Head, Israeli Center of research Excellence (I-CORE): Plant Adaptation to Changing Environment

Research goals: Our aim is to understand the mechanisms underlying plant adaptation to environmental threats. We address fundamental molecular, cellular, genetic and physiological aspects while attempting to employ basic principles for the improvement of plants and the environment.

Environmental & Applied projects:
* Plant – water relations: Water-use efficiency, Hydrotropism, Root-to-shoot signaling, Root architecture
* Plant Biomass for Biofuel: Crops on marginal lands and marginal water.

Basic Research:
* Molecular – genetic basis of phenotypic plasticity & adaptation to stress
* Transcription regulation (calcium-regulated transcription factors)
* Signal transduction (calcium, cyclic nucleotides, phytohormones)
* Calmodulin target proteins
* Genes controlling plant – water relations