Group Members

Yossi Ben Zion

Years: 2019-2021
Graduate: Msc 
Resistance Mechanisms of Escherichia Coli to Antimicrobial Peptides
Current Position: R&D at Merck

Gal Kapach

Years: 2013-2020
Graduate: PhD 
Resistance Mechanisms of Salmonella Typhimurium to Antimicrobial Peptides
Current Position: Project manger at Ador diagnostics

Etai  Rotem

Years: 2012-2019
Graduate: PhD 
T-cells Immunomodulation by retroviral envelope protein.
Current Position: Immunologist at Ukko

Simon Jini 

Years: 2017-2019
Graduate: MSc
The mechanism behind HIV immunosuppression of human T-cells through TLRs

Alon Nudelman

Years: 2016-2018
Graduate: MSc
The mechanism behind HIV immunosuppression of human T-cells through TLRs
Current Position: PhD at Prof. Irit Sagi, Weizmann Institute, Israel

Yoel Klug

Years: 2013-2018
Graduate: PhD
The mechanism behind HIV immunosuppression of T-cells.
Current Position: Postdoc at Prof. Pedro Carvalho, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

Liraz Shmuel

Years: 2010-2017
Graduate: PhD
Toll-Like Receptors in Pathologies: Regulation by their Trans-Membrane Domain and Membrane Proximal Amino Acids.
Current Position: Postdoc at Prof. Kate Fitzgerald, UMASS Medical School, Worcester, USA

Li-av T. Segev-Zarko

Years: 2012-2017
Graduate: PhD
Host- defense and like peptides antimicrobial: parameters involved in activation and neutralization of bacterial defense mechanisms
Current Position: Postdoctoral Scholar Stanford University

Hadar Cohen

Years: 2012-2017
Graduate: PhD
Understanding the Role of Toll-like Receptors in Initiating Sepsis, and Their Link to Cancer Progression.
Current Position: Business Development Manager at Dexcel Pharma

Roland Schwarzer

Years: 2014-2016
Graduate: Postdoc
The role of lipid rafts in structure and functions of membrane proteins
Current Position: Postdoc at Warner Greene lab, Gladstone Institute, California, San Francisco, USA

Reut Nuri

Years: 2014-2016
Graduate: MSc
Resistance mechanisms of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium to antimicrobial peptides
Current Position: Ph.D student at Abraham Minsky lab, Weizmann Institute, Israel

Nelly Frenkel

Years: 2014-2016
Graduate: MSc
Cationic antimicrobial peptides sensory mechanisms in Gram-positive bacteria.
Current Position: PhD student at Naama Barkai lab, Weizmann Institute, Israel

Omri Faingold

Years: 2010-2014

Graduate: PhD
T -cells neutralization by envelope proteins of T- cell's retroviruses
Current Position: R&D Senior Scientist at Omrix

Ron Saar-Dover

Years: 2009-2014
Graduate: PhD
Studying how structural alterations within the bacterial cell-wall protect bacteria from antimicrobial peptides and turgor pressure.
Current Position: Postdoctoral Researcher at Stanford University School of Medicine

Eliran-Moshe Reuven

Years: 2009-2013
Graduate: PhD
The transmembrane domains of HIV-1 gp41 and TLR-2: Contribution to protein assembly & function and novel drug targets
Current Position: Application specialist at ILEX MEDICAL LTD

Tal Eliezer Shprung

Years: 2009-2013
Graduate: PhD
The effects of PhoP-PhoQ and PmrA-PmrB two-component systems on biophysical properties and resistance to antimicrobial peptides in Salmonella enterica
Current Position: Software Developer at Sisense Nethania

Avraham Ashkenazi

Years: 2008-2013
Graduate: PhD
Revealing HIV-1 gp41 mediated fusion events between the "pre-fusion" and "post-fusion" states
Current Position: Principle investigator at Medicine Faculty, Tel Aviv University, Israel,

Christopher J.Arnush

Years: 2008-2011
Graduate: postdoc
Understanding the interaction of host-defense peptides with liposaccharide (endotoxin)
Current Position: Principal Scientist at Department of Desalination and Water Treatment, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

Avner Fink

Years: 2007-2011
Graduate: PhD
The transmembrane domains of Toll-Like receptors: Their role in innate immunity and relation to anti-cancer and host defense peptides
Current Position: Principle investigator at Lautenberg Center for Immunology and Cancer Research

Adi Peleg

Years: 2006-2010
Graduate: Postdoc
Bacterial resistance
Current Position: Tnuva laboratory manager

Elisa Merklinger

Years: 2009-2010
Graduate: MSc
Insertion mechanism of signal-anchored proteins into the outer mitochondrial membrane.
Current Position: Scientist Assay Development, AYOXXA Biosystems GmbH

Tomer Cohen

Years: 2006-2010
Graduate: PhD
Characterization of protein-protein interactions and recognition within the membrane milieu
Current Position: CEO at LIVEgg

Yael Friedman

Years: 2006-2009
Graduate: Postdoc
Mapping HIV-1 gp-41 Ectodomain for Regions Involved in Oligomers Formation: Toward Understanding the Mechanism of HIV-1 cell Fusion
Current Position: Researcher associate in Weizmann Institute

Yael Wexler-Cohen

Years: 2004-2009
Graduate: PhD
Unveiling crucial details on the intermediate conformations of HIV-1 gp41 during membrane fusion
Current Position: Scientist at Amgen, Los Angeles

Yakir Dadon

Years: 2007-2009
Graduate: MSc
The Role of the HIV1 gp41 Transmembrane Domain Assembly in the Function of Protein.
Current Position: Quality Assurance Engineer at Edwards Lifesciences

Libby Kosolapov

Years: 2006-2008
Graduate: MSc
Identification and Characterization of the Minimal dimerization Motif within the transmembrane domain of Toll-like receptor-4
Current Position: PhD student at Michael Walker lab, Weizmann Institute, Israel

Naama Lev

Years: 2005-2008
Graduate: MSc
Fatty acids can Substitute the HIV Fusion Peptide in Lipid Merging and Fusion: An Analogy between Viral and Palmitoylated Eukaryotic Fusion Proteins

Neta Sal-Man

Years: 2002-2007
Graduate: PhD
Characterization the parameters involved in the oligomerization of transmembrane domains of integral membrane proteins
Current Position: Principal Scientist at Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Ben Gurion University of the Negev

Niv Papo

Years: 2001-2006
Graduate: PhD
The molecular basis for the differences in cellular toxicity and specificity of ALL-L and D,L-amino acid containing cytolytic peptides
Current Position: -present Assistant professor. Department of Biotechnology Engineering, Faculty of Engineering Sciences, Ben-Gurion

Ofir Korazim

Years: 2004-2006
Graduate: MSc
Phospholipid Composition Affects HIV-1 Fusion Machinery
Current Position: Director of Business Development at Elbit Systems Ltd

Kelly Sackett

Years: 2002-2006
Graduate: PhD
Analysis of the HIV mediated fusion process through structural and functional characterization of its proposed intermediates
Current Position: Principal Scientist at Pfizer

Dorit Avrahami

Years: 1997-2005
Graduate: PhD
A Structure-Function Study of a new Family of Fungicides Composed of Native De-Novo Design Cationic Peptides Conjugated to Fatty acid
Current Position: Director of the microfluidics unit at BIU and a research assistant.

Doron Gerber

Years: 1997-2005
Graduate: PhD
Protein-protein recognition within the membrane Milieu: the structural adaptation of transmembrane domains in the assembly process
Current Position: Principle investigator in the Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences at the Bar-Ilan Institute of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials (BINA).

Arik Makovitzki

Years: 1997-2005
Graduate: PhD
Mode of action and parameters involved in cell selective activity of new families of antimicrobial peptides and lipopeptides in vitro and in vivo
Current Position: Israel Institute of Biological Research | IIBR

Yosef Rosenfeld

Years: 1997-2005
Graduate: PhD
Interaction between Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and host defense molecules
Current Position: Pre-Clinical Projects Manager at PolyPid Ltd

Itay Bloch

Years: 2003-2005
Graduate: MSc
The molecular characterization of the structure-based interaction between the HIV’s glycoprotein gp41 and the T-cell receptor.
Current Position: Head of Computational Chemistry and Drug Discovery at MIGAL Galilee Research Institute.

Lior Blank

Years: 2001-2004
Graduate: MSc
Membrane Induced Conformational Changes of HIV-1 gp41 Full-Length Ectodomain.
Current Position: Staff Scientist, Department of Plant Pathology and Weed Research ARO, Volcani Center

Amir Malina

Years: 2002-2004
Graduate: MSc
The Role of Hydrophobicity in Diastereomeric Antimicrobial Lipopeptide as a Modulator of Their Cell-Selective Activity.
Current Position: Digital Marketing at Imperva

Amir Braunstein

Years: 2002-2004
Graduate: Postdoc
In vivo Application and Mode of Action Studies of diastereomeric Antimicrobial Peptides against Cancer and Antibiotics-resistant Bacterial

Sergio Peisajovich

Years: 1998-2003
Graduate: PhD
Viral-induced membrane fusion: functional and structural characterization of envelope proteins form distantly-related viruses
Current Position: Director at Illumina, San Diago

Sopie Shanaper

Years: 2000-2003
Graduate: MSc
The role of Pre-transmembrane region of HIV-1GP-41 ectodomain in Membrane Fusion
Current Position: Consultant, IP legal selecta biosciences Boston

Yossef Kliger

Years: 1996-2001
Graduate: PhD
HIV-1 induced membrane fusion
Current Position: Principle scientist Compugen Ltd

Ziv Oren

Years: 1996-2001
Graduate: PhD
Cell-specific cytotoxicity by a novel repertoire of antimicrobial polypeptides. Structure-function study
Current Position: Israel Institute of Biological Research | IIBR

Michal Shahar

Years: 1999-2001
Graduate: senior scientist
Bacterial resistance
Current Position: VP of R&D Neotex

Orit Samuel

Years: 1998-2000
Graduate: MSc
Discovery of an Internal Fusion Peptide in Measles Virus Suggests a Novel Mechanism of Paramyxoviridae-induced Membrane Fusion

Tamar Unger

Years: 1998-2000
Graduate: Senior scientist
Bacterial resistance
Current Position: Staff scientist in structural proteomics unit in Weizmann Institute

Orit Sholto

Years: 1998-2000
Graduate: Lab scientist
Bacterial resistance
Current Position: Lab Manager at Mekorot Rehovot Biotechnology

Hadas Peled-Zehavi

Years: 1993-1998
Graduate: PhD
Synthetic peptides approach to study the structure and function of shaker K+channel
Current Position: Staff scientist at Gad Galili lab, Weizmann Institute, Israel

Ehud Gazit

Years: 1993-1998
Graduate: PhD
Mechanisms of membrane permeation by peptide and protein toxins?
Current Position: Principle investigator and Endowed Chair at the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences and the Department of Material Science and Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and a member of the Executive Council of Tel Aviv University.

Yehonathan Pouny

Years: 1992-1997
Graduate: PhD
Comparative study on the membrane-interaction of putative transmembrane segments of voltage-gated Na+ channels, and membrane permeating toxins
Current Position: Certified Patent Examiner at Israel Patent & Trademark office

Doron Rapaport

Years: 1992-1995
Graduate: PhD
Mechanism of phospholipids membrane fusion induced by fusogenic peptides
Current Position: Principle investigator at Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Germany

Iris Ben-Efraim

Years: 1992-1995
Graduate: PhD
Structural and functional properties of the ISK protein and the ROMK1 Potassium channel

Ruth Feuchtwanger-Segal

Years: 1992-1994
Graduate: MSc
Characterization of putative ion channel forming segments from CFTR protein.