Jump to content

Amir Sagi

Edit links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Amir Sagi
Sagi in 2023
Born (1956-05-22) 22 May 1956 (age 68)
Jerusalem
CitizenshipIsraeli
Known forCrustacean Biology, Sexual differentiation and Growth
Scientific career
FieldsBiology, Life Sciences

Amir Sagi (Hebrew: אמיר שגיא, born May 22, 1956) is a professor of life sciences at Ben Gurion University of the Negev, whose field of expertise is crustacean biology, physiology, endocrinology, and functional genomics. He contributed to the study of sexual differentiation, cell growth and aquaculture.

Early life and education

[edit]

Sagi completed his M.Sc., in Oceanography, Marine Biology at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem which marked the start of his interest in crustacean reproduction strategies.[1] and during his Ph.D[2] he addressed anatomical and physiological aspects of differentiation in prawn with special attention to the androgenic gland.[3]

Research and career

[edit]

His postdoctoral training in comparative endocrinology was at the University of Connecticut and the Marine Biological laboratory at Woods Hole, Mass. under Prof. Hans Laufer. Sagi than moved to Ben Gurion University of the Negev (1992) in which he was promoted to the degree of Full professor of Life sciences (2005), and Distinguished professor (2018 to present).[4]

He has also served, between 2011–2013, as president of the International Society for Invertebrate Reproduction and Development (ISIRD),[5] and held various roles within academic and professional committees such as Dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences at Ben Gurion University of the Negev (2008–2011)[6] and as a board member of the National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev.[6]

Sagi's group has discovered the IAG physiological sexual switch,[7][8][9][10][11] and its associated gene expression[12][13] in decapods investigating multigenic functions in crustacean reproduction and growth and the establishment of genome editing in prawns using application of CRISPR.[13][14][15][16]

His group established monosex biotechnologies in crustacean culture including the application of temporal RNA interference (RNAi) in the field of aquaculture for all-male culture.[17][9][18][19] Crustacean monosex technologies are applied in Vietnam, Thailand, China, Malaysia, Israel.[20][21][22][23] He is a co-founder of the all-female culture biotech company Enzootic Ltd.[24]

Prawns are efficient predators thus might serve as sustainable and responsible biocontrol agents over various invasive and pest species.[25][9] The Sagi lab development of monosex prawn biotechnologies enables the application of responsible, efficient, and non-invasive biocontrol agents in various parts of the world.[26][22]

Prof. Amir Sagi has received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the ACEEU Asia-Pacific Triple E Awards in Malaysia 2024, recognizing his contributions to aquaculture biotechnology over the past two decades.[27]

Awards and honors

[edit]
  • Vice President and Dean of R&D Award for Breakthrough Research (2022)[28]
  • ICA award for leading entrepreneurship in agriculture and biotechnology (2018)[29]
  • The Crustacean Society Excellence in Research Award (2015 -16)[7][30]
  • The Landau Prize for Sciences and Arts (2014)[31]
  • The Global Aquaculture Alliance's inaugural Novus Global Aquaculture Innovation Award (2013)[32][33][34]
  • Lily and Sidney Oelbaum Chair in Applied Biochemistry[6][35]
  • Lifetime Achievement Award at the ACEEU Asia-Pacific Triple E Awards, 2024.[27]
  • Recognition from the Bard Foundation for his contribution to aquaculture and global food security, 2024[36]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Ra'Anan, Ziva; Sagi, Amir (1985). "Alternative Mating Strategies in Male Morphotypes of the Freshwater Prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii (De Man)". Biological Bulletin. 169 (3): 592–601. doi:10.2307/1541301. JSTOR 1541301.
  2. ^ Sagi, Amir (1989). Anatomical and physiological aspects of morphotypic differentiation in males of the freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii and the regulatory role of the androgenic gland - Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, 93 pages. Life Sciences Institute, Dept. of Biological Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
  3. ^ Sagi, A., Cohen, D. and Y. Milner, 1990. Effect of androgenic gland ablation on morphotypic differentiation and sexual characteristics of male freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii. Gen. Comp. Endocrinol., 77:15-22.
  4. ^ "Amir Sagi". Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.
  5. ^ "ISIRD History - Past Presidents of the Society". International Society of Invertebrate Reproduction and Development.
  6. ^ a b c "University Develops Gene-Silencing to Develop Prawn Aquaculture". FS - The Fish Site, 6 December 2012. 6 December 2012.
  7. ^ a b Tudge, Christopher C. "Amir Sagi, Recipient of the Crustacean Society Excellence in Research Award". Journal of Crustacean Biology, Volume 36, November 2016, Pages 865–86, by Oxford Academic.
  8. ^ Ardavan Farhadi et al., 2021. The Regulatory Mechanism of Sexual Development in Decapod Crustaceans. Frontiers in Marine Science, 8, pp. 1-19 (references in pages 13-18; Citations within the text).
  9. ^ a b c Kenji Toyota, 2024. Crustacean endocrinology: Sexual differentiation and potential application for aquaculture. General and Comparative Endocrinology, Vol. 356, 15 September 2024, 114578.
  10. ^ "Israeli Innovation Awarded 1st place in the Aquaculture Innovation Award". IsraelAgri. 9 June 2022.
  11. ^ Sánchez Keighley, Paul (5 February 2013). "Israeli Innovation Awarded 1st. Place in the Aquaculture Innovation Award". IsraelAgri.
  12. ^ "水生生物学报". doi:10.7541/2024.2023.0362. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  13. ^ a b Miao M. CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Gene Mutation of EcIAG Leads to Sex Reversal in the Male Ridgetail White Prawn Exopalaemon Carinicauda. Front Endocrinol (Lousanne), 21 November 2023 (references: 1, 17, 20, 22, 24 & 52).
  14. ^ Grossman, Ariel (November 2023). "New Project Enhances Crustacean Genes For Sustainable Seafood". No Camels - Israeli Innovation News, November 01, 2023.
  15. ^ "Targeted Gene Technology Comes to Crustacea Aquaculture". The Fish Site, 1 November 2023. November 2023.
  16. ^ "Alliance to Establish Crustacean Gene Editing Technology". Hatchery Feed & Management, Alliance to Establish Crustacean Gene Editing Technology, November 1, 2023.
  17. ^ Wang, Tao; Yu, Yang; Li, Shihao; Li, Fuhua (2024). "Molecular mechanisms of sex determination and differentiation in decapod crustaceans for potential aquaculture applications: An overview". Reviews in Aquaculture. 16 (4): 1819–1839. doi:10.1111/raq.12924.
  18. ^ "It's a Girl! Gene Silencing Technology Alters Sex of Prawns - Peer-Reviewed Publication - Society for Experimental Biology". Eurek Alert, 30-Jun-2014.
  19. ^ "Transformed Male Prawns Could Increase World Food Supply". Voice of America, by YouTube, 26 October, 2015. 26 October 2015.
  20. ^ Phansawat, P., Keetanon, A., Rairat, T., Pichitkul, P., Poldetch, P., & Chuchird, N., 2022. Benefits of Male Monosex Culture of Giant Freshwater Prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii): Improving Growth Performance, Production Yield, and Profitability. Journal of Fisheries and Environment, 46, pp.157-168.
  21. ^ "Biotechnology to boost Malaysian freshwater prawn seed production". Hatchery Feed Management, July 22, 2022.
  22. ^ a b Vorsanger, Sarah. "Israeli Scientists Use Prawns to Fight Tropical Disease". Zavit - Science Environment in Israel, October 27, 2019.
  23. ^ "Generating Single-Sex Prawn Populations". World Fishing & Aquaculture, 02/07/2014.
  24. ^ "Enzootic Team". Enzootic - All-female Shrimp Aquaculture, 26.3.2023.
  25. ^ Yingying Wang et al., Efficacy of Giant River Prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii in Controlling the Invasive Snail Pomacea canaliculata: Implications for Ecological Farming. Diversity, 15, September 2023, pp. 1-12 (references: 42, 57 and also 2 recomanded articles).
  26. ^ Hoover et al., 2019. Modelled effects of prawn aquaculture on poverty alleviation and schistosomiasis control. Nature Sustainability 2: 611-620.
  27. ^ a b "Honoring Prof. Amir Sagi: Transforming Aquaculture for Two Decades". BARD: The US-Israel Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund, September 25, 202.
  28. ^ The Vice President of the University and Dean for Research and Development, Prof. Raz Yelinek, were awarded to outstanding researchers in recognition of their scientific achievements during the 2021-2022 academic year. Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, June 2, 2022 (in Hebrew)
  29. ^ ICA in Israel (25 November 2018). "(in Hebrew with English subtitles) ICA award to Enzotik and Peronit Compenies". YouTube, 2018.
  30. ^ "The Crustacean Society bestows its 2016 Excellence in Research Award on Prof. Amir Sagi". Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Jan. 22, 2017.
  31. ^ "Landau Arts and Sciences Prize Winners 2014". Mifal Hapais, November 20, 2014 (in Hebrew).
  32. ^ "Ben Gurion University Professor Wins Inaugural Aquaculture Innovation Award". Global Seafood Alliance, 25 February 2015. 25 February 2015.
  33. ^ Ziri, Danielle (9 October 2013). "BGU Professor Wins Aquaculture Award". The Jerusalem Post, October 9, 2013.
  34. ^ Linden, Jackie (11 October 2013). "GOAL Conference 2013: Innovation Award for Israeli Professor". The Fish Site, 11 October 2013.
  35. ^ Chamovitz, Daniel. "BGU President's Report 2021, p. 52". digitaler.cld.bz.
  36. ^ "A Discovery Worth 50 Million Dollars: the Prestigious wWn of the Professor from Ben Gurion University". Walla, 29.10.2024 (in Hebrew).
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Amir_Sagi&oldid=1256615945"