Itzhak Mizrahi

Itzhak (Itzik) Mizrahi
יצחק (איציק) מזרחי
Alma materTel Aviv University
Known forContributions to microbial ecology; host–microbiome interactions; rumen microbiome research; linking ruminant microbiomes to feed efficiency and methane emissions; assembly of the rumen microbiome from birth to adulthood; environmental plasmidome; core microbiome concept; discovery and naming of novel human gut bacteria (Ruminococcus primaciens, R. hominiciens, R. ruminiciens)
Scientific career
FieldsMicrobiology
WorkplacesBen-Gurion University of the Negev
Eliora Z. Ron

Itzhak (Itzik) Mizrahi (born 1974) is an Israeli microbiologist and a Full Professor at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU). His research focuses on microbial ecology and the evolution of the gut microbiome, particularly in ruminants.[1][2][3][4] He is a recipient of the Michael Bruno Memorial Award and a fellow of both the American Society for Microbiology and European Academy of Microbiology.[5][6]

Life and career

Mizrahi completed his undergraduate and doctoral studies at Tel Aviv University as part of an excellence program.[7] He then moved to the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology for his postdoctoral research, where he focused on stem cell research.[3]

Following his postdoctoral training, Mizrahi was appointed as a research group leader at the Volcani Center (Agricultural Research Organization). In 2015, he joined the Department of Life Sciences at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and the National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev (NIBN).[1] He currently serves as a faculty member at BGU's Goldman Sonnenfeldt School of Sustainability and Climate Change.

In 2020, the bacterial species Prevotella mizrahii was named in his honor, recognizing his contributions to the study of the rumen microbiome.[8][9] He was elected as a fellow of the European Academy of Microbiology in 2022[10] and a fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology in 2023.[11] In 2024, he was awarded the Michael Bruno Memorial Award for outstanding scientific achievement.[6][12]

Mizrahi is a former elected member of the Israel Young Academy and is a vocal advocate for the "First Generation in Academia" initiative, supporting students who are the first in their families to pursue higher education.[13]

Research

Source:[14]

Itzhak (Itzik) Mizrahi is known for his contributions to microbial ecology, particularly in host–microbiome systems and plasmid ecology, with a focus on the rumen microbiome. His research aims to identify general ecological and evolutionary mechanisms that span multiple host organisms, including humans, ruminants, fish, and marine iguanas, highlighting principles that are broadly applicable across gut ecosystems. His work has helped define key concepts such as the environmental plasmidome [15] and the core microbiome,[16][17][18][19] revealing conserved microbial communities across hosts and elucidating mechanisms underlying their persistence. He described the assembly of the rumen microbiome from birth to adulthood,[20][21] demonstrating predictable developmental trajectories and their potential for manipulation. His research has uncovered fundamental interactions between hosts and their microbiomes, including links to host genetics,[22] methane emissions and feed efficiency in ruminants,[23] as well as host tolerance to environmental stressors such as temperature in fish.[24] More broadly, his work focuses on understanding how microbial communities in digestive systems influence host health and environmental processes, with the long-term goal of shaping these communities to benefit health, food security, and environmental sustainability.[3][25]

Rumen Microbiome and Climate Change

A central theme of Mizrahi's work is the study of the rumen microbiome in ruminants such as cattle and sheep.[1] Mizrahi's team investigates how these microbes affect milk production and the emission of methane, a potent greenhouse gas.[26][27]

Mizrahi identified natural microbial communities that result in both higher milk yields and significantly lower methane emissions[23] - a finding described as a "win-win" for food security and environmental conservation.[28][25]

A major pillar of Mizrahi's research is the definition and characterization of the core microbiome - the specific group of microbial taxa that are consistently present across different individual hosts, regardless of their location, breed, or diet.[29][30][31] His work demonstrates the existence of a conserved “functional backbone” of microbes that sustain the host, along with the ecological and evolutionary mechanisms that enable their persistence.

Mechanisms of Fiber Degradation

Mizrahi’s foundational research explores the ecological and structural mechanisms of plant fiber deconstruction. In collaboration with colleagues, his work has uncovered how complex microbial consortia coordinate enzymatic activities to efficiently break down plant biomass, linking community structure to functional capacity, both at the community level and from a microbial point of view at the micro- and nanoscale.[32][33]

Together with colleagues, Mizrahi identified and named three previously unknown species of human gut bacteria—Ruminococcus primaciens, R. hominiciens, and R. ruminiciens—specialized in the degradation of cellulose in the human gut[34][35] The research suggests these bacteria likely transitioned from ruminants to humans during the early stages of domestication.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Prof. Itzhak Mizrahi". NIBN. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
  2. ↑ Surkes, Sue (21 January 2020). "Groundbreaking Israeli microbe research scoops up €4 million in grants". The Times of Israel. ISSN 0040-7909. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 "Itzhak Mizrahi, Ben-Gurion University: Thoughts on the Rumen Microbiome, Ecology and Life in General". CRC 1182. 20 November 2024. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  4. ↑ "Understanding the microbiome ecosystem of cows". CORDIS | European Commission. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  5. ↑ http://European%20Academy%20of%20Microbiology
  6. 1 2 University, Ben Gurion. "Bruno Prize Awarded to Prof. Itzik Mizrahi". www.bgu.ac.il. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
  7. ↑ young.academy.ac.il https://young.academy.ac.il/SystemFiles/16594.pdf. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 January 2025. Retrieved 17 January 2026. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  8. ↑ "Species: Prevotella mizrahii". lpsn.dsmz.de. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
  9. ↑ רונאל, אסף. "הוא מנסה להציל את הסביבה, בדרך קראו לחיידק על שמו". Haaretz הארץ (in Hebrew). Archived from the original on 31 May 2022. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  10. ↑ cameronw1986 (31 January 2022). "We welcome 9 newly elected members to our Academy!". FEMS. Retrieved 17 January 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  11. ↑ "65 Fellows Elected into the American Academy of Microbiology". ASM.org. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
  12. ↑ "Something went wrong..." iias.huji.ac.il. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  13. ↑ "Report on First Generation Students in Israeli Academia" (PDF).
  14. ↑ "Itzik Mizrahi Lab - Microbial eco-genomics | המעבדה של איציק מזרחי". Itzik Mizrahi Lab. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  15. ↑ Brown Kav A, Rozov R, Bogumil D, Sørensen SJ, Hansen LH, Benhar I, Halperin E, Shamir R, Mizrahi I. Unravelling plasmidome distribution and interaction with its hosting microbiome. Environ Microbiol. 2020 Jan;22(1):32-44. doi: 10.1111/1462-2920.14813. Epub 2019 Dec 15. PMID 31602783.
  16. ↑ Jami E, Mizrahi I. Composition and similarity of bovine rumen microbiota across individual animals. PLoS One. 2012;7(3):e33306. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0033306. Epub 2012 Mar 14. PMID 22432013; PMCID: PMC3303817.
  17. ↑ Kokou F, Sasson G, Friedman J, Eyal S, Ovadia O, Harpaz S, Cnaani A, Mizrahi I. Core gut microbial communities are maintained by beneficial interactions and strain variability in fish. Nat Microbiol. 2019 Dec;4(12):2456-2465. doi: 10.1038/s41564-019-0560-0. Epub 2019 Sep 23. PMID 31548685.
  18. ↑ Tovar-Herrera, O.E., Grinshpan, I., Sorek, G. et al. Core rumen microbes are functional generalists that sustain host metabolism and gut ecosystem function. Nat Ecol Evol 10, 44–58 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-025-02904-3
  19. ↑ Perlman D, Martínez-Álvaro M, Moraïs S, Altshuler I, Hagen LH, Jami E, Roehe R, Pope PB, Mizrahi I. Concepts and Consequences of a Core Gut Microbiota for Animal Growth and Development. Annu Rev Anim Biosci. 2022 Feb 15;10:177-201. doi: 10.1146/annurev-animal-013020-020412. Epub 2021 Dec 23. PMID 34941382.
  20. ↑ Jami E, Israel A, Kotser A, Mizrahi I. Exploring the bovine rumen bacterial community from birth to adulthood. ISME J. 2013 Jun;7(6):1069-79. doi: 10.1038/ismej.2013.2. Epub 2013 Feb 21. PMID 23426008; PMCID: PMC3660679.
  21. ↑ Furman, O., Shenhav, L., Sasson, G. et al. Stochasticity constrained by deterministic effects of diet and age drive rumen microbiome assembly dynamics. Nat Commun 11, 1904 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-15652-8
  22. ↑ Wallace RJ, Sasson G, Garnsworthy PC, Tapio I, Gregson E, Bani P, Huhtanen P, Bayat AR, Strozzi F, Biscarini F, Snelling TJ, Saunders N, Potterton SL, Craigon J, Minuti A, Trevisi E, Callegari ML, Cappelli FP, Cabezas-Garcia EH, Vilkki J, Pinares-Patino C, Fliegerová KO, Mrázek J, Sechovcová H, Kopečný J, Bonin A, Boyer F, Taberlet P, Kokou F, Halperin E, Williams JL, Shingfield KJ, Mizrahi I. A heritable subset of the core rumen microbiome dictates dairy cow productivity and emissions. Sci Adv. 2019 Jul 3;5(7):eaav8391. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.aav8391. PMID 31281883; PMCID: PMC6609165.
  23. 1 2 Shabat SK, Sasson G, Doron-Faigenboim A, Durman T, Yaacoby S, Berg Miller ME, White BA, Shterzer N, Mizrahi I. Specific microbiome-dependent mechanisms underlie the energy harvest efficiency of ruminants. ISME J. 2016 Dec;10(12):2958-2972. doi: 10.1038/ismej.2016.62. Epub 2016 May 6. PMID 27152936; PMCID: PMC5148187.
  24. ↑ Kokou F, Sasson G, Nitzan T, Doron-Faigenboim A, Harpaz S, Cnaani A, Mizrahi I. Host genetic selection for cold tolerance shapes microbiome composition and modulates its response to temperature. Elife. 2018 Nov 20;7:e36398. doi: 10.7554/eLife.36398. PMID 30454554; PMCID: PMC6277203.
  25. 1 2 "Israeli scientist figures out how to stop cows from killing the planet". The Jerusalem Post. 28 July 2019. ISSN 0792-822X. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  26. ↑ Mizrahi, Itzhak; Wallace, R. John; Moraïs, Sarah (September 2021). "The rumen microbiome: balancing food security and environmental impacts". Nature Reviews Microbiology. 19 (9): 553–566. doi:10.1038/s41579-021-00543-6. ISSN 1740-1534. PMID 33981031.
  27. ↑ Furman, Ori; Shenhav, Liat; Sasson, Goor; Kokou, Fotini; Honig, Hen; Jacoby, Shamay; Hertz, Tomer; Cordero, Otto X.; Halperin, Eran; Mizrahi, Itzhak (20 April 2020). "Stochasticity constrained by deterministic effects of diet and age drive rumen microbiome assembly dynamics". Nature Communications. 11 (1): 1904. Bibcode:2020NatCo..11.1904F. doi:10.1038/s41467-020-15652-8. ISSN 2041-1723. PMC 7170844. PMID 32312972.
  28. ↑ Wallace, R. John; Sasson, Goor; Garnsworthy, Philip C.; Tapio, Ilma; Gregson, Emma; Bani, Paolo; Huhtanen, Pekka; Bayat, Ali R.; Strozzi, Francesco; Biscarini, Filippo; Snelling, Timothy J.; Saunders, Neil; Potterton, Sarah L.; Craigon, James; Minuti, Andrea (3 July 2019). "A heritable subset of the core rumen microbiome dictates dairy cow productivity and emissions". Science Advances. 5 (7) eaav8391. Bibcode:2019SciA....5.8391W. doi:10.1126/sciadv.aav8391. PMC 6609165. PMID 31281883.
  29. ↑ Tovar-Herrera, Omar E.; Grinshpan, Ido; Sorek, Gil; Lybovits, Ido; Levin, Liron; Moraïs, Sarah; Mizrahi, Itzhak (January 2026). "Core rumen microbes are functional generalists that sustain host metabolism and gut ecosystem function". Nature Ecology & Evolution. 10 (1): 44–58. Bibcode:2026NatEE..10...44T. doi:10.1038/s41559-025-02904-3. ISSN 2397-334X. PMC 12789038. PMID 41326607.
  30. ↑ Furman, Ori; Sorek, Gil; Moraïs, Sarah; Levin, Liron; Tovar-Herrera, Omar Eduardo; Winkler, Sarah; Mizrahi, Itzhak (2 January 2025). "Persistent auxiliary microbiome of early novel colonizers in the developing rumen with lasting functional significance". The ISME Journal. 19 (1) wraf252. doi:10.1093/ismejo/wraf252. ISSN 1751-7362. PMC 12700165. PMID 41324463.
  31. ↑ Kokou, Fotini; Sasson, Goor; Friedman, Jonathan; Eyal, Stav; Ovadia, Ofer; Harpaz, Sheenan; Cnaani, Avner; Mizrahi, Itzhak (December 2019). "Core gut microbial communities are maintained by beneficial interactions and strain variability in fish". Nature Microbiology. 4 (12): 2456–2465. Bibcode:2019NatMb...4.2456K. doi:10.1038/s41564-019-0560-0. ISSN 2058-5276. PMID 31548685.
  32. ↑ Tatli, Meltem; Moraïs, Sarah; Tovar-Herrera, Omar E; Bomble, Yannick J; Bayer, Edward A; Medalia, Ohad; Mizrahi, Itzhak (31 May 2022). "Nanoscale resolution of microbial fiber degradation in action". eLife. 11 e76523. doi:10.7554/eLife.76523. ISSN 2050-084X. PMC 9191890. PMID 35638899.
  33. ↑ Wimmer, Benedikt H.; Moraïs, Sarah; Amit, Itai; Tovar-Herrera, Omar; Tatli, Meltem; Trautwein-Schult, Anke; Pfister, Barbara; Zalk, Ran; Tödtli, Paloma; Simoni, Sebastian; Lisibach, Matteo; Levin, Liron; Becher, Dörte; Bayer, Edward A.; Medalia, Ohad (26 November 2025). "Spatial constraints drive amylosome-mediated resistant starch degradation by Ruminococcus bromii in the human colon". Nature Communications. 16 (1): 10763. Bibcode:2025NatCo..1610763W. doi:10.1038/s41467-025-65800-1. ISSN 2041-1723. PMC 12663171. PMID 41298524.
  34. ↑ Moraïs, Sarah; Winkler, Sarah; Zorea, Alvah; Levin, Liron; Nagies, Falk S. P.; Kapust, Nils; Lamed, Eva; Artan-Furman, Avital; Bolam, David N.; Yadav, Madhav P.; Bayer, Edward A.; Martin, William F.; Mizrahi, Itzhak (15 March 2024). "Cryptic diversity of cellulose-degrading gut bacteria in industrialized humans". Science. 383 (6688) eadj9223. Bibcode:2024Sci...383j9223M. doi:10.1126/science.adj9223. PMC 7615765. PMID 38484069.
  35. ↑ "Some of our key gut microbes likely came from cows—and we're losing them". www.science.org. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
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