Ayelet Voskoboynik

Ayelet Voskoboynik is an expert in the field of comparative immunology and stem cell biology. Her studies significantly contribute to the development of the colonial chordate Botryllus schlosseri as a model system to study stem cell biology, aging, and the evolution of immunity.

Ayelet led the Botryllus genome project and developed a novel method to obtain a synthetic long read sequence (SLR). She isolated BHF, the gene that encodes self/non-self and determines “graft” outcomes in this organism. Ayelet identified the first adult stem cell niche and the first germline stem cell niche in Botryllus, led a comprehensive cellular, molecular, and functional characterization of the Botryllus immune system, and investigated the molecular clock and neurodegeneration pathways in young and old colonies. Recently, she led an international effort to build the Tabula compositi chordate, an atlas of Botryllus embryogenesis and blastogenesis, revealing unique molecular landscapes for each developmental mode. Dr. Voskoboynik work has opened the door to a better understanding of the evolution of stem cell and immune cell properties during development, regeneration, transplantation, and aging.