Join Us

Any high school teacher in the biology, biotechnology, agriculture or environmental science tracks,  as well as scientific-educational staff working in these fields - is invited to join the project together with their students.
Our sampling center in the Arava is open to new applications, and you are welcome to get in touch.
To join the project, please contact:
Arava Environmental Science Education Center – The Center for Science, Agriculture and Environmental Studies in the Arava:
Rachel Bardo
Mobile: 052-4212120
Email: rachelib@adssc.org
The center is located in Hatzava

If you have a general question about the project, please contact us via the contact form on this page.

If you are studying biology, biotechnology, environmental science, agriculture, or related fields in high school, , or at another educational center — and would like to take part in an experiential project that offers the opportunity to take part in scientific research at the Weizmann Institute of Science - now is the time to speak with your teachers and suggest they join. Participation is open to teacher-led groups only..

If you are part of an environmental or science organization with an educational focus and laboratory facilities, and you are interested in becoming a sampling center to share your region’s unique ecological system with the wider community, please contact us through this page. The Davidson Institute of Science Education provides training and mentoring for your professional staff to prepare them to lead the project in the field.

The project aims to map the communities of microscopic bacteria and fungi that live on and around plants in Israel. This mapping makes it possible to discover previously undocumented microorganisms and to deepen the understanding of how the plant microbiome affects plant health and survival.

The resulting database may serve as a foundation for future research with potential applications in agriculture, environmental science, and medicine, such as the discovery of new antibiotics, the development of environmentally friendly pesticides and fertilizers, or innovative methods for breaking down plastic waste using microorganisms.

Are you a high school student?  This project gives you the chance to take part in advanced research at the Weizmann Institute of Science with real scientific and environmental significance. You’ll see up close what scientific research looks like, head out into the field to collect data, and use the information you gather for your matriculation research projects.

Are you part of a science education team? This project gives you and your students the chance to take part in groundbreaking research currently underway at the Weizmann Institute of Science. It’s a unique opportunity to join a citizen science project, expose your students to engaging and enjoyable hands-on fieldwork, and guide them through meaningful research projects while practicing advanced laboratory methods.

A sampling center is the leading local hub for coordinating student sample collection as part of the Plant Microbiome Mapping Project.
Each center focuses on the unique flora of its surrounding region and is operated by a science and environmental organization with an educational focus and the necessary infrastructure to support the project. Field activities are led by staff from the organization who have received dedicated training from the Davidson Institute of Science Education.
At this stage, our sampling center in Hatzeva is welcoming new inquiries from teachers and educators. You're invited to get in touch and join the project!

The sampling process—meaning, the collection of samples—is carried out under the guidance of the sampling center you are participating with. Each group of students receives a professional and easy-to-use sampling kit from the center, along with clear instructions. The kit enables the collection of plant samples in a sterile and reliable way, in accordance with the standards of scientific research at the Weizmann Institute of Science.

Each group samples a specific plant in the area of the sampling center. During the process, students complete a digital sampling form, entering all the information required for laboratory analysis. The form itself includes the sampling instructions, and a short explanatory video is also available to demonstrate each step.

After joining the project, you will receive sampling kits directly from the sampling center you will work with.

Participation in the project was recognized by the Ministry of Education as part of conducting molecular bioresearch, subject to approval by the district supervisor.

No. The project is carried out through different sampling centers, so there is no need to travel to the Weizmann Institute. All sampling steps are conducted in the geographical area of the center with which you are participating. At this stage, the sampling center currently open to new applications by teachers is located in Hatzeva and is operated by the Arava Environmental Science Education Center - The Center for Science, Agriculture and Environmental Studies in the Arava.

Yes! Each sample collected in the project is registered under a unique kit number, which allows you to track the data in the database after your samples have been processed. This scientific database is regularly updated and forms part of active research conducted in the laboratory of Prof. Ziv Reich at the Weizmann Institute of Science, led by Dr. Dagan Sadeh. The database contains detailed information about microorganisms identified using advanced genetic methods - on plants and in their surrounding environments - from samples collected across the country. It includes known microorganisms and, even more importantly, new microorganisms discovered through the project!

The plant microbiome refers to the collection of genes of the microorganisms found in and around a plant. Although plants may appear to exist on their own, in reality each plant “hosts” an entire world of bacteria, microscopic fungi, and other microorganisms that live on it and in its surrounding environment, influencing its growth and ability to survive under different conditions. The genes of these microorganisms serve as their “identity cards,” revealing which microorganisms are present on the plant and in its surroundings.

The samples are sent to the laboratory of Prof. Ziv Reich at the Weizmann Institute of Science. In the laboratory, scientists, led by Dr. Dagan Sade, decode the genetic information they contain. The process combines an innovative robotic system with advanced DNA sequencing technologies to identify the communities of microscopic bacteria and fungi in the samples. In addition, artificial intelligence (AI) tools and specially developed code are used to detect new species of microorganisms and to map the full composition of the plant microbiome in the samples. The result is an accurate picture of "who lives with the plant" - that is, which microorganisms are present on it and in the soil around it. If you participated in the project, you can track the results of your samples in our database.

The process includes six main stages:
1. Preparation and background
2. Training for sampling
3. Field sampling
4. Sending the samples
5. Decoding the samples in the laboratory
6. Uploading the results to the database

You can read more about each stage in detail on the "How Does it Work?" page.