Robert H Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Rehovot

What if the plants growing in a field could one day produce the same proteins that give milk its nutrition, texture, and cheese-making properties?
A new study brings that possibility a step closer by revealing an unexpected way plant seeds can manufacture and store one of milk's most important proteins. The discovery could help overcome a major hurdle in producing real dairy proteins without cows, paving the way for more sustainable dairy ingredients and alternative food production.

The study is led by Prof. Oded Shoseyov together with lead author Almog Ozeri, Mai Shamir, Miron Abramson, Barak Cohen, Amir Rudich, in collaborators with Miruku a New Zealand based company.

Photo: Almog Ozeri with the Safflower plants. The future of dairy proteins | Credit: Mai Shamir

Israeli scientific breakthrough could lead to producing milk proteins from plants Hebrew University researchers engineered safflower plants to produce cow-free milk proteins inside seeds, opening pathways for sustainable dairy alternatives.

🌾 Israeli and Palestinian researchers have spent the past five years working together to develop new wheat varieties capable of withstanding extreme heat and drought across the Middle East.

The joint initiative produced "Ufuq" (Arabic for horizon), a climate-resilient wheat line engineered to thrive in shorter, drier growing seasons, securing future food supplies in an increasingly harsh climate.

The project was led by Prof. Zvi Peleg from Hebrew University’s Faculty of Agriculture alongside his colleague, Prof. Ziad Abdeen from the Al-Quds Public Health Society, with support from Wageningen University and funding from the Dutch Friends of Hebrew University.

Read the full story: https://international.huji.ac.il/news/international-partnership-yields-climate-resilient-wheat-hotter-drier-middle

Two PhD candidates from the Robert H Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Rehovot have received international recognition at NUTRITION 2026, the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition, after being selected for two of the conference’s most prestigious student competitions.

Or Avishai-Ofer, RD, and Alexandra Venger, RD, MPH, both doctoral candidates at the Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition at the Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, conduct their research under the supervision of Prof. Aron Troen and Prof. Eyal Ert.

Or Avishai Ofer was selected as one of only six finalists worldwide in the ASN Student Interest Group (SIG) Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition, chosen from nearly 300 entrants. The competition recognizes exceptional early-career researchers for their ability to communicate complex scientific research clearly and compellingly in just three minutes.

Her research investigates how consumers perceive and respond to front-of-package nutrition labels in real-world food environments. Using eye-tracking technology, she examines how packaging design influences attention to nutrition labels and ultimately affects healthier food choices.

In addition to presenting at NUTRITION 2026, Or Avishai-Ofer participated in an Israel-US Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund (BARD)-supported workshop held in Washington, DC, in conjunction with the ASN annual meeting. Organized by Prof. Aron Troen in partnership with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the University of Vermont, with additional support from the Hebrew University's Sheldon Lavin Center for Safe, Secure and Sustainable Food Systems, headed by Prof. Zvi Hayouka, the workshop convened scientific and institutional leaders from Israel and the United States to advance collaboration in food innovation, nutrition, and sustainable food systems. Avishai-Ofer presented her research as part of the workshop, which aims to develop new binational research partnerships, training opportunities, and BARD-supported seed grant proposals.

Alexandra Venger was selected as a finalist in ASN’s Emerging Leaders in Nutrition Science Poster Competition, which recognizes the highest-scoring research presented by students and early-career investigators at NUTRITION 2026. Nearly 750 abstracts were submitted by students and postdoctoral fellows, with finalists representing approximately the top 10% of submissions following peer review by more than 650 nutrition scientists.

Her research evaluates the impact of Israel’s front-of-package food labelling policy at the national retail level. By analyzing nearly 7,900 food products from two major supermarket chains, she examined how mandatory warning labels, voluntary healthy-choice labels, nutrient composition, and pricing have shaped the Israeli food environment following the implementation of the national labelling policy.
“Having two of our doctoral students recognized in highly competitive international ASN competitions is a remarkable achievement,” said Prof. Aron Troen. “These recognitions reflect the quality of their research, their scientific creativity, and the growing international impact of nutrition research at the Hebrew University.”

Together, the two projects address complementary aspects of nutrition policy. While Avishai-Ofer’s research focuses on how consumers visually process nutrition labels and make purchasing decisions, Venger’s research evaluates how food manufacturers and the retail food environment have responded to Israel’s front-of-package labelling policy. Together, they contribute new evidence on the effectiveness of nutrition policy from both the consumer and food system perspectives.

The two distinctions highlight the Hebrew University’s leadership in nutrition research and its commitment to advancing evidence-based public health policy through innovative interdisciplinary research.

NUTRITION 2026 is the flagship scientific meeting of the American Society for Nutrition and one of the world’s premier conferences in nutrition science. The meeting brings together researchers, clinicians, public health professionals, and policy experts from around the world to present cutting-edge research and address major challenges in nutrition and health.

Photo credit: Prof. Aron Troen

Climate change isn't just changing how much rain falls, it is also changing when it falls, and that timing can dramatically reshape entire plant communities. A new study led by PhD. students Barel Tsafon and Or Gross, under the guidance of Prof. Niv DeMalach shows that droughts occurring at different points in the growing season have very different effects on when plants flower and how they compete with one another, revealing that the timing of rainfall may be a better predictor of ecosystem change than total rainfall alone.

The timing of drought may matter more than the drought itself Climate change isn't just changing how much rain falls, it is also changing when it falls, and that timing can dramatically reshape entire plant communities. A new study shows that droughts occurring at different points in the growing season have very different effects on when plants flower and....

🌍🏆 A Hebrew University breakthrough is one step away from the global finals!

Out of more than 1,500 innovations worldwide, Cooling Crops has been selected as one of only 10 semi-finalists in the World Food Prize Foundation Innovate for Impact Challenge.

Developed at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem by Professors Oded Shoseyov, Yossi Paltiel, and Nir Keren, and commercialized through Yissum Technology Transfer Company of the Hebrew University, the University's technology transfer company, Cooling Crops is pioneering an innovative solution to help protect crops from heat stress and soil degradation—advancing a more resilient, productive, and sustainable future for agriculture. 🌱

Now we need your help!

💙 Public voting is open, and every vote brings Cooling Crops one step closer to the finals.

It only takes a minute:

✅ Click the link
✅ Watch the short pitch video
✅ Vote for ❄️Cooling Crops❄️

👉 Vote here: https://www.facebook.com/worldfoodprize/posts/pfbid08aHHXHrVDABPEmA9LFkqjmNYYgFs3WUrtfK747s3YPSLZjnpeRnNwrAyB4Zghnful?rdid=byPsfiKIoZWxXwDY #

📅 **Voting closes July 25**

Already voted? Please share this post with your friends, family, colleagues, fellow alumni, and networks. Every vote and every share helps amplify this important innovation on the global stage.

Let's show the world what the Hebrew University community can achieve when we come together.

Photo credit: Sagi Sheinkman, Cooling Crops

Call for Applications for Academic Positions (Tenure Track)
The Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem invites outstanding researchers to apply for open academic positions for the 2027-2028 academic year, at all academic ranks.
Positions are open in a variety of scientific fields, according to the interests and expertise of the faculty units.

For full details and to apply:
https://en.hafakulta.agri.huji.ac.il/TenureTrackFacultyPositions
Photo Credit: Yoram Aschheim

A new review by Dr. Lionel Sebbag and Dr. Oren Pe'er of the Koret School of Veterinary Medicine highlights a growing threat to animal vision: antibiotic-resistant eye infections in dogs, cats, and horses. Their findings show multidrug-resistant bacteria are becoming more common in veterinary ophthalmology, making serious eye infections harder to treat. The researchers call for earlier diagnostics, targeted antibiotic use, stronger infection control, and antibiotic-sparing strategies to safeguard animal health and future treatment options. 🐾👁️

Superbugs threaten vision in animals – and can jump to humans, Israeli researchers warn Scientists at Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Koret School of Veterinary Medicine say drug-resistant bacteria may cause a greater chance of blindness in 10 years; study calls for smarter antibiotic use

🏆 Today, the Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem hosted a symposium in honor of the prestigious Wolf Prize laureates in Agriculture, in collaboration with the Volcani Institute.

The Wolf Prize is one of the world's most respected and prestigious international awards in science. It is awarded in recognition of outstanding achievements and exceptional contributions that have a significant impact on humanity.

We are proud to have hosted this event and to congratulate the 2026 Wolf Prize laureates for their dedication to advancing science and for their groundbreaking contributions:
⭐Prof. Caroline Dean, John Innes Centre, England, UK.
⭐Prof. Venkatesan Sundaresan, University of California, Davis, USA.
⭐ Prof. Elliot M. Meyerowitz, Caltech and Howard Hughes
Medical Institute, USA.
⭐Prof. Brian J. Staskawicz, Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, USA.
⭐Prof. Jonathan D.G. Jones, University of East Anglia / The Sainsbury Laboratory, Norwich, UK.
⭐Prof. Jeff Dangl, University of North Carolina at Chapel and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chapel Hill, USA.

Warm congratulations to the laureates, and sincere thanks to all those whose dedication and work continue to advance scientific research for the benefit of humanity. 🌱🏆

מכון וולקני

New research challenges assumptions about how ecosystems absorb carbon under climate change. Led by Prof. José M. Grünzweig and Dr. Chongyang Xu of the Robert H. Smith Institute of Plant Sciences and Genetics in Agriculture, with local and international collaborators, the study shows that improved water-use efficiency and expanding plant canopies, rather than temperature adaptation, are driving increased carbon uptake, reshaping global predictions for future climate key models.

Scientists warn climate predictions may misjudge forest carbon absorption Recent studies reveal crucial factors in climate change. Learn how vegetation and water management influence carbon absorption.

TODAY 💫

Last chance to join Hebrew University’s Digital Open Day! 🌿🌳
📅May 31st, 2026
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