Fungal Biology and Genetics

About Our Lab
We study molecular mechanisms involved in fungal growth and development. We focus on reference systems as well as on fungi in their natural environment (including soil and in association with plants and sessile marine animals) and their interactions with other species. We are taking advantage of genetic and biochemical tools developed for such studies, in different fungi, in order to advance our knowledge of fungal biology. We hope that a better understanding of such processes, some of which are unique to fungi, may provide a basis for designing rational approaches to either affect fungal proliferation or enhance specific traits of fungi used in biotechnology.
Hyphal Elongation and Branching

Hyphal Elongation and Branching

Using the wealth of genetic and cell biology-related tools available for Neurospora crassa (whose hyphae can elongate at up to 4mm per hour), we are dissecting the molecular mechanisms involved in the initiation, maintenance and regulation of polar growth and development in filamentous fungi.

Fungi in the Marine Environment

Fungi in the Marine Environment

We are analyzing culturable fungi associated with sessile marine animals (mainly sponges and coral) with the intention of identifying and quantifying their mycobiome constituents. We are also studying the potential contribution of these fungi to coral wellbeing and their ability to produce bioactive products.

Trichoderma Germination and Mycoparasitism

Trichoderma Germination and Mycoparasitism

Many members of the genus Trichoderma exhibit mycoparasitic capabilities and are thus candidates for use as environmental-friendly biocontrol agents. We are studying the mechanistic aspects of conidial germination and interaction with host fungi to elucidate the nature of Trichoderma growth and proliferation with the intention of improving its performance in biocontrol.

Wood Decay Fungi

Wood Decay Fungi

White rot fungi, such as Pleurotus ostreatus, have unique capabilities to degrade lignin and other complex natural and xenobiotic compounds. In close collaboration with Prof. Yitzhak Hadar, we are studying the regulation of lignin degradation in culture and on natural substrates and the interactions between P. ostreatus and other wood-decaying fungi.





  • Osherov, N. and Yarden, O. 2010. The fungal cell wall. Pages 224-237 in: Borkovich, K.A. and Ebbole, D.J. (eds). Cellular and Molecular Biology of Filamentous Fungi. American Society of Microbiology Press.
  • Ziv, C. and Yarden, O. 2010. Gene silencing for functional analysis: Assessing RNAi as a tool for manipulation of gene expression. Pages 77-100 in: Sharon, A. (ed) Molecular Biology Methods for Fungi. Humana Press.
  • Paz, Z., Komon-Zelazowska, M., Druzhinina, I.S., Aveskamp, M.M., Schnaiderman, A. Aluma, A., Carmeli, S., Ilan, M. and Yarden, O. 2010. Diversity and potential antifungal properties of fungi associated with a Mediterranean sponge. Fung. Divers. 42:17-26 article
  • Dvash, E. Kra-Oz, G. Ziv, C. Carmeli, S. and Yarden, O. 2010. The NDR kinase DBF-2 is involved in regulation of mitosis, conidial development and glycogen metabolism in Neurospora crassa. Eukaryot. Cell 9:502-513 pubmed
  • Salame, T.H., Yarden, O. and Hadar, Y. 2010. Pleurotus ostreatus manganese-dependent peroxidase silencing impairs decolorization of Orange II. Microb. Biotech. 3:93-106ש

 Oded Yarden 

Principal investigator

 Galya Kayam 

Lab manager

 Anne Yenewodage (PhD candidate) 

RNA-binding proteins and conidiation in Neurospora crassa

 Gladys Karungari (PhD candidate, in collaboration with the Ziv lab, ARO) 

Deciphering the molecular bases for Botrytis cinerea cold tolerance

 Lior Granit (MSc candidate, in collaboration with the Fine lab, HUJI) 

Genetic and physiological analyses of the coral-derived fungus Cladosporium halotolerans

 Rotem Levi (MSc candidate, in collaboration with the Fine lab, HUJI) 

Fungal abundance and activity in the coral Stylophora pistillata

 Shaked Yadid (MSc candidate, in collaboration with the Hadar lab, HUJI) 

The roles of small secreted proteins in the interactions between white rot and brown rot fungi

 Yaara Hurvitz (MSc candidate) 

Trichoderma-host interactions

 Dan Weinberg (Amirim Honors Project, in collaboration with the Hadar lab, HUJI) 

Neurospora as a source for mycoprotein

Former students have found positions in academia and research institutes, in BioTech, FoodTech and MedTech industries, and at the Ministry of Health. 

  • Nava Weiss (MSc, 1995)
  • Shlomo Oved (MSc, 1996 Summa cum laude)
  • Galit Segev (MSc, 1997)
  • Ronit Greenberg (MSc, 1997)
  • Sarit Tabak (MSc, 1997)
  • Ravit Lerental (MSc, 1997)
  • Dr. June Kopelowitz (Post-doctoral fellow, 1997)
  • Oded Erner (MSc, 1998)
  • Yaniv Rotem (PhD, 1998)
  • Einat Yatzkan (PhD, 1999 Summa cum laude)
  • Adi Beth-Din (PhD, 1999)
  • Vered Ziv (MSc, 1999)
  • Inbal Jona (Yassur) (MSc, 1999)
  • Oded Babai (MSc, 1999)
  • Oshrat Propheta (MSc, 2000)
  • Shlomo Bakshi (MSc, 2000)
  • Gil Arbel (MSc, 2000)
  • Aryeh Harel (MSc, 2001 Summa cum laude)
  • Roni Cohen (PhD, 2002)
  • Naama Cohen (MSc, 2003)
  • Alexander Zelter (PhD, 2003)
  • Emanuel Cohen (MSc, 2004 Summa cum laude)
  • Maya Pompan (MSc, 2004)
  • Nourit Cohen (MSc., 2004 Summa cum laude)
  • Eli Reuveni (MSc., 2004)
  • Michal Efrat (MSc., 2004)
  • Haya Sandori (MSc., 2004)
  • Noam Alkan (MSc., 2005)
  • Sally Bercovitch (MSc., 2005)
  • Aryeh Harel (PhD, 2006)
  • Maggie Levy (Post-doc, 2006)
  • Ariel Erental (MSc., 2006 Summa cum laude)
  • Keren Haddad (MSc., 2007)
  • Sigal Horowitz (PhD, 2007)
  • Zipora Resheat-Eini (PhD, 2007)
  • Hila Shomin (MSc, 2007)
  • Efrat Dvash (MSc, 2008 Summa cum laude)
  • Zahi Paz (post-doc, 2008)
  • Carmit Ziv (PhD, 2009)
  • Galia Kra-Oz (MSc, 2009 Summa cum laude)
  • Lena Hazanov (MSc, 2009 Summa cum laude)
  • Pavel Minkov (MSc, 2010)
  • Tali Zviran (MSc, 2010)
  • Youlia Denisov (PhD, 2010)
  • Inbal Gal-Hemed (MSc., 2011)
  • Doriv Knop (MSc, 2011)
  • Bikash Bhattarai (MSc, 2011)
  • Liran Aharoni (MSc, 2012)
  • Carmit Ziv (Post-doc, 2012)
  • Shiri Shamir (MSc, 2012)
  • Daria Feldman (MSc, 2012, Summa cum laude)
  • Dana Tal (MSc, 2012)
  • Tomer Meir Salame (PhD, 2014)
  • Avihai Zolti (MSc, 2014)
  • Sarah Baum (MSc, 2014)
  • Tomer Meir Salame (Post-doc, 2014)
  • Inbal Herold (MSc, 2014, Summa cum laude)
  • Gidi Orgil (MSc, 2014, Summa cum laude)
  • Tomer Gershon (PhD, 2015)
  • Liat Koch (PhD, 2015)
  • Hila Shomin (PhD, 2016)
  • Doriv Knop (PhD, 2016)
  • Michal Halpert (Post-doc, 2016)
  • Eitan Solomon (Post-doc, 2017)
  • Liran Aharoni-Kats (PhD, 2018)
  • Daria Feldman  (PhD, 2019)
  • Eyal Ben-Dor Cohen  (MSc, 2019)
  • Daria Feldman  (Post-doc, 2020)
  • Inbal Herold  (PhD, 2020)
  • Nofar Lifshitz (MSc, 2021) 
  • Maggie Gortikov  (MSc, 2022)
  • Anne Yenewodage (MSc., 2022)
  • Ido Taran  (MSc, 2022)
  • Dor Marcus  (MSc, 2023)
  • Liza Yakubovich  (MSc, 2023)
  • Gal Nomberg (MSc., 2024 Summa cum laude)
  • הפקולטה לחקלאות רחובות
  • Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food & Environment The Hebrew University of Jerusalem Herzl 229 Rehovot 7610001 ISRAEL
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