The Department of Biochemistry has ten core labs investigating a diverse range of biological topics. The original Nobel Prize winning experiments on ubiquitin and protein degradation were performed in Professor Avram Hershko’s lab in the department. Research on ubiquitin mediated protein degradation is still a major research focus in the department, including cell cycle regulation, cell toxin responses, and Parkinson Disease development. Other topics of research in the department include: the unique role of D-amino acids as neurotransmmitters, regulation of Nitric Oxide signaling and protein modification in cancer and normal cells, membrane transporter protein biochemistry and antibiotic development in bacteria, regulation of protein translation/ribosome function during cell stress, regulation of cardiovascular disease development in diabetes, cholesterol biochemistry in cardiovascular disease, molecular regulation of muscle development and regeneration in vertebrates, and the signaling pathway/transcription factor interactions regulating embryonic vertebrate nervous system development.
Faculty:
Department Chair, Herman Wolosker
Avram Hershko (Distinguished Technion Professor, Laureate, the 2004 Nobel prize in Chemistry)