Osnat Malka:
Plant-herbivore interactions determine natural ecological systems and crop yield in agriculture. By combining multidisciplinary approaches, ranging from molecular biology and chemical ecology to behavior, my goal is to examine the mechanisms shaping these interactions and how they impact the environment.
Affiliation:
- The Gaza Envelope Research and Development Center&
- Department of Entomology, the Robert Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem P.O.Box 12, Rehovot 76100, Israel
Education:
- Ph.D. Tel Aviv University, Israel (2009).
- M.Sc. Ben-Gurion University, Israel, (2000).
- B.Sc. in Chemistry, Ben-Gurion University, Israel (1997).
Contact Information:
Areas of Expertise
- Phloem-feeding insects
- Bees
- Chemical ecology, Genomics, Behavior
- Carbohydrate metabolism
- Horizontal gene transfer
Current Projects:
- Development of trap formulations based on behavior-modifying chemicals, encompassing attractants and repellents, to effectively manage citrus pests. (Collaboration with Dr. Mor Salomon, The Israel Cohen Institute for Biological Control, The Plants Production and Marketing Board, Citrus division, Israel.)
- Using natural pesticides to control varroa while avoiding harm to non-target organisms (honeybees). (Collaboration with Dr. Nurit Eliash, Shamir Research Institute)
- Studying Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) events in the phloem-feeding whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), focusing on genes involved in defenses against biotic or abiotic stresses and a group of genes that putatively play a role in feeding/digestion and/or anti-microbial defenses. (Collaboration with Prof. Shai Morin, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem)
- Exploring carbohydrate-processing enzymes involved in synthesizing oligosaccharides and sucrose isomers, and investigating their significance in osmoregulation in phloem-feeding insects. (Collaboration with Prof. Shai Morin, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem)
