PLANT PATHOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY Tel: 972-8-948-9219; Fax: 972-8-946-6794 STAFF Professors Emeriti: Chet, I., Ph.D. 1 Dinoor, A., Ph.D. Henis, Y., Ph.D. Kenneth, R., Ph.D. Professors: Hadar, Y., Ph.D 2 (Dean) Katan, J., Ph.D. 3 Okon, Y., Ph.D. (Head of Department) Associate Professors: Sztejnberg, A., Ph.D. 4 Yarden, O., Ph.D. Senior Lecturer: Lecturer: Kamea Program: Jurkevitch, E., Ph.D. Burdman S., Ph.D. Chernin, L., Ph.D. Gorovits, R. Ph.D. INTRODUCTION Research activities in the Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology cover many aspects of theoretical and applied research. Among the subjects studied are: Bio-degradation of lignocellulose. Recycling of agricultural wastes. Biological control of soil-borne plant diseases by antagonistic organisms, e.g., Trichoderma. Biotechnology, cloning of the chitinase gene to biocontrol agents. Biological control of powdery mildews by Ampelomyces quisqualis (AQ10) and downy mildews. Biological control of weeds by pathogens. Biology and control of soil-borne plant pathogens. Management of soil-borne diseases by soil solarization and other means. Interactions between soil pathogens and soil 1 President, Weizmann Institute of Science 2 Dean, Faculty of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Quality Sciences 3 Buck Family Professor of Plant Pathology 4 Francis Ariowitsch Professor of Agriculture 31
microorganisms. Insect and mite control by fungi. Diseases of ornamental plants. Crop loss assessment. Disease resistance in populations of wild plants. Genetics of host-parasite relationships. Natural populations of plant pathogens. Molecular aspects of fungal growth and development. Induced resistance. Interactions between herbicides and plant pathogens. Compounds conferring resistance to diseases in citrus. Symbiotic and associative biological nitrogen fixation in grasses and legumes. Ecology of plant leaf microbial populations. Ecology of plant root bacteria. Molecular analysis of growth cycle of Bdellovibrio, a bacterial parasite. BURDMAN, SAUL Born 1967, Montevideo, Uruguay; Ph.D. 2001, Hebrew Univ.; Lect. 2003. Fax: 972-8-9466794 Basic and applied research on plant-microbe interactions with emphasis on bacterial pathogens. Identification and characterization of bacterial genes expressed during pathogen-host interactions, and assessment of their importance for pathogenicity. Biological control. Two-component regulation of AvrXa21activity in Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo). CHERNIN, LEONID Born 1941, Moscow (Russia); M.D. 1964, Ph.D. 1971, D.Sc. 1983, Professor in Genetics 1991. Researcher 1993. Researcher A (Kamea program) 2000. E-mail: chernin@agri.huji.ac.il Tel. 972-8-948-9128; Fax: 972-8-946-8785 Biological control of fungal plant pathogens; antifungal exoenzymes and antibiotics, regulation of antagonism-related genes expression, genetic manipulation of plant growth promoting bacteria to enhance biocontrol of phytopathogens, cell to cell communications (quorum sensing) in plantassociated bacteria; plant-microbe interaction; construction of transgenic plants resistant to diseases. 32
1. Biological control of vegetable and fruit fungal diseases by bacterial antagonists. 2. Genetic manipulation of plant growth-promoting bacteria to enhance biocontrol of fungal diseases. CHET, ILAN Born 1939, Haifa; Ph.D. 1968, Hebrew Univ.; Lect. 1969; Sen. Lect. 1972; Assoc. Prof. 1975; Prof. 1978; Dean, Faculty of Agriculture, 1986-1989; Doct. Hon. Causa, 1991, Lund Univ., Sweden; Vice-President for Research and Development, Hebrew University, 1992-2001; Fellow, Am. Phytopathological Soc., 1991; Isr. Acad. Sci., 1998; Recipient, Rothschild Prize for Agricultural Research, 1990; Max Planck Research Award, 1994; Israel Prize for Agricultural Research, 1996; I.U.M.S. Arima Prize for Applied Microbiology, 1996; Wolf Prize, 1998; Emeritus 2001. President, Weizmann Institute of Science, 2001. 1. Biological control of soil-borne plant pathogenic fungi, and genetic engineering of biocontrol agents. 2. Lytic enzymes of fungal cell walls (chitinase and glucanases). Induced resistance of plants to fungi. DINOOR, AMOS Born 1934, Vienna; Ph.D. 1968, Hebrew Univ.; Lect. 1968; Sen. Lect. 1970; Assoc. Prof. 1974; Prof. 1980; Emeritus 2002. E-mail: dinoor@agri.huji.ac.il Tel: 972-8-948-9358; Fax: 972-8-946-6794 Host-parasite relationships in natural plant communities. Plant genetic resources. Genetics of host-parasite relationships. Crop loss assessment. The use of varietal mixtures as a control measure. Biological control of weeds by plant pathogens. 1. Biological control of dodder by a fungal pathogen. Funding: Israel Academy of Sciences. 2. Studies on populations of wild barley (Hordeum spontaneum) in their responses to powdery mildew. 3. Studies on populations of barley powdery mildew (Blumeria graminis f.sp. hordei) in natural populations of wild barley. 4. Studies on populations of wild emmer wheat (Triticum diccocoides) in their 33
responses to powdery mildew. 5. Identification of resistance genes in wild wheat to wheat powdery mildew (Blumeria graminis f.sp. tritici). 6. Powdery mildew of grapes: biology, epidemiology and control. Funding: Chief Scientist Office, Ministry of Agriculture. GOROVITS, RENA Born 1957, Tashkent; Ph.D. 1988, Moscow Univ.; Scientist 1991; Researcher B (Kamea Program) 2000. E-mail:gorovits@agri3.agri.huji.ac.il Tel: 972-8-948-9047; Fax: 972-8-946-8785 Investigation of the regulation of cellular extension in the filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa. The objective is to elucidate the mechanisms of reversible phosphorylation involved in regulation of cellular growth at different environmental conditions in this organism as a model for other fungi and higher eukaryotes. 1. Isolation and characterization of various colonial temperature sensitive N. crassa mutants for providing a basis for the identification of genes involved in cellular extension : hyphal elongation and branching. 2. Identification of phosphorylation cascades governing cellular processes. Analysis of the pattern, abundance and functional activities of different kinases and phosphatase. Comparative analysis of fungal kinases and phosphatases with their potential counterparts in other eukaryotes. 3. The involvement of kinases/phosphatases signaling in stress response of the filamentous fungal cells. HADAR, YITZHAK Born 1951, Haifa; Ph.D. 1981, Hebrew Univ.; Lect. 1982; Sen. Lect. 1985; Assoc. Prof. 1991; Prof. 1995; Recipient, Rothschild Prize for Agriculture, 1998; Dean, Faculty of Agriculture, since October 2001. E-mail: hadar@agri.huji.ac.il Tel: 972-8-948-9935; Fax: 972-8-946-8785 Recycling of agricultural organic wastes. Degradation of lignocellulose, composting of wastes, production of container media suppressive to soil-borne plant pathogens. Mechanisms of microbial siderophores uptake in plants and 34
microorganisms. 1. Biodegradation mechanism of PAH's by Pleurotus ostreatus. 2. Defining maturity of composted municipal solid waste. 3. Effective conversion of renewable plant biomass to energy by using molecular-genetically improved fungi. 4. Enzymes involved in lignin degradation. HENIS, YIGAL Born 1926, Tel Aviv; Ph.D. 1959, Hebrew Univ.; Lect. 1960; Sen. Lect. 1964; Assoc. Prof. 1969; Prof. 1974; Emeritus 1995. E-mail: henis@agri.huji.ac.il Tel: 972-8-948-9295; Fax: 972-8-946-6794 Biological control of soil-borne plant pathogens. Fate of microorganisms in alien environments. Groundwater microbiology. Biodegradation of herbicides. Microbial activity in hypersaline environments. Bioremediation. Seed microbiology. JURKEVITCH, EDOUARD Born 1960, Neuilly/s/Seine (France); Ph.D. 1992, Hebrew Univ.; Lect. 1995. Senior Lecturer 2001. E-mail: jurkevi@agri.huji.ac.il Tel: 972-8-948-9167/5; Fax: 972-8-946-6794 Microbial ecology of rhizosphere bacteria. Ecology of predatory bacteria. Microbial flora of fruit flies 1. Molecular microbial ecology of populations in the rhizosphere: A study of cereals inoculated with Azospirillum brasilense. 2. Influence of compost applications on nitrifying bacteria and on rhizobia in groundnut planted soils. 3. Influence of irrigation with wastewater on nitrifying and nitrogen fixing microorganisms in soils and in the rhizosphere of chickpea. 4. An rrna-directed oligonucleotide study of Bdellovibrio: Quantification, population structure and role in microbial ecology. 5. Bacterial populations associated with Ceratitis capitata, the Mediterranean Fruit Fly: diversity, structure, distribution and impact on host fitness. 35
KATAN, JAACOV Born 1936, Baghdad; Ph.D. 1969, Hebrew Univ.; Lect. 1969; Sen. Lect. 1972; Assoc. Prof. 1976; Prof. 1979. E-mail: katan@agri.huji.ac.il Tel: 972-8-948-9217; Fax: 972-8-946-6794 Soil-borne pathogens causing plant diseases (SBPP): ecology and control. Soil solarization for controlling SBPP. Pesticide degradation in soil. Interactions between herbicides and plant pathogens. Genetic relatedness among Fusarium fungi. Alternatives to methyl bromide. 1. Population and genetic studies of Fusarium and Verticillium pathogens. 2. Integrated control of soil-borne pathogens with emphasis on solarization. 3. Alternatives to methyl bromide. 4. Modelling solarization. KENNETH, ROBERT (REUVEN) Born 1922, New York, NY; Ph.D. 1960, Hebrew Univ.; Lect. 1963; Sen. Lect. 1966; Assoc. Prof. 1971; Prof. 1978; Emeritus 1991. E-mail: kenneth@agri.huji.ac.il Tel: 972-8-948-9162; Fax: 972-8-946-6794 Taxonomy, biology and epidemiology of downy mildew organisms. Taxonomy, biology of entomopathogenic fungi, including Entomophthoralean spp. and Fungi Imperfecti; biological control by fungi of insects, nematodes, weeds and fungi. Foliar diseases of field crops. OKON, YAACOV Born 1944, Mexico; Ph.D. 1974, Hebrew Univ.; Lect. 1975; Sen. Lect. 1979; Assoc. Prof. 1982; Prof. 1986. E-mail: okon@agri.huji.ac.il Tel: 972-8-948-9216; Fax: 972-8-946-6794 36
Biological nitrogen fixation and plant promoting effects in associations between rhizophere bacteria and roots of grasses, legumes and vegetables. Biological nitrogen fixation in Rhizobium legume symbiosis and bacterial diseases of plants. 1. Improvement of nodulation, nitrogen fixation, water uptake and yield of chickpea (Cicer arietinum) and fava beans (Vicia faba). Funding: CRB Foundation. 2. Extracellular factors involved in the aggregation of the N 2 -fixing rhizobacterium Azospirillum brasilense. Funding: The Israel Science 3. Foundation. 4. The regulation of the synthesis and degradation of the reserve material polyβ-hydroxybutyrate in Azospirillum brasilense. Funding: EU - 5 th Framework. 5. Molecular microbial ecology of populations in the rhizosphere: A study of cereals inoculated with Azosprillum brasilense. Funding: GIF, EU-5 th Framework. SZTEJNBERG, ABRAHAM Born 1937, Santiago (Chile); Ph.D. 1972, Hebrew Univ.; Lect. 1972; Sen. Lect. 1978; Assoc. Prof. 1991. E-mail: abraham@agri.huji.ac.il Tel: 972-8-948-9334; Fax: 972-8-946-6794 Diseases of fruit trees. Biology, epidemiology and control of stone fruit rust and white root rot of fruit trees. Resistance to Phytophthora gummosis disease in citrus. Biological control of powdery mildew and downy mildew diseases of plants. Biological control of mites by fungi. 1. Development and evaluation of biological control of grape downy mildew. 2. Development of a new biocontrol agent for powdery mildew and mites. 3. Reduction in pesticide use and integrated pest management of grape powdery mildew. 4. Development of a new method for the control of mango malformation. 37
YARDEN, ODED Born 1956, Kfar Saba (Israel); Ph.D. 1989, Hebrew Univ.; Lect. 1991; Sen. Lect. 1995. Assoc. Prof. 1999. E-mail: yarden@agri.huji.ac.il Tel: 972-8-948-9298; Fax: 972-8-946-6794 URL: http://departments.agri.huji.ac.il/plantpath/yarden.html Fungal growth and development. Plant-pathogen interactions. Mechanisms of microbial degradation of pesticides in soil. 1. Cell wall biosynthesis in filamentous fungi. 2. Phosphorylation as a mechanism for regulation of fungal morphogenesis. 38