Dr Eugene Privman

Eugene Privman specializes in computational genomics and evolutionary biology. His training was in bioinformatics and he also spent a couple of years in the industry developing one of the first proprietary platforms for modelling eukaryotic genes on a genome scale (in Compugen Ltd.) His Ph.D. studies focused on the development of computational methodologies for evolutionary analysis of genes and proteins. Since his postdoctoral studies he is primarily working on applied research, using phylogenomic and population genomic approaches. Nevertheless, this applied research frequently leads to the development of novel phylogenomic and population genomic methodologies. 

Dr. Privman is an Associate Editor for the Journal of Molecular Evolution. He is also an active member of multiple international societies, including the European Society of Evolutionary Biology. Most notably, he is a recognized leader for evolutionary genomic research in the International Union for the Study of Social Insects. He contributed to the organisation of multiple international conferences and symposia. Dr. Privman is engaged in extensive international collaborations with colleagues in the UK, Europe, US, Asia, and Australia. These collaborations are typically interdisciplinary and they resulted in multiple collaborative grants and high impact publications. For example, the decade-long work within the Global Ant Genomics Alliance resulted in a large consortium paper recently published in Cell, and a paper led by Dr. Privman that was published in Mol Evol Biol. 

In these international activities and in his teaching activities, Dr. Privman contributes an expertise in the application of computational methods, increasingly using machine learning approaches (AI tools). Genomic data analysis is especially challenging due to the complexity and noise in the data, and the corresponding required complexity of the models, algorithms, and statistical approaches, both technical and conceptual complexity. Genomic projects can very easily produce large amounts of artifacts. His experience in methodological research and deep understanding of the methodologies and their caveats contribute to the robust execution of a wide range of analyses in these diverse research project. Dr. Privman also contributed to the establishment of genomic facilities and high-performance computing infrastructure, without which modern large-scale genomic research is not possible. Some contributions arising from methodological research include online tools that serve the wider scientific community, supporting less experienced research groups (e.g. the webtool ddgRADer for experimental design of population genomic sequencing projects).

Dr. Privman implements phylogenomic and population genomic approaches, primarily for the study of evolution of sociality in ants and other social insects. A main focus of this work is the genomic basis of social structure in ants, particularly the regulation of queen number in ant colonies. The discovery of multiple so-called “social chromosomes” opened the way for evolutionary genomic investigation of this variable social phenotype. The Privman lab discovered a novel social chromosome in the desert ant Cataglyphis niger. The most striking result from this study was the fact that this chromosome is homologous to the first such chromosome that was discovered in fire ants. This observation opens the way for evolutionary studies of this phenomenon across tens and even hundreds of species, and more than a hundred million years of social evolution. Another major research theme is chemical communication, especially olfactory receptors and other olfactory genes on the social chromosome, which are implicated in the regulation of social structure via pheromonal signalling.

These studies involve genomic sequencing projects, including phylogenomic analysis across hundreds of genomes and population genomic analysis of many hundreds of population samples. The large-scale datasets produced are analysed using state-of-the-art computational pipelines on high-throughput computing systems, followed by evolutionary inference using advanced statistical methods based on mathematical models of sequence evolution. These methods allow for inference of adaptive evolution, which revealed for example positive selection on olfactory receptors in association with the evolution of worker polymorphism in diverse ant species.

Such genomic projects lead to multiple opportunities for methodological innovation. Over the years, Dr. Privman contributed novel methods for sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis, especially the inference of positive selection. He also contributed to population genomic sequencing methodologies, such as optimizing experimental design to maximize the power of genome wide association studies (GWAS).

PhD candidates are welcome to join a diverse range of research directions in the lab, from addressing questions in social evolution using evolutionary genomic analysis to developing genomic sequencing and computational methodologies. Candidates should possess an aptitude as well as motivation for computational genomic research. Training in computer science is not necessary. Experience in bioinformatics is desirable. We are committed to fostering an inclusive lab culture and welcome candidates from all diverse backgrounds.  

Selected Publications

Google Scholar author page

Pellen Y, Vizueta J, Beck E, Liebig J, Schrader L, Privman E. 2026. Adaptive evolution of odorant receptors is associated with elaborations of social organization in ants, Molecular Biology and Evolution.

Lajmi A, Cohen P, Lee CC, Frenkel Z, Pellen Y, Privman E. 2026. Repeated evolution of supergenes on an ancient social chromosome, Current Biology.

Nissan Y, Inbar S, Privman E, Yovel Y., and Razgour O. 2026. Urbanisation drives microevolution in the Egyptian fruit bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus). Evolutionary Applications.

Inbar S, Saied B, Cohen P, Frenkel Z, Pellen Y, Privman E. 2026. Genetic basis of cuticular hydrocarbon variation in the desert ant Cataglyphis niger. Ecology and Evolution.

Pellen Y, Privman E. 2025. Testing for positive selection in multi-copy gene families using a reconciliation approach, bioRxiv.

Cohen P, Inbar S, Privman E. 2025. Genomic architecture of nestmate recognition cues in the desert ant. Ecology and Evolution.

Vizueta J, …, GAGA Consortium (including Privman E), … 2025. Adaptive radiation and social evolution of the ants. Cell.

Sapielkin S, Frenkel Z, Privman E, Korol AB. 2025. Statistical analysis and simulations that account for simultaneous effects of positive, negative, and no crossover interference in multilocus recombination data. BMC Genomics. 

Errbii M, Ernst UR, Lajmi A, Privman E, Gadau J, Schrader L. 2024. Evolutionary genomics of socially polymorphic populations of Pogonomyrmex californicus. BMC Biology.

Lajmi A, Glinka F, & Privman E. 2023. Optimising ddRAD sequencing for population genomic studies using ddgRADer. Molecular Ecology Resources.

Koto A, Tamura M, Wong PS, Aburatani S, Privman E, Stoffel C, Crespi A, McKenzie SK, La Mendola C, Kay T, Keller L. 2023. Social isolation shortens lifespan through oxidative stress in ants. Nature Communications, 5493.

Cohen P, Bacilieri R, Jazmín RM, Privman E, Boaretto E, Fuks D, Weiss E, Cvikel D, Erickson-Gini T, Tepper Y, Schmidt J, Wales N, Gilbert TP, Bar-Oz G, Meiri M. 2023. Ancient DNA from a lost Negev Highlands desert grape reveals a late antiquity wine lineage. PNAS, 120 (17).

Cohen P, Privman E. 2020. The social supergene dates back to the speciation time of two Solenopsis fire ant species. Scientific Reports 10: 11538.

Inbar S*, Cohen P*, Yahav T, Privman E. 2020. Comparative study of population genomic approaches for mapping colony-level traits. PLoS Computational Biology, 16: e1007653.

Dang VD, Cohanim AB, Fontana S, Privman E, Wang J. 2019. Has gene expression neofunctionalization in the fire ant antennae contributed to queen discrimination behavior? Ecology and Evolution, 9: 12754-12766.

Cohen P, Privman E. 2019. Speciation and hybridization in invasive fire ants. BMC Evolutionary Biology 19: 111.
Reiner Brodetzki T, Inbar S, Cohen P, Aron S, Privman E, Hefetz A. 2019. The Interplay between Incipient Species and Social Polymorphism in the Desert Ant Cataglyphis. Scientific Reports 9: 9495.

Yahav T, Privman E. 2019. A comparative analysis of methods for de novo assembly of hymenopteran genomes using either haploid or diploid samples. Scientific Reports 9: 6480.

Cohanim AB, Amsalem E, Saad R, Shoemaker D, Privman E. 2018. Evolution of olfactory functions on the fire ant social chromosome. Genome Biology and Evolution 10: 2947-2960.

Saad R, Cohanim AB, Kosloff M, Privman E. 2018. Neofunctionalization in ligand binding sites of ant olfactory receptors. Genome Biology and Evolultion 10: 2490-2500.