GTU Academic Receives Funding From the XJENZA Program

February 17, 2026 - GTU Office of Press and Public Relations
 

The project titled “NATURASORB”, coordinated by Asst. Prof. Emrah Kırtıl from the Department of Chemical Engineering at Gebze Technical University (GTU), is awarded funding under the Türkiye–Malta bilateral cooperation framework.

Asst. Prof. Emrah Kırtıl, a faculty member in the Department of Chemical Engineering at GTU, has achieved significant success within the scope of the “2565–Bilateral Cooperation Program with the Science Malta (XJENZA).” His approved project focuses on environmentally friendly solutions to enhance water efficiency in agriculture.

An AI-Supported Eco-Friendly Solution

The project, titled “Biodegradable Agro-Waste Hydrogels Enhancing Soil Water Retention Developed with AI-Assisted Field Validation,” aims to develop fully biodegradable hydrogel beads using waste biomass such as seaweed, orange peels, and wheat bran. Produced within a pectin–alginate matrix and reinforced with electrospun gelatin fibers, this innovative technology seeks to improve soil water retention capacity in Mediterranean agriculture.

Technology To Be Advanced to TRL 5

Through the NATURASORB project, carried out in partnership between Türkiye and Malta, the current technology will be advanced from TRL 3 to TRL 5. Prototypes optimized in Türkiye will be tested in IRRIGOPTIMAL sensor-equipped field systems in Malta. The collected data will be analyzed using machine learning algorithms, enabling iterative improvements in hydrogel formulations through a cyclical optimization process.