MOLECULAR BIOLOGY MASTER AND PhD PROGRAMS
The aim of the scope of the program is to investigate various diseases including diabetes, respiratory and gastrointestinal system diseases and cancer, which are common in the world and in our country, using in vitro and in vivo experimental animal models, human cell and tissue samples. Another aim of this program is to investigate in vitro cell differentiation, cell death, cell proliferation, damage and repair mechanisms at the molecular level in primary pancreatic beta cells, pancreatic islet-derived mesenchymal stem cells, primary pneumocyte cells and some cancer and healthy cell lines. In this program, it is aimed to specialize the students in the above-mentioned fields, to provide basic contribution to therapeutic approaches to human health, to raise animal and human-oriented studies to the translational level by bridging the basic and clinical sciences, to discover various new therapeutic agents and develop new application methods and biomarkers.
| PROGRAM COURSES OF MASTER DEGREE | | | | |
| COURSE NAME | CREDIT | ECTS | Compulsory/Elective | |
| ADVANCED MOLECULAR BIOLOGY | 3 | 8 | E | |
| SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH TECHNIQUES AND PUBLICATION ETHICS | 3 | 6 | C | |
| MOLECULAR MECHANISMS OF CELL DEATH | 3 | 8 | E | |
| MODEL ORGANISMS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY | 3 | 8 | E | |
| EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY | 3 | 8 | E | |
| SPECIAL TOPICS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY | 3 | 8 | E | |
| SEMINAR | 0 | 6 | C | |
| ADVANCED MOLECULAR CELL BIOLOGY | 3 | 8 | E | |
| CELL BIOCHEMISTRY | 3 | 8 | E | |
| GLYCOBIOLOGY | 3 | 8 | E | |
| STEM CELL AND REGENERATIVE BIOLOGY | 3 | 8 | E | |
| MOLECULAR IMMUNOLOGY | 3 | 8 | E | |
| MOLECULAR CANCER BIOLOGY | 3 | 8 | E | |
| NANOBIOTECHNOLOGY AND ITS USE IN THERAPY | 3 | 8 | E | |
| SEMINAR | 0 | 6 | C | |
| | | | | |
| PROGRAM COURSES FOR PhD STUDENTS | | | | |
| COURSE NAME | CREDIT | ECTS | Compulsory / Elective |
| MOLECULAR BASES AND THERAPEUTIC APPROACHES OF VARIOUS DISEASES-I | 3 | 8 | E |
| CELL SIGNALING MECHANISMS | 3 | 8 | E |
| BIOCHEMISTRY OF CANCER | 3 | 8 | E |
| BIOACTIVE PEPTIDES | 3 | 8 | E |
| CHROMATINE AND EPIGENETIC | 3 | 8 | E |
| SEMINAR | 0 | 6 | C |
| MOLECULAR AND BIOCHEMICAL TOXICOLOGY | 3 | 8 | E |
| STEM CELL AND TISSUE ENGINEERING | 3 | 8 | E |
| MOLECULAR BASES AND THERAPEUTIC APPROACHES OF VARIOUS DISEASES II | 3 | 8 | E |
| EXTRACELLULAR MATRIX AND DYNAMICS | 3 | 8 | E |
| TISSUE REMODELING | 3 | 8 | E |
| THE RNA WORLD | 3 | 8 | E |
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Click Here For Further Information About The PhD Program
Prof. Dr. Sehnaz BOLKENT works at Molecular Biology Division of Biology Department in Faculty of Science of Istanbul University. She got her undergraduate degree from Biology Department in Science Faculty of Istanbul University in 1982. She started working as a research assistant in the Department of Biology in 1983. She got her M.Sc. Degree in 1986 and Ph.D. Degree in 1992 from Institute of Graduate Studies in Sciences of Istanbul University. She then attended the Max-Planck Institute in Germany for professional experience with a DAAD scholarship. Dr. Bolkent investigates on the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying type-2 diabetes and cancer diseases that experimental models were used in vivo and in vitro. She contributes to resolution of cell death, cell proliferation, cell damage and repair mechanisms at molecular level, and therapeutic approaches to human health. She has also focused on upgrading animal and human-oriented studies to the translational level, discovering various new therapeutic agents, developing new methods of application and biomarkers, by bridging the basic and clinical sciences.
Prof. Dr. Füsun ÖZTAY
Fusun OZTAY is a Professor in Molecular Biology Division of Biology Department at Istanbul University. She obtained her BSc degree from Biology Department, Faculty of Science at Istanbul University, MSc and PhD degrees from Institute of Graduate Studies in Sciences at Istanbul University. She attended to Cell Biology Lab of Antwerp University, Belgium and to Comprehensive Pneumology Center of Helmholtz Lung Biology and Diseases Institute, Germany, for Postdoc. Her main research areas include the acute and chronic lung injury and repair mechanisms, pulmonary fibrosis, miRNA and LncRNA biology, epithelial-mesenchymal transition at cellular and molecular levels. Furthermore, she focused on discovering of effective molecules and novel therapeutics on the pathogenesis and treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary emphysema and lung cancer. To these purposes her projects investigate cell differentiation, proliferation and death, interactions of protein-protein or protein-nucleic acid, and TGF-β and Wnt signaling by using of transcriptomic, protein, in silico, molecular and biochemical analysis performed on animal models with lung diseases, human lung cell lines and human lung biopsies from patients.
Professor Dr. Selda GEZGİNCİ-OKTAYOĞLU is a faculty member of Istanbul University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Molecular Biology Division. She received her bachelor's degree from Istanbul University; master and doctorate degrees from Istanbul University, Institute of Graduate Studies in Sciences. She is responsible for the Primary and Stem Cell Research Laboratory of the Molecular Biology Division and is also the leader of the Stem Cell and Diabetes Research Group. This is the first research group working with primary beta-cells; and the second research group working with pancreatic progenitor cells in Turkey. The basic research of the Stem Cell and Diabetes Research Group aims to identify them molecules that provide the main signaling pathways and intercellular interactions that play a role in the development of Type 2 diabetes and regeneration after pancreatic damage. In this context, the focus of research is the differentiation mechanisms of pancreatic progenitor cells to beta-cells and adipocytes during the development of Type 2 diabetes. In the Primary and Stem Cell Research Laboratory, research is also conducted on cancer stem cells, which are the main actors of cancer development, which are known to be closely related to Type 2 diabetes. Molecular mechanisms are investigated mainly by making epigenomic, transcriptomic, proteomic and metabolomic analyzes. In this context, molecular biological techniques such as in vivo diabetes models, cell culture techniques, transfection, cell viability tests, cell death analysis, microscopic analyzes, flow cytometry, protein electrophoresis, immunoprecipitation, chromatin immunoprecipitation, Western blotting, ELISA and qRT-PCR are used in the studies.
Prof. Dr. Engin KAPTAN
He graduated from Istanbul University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology. He started his academic career as a Research Assistant at the same University and received the title of Dr. in 2010. He conducted post-doctoral studies at theUniversity of Maryland School of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. His work fields are glycobiology, cancer and lectin-carbohydrate interactions. His work has focused on understanding the molecular mechanisms of thyroid cancer and identifying different diagnostic and therapeutic strategies through targeting carbohydrate antigens. In this context, proteomics and transcriptomic methodology are used in the studies. Professor Dr. Engin Kaptan has many articles written in his field of study. He has an internationally registered patent which is currently ongoing clinical trials for the treatment of prostate cancer. In addition, he has worked in international projects, and has Tübitak research projects, where he takes part in executive and researcher.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pelin ARDA-PİRİNÇÇİ
Pelin Arda-Pirinççi is a Assoc. Professor in Molecular Biology Division of Biology Department at Istanbul University. She obtained her BSc degree in İstanbul University, and PhD degree from Istanbul University, Institute of Graduate Studies in Sciences. Her main research areas are on the molecular mechanisms of various gastrointestinal diseases and the investigation of new bioactive molecules for treatment. In recent years, she has focused her studies on inflammatory diseases and epigenetic mechanisms.
Assist. Prof. Dr. Serap SANCAR-BAŞ received her Bachelor's degree at Istanbul University; she completed her master and doctorate education from Institute of Graduate Studies in Sciences at Istanbul University. She has been appointed to his staff in the Department of Molecular Biology in 2015. Her main research areas are molecular cancer biology, identification of new anticancer molecules, peptide-based anticancer molecule discovery and glycobiology-based cancer research. Molecular biology research continues on the basis of proteome, tranxyptom and epigenome. She also worked as a researcher in the projects with other disciplines such as pharmaceutical toxicology, pharmaceutical technology and inorganic chemistry.
Asst. Prof. Dr. Ayşe KARATUĞ KAÇAR
Ayşe KARATUĞ KAÇAR is an assistant professor in Molecular Biology Division of Biology Department, Faculty of Science at Istanbul University. She obtained her first degree, BSc, in Istanbul University, Faculty of Science, Biology Department and attended to Institute of Graduate Studies in Sciences at Istanbul University, for her PhD. Her main research interests are research of various molecular mechanisms in pancreatic beta cells and pancreatic cancer, in vitro and in vivo, and cancer research with targeted drug delivery systems in nanobiotechnology. In this context, she is working as a director and researcher in joint projects completed and ongoing with various universities.
