Wheat Evolution and Domestication

Prof. Feldman's research deals with cytogenetic, genomic, and evolutionary aspects of wheat and its wild relatives. His studies comprise mechanisms that increase genetic variability in species of the wheat group; nature of genes that control meiotic pairing in wheat and wheat hybrids; genetic and epigenetic changes that are induced by chromosome doubling facilitating successful establishment in nature of the newly-formed polyploids. Applied aspects of Feldman's work contributed to development of methods for the exploitation of wild gene resources for wheat improvement. During his field research, Feldman discovered and described a new species of wild wheat and named it after his mentor, the innovative wheat geneticist Earnie Sears. Feldman served as head of the Plant Genetic Department and the Wheat Center of the Weizmann Institute of Science.

Prof. Levy's research deals with the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms that are responsible for biodiversity and evolution in the plant kingdom. This includes research on  hybridization and genome doubling, DNA recombination, DNA repair, transposable elements and genome stability.  He is interested in utilizing these mechanisms to develop sustainable food production systems. He harnesses and develops advanced genetic manipulation technologies of genome editing to modify plant features in a precise manner through targeted mutagenesis, targeted recombination and gene targeting. Prof. Levy is a member of the Plant and environmental sciences department at the Weizmann Institute and served as dean of the Faculty of Biochemistry until the end of 2022