Pokroy Lab – Page 9 – Bio-Inspired Surface Engineering and Biomineralization Lab

"If one way be better than another, that you may be sure is Nature’s way"

Aristotle (4th century B.C.)

Just Published

Kuhrts L, Shaked H, Sklar J, Prudnikov E, Prévost S, Manna G, Sztucki M, Katsman A and Pokroy B*. Impact of Mg²⁺ and pH on amorphous calcium carbonate nanoparticle formation: Implications for biomineralization and ocean acidification. PNAS 2025, DOI:10.1073/pnas.2421961122.

Dobrynin D, Zlotver I, Polishchuk I, Kauffmann Y, Suharenko S, Koifman R, Kuhrts L, Katsman A, Sosnik A. and Pokroy B*. Controlled Synthesis of Bimetallic Gold-Silver Nanostars: Atomic Insights and Predictive Formation Model. Small 2025, DOI:10.1002/smll.202410152.

Shaked H, Polishchuk I, Ben Arie N, Dobrynin D, Gainza J, Katsman A and Pokroy B*. “Writing” Crystal Phases in Amorphous Calcium Carbonate via Bio-Inspired Laser-Induced Patterned Transformations. Adv Funct Mater, 2025,DOI: 10.1002/adfm.202502691.

Current EU Projects

SafeWax is an EU-funded project, which joins an international research network with 5 organizations from 3 different EU countries, coordinated by the Technion. Prof. Boaz Pokroy, a principal investigator and a project manager, will spearhead the development of the SafeWax technology. SafeWax will develop bio-derived non-toxic fatty acid-based formulations to create a protective multifunctional coating for plants with anti-adhesive, self-cleaning and antifungal properties. SafeWax technology will be demonstrated on grapevines and will pave the way to protect other commodity crops. Follow the project's progress on Twitter and via LinkedIn.

PataFEST project aims to provide a powerful European initiative, focusing on sustainable Integrated Pest Management strategies to treat and control the presence of Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum pest and its vector in plant, and address the incidence of soil-borne pathogens during potato postharvest storage. Technion, and our Lab, in particular, is a leader of the WP3 related to the development of sustainable solutions to prevent pest spread in potato plants. Follow the project here.