Dr. Sofia Bouchebti, PI
​
I am a biologist with a deep fascination for social insects. My research has primarily focused on the nutritional behavior of these insects, with three main areas of investigation: 1) individual and collective strategies involved in the exploitation of food resources; 2) decision-making processes related to the types of nutrients consumed or collected; and 3) the behavioral, cognitive, and physiological effects of the consumed nutrients.
During my PhD, conducted at Toulouse III University (France) and São Paulo State University (Brazil), I studied the foraging behavior of the leaf-cutting ant Atta laevigata. By combining field and laboratory experiments, I described a general pattern of the foraging strategy used by these ants.
In my earlier postdoctoral research, first at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Israel) and later at King Juan Carlos University (Spain), I used the nutritional geometric framework approach to explore how macronutrients influence physiological and behavioral traits in social insects (honey bees and cockroaches). In my most recent postdoctoral research at Tel Aviv University (Israel), I studied how nutrients are allocated, utilized, and exchanged among colony members and across generations, using various insect models such as the Oriental hornet, bumblebee, and American cockroach.
​
_edited.jpg)
​
​
Dr. Ratko Pavlović, Postdoc
I am a biologist with a PhD in Biochemistry from the Faculty of Chemistry, University of Belgrade. My research focuses on the nutritional ecology and social behavior of insects, with particular expertise in insect nutrition. I use physiological, biochemical, analytical chemistry, and behavioral approaches to understand how diet, temperature, and social organization influence performance and stress responses. I have worked with a wide range of insects, including honey bees, bumblebees, hornets, wasps, and cerambycid beetles, and have over ten years of professional beekeeping experience. In addition to nutritional studies, I am involved in biomonitoring research.
​
​
​
Abhishek Javali, PhD Student
Co-supervised by Prof. Aaron Fait
I am a metabolomics-driven researcher working at the interface of plant biochemistry and insect physiology. During my MSc (Ben-Gurion University), I developed strong expertise in GC-MS-based metabolomic profiling, multivariate analysis, and hypothesis-driven statistical workflows in plant stress systems. My PhD focuses on cross-kingdom γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) transfer from plants to pollinators. Using controlled dietary exposures in Bombus terrestris, I analyze tissue-specific metabolic responses in the brain, flight muscle, and fat body to define the metabolic framework required for isotope-resolved tracing of plant-derived GABA. My work integrates metabolomics with targeted molecular approaches to generate mechanistic insight into plant–pollinator metabolic interactions.
​
​
​
Seth Kwame Asare, MSc student
Building on my BSc in Agriculture (KNUST, Ghana) where I demonstrated linalool’s efficacy against maize weevils (Sitophilus zeamais), I pioneered dual-compound strategies (linalool/nerolidol) during my MPhil in Seed Science (University of Ghana) to combat invasive pests (Prostephanus truncatus) and mycotoxin-producing fungi (Aspergillus flavus). My early research laid groundwork for sustainable, chemical-free grain storage solutions.
​
​
​
Samiksha Shekhawat, MSc student
I hold a BSc in Biotechnology from Jayoti Vidyapeeth Women’s University (Jaipur, India). I am interested in social insects, with a particular focus on insect social behavior, chemical interactions, and the ecological factors that promote group living.
I enjoy working with insects and caring for cockroaches, and I am keen to challenge common misconceptions about these beautiful creatures.
​
Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Sde-Boqer Campus, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben-Gurion 8499000, Israel