Ongoing Projects

HARNESSING NATURAL Phenomena FOR CO2 MITIGATION

CO2 levels are rising and with them the disastrous effects of climate change. To mitigate CO2 emissions we need to develop environmentally friendly strategies that remove CO2 from the atmosphere. 

We are currently engaged in two projects:

1. Enhanced mineral weathering in agricultural soils has the potential to capture CO2, preserve organic matter, and serve as a liming agent. We study how co-applying basalt rock powder and compost regulates the storage mechanisms of inorganic and organic C in soils with diverse charatceristics such as texture, pH, and initial carbonate/carbon content.

   • Supported by the HUJI-University of Illinois Joint Research Seed Program (2025-2027) in collaboration with Prof. Yuji Arai, and by the European Union's 4th AgroServ Program #25-C4-Agro-TNA-009 (2026-2028)

2. Deep sea burial of organic matter (OM) can store the carbon far away from the atmosphere. OM decay under deep sea conditions, particularly anoxic ones, displays slower degradation rates and distinct degradation mechanisms. Therefore, deep sea burial is a promising practice to reduce CO2 emissions. We study the kinetics and degradation pathways of OM under anoxic marine conditions. 

   • Funded by the US-Israel Binational Science Foundation #2024025 (2025-2027) in collaboration with Prof. Malak Tafily from the University of Arizona.

FATE OF MINERAL ASSOCIATED ORGANIC MATTER

Organic matter (OM) turnover regulates the balance of carbon in the environment, including soil carbon sequestration and CO2 emissions. In soils, OM interacts with soil minerals to form strong mineral-OM associations that influence key biogeochemical processes such as microbial activity and nutrient/contaminant mobility, inclusive of carbon mineralization to CO2. 

We have two active projects running:

1. Aging of iron mineral-OM assemblages, focusing on transformation reactions under reductive and oxidative aging conditions, in the presence/absence of OM and Si. We monitor changes in mineral structure, OM composition, and strength of the OM-mineral associations using an array of micro-to-nanoscale characterization techniques, along with thermodynamic measurements, to identify the underlying mechanisms that contribute to the resilience of MAOM.

   • Funded by the Israel Science Foundation #635/25 (2025-2029).

2. The fate of MAOM under changing biogeochemical conditions such as upon transitions from terrestrial to marine environments. Transport of MAOM into higher salinity waters that host different microbial communities is liekly to influence the preservation of OM within these assemblages. 

   • Funded by the Einstein Foundation #BJ-2024-835 (2025-2028) in collaboration with Prof. Mina Bizic from the Technical University of Berlin.

N20 emissions from dry soils

N2O is a potent greenhouse gas, released upon the re-wetting of dry soils. Yet there is a void in our understanding of the mechanisms of N2O formation, which is why we are interested in unravelling the abiotic and biotic controls on N2O emissions.

• Funded by the HUJI-BGU Partnership for Sustainability incollaboration with Prof. Ilya Gelfund (2026-2027).

OPEN MSc POSITION FOR OCT 2026!

Phosphorous recovery from lakes and wastewaters

Phosphorus (P) is a critical nutrient and a major contributor to water quality degradation in lakes and wastewater treatment plants. Isolating P may be achieved in the form of different mineral precipitates. We are therefore evaluating the influence of wastewater composition on the precipitation dynamics of vivianite (Fe3(PO4)2), focusing on mineral structure and composition.

OPEN MSc POSITION FOR OCT 2026!

COMPOSITION-SIZE-REACTIVITY RELATIONSHIPS IN BIOGEOCHEMICAL REACTIONS

Particle dynamics govern biogeochemical cycling by controlling the migration, stability and bioavailability of nutrients, contaminants, organic matter, and microbes in soil and water systems. We monitor the lifecycle of soil particles at the nano- and molecular-scale in order to unravel the intricate relationships between their composition, size, and reactivity. In our studies we focus on the mechanisms and rates of these reactions, with special emphasis on organic matter composition and  redox chemistry.