Contact:
French Associates Institute for Agriculture and Biotechnology of Drylands
The Jacob Blaustein Institutes of Desert Research
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev; Sede-Boqer Campus, 84990 Israel
Phone: 972-8-6563462 (office), 972-8-6563463 (lab),
Fax: 972-8-659 6742
E-mail: telzur@bgu.ac.il
Acadmic Status:
Senior Lecturer
• Education
B.Sc. 1985–1988 The Hebrew University of Jerusalem - Faculty of Agriculture -
Department of Horticulture
M.Sc. 1990–1992 The Hebrew University of Jerusalem - Faculty of Agriculture –
Department of Horticulture - cum laude
Advisor: Prof. Y. Riov
Title of thesis: Metabolism of 2-DP and its conjugates in relation to rooting of cuttings
Ph. D. 1997–2001 Ben-Gurion University of the Negev - Department of Life Sciences
Advisor: Prof. Y. Mizrahi (BGU); Co-supervisors: Prof. D. Bar-Zvi (BGU), Prof. S. Abbo (The Hebrew University of Jerusalem)
Title of thesis: Genetic relationships between vine cacti of the genera Hylocereus and Selenicereus
• Employment History
December 2005 - present: Lecturer, French Associates Institute for Agriculture and Biotechnology of Drylands (BIDR), BGU, Israel
2005 Postdoctoral Research Associate - Department of Life Sciences, BGU, Israel
2003–2004 Postdoctoral Research Associate - Department of Horticulture, Madison WI, University of Wisconsin, USA
2001–2003 Postdoctoral Research Associate - The Institutes for Applied Research, BGU, Israel
1997–2000 Teaching Assistant - Department of Life Sciences, BGU, Israel
§ Cell Biology - for undergraduate students
§ Biological Principles in Practical Use (A and B) - for undergraduate students
§ Regulation of Fruit Maturation and Ripening - for graduate students
1996 In charge of Cell Line Cultivation and Cell Bank projects - Department of Tissue Culture, QBI Enterprises Ltd., Ness-Ziona, Israel
1988–1995 Research Assistant - Human β-Interferon and Cell Culture Research, InterPharm Laboratories Ltd., Ness-Ziona, Israel
§ Tissue culture lab, R & D Department
§ Immunology lab, Quality Control Department
• Professional Activities
(a) Professional functions outside universities/institutions
2011 Guest editor for "Israel Journal of Plant Sciences" - special issue entitled: New insights in Cactaceae research
2011- present Israeli official representative in the Management Committee of COST Action FP0905: Biosafety of forest transgenic trees: improving the scientific basis for safe tree development and implementation of EU policy directives
2010 Member of proposal evaluation panel (fruit crop production) for the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
2008 - present Member of the International Committee of FAO-ICARDA International Technical Cooperation Network on Cactus, and working group coordinator in Pitayas and Pitahayas (FAO-ICARDA CactusNet)
2008 - 2010 Member of proposal evaluation panel (crop production): United States - Israel Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund (BARD)
2005 - present Scientific manuscript reviewer for: Plant Breeding; Journal of Genetics; Fruits; Society for the Advancement of Breeding Researches in Asia and Oceania (SABRAO); Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology; Scientia Horticulturae; Israel Journal of Plant Science; Plant Growth Regulation; Australian Journal of Botany; African Journal of Biotechnology
2005 - present Research proposal reviewer for the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
(b) Research students
i) Former students
1. M. Dudai (2010) Ph.D. Department of Life Sciences, BGU. Jointly supervised with Prof. Y. Mizrahi (BGU) and Dr. E. Raveh (ARO). Title of thesis: Polyploidy in vine cacti
2. M. Abu al Taher (2008) M.Sc. AKIS, BGU. Title of thesis: In vivo and in vitro polyploid induction in Ziziphus mauritiana Lamk (Rhamnaceae)
3. A. Cisneros (2009) M.Sc. AKIS, BGU. Title of thesis: Seed development following interspecific-homoploid and interspecific-interploid crosses in species of vine cactus
4. A. Asatryan, M.Sc. student (2011). AKIS, BGU. Title of thesis: Reproductive biology of three Ziziphus species (Rhamnaceae)
5. H. Cohen, M.Sc. student. AKIS, BGU. Jointly supervised with Dr. A. Fait (BIDR)
Awards: First place in the student poster competition for the poster presented by H. Cohen at Kenes HaNegev, Sapir Center, Israel, and The Frederick Siegmund Prize for Excellence in Desert Studies (AKIS)
ii) In progress
1. A. Cisneros, Ph.D. student. AKIS, BGU. Jointly supervised with Prof. G. Grafi (BIDR). Funded by Negev Scholarships Program for Outstanding Ph.D. students (Zin Fellowships)
2. M. Meir, Ph.D. student. AKIS, BGU. Jointly supervised with Dr. M. Zaccai (BGU)
3. B. Bayramoğlu, M.Sc. student. AKIS, BGU. Jointly supervised with Dr. Y. Sitrit (BGU)
4. M. Fernanda Martinez, M.Sc. student. AKIS, BGU
iii) Post-doctoral students
1. M. Kulkarmi, (2008-2009) BIDR, BGU. Jointly supervised with Dr. E. Raveh (ARO). Partial fellowship funded by the J. Blaustein Center for Scientific Cooperation
2. R. Benega Garcia, (2007-2008) BIDR, BGU
• Awards, Citations, Honors, Fellowships
(a) Honors, Citation Awards
2009 Recipient of Rich Foundation Prize for Excellence in Research, awarded to Women Researchers
2006 Recipient of the Pasternak Prize for Agricultural Research
2006 - present Mendel Wasserman Career Development Chair in Desert Studies
1998-2000 Future Leadership Program for Fruit Crops in Israel. Fruit Board of Israel and Israel Ministry of Agriculture. Awarded to Ph.D. students
1997 and 1998 Recipient of Molcho Center Scholarships. Molcho Center for Agricultural Research and Development in the Negev
(b) Fellowships
2001-2003 UCLA-BGU Program of Academic Cooperation. Postdoctoral Fellowships for Agriculture Research in Israel. $24,000/year
• Scientific Publications
(*, since last promotion)
(a) Chapters in collective volumes
1. N. Tel-Zur, S. Abbo, D. Bar-Zvi and Y. Mizrahi. 2001. Hybridization between species and genera of fruit-crop vine cacti of the genera Hylocereus and Selenicereus. Program and Abstracts of the 98th International Conference of the American Society for Horticulture Science. HortScience 36: 441
2. A. Nerd, N. Tel-Zur and Y. Mizrahi. 2002. Fruit of vine and columnar cacti. In: P. S. Nobel (ed). Cacti: biology and uses. University of California Press, pp. 195–197
*3. A. Cisneros, and N. Tel-Zur. 2008. Embryo rescue as a tool for breeding programs in Hylocereus spp. (Cactaceae). Program and Abstracts of the 104th International Conference of the American Society for Horticulture Science. HortScience 43: 1203
*4. R. Benega Garcia, and N. Tel-Zur. 2008. Anther culture in Selenicereus and Hylocereus vine cacti (Cactaceae): breeding, evolution and genetic relationships. Program and Abstracts of the 104th International Conference of the American Society for Horticulture Science. HortScience 43: 1116
*5. A. Cisneros, and N. Tel-Zur. Evaluation of interspecific-interploid hybrids (F1) and Back Crosses (BG1) in Hylocereus species (Cactaceae). In: Meiosis ISBN 979-953-307-212-7. Accepted for publication
(b) Refereed articles in scientific journals
1. N. Tel-Zur, S. Abbo, D. Myslabodsky and Y. Mizrahi. 1999. Modified CTAB procedure for DNA isolation from epiphytic cacti of the genera Hylocereus and Selenicereus (Cactaceae). Plant Molecular Biology Reporter 17: 249–254
2. J. Lichtenzveig, S. Abbo, A. Nerd, N. Tel-Zur and Y. Mizrahi. 2000. Cytology and mating systems in the climbing cacti Hylocereus and Selenicereus. American Journal of Botany 87: 1058–1065
3. N. Tel-Zur, S. Abbo, D. Bar-Zvi and Y. Mizrahi. 2003. Chromosome doubling in vine cacti hybrids. Journal of Heredity 94: 329–333
4. N. Tel-Zur, S. Abbo, D. Bar-Zvi and Y. Mizrahi. 2004. Clone identification and genetic relationship among vine cacti from the genera Hylocereus and Selenicereus based on RAPD analysis. Scientia Horticulturae 100: 279–289
5. N. Tel-Zur, S. Abbo, D. Bar-Zvi and Y. Mizrahi. 2004. Genetic relationships among Hylocereus and Selenicereus vine cacti (Cactaceae): evidence from hybridization and cytological studies. Annals of Botany 94: 527–534
6. N. Tel-Zur, S. Abbo and Y. Mizrahi. 2005. Cytogenetics of semi-fertile triploid and aneuploid intergeneric vine cacti hybrids. Journal of Heredity 96: 124–131
*7. A. Ben-Gal, A. Tal and N. Tel-Zur. 2006. Arid sustainable agriculture. Annals of Arid Zone 45: 227–257. ISSN: 0570-1791
*8. N. Tel-Zur and I. Goldman. 2007. Analysis of sub-populations of rapid-cycling Brassica rapa following recurrent bi-directional selection for cotyledon size. Plant Breeding 126: 62–66
*9. R. Benega Garcia, B. Schneider and N. Tel-Zur. 2009. Androgenesis in the vine cacti Selenicereus and Hylocereus (Cactaceae). Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture 96: 191–199
*10. N. Tel-Zur and B. Schneider. 2009. Floral biology of Ziziphus mauritiana (Rhamnaceae). Sexual Plant Reproduction 22: 73–85
*11. R. Benega Garcia, A. Cisneros, B. Schneider and N. Tel-Zur. 2009. Gynogenesis in the vine cacti Hylocereus and Selenicereus (Cactaceae). Plant Cell Reports 28: 719–726
*12. M. Kulkarni, B. Schneider, E. Raveh and N. Tel Zur. 2010. Leaf anatomical characteristics and physiological responses to short term drought in Ziziphus mauritiana (Lam.). Scientia Horticulturae 124: 316–322
*13. A. Cisneros and N. Tel-Zur. 2010. Embryo rescue and plant regeneration follow interspecific crosses in the genus Hylocereus (Cactaceae). Euphytica 174: 73–82
*14. N. Tel-Zur, Y. Mizrahi, A. Cisneros, J. Mouyal, B. Schneider and J.J. Doyle. 2011. Phenotypic and genomic characterization of a vine cactus collection (Cactaceae). Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution 58: 1075–1085
*15. N. Tel-Zur, M. Dudai, E. Raveh and Y. Mizrahi. 2011. In situ induction of chromosome doubling in vine cacti (Cactaceae). Scientia Horticulturae 129: 570–576
*16. A. Cisneros, R. Benega Garcia, and N. Tel-Zur. 2011. Ovule morphology and seed development in three Hylocereus species (Cactaceae). Flora 206: 1076–1084
*17. H. Cohen and N. Tel-Zur. Changes in fruit morphology and self-incompatibility breakdown associated with autopolyploidization in Hylocereus species (Cactaceae). Euphytica, in press
• Research Grants
2007-2011 N. Tel-Zur (PI) and J.J. Doyle (co-PI). Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund (BARD). Title: Role of polyploidy in vine cacti speciation and crop domestication. 4 years. Total $272,000
2008-2011 N. Tel-Zur (PI). Goldinger Fund. Title: Development of Ber (Ziziphus mauritiana) as a new fruit crop for the Negev. 4 years. Total $90,000
2009-2012 J. Ben-Asher (PI) and N. Tel-Zur (co-PI). Israel Ministry of Science (MOS). Title: Development of the Chinese Date (Ziziphus jujube) as a fruit crop for Pithja Nizana. 3 years. Total $90,000
2010-2013 N. Tel-Zur (PI). Jewish Colonization Association (ICA) in Israel. Title: Development of the Chinese Date, Ziziphus jujube, under saline irrigation in Kadesh Barnea. 3 years. Total $37,000
2010-2012 N. Tel-Zur (PI). Rosenzweig-Coopersmith Foundation (RCF). Title: Efficacious utilization of limited water resources in the Negev desert: Jujube fruit crop. 2 years. Total $50,000
2010 N. Tel-Zur (PI). Dr. Herman Kessel Salinity Center Fund (BGU). Title: Development of the Ziziphus jujube under saline irrigation. 1 year. Total $4,200
2011-2014 N. Tel-Zur (PI), E. Raveh and Y. Mizrahi. Chief Scientist, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Title: Commercial breeding of Pitahaya cultivars for export. 3 years. Total $132,000
