Gebze Technical University

Microbial Genetic and Biotechnology Laboratory

Laboratory Name	Microbial Genetic and Biotechnology Laboratory
Laboratory Responsible	Assoc. Prof. Sedef Tunca Gedik
Department	Molecular Biology and Genetics
Telephone	+90 262 605 2509/2535
Address	Gebze Institute of Technology Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics C-2/118 41400 Cayirova, Kocaeli, TURKEY
General Information	Microorganisms are in use in almost every fields, including food and beverage industries, medical sciences and farming. For example, many microbes are responsible for industrial fermentation (production of dairy products, alcohol, vinegar etc.), primary (amino acids etc.) and secondary (antibiotics, anti-cancer drugs, immunosuppressors, bioinsecticides etc.) metabolite production and also for biopolymer (suitable for tissue engineering and drug delivery) biosynthesis. Our research is focused on the discovery of new microbial metabolites (primary and secondary) and improvement of the biosynthesis of known valuable bioactive metabolites via metabolic engineering or isolation of pathway specific repressors/activators. Research is being done also to determine the relations between different metabolisms inside the cell (e.g. phosphate metabolism) and secondary metabolite biosynthesis. Research laboratories of GIT are well equipped to support ongoing projects. Moreover close collaboration exists with the related departments to promote interdisciplinary projects.
Laboratory Staff	Tuğrul Doruk (PhD) Zeynep Demir (MS) Zeynep Girgin (MS) Aybike Yedekçi (MS) Ceyda Ketenci (MS) Şerif Yılmaz (MS)
Applications	1. Preparation of genomic and cDNA libraries. 2. Overexpression of some spesific genes inside the cell to see their effects on the bioactive metabolite production. 3. Constructing knockout bacterial models to investigate the relation between some specific genes and bioactive metabolite production. 4. Application of EMSA method (Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay) to study DNA-protein interactions. 5. Application of Yeast Two Hybrid-Three Hybrid systems to study protein-protein interactions. 6. Application of conventional and molecular mutation techniques. 7. Application of Southern, Northern, Western Blot techniques. 8. Transcriptional analysis.
Equipment	1- İncubator 2- Centrifuge 3- Sterile cabinet 4- PCR 5- Horizental and vertical electrophoresis.