The Distelfeld lab is operating since 2010 in the Institute for Cereal Crop Improvement that is part of the School of Plant Sciences and Food Security at Tel Aviv University. The lab is focused on studying wild cereal germplasm, especially wild emmer wheat, to understand the molecular mechanisms that underlay wheat domestication. In addition, we identify genetic factors with potential to increase wheat nutritional value and adaptation to various stress conditions. To achieve this, we use an integrated system approach including genetic, genomic and transgenic tools that are implemented by combinations of laboratory and field experiments. The genomic resources developed in the lab include the genome sequence assembly of wild emmer wheat ‘Zavitan’ which was the first near-complete wheat reference sequence that paved the road for the sequencing of durum (cv. ‘Svevo’) and bread wheat (cv. ‘Chinese Spring’). These genomic resources combined with advanced genetic material including genotyped segregating populations, introgression lines (based on a cross between Zavitan and the durum wheat Svevo) and wheat diversity panels are being used in the lab and through worldwide collaborations to accelerate gene discovery efforts in wheat.