Dr. Dror Bar-Nir

Updated: August 2007

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Personal

Telephone Tel: 972-9-778-1750
Tel: 972-2-677-3318
Fax Fax: 972-9-778-2661
Email E-mail: drorb@openu.ac.il

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Education

1981 B.Sc., Biology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
1984 M.Sc. Genetics, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Thesis: Streptomyces griseus Plasmid pSG1. Advisor: Prof. Amikam Cohen, The Department of Molecular Genetics, The Hebrew University Medical School.
1991 Ph.D., Molecular Biology, The Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Dissertation: Reorganization of DNA Affecting the Structure and State of Maintenance of Streptomyces griseus Plasmid pSG1. Advisor: Prof. Amikam Cohen, The Department of Molecular Genetics

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Professional Experience (other than The Open University of Israel)

1985-1990 Assistant and instructor, The Institute of Microbiology, The Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
1993-1994 Lecturer, Department of Laboratory Studies in Medical Sciences, Hadassah College, Jerusalem
1994-1995 Lecturer, The Jordan Valley Academic College, Tzemach (an extension of Bar-Ilan University)
1994-2002 Lecturer, The College of Judea & Samaria, Ariel (an extension of Bar-Ilan University)

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Research

1981-1990 Research on the Molecular Biology of Escherichia coli and Streptomyces bacteria and computer-based sequence analysis (bioinformatics), in the laboratory of Prof. Amikam Cohen, The Department of Molecular Genetics, The Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
1991-1994 Research (post-doctoral fellowship) on the Molecular Biology of Mycobacteria, Brucella and Oil-Degrading Bacteria, in the research laboratories of Prof. Hillel Berkovier and Prof. Immanuel Hanski, The Department of Clinical Microbiology, The Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
1995-1997 Research on the Molecular Biology of Prions, in the laboratory of Dr. Albert Taraboulos, The Department of Molecular Biology, The Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

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Academic Teaching at The Open University

1994 - Teaching coordinator, tutor, editor, and course-website manager, The World of Bacteria
1995 - Teaching coordinator, tutor, editor, and course-website manager, The Cell: Structure and Function
1995 - Teaching coordinator, The Cytoskeleton of Eukaryotic Cells
1995-1997 Teaching coordinator and tutor, Laboratory: Cell Biology,
2005 - Seminar-paper advisor, Symbiosis
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Academic Teaching at Other Institutions

1985-1988 Teaching Assistant, Introduction to Microbiology (second-year biology students), The Microbiology Institute, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
1985-1990 Teaching Assistant, Biology of Prokaryotic Cells (third-year biology students), The Microbiology Institute, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
1988-1990 Laboratory Coordinator, Introduction to Microbiology (second-year biology students), The Microbiology Institute, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
1993-1994 Lecturer, Genetic Engineering: Basic Methods in Molecular Biology, The Department of Laboratory Studies in Medical Science, Hadassah Academic College, Jerusalem (30 hours)
1994-2001 Lecturer, General and Medical Bacteriology, The College of Judea and Samaria, Ariel (an extension of Bar-Ilan University) and The Jordan Valley Academic College, Tzemach (an extension of Bar-Ilan University) (52-56 hours)
1994-2001 Lecturer, Immunology and Virology, The College of Judea and Samaria, Ariel (an extension of Bar-Ilan University) (52-56 hours)
1994-2001 Lecturer, Introduction to Virology, The College of Judea and Samaria, Ariel (an extension of Bar-Ilan University) (13-14 hours)

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Professional Development and Non-Academic Courses at The Open University

1998-2002 Lecturer, Bacteria and Humans, a computer-based professional development course for junior high-school biology teachers, The Tamid Project of The Open University (20 hours)
1998 Lecturer, Bacteria - In Computer-Based Environments Too?, a professional development course for junior high-school biology teachers, The Teacher Professional Development Unit, The Open University (28 hours)
1998 Lecturer, Identifying Disease causing Bacteria and Environmental Bacteria, a professional development course for microbiology laboratory staff at Interpharm Ltd., The Teacher Professional Development Unit, The Open University (30 hours)
1999 Lecturer, The Biotech Age in High School (the bacteriological aspect of the course), for high-school biology teachers, The Teacher Professional Development Unit, The Open University (14 hours)
2000 Lecturer, Bacteria in Food, as part of the course on Nutrition, The Tamid Project, The Open University (2 hours)
2000 Instructor, The Human Body on the Internet Workshop, part of the Open University tele-course, The Human Body (3 hours)
2000 Bacteria - More than What you Thought, a professional development program for employees of Galam Ltd., The Teacher Professional Development Unit, The Open University (12 hours)
2001 Bacteriology, a professional development program for nursing teachers, The Teacher Professional Development Unit, The Open University (27 hours)
2002 From Biology to Nanotechnology, a professional development program in Cellular Biology and Genetics, The Tafnitech Program, The Open University (12 out of 30 hours).
2003 Introduction to Cellular Biology and Genetics, a professional development program for employees of Pharm-Up Ltd., The Teacher Professional Development Unit, The Open University (21 hours)
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Professional Development and Non-Academic Courses at Other Institutions

1995 Lecturer, Basic Methods in Molecular Biology and their Use in a Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, a professional development course for laboratory staff at the Ministry of Health, Jerusalem (50 hours)
1999 Lecturer, New Facts about Bacteria, in a professional development program for biology teachers, Bar-Ilan University (3 hours)
2000 Professional development, Bacteria and Principles of Genetic Engineering, The Teacher Professional Development Unit, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (6 hours)

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Membership in Professional Organizations

  • 1986 - The Israel Society for Microbiology

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Active Participation in Conferences

  • Bar-Nir, D., The Internet Site of the 'World of Bacteria' course, The Euro-Med Conference on Technology in Learning Environments: The Learning Citizen, 1999, Tel-Aviv.
  • Bar-Nir, D. and Klemes J., Identifying Bacteria-Laboratory Simulation: New Instructional Software for Microbiology Students, Annual Meeting of The Israel Society for Microbiology, School of Medicine, Israel Institute of Technology – Technion, January 2000, Haifa.
  • Bar-Nir, D., The Internet Site of the 'World of Bacteria' course, Annual Meeting of The Israel Society for Microbiology, School of Medicine, Israel Institute of Technology - Technion, January 2000, Haifa.
  • Bar-Nir, D. and Klemes, J., Bacteria in a Virtual World: Combining Technologies in Microbiology Teaching at The Open University, First MEITAL Annual Conference (The Israeli Inter-University Center for E-Learning - IUCEL), Israel Institute of Technology - Technion, 2000, Haifa.

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Additional Activities at The Open University

1996 - Departmental academic counseling
1997-2004 Advisor to Life Sciences students
1998 - Development and operation of Open University websites
The World of Bacteria: http://telem.openu.ac.il/courses/c20237
The Cell: Structure and Function: http://telem.openu.ac.il/courses/c20214
Department website: http://telem.openu.ac.il/nature
Life Sciences website: http://telem.openu.ac.il/life
1998-1999 Developed instructional software for the course 'The World of Bacteria: Identifying Bacteria-Laboratory Simulation'
1998-2004 Scientific advisor on Microbiology films, the Broadcast Unit
2000 - Department technology coordinator and website manager, Department of Natural and Life Sciences
2000 - Responsible for student inquiries – the Department of Natural and Life Sciences
2000-2002 Representative of the Department of Life Sciences on the Employee Council

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Publications and Books

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Open University Publications (in Hebrew)

Bar-Nir, D. (2000). Bacteria Classification by Evolutionary Origin and Physiological Traits. Appendix to The World of Bacteria
Klemes, J., Kimchi, B. and Bar-Nir, D. (2001). Protein Production, Unit 6 in The Cell: Structure and Function
Klemes, J., Kimchi, B. and Bar-Nir, D. (2001). Protein Production – Regulation and Control Mechanisms, Unit 7 in The Cell: Structure and Function
Klemes, J. and Bar-Nir, D. (2006). Milestones, Classification and Evolution, Unit 1 in The World of Bacteria (temporary edition)
Klemes, Y. and Bar-Nir, D. (2006). Structure and Functioning, Unit 2 in The World of Bacteria (temporary edition)
Klemes, J. and Bar-Nir, D. (2003). From Individual to Population, Unit 3 in The World of Bacteria (temporary edition)
Klemes, J. and Bar-Nir, D. (2006). Growth and Environment, Unit 5 in The World of Bacteria (temporary edition)

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Scientific Publications

1. Cohen, A., Bar-Nir, D., Goedeke, M.E. and Parag, Y. (1985). The integrated and free states of Streptomyces griseus plasmid pSG1, Plasmid, 13, 41-50.
2. Parag, Y., Bar-Nir, D., Goedeke, M.E. and Cohen, A. (1986). Induction of free plasmid, plasmid with reiteration, and derived mini-plasmid in Streptomyces griseus. In G. Szabo, S. Biro and M. Goodfellow (eds.), Biological, Biochemical and Biomedical Aspects of Actinomycetes. Akademiai Kiado, Budapest, 87-89.
3. Bar-Nir, D., Cohen, A. and Goedeke, M.E. (1992). tDNAser sequences are involved in the excision of Streptomyces griseus plasmid pSG1, Gene 122, 71-76.
4. Bar-Nir, D., Goedeke, M.E. and Parag, Y. (1994). DNA reiterations on Streptomyces griseus plasmid pSG1, Plasmid 32, 41-44.
5. Bachrach, G., Bar-Nir, D., Banai, M. and Bercovier, H. (1994). Identification and nucleotide sequence of Brucella melitensis L7/L12 ribosomal protein, FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 120, 237-240.
6. Bachrach, G., Colston, M.J., Bercovier, H., Bar-Nir, D., Anderson, C., Papavinasasundaram, K.G. (2000). A new single-copy mycobacterial plasmid, pMF1, from mycobacterium fortuitum which is compatible with the pAL5000 replicon, Microbiology, 146, 297-303.

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Study Material for Other Institutions

  • Pines, A. and Bar-Nir, D. (eds.), 1990-1992. Introduction to Microbiology: Laboratory for Second-Year Biology Students, The Institute of Microbiology, The Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Hebrew).

Scientific Articles for Students and the General Public (in Hebrew)

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For Course Websites: The Cell: Structure and Function and The World of Bacteria

1. Three types of cells (1998)
2. Bacteria with a nucleus (1998)
3. The origin of the eukaryotic cell (1998)
4. Bacillus anthracis and anthrax disease (1998)
5. Planned suicide of cells (1998)
6. The mongoose, the hedgehog and the snake: The evolution of the acetylcholine receptor (1998)
7. The frog that expels offspring from its stomach (1998)
8. How to distinguish between a bacteria and a virus (1999)
9. Beware, enterobacter in the infusion (2000)
10. Prions – Transmitting information through proteins (2000)
11. Biological warfare in history (2001)
12. Gigantic bacteria (2002)
13. Filamentous bacteria (2002)
14. Deinococcus radiodurans: The radiation-resistant bacteria (2003)
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For the Tamid website

1. Bacteria against males (2001)
2. Anthrax bacteria in biological warfare and terror (2001)
3. The "Mad Cow" disease in Israel (2002)
4. Smallpox: A past without a future (2003)
5. SARS: A new and threatening disease (2003)

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Articles

1. Anthrax disease, Adkan, 31 (1999)
2. Anthrax attacks the world, Adkan, 36 (2002)
3. Avian influenza in Israel, Galileo, 92 (2006).
4. Biological terror in the United States: The Anthrax bacteria, Galileo, 93 (2006)
5. Super glue producers: Bacteria, Galileo, 94 (2006)
6. Bacteria against males, Galileo, 94 (2006)
7. Not everything red is blood, Galileo, 95 (2006)
8. On fermentation and bacteria, Galileo, 97 (2006)
9. On spices, bacteria and geography, Galileo, 98 (2006)
10. Smallpox: The first disease eradicated in the world, Galileo, 99 (2006)
11. The biofilm life of bacteria, Galileo, 101 (2007)
12. The resurrection of the Phoenix: An ancient retrovirus, Galileo, 101 (2007)
13. Surviving forever: How and for how long do bacteria survive, Galileo, 102 (2007)
14. On bacteria and life in the presence of oxygen, Galileo, 103 (2007)
15. The hospital paradox and the end of the antibiotics era, Galileo, 104 (2007)

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