Table of Contents
Team
Dr. Sharon Elizur-Schlesinger – PI
Sharon.shle@mail.huji.ac.il
The Song of the Shifting Cell
In the deep and ancient workings of life, there is a tale told in silence, a story etched not in stone or song but in the ever-turning wheel of creation. It begins with a single spark, a small and unassuming thing—a zygote, as the wise call it. But in this simple beginning lies the seed of great and many wonders, for from it flows the diversity of life, each cell a note in the grand symphony of being.
The zygote stands at the gates of fate, a solitary figure at the foot of a great and branching tree. This is the Tree of Differentiation, whose roots burrow deep into the mysteries of the earth, and whose boughs stretch wide into the unknown. From this singular origin, cells transform and scatter—adipocytes to store, muscle cells to move, fibroblasts to bind. Their paths diverge like rivers breaking from the source, yet all remain tied to the great origin from which they sprang.
But what governs their journeys? What force calls each to its destiny? The sages of science have glimpsed fragments of the answer: a map of sorts, written in the hidden tongue of the epigenetic landscape. This is no ordinary map, but a living, shifting thing, as subtle and intricate as the weave of an Elven tapestry. It directs the cell's fate, whispering instructions in a language older than words. Yet even now, much of its meaning lies cloaked in shadow.
In the halls of the Schlesinger Lab, the task is clear. Like travelers in a forgotten land, we seek the paths that lead through the thickets of uncertainty. Our journey is guided by three great quests:
- To uncover what is unique in the epigenetic song of stem cells, those wondrous entities capable of becoming all things.
- To understand how the winds of the environment—be they gentle or fierce—shape the cell’s course, bending the branches of the great tree.
- To wield the knowledge gained, forging tools and gifts to heal the wounded, aid the helpless, and restore balance to the world of men, beasts, and the green earth.
It is no small undertaking, this quest to decipher the tale of the shifting cell. Each discovery is a new verse in the song, each experiment a light kindled against the encroaching dark. And though the way may be long and fraught with toil, we press onward, for the reward is nothing less than the understanding of life’s own music.
And so, as the zygote becomes many, as the tree grows tall and strong, so too does our knowledge. The tale of the cell is the tale of all creation—a story of beginnings, of transformation, and of the unyielding hope that lies at the heart of discovery.
In the Schlesinger lab, we study epigenetic reprogramming following fertilization. In particular, we are interested in the process leading to the formation of heterochromatin de novo and silencing of transposable elements and retroviruses. We use embryonic stem (ES) cells from mice and from farm animals to get a deeper understanding of the general characteristics of pluripotency in all mammalian cells.
Ivana Ribarski-Chorev – Lab Manager
Ivana.Ribarski-Chorev@mail.huji.ac.il
I am working on bovine mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Due to their capacity to differentiate, and their anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive abilities, they are in the focus of research related to many fields (e.g. medicine, regenerative medicine, cultured meat).
Shadi Tawil - CSO & CTO of the cultured meat consortium technology pilot
shadi.tawil@mail.huji.ac.il
My PhD research focuses on advancing bovine pluripotency by studying embryonic stem cells (bESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to establish a more naïve pluripotent state. This includes developing protocols to reprogram and stabilize these cells, enabling their use in creating synthetic embryos or embryoids, such as gastruloids, to model early developmental pathways and species-specific mechanisms. By unlocking the potential of these 3D aggregates, my work aims to deepen our understanding of bovine embryogenesis and pluripotency.
In addition to fundamental research, I explore the differentiation of these cells into agriculture-relevant tissues, such as muscle and fat, contributing to innovations in cultured meat production and biotechnology.
The cultivated meat consortium, one of the biggest in the world, was established by the Israel Innovation Authority on June 2022. A huge collaboration between the business sector and academia, the aim of the consortium is to develop innovative production methods on an industrial and efficient scale. The focus is on developing technologies for cell growth for muscle and fat, bioreactor technologies, and scaffold technologies in order to provide Israel's cultivated meat industry, with a competitive advantage on international markets.
https://www.cultivated-meat.art
https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-israel-innovation-authority-sets-up-cultivated-meat-consortium-1001409595
Ilan Brajzblat - MSc student
ilan.braj@gmail.com
My purpose is to develop a new kind of bioreactor suited to the cultivated meat industry. This will hopefully allow us to experiment new protocols of cells cultivation and differentiation and bring us closer to a sustainable process of meat production.
Yael Gilad- MSc student
yael.gilad@mail.huji.ac.il
My M.Sc. research focuses on cultivating bovine mesenchymal stem cells (bMSCs) on a 3D cellulose-based scaffold to promote their growth and differentiation into muscle tissue. Using Smart Scaffold technology, which anchors growth factors (GFs) efficiently, I aim to enhance the differentiation process while reducing production costs and resource waste. The scaffold's anisotropic structure mimics the natural extracellular matrix (ECM) of muscle tissue, supporting long-term cell viability and spontaneous myogenic differentiation. This research contributes to advancing sustainable approaches for producing high-quality cultivated meat, offering innovative solutions for the cultured meat industry.
Ilana Vainshtein - MSc student
ilana.vainshtein@mail.huji.ac.il
My M.Sc. research focuses on the differentiation potential of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and immortalized stem cells (cell line) into muscle tissue. Immortalized stem cells are genetically modified using a viral vector to introduce a key gene essential for muscle differentiation. Following this genetic modification, differentiation is induced through exposure to specific chemical substances and growth factors, enabling the cells to progress through the stages of muscle differentiation. This approach is particularly valuable for cultivated meat production, as it provides a consistent and scalable source of muscle cells, which are essential for producing high-quality meat.
Adar Kfir - MSc student
Adar.Kfir@mail.huji.ac.il
My M.Sc. research centers on developing a bovine satellite cell (bSC) line that preserves its proliferation rate alongside differentiation capabilities. To accomplish this, we employ ‘partial reprogramming’ by introducing Yamanaka factors, a method intended to rejuvenate the biological age of the cells. These partially reprogrammed cells exhibit a significantly enhanced proliferation capacity compared to uninduced cells, while still retaining their myogenic differentiation potential. Consequently, they represent a valuable resource for advancing research and innovation in the cultured meat industry.
Eran Lavi - MSc student
eran.lavi@mail.huji.ac.il
My M.Sc. research focuses on characterizing Ovis aries mesenchymal stem cells (ShMSCs) derived from different tissues and comparing their properties. Building on this characterization, I aim to optimize the Adipogenesis process in these cells, followed by a detailed fatty acid analysis to establish a comprehensive profile. This profile will then be compared to the known in vivo adipocyte profile of Ovis aries, providing insights into how these cultivated cells may emulate natural fat tissue and potentially informing future advancements in the cultivated meat industry.
Undergrads working in the lab:
- Jhonatan Ginzberg
- Shira Goren
Alumni
- Yaniv Alon (MSc)
- Liad Margalit – (MSc)
- Jose David Aguirre Aguilera – (MSc)
- Dr. Myah Goldstein – (Post-Doc)
- Chen Shimoni – (MSc)
- Igor Bren – (MSc)
- Gisele Schudy– (MSc)
- Dafna Shpatz – (MSc)
- Alon Gershkoviz – (MSc)
- Joseph Kippen - (MSc)
- Dr. Ayellet Tal – (PhD)
- Dr. Ivana Ribarski-Chorev – (PhD)