The project titled “Development of New and Rapid Biological Indicators for Sterilization Systems and Training Qualified Researchers in the Field” has been successfully completed under the TÜBİTAK 2244 Industry PhD Fellowship Program. Carried out in collaboration with Karadeniz Technical University’s Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences (Departments of Biotechnology, Biology, and Molecular Biology & Genetics) and Eryiğit Medical Devices Inc., the project stands as a model for university–industry cooperation, contributing innovative and local solutions to sterilization technologies.

 Three PhD Students Achieved Significant Milestones

Three doctoral students took part in the project. Dr. Süleyman HEKİM completed his PhD in Spring 2024 under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Sabriye ÇANAKÇI. Dr. Arife KAÇIRAN, supervised by Prof. Dr. Ali Osman BELDÜZ, received her PhD in July 2025. Both are now employed at the partner company, contributing to Türkiye’s innovation capacity in sterilization technologies. The third student, Ayşe Nur AKMEHMET, is expected to graduate by the end of the year under the advidory of Prof. Dr. Kadriye İNAN BEKTAŞ.

 Innovative and Domestic Solutions in Sterilization

The project aimed to develop faster, more reliable, and domestically-produced alternatives to biological indicators, which are vital for monitoring sterilization effectiveness. As a result of the R&D activities, promising scientific and technical outcomes were achieved.

Among the project outputs, the article titled “Point mutations enhance catalytic efficiency of Geobacillus stearothermophilus α-glucosidase: A biochemical characterization study” was published in a high-impact international journal, highlighting key findings on enhancing enzymatic activity. Additionally, the presentation “Determination of Germination with Measurement of DPA Amount” was delivered at an international academic event in 2021.

 Value-Added University–Industry Cooperation

Beyond developing biological indicators, students in the project team also participated in other R&D projects led by Eryiğit Medical Devices Inc., gaining practical experience while contributing to domestic healthcare technology production capacity.

The TÜBİTAK 2244 Industry PhD Fellowship Program plays a key role in training highly qualified researchers and reducing foreign dependency in fields like sterilization, health technologies, and biotechnology. This project, in particular, represents a critical step toward enhancing Türkiye’s R&D capacity in healthcare and industrial sterilization through the development of domestic and national biological indicators.

 

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