Editorial: Biotech in Turkey
1
© 2009 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim 951 Biotechnol. J. 2009, 4, 951 DOI 10.1002/biot.200900155 www.biotechnology-journal.com metabolic engineering, biosen- sor development, proteome pro- filing, systems biology, recombi- nant protein production, trans- fection and gene expression, and apoptosis and cancer immunol- ogy studies. The BTJ Forum pages give a snapshot view of the Country’s leading research funding agency (TÜBI . TAK), R&D indicators, and some biotech in- stitutions. Three review articles [2–4] specifically focus on bio- tech research activities in Tur- key. It is our hope that the contri- butions here will provide for the first time not only a detailed per- spective on the field of biotech- nology in Turkey but also some finest biotechnological research activities by Turkish research- ers. Editorial: Biotech in Turkey an academic activity of universi- ties. In 1963 the establishment of TÜBI . TAK, the Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey, marked a turning point. TÜBI . TAK is now the leading agency for management, fund- ing and conducting research in Turkey. The Supreme Council for Science and Technology (SCST), headed by the prime minister, was founded in 1983 and is the highest S&T policy maker, overseeing the imple- mentation of science policy.The policies by TÜBI . TAK, SCST and by others such as those by the Board of Higher Education (YÖK) for academia and the State Planning Organization (SPO or DPT) have resulted in culmination of a series of impor- tant developments since 1993, both in terms of S&T indicators and institutional framework. In terms of publications the coun- try ranked 18 th in 2008, a spec- tacular rise from 41 st place in 1990 [1]. Turkey is no different from any other country vision- ing that advances in applied bio- sciences have rarely had more impact on society than in the case of biotechnology. Biotech- nology is now one of the seven priority given areas by the gov- ernment; the others being infor- mation and communication, flexible manufacturing and au- tomation, transportation, aero- nautics and space, environment friendly technologies and re- newable energy systems, and advanced materials. This special issue includes a collection of eleven review and original research articles from a diverse group of scholars whose expertise ranges across bioma- terials and tissue engineering, fermentation technology and T here was “biotechnology” when there was not biology. The term “biology”, coined in the early 1800s is quite recent compared to some classical biotechnologi- cal applications as artificial se- lection and hybridization, brew- ing, and cultured milk products which date back to several mil- lennia. "Yoghurt", one of the few Turkish words (yog ˘urt) adopted in English language, is now a household name. There is evi- dence of yoghurt production as food for at least 4500 years and was recorded in the books Di- vanü Lügati't-Türk by Kas ¸gari Mahmud and Kutadgu Bilig by Yusuf Has Hacib written in the eleventh century. This special issue of Biotech- nology Journal is devoted to the history, research and develop- ments in biotechnology in Tur- key,the first comprehensive sur- vey of the field in a country with about 150 university and re- search institutions, both public and private. The issue, however, is not intended to sum up the works of every single actor in the field, but the assessment of the current state of biotechnology in Turkey, through a series of arti- cles on different aspects of the field. In terms of GNP,Turkey was the 17 th largest economy of the world and 7 th largest economy among 27 EU member countries in 2008 (IMF-WEO). However, the current position of the coun- try, in terms of its ability to uti- lize knowledge for socio-eco- nomic welfare, is not yet com- patible with its demographic share in the world (70 million in 2007). This is because Turkey lacked a science and technology (S&T) policy until 1960s and sci- entific research was regarded as Hikmet Geçkil and Pınar Çalık References: [1] Thomson’s ISI Web of Science (2009) [2] http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/biot.200800335 [3] http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/biot.200800332 [4] http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/biot.200900145 Hikmet Geçkil 1 and Pınar Çalık 2 1 Department of Biology, Inonu University, Malatya, Turkey 2 Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Middle East Technical Univer- sity, Ankara, Turkey
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Transcript of Editorial: Biotech in Turkey
© 2009 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim 951
Biotechnol. J. 2009, 4, 951 DOI 10.1002/biot.200900155 www.biotechnology-journal.com
metabolic engineering, biosen-sor development, proteome pro-filing, systems biology, recombi-nant protein production, trans-fection and gene expression, andapoptosis and cancer immunol-ogy studies. The BTJ Forumpages give a snapshot view ofthe Country’s leading researchfunding agency (TÜBI
.TAK), R&D
indicators, and some biotech in-stitutions. Three review articles[2–4] specifically focus on bio-tech research activities in Tur-key.
It is our hope that the contri-butions here will provide for thefirst time not only a detailed per-spective on the field of biotech-nology in Turkey but also somefinest biotechnological researchactivities by Turkish research-ers.
Editorial: Biotech in Turkey
an academic activity of universi-ties. In 1963 the establishment ofTÜBI
.TAK, the Scientific and
Technical Research Council ofTurkey, marked a turning point.TÜBI
.TAK is now the leading
agency for management, fund-ing and conducting research inTurkey. The Supreme Councilfor Science and Technology(SCST), headed by the primeminister, was founded in 1983and is the highest S&T policymaker, overseeing the imple-mentation of science policy. Thepolicies by TÜBI
.TAK, SCST and
by others such as those by theBoard of Higher Education(YÖK) for academia and theState Planning Organization(SPO or DPT) have resulted inculmination of a series of impor-tant developments since 1993,both in terms of S&T indicatorsand institutional framework. Interms of publications the coun-try ranked 18th in 2008, a spec-tacular rise from 41st place in1990 [1]. Turkey is no differentfrom any other country vision-ing that advances in applied bio-sciences have rarely had moreimpact on society than in thecase of biotechnology. Biotech-nology is now one of the sevenpriority given areas by the gov-ernment; the others being infor-mation and communication,flexible manufacturing and au-tomation, transportation, aero-nautics and space, environmentfriendly technologies and re-newable energy systems, andadvanced materials.
This special issue includes acollection of eleven review andoriginal research articles from adiverse group of scholars whoseexpertise ranges across bioma-terials and tissue engineering,fermentation technology and
There was “biotechnology”whenthere was not biology. The term“biology”, coined in the early1800s is quite recent comparedto some classical biotechnologi-cal applications as artificial se-lection and hybridization, brew-ing, and cultured milk productswhich date back to several mil-lennia. "Yoghurt", one of the fewTurkish words (yogurt) adoptedin English language, is now ahousehold name. There is evi-dence of yoghurt production asfood for at least 4500 years andwas recorded in the books Di-vanü Lügati't-Türk by KasgariMahmud and Kutadgu Bilig byYusuf Has Hacib written in theeleventh century.
This special issue of Biotech-nology Journal is devoted to thehistory, research and develop-ments in biotechnology in Tur-key, the first comprehensive sur-vey of the field in a country withabout 150 university and re-search institutions, both publicand private. The issue, however,is not intended to sum up theworks of every single actor in thefield, but the assessment of thecurrent state of biotechnology inTurkey, through a series of arti-cles on different aspects of thefield.
In terms of GNP, Turkey wasthe 17th largest economy of theworld and 7th largest economyamong 27 EU member countriesin 2008 (IMF-WEO). However,the current position of the coun-try, in terms of its ability to uti-lize knowledge for socio-eco-nomic welfare, is not yet com-patible with its demographicshare in the world (70 million in2007). This is because Turkeylacked a science and technology(S&T) policy until 1960s and sci-entific research was regarded as
Hikmet Geçkil and Pınar Çalık
References:[1] Thomson’s ISI Web of Science (2009)[2] http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/biot.200800335[3] http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/biot.200800332[4] http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/biot.200900145
Hikmet Geçkil1 and Pınar Çalık2
1Department of Biology, Inonu University,Malatya, Turkey
2Department of Chemical Engineering, Facultyof Engineering, Middle East Technical Univer-sity, Ankara, Turkey
0951_200900155_Editorial_0709.qxd 15.07.2009 8:52 Uhr Seite 951
