Institute of Evolution

The Institute of Evolution (IoE)

Established in the University of Haifa at 1977 by prof. Eviatar Nevo, includes 12 faculty members (members of the Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology) and more than 20 affiliated scientists with PhD degrees.

The Institute of Evolution (IOE) at the University of Haifa is unique in its broad and interdisciplinary research with particular expertise in population and evolutionary genetics, developmental evolution, behavioral evolution, bioinformatics and ecology. The IOE is situated on Mount Carmel at the heart of the Carmel national park, next to one of most beautiful cities around the Mediterranean, we are in prefect location to study biodiversity and evolution. We are abundant with in house and outdoor facilities providing for modern, cutting edge science. Together with the Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology based in our campus, we are a center of excellence in the field of ecology and evolution in the north of Israel.

Institute News

Congratulations to Prof. Adi Livnat and his group members for their new PNAS paper!

Congratulations to Prof. Imad Shams and his team for YNET publication (in Hebrew)

Congratulations to Prof. Tzion Fahima for publishing a second paper in the prestigious journal Nature Genetics!

The Lady Barbara Davis Wild Cereal Gene Bank (ICGB)

בנק הגנים .12023_1_ENGsubs (1).mp4

Spalax Carmeli comming out of the tunnel

Spalax Carmeli comming out of the tunnel.mp4

Credit: Anastasia Baturina

Catсhing Blind Mole Rats by Dr. Imad Shams in the Upper Galilee

Imad Video.mp4

Credit: Dr. Grace Smarsh

Scientific Seminars

The presented lectures deal mainly with the hot topics in evolutionary biology, molecular genetics, genomics, and ecology. The seminars are delivered by expert lecturers and distinguished visitors in a relaxed environment.

At this point, the seminars will be held on Mondays at 12:00 pm

2025-2026 seminar series

Next seminar:

27.10.2025, Sfadia Auditorium, Multi-purpose building

Yulia Friedman,

NewMoo (Foodtech start-up)

Plant Factories vs. Fermentation Tanks:

Who Wins the Future of Food?

Abstract:
Precision fermentation changed the rules — but it’s not the endgame. Plant molecular farming is quietly emerging as the scalable, climate-smart alternative for producing complex animal proteins. In this talk, we’ll unpack the science behind both systems, their bottlenecks and breakthroughs, and how NewMoo uses plants as living bioreactors to make real milk proteins — no cows, no compromise.