold oscillations, resonance frequencies and rhythm generation in mammalian central nervous systems.

As a Systems Biology lab we combine experiments and theory to understand the design principles of biological networks: 1) Computation and functional dynamics in neural circuits with a single neuron resolution. 2) Plasticity in neural networks (Learning and memory, aging, neurodegenerative diseases) 3) Phenotypic variability: from gene expression and neural activity to behavior 4) Evolutionary and functional genomics: Transcription networks and the relationship between gene expression and genome structure.