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September 2, 2026 – GTU Office of Press and Public Relations — A new biorefinery research line for the production of sustainable biofuels from waste biomass is being established at GTU through the Bio-ETN project, supported under the TÜBİTAK 2232-B International Fellowship for Early Stage Researchers.
Gebze Technical University is hosting the project titled “Bio-ETN: Sustainable BiofuEls Production from Biomass by Thermochemical-Biological IntegratioN,” which was awarded funding under the 2024 call of the TÜBİTAK 2232-B International Fellowship for Early Stage Researchers. The project will be carried out under the leadership of Yusuf Küçükağa, PhD, a faculty member of the Department of Environmental Engineering.
Value-Added Biofuel Production From Waste Biomass Under the fellowship, which aims to attract qualified researchers with advanced academic expertise gained at leading institutions abroad to Türkiye, a new research infrastructure is being established at our university in the field of integrated biorefinery technologies, offering a sustainable alternative to petroleum refineries. The Bio-ETN project builds upon the doctoral and postdoctoral research conducted by the project coordinator at Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna.
Within the scope of the Bio-ETN project, biomass resources that cannot be utilized through existing methods and are currently considered waste requiring disposal will be converted into commercially viable liquid biofuels through the integration of thermochemical and biological processes. By enabling the production of petroleum-derived fuels and chemicals from renewable resources, this approach will contribute to national targets in renewable energy and the circular economy while laying the groundwork for the development of a sustainable biorefinery research capacity in Türkiye in the long term.
Three Years of Scholarship Support for Young Researchers Under the Project Within the scope of the project, full-time scholarship support of up to 36 months will be provided for researchers at the master’s, doctoral, and postdoctoral levels. Researchers with experience in, or wishing to specialize in, biomass and waste conversion, thermochemical processes, biofuels, anaerobic biotechnology, and fermentation may contact the project coordinator, Yusuf Küçükağa, PhD, directly via email (ykucukaga@gtu.edu.tr). Candidates wishing to join the project as graduate-level researchers may apply by following Gebze Technical University’s graduate program application procedures. |
