Zohar Arnon completed his BSc in physics and biology at Tel Aviv University. He joined Prof. Ehud Gazit’s research group as an undergraduate and continued in Prof. Gazit’s lab for his MSc and PhD in biotechnology. Zohar’s PhD, at the interface between physics, chemistry and biology, focused on the self-assembly process of various organic molecules, such as proteins, nucleic acids and amino acids.

 

Self-assembled supramolecular polymers emerge from the associations of building blocks through non-covalent interactions to form well-ordered structures with intriguing properties, such as self-healing, tunable physical attributes and controllable reorganization. These qualities are highly desirable for device development for nanotechnological applications. Yet, the manipulation and control of these polymers remains a challenge, hampering our ability to realize their potential. In Zohar’s research, the molecular diversity of supramolecular polymers was expanded, through multi-component co-assembly, producing new polymers with distinct attributes. In addition, utilizing a microfluidic platform, mechanistic studies of the assembly process at the individual structure level were conducted to elucidate the molecular basis of these processes. It is hoped that they will pave the way for the development of nanotechnological devices for future applications in the fields of biomedicine and materials science.

 

In his first postdoctoral position, Zohar will work under the supervision of Dr. Lihi Adler-Abramovich, researching the antibacterial properties of nanostructured surfaces using microfluidics. The goal is to achieve the rational design and fabrication of stable, biocompatible antibacterial materials for applications in a broad range of technological fields, from marine transportation to surgical equipment and dental transplantation.