Scojen Students

Dr. Ronit Vaknin (Suissa)

Dr. Ronit Vaknin (Suissa) holds a PhD in Microbiology from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. Her doctoral research explored the metabolism and physiology of probiotic bacteria. With a solid academic foundation, including an M.Sc. from the Weizmann Institute of Science, she has developed deep expertise in microbial interactions and molecular biology. Beyond her academic work, she has gained industry experience as an R&D scientist, where she led complex projects involving genetic engineering and strain development. She brings a multidisciplinary approach that integrates microbiology with advanced analytical methodologies. Currently, Ronit serves as the laboratory manager of Ilana Kolodkin-Gal's lab and is establishing an LC-MS facility at the Scojen Institute for Synthetic Biology.

Dr. Prem Anand Murugan

Post-Doctoral Fellow

Prem Anand Murugan completed his PhD from the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT-K), India. His thesis was on “Chemical cues affecting Bacillus subtilis social behaviours”. He currently aims to utilise B. subtilis to unravel the interactions between Biofilms and amoeba for antibiofilm treatments and to find novel pathways of engineering probiotic bacteria to overcome GI-associated parasites. He is a post-doctoral fellow in Dr. Ilana Kolodkin-Gal's lab at the Scojen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Reichman University.

Dr. Daniel Tchelet

Daniel is an experienced microbiologist with a strong background in biotechnology and molecular biology. He completed his BSc, MSc, and PhD in microbiology and molecular biology in Tel Aviv University (TAU). His PhD thesis, which focused on characterizing a novel type 6 secretion system, was published in the leading journal for microbiome research, Gut Microbes, under the title "Vibrio parahaemolyticus T6SS2 Effector Repertoires": https://doi.org/10.1080/19490976.2023.2178795 and additional publications. In addition to his academic achievements, Daniel has research experience in the food industry as a research and development scientist. Currently, he is leading a collaborative project with Dr. Yuval Dorfan (HIT) funded by a grant from the Israel Science Foundation, studying the spatial and temporal carbon dioxide homeostasis in biofilms. The project will include a collaboration with the Doug Densmore lab at Boston University (https://www.damplab.org/) .

Dr. Saibaba Ganesan

Saibaba graduated his Master and Ph.D in Animal Biotechnology at Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, India. A multidisciplinary life science researcher with over Ten years of academic experience, including over six years of postdoctoral research at ARO-Volcani institute and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and expertise spans proteomics, metabolomics, transcriptomics, and in vivo models, with a strong focus on biomarker identification, inflammation, and metabolic disorders. He has published peer-reviewed papers, secured multiple research fellowships and grants. Dt. Saibaba is currently a Fellow Postdoctoral at Reichman University at the lab of Dr. Milana Frenkel-Morgenstern.

Ms. Noa Carmi

Ph.D. candidate

Noa Carmi holds a B.Sc. in Biology from Tel Aviv University and an M.Sc. in Plant Sciences from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. 
Her PhD research focuses on the plant-beneficial bacterium Bacillus subtilis, aiming to uncover new pathways that drive this symbiosis and to elucidate how epigenetic regulation contributes to the process.
Noa is a joint student of Dr. Ilana Kolodkin-Gal from the Scojen Institute for synthetic biology in Reichman and Prof. Adi Avni from the George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences at Tel Aviv University.

Mr. Avihai Nahami

M.Sc. Candidate

Avihai completed his B. Eng. In Electronic Engineering in HIT while serving as  a non-commissioned officer in Israeli Defense Force, at the Air force. Avihai is interested to generate synthetic microbiome communities to reduce biocorrosion. Avihai is a joint M.Sc. student of Dr. Ilana Kolodkin-Gal and Dr. Yuval Dorfan (HIT)

Mr. Udi Bahat

M.Sc. Candidate in Computer Science

Udi Bahat holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Reichman University and an MBA with a focus on marketing and entrepreneurship from Bar-Ilan University. With extensive experience as a Senior Developer and Product Manager, Udi has led data-driven products and innovations, spearheading significant advancements in AI and user experience for large enterprises. He is currently pursuing an MSc in Computer Science at Reichman University, under the supervision of Dr. Milana Frenkel-Morgenstern at the Scojen Institute for Synthetic Biology.

His research focuses on the intersection of biology and computer science, specifically using advanced computational methods to analyze and potentially manipulate RNA-based cell-to-cell communication. Udi is particularly interested in intra-cellular and extra-cellular RNA interactions, with an emphasis on autoimmune diseases such as celiac disease.

Mr. David Bendayan

M.Sc. Candidate

David Bendayan holds a B.A. in Computer Science from the Open University of Israel and is nearing completion of his M.Sc. in Machine Learning and Data Science (AI) at Reichman University, where he will continue on to Ph.D. studies. His thesis, supervised by Dr. Milana Frenkel-Morgenstern at the Scojen Institute, explores the connection between microbiomes and psoriatic spectrum disorders. David has held senior R&D software engineering and management roles in leading startups and enterprises in several fields. He is also a musician and artist, viewing technology as a boundless form of creative expression and elasticity. He sees the convergence of biotechnology and artificial intelligence as a profoundly promising frontier awaiting exploration.

Ms. Adi Ioshpe

Adi is an undergraduate student at Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design Jerusalem.

She is interested in bio-design and how we can utilize bacteria to generate living and sustainable materials.

Mr. Lear Distel

Lear is a bioinformatics student from Tel Hai College focusing on biology and data analysis. He is passionate about utilizing technological tools and analyzing biological data. His project includes the analysis of the transcriptional regulation of the bacterial response to calcium and biofilm formation, and their applications for real-world solutions.

Ms. Olawumi Giwa

Ph.D. candidate

Olawumi Giwa is a biochemist with a focus on molecular biology research. She earned her BSc. and MSc. degrees in Biochemistry from the University of Port Harcourt and the University of Ibadan respectively. During her master's studies, she investigated the comparative effects of galactose-induced aging on mitochondrial permeability in Wistar albino rat liver and testis. Olawumi's Ph.D. research is focused on identifying and validating gene-gene fusions using liquid biopsy techniques, which could serve as potential biomarkers for Glioblastoma Multiforme. The PhD project is under the supervision of Prof. David Karasik of the Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, and Dr. Milana Frenkel-Morgenstern of the Scojen Institute, Reichman University.

Mr. Dylan D'Souza

Ph.D. candidate

Dylan graduated with his BSc. in Microbiology and Biochemistry and MSc. in microbiology at St. Xavier's College, Mumbai. During his career, he has worked on estuarine phytoplankton and its dynamic nature during monsoons and has worked on dye-degrading bacteria as a solution to treating effluents. In his Ph.D., Dylan has been working under the guidance of Prof. David Karasik of Bar Ilan University and Dr. Milana Frenkel-Morgenstern of the Scojen Institute. Here, in collaboration with Prof. Eviatar Nevo, he aims to use both computational tools and molecular biology to understand the molecular basis of riboswitches in isoform switching and alternate splicing in the survival of a Dead Sea Penicillium sp. In addition, he also plans to explore the production of bioactive compounds and antibiotics in the presence of high salinity, baric, and temperature by this Penicillium.

Mr. Daniel Sumbatian

Ph.D. candidate

Daniel completed his undergraduate degree in Physics and his master's degree in Biology from St. Petersburg State University. During his career at the Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute (PNPI), in the field of immunology and molecular biology, he had focused on the factors affecting the respiratory burst reaction of neutrophils and studied microbial diversity in extreme environments such as Antarctica.
In his Ph.D., Daniel has been working with Dr. Milana Frenkel-Morgenstern from the Scojen institute in collaboration with Prof. Avi Peretz from the Tzafon Medical Center and Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University. He aims to develop a Liquid biopsy platform for the Alzheimer's disease, which combines machine learning analysis of extracellular DNA, collected using non-invasive liquid biopsy sampling approach, with comprehensive patient health records. This platform aims to enhance diagnostic precision and facilitate personalized healthcare solutions.

Ms. Yonit Leykind

Yonit Leykind graduated with a bachelor's degree in biotechnology at Bar Ilan University. She is currently a medical student in the Faculty of Medicine at Bar Ilan University, Safed. Her academic work merged seamlessly with the fruitful research areas, in which she collaborates with Dr. Milena Frankel-Morgenstern, of the Scojen Institute at Reichman, and Prof. David Karasik, an esteemed professor from Bar Ilan University. Their collective efforts are directed towards crafting a liquid biopsy methodology targeting psoriasis, alongside delving into the realm of pivotal biomarkers.

Mr. Netser Rosenfeld

Netser earned his bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Ariel University and is currently studying medicine at the Faculty of Medicine, Reichman University. He brings professional experience as a software developer across diverse fields, with a particular expertise in information systems. Netser is currently conducting a research project under the supervision of Dr. Ilana Kolodkin-Gal, in collaboration with the laboratory of Prof. Ruth Feldman and Dr. Orna Zaguri.

Tomer Faigler

M.Sc. Candidate

Tomer holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Reichman University and is currently pursuing his MSc in Computer Science at Reichman University. Professionally, he has worked as a Data Scientist and now serves as a Software Engineer, combining his background in data analysis with practical software development. His thesis research, conducted under the supervision of Dr. Milana Frenkel-Morgenstern at the Scojen Institute for Synthetic Biology, focuses on gene fusions (chimeras) in colon cancer. Through this work, he aims to advance computational methods for identifying and characterizing chimeras, bridging computer science and biomedical research.

Ms. Polina Ravikovich

M.Sc. student

Polina completed her undergraduate degree in Mathematics at Saint Petersburg State University, Chebyshev Laboratory and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Machine Learning and Data Science at Reichman University. She has a background in data science and bioinformatics, with experience in applying computational methods to biological data. Polina is conducting her research at the Scojen Institute under the supervision of Dr. Milana Frenkel-Morgenstern, focusing on the development of a biochip platform for the study and early detection of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).

Danielle Bizur

M.Sc. Candidate in Computer Science

Danielle holds a B.Sc. in Computer Science from the Academic College of Tel Aviv-Yaffo and is completing an M.Sc. in Computer Science at Reichman University, specializing in machine learning and deep learning. Her current research, supervised by Dr. Milana Frenkel-Morgenstern at the Scojen Institute, uses data-driven methods to discover novel sweet proteins. Danielle has held roles including senior software engineer and most recently, software engineering team lead. Motivated by a systems-level curiosity about how the human body works, she aims to bridge biology and data science to develop practical tools that improve human health.