Members
Levitan, Orly
- Title: Visiting Professor
- Department / Research Program: Department of Microbiology and Biochemistry
- Email: levitan@marine.rutgers.edu
- Phone: 848-932-3421
- Detailed Profile: https://orlylevitanphd.com/
- Research Areas: biofuels, algae, plant, photosynthesis, intermediate metabolism
- Energy Research Focus: My research addresses biological questions centered on the cycling of elements by microorganisms in relationship to contemporary environmental concerns.Recently, I have been studying the cellular allocation of photosynthetically fixed carbon, and the molecular and metabolic interactions between the central carbon and nitrogen pathways in algae. Applying my understanding of the intermediate metabolism of diatom, an algal taxon, I have managed to use genetic engineering to obtain algal strains with enhanced lipid accumulation that can be used as biofuel. I now move forward to understand what are the basic signaling mechanism in eukaryotic algal cells.
