Center for Research and Practice in Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (BİYOGEM) is a core unit of biotechnology and related fields established to cluster researchers working in different institutes on basic and applied sciences with the purpose of reaching outcomes such as development of patented biotechnological products, processes and services, and to search the routes for more effective usage of current knowledge and infrastructure in Istanbul University.

Biotechnology, which is regarded as an intersection of natural sciences and engineering applications, produces rewarding information, new products and services for mankind through integrating the data on living systems and processes with engineering concepts.  As a multidisciplinary research and application field, biotechnology involves strong cooperation between biological sciences (cell biology, biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics, microbiology etc.), engineering sciences (chemical, material, computer, food, environment, forestry, fisheries engineering, etc.) and health sciences (medicine, pharmacy, veterinary medicine, dentistry).  Conducting exhaustive biotechnological studies and transmitting of knowledge by basic sciences to applied sciences become more and more important for exploring new chemicals, materials, pharmaceutics and alternative energy sources, developing new diagnosis, treatment and protection methods, producing profitable and safe foods, and fighting with environmental pollution. Nowadays, in the well developed countries of the World, transformation of basic sciences to applied sciences gains an acceleration through sophisticated tools of biotechnology such as bioinformatics, systems biology, nanotechnology and omics technologies.

Prof.Dr. Emine Şeküre Nazlı ARDA