Projects

The Eleonora's Falcon (Falco eleonorae) is among the priority species for conservation due to its limited breeding colonies along the Mediterranean and Aegean coasts. This project aims to investigate the feeding ecology of the Eleonora's Falcon using environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding. DNA isolated from pellet samples collected from individuals will be amplified with universal primers and analyzed using high-throughput sequencing technologies. The resulting dietary data will form the basis for understanding the species' habitat use, trophic relationships, and developing conservation strategies.

This project, which investigates the microbial effects of fires on the ecosystem, aims to reveal how soil microbiota changes with fire intensity. Biodiversity analyses will be conducted using microbial DNA sequencing from soil samples.

This study, which aims to determine the diversity and molecular characteristics of fungal viruses belonging to macro and lichenified fungus species found in the unique ecosystem of Ankara University Beşevler 10th Year Campus, aims to contribute to the conservation of urban biodiversity and a better understanding of mycorrhizal symbiotic interactions that play an important role in soil ecosystems.

In Mogan Flood Barrier, located within the borders of Ankara province and an important wetland for migratory birds, a biodiversity assessment was carried out during the migration period using both classical bird observation methods and molecular analyses based on environmental DNA (eDNA).

By combining macroscopic and SEM images, an innovative AI-powered mushroom classification system is being developed. Supported by deep learning algorithms, this approach aims to improve classification accuracy by replacing traditional methods.

The genomic structures of mycoviruses infecting Trichophyton rubrum and their phenotypic effects on the host fungus will be investigated, and the hypovirulence potential of these viruses will be evaluated. The data obtained will provide a scientific basis for the development of alternative treatment approaches for nail dermatophytes.

This study aimed to identify fungal viruses infecting wild and non-culturable ectomycorrhizal macrofungus species at Ankara University's Beşevler 10th Year Campus, to examine their molecular characteristics, and to reveal their biodiversity.

Caves, as isolated ecosystems, are areas where evolutionary processes can be observed due to their unique species diversity. In this study, microbial, protist, animal, and fungal community structures are analyzed via metabarcoding techniques using environmental DNA (eDNA) obtained from water, soil, and swab samples taken from caves, across the 18S, 16S V3, 12S V5, and ITS regions.

This project, which examines plant-pollinator relationships at the molecular level, aims to develop ecosystem conservation strategies by comparing the effects of plant species in different habitats on insect diversity.

This project aimed to determine the species diversity of birds (Aves) in Uyuz Lake, located in the Central Anatolia Region of Türkiye and classified as an important wetland, using eDNA metabarcoding. To overcome the limitations of traditional observation-based methods and develop a non-invasive biological monitoring approach, eDNA samples obtained from the lake water were analyzed using highly sensitive molecular techniques.

The aim of this study is to determine the biodiversity of fungal viruses in truffles by investigating the diversity and phylogenetic characteristics of mycoviruses found in truffles in the Thrace region. Truffle mushrooms collected during field studies are identified using morphological and molecular methods, and RNA viruses are detected.

Within the scope of this project, ancient DNA (aDNA) analyses were carried out on ancient aquatic remains (fish, shellfish, etc.) recovered from excavations at Liman Tepe (Izmir) and Çeşme-Bağlararası (Çeşme), two important Bronze Age settlements located on the western Anatolian coast.

The Joint Danube Survey 4 (JDS4), coordinated by ICPDR, is the largest-scale monitoring program assessing the ecological status and biodiversity of the Danube River basin. The project involved standardized eDNA sampling along the river through six countries, passing through the Balkans; the data obtained were compared with conventional methods, providing a comprehensive assessment of the river's biodiversity, habitat structure, and ecological health.

This project aims to integrate artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques into biotechnological applications for the processing and interpretation of genomic data. Within the scope of the project, customized bioinformatics workflows and algorithms will be developed for the analysis of large datasets obtained from high-throughput next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies.

This project aims to identify microbial functional genes that operate under extreme conditions through shotgun metagenomic data obtained from environmental DNA (eDNA) samples found in microbial habitats on the Antarctic Peninsula.