Current Research Activities

1. Ex-situ and in-situ conservation of the wild relatives of cereal crops-  
 

Assessing  the genetic diversity of Aegilops sharonensis in Israel, using molecular markers
Study of the spatial diversity of Aegilops sharonensis in relation to ecological factors
Emergency collection of seeds from endangered populations
Renewal of the in situ research on wild wheat in Ammiad site

 

2. Genetics of resistance to wheat diseases-
 

Genetics of resistance to stripe rust in wild emmer 
Genetics of resistance to powdery mildew in wild emmer
Genetics of resistance to stripe rust in Aegilops sharonensis
2.4 Genetic control of host and non host relationships between wheat and Aegilops speltoides and two formae speciales of leaf rust 

 

3. Transfer of economically valuable genes from wild cereals to wheat-
 

Transfer of novel stripe rust resistance genes from wild emmer to bread wheat
Transfer of resistance to wheat leaf rust from Aegilops speltoides to bread wheat
Transfer of resistance to stripe rust and wheat leaf rust from Aegilops sharonensis to bread wheat

 

4. Breeding Israeli wheat for disease resistances by using bread wheat germplasm

5. Identification of genes involved in resistance of wheat toward Mycosphaerella graminicola

6. Phytopathological and mycological studies

Development of a comprehensive system for identification of rust fungi 
Studies of the pycnial nectar of rust fungi and its part in the fungal fertilization process 
Use of flow cytometry for determination of nuclear DNA values in cereals and in cereal rust urediniospore 
Leaf rust on Aegilops speltoides caused by a new forma specialis of Puccinia triticina
Wheat rusts populations in Israel 
Efforts to monitor appearance of UG99 stem rust 
Testing wheat candidate lines for breeding of disease-resistant varieties 
Nuclear history from teliospore germination through basidiospore formation 
Whole-cell fatty acid profiles 
Spore dimensions of some cereal rusts as determined by image analysis 

 

7. Mathematical methods in study of genetic structure, relationships and dynamics of populations-

General theory of measuring diversity within and distance between populations
New methods for analyses of molecular markers data 
Diversity of plant pathogen populations: general approach, new mathematical methods, and computational tools
Analysis of host-pathogen systems
Modeling the dynamics of plant pathogen epidemics

8. Transformation Center

Institute for Cereal Crops Improvement, Tel Aviv University

Tel Aviv University's Cereal Genomic Transformation Center is at the forefront of agricultural innovation, with a focus on the genetic transformation of cereal crops, notably wheat. Wheat is one of the most crucial crops for humanity, ensuring global food security.

Our goal is to increase yield, nutritional value, and resilience to diseases and environmental challenges. To achieve this goal, we created genomic and genetic resources for wheat wild relatives, as well as a bioinformatic pipeline that uses these resources to quickly identify and isolate novel genes for desired features. We developed a pathway that uses cutting-edge genetic transformation and gene editing that allows us to test the function of candidate genes within a few months from isolation.  

Our center pioneers in wheat transformation and gene editing, working with Israeli and international experts. We also provide wheat transformation and gene editing services to researchers from academia and industry.