TÜSEB Achievement of GTU Academics

September 19, 2023

GTU academics awarded TÜSEB B Group R&D Project Support

Gebze Technical University (GTU) Institute of Biotechnology Faculty Member Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Özbil, along with Prof. Dr. Meltem Yeşilçimen Akbaş from the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, have been awarded support for their research proposal titled "Experimental and Computational Analysis of the Antimicrobial and Antibiofilm Effects of Hazelnut Green Husk Extracts Grown in Turkey" as part of the TÜSEB B Group R&D project.

Within the scope of this project, innovative techniques will be employed to obtain hazelnut green husk extract, and after obtaining the extract, its detailed antimicrobial effects will be investigated through comprehensive experimental studies and compound-target matching. The potential use of hazelnut green husk extract as an antibiofilm agent will be explored. Computational methods will be used to investigate the binding of phenolic compounds identified in hazelnut green husk extract to the DNA Gyrase A-B protein complex, which is an anti-bacterial target, and to the antibiofilm targets, ica A, ica D, and fnb A proteins. The relationship between active molecules and interacting target proteins will be revealed for the first time in the literature. Experimental analyses will validate the effects of these compounds in the laboratory environment, and the initial steps will be taken for effective product formulation.

Furthermore, the project will make a significant contribution to sustainable production by utilizing approximately 300,000 tons of green husk waste generated annually in our country, which is a global leader in hazelnut production.