Contact
French Associates Institute for Agriculture and Biotechnology of Drylands
Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Sde Boker Campus, 849900, Israel
Phone: 972-8-659-6817
Fax: 972-8-659-6742
ninaka@bgu.ac.il
Lab website: https://nkamennaya.wixsite.com/bluegreen
The main research focus
The research in my lab focuses on physiology and ecology of cyanobacteria, the major photosynthetic organisms that evolved >2.5 billion years ago, drove oxygenation of the planet and continue producing ~1/4 of the atmospheric oxygen. Cyanobacteria populate any available sun-light environment and play a key role in microbial communities by sustaining them with a range of organic compounds. Their capacity to fix carbon and nitrogen makes cyanobacteria an attractive system for biotechnological applications, whilst oxygenic metabolism of cyanobacteria combined with their superior resilience to environmental stressors positions cyanobacteria at the forefront of astrobiological and terraforming research.
The specific research questions addressed in my lab include:
- physiological response of cyanobacteria to excess CO2 availability
- carbohydrate metabolism of cyanobacteria
- cyanobacteria of the desert crusts
- interactions between cyanobacteria and their unicellular predators
Methods:
- Molecular biology and genetic engineering
- Microscopy and imaging
- Physiology, biochemistry and metabolic tracing
- Field work
Find our research interesting?
I welcome applications from intellectually curious students with background in biology or earth sciences. M.Sc., Ph.D. and postdocs research positions are available. For details you are encouraged to contact me directly.
Education
2000-2003 B.Sc. - Faculty of Life Sciences, Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJ).
2003-2010 Ph.D. – Marine Microbiology and Ecology, Faculty of Life Sciences, HUJ.
Advisor: Prof. Anton Post.
Title of thesis: Ecological significance of cyanate utilization by marine cyanobacteria.
ORCID: 0000-0001-7736-8522
