| Our Lab
Building on the versatile and magnificent world of green microalgae, we investigate basic principles of plant cell biology and translate our understandings into innovative technologies.
We focus on the chloroplast, the plant’s major energy producer, and seek to advance our mechanistic understanding of the biogenesis and protein quality control of this critical plant organelle in steady-state and stress conditions.
Our uniqueness is in the toolkit. In order to gain true mechanistic understanding, we develop clever genetic tools, forward and reverse genetic screens and fluorescence-based large-scale imaging approaches at a single-cell resolution, in the powerful Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.
Alongside our fundamental science goals, we seek to pioneer agritech and foodtech solutions. This includes engineering algae for multiple functions, turning them into a groundbreaking production platform for nutrients and proteins and paving the way for plants that are highly resilient to global warming and can better sustain life on our planet into the next millennia.
With a strong technological backbone, our lab fosters scientific rigor, industry applicable innovation and human diversity.
| Funding
Our research is made possible by the generous support of the following foundations:
| Join Us
We are now recruiting PhD students and Postdocs to expand our diverse and enthusiastic lab team. If you’re a highly motivated and collaborative person looking to advance your academic research career with a gateway to the industry – we’d love to hear from you.
Michal.breker@mail.huji.ac.il
| My Story
I come from the worlds of life sciences and technology. I believe in food as medicine and in the ability of our bodies to heal themselves through a respectful and sustainable interconnection with the natural environment.
Building on my multidisciplinary background and fascination with biology, my mission is to advance our understanding of how to genetically manipulate algae for its impactful utilization in HealthTech, agritech, and foodtech.
As an Assistant Professor and Head of Lab at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, I serve as a researcher, mentor and lecturer and seek out novel academia-industry collaborations centered on the cultivation and utilization of algae, harnessing my track record of scientific research at the Weizmann Institute of Science (MSc, PhD), Rockefeller University (Postdoc, Simons foundation award) and technology expertise from my 8200 and hightech chapters.
