Moscovitz Lab
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Three interconnected research themes at the frontier of glycobiology, immunology, and cancer therapy
The glycocalyx is a dense and dynamic layer of complex glycans surrounding all cells. Specific glycan–lectin interactions regulate essential cellular and tissue functions. Glycan composition forms a highly complex "glycan code" that remains largely unresolved.
Aberrant glycosylation is a hallmark of cancer. Tumor-Associated Carbohydrate Antigens (TACAs), first identified over 70 years ago, play central roles in tumor progression and immune modulation.
Our lab utilizes well-defined synthetic TACAs to generate monoclonal antibodies and nanobodies for precise cancer targeting, enabling diagnostic and therapeutic (theranostic) applications.
Beyond serving as therapeutic targets, abnormal glycan structures elicit immune responses generating specific anti-glycan antibodies (AGAs) early in disease development. Altered endogenous AGA levels have been reported across multiple disease types, including cancer and pathogen infections.
In collaboration with clinicians, we analyze various body fluids — blood, urine, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) — from patient and control samples using defined synthetic glycan arrays. Our goal: identify glycan-specific antibody signatures as biomarkers for early detection and patient stratification.
Altered surface levels of reduced and oxidized cysteines are observed in many cancers due to dysregulated redox control. We developed cysteine-engineered monoclonal antibodies enabling parallel binding to the original target antigen and to abnormal cysteines across distinct cancer types in a thiol-dependent manner.
This approach undergoes thiol-mediated endocytosis across a range of malignancies, enabling intracellular delivery of cytotoxic payloads. Cysteine-engineering also enables bi-specific CAR constructs that address "antigen-escape" by targeting both antigen-positive and antigen-negative cancer cells.
Browse our full publication list on ORCID and Google Scholar
A passionate team advancing the frontiers of glycobiology and cancer research
I completed my PhD at the Weizmann Institute of Science and spent 12 years in Berlin, Germany — first as a postdoctoral research fellow of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation at the Technical University of Berlin, and then at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces. After 8 years as a group leader at Max Planck, I returned to Israel to open a lab at the Scojen Institute for Synthetic Biology at Reichman University.
In recognition of my group's achievements, I received the prestigious Hermann Neuhaus Prize of the Max Planck Society in 2024. I am a glycobiologist, working on the use of antibodies for therapeutic and diagnostic purposes, and am highly interested in monoclonal and endogenous antibodies against non-protein targets — such as the sugar structures around our cells.
A protein engineer and antibody discovery expert with a PhD in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology from Tel Aviv University. Extensive experience in recombinant antibody and fragment development, cell culture, protein expression and purification, affinity chromatography, ELISA, immunoblotting, and flow cytometry.
Completed MSc and PhD in Prof. Itai Benhar's lab at TAU, then joined Prof. Dan Peer's lab as a Postdoctoral Fellow, before joining the Moscovitz group at Reichman University.
Originally from London — BSc in Biomedical Sciences from Birmingham, MSc in Molecular Biology and Pathology of Viruses at Imperial College London, then moved to Israel after working in industry.
Passionate about understanding the human body in health and disease, therapeutic development, health inequality, and science education. When not in the lab: socialising, nature, baking, crafting, ice cream, and Pilates on the beach.
MD student contributing to the lab's cutting-edge research in translational glycobiology, antibody engineering, and cancer immunotherapy.
MD student contributing to the lab's research in glycan-targeted biomarkers and novel therapeutic approaches in oncology.
Recognition, media coverage, and moments from the lab
Dr. Oren Moscovitz received the prestigious Hermann Neuhaus Prize from the Max Planck Society in recognition of his group's outstanding scientific achievements in glycobiology and antibody-based cancer research.
Lab Life
We're looking for passionate, curious scientists ready to tackle big questions about sugar structures, antibodies, and cancer
We welcome PhD candidates with a background in biochemistry, molecular biology, immunology, or related fields who are excited about fundamental questions in glycobiology. A willingness to learn chemical biology is a plus.
Clinician-scientists interested in translational research bridging glycobiology with clinical applications in oncology and diagnostics are highly encouraged to reach out. We have active collaborations with clinicians.
We seek outstanding postdocs with expertise in antibody engineering, chemical biology, cancer immunology, or related disciplines who are ready to lead independent projects and mentor junior lab members.
Send your CV and a brief statement describing your research goals and why you want to join the Moscovitz Lab. We reply to every serious inquiry.
Send Your Application →Collaborators, prospective students, press, or anyone curious about our science — we'd love to hear from you