CONCO

Location: Tel-Aviv (IL)

Scientific Team Leader: Dalia GORDON

Website: http://www.tau.ac.il

Institution:

The Department of Plant Science of the University of Tel Aviv employs a hundred of scientists and carries out research in a wide range of topics:from cell biology to plant physiology or biotechnology. In the last years, research has focused on model organisms and on agricultural crops. Some groups have also diversified their activities working with non-plant systems like fungi or Drosophila. The Department is equipped with state-of-the-art high-throughput genomics and proteomics techniques.

Key persons involved in the project:

The approach of Dr Dalia Gordon and Prof Michael Gurevitz is multidisciplinary and combines various methods in molecular genetics, neuro-pharmacology, protein chemistry, electrophysiology, recombinant production and structural biology. The major objective of the group is to clarify the molecular details involved in voltage-sensitive sodium channel interactions with their modulators including conotoxins. Molecular knowledge in this field plays a pivotal role for better understanding and improving the activity of numerous drugs targeting voltage-gated channels. The group has also established an experimental system for functional expression of a variety of scorpion, sea anemone and spider toxins that belong to various pharmacological groups. Dr Nitza Ilan, Roy Kahn (graduate student) and Hagit Altman-Gueta (technician) will be involved.

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