BGU’s Brilliant Biologist Driving Bug Breakthroughs
BGU’s Brilliant Biologist Driving Bug Breakthroughs
August 14, 2025
Current events, Natural Sciences
Dr. Sofia Bouchebti, a senior lecturer in behavioral ecology at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.
The Jerusalem Post—Dr. Sofia Bouchebti doesn’t flinch when she sees a cockroach. On the contrary, she perceives a world of evolutionary secrets in every twitch of an antenna. As a senior lecturer in behavioral ecology at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU), Bouchebti studies how nutrition affects social behavior in insects, particularly cockroaches. She conducts her research in one of the world’s most unique living laboratories: the Israeli desert.
Born and raised in Morocco, Bouchebti moved to France for her university studies, earning a master’s degree in animal behavior and a PhD in behavioral ecology. Eventually, she went to Israel for postdoctoral work and decided to stay. “I like it here very much,” she says. “I feel really lucky to have found a home at BGU.”
Her lab, recently established in the heart of the Negev, is full of questions about how animals evolve socially. Instead of focusing on the typical charismatic species, such as bees, wolves, and dolphins, Bouchebti studies a more controversial subject: cockroaches.
“There are over 4,600 species of cockroaches,” she explains, “and they exhibit all levels of social behavior. Some live alone, some in small family groups, and others in large, highly social colonies. This diversity makes them an excellent model for studying how social behavior evolves.”
Her work centers around a straightforward question: how does diet influence social behavior? “I study how different nutrients impact insect physiology and behavior,” she says. “The overall goal is to understand how and why animals, including humans, evolved to live socially. I believe nutrition, along with factors like climate, plays a significant role.”
Beyond the lab, Bouchebti helps dispel misconceptions. “People hate cockroaches,” she admits. “They hear the word and grab bug spray. However, the truth is that only 25 out of over 4,600 known species are considered pests. The rest are just as fascinating as honeybees.”
She aims for her research to deepen the understanding of social evolution, but also hopes to shift public perceptions of insects. “I want people to stop finding cockroaches disgusting,” she says. “They’re fascinating creatures. If we look beyond our fears, we might discover something extraordinary from them.”
Read more on the The Jerusalem Post>
Stories Like This
