Prof. Eran Levin

Eran Levin’s research brings together physiology ecology and nutrition to address questions regarding how form and function enable an organism's adaptation to changing environments at both ecological and evolutionary time scales. In his research he uses hypotheses-driven experimental testing of proximate mechanisms and species-level comparative physiology in both field and lab settings. Eran is firmly believes in the necessity of integrating across multiple scales of inquiry, from the broad scale of the natural ecological setting to the fine scale of molecular and biochemical mechanism focusing on animal models that display extreme adaptations, such as very high or very low metabolic rates and adaptation to extreme climate conditions.

 Specific research interests are: 

• Metabolic adaptations in nectar feeding animals
• The effect of environment and climate on the body lipids of animals
• Amino acids as fuel source for animals
• Extreme metabolic rates (high and low)
• Bats ecology and physiology
• Insect migration
• Ecotoxicology

• Barie, K., Levin, E. and Amsalem, E. 2022. CO2 narcosis induces a metabolic shift mediated via juvenile hormone in Bombus impatiens gynes. Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 149, 103831.
• Meiri, S. and Levin, E. 2022. Revisiting life history and morphological proxies for early mammaliaform metabolic rates. Nature Communications, 13, 5562.
• Cohen, N., Volov, M., Bodner, L., Bouchebti, S. and Levin, E. 2022. Body Size, Metabolic Rate, and Diapause in the Oriental Hornet (Vespa Orientalis), in Two Extreme Climatic Regions. Ecological Entomology, 2022. 1-10
• Parikh, S., Parikh, R., Michael, K., Bikovski, L., Barnabas, G., Mardamshina, M., Hemi, R., Manich, P., Goldstein, N., Malcov-Brog, H., Ben-Dov, T., Glaich, O., Liber, D., Bornstein, Y., Goltseker, K., Ben-Bezalel, R., Pavlovsky, M., Golan, T., Spitzer, L., Matz, H., Gonen, P., Percik, R., Leibou, L., Perluk, T., Ast, G., Frand, J., Brenner, R., Ziv, T., Khaled, M., Ben-Eliyahu, S., Barak, S., Karnieli-Miller, O., Levin, E., Gepner, Y., Weiss, R., Pfluger, P., Weller, A. and Levy, C. (2022b) Food-seeking behavior is triggered by skin ultraviolet exposure in males. Nature Metabolism, 4, 883-900.
• Bouchebti, S., Bodner, L. and Levin, E. 2022. Continuous exchange of nectar nutrients in an Oriental hornet colony. Communications biology, 5, 1-6.
• Bouchebti, S., Bodner, L., Bergman, M., Magory Cohen, T. and Levin, E. 2022. The effects of dietary proline, β-alanine, and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) on the nest construction behavior in the Oriental hornet (Vespa orientalis). Scientific Reports, 12, 1-8.
• Bodner, L., Bouchebti, S., Watted, O., Seltzer, R., Drabkin, A. and Levin, E. (2022) Nutrient Utilization during Male Maturation and Protein Digestion in the Oriental Hornet. Biology, 11, 241.
• Bodner, L., Bouchebti, S., and Levin, E. 2021 Allocation and metabolism of naturally occurring dietary amino acids in the Oriental hornet. Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 103675
• Urca, T., E. Levin, and G. Ribak. 2021. Insect flight metabolic rate revealed by bolus injection of the stable isotope 13C Proceedings of the Royal Society B 2017; 284: 20162126
• Magory Cohen, T., Kiat, Y., Sharon, H. and Levin, E. 2021. An alternative hypothesis for the evolution of sexual segregation in endotherms Global Ecology and Biogeography
• Dubiner, S., Cohen, N., Volov, M., Hefetz, A., Setlzer, R., and Levin, E. The Exocrine Chemistry of the Parasitic Wasp Sphecophaga orientalis and Its Host Vespa orientalis: A Case of Chemical Deception? Insects. 2020;12(1)
• Volov, M., Cohen, N., Bodner, L., Dubiner, S., Hefetz, A., Bouchebti, S. and Levin, E. 2021. The effect of climate and diet on body lipid composition in the Oriental hornet (Vespa orientalis). Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 9, 1-9.
• Shpigler, H.Y., Magory Cohen, T., Ben Shimol, E., Ben-Betzalel, R. and Levin, E. 2021. Juvenile hormone functions as a metabolic rate accelerator in bumble bees (Bombus terrestris). Hormones and Behavior
• Çoraman, E., Dietz, C., Hempel, E., Gazaryan, A., Levin, E., Presetnik, P., Zagmajster, M. and Mayer, F., Reticulate Evolutionary History of a Western Palaearctic Bat Complex Explained by Multiple mtDNA Introgressions in Secondary Contacts. Journal of Biogeography. 2019; 46(2):343-352.
• Nielsen, ME., Levin, E., Davidowitz, G., and Papaj, DR., Colour plasticity alters thermoregulatory behaviour in Battus philenor caterpillars by modifying the cue received. Animal Behaviour 2018; 140:93- 98.
• Levin, E., McCue, M., and Davidowitz, G., More than just sugar sugar: allocation and metabolism of nectar amino acids and fatty acids in a Lepidopteran. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 2017; 284: 20162126
• Levin, E., Lopez, G., Fane B, Davidowitz G., Hawkmoth use sugar to reduce oxidative damage from flight. Science 2017; 355: 733-735.
• Levin, E., McCue, M., and Davidowitz, G., Sex Differences in the Utilization of Essential and Non-Essential Amino Acids in Lepidoptera. Journal of Experimental Biology. 2017; jeb. 154757
• Levin, E., Mitra, C., and Davidowitz, G.,Fed males increase oviposition in female hawk moths via male-provided non-nutritive direct benefits. Animal Behaviour. 2016; 112, 111-118.
• Levin, E., Plotnik, B., Amichai, E., Braulke, LJ., Yom-Tov, Y., and Kronfeld-Schor, N., Subtropical mouse-tailed bats using geothermal heated caves for winter hibernation at warm temperatures. Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 2015; 282, 20142781.
• Cvikel, N., Greitzer, K., Levin, E., Hurme, E., Borrisov, I., Boonman, A., Amichai, E., and Yovel, Y. On board recordings reveal no jamming avoidance in wild bats. Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 2015; 282, 20142274.
• Cvikel, N., Berg, KE., Levin E., Hurme E., Borissov I., Boonman A., Amichai E. and Yovel Y., Bats aggregate to improve preysearch but might be impaired when density becomes to high. Current Biology 2015; 25, 201-206.
• Levin, E., Roll, U., Dolev, A., Yom-Tov, Y., Kronfeld-Schor, N., Bats of a gender flock together: sexual segregation in a subtropical bat. PLoS one. 2013; 8:e54987
• Levin, E., Yom-Tov, Y., Hefetz, A., Kronfeld-Schor, N. Changes in diet, body and fatty acids composition during pre-hibernation in a subtropical bat, in relation to NPY and AgRP expression. Journal of Comparative Physiology B 2013 183, 157-166.
• Amichai, E., Levin, E., Yom-Tov, Y., Kronfeld-Schor, N.,Natural history, physiology and energetic strategies of Asellia tridens (Chiroptera). Mammalian Biology 2013; 78, 94-103.
• Kanfi, Y., Peshti, V., Gil, R., Naiman, S., Nahum, L., Levin, E., Kronfeld-Schor, N., and HY, Cohen,. SIRT6 protects against pathological damage caused by diet-induced obesity. Aging Cell 2010; 1-12 (best paper prize for 2010).
• Yuan, L., Zuo, X., He, L., Racey, P., Levin, E., and Zhang, S., Cloning and Characterization of Novel Isoforms of the BOULE Gene in Bats. Biochemical Genetics. 2009; 48, 173-180
• Levin, E., Yom-Tov, Y., and Barnea, A., Frequent nuptial flights of ants provide a primary food source for bats. Naturwissenschaften. 2009; 96, 477-483
• Levin, E., Yom-Tov, Y., Barnea, A., and Huchon, D., Genetic diversity and phylogeography of the greater mouse-tailed bat Rhinopoma microphyllum (Brünnich, 1782) in the Levant. Acta Chiropterologica. 2008; 10, 207-212
• Levin, E., Barnea, A., Yovel, Y., and Yom-Tov Y. Have introduced fish initiated piscivory among the long-fingered bat? Mammalian Biology. 2006; 71, 139-143