Naama Aviram, PhD.

Discover Dr. Naama Aviram and dive into the captivating world of the ocean and the intricate molecular mechanisms of bacterial immunological memory. Naama is a postdoctoral researcher in the Marraffini Lab at Rockefeller University in New York. She was recently awarded the Tri-Institutional Breakout Prize for Junior Investigators, and will be opening her independent research group at The Sloan Kettering Institute in 2025.

Naama describes her undergraduate degree in Marine Biology as a unique experience, where she enjoyed scuba diving and sailing clubs, with a constant smell of salty sea air. She joined the marine biology program at the School of Marine Sciences, Ruppin Academic Center in Israel, envisioning a career in ecology and nature preservation. However, during her studies, she discovered a passion for molecular biology, as she says: “The program had some fantastic instructors who introduced us to the basics of genetics, molecular biology, and biochemistry. It was mind-blowing. That's when I knew I wanted to dive deeper (pun intended) into molecular research. Nucleic acids, in particular, always fascinated me because that's where everything begins! RNA and DNA represent the starting point of life's fundamental processes, and I am happy to be able to contribute to the RNA research realm.”

Naama pursued her graduate studies at the Weizmann Institute. Thanks to the flexible nature of its graduate program, which includes laboratory rotations, she explored various disciplines such as immunology, synthetic biology, cell biology and functional genomics. This experience had greatly impacted her research, as she explains: “All the labs that I rotated in conduct research that falls under the umbrella of ‘systems biology’, which I now realize is a big part of my scientific point of view and is integrated in the way that I approach research projects”. Following the rotations, she joined Maya Schuldiner’s Lab of Functional Genomics, where she had the opportunity to grow as a student and as a scientist. Naama was fascinated by the approach applied in the Schuldiner Lab to find the machineries of uncharacterized cellular processes by coupling a fluorescent microscopy output to full-genome genetic screens. She enjoyed her PhD project focused on a fundamental question: “How do cytosolically synthesized proteins arrive at their correct site of function within the cell?”. She recalls: “Throughout my graduate studies I’ve characterized pathways that target proteins to the endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria and peroxisomes. Getting from a genome-wide screen all the way down to the biochemistry of protein function is not an easy process, but it is extremely satisfying!”

“ I would emphasize the significance of selecting a lab based on the people you will be working with”.

After her PhD, Naama joined the laboratory of Luciano Marraffini at Rockefeller University in New York, USA. “I was obsessed with the concept of immunological memory formation within a single cell”, Naama recalls. In the Marraffini Lab Naama was introduced to the fundamental principles of CRISPR-Cas biology and bacteria-phage interactions. Naama’s research journey has an interesting trajectory where she shifted from organelle biology in eukaryotic cells to CRISPR-Cas mediated microbial immunity, as she wanted “to take the opportunity to learn something new and interesting”.  This change had a big impact on her endeavors, enriching her as a scientist. Corroborating the importance of diversity in scientific disciplines, Naama highlights that her background in functional genomics has proven particularly useful, allowing her to approach open questions in the CRISPR field with a distinct perspective, and finding her own scientific voice in the field. She explains that the ability to leverage knowledge from different fields “shows that diversity in scientific experiences can help us come up with new and creative solutions and gain a holistic understanding of biological processes”.

Naama’s current research project in Dr. Luciano Marraffini’s lab began as a side project that had been put aside due to technical challenges. She is interested in a particular CRISPR-Cas system called type III-A. While the canonical Cas9 protein recognizes and cleaves DNA, type III CRISPR-Cas systems are activated when their effector Cas complexes recognize nascent RNA molecules. “What's fascinating is that the type III-A system has two ways of responding to infections. When triggered by an early-expressed viral gene, its DNase directly degrades the viral DNA and clears the infection. However, if the response is to a late-expressed gene, it involves a Cas accessory RNase called Csm6, which performs collateral RNA degradation (of both invader and host transcripts) and puts the cell in a state of growth arrest”, Naama says. The growth-arrest conferred by the Csm6 RNase posed a challenge when studying viral DNA spacer acquisition. To tackle this, Naama developed an inducible-acquisition assay that implements very sensitive spacer detection methods, revealing two distinct modes of acquisition by this system (Aviram et al., NAR 2022). Naama reflects: “I feel lucky that Luciano was open and trusted me to follow my gut feeling in perusing this project, which became the main focus of my research”. Overall, her work revealed interesting insights on the question: “If there are spacers that trigger a growth arrest of the host, how are they maintained in the bacterial population after they are acquired?”. She explains: “Our work revealed a built-in mechanism within type III-A CRISPR-Cas systems that allows the exit from growth arrest, enabling spacers to provide long-lasting protection against viruses. Moreover, we found that Csm6-induced growth arrest protects cells from other, untargeted, viruses in their environment. This selective advantage explains why such a costly immune mechanism was selected for during the evolutionary arms-race between bacteria and their pathogens”.

Naama draws inspiration from her mentors, past and present. From her point of view: “Reading a finalized manuscript is very different from experiencing how projects form and develop in real time. Being a lab member gives an opportunity to see the ‘behind the scenes’ of the lab’s research, which is extremely valuable.” Naama elaborates on her mentor Dr. Maya Schuldiner, who “has a rare talent in developing new experimental approaches that drive the systematic study of eukaryotic organelles forward. Notably, she is dedicated to fostering collaborative and supportive research, and truly values diverse perspectives and opinions - a quality that both enriches her science, as well as makes all lab members feel valued”. From her current advisor, Luciano Marraffini, Naama recognizes “his dedication to scientific excellence, together with his genuine care for the well-being and development of his team members”, which inspires her to conduct rigorous and groundbreaking science while maintaining a balanced life. Naama is grateful for her two advisors: “Both Luciano and Maya are leaders in their respective fields, with a remarkable ability to continuously reinvent themselves and push the boundaries of their scientific scope. Through their mentorship, they have not only shaped my scientific trajectory but have also taught me valuable lessons about the human side of science, which I will take with me to the next steps of my academic career”.

Building on the lessons from her mentors, Naama has also paved her own path to foster inclusivity, diversity, and support within the scientific community. As a graduate student, she founded and served as the moderator of the Women in Life Sciences student forum, aiming at creating a supportive community and promoting gender diversity in STEM. Additionally, she worked as a teacher in the scientific education arm of the Weizmann Institute, the Davidson Institute. Naama taught pupils from diverse socio-economic backgrounds, promoting STEM education that is inclusive and accessible to all. As a postdoc, Naama has helped in establishing the Rockefeller International Group of Scholars (RIGS), where she is currently a board member and serves as the postdoc representative.

“Learning new methods and getting to know a completely different field may seem daunting, but it is an amazing opportunity for both scientific and personal growth. Having a healthy and supportive lab environment is crucial for this experience to be positive”.

A challenging deterrent in Naama’s scientific progress was during the COVID-19 pandemic. Naama had to simultaneously adjust to being a new parent, along with unpredicted setbacks, including limited access to campus and the closure of daycares. These challenges were draining, but she overcame them by relying on her support system and learning to ask for help. Through this experience, she gained invaluable lessons in resilience, adaptability, and the importance of fostering strong support networks. Quoting Naama on this: “Moving forward, I am better equipped to tackle challenges head-on and pursue my academic and personal goals.”

Naama shares an important message for all aspiring postdoctoral researchers: “I would emphasize the significance of selecting a lab based on the people you will be working with. Look for an advisor who not only supports you through this transformative phase of your scientific career but also helps you navigate your future professional aspirations, whether in academia or industry.” Based on her own experience, she encourages young researchers to explore new topics: “Learning new methods and getting to know a completely different field may seem daunting, but it is an amazing opportunity for both scientific and personal growth. Having a healthy and supportive lab environment is crucial for this experience to be positive”.

As a fan of CRISPR-Cas, Naama’s favorite RNA article is “Structural basis for the endoribonuclease activity of the type III-A CRISPR associated protein Csm6”, which is the first paper starting to elucidate the function of the type III CRISPR-Cas accessory RNase Csm6.

Naama is looking forward to meeting you at the next RNA Society Annual Meeting! In the meantime, you can contact her through Twitter/X: @NaamaAviram or LinkedIn.