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December 2, 2024 - GTU Office of Press and Public Relations
Gebze Technical University’s Institute of Biotechnology hosts Prof. Patrick H. Brown from the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of California, Davis, who provides a broad perspective on the role of boron in agriculture, emphasizing its strategic significance for Türkiye.
The visit began with a meeting at the GTU Rectorate, attended by Vice-Rectors Prof. Elif Damla Arısan and Prof. Hasari Çelebi, Institute of Biotechnology's Deputy Director Asst. Prof. Ümit Barış Kutman, Asst. Prof. Bahar Yıldız-Kutman, and International Relations Coordination Offiice staff. Discussions focused on institutional collaborations in biotechnology and agriculture, including student and staff mobility, joint projects, and international project applications. Following the meeting, Prof. Brown delivered a seminar titled “100 Years of Boron: Lessons Learned in the Biology and Management of This Critical Nutrient” at GTU Congress and Cultural Center's Red Hall. Attendees included faculty members, researchers, students, and industry representatives from various disciplines. Prof. Brown summarized significant scientific advancements in the last century regarding boron’s essential role as a plant nutrient since its discovery in 1923.
After the seminar, a multidisciplinary Q&A session was held. The visit continued at the Institute of Biotechnology, where Prof. Brown explored research infrastructures such as the R&D Greenhouse and the GTU-Plant Factory vertical farming research facility. He also engaged with faculty and graduate students, offering feedback on their research. Before departing, Prof. Brown expressed his intent to participate in the “2nd International Congress on Biotech Solutions for Sustainability”, planned by the Institute of Biotechnology for May 2025.
Prof. Patrick H. Brown, invited to Türkiye by GTU’s Institute of Biotechnology, is renowned globally in plant nutrition. With over 400 publications and an h-index of 75 in the Web of Science database, he is one of the leading figures in his field. Earning his PhD from Cornell University in 1988, he historically proved nickel as the 14th essential element for plants. Distinguished for his work on boron fertilizers, foliar applications, horticulture crops, and agricultural biostimulants, Brown was honored as a “Distinguished Professor” by UC Davis in 2022. He provides consultancy for many government organizations in the USA, including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), and chairs the Scientific Panel for the Responsible Use of Fertilizers affiliated with the International Fertilizer Association (IFA). |
