Itzhak (Itzik) Mizrahi (born 1974 ) is an associate professor in the Department of Life Sciences at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and a member of the National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev (NIBN).^[1] His research focuses on microbial ecology, particularly the relationship between gut bacterial communities and host physiology.^[2]

Mizrahi was born in Tel Aviv. He spent his early childhood in the Florentin neighborhood, and later moved with his family to the Beit Barbur neighborhood in Yad Eliyahu. He attended Kfir Elementary School and joined the "Youth Pursuing Science" program at Tel Aviv University at a young age. He completed his high school studies at Ironi Tet High School, majoring in biology. His teacher, Dr. Hava Goldstein, had a significant influence on his scientific development.^[3]

He completed his bachelor's degree in biology at Tel Aviv University, where he was on the Dean's List throughout his studies. He then pursued a doctorate in microbiology at Tel Aviv University in an excellence track, under the supervision of Prof. Eliora Ron. During his doctoral studies, he received teaching excellence awards and published six scientific articles.

After receiving his doctorate, he went on to a postdoctoral fellowship at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, where he researched stem cells at the Institute of Molecular Biology. Upon completing his postdoctoral fellowship, he joined the Volcani Center Agricultural Research Organization as the head of a research group in the field of microbiology. At the Volcani Center, Mizrahi focused on research in microbial ecology, particularly the relationships between microorganisms and their hosts.

In 2015, he was appointed associate professor in the Department of Life Sciences at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. His pioneering research in microbial ecology earned him the Shilo Prize for Outstanding Young Scientists from the Israeli Society for Microbiology. He was later elected to serve on the society's board.

In 2023, he was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology (AAM), out of a list of approximately 148 candidates.^[4] He is also a member of the European Academy of Microbiology (EAM).^[5] Mizrahi has received three prestigious research grants from the European Research Council (ERC),^[6] indicating his exceptional research achievements.

Mizrahi is the first in his family to pursue academic studies and is actively involved in promoting this issue. He was elected a member of the The Israeli Young Academy, where he served for four years and was a key figure in promoting the "First Generation to Academia" initiative.

Mizrahi's research focuses on microbial communities, particularly those inhabiting the gastrointestinal tract of animals. The research examines the impact of these communities on host health and the environment. One of the main research visions is the ability to design and restore microbial communities to impart new functions or improve existing ones.^[7]

Another major area of research is the study of the microbiome of ruminants, such as cattle and sheep. These mammals are entirely dependent on their gut bacteria for breaking down and digesting plant food. Mizrahi and his group are studying the impact of these bacteria on milk production and methane, a greenhouse gas that significantly contributes to global warming. In international studies involving thousands of cows, Mizrahi discovered natural bacterial communities characterized by reduced methane production and increased milk production.^[8] Currently, Mizrahi's research group is developing methods for the synthetic design of these bacterial communities and changing their composition, with the aim of reducing methane emissions and improving food production efficiency, while maintaining food security for the growing world population.

In another groundbreaking study, Mizrahi discovered three new species of bacteria that inhabit the human gut.^[9] These bacteria are unique in their ability to break down cellulose, a highly resistant plant material. These bacterial species, once found in high frequency in humans, have become extremely rare in modern industrialized societies. This research may lead to the development of innovative approaches to improving gastrointestinal health. These approaches may include increasing the consumption of foods rich in dietary fiber, or using methods to restore and rehabilitate these unique bacterial populations.

• Michael Bruno Prize (2024)
• Fellow, American Academy of Microbiology (2023)
• Member, European Academy of Microbiology (2022)
• Honorary Professor, Queen's University Belfast (2022)
• European Research Council Proof of Concept (ERC-POC) Grant (2022)
• Prevotella mizrahii bacterial species named in his honor (2020)^[10]
• European Research Council Consolidator Grant (ERC-CoG) (2019)
• European Research Council Starting Grant (ERC-st) (2014)
• Member, The Israeli Young Academy (2019)
• Kavli Frontiers of Science Fellow, National Academy of Sciences
• Shilo Prize for Outstanding Young Scientists, Israeli Society for Microbiology (2015)
• Ambassador of the International Society for Microbial Ecology (ISME) in Israel (2015)