Yoav D. Livney, Associate Professor

Research Interests:

Physical Chemistry of Food and biopolymer-based nano-delivery systems for health promoting compounds

Short Synopsis:

Research interests: Our group aims at improving human health both by preventive nutrition and by diagnostic/curative nanomedicine.
Our approaches are based on exploring and deepening the understanding of the physicochemical behavior of biopolymers and their interactions with low molecular weight compounds in aqueous solutions, and applying these insights in the development of novel nature-inspired delivery systems for the enrichment of food & beverages with nutraceuticals, and for the diagnostics and treatment of diseases.
Collaborations:
Anti cancer drug delivery: Prof. Yehuda Assaraf, Biology
Bioavailability of vitamin D in humans: Prof. Sophia Ish-Shalom, Medicine
Bioavailability & health effects of EGCG: Prof. Eddy Karnieli, Medicine
Sugar stereochemistry effects on water structure and on protein stability: Prof. Simcha Srebnik, Chemical Engineering
Published papers related to Nanoscience – Nanotechnology – Nanomedicine• M. Haham*, S. Ish-Shalom (equally contributing first authors), M. Hefetz-Kustanovich, M. Nodelman, Y. D. Livney, Stability and Bioavailability of Vitamin D Nanoencapsulated in Casein Micelles, Food & Function (2012) 3, 737-744.
• G. Israeli-Lev* and Y. D. Livney, Self-assembly of Hydrophobin and its Co-assembly with Hydrophobic Nutraceuticals in Aqueous Solutions: Towards Application as Delivery Systems. Food Hydrocolloids 35 (2014) 28-35.
• Shpigelman, Y. Shoham, G. Israeli-Lev & Y. D. Livney, β-lactoglobulin-Naringenin complexes: Nano-Vehicles for the delivery of a hydrophobic Nutraceutical. Food Hydrocolloids 40 (2014) 214-224.
• Y. Levinson, G. Israeli-Lev, Y. D. Livney, Soybean β-conglycinin nanoparticles for delivery of hydrophobic nutraceuticals. (Food Biophysics, DOI 10.1007/s11483-014-9341-8; published on line 31-5-14)
Published Review papers
• Y. D. Livney, Milk Proteins as Vehicles for Bioactives, Invited Review: Current Opinion in Colloids and Surface Science 15 (2010) 73-83.
• Shapira*, Y. D. Livney H. J. Broxterman and Y. G. Assaraf, Nanomedicine for targeted cancer therapy: towards the overcoming of drug resistance, Drug Resistance Updates, 14 (3) (2011), 150-163
• (Invited review): Y. D. Livney and Y. G. Assaraf Rationally designed nanovehicles to overcome cancer chemoresistance, Adv. Drug Deliv. Rev. (2013), Nov 30;65(13-14):1716-30. doi: 10.1016/j.addr.2013.08.006.