Personal Information

Education

1962	MSc cum laude, Hebrew university, Jerusalem, Israel, Major: Microbiology, Minors: Genetics, Biochemistry
1967	PhD, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass, USA, Dr. Bernard D. Davis

Experience

1984	Professor, Department of Microbiology, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
1986	Chairman, Department of Microbiology, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
1995-	Manja and Morris Leigh Chair (Cathedra) for Biophysics and Biotechnology
1995- 1999	President, Israeli Society of Microbiology
1996-	Israel's delegate to FEMS
1998-	Members of FEMS publications board
2000-	Dean, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University

Research Interests

Bacterial virulence:
Although enteric bacteria, such as Escherichia coli are common inhabitants of our body, several strains are highly virulent and are often the cause of mortality and morbidity in man and animals. Weare interested in the genetic factors that determine the virulence of E. coli strains, and our specific interest is in these factors that determine the host specificity of the pathogens.

Use of bacteria to combat pollution:
We have been studying bacteria that are potentially useful in bioremediation of organic pollution as well as pollution with heavy metals, especially cadmium. In addition to laboratory research, we have - in collaboration with Professor Eugene Rosenberg - carried out bioremediation of a number of oil-polluted sites, including the restoration of a beach heavily contaminated with crude oil north of Haifa.

Full Publications

Publications in refereed journals

Rosenberg, E., C. Rubinowitz, A. Gotlieb, S. Rosenhak, and E.Z. Ron. 1988. Production of biodispersan by Acineto-bacter calcoaceticum A2. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 54:317-322.

Rosenberg, E., C. Rubinowitz, R. Legmann, and E.Z. Ron. 1988. Purification and chemical properties of Acinetobacter calcoaceticum A2 biodispersan. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 54:323-326.

Grossman, N. and E.Z. Ron. 1989. In Escherichia coli there is an apparent minimal size required for cell division. J. Bacteriol. 171:80-82. medline

Grossman, N., E. Rosner and E.Z. Ron. 1989. Termination of DNA replication is required for cell division in Escherihcia coli. J. Bacteriol. 171:74-79. medline

Rosenberg, E., Z. Schwartz, A. Tenenbaum, C. Rubinovitz, R. Legmann and E.Z. Ron. 1989. A microbial polymer that changes the surface properties of limestone:effect of biodispersan in grinding limestone and making paper. J. Dispersion Science and Technology 10:241-250.

Duclos, B., J.C. Cortay, F. Bleicher, E.Z. Ron, C. Richaud, I. Saint Girons and A.J. Cozzone. 1989. Nucleotide sequence of the metA gene encoding homoserine trans-succinylase in Escherichia coli. Nucleic Acids Res. 17:2856. medline

Ron, E.Z., S. Alajem, D. Biran and N. Grossman. 1990. Adaptation of Escherichia coli to elevated temperatures: the metA gene product is a heat shock protein. Anthonie van Leeuwenhoek, J. of Microbiol. 58:163-169. medline

Yerushalmi, Z., N. Smorodinsky, M.W. Naveh and E.Z. Ron. 1990. Adherence pili of avian strains of Escherichia coli. Infect. Immun. 58:1129-1131. medline

Ron, E.Z., Z. Yerushalmi and M.W. Naveh. 1990. Adherence pili of Escherichia coli O78 determine host and tissue specificity. In: Microbial Surface Components and Toxins in Relation to Pathogenesis, E.Z. Ron and S. Rottem, eds. Plenum Press, London.

Zosim, Z., E.Z. Ron and E. Rosenberg. 1991. Effects of biodispersan on concentrated limestone suspension. Proceedings of the 7th International Conference of Surface and Colloid Science, Compiegne, France. Volume 3, page 98.

Ben-Neria, T. and E.Z. Ron. 1991. A DNA replication gene maps near terC in Escherichia coli K12. Mol. Gen. Genet. 226:315-317. medline

Rosenberg, E., R. Legman, A. Kushmaro, R. Taube, E. Adler and E.Z. Ron. 1992. Bioremediation of oil: a multiphase problem. Bioderedation, 3:337-351.

Ron, E.Z., D. Minz, N. Finkelstein . Rosenberg. 1992. Interactions of bacteria with cadmium. Bioderedation, 3:161-171.

Biran, D., S. Michaeli, G. Segal and E.Z. Ron. 1992. Location of the metA gene on the physical map of Escherichia coli. J. Bacteriol. 174:5753-5754. medline

Segal, G. and E.Z. Ron. 1993. Heat Shock Transcription of the GroESL operon of Agrobacterium tumefaciens may involve a hairpin-loop structure. J. Bacteriol. 175:3083-3088. medline

Segal, G. and E.Z. Ron. 1993. Cloning, sequencing and transcriptional analysis of the gene coding for vegetative sigma factor of Agrobacterium tumefaciens. J. Bacteriol. 175:3026-3030. medline

Inbar, O. and E.Z. Ron. 1993. Induction of cadmium tolerance in E. coli K-12. FEMS Letters, 113:197-200. medline

Elkeles, A., E. Rosenberg and E.Z. Ron. 1993. Azide resistant mutants in Acinetobacter calcoaceticus A-2 are defective in protein secretion. FEMS Letters, 116:221-224.

Schreiber,G., E.Z. Ron, G. Glaser. 1994. PpGpp-Mediated regulation of DNA replication and cell division in Escherichia coli. Current Microbiology 30: 27-32. medline

Elkeles, A., E. Rosenberg and E.Z. Ron. 1994. Production and Secretion of the Polysaccharide Biodispersan of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus A2 in Protein Secretion Mutants. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 60:4642-4645. medline

Segal, G. and Eliora Z. Ron. 1995. The groESL Operon of Agrobacterium tumefaciens: Evidence for Heat Shock-Dependent mRNA Cleavage. J. Bacteriol. 177:750-757 medline

Biran, D. And E.Z. Ron. 1995. Heat-shock Dependent Transcriptional Activation of the metA Gene of Escherichia coli. J. Bacteriol. 177:1374-1379. medline

Ben-Neria, T. and E.Z. Ron. 1995. A cluster of cell division genes maps to the terC region of the chromosome of Escherichia coli K-12. Molec. Gen. Genet. 246:605-609. medline

Navon-Venezia, S., Z. Zosim, A. Gottlieb, R. Legmann, S.Carmeli, E.Z. Ron and E. Rosenberg. 1995. Alasan: A New Bioemulsifier from Acinetobacter radioresistens. Appl. Environm. Microbiol. 61:3240-3244. medline

Minz, D., E. Rosenberg and E.Z. Ron. 1996. Cadmium Binding by Bacteria: Screening and Characterization of New Isolates and Mutants. FEMS Microbiol. Letters. 135:191-194. medline

Segal, G., and E.Z. Ron. 1995. The dnaKJ operon of Agrobacterium tumefaciens: transcriptional analysis and evidence for a new heat shock promoter. J. Bacteriol. 177:5952-5958. medline

Segal, G., and E.Z. Ron. 1996. Regulation and organization of groE and dnaK operons in eubacteria. A minireview. FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 138:1-10. medline

Segal, G., and E.Z. Ron. 1996. Heat shock activation of the groESL operon of Agrobacterium tumefaciens and the roles of the inverted repeat. J. Bacteriol. 178:3634-3640. medline

Rosenberg, E. and E.Z. Ron. 1996. Bioremediation of petroleum contamination. In: Bioremediation: Principles and Applications. R.L. & D.L. Crawford (eds). Cambridge University Press. pp. 100-125..

Rosenberg, E., R. Legman, A. Kushmaro, E. Adler, H. Abir and E.Z. Ron. 1997. Oil Bioremediation using insoluble nitrogen source. J. Biotechnol.51:273-278. medline

Rosenberg, E. and E.Z. Ron. 1997. Bioemulsans: microbial polymeric emulsifiers. Current Opinion in Biotechnol. 8:313-316. medline

Babai, R., G. Blum-Oehler, B.E. Stern, J. Hacker and E.Z. Ron. 1997. Virulence patterns from septicemic Escherichia coli O78 strains. FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 149:99-105. medline

Gery, S. and E.Z. Ron. 1997. An E. coli gene divergently transcribed from a promoter ovelapping the metA promoter. FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 154:219-222. medline

Paitan, Y., E. Orr, E.Z. Ron and E. Rosenberg. 1998. Cloning and sequencing of the DNA gyrase gene of Myxococcus xanthus. Microbiology 144:1641-1647 medline

Segal, G. and E.Z. Ron. 1998. Regulation of heat shock response in bacteria. Ann. NY Acad. Sci. 851:147-151. medline

Navon-Venezia, S., E. Banin, E.Z. Ron and E. Rosenberg. 1998. The bioemulsifier Alasan: role of protein in maintaining structure and activity. Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 49:382-384.

Babai, R. and E.Z. Ron. 1998. An Escherichia coli gene responsive to heavy metals. FEMS letters, 167: 107-111 medline

Paitan Y, E, Orr , E.Z.Ron and E. Rosenberg. 1999. A NusG-like transcription anti-terminator is involved in the biosynthesis of the polyketide antibiotic TA of Myxococcus xanthus FEMS Microbiol Lett 170: 221-227. medline

Paitan Y, G. Alon , E. Orr , E.Z.Ron and E. Rosenberg. 1999. The first gene in the biosynthesis of the polyketide antibiotic TA of Myxococcus xanthus codes for a unique PKS module coupled to a peptide synthetase. J Mol Biol 286:465-474. medline

Paitan Y, E. Orr , E.Z.Ron and E. Rosenberg. 1999. Cloning and characterization of a Myxococcus xanthus cytochrome P-450 hydroxylase required for biosynthesis of the polyketide antibiotic TA. Gene 228:147-153. medline

Barkay T, S. Navon-Venezia, E.Z. Ron and E. Rosenberg. 1999. Enhancement of solubilization and biodegradation of polyaromatic hydrocarbons by the bioemulsifier alasan. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 65:2697-2702. medline

Biran I., L. Klimentiy, R. Hengge-Aronis, E.Z. Ron and J. Rishpon. 1999. On-line monitoring of gene expression. Microbiology, 145:2129-2133. medline

Rosenberg, E. and E.Z. Ron. 1999. High- and low-molecular-mass microbial surfactants. Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 52:154-162. medline

Nakahigashi, K., E. Z. Ron, H. Yanagi, and T. Yura. 1999. Differential and independent roles of a sigma(32) homolog (RpoH) and an HrcA repressor in the heat shock response of Agrobacterium tumefaciens. J Bacteriol. 181:7509-15. medline

Paitan, Y., E. Orr, E. Z. Ron, and E. Rosenberg. 1999. Genetic and functional analysis of genes required for the post-modification of the polyketide antibiotic TA of Myxococcus xanthus. Microbiology. 145:3059-67. medline

Paitan, Y., E. Orr, E. Z. Ron, and E. Rosenberg. 1999. A nonessential signal peptidase II (Lsp) of Myxococcus xanthus might be involved in biosynthesis of the polyketide antibiotic TA. J Bacteriol. 181:5644-51. medline

Biran I., R. Babai, L. Klimentiy, J. Rishpon and E.Z. Ron. 2000. Online and in situ monitoring of environmental pollutants: electrochemical biosensing of cadmium. Environmental Microbiol. (in press).

Osterreicher - Ravid, D., E. Z. Ron, and E. Rosenberg. 2000. Horizontal transfer of an exopolymer complex from one bacterial species to another. Environmental Microbiology. 2: in press.

Chapters in Books

Davis, B.D. and E.Z. Ron. Metabolic Regulation. In:Davis: Microbiology, Third Edition, Harper & Row Publishers Inc. 1980. pp. 257-286.

Rosenberg, E., R. Legman, A. Kushmaro, R. Taube, E. Adler and E.Z. Ron. Bioremediation of oil: a multiphase problem. In Microorganisms to combat pollution, E. Rosenberg, ed. pp. 213-227. Kluwer Academic Publishers. 1992. The Netherlands.

Ron, E.Z., D. Minz, N. Finkelstein and E. Rosenberg. 1992. Interactions of bacteria with cadmium. In Microorganisms to combat pollution, E. Rosenberg, ed. pp. 37-47. Kluwer Academic Publishers. 1992. The Netherlands.

Rosenberg, E., S. Navon-Venezia, I. Zilber-Rosenberg and E.Z. Ron. Rate-limiting steps in the microbial degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons. In: Soil and Aquifer Pollution. H. Rubin, N. Narkis and J. Carberry, Eds. pp. 159-172. Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, 1998.

Rosenberg, E. and E.Z. Ron. Surface active polymers of Acinetobacter. In: Biopolymers from Renewable Sources. D. Kaplan, ed. pp. 281-291. Springer-Verlag, Berlin. 1998.

Ron, E.Z., G. Segal, M. Robinson and D. Graur. Control elements in the regulation of bacterial heat shock response. In Microbial Ecology and Infectious Disease, E. Rosenberg, Ed. pp. 143-152. American Society for Microbiology, Washington, DC. 1999.

Rosenberg, E., T. Barkay, S. Navon-Venezia and E.Z. Ron. Role of Acinetobacter bioemulsans in petroleum degradation. In Novel Approaches for Bioremediation of Organic Pollution, Fass et al, eds. Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, NY. 2000 (in press).

Rosenberg, E., and E. Z. Ron. 2000. Biosurfactants. In M. Dworkin (ed.), The Prokaryotes. Springer-Verlag , Inc., New York.

Books

Ron, E.Z. and S. Rottem. Microbial Surface Components and Toxins in Relation to Pathogenesis. 1990. Plenum Press, London.