My studies in Plant Sciences began during the paradigm shift from the reductionist view to a systems approach exploring metabolism's complexity. The developments and technological advances in high-throughput technologies fostered my interest in plant-environment interaction from a biochemical standpoint. My education in plant chemistry-ecology [MSc, Tel Aviv University], the subsequent focus on plant-environment interaction from a molecular standpoint [Ph.D., Weizmann Institute of Science], and my ongoing interest in metabolism of developmental processes are the milestones of a career dedicated to the holistic understanding of plant/seed/fruit metabolism, its natural diversity and regulatory mechanisms. To this aim and following a Postdoc at the Max Planck Institute for Plant Molecular Physiology, I established a metabolomics facility, experimental vineyards, and a micro-winery.
My laboratory leads several national and international projects on tomato and grapevine. We study leaf/fruit molecular physiology in response to stress (drought, heat, salinity) and delve into root-scion interaction and its effect on fruit metabolism. At BGU, I teach graduate courses of Metabolic Network Analysis, Metabolite Profiling, and Fruit metabolism as affected by genetics and the environment.