AQUATIC
​MICROBIAL ECOLOGY
& BIOTECHNOLOGY
LABORATORY
Our Projects
Our research encompasses aquatic systems from freshwater lakes to high salinity saltern ponds. Current focus areas are biotechnological applications of algae and cyanobacteria.
Development of Bio-Pesticides and -Herbicides for Sustainable Agricultural Crop Production (2021-2024)
Agricultural crops are constantly exposed and/or threatened by pests, which affect their growth and product quality. In addition, the overuse and misuse of synthetic chemicals can result in harmful effects in humans, other non-target organisms, and the environment. This has increased the demand to develop and implement of systems using biopesticides which represent a safe alternative to reduce the use of agrochemical inputs and allow sustainable production. The aim of the present project is to develop and to implement botanical and microalgal/cyanobacterial biopesticides as alternatives to synthetic chemical compounds for pest management.
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Funded through PRIMA – Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area Section 2. Turkish teams will be funded by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBÄ°TAK).
Project Coordinator: Dr. Awad Shehata
PI in Turkey: Mete Yılmaz
Microbial Diversity of Ä°zmir Çamaltı Saltern and Biotechnological Potentials of Present Microorganisms (completed)
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Multi pond salterns are semi-artificial coastal systems designed to produce common salt (NaCl) from sea-water. For this purpose sea water is pumped through a series of shallow ponds and salt is precipitated through evaporation of the sea water. Due to the salinity gradient in these production ponds important ecological changes are observed: Generally biodiversity decreases with increasing salinity and microscopic organisms become dominant. There is an interest in halophilic microorganisms both due to their biology and biotechnological potentials.
Funded by The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBÄ°TAK 1001).
PI: Mete Yılmaz
Cyanobacterial diversity, cyanobacterial toxins and toxic cyanobacteria species in Lake Uluabat, Turkey (completed).
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Lake Uluabat, a RAMSAR site, is a shallow lake located on the western side of the city of Bursa in the Marmara Region of Turkey. Its importance is due to the richness and density of submerged and emergent macrophytes it harbors, in addition to housing thousands of migratory birds. However, an obvious eutrophication is observed in the lake since 1960s due to increasing human population, agriculture, livestock farming and mining. Potentially toxic cyanobacteria species and summer blooms of cyanobacteria have been reported from Lake Uluabat. However no information is currently available on cyanobacterial toxins or toxic cyanobacteria species in this lake.
Funded by The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBÄ°TAK 1001).
PI: Mete Yılmaz
Harmful Algae Species and Their Toxins in the Sea of Marmara, Turkey (completed).
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Funded by Bursa Technical University Scientific Research Projects
PI: Mete Yılmaz