About Us
The Microbial Communication, Enzyme Evolution, and Engineering Laboratory is part of the Department of Oral Biology at the Goldschleger School of Dental Medicine, Gray Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University. We are also affiliated with the New Environmental School and the Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology. Our research focuses on understanding how enzymes evolve specificity in diverse environments and how this evolution is linked to chemical-based microbial communication. By integrating microbiology, biochemistry, phylogenetic analysis, structural biology, and protein engineering, we investigate the mechanisms that shape enzyme function and adaptation. Ultimately, we aim to develop enzyme-based solutions for applications in oral health, environmental sustainability, and biotechnology.
Dr. Livnat Afriat-Jurnou
Principal Invastigator
Dr. Livnat Afriat-Jurnou holds a B.Sc. in Chemistry and Biology from Tel Aviv University and earned her M.Sc. and Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular evolution under Prof. Tawfik at the Weizmann Institute of Science. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Prof. Colin Jackson's lab at The Australian National University before leading research group at Migal Research Institute and serving as a Senior Lecturer at Tel Hai College. In October 2024, she joined the Department of Oral Biology at The Goldschleger School of Dental Medicine, Gray Faculty of Medical Health Sciences, as a Senior Lecturer and is part of the new Environmental School and Nano Center at TAU, and serves as an elected board member of The Israel Society for Microbiology.
Dr. Eve Kozari-Aminov
PostDoc student
Eve completed her dual Bachelor’s degrees in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering through an excellence program, specializing in Nanotechnology. She then pursued a combined-track PhD in Physical Chemistry, followed by a three-year postdoctoral fellowship at the Weizmann Institute of Science. Her research focused on electrocatalysis, specifically mimicking enzyme catalytic active sites within Keplerate POMs. Building on this expertise, she is now pivoting toward enzyme engineering and directed evolution to advance novel catalytic applications.
Dor Ben Tovim
PhD student
Dor Graduated with his BSc and MSc in Biochemistry from Tel Hai College. Dor's PhD studies involve investigating novel strategies for disrupting harmful microbial communication and exploring fungal enzyme role in secondary metabolites transformation.
B.Sc. in Plant Science, Hebrew University.
Aviel in interested in identifying bacteria and enzymes capable of plastic degradation, from different environmental origins.
Aviel Arzi
MSc student
Yiftach Dar, DMD
MSc student
Yiftach Dar holds a DMD (Doctor of Dental Medicine) degree from Tel Aviv University. Yiftach's MSc studies involve investigating and examining the effect of quorum-sensing–disrupting lactonases on microbial communities originating from peri-implant inflammation sites.
yiftachdar@mail.tau.ac.il
Dana holds a DMD (Doctor of Dental Medicine) degree from Lithuanian University of Health Sciences in 2021.
Dana is interested in elucidating inter-kingdom communication between oral-origin bacterial and fungal.
MSc student
Dana Wash, DMD
Shira completed her BSc and MSc in Biology at Tel Aviv University, where her graduate research focused on green hydrogen production. She is now collaborating with the Afriat-Journo lab, working to immobilize plastic-degrading enzymes on solid scaffolds to remove microplastics and nanoplastics from water.
Shira Landman
Collaboration - Phd. student , Zucker lab
Avital Ester Varshavsky, MSc
Avital holds a B.Sc. degree in Biomedical Sciences from the Hebrew University and an M.Sc. degree in Microbiology and Clinical Immunology from Tel Aviv University. Avital's M.Sc. research focused on pathogenic filamentous fungi and yeast. She contributes to several projects in the lab, including agricultural fungal research and dental Candida research.
Former lab members:
Shaked Yakov
Dr. Korina Goldin Azulay
Dr. Anumeha Saha
Dr. Ofir Gershoni
Dr. Rupak Kumar
Shlomit Dor
Ariel Tenenboim
Bar Mahaler (In collaboration with Dr. Mery Dafny Yelin)
Rami Harmati
Sapir Yaar-bar
Keren Nudel
David Gurevich
Guy Or
Yoav Niv
Shira Lendman
Kseniya Semenov
Mayan Erov
Maria Vetcos
Olena Trofimyuk