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Profile picture of Dr. Nina Kamennaya

Dr. Nina Kamennaya

Departments

  • 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

    08-659-6817

Staff member contact section

ninaka@bgu.ac.il

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 work

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