Prof. Segula Masaphy

Prof. Segula Masaphy
Principal Investigator
Segula Masaphy
Associate Professor
Research Group Leader
Faculty of Agriculture, PhD
Phone
972-50-2358570
Research Interests:

Ecology and Biotechnology of Mushroom

Bio-active compounds from mushrooms

Environmental Mycology

Fungal-bacterial interactions

Forest mycology

Human and Plant  heath promoting activities of fungi

Water Microbiology

The aim of my research is to increase the applied knowledge on microbial interactions with their environment, mainly filamentous fungi (including edible mushrooms), either improving their valuable functions or reducing their undesired ones. This includes studies on ecology and biotechnology of Morel mushroom, bacteria/fungi interaction, fungal biodegradation of organic and inorganic matter, interaction of fungi with minerals and search for new biological sources of antifungal compounds. The laboratory also works on other applied research topics in food, soil and water microbiology.

CV

Education
Ph.D. 1996, Microbiology and Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Rehovot, and MIGAL Research Institute
M.Sc. 1986, Microbiology and Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Rehovot, and MIGAL Research Institute

Academic and research experience

2015 -  Associate Professor, Head of Department Food Sciences Studies, Tel-Hai Academic college
2013-  Head of Food Studies, Tel-Hai Academic college
2002-2011 Head of the Food and Water Microbiology Service Lab, MIGAL
2000– 2015 Senior Lecturer, Tel Hai Academic college
2000– Researcher, MIGAL Research Institute
1999-2000 Post Doctoral fellow at Aberystwyth University, UK
1997-1999 Post Doctoral fellow in Soil and Water Dep., Volcani Center, Israel
1986-1992 Teacher, Tel Hai Technology College

Scientific Publications

Laccase enhancement and antifungal toxicity reduction: Bidirectional influences between Pomegranate peel extract and Morchella conica mycelium activity


‏Masaphy, S., Vanti, G. L., & Zabari, L.
Bioresource Technology Reports 17:100936.
2022

Purpureocillium lilacinum infection of indoor cultivated morel primordia

Masaphy S.
Agriculture
2022

Chemotyping of three Morchella species reveals species-and age-related aroma volatile biomarkers

Tietel, Z., & Masaphy, S.
2021

Changes in soil bacteria functional ecology associated with Morchella rufobrunnea fruiting in a natural habitat

Orlofsky, E., Zabari, L., Bonito, G., & Masaphy, S.
2021

Synthesis and antibacterial activity of solanum torvum mediated silver nanoparticle against Xxanthomonas axonopodis pv. punicae and Ralstonia solanacearum


2) Vanti, G. L., Kurjogi, M., Basavesha, K. N., Teradal, N. L., Masaphy, S., & Nargund, V. B.
Journal of Biotechnology, 309, 20-28.‏
2020

Synthesis and application of chitosan-copper nanoparticles on damping off causing plant pathogenic fungi.

Gulamnabi Vanti, Segula Masaphy Savita chakrasali, Mahantesh Kurjogi, Vijendra Nargund
International Journal of Biological Macromolecules.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2019.11.179

2019

Immobilization of Rhus vernicifera Laccase on sepiolite; effect of chitosan and copper modification on laccase adsorption and activity

Olshansky, Y., Masaphy, S., Root, R.A., Rytwo, G.
Applied Clay Sciences 2017
2017

True Morels (Morchella) ? Nutritional and Phytochemical Composition, Health Benefits and Flavor: a Review.

Tietel Z. and Masaphy S.
Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. 2017
2017

Aroma-volatile profile of black morel (Morchella importuna) grown in Israel

Tietel Z. and Masaphy S.
Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 2017 Volume Online publication on 1-7-17
2017

Biorational, Environmentally Safe Methods for the Control of Soil Pathogens and Pests in Israel.

Shaltiel-Harpaz L., Masaphy S., Tsror L., Palevsky E.
In Agriculturally Important Microorganisms ,2016, Harikesh Bahadur Singh et al. Ed. , , Pages 273-291
2016

Targeted inspection of environmental mycological load for mitigation of indoor mold toward improved public health.

Masaphy S. and Ezra R.
Journal of Microbial & Biochemical Technology. 2016 Volume 8 Pages 449-458.
2016

A novel echinocandin MIG0310 with anticandida activity from newly isolated Fusarium sp. strain MS-R1.

Masaphy S.
Journal of Applied Microbiology 2015 Issue 116 Pages 1458-1464
2015

Attempts to introduce black truffle in Israel

Danay, O., Ezov, N., Levanon, D., Luzzati,Y., Kagan-Zur,V. and Masaphy S.
1st Int. Con. On Truffle Research. Vic. Barcelona, Spain. 2014
2014

Bacterial biodegradation of PNP absorbed to organo-clay

Masaphy, S., Zohar, S. and Shagug, G.
Applied Microbiology Biotechnology. 2014 Volume 98 Pages 1321-1327
2014

Laboratory study of fungal bioreceptivity of different fractions of composite flooring tiles showing efflorescence.

Masaphy S., Lavi I. Sultz S. and Zabari L.
Applied Microbiology Biotechnology. 2014 Volume 98 Pages 5251-5260
2014

Increasing tolerance to and degradation of high p-nitrophenol concentrations by inoculum size manipulations of Arthrobacter 4Hβ isolated from agricultural soil

S. Zohar; I. Kviatkovski; S. Masaphy
International Biodeterioration and Biodegradation 2013 Volume 84 Pages 80-85
2013

Observations on post-fire black morel ascocarp development in an Israeli burnt forest site and their preferred micro-sites

S. Masaphy; L. Zabari
Fungal Ecology 2013 Volume 6 Issue 4 Pages 316-318
2013

Biodegradation of p-nitrophenol sorbed onto crystal violet-modified organoclay by Arthrobacter sp. 4Hβ

S. Masaphy; S. Zohar; G. Jander-Shagug
Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 2013 Pages 06-???
2013

Introduced Tuber aestivum replacing introduced Tuber melanosporum: A case study

T. Turgeman; Y. Sitrit; O. Danai; Y. Luzzati; A. Bustan; N. Roth-Bejerano; V. Kagan-Zur; S. Masaphy
Agroforestry Systems 2012 Volume 84 Issue 3 Pages 337-343
2012

Introduced Tuber aestivum spreading spontaneously in Israel.

Kagan-Zur, V., Turgeman, T., Sitrit, Y., Danai, O., Luzzati, Y., Bustan, A., Roth-Bejerano, N. and Masaphy, S.
Acta Mycologia. 2012 Volume 47 Pages 175-177
2012

Partial identification of antifungal compounds from Punica granatum peel extracts

I. Glazer; S. Masaphy; P. Marciano; I. Bar-Ilan; D. Holland; Z. Kerem; R. Amir
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 2012 Volume 60 Issue 19 Pages 4841-4848
2012

Biotechnology of morel mushrooms: Successful fruiting body formation and development in a soilless system

S. Masaphy
Biotechnology Letters 2010 Volume 32 Issue 10 Pages 1523-1527
2010

Free radical scavenging activity of culinary-medicinal morel mushrooms, Morchella dill. ex Pers. (Ascomycetes): Relation to color and phenol contents

G. Jander-Shagug; S. Masaphy
International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms 2010 Volume 12 Issue 3 Pages 299-307
2010

The complexity of Morchella systematics: a case of yellow morel from Israel

Masaphy, S., Zabari, L., Goldberg, D. and Jander-Shagug, G.
Fungi 2010 Volume 3 Pages 14-18
2010

Role of fungal mycelium in the formation of carbonate concretions in growing media-an investigation by SEM and synchrotron-based X-ray tomographic microscopy

S. Masaphy; L. Zabari; J. Pastrana; S. Dultz
Geomicrobiology Journal 2009 Volume 26 Issue 7 Pages 442-450
2009