Yeditepe University Genetic and Bioengineering Department Head Prof. Dr. Fikrettin Şahin shared his predictions about this field in the future.
Genetics and Bioengineering continue to be a focus of attention as a promising field for the future. All the genome projects being carried out in the world and in Turkey, DNA programming, enzymes technologies, personalized medicines and many more ... Some are already in our lives while others are expected near future developments.
Yeditepe University Genetic and Bioengineering Department Head Prof. Dr. Fikrettin Sahin, gave information about the developments in this area. Stating that the application fields of genetics and bioengineering are divided into four parts, Prof. Dr. Fikrettin Şahin, said; "Red Biotechnology refers to health" "Green Biotechnology" to agriculture; "Blue Biotechnology" refers to sea and water; and "White Biotechnology" to the applications in the industry.
A Solution to Antibiotic Resistance
In the field of blue biotechnology, Prof. Dr. Fikrettin Şahin pointed out that rapidly growing fish and seafood, which are resistant to diseases and of high quality meat, can be produced:
"Studies are underway on new antibiotics development in the sea, as well as new organisms, new microorganisms, found in deep water sources. If existing antibiotics cannot be used due to antibiotic resistance, these new generation of antibiotics obtained may enter our lives in the future."
Medicine will also be Biotechnical
Pointing out that in the field of regenerative medicine in red biotechnology stem cells are derived from the expression of molecules, Prof. Dr. Fikrettin Sahin said:
"From these specific molecules, new formulations are available for use in the treatment of various diseases. Some of these formulations have entered our lives as alternative biotechnical medicines to the medicines we are already using and will enter more in the future. The new generation of drugs allows the determination of the doses and the types of medicine to be given according to the genetic structure of people. Thus, we can reduce or eradicate the side effects while increasing their efficiency. Personalized medicines have begun to enter our lives. In the next 10 years, almost all of the drug technology will shift towards biotechnical drugs."
Vaccines will be Developed Faster
Stating that the new generation of biotechnological drugs would shorten the vaccine development process in the next 5 years, Şahin said "Nano medicine is one of the most important developments in pharmaceutical technology. Special drugs that are delivered to organ-cells at much lower doses and with special carrier systems can be designed".
Your Phone Can Become Your Laboratory
Prof. Dr. Fikrettin Sahin explained that thanks to the developments in biomedical devices, we could carry a large laboratory in personal cases or on wristwatches, without needing large laboratories. Şahin said, "We may have a telephone diagnostics laboratory someday."
Pointing out that the world as well as Turkey is working on genome projects Sahin said that these studies would might be able to treat diseases which there are no cures for today.
We Need Scientists who can Analyze Information
Stating that there is a need for scientists who work in the field of "Bioinformatics" which is the examination and processing of biological knowledge with the help of computers, Prof. Dr. Fikrettin Sahin said "Turkey also has a very serious lack of scientists working in analyzing this information and we are still looking for people like this.
Prof. Dr. Fikrettin Şahin also added that in the field of agricultural biotechnology, namely Green Biotechnology, genetically modified products produced by microorganisms will likely enter our lives in the future.
From Chemical Detergents to Bio-detergents
"In the world, there is very little enzyme production from natural microorganisms today. Prof. Dr. Şahin emphasized that enzymes produced entirely from GMOs are used in agriculture, industry and the detergent industry. He added: "Nowadays, the detergent industry is changing from classical chemical technology and chemical detergents to bio-detergents. Enzymes are now being used as an additive but in the future this technology can completely rely on enzymes. Enzymes will start to be used in every field of the textile industry in the future. Enzymes are a very important area of today, but we will need much more of it in the next years. That is why we have currently in Turkey, at our university established a production unit for a pilot-scale enzyme production"
Probiotics will be Used in the Treatment of Diseases
Stating that probiotics, another area of agricultural biotechnology, has an important place in the treatment of diseases, Fikrettin Şahin emphasized that Yeditepe University has invested in this field as well.
Prof. Dr. Şahin, who pointed out that the most important development in industrial biotechnology is enzyme technology, said that the enzymes needed for energy, textile, feed, food and pharmaceutical industry can now be produced in large reactors.
