Faculty of Biology
Research projects are open to students studying Life Sciences, Biology, Chemical Biology, Biochemistry, Biochemical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, or Bioinformatics. The Faculty of Biology encompasses diverse research fields organized into six clusters. Each cluster leads to a list of labs and faculty members specializing in that area. Explore the clusters to find a project that aligns with your academic interests and passion.
Bioinformatics and Systems Biology
Bioinformatics (computational biology) is the study of biological information using tools from disciplines such as computer science, mathematics, statistics, and information theory to process large volumes of biological information. The Faculty of Biology at the Technion boasts world-renowned researchers in the field of bioinformatics and includes the most advanced equipment infrastructure in the world in order to enable faculty and students to conduct research at the highest level. The Faculty uses database analysis to make new discoveries related to drugs, disease epidemiology, population genetics, metabolic analysis, and the prediction of drug efficacy against molecular targets. Please click here for information on the participating labs and faculty members.
Molecular Biochemistry and Biophysics
To understand biological processes, it’s critical to gain an in-depth understanding of molecules – the “building blocks” that compose animal and plant systems. The challenges facing science today often require technological solutions drawn from the fields of physics and chemistry; we use optical tweezers to track an individual molecule, mass spectrometers to identify thousands of proteins at once, fluorescence microscopes combined with lasers to create real-time live videos of subcellular activity, and electron microscopes to look at details at resolution levels of less than one nanometer. Please click here for information on the participating labs and faculty members.
Environmental Biology
Environmental Biology is the scientific study of the interactions between the ecosystem and the plants, microorganisms, and animals within it, as well as of species diversity and the effect of humans on ecosystems. The overall goals of Environmental Sciences include learning more about how natural environments work, understanding the human influence on inter-system balance, and finding new and sustainable solutions to environmental threats. The Faculty of Biology focuses on how various species adapt to changing environmental conditions. Please click here for information on the participating labs and faculty members.
Stem Cells and Developmental Biology
Developmental Biology is the study of the development of an individual organism from conception (as a zygote) to death. The Faculty of Biology tackles various matters in this field, ranging from molecular aspects (cell differentiation and the study of tissue and organ creation processes) to evolutionary aspects and the comparison between different species to find new ways of treating diseases, repairing damaged tissues, regenerating cells, and performing basic research. Please click here for information on the participating labs and faculty members.
Genetic Regulation and Protein Expression
Researchers involved in genetic regulation study the cellular and extracellular regulation of protein production and activity. These processes are regulated at the DNA level, the RNA level, and the individual protein level. The regulatory process mediates between the genotype and phenotype, and developing an understanding of it will help us find new interventions and treatments for the future.
The Faculty of Biology uses experimental and computational methodologies to study DNA damage, DNA/RNA modifications, and the relationships between them, as well as signal pathways, endocrinology, and protein expression in sickness and in health across various models (human, plant, and microorganism). Please click here for information on the participating labs and faculty members.
Human Diseases (Immunology, Cancer, Neurobiology)
Immunology is the study of the ways organisms defend themselves from invading pathogens. It tries to answer various questions regarding the immune system’s normal activity – What is an antigen? Which cells are involved in specific immune responses? What does the lymphoid system do? What is an allergic reaction? It also studies medical conditions related to immune disorders, pathogens, autoimmune diseases, etc.
Cancer has been known in the last few decades as a leading cause of mortality. It is characterized by the uncontrolled division of cells in the body, leading to the creation of a malignant tumor. This poses a great therapeutic challenge, as we are not fighting a foreign invader, but the cells of the organism itself. Cancer research includes many different sub-topics. The Faculty of Biology at the Technion studies genetic and metabolic changes in cancer cells, cancer resistance to treatment, the involvement of the immune system in the body’s natural or induced anti-cancer response, and more.
Neuroscience has made great progress during the last few decades, with many new sub-fields, but there is much we still do not know The Faculty of Biology at the Technion believes in multidisciplinary research, as it helps us understand complex neurobiological processes and allows us to use methodologies from the worlds of physics and computer science. Our neurobiologists also study the simple nervous systems of animals that have no brain or actual nerves (e.g., C. elegans).
Please click here for information on the participating labs and faculty members.
