Academic
Biotechnology is a powerful “technology” with the applications in many sectors holding much promise for the future which involves a broad scientific application spectrum. For the last 40-50 years, biotechnology has been contributed to the development of other scientific areas notably pharmacy, medicine, agriculture, enviromental and aquatic sciences in the light of recent developments in biological sciences and technology. Genomics, is a multidisciplinary area that defines the entire genetic information which encodes of any structural and functional parts of the organisms and also gene-gene or gene-environment interactions, and it is fundamental to all biotechnology research. In general, “Aquatic biotechnology” research areas involve the direct or indirect use of natural or modified aquatic organism parts or products in science and engineering.
Research areas of Aquatic Biotechnology Programme:
1. Production of immunostimulants using biotechnology tools,
2. Development of diagnostis tests using biotechnology tools,
3. Production of alternative protein sources using biotechnology tools,
4. Development of healthy and good-quality food products,
5. Recycling of wastes coming from fish processing as environment-friendly biodegredable package material using biotechnology tools,
6. Making use of macro and microalgae in food and cosmetic sectors,
7. Development of remediation products for polluted waters from marine and freshwater microalgae,
8. Development of active substances for pharmacy and medicine from marine and freshwater microalgae using biotechnology tools,
9. Investigation of usage of the organisms such as corals, sponges as therapeutic agents,
10. Production of algae-based biodiesel,
11. Production from organisms (embryo, larvae, mature and broodstock) or their cells, chromosomes and genes using biotechnology tools to provide sustainable aquaculture area,
12. Conservation and production of genetic resources of endangered species.
Research areas of Aquatic Genomics Programme:
1. Identification of genes of aquatic organisms indiviually,
2. Investigation of gene-gene or gene-environment interactions,
3. Evaulation of spatiotemporal production and activation of genes using outcomes from aquatic genomic research studies,
4. Genome anaylsis ve genome mapping,
5. Regulation of gene expression,
6. Responses to stress factors in immune systems,
7. Sexual development and hormonal control
1. Identification of genes of aquatic organisms indiviually,
2. Investigation of gene-gene or gene-environment interactions,
3. Evaulation of spatiotemporal production and activation of genes using outcomes from aquatic genomic research studies,
4. Genome anaylsis ve genome mapping,
5. Regulation of gene expression,
6. Responses to stress factors in immune systems,
7. Sexual development and hormonal control
Research areas at the Programme of Freshwater Resources and Management focuses on revealing limnologic characteristics of rivers, wetlands, lakes, ponds, transition waters, drinking water reservoirs, and groundwaters, sustainable use of these areas, and water quality and hydrologic modelling of water resources.
Along with international projects, researchers of the department carry out projects evaluating water resources in most of the watersheds of Turkey according to EU Water Framework Directive.
We measure various water quality parameters including micropollutants and biological parameters and evaluate results. We assess effects of domestic, industrial, and agricultural pollutants on water resources using integrated watershed management approach.
Research areas include:
· Cyanotoxin, pesticide, metal and non-targeted analysis measurement (HPLC, ICP-MS, LC-MS, GC-MS and ELISA methods)
· Biocidal product analysis (Freshwater Biology laboratory is authorized as reference laboratory by Ministry of Health)
· Biotechnology, ecotoxicology, and molecular biology based research
· Research on micropollutants at drinking water, surface water and treatment plants
· Physiological and ecotoxicological research with more than 80 isolate at Cyanobacteria Culture Laboratory
· Monitoring of drinking water resources in respect to their beneficial use and analysis of the current situation
· Research on effect of climate change on freshwater resources
· Effects of pollutants on food chain and food web
· Identification of environmental factors affecting cyanotoxin production under natural and laboratory conditions and determination of genes responsible for toxin production
· Measurement of MIB and geosmin which are responsible for odour and taste problems in drinking water
· Determination of compositions, biomasses, distribution areas and interaction with environmental factors of algae, zooplankton, zoobenthos, macrophyte, and fish species living in freshwater resources
· Distribution areas and habitat selection of invasive species
Why you should choose us?
· Sustainable management and modelling of freshwater resources
· Water quality analysis of drinking water, bathing water and wetlands
· Algal biotechnology
· Determination of biological quality parameters
· The best opportunity for freshwater biology education through courses and research studies in both field and laboratory
Marine Biology Programme is an academic council which carries out research studies and projects on the species composition, distribution and biomass of the living resources of our seas (phyto-zoo plankton, fish, benthos, marine mammals) and determination of the interaction of them with the environmental factors; population dynamics and stock assessments of the economically important species; coastal ecosystem and dynamics; determination of the effects of the pollutants on the marine environment and living organisms; bacterial diversity and bacterial pollution; endangered species and monitoring of them; the best ways of making benefit from living resources and determining the amount and the way of fishing efforts to maintain that.
Our Priorities
• Monitoring the physio-chemical and biologic features of our seas in the regional base and researching the natural life characteristics of the living organisms and assessment of these characteristic using statistical methods for making the maximum benefit from our seas and making a contribution to the providing of sustainability and preservation of the living resources.
• Monitoring the fish migrations in the Turkish Straits System and determining their effects on the regional fisheries activities,
• Monitoring of biologic invasion in our seas,
• Bacterial bioremediation and bacterial pollution studies,
• Deep sea researches (especially in Northern Aegean Sea and Marmara Sea)
• Monitoring the biotic and abiotic features of the areas that aquaculture activities are carried on,
• Determination of the endangered species, their preservation and studies on the constitution of the protection areas in the Northern Aegean Sea and especially in Saros Bay where the Gökçeada Marine Research Unit exists,
• Making a collection of the species and constitution of a data bank for the description of the living resources of our seas.
Aquaculture programme is an academic unit conducting researches on freshwater fishes, marine fishes, aquarium fishes, crustaceans and arthropods cultures, production of live feed, growth performance of aquaculture products, reduction of mortality and anomalies in aquaculture environment, preparation of species specific feed rations, hormone applications in controlled offspring production, genetic manipulations, and so on, are carried out by paying attention to the health and well-being of the living organisms in a comprehensive way.
PRIORITIES
- Culture of the economic fish species which are declining in the natural environment and to rise the fish consumption level of the society by increasing their productivity.
- In parallel with the advancement of today's technology, production facilities are designed and planned accurately and rationally in the fish production which is the basis of the rapidly developing aquaculture sector.
- In aquarium fish culture, instruct and promote the practical production techniques of many exotic species.
- In aquaculture, the studies of live feed such as the production of phytoplankton (such as Chlorella, Nannocloropsis, Tetraselmis), zooplankton (Artemia, Rotifer, Daphnia) and varius worms are carried out.
- Fish feed production is an important step in aquaculture, developing quality and balanced feed formulas, carrying out the scientific studies on the effects of feed additives on growth and reproduction and the development of alternative protein/fat containing feeds.
- As a result of the reduction of available water resources, studies are being carried out on the use of closed circuit systems that provide less water use so that aquaculture can be maintained in a healthy manner. Accordingly, projects are being carried out to develop and disseminate an innovative and environmentally friendly production model, the aquaponic system.
- In aquaculture, to carry out applied genetic studies such as selection, chromosome manipulation (androgenesis, gynogenesis, triploid, tetraploid etc.), sexual transformation, germ cell isolation and gene transfer, cryopreservation etc. by fish breeding and reproductive biotechnology applications which will increase the product efficiency.
In the Programme of Fish Diseases, research studies are conducted on the diagnosis and treatment of the bacterial, viral, parasitic and fungal disease problems observed in all fish and shellfish species in Turkey.
Our priorities
- Diagnosis of fish diseases by using routine biochemical methods and besides histopathologic, serologic, molecular and cell culture methods and developing therapy solutions,
- Seeking solutions to the problems of fish farmers in Turkey, under the working capital of the faculty, in all of our fish diseases laboratories present in the department,
- Carrying out vaccine development, immunostimulant and probiotic experiment studies for fishes,
- Organizing educational seminars about the fundamentals of fish health to enlighten the fish farmers,
- Investigation of the metabolic diseases caused by nutritional facts during fish production and diagnosis of pathologies caused by vitamin and mineral deficiencies, digestive system diseases and hormones and seeking treatments for them,
- Identification of fish parasites and determination of their distribution.
FACILITIES and RESEARCH AREAS
- Fish Diseases Microbiology Laboratory (Routine bacteriological detection methods, microscobical parasitology and micology examinations, haematological studies)
- Fish Diseases Histopathology Laboratory (Histology, histopathological examination, immunohistochemistry)
- Fish Diseases Immunology Laboratory (Immunology, IFAT, ELISA, Nucleic acid isolation, PCR, RT-PCR, hybridisations of nucleic acids, analysis of nucleic acids by electrophoresis and protein analysis by SDS-PAGE)
- Fish Diseases Virology Laboratory (Replication of viruses and detection by cell culture studies)
- Experimental Fish Diseases Laboratory (Experimental infection studies, vaccine development studies in recirculation system)
Various studies such as fishing techniques used in marine and inland waters, production techniques of fishing gears, standardization of fishing gears, fishing vessels and equipments, fishery biology and fisheries management are performed in the Programme of Fisheries Technology.
Fisheries Technology plays a significant role in rational managing of stocks, development of appropriate fishing gears special to target species, to obtain of high quality product and protection of stocks.
RECEARCH AREAS OF THE FISHERIES TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME
• Development of fishing activities
• Protection of fishery resources and provide sustainable fishing
• Determination of national fisheries regulations
• Investigation of management models proper
to responsible fisheries principles
• Development of fishing technologies
• Development of fishing vessels and their equipment
• Selectivity of fishing gears
• Investigation and evaluation of present situation of freshwater fishing methods
• Stock assessment
• The effects of fishing gear on the environment
The primary goal of our programme is to create and follow good manufacturing practices on commercial fishing vessels, at aquaculture farms, during harvesting, handling/processing, storage, and transportation to obtain maximum quality products and to ensure food safety. With this respect, the major subjects in our programme are as follows:
Determination of the quality of seafood products
Enhancing the quality and safety of seafood
Preservation of seafood products by heating, chilling, freezing and irradiation techniques
Protection by traditional preservation methods such as salting, drying, smoking, marination
Examination of product characteristics (sensory properties, nutritional composition etc.)
Determination of factors affecting deterioration, shelf life and microbiological growth
Application of packaging techniques
Developing new ready-to-eat products
Seafood waste management and sustainability
Biotechnological evaluation of aquatic resources
Detection of seafood authenticity
Conversion of low value seafood products into value added products
Analyses:
Determination of fatty acid composition
Aminoacid composition
Texture, colour and pH analyses
General Analysis Laboratory Analyses:
Determination of nutritional composition by moisture, lipid, protein and ash contents,
Total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N), trimethylamine nitrogen (TMA-N), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances analyses (TBARs), determination of free fatty acid and salt-vineagar content.
Microbiology Laboratory Analyses:
Spoilage and pathogen microorganisms are analysed and determined in order to ensure seafood quality and reliability in terms of human consumption.
Determination of the quality of seafood products
Enhancing the quality and safety of seafood
Preservation of seafood products by heating, chilling, freezing and irradiation techniques
Protection by traditional preservation methods such as salting, drying, smoking, marination
Examination of product characteristics (sensory properties, nutritional composition etc.)
Determination of factors affecting deterioration, shelf life and microbiological growth
Application of packaging techniques
Developing new ready-to-eat products
Seafood waste management and sustainability
Biotechnological evaluation of aquatic resources
Detection of seafood authenticity
Conversion of low value seafood products into value added products
Analyses:
Determination of fatty acid composition
Aminoacid composition
Texture, colour and pH analyses
General Analysis Laboratory Analyses:
Determination of nutritional composition by moisture, lipid, protein and ash contents,
Total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N), trimethylamine nitrogen (TMA-N), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances analyses (TBARs), determination of free fatty acid and salt-vineagar content.
Microbiology Laboratory Analyses:
Spoilage and pathogen microorganisms are analysed and determined in order to ensure seafood quality and reliability in terms of human consumption.
“Food Safety Programme” was established in 2018 under the Department of Fisheries and Seafood Processing Technology of the Faculty of Aquatic Sciences.
Food products have an important role in the maintenance and preservation of health, one of our basic needs and rights, and are one of the most important factors affecting our health. Safe food is the main demand of the consumer, it is an indispensable criterion that the manufacturer should consider. Food safety is also important for seafood products, where all eatables are in the process from harvest to fork/aquaculture to fork.
The programme of “Food Safety” in Aquatic Sciences is a system cycle that defines the preparation and storage of seafood products in accordance with healthy and balanced nutrition objectives, and to prevent the biological, physical and chemical factors causing foodborne diseases in terms of consumer safety. In the concept of safe food, “safe seafood” is a product that has been eliminated from all kinds of deterioration and contamination factors and adapted for consumption.
The programme of Food Safety conducts studies to determine chemical/microbiological changes associated with the fisheries, processing and storage stages and to reach the consumer's reliable products by determining the nature or origin of risks/toxins that are originated from seafood products for human consumption. Our main working areas are;· Determination and evaluation of foodborne chemical and microbiological risks,
· Development of Risk Management Systems for the identification and prevention of risks in seafood
· Residues and contaminants (Pesticides, environmental contaminants, food processing contaminants, heavy metals, etc.)
· Toxins originating from aquatic products, pathogenic microorganisms and parasites
· Materials in contact with seafood and their safety
· Detection of tricks and risks in processed fishery products and developing advanced methods of analysis applicable to laboratories
· Establishment of food safety systems in seafood processing and sales facilities and project-based activities
The programme of “Food Safety” in Aquatic Sciences is a system cycle that defines the preparation and storage of seafood products in accordance with healthy and balanced nutrition objectives, and to prevent the biological, physical and chemical factors causing foodborne diseases in terms of consumer safety. In the concept of safe food, “safe seafood” is a product that has been eliminated from all kinds of deterioration and contamination factors and adapted for consumption.
The programme of Food Safety conducts studies to determine chemical/microbiological changes associated with the fisheries, processing and storage stages and to reach the consumer's reliable products by determining the nature or origin of risks/toxins that are originated from seafood products for human consumption. Our main working areas are;· Determination and evaluation of foodborne chemical and microbiological risks,
· Development of Risk Management Systems for the identification and prevention of risks in seafood
· Residues and contaminants (Pesticides, environmental contaminants, food processing contaminants, heavy metals, etc.)
· Toxins originating from aquatic products, pathogenic microorganisms and parasites
· Materials in contact with seafood and their safety
· Detection of tricks and risks in processed fishery products and developing advanced methods of analysis applicable to laboratories
· Establishment of food safety systems in seafood processing and sales facilities and project-based activities