1. PROJECT
Within the scope of the Third National Antarctic Science Expedition, the project titled "Studies on Psychrophile and Psychrotolerant Microorganisms Capable of Degrading Herbicides (Dalapon and Bromoxynil) by Genomic Analysis" was carried out in two different research laboratories: Ondokuz Mayıs University, Faculty of Agriculture, Agricultural Biotechnology Laboratory and (Plant Protection) Bacteriology Laboratory and Amasya University Central Research Laboratory.
The project was led by Dr. Lecturer Yılmaz KAYA from Ondokuz Mayıs University, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Agricultural Biotechnology. Prof. Dr. Hasan Murat AKSOY from Ondokuz Mayıs University, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Plant Protection and Dr. Sevgi MARAKLI from Amasya University, Central Research Laboratory.
The samples of the studies, which lasted about a year, were collected from the Antarctic Continent by Prof. Dr. Ersan Başar. Within the scope of the project, two different new bacterial races were discovered. The bacterial strains were named "Psychrobacter sp. strain TaeBurcu001" and "Psychrobacter sp. strain TaeBurcu002" in dedication to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Burcu ÖZSOY, the leader of the 3rd National Antarctic Science Expedition.
Other results of the project are as follows;
- For the first time in Turkey, a master's thesis titled "Isolation, Characterization and Diagnosis of Dalapon Herbicide Degrading Bacteria from Antarctic Samples" was successfully completed by Süleyman Faruk Kırkıncı in the Department of Agricultural Biotechnology.
- The project results were presented as oral presentations in one national and one international workshop and conference. The outputs obtained from the project have been sent to SCI/SCI-exp indexed journals for publication and are currently undergoing evaluation processes.
2ND PROJECT
In 2019, within the scope of the National Arctic Science Expedition, the project titled "Screening of Dehalogenase Producing Bacteria from Extremophiles in the Arctic" was carried out in two different research laboratories, namely Ondokuz Mayıs University, Faculty of Agriculture, Agricultural Biotechnology Laboratory and Phytopathology Laboratory and Amasya University Central Research Laboratory.
The executive director of the project is Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sevgi MARAKLI, and the researchers are Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hasan Murat AKSOY and Lecturer Yılmaz KAYA.
Within the scope of this project, a new bacterial strain was discovered. It was named "Psychrobacter sp. strain TaseBurcu001" in reference to the First National Arctic Science Expedition and expedition leader Assoc. Prof. Dr. Burcu ÖZSOY.
Molecular and genetic studies of the project are ongoing.
What Has Been Discovered, What Does It Benefit
Various biochemical and genetic analyses were performed on samples from Galindez Island in Antarctica and samples from Svalbard Island in the Arctic.
The obtained bacteria were introduced to the genebank for the first time under the names "Psychrobacter sp. strain TaeBurcu001" and "Psychrobacter sp. strain TaseBurcu001".
The bacteria obtained have been proven to eliminate the harmful effects of some herbicides used in agriculture, which have side effects. These bacteria have the potential to be used in agricultural biotechnology and especially in sustainable agriculture. In addition, the potential of these bacteria to be used in the field of environmental biotechnology is also being investigated.
Work in Progress
Studies on the samples obtained continue in Ondokuz Mayıs University, Faculty of Agriculture, Plant Protection Bacteriology laboratories, and a master's thesis has already been successfully completed and continues to be the subject of thesis for many graduate students.
The samples obtained were also shared with Prof. Didem Özçimen, a faculty member at Yıldız Technical University, Department of Bioengineering, with the aim of increasing mutual benefits.
Professor Özçimen continues to work in the field of algal biotechnology on Antarctic and Arctic samples.
Bioinformatics and genomics studies on two bacteria named "Psychrobacter sp. strain TaeBurcu001" and "Psychrobacter sp. strain TaseBurcu001" are ongoing.
