A5024539838- Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
- Biocrusts and Microbial Ecology
- Wastewater Treatment and Reuse
- Aquatic Ecosystems and Phytoplankton Dynamics
- Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
- Bacterial biofilms and quorum sensing
- Polar Research and Ecology
- Bacteriophages and microbial interactions
- Probiotics and Fermented Foods
- Fecal contamination and water quality
- Membrane Separation Technologies
- Wastewater Treatment and Nitrogen Removal
- Bacterial Genetics and Biotechnology
- Constructed Wetlands for Wastewater Treatment
- Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics
- Gut microbiota and health
- Pharmaceutical and Antibiotic Environmental Impacts
- Slime Mold and Myxomycetes Research
- Water Treatment and Disinfection
- Evolution and Genetic Dynamics
- Evolutionary Game Theory and Cooperation
- Antibiotic Resistance in Bacteria
- Lichen and fungal ecology
- Aeolian processes and effects
- Child Nutrition and Water Access
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
2015-2024
Israel Water Authority
2014
Institute for Advanced Study
2014
Yale University
2004-2005
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
2001-2003
The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted public health and the worldwide economy. Converging evidence from current pandemic, previous outbreaks controlled experiments indicates that SARS-CoVs are present in wastewater for several days, leading to potential risks via waterborne aerosolized pathways. Conventional treatment provides only partial removal of SARS-CoVs, thus safe disposal or reuse will depend on efficacy final disinfection. This underscores need a risk assessment management...
Microbial communities in soils may change accordance with distance, season, climate, soil texture and other environmental parameters. diversity patterns have been extensively surveyed temperate regions, but few such studies attempted to address them respect spatial temporal scales their correlations factors, especially arid ecosystems. In order fill this gap on a regional scale, the molecular fingerprints abundance of three taxonomic groups – Bacteria, α-Proteobacteria Actinobacteria were...
Abstract Life in desert soil is marked by episodic pulses of water and nutrients followed long periods drought. While the flora fauna flourish after rainfall response microorganisms remains unclear understudied. We provide first systematic study role aqueous habitat dynamics shaping microbial community composition diversity. Detailed monitoring natural communities a event revealed remarkable decrease diversity significant transition that were gradually restored to pre-rainfall values during...
Abstract Desert soils harbour diverse communities of aerobic bacteria despite lacking substantial organic carbon inputs from vegetation. A major question is therefore how these maintain their biodiversity and biomass in resource-limiting ecosystems. Here, we investigated desert topsoils biological soil crusts collected along an aridity gradient traversing four climatic regions (sub-humid, semi-arid, arid, hyper-arid). Metagenomic analysis indicated vary capacity to use sunlight, compounds,...
Desert surface soils devoid of plant cover are populated by a variety microorganisms, many with yet unresolved physiologies and lifestyles. Nevertheless, common feature vital for these microorganisms inhabiting arid is their ability to survive long drought periods reactivate rapidly in rare incidents rain. Chemolithotrophic processes such as oxidation atmospheric hydrogen carbon monoxide suggested be widespread energy source support dormancy resuscitation desert soil microorganisms. Here, we...
Abstract Background The ability of a bacterial strain to competitively exclude or displace other strains can be attributed the production narrow spectrum antimicrobials, bacteriocins. In an attempt evaluate importance bacteriocin for Escherichia coli residence in gastrointestinal tract, murine model experimental evolution study was undertaken. Results Six colicin-producing, yet otherwise isogenic, E. were administered and established large intestine streptomycin-treated mice. strains'...
Bacteriocins are a large and functionally diverse family of toxins found in all major lineages Bacteria. Colicins, those bacteriocins produced by Escherichia coli, serve as model system for investigations bacteriocin structure–function relationships, genetic organization, their ecological role evolutionary history. Colicin expression is often dependent on host regulatory pathways (such the SOS system), usually confined to times stress, results death producing cells. This study investigates...
Abstract Background Phenotypic heterogeneity may ensure that a small fraction of population survives environmental perturbations or result in lysis subpopulation, to increase the survival siblings. Genes involved DNA repair and dynamics play key roles rapid responses conditions. In Escherichia coli transcriptional repressor LexA controls coordinated cellular response damage designated SOS response. Expression regulated genes, e.g. colicin encoding recA , lexA umuDC was examined utilizing...
The relationship between total and metabolically active soil microbial communities can change drastically with environment. In dry lands, water availability is a key factor limiting cells' activity. We surveyed the diversity of Archaea Bacteria in soils ranging from arid desert to Mediterranean forests. Thirty composited samples were retrieved five sites along precipitation gradient, collected patches located under dominant perennial plant at each site. Molecular fingerprinting was used...
Bacteria produce a wide arsenal of toxic compounds in order to kill competing species. Bacteriocins, protein-based toxins produced by nearly all bacteria, have generally been considered ubiquitous anti-competitor strategy, used bacterial strains. Some these bacteriocins are encoded on plasmids, which also code for closely linked immunity (thereby rendering toxin producing cells immune their own toxin). However, the production can be interpreted as means promote plasmid stability...
Laboratory-scale reverse osmosis (RO) flat-sheet systems were used with two parallel flow cells, one treated cleaning agents and a control (ie undisturbed). The efforts increased the affinity of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) to RO membrane altered biofilm surface structure. Analysis community composition revealed dominance Proteobacteria. However, within phylum Proteobacteria, γ-Proteobacteria dominated cleaned biofilm, while β-Proteobacteria biofilm. fungal phyla was also by...