Rotem Sorek

Biosketch

Rotem Sorek is a microbiologist recognized for his discoveries on the immune system of bacteria. Sorek is a Professor of Molecular Genetics at the Weizmann Institute of Science, where he heads the laboratory of microbial genomics and systems biology. He is also a Visiting Professor at the LMU University, Munich.

Sorek was born in Israel and completed his BSc in Life Sciences, MSc in Molecular Evolution, and a PhD in Human Genetics, all in Tel Aviv University. He joined the Weizmann Institute of Science in 2008 after completing post doctoral studies in Berkeley, California.

Research Interests

Dr. Rotem Sorek studies the immune system of bacteria. His laboratory is interested in deciphering the molecular mechanisms providing bacteria with protection against viruses that infect them (phages). He and his team developed computational and experimental platforms to discover new bacterial immune systems in large scales.

Sorek’s studies showed that bacteria encode hundreds different kinds of defense systems that protect them against phages. His work furthermore demonstrated that many important components of the human innate immune system evolved from bacterial immune systems, explaining the early evolution of the human innate immune system. Research from his lab showed that bacterial immunity can be used as a model system to study animal and plant immunity.

In a parallel line of research, the Sorek lab discovered that viruses can use small-molecule communication to coordinate their infection dynamics. His work showed that viruses can decide between violent (lytic) and dormant (lysogenic) lifestyles based on chemical communication.