Yuval Ebenstein
Tel Aviv University
Professor
Israel
Genomics and epigenetics, Fluorescence microscopy, Diagnostics
1996-2006, B.S., Chemistry & Physics all the way to Ph.D, Hebrew University (advisor: Uri Banin); 2006-2012, Postdoctoral Training, UCLA (advisor: Shimon Weiss); 2012-today, Professor of Chemistry, Tel Aviv University
Long-read structural and epigenetic profiling of a kidney tumor-matched sample with nanopore sequencing and optical genome mapping (2025). NAR Genomics and Bioinformatics, DOI: 10.1093/nargab/iqae190
Chemo-Enzymatic Fluorescence Labeling Of Genomic DNA For Simultaneous Detection Of Global 5-Methylcytosine And 5-Hydroxymethylcytosine (2023). ChemBioChem, DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202300400
Dam Assisted Fluorescent Tagging of Chromatin Accessibility (DAFCA) for Optical Genome Mapping in Nanochannel Arrays (2023). ACS Nano, DOI:10.1021/acsnano.2c12755.
Hi, I’m a physical epigeneticist. I’m trying to find out if, and how, a chemical code on our DNA makes us who we are. Each one of us has a unique and personal genome, but all the different cell types that make us up have exactly the same genetic code – our personal genome. How can different cell types display distinct shapes and functions despite having the same execution code? Turns out that additional information is encoded by chemical modifications to the DNA bases. This epigenetic code controls which parts of the genome are used by each type of cell according to its function (skin, liver, etc.). The modified DNA bases may be converted back to their original state, thus allowing cells to write and erase functional information- a molecular memory. My lab develops techniques to read epigenetic patterns on DNA and relate them to physiological conditions such as cancer. We profile DNA molecules one by one, which provides extreme sensitivity for cancer diagnosis. It also allows us to measure epigenetic entropy. But that’s a whole different story.
