Dish of the Day

Dr. Lecturer Yılmaz Kaya from Ondokuz Mayıs University (OMU) stated that they will conduct research to introduce microorganisms collected from Antarctica into agriculture, saying: “Some beneficial microorganisms from the region will be isolated in laboratories within OMU. They will then undergo molecular identification studies. In the next stage, it will be investigated whether these bacteria can be used in agricultural biotechnology.”

Within the scope of the TÜBİTAK-supported project, a research group coordinated by Dr. Lecturer Yılmaz Kaya from the Department of Agricultural Biotechnology at the Faculty of Agriculture, including Dr. Lecturer Ayşe Feyza Tufan Dülger from the same department and Prof. Dr. Hasan Murat Aksoy from the Department of Plant Protection, will examine microorganism samples collected from Antarctica in laboratory settings to determine their potential for agricultural use.

In this context, the microorganisms will be isolated and molecularly identified, and their possible pathogenic effects on plants will be investigated. The study, coordinated by OMU, also includes Prof. Dr. İbrahim İlker Özyiğit from the Department of Biology at Marmara University Faculty of Science and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Roswanira Abd Wahab from the Department of Chemistry at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) Faculty of Science as collaborating researchers.

Stating that Antarctica hosts highly tolerant plants and microorganisms, Dr. Lecturer Kaya said: “Our approved project, supported by TÜBİTAK, focuses on the isolation of microorganisms found in the Antarctic polar region and their potential use in agricultural biotechnology. Antarctica is a natural ecosystem, almost like a natural laboratory.”

“The isolated bacteria will undergo detailed laboratory analysis”

Emphasizing that the collected microorganism samples will undergo detailed examination, Kaya said: “Within the scope of the project, some beneficial microorganisms from the region will be isolated in OMU laboratories. They will then be subjected to molecular identification studies. In the next phase, it will be evaluated whether these bacteria can be used in agricultural biotechnology. Today, intensive modern agricultural practices rely heavily on chemical fertilizers and various chemical inputs. We will assess whether these microorganisms could serve as alternatives to such inputs. In particular, we will seek answers to whether they can survive under cold atmospheric conditions and whether they can fix nitrogen or solubilize phosphorus.”

Dr. Lecturer Yılmaz Kaya continued: “In Türkiye, studies conducted on cold-climate crops commonly involve the use of chemical fertilizers, which may have certain side effects. Therefore, the goal is to develop an alternative method. Bacteria isolated from Antarctica will undergo identification and molecular characterization processes in the Agricultural Biotechnology Laboratory at OMU Faculty of Agriculture. In the Department of Plant Protection, it will be investigated whether these microorganisms pose any natural antagonistic or pathogenic effects on plants. In addition, their potential side effects on tobacco and other traditionally cultivated crops will be examined.”

“Their potential as biocontrol agents will be evaluated”

Describing the research process, Dr. Kaya concluded: “If they are determined not to be pathogenic, the next stage will begin. At this stage, the potential of these bacteria to be used as biocontrol agents will be evaluated. For example, it will be investigated whether a bacterium obtained exhibits antagonistic effects against the Fusarium pathogen. Certain microorganisms whose characteristics have been demonstrated under laboratory conditions already exist. It will also be examined whether these microorganisms are truly effective on plants under natural environmental conditions. These studies will be carried out at the Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Marmara University. In addition, specific genes will be analyzed and genome-level research will be conducted. These advanced studies will be performed at the Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.”

“We will investigate whether the isolates obtained through the polar project promote plant growth”

Prof. Dr. Hasan Murat Aksoy stated that beneficial bacteria are plant growth-promoting bacteria, adding: “They break down nutrient elements in the soil that cannot be directly used by plants and convert them into forms that plants can absorb. For this reason, they are important to us. This group also includes bacteria used in biological control. These bacteria prevent or eliminate diseases and pests. Within the scope of the polar project, we will investigate whether the isolates we obtain promote plant growth and whether they can be used as biological control agents. These studies will be conducted in the biotechnology laboratory and the plant protection bacteriology laboratory.”