Dr. Omer Lavy

Lecturer

My lab focuses on how microbial communities assemble, function and can be intentionally modulated within multicellular hosts. We aim to predict microbiome dynamics and design general strategies to edit communities in vivo. To achieve these goals, we use insects as our primary models due to their high ecological and agricultural importance. Our research seeks to uncover broad principles of host–microbe interactions that can inform microbiome-based interventions.

Academic Background

B.Sc. Biology and Environment, University of Haifa

Ph.D. Zoology, Tel Aviv University

Selected Publications

  • Lavy, O., Gophna, U., Gefen, E., & Ayali, A. (2019). The effect of density-dependent phase on the locust gut bacterial composition. Frontiers in Microbiology, 10(JAN). (Link) 
  • Lavy, O., Sher, N., Malik, A., & Chiel, E. (2015). Do bacterial symbionts govern aphid’s dropping behavior? Environmental Entomology, 44(3), 588–592. (Link )
  • Lavy, O., Gophna, U., Ayali, A., Gihaz, S., Fishman, A., & Gefen, E. (2021). The maternal foam plug constitutes a reservoir for the desert locust’s bacterial symbionts. Environmental Microbiology, 23(5). (Link) 
  • Lavy, O., Lewin-Epstein, O., Bendett, Y., Gophna, U, Gefen, E., Hadany, L., & Ayali, A. (2022). Microbiome-related aspects of locust density-dependent phase transition. Environmental Microbiology, 24(1), 507–516. (Link)
  • Lavy, O., Gophna, U., Gefen, E., & Ayali, A. (2020). Dynamics of bacterial composition in the locust reproductive tract are affected by the density-dependent phase. FEMS Microbiology Ecology, 96(4).( Link)

Teaching

Introduction to Biology, Microbial Ecology, Introduction to R language

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