Meet Dr. Doron Yehoshua Ashkenazi, a Vaadia BARD postdoctoral fellow currently conducting his research in the University of Southern California, in Prof. Sergey Nuzhdin’s lab.
What is the main focus of your research?
“My postdoctoral research aims to help establish a seed bank of economically valuable, healthy, and nutritionally rich seaweeds in Israel and the United States, promoting the development of sustainable seaweed aquaculture for food and health applications. Seaweeds represent a key sustainable resource, offering significant nutritional value that can support future food security, alongside important environmental benefits.
However, unlike land-based agriculture, seaweed aquaculture lacks established seed banks and relies mainly on asexual vegetative propagation, while seaweed genetics remains in its infancy—limiting large-scale and consistent production. To address these challenges, I will join the laboratory of Prof. Sergey Nuzhdin at the University of Southern California (USC), a leading molecular biologist and algae genetics specialist. There, I will apply functional and computational genomics, innovative breeding programs, and advanced aquaculture technologies. I will focus working on red seaweeds such as Gracilaria species, develop seed bank and life-cycle protocols, and identify genetic markers linked to yield and valuable nutritional traits using genome-wide association studies (GWAS), laying the foundation for future industry growth.”
What got you interested in your area of research?
“I have lived by the sea my entire life. Its natural beauty, the shoreline and the life it holds beneath its surface, has always inspired me, and from a young age I knew this was the field I wanted to study and a way through which I could one day contribute to the world. After serving in the Israeli Navy, I pursued studies in marine biology, where I discovered the remarkable environmental, nutritional, and practical potential of seaweeds.
During my graduate studies under the supervision of Prof. Avigdor Abelson from Tel Aviv University and Prof. Alvaro Israel from the Israel Oceanographic & Limnological Research Institute, I studied natural seaweed communities along the Israeli coastline from both ecological and chemical perspectives, while also designing sustainable aquaculture systems aimed at enhancing the nutritional quality of cultivated seaweeds. In my postdoctoral work, I aim to further advance seaweed aquaculture and biotechnology by integrating genomic and computational approaches to unlock the vast, still underutilized potential of marine resources.”
What are your plans after your fellowship?
“After my fellowship, I aim to become an independent researcher in Israel and establish a state-of-the-art seaweeds research laboratory. By applying the novel genomic and applied tools acquired during my postdoctoral training, I hope to advance seaweed aquaculture and marine biotechnology in Israel. Given its unique environmental conditions, I believe Israel has the potential to become a global leader in this field.”
What tip would you give someone beginning their Graduate Student Fellowship?
“Follow your heart, pursue your dream, and discover how your unique passion can help make our planet better. The BARD fellowship offers a rare opportunity to work in leading laboratories, learn advanced methodologies, and grow scientifically and professionally—use it to explore, innovate, and create meaningful impact. ‘Keep away from the bad and do good, seek peace and pursue it’ (King David).”