עברית
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Prof. Benjamin Ehrenberg z'l

Research

Experimental spectroscopy in biophysics: absorption, emission and resonance Raman techniques in the study of membrane properties, bioenergetics and vision. Membrane-probe interactions. Photosensitized damage in biophysical systems, photodynamic treatment of cancer cells. Nanoparticles as carriers and enhancers in biological photophysics. Electrochromic and metallochromic dyes and ion transport through membranes.

CV
  • 1978 Ph.D. in Chemical Physics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot. The Yashinsky Prize of the Feinberg Graduate School, Weizmann Institute of Science.
  • 1978-1979 Postdoctoral research assistant, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y. Chaim Weizmann Postdoctoral Fellowship.
  • 1980-1992 Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, Associate Professor, Department of Physics, Bar Ilan University.
  • 1985-1986 & 1988 Visiting Associate Professor, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Conn.
  • 1993 Professor, Dept. of Physics, Bar Ilan University.
  • 1993 Visiting Professor, University of California at Los Angeles.
  • 1994-1997 Chairman, Department of Physics, Bar Ilan University.
  • 1994-1999 Chairman of the Bar Ilan University Graduate School for Master’s students.
  • 1994- Incumbent of the David Falk Chair in Laser Phototherapy.
  • 2003-2007 Chairman of the Bar Ilan University Graduate School for Ph.D. students.
  • 2007 Visiting Professor, University of Sydney.
  • 2009-2011 Dean of the Faculty of Exact Sciences.
  • 2011-2015 Vice President for Research.
  • Recipient of Research grants from: US-Israel Binational Science Foundation; Israel Academy of Sciences, Basic Research Foundation; Israel Council for Higher Education Equipment Grant; Hasselblad Foundation Research Grant; Israel Ministry of Health; Levitan Research Grant; Lusinchi Research Grant in Applied Life Sciences; Israel Ministry for the Absorption of Immigration; Israel Ministry of Science and Technology; Science Research & Development Directorate of the European Union; Katz Family Grant Incentive Program
Publications

[2009]   The correlation between photosensitizers' membrane localization, membrane-residing targets and photosensitization efficiency. S. Ytzhak, S. Bernstein, L.M. Loew & B. Ehrenberg. SPIE 7380, 7380291-10.

[2009]   The binding of analogs of porphyrins and chlorins with elongated side chains to albumin. S. Ben-Dror, I. Bronshtein, H. Weitman, K.M. Smith, W.G. O’Neal, P.A. Jacobi & B. Ehrenberg. Eur. Biophys. J. 38, 847-855

 [2009]  Complexation of Mg-tetrabenzoporphyrin with pyridine enhances singlet oxygen generation and affects its partitioning into apolar microenvironments. H. Weitman, S. Shatz & B. Ehrenberg. J. Photochem. Photobiol. A: Chemistry 203, 7-12

[2009]   The localization and photosensitization of modified chlorin photosensitizers in artificial membranes. S. Ben Dror, I. Bronshtein, Y. Garini, W.G. O’Neal, P.A. Jacobi & B. Ehrenberg. Photochem. Photobiol. Sciences 8, 354-361

 [2008]  The effect of solution electrolytes on the uptake of photosensitizers by liposomal membranes. A salting-out effect. R. Minnes, S. Ytzhak, H. Weitman & B. Ehrenberg. Chem. Phys. Lipids, 155, 38-42.

 [2008]  Spectroscopy, binding to liposomes and production of singlet oxygen by porphyrazines with modularly variable water solubility. A. Sholto, S. Lee, B.M. Hoffman, A.G.M. Barrett & B. Ehrenberg. Photochem. Photobiol. 84, 764-773.

 [2008]  Dithiaporphyrin derivatives as photosensitizers in membranes and cells. R. Minnes, H. Weitman, Y. You, M. R. Detty & B. Ehrenberg. J. Phys. Chem. B. 112, 3268-3276.

 [2008]  Hydrophobicity, membrane binding and topography in membranes of silicon phthalocyanines with axial ligands of varying lengths. A. Sholto & B. Ehrenberg. Photochem. Photobiol. Sciences 7, 344-351.

[2007]   The effect of lipid composition, bilayer phase and temperature on the uptake of hematoporphyrin by liposomal membranes. R. Minnes, H. Weitman & B. Ehrenberg. Journal of Porphyrins and Phthalocyanines 11, 577-585.

 [2006]  In Vitro and In Vivo Photosensitization by Protoporphyrins Possessing Different Lipophilicities and Vertical Localization in the Membrane. I. Bronshtein, S. Aulova, A. Juzeniene, V. Iani, L-W. Ma, K.M. Smith, Z. Malik, J. Moan & B. Ehrenberg. Photochem. Photobiol. 82, 1319–1325.

[2006]   On the correlation between hydrophobicity, liposome binding and cellular uptake of porphyrin sensitizers. S. Ben-Dror, I. Bronshtein, A. Wiehe, B. Röder, M.O. Senge & B. Ehrenberg. Photochem. Photobiol. 82, 695-701.

 [2006]  Enhanced Acidity, Photophysical Properties and Liposome Binding of Perfluoroalkylated Phthalocyanines Lacking C-H Bonds. R. Minnes, H. Weitman, H.-J. Lee, S.M. Gorun & B. Ehrenberg. Photochemistry and Photobiology 82, 593–599

 [2005]  Novel Methyl Helianthrones as Photosensitizers: Synthesis and Biological Evaluation. S. Rahimipour, N. Litichever-Coslovskyz, M. Alaluf, D. Freeman, B. Ehrenberg, L. Weiner, Y. Mazur, M. Fridkin & Y. Koch. Photochem. Photobiol. 81, 250–258.

[2005]   The Effect of pH on the Topography of Porphyrins in Lipid Membranes. I. Bronshtein, K.M. Smith & B. Ehrenberg. Photochem. Photobiol. 81, 446–451.

[2004]   Porphyrin Depth in Lipid Bilayers as Determined by Iodide and Parallax Fluorescence Quenching Methods and Its Effect on Photosensitizing Efficiency. I. Bronshtein, M. Afri, H. Weitman, A.A. Frimer, K.M. Smith & B. Ehrenberg. Biophys. J. 87, 1155-1164.

[2004]   Active Oxygen Chemistry within the Liposomal Bilayer, Part III: Locating Vitamin E, Ubiquinol and Ubiquinone and their Derivatives in the Lipid Bilayer. M. Afri, B. Ehrenberg, Y. Talmon, Y. Cohen & A.A. Frimer. Chem. Phys. Lipids 131, 107-121.

 [2003]  Specificity of photosensitizer accumulation in undifferentiated versus differentiated colon carcinoma cells. G. Siboni, I. Amit-Patito, E. Weizman, M. Waintraub-Broat, H. Weitman, B. Ehrenberg & Z. Malik. Cancer letters 196, 57-64

[2002]   The Correlation Between Hydrophylicity of Hypericins and Helianthrone: Internalization Mechanisms, Subcellular Distribution and Photodynamic Action in Colon Carcinoma Cells. G. Siboni, H. Weitman, D. Freeman, Y. Mazur, Z. Malik & B. Ehrenberg. Photochem. Photobiol. Sciences 1, 483 – 491.

 [2002]  Interaction of dicarboxylic metalloporphyrins with liposomes. The effect of pH on membrane binding revisited. M. Kepczynski & B. Ehrenberg. Photochem. Photobiol. 76, 486-492

 [2002]  Do Liposome-Binding Constants of Porphyrins Correlate with Their Measured and Predicted Partitioning Between Octanol and Water? M. Kępczyński, R.P. Pandian, K.M. Smith & B. Ehrenberg. Photochem. Photobiol., 76, 127-134  

 [2002]  The Depth of Porphyrin in a Membrane and the Membrane's Physical Properties Affect the Photosensitizing Efficiency. A. Lavi, H. Weitman, R.T. Holmes, K.M. Smith & B. Ehrenberg. Biophys. J. 82, 2101-2110

[2001]   Spectroscopic Probing of the Acid-Base Properties and Photosensitization of a Fluorinated Phthalocyanine in Organic Solutions and Liposomes. H. Weitman, S. Schatz, H.E. Gotlieb, N. Kobayashi & B. Ehrenberg. Photochem. Photobiol. 73, 473-481

[2001]   Solvatochromic Effects in the Electronic Absorption and NMR Spectra of Hypericin in Organic Solvents and in Lipid Bilayers. H. Weitman, M. Roslaniec, A.A. Frimer, M. Afri, D. Freeman, Y. Mazur & B. Ehrenberg. Photochem. Photobiol. 73, 110-118

[2001]   Single-photon photolysis of C60, C70, C76, and C84 in solutions. L. Juha, B. Ehrenberg, S. Couris, E. Koudoumas, S. Leach, V. Hamplova, Z. Pokorna, A. Mullerova & P. Kubat. Chem. Phys. Lett. 335, 539-544

 [2000]  Interaction of novel cationic meso-tetraphenylporphyrins in the ground and excited states with DNA and nucleotides. P. Kubat, K. Lang, P. Anzenbacher, K. Jursikova, V. Kral & B. Ehrenberg. J. Chem. Soc., Perkin Trans. I, 933-941

[2000]   Mitochondrial localization and photodamage during photodynamic therapy with tetraphenylporphines. E. Weizman, C. Rothmann, L. Greenbaum, A. Shainberg, M. Adamek, B. Ehrenberg & Z. Malik. J. Photochem. Photobiol. B 59, 92-102

 [2000]  Liposome binding constants and singlet oxygen quantum yields of hypericin, tetrahydroxy helianthrone and their derivatives: studies in organic and biological media. M. Roslaniec, C. Weitman, D. Freeman, Y. Mazur & B. Ehrenberg. J. Photochem. Photobiol. B. 57, 149-158

 [2000]  Principal component analysis of the absorption and resonance Raman spectra of the metallochromic indicator antipyrylazo III. E. Pevzner & B. Ehrenberg. Spectrochimica Acta A 56, 637-651

Courses

86-327: Biophysics of membranes and polymers

Activities
  • Memberships and participation in organizing international conferences:
  • Co-organizer and chairman of the Conference on Photodynamic Therapy of Cancer, Biomedical Optics Europe, Lille, France, 1994.
  • Member of the scientific committee of the Conference on Fluorescence Microscopy and Fluorescent Probes, Prague, Czech Republic, 1995.
  • Co-organizer and chairman of the Conference on Photodynamic Therapy of Cancer, Europto, Barcelona, Spain, 1995.
  • Elected Officer and member of the Presidential Board of the European Society for Photobiology, 1995-1997.
  • Member of the organizing committee of the International Symposium on Bioelectro- chemistry and Bioenergetics, Israel, 1996.
  • Member of the organizing committee of the First Congress of the World Association for Laser Therapy, Jerusalem, May 1996.
  • Chairman of the Europto Conference on Photochemotherapy, Vienna, Austria, September 1996.
  • Chairman of the Europto Conference on Photochemotherapy, San Remo, Italy, September 1997.
  • Chairman of the Europto Conference on Photochemotherapy, Stockholm, Sweden, September 1998.
  • Member of the scientific committee of the 3rd Conference on Fluorescence Microscopy and Fluorescent Probes, Prague, Czech Republic, 1999.
  • Member of the international scientific committee of the 6th Conference on Methods and Applications of Fluorescence Spectroscopy (MAFS), Paris, 1999.
  • Member of the international scientific committee of the 7th Conference on Methods and Applications of Fluorescence: Spectroscopy, Imaging and Probes, Amsterdam, 2001.
  • Member of the international scientific committee of the 8th Conference on Methods and Applications of Fluorescence: Spectroscopy, Imaging and Probes, Prague, 2003.
  • International Scientific Committee of the 10th Congress of the European Society for Photobiology, Vienna, 2003.
  • Organizer and chairman of symposium “Porphyrinic Pigment-Membrane Interactions" at ICPP3, New Orleans, 2004.
  • Organizer and chairman of symposium “Physical chemistry of photosensitizers" at the 11th Congress of the European Society for Photobiology, Aix-les-Bains, France, 2005.
  • Organizer and chairman of symposium “Biophysics of Photosensitization" at the 12th Congress of the European Society for Photobiology, Bath, UK, 2007.
  • Member of Scientific Committee and organizer and chairman of Symposium on: "Photosensitization - Biophysical, photophysical and spectroscopic aspects" at the 13th Congress of the European Society for Photobiology, Wroclaw, Poland, 2009.
  • Associate Editor, Photochemistry and Photobiology.

Last Updated Date : 05/12/2022