Senior Lecturer
חבר/ת סגל אקדמי בכיר
The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research (BIDR), The French Associates Institute for Agriculture and Biotechnology of Drylands
בניין חקלאות מדברית וביוטכנולוגיה - B25 Floor 1 Room 153, Sde Boker Campus
Dr. Nina Kamennaya
Departments
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08-659-6817
Staff member contact section
About
The research in my lab focuses on physiology and ecology of cyanobacteria, the major photosynthetic organisms that evolved >2.7 billion years ago, drove oxygenation of the planet and continue producing ~1/4 of the atmospheric oxygen. Cyanobacteria populate virtually all sun-light environments on the planet and play a key role in microbial communities by sustaining them with a range of organic compounds. Their ability to fix carbon and nitrogen makes them attractive for biotechnological uses, while their oxygen?producing metabolism and strong resistance to environmental stress place cyanobacteria at the forefront of astrobiology 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 - Soil restoration using cyanobacterial polysaccharides Methods: - Molecular biology and genetic engineering - Microscopy and flow cytometry - Physiology, biochemistry and metabolic tracing - Field workThe University bears no responsibility for the content displayed on this page or on any other faculty members’ pages. Full responsibility for the content rests solely with the faculty members themselves, who independently update and manage the information on their pages
