About
I completed my B.Sc. and M.Sc. studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and received my Ph.D. from the Weizmann Institute of Science. After my first postdoctoral training in Israel, I was awarded the prestigious European HFSP Fellowship for further postdoctoral research at the University of California, Davis. My work at UC Davis, although focused on basic developmental biology and published in the journal Cell, also led to several patents and practical applications in agriculture.
When my family and I returned to Israel, we founded Nidaria Technology, a company that developed an innovative lotion providing combined protection against sun exposure and jellyfish stings. The company received the Excellence Award from the Chief Scientist of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and its products are now sold in more than 20 countries worldwide. I later founded and managed another biotech company, NanoCyte, which operated until 2019. The company’s goal was to harness the stinging-cell injection mechanism of jellyfish and sea anemones for transdermal delivery of drugs and cosmetic agents. The technology was successfully evaluated in both in-vivo experiments and clinical trials.
At the end of 2009, I joined the newly established Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences at the University of Haifa, where, together with my colleagues, I founded the Department of Marine Biology. Since then, I have held several positions, including serving as Head of the Department from 2017 to 2022.
Publications
- Whole-body regeneration and polarity repatterning in polyps of Xenia umbellata (Octocorallia), Nadir, E., Marillac, V., Lotan, T. & Benayahu, Y., 27 Jul 2026, In: PeerJ. 14, 23 p., e21503.
- Predation on scyphozoan polyps and selective hydrozoan nematocyst incorporation dynamics in an alien aeolid nudibranch, Dror, H., Lotan, T. & Angel, D., Dec 2025, In: Frontiers in Zoology. 22, 1, 33.
- Jellyfish blooms through the microbial lens: temporal changes, cross-species and Jellyfish-water comparisons, Barak, N., Brekhman, V., Aharonovich, D., Lotan, T. & Sher, D., Dec 2025, In: Environmental Microbiome. 20, 1, 49.
- Diffuse pacemaker mechanism with distinctive organization drives pulsation in the octocoral Xenia umbellata, Nadir, E., Benayahu, Y., Ofek-Lalzar, M., Gabrieli, T. & Lotan, T., 18 Nov 2025, In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 122, 46, e2500611122.
- Biohybrid Microrobots Based on Jellyfish Stinging Capsules and Janus Particles for In Vitro Deep-Tissue Drug Penetration, Park, S., Barak, N., Lotan, T. & Yossifon, G., Jun 2025, In: Small Science. 5, 6, 2400551.
- מיקסוזואה - קבוצה עתיקה שמצאה את מיקומה במערכת הצורבים, לוטן, ת., 2025, הוד הים: איתנות ותמורות במערכות הימיות של ישראל. סטמבלר, נ. (ed.). חיפה: העמותה הישראלית למדעי הימים, p. 493-504 12 p.
- Directional swimming patterns in jellyfish aggregations, Malul, D., Berman, H., Solodoch, A., Tal, O., Barak, N., Mizrahi, G., Berenshtein, I., Toledo, Y., Lotan, T., Sher, D., Shavit, U. & Lehahn, Y., 9 Sep 2024, In: Current Biology. 34, 17, p. 4033-4038.e5
- The Tilapia Cyst Tissue Enclosing the Proliferating Myxobolus bejeranoi Parasite Exhibits Cornified Structure and Immune Barrier Function, Maor-Landaw, K., Smirnov, M. & Lotan, T., Jun 2024, In: International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 25, 11, 5683.
- Exotic myxozoan parasites establish complex life cycles in farm pond aquaculture, Salti, B., Atkinson, S. D., Brekhman, V., Smirnov, M. & Lotan, T., Jun 2024, In: Journal of Invertebrate Pathology. 204, 108105.
- A remote sensing approach for exploring the dynamics of jellyfish, relative to the water current, Diamant, R., Alexandri, T., Barak, N. & Lotan, T., Dec 2023, In: Scientific Reports. 13, 1, 14769.
- The Molecular Mechanisms Employed by the Parasite Myxobolus bejeranoi (Cnidaria: Myxozoa) from Invasion through Sporulation for Successful Proliferation in Its Fish Host, Maor-Landaw, K., Avidor, I., Rostowsky, N., Salti, B., Smirnov, M., Ofek-Lalzar, M., Levin, L., Brekhman, V. & Lotan, T., Aug 2023, In: International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 24, 16, 12824.
- The myxozoan parasite Myxobolus bejeranoi (Cnidaria: Myxozoa) infection dynamics and host specificity in hybrid tilapia aquaculture, Maor-Landaw, K., Avidor, I., Salti, B., Smirnov, M., Brekhman, V. & Lotan, T., 10 May 2023, In: Parasitology. 150, 6, p. 524-530 7 p.
- Selecting 16S rRNA Primers for Microbiome Analysis in a Host–Microbe System: The Case of the Jellyfish Rhopilema nomadica, Barak, N., Fadeev, E., Brekhman, V., Aharonovich, D., Lotan, T. & Sher, D., Apr 2023, In: Microorganisms. 11, 4, 955.
- Xenia umbellata (Octocorallia): A novel model organism for studying octocoral regeneration ability, Nadir, E., Lotan, T. & Benayahu, Y., 1 Feb 2023, In: Frontiers in Marine Science. 10, 1021679.
- Direct Electricity Production from Nematostella and Arthemia’s Eggs in a Bio-Electrochemical Cell, Shlosberg, Y., Brekhman, V., Lotan, T. & Sepunaru, L., Dec 2022, In: International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 23, 23, 15001.
- Infection by the Parasite Myxobolus bejeranoi (Cnidaria: Myxozoa) Suppresses the Immune System of Hybrid Tilapia, Maor-Landaw, K., Smirnov, M., Brekhman, V., Ofek-Lalzar, M., Yahav, T. & Lotan, T., Oct 2022, In: Microorganisms. 10, 10, 1893.
- Amplicon sequence variant-based meiofaunal community composition revealed by DADA2 tool is compatible with species composition, Harbuzov, Z., Farberova, V., Tom, M., Pallavicini, A., Stanković, D., Lotan, T. & Lubinevsky, H., Oct 2022, In: Marine Genomics. 65, 100980.
- Cellular pathways during spawning induction in the starlet sea anemone Nematostella vectensis, Reuven, S., Rinsky, M., Brekhman, V., Malik, A., Levy, O. & Lotan, T., Dec 2021, In: Scientific Reports. 11, 1, 15451.
- The cnidarian parasite Ceratonova shasta utilizes inherited and recruited venom-like compounds during infection, Americus, B., Hams, N., Klompen, A. M. L., Alama-Bermejo, G., Lotan, T., Bartholomew, J. L. & Atkinson, S. D., Dec 2021, In: PeerJ. 9, e12606.
- Contribution of Maternal and Paternal Transmission to Bacterial Colonization in Nematostella vectensis, Baldassarre, L., Levy, S., Bar-Shalom, R., Steindler, L., Lotan, T. & Fraune, S., 11 Oct 2021, In: Frontiers in Microbiology. 12, 726795.
- Proteomic Analysis of the Parasitic Cnidarian Ceratonova shasta (Cnidaria: Myxozoa) Reveals Diverse Roles of Actin in Motility and Spore Formation, Brekhman, V., Ofek-Lalzar, M., Atkinson, S. D., Alama-Bermejo, G., Maor-Landaw, K., Malik, A., Bartholomew, J. L. & Lotan, T., 15 Apr 2021, In: Frontiers in Marine Science. 8, 632700.
- Ectopic activation of GABAB receptors inhibits neurogenesis and metamorphosis in the cnidarian Nematostella vectensis, Levy, S., Brekhman, V., Bakhman, A., Malik, A., Sebé-Pedrós, A., Kosloff, M. & Lotan, T., Jan 2021, In: Nature Ecology and Evolution. 5, 1, p. 111-121 11 p.
- עדכון מודל המפלגות בישראל: ניתוח והמלצות - איך לסלול דרך חדשה בין מודל המפלגות הדמוקרטיות למודל המפלגות היחידניות (ומה לעזאזל עושים עם הפריימריז?), לוטן, ת., 2021, שיקום המפלגות בישראל. שפירא, א., קניג, ע. & רהט, ג. (eds.). ירושלים: המכון הישראלי לדמוקרטיה, p. 61-122 62 p.
- A comparison of the structure and function of nematocysts in free-living and parasitic cnidarians (Myxozoa), Americus, B., Lotan, T., Bartholomew, J. L. & Atkinson, S. D., Sep 2020, In: International Journal for Parasitology. 50, 10-11, p. 763-769 7 p.
- השפעת פריחת המדוזות – היבטים ברמה הלאומית, לוטן, ת., 2019, הערכה אסטרטגית ימית רבתי לישראל 2018/19. חורב, ש. (ed.). חיפה: מרכז חיפה למחקרי מדיניות ואסטרטגיה ימית, אוניברסיטת חיפה, p. 315-325 11 p.
- Myxozoans: Ancient metazoan parasites find a home in phylum Cnidaria, Atkinson, S. D., Bartholomew, J. L. & Lotan, T., Aug 2018, In: Zoology. 129, p. 66-68 3 p.
- Morphological and molecular characterization of a novel myxosporean parasite Myxobolus bejeranoi n. sp. (Cnidaria: Myxosporea) from hybrid tilapia in Israel, Lövy, A., Smirnov, M., Brekhman, V., Ofek, T. & Lotan, T., 1 Feb 2018, In: Parasitology Research. 117, 2, p. 491-499 9 p.
- Dielectrophoretic characterization and isolation of jellyfish stinging capsules, Park, S., Capelin, D., Piriatinskiy, G., Lotan, T. & Yossifon, G., Aug 2017, In: Electrophoresis. 38, 16, p. 1996-2003 8 p.
- Regulation of AP-1 by MAPK Signaling in Metal-Stressed Sea Anemone, Agron, M., Brekhman, V., Morgenstern, D. & Lotan, T., 27 Jun 2017, In: Cellular Physiology and Biochemistry. 42, 3, p. 952-964 13 p.
- Fast-acting topical hydrophilic drug delivery via a natural nano-injection system, Lotan, T., Tal, Y. & Ayalon, A., 4 May 2017, Percutaneous Penetration Enhancers Physical Methods in Penetration Enhancement. Springer Berlin Heidelberg, p. 343-350 8 p.
- The nematocyst's sting is driven by the tubule moving front, Park, S., Piriatinskiy, G., Zeevi, D., Ben-David, J., Yossifon, G., Shavit, U. & Lotan, T., 1 Mar 2017, In: Journal of the Royal Society Interface. 14, 128, 20160917.
- Studies for thread release and ejection dynamics of cnidarian nematocysts and their DEP characterization/manipulation for osmotic based delivery systems, Park, S., Piriatinskiy, G., Shavit, U., Lotan, T. & Yossifon, G., 2016, 20th International Conference on Miniaturized Systems for Chemistry and Life Sciences, MicroTAS 2016. Chemical and Biological Microsystems Society, p. 385-386 2 p. (20th International Conference on Miniaturized Systems for Chemistry and Life Sciences, MicroTAS 2016).
- Preface, Benayahu, Y., Levy, O. & Lotan, T., 7 Oct 2015, In: Hydrobiologia. 759, 1
- Transcriptome profiling of the dynamic life cycle of the scypohozoan jellyfish Aurelia aurita, Brekhman, V., Malik, A., Haas, B., Sher, N. & Lotan, T., 14 Feb 2015, In: BMC Genomics. 16, 1, 74.
- Evolutionary conservation of the mature oocyte proteome, Lotan, T., Chalifa-Caspi, V., Ziv, T., Brekhman, V., Gordon, M. M., Admon, A. & Lubzens, E., Feb 2014, In: EuPA Open Proteomics. 3, p. 27-36 10 p.
- המדוזה - מבנה פשוט ומנצח, LOTAN, T. (Editor), 2014, הוד הים: יציבות ושינוי במערכות הימיות של ישראל. ישראל: העמותה הישראלית למדעי הימים, p. 158-166
- הוד הים: יציבות ושינוי במערכות הימיות של ישראל, Stambler, N. (Editor), LOTAN, T. (Editor), GOODMAN TCHERNOV, B. N. (Editor) & BERMAN FRANK, I., 2014, ישראל: העמותה הישראלית למדעי הימים. 584 p.
- Transdermal delivery of scopolamine by natural submicron injectors: In-vivo study in pig, Shaoul, E., Ayalon, A., Tal, Y. & Lotan, T., 21 Feb 2012, In: PLOS ONE. 7, 2, e31922.
- Immediate topical drug delivery by natural submicron injectors, Ayalon, A., Shichor, I., Tal, Y. & Lotan, T., 31 Oct 2011, In: International Journal of Pharmaceutics. 419, 1-2, p. 147-153 7 p.
- Immediate Topical Drug Delivery Using Natural Nano-Injectors, Lotan, T., 2008, Modified Release Drug Delivery Technology. Rathbone, M. J., Hadgraft, J., Roberts, M. S. & Lane, M. E. (eds.). CRC Press, Vol. 184. p. 395-404 10 p.
- Natural Nano-Injectors as a Vehicle for Novel Topical Drug Delivery, Lotan, T., 2005, Precutaneous absorption. Bronaugh, R. L. & Maibach, H. I. (eds.). Informa Healthcare, Vol. 155. p. 521-527
- Arabidopsis LEAFY COTYLEDON1 is sufficient to induce embryo development in vegetative cells, Lotan, T., Ohto, M. A., Matsudaira Yee, K., West, M. A. L., Lo, R., Kwong, R. W., Yamagishi, K., Fischer, R. L., Goldberg, R. B. & Harada, J. J., 26 Jun 1998, In: Cell. 93, 7, p. 1195-1205 11 p.
- ...response: Embryos without sex, Harada, J. J., Lotan, T., Fischer, R. L. & Goldberg, R. B., 1998, In: Trends in Plant Science. 3, 12, p. 452-453 2 p.
- Cloning and expression inEscherichia coli of the gene encoding β-C-4-oxygenase, that converts β-carotene to the ketocarotenoid canthaxanthin inHaematococcus pluvialis, Lotan, T. & Hirschberg, J., 8 May 1995, In: FEBS Letters. 364, 2, p. 125-128 4 p.
- Avian marginal zone cells function as primitive streak inducers only after their migration into the hypoblast, Eyal-Giladi, H., Lotan, T., Levin, T., Avner, O. & Hochman, J., Sep 1994, In: Development (Cambridge). 120, 9, p. 2501-2509 9 p.
- Pathogenesis-Related Proteins Exhibit Both Pathogen-Induced and Developmental Regulation, Fluhr, R., Sessa, G., Sharon, A., Ori, N. & Lotan, T., 1991, In: Advances in Molecular Genetics of Plant-Microbe Interactions. 1, p. 387-394 8 p.
- Function and Regulated Accumulation of Plant Pathogenesis-Related Proteins, LOTAN, T. & Fluhr, R., 1990, In: Symbiosis. 8, 1, p. 33-46
- Pathogenesis-related proteins show both inducible and developmental regulation, Fluhr, R., LOTAN, T., Ori, N. & Sessa, G., 1990, In: Physiologia Plantarum. 79
- A major stylar matrix polypeptide (sp41) is a member of the pathogenesis-related proteins superclass, Ori, N., Sessa, G., Lotan, T., Himmelhoch, S. & Fluhr, R., 1990, In: EMBO Journal. 9, 11, p. 3429-3436 8 p.
- Molecular-biology of Pathogenesis-related genes, Fluhr, R., Shani, N., Eyal, Y., Lotan, T. & Shemla, Y., 1988, In: Phytoparasitica. 16, 2, p. 211-212
Research Areas
Our research focuses on developmental processes in cnidarians, including sea anemones, corals, and jellyfish. In addition, we study the function of the cnidarian stinging apparatus, and in recent years we have been working to understand the infection mechanism of Myxozoa — a large group of parasitic cnidarians that infect fish and invertebrates.
Our studies span multiple biological levels, from whole-organism biology to cellular systems and down to the molecular level. The laboratory employs a wide range of methods, including molecular biology techniques, protein activity assays, transcriptomics, and proteomics, combined with advanced microscopy and bioinformatics. The lab has direct access to the Mediterranean Sea and maintains the capability to culture different life stages of jellyfish, sea anemones, and corals.