Research Field:

Immobilization of Biomolecules: Attachment of biomolecules, i.e. oligonucleotides, antibodies, receptors and enzymes, on different surfaces for design of biosensors, biocatalysts for reactors, biomimetic surfaces for cell adhesion. Development of new immobilization matrices, optimization of immobilization method and characterization of immobilized biomolecule activity are in the scope of this topic 

Controlled Delivery of Bioactive Agents :Controlled delivery of bioactive agents is mainly used to have a better control on the concentration of the agent in the medium. Drugs, pesticides and fertilizers are incorporated generally in polymeric systems whose properties play an important role in the release behavior. The contact of the bioactive agent is limited with the environment and this prolongs, for example, halflife of a drug in the body or pesticide in the soil. In addition, this method minimizes the negative effect of drugs (e.g. cancer drugs) to untargeted tissues. Construction of controlled release systems from polymeric materials, determination of release rates depending on the polymer properties, preparation conditions and environmental factors are the scope of this research area.  

Artificial Lipid Membranes on Solid Surfaces: Characterization and Usage in Membrane Protein Research Artificial lipid membranes on solid surfaces, on the contrary of other membrane models like liposomes, allow researchers to use surface sensitive techniques like Atomic Force Spectroscopy, Surface Plasmon Resonance Spectroscopy, Quartz Crystal Microbalance, etc. As well as being a good model for the membrane research, they provide the environment for functional incorporation of membrane proteins and their characterization. The effect of different compounds, inhibitors, drugs, on protein activity can also be studied by this method.

Selected Publications:

Conferences

• F.N.Kök, B.Wiltschi, U.Reuning, W.Knoll and E.K. Sinner, Incorporation of Neuronal Acetylcholine Receptor Alpha7 into an Artificial Lipid Membrane, The 5th International Conference on Biological Physics, ICBP 2004, Gothenburg, Sweden, 2004
• D.Yucel, F.N.Kök and V.Hasirci, Construction of a teflon based HEMA-grafted enzyme biosensor, 18^th European Conference on Biomaterials, ESB2003, Stuttgart, Germany, 2003
• F.N.Kök and V.Hasirci, Construction of an acetylcholinesterase-choline oxidase biosensor for determination of anti-cholinesterase compounds, 17^th European Conference on Biomaterials, ESB2002, Barcelona, Spain, 2002
• F.N.Kök, F.Bozoglu and V.Hasirci, Bi-enzyme biosensor with acetylcholinesterase and choline oxidase, 8^th Biomedical Science and Technology Symposium, Ankara, Turkey, 2001
• F.N.Kök, F.Bozoglu and V.Hasirci, Construction of an acetylcholinesterase-choline oxidase biosensor for aldicarb determination, The Sixth World Congress on Biosensors, San Diego, USA, 20006.     S. Sehirli, F.N.Kök and V.Hasirci, Antibiotic release from PHBV22 implants, International Postgraduate Research Symposium on Pharmaceutics (IPORSIP 2000), co-sponsored by AAPS, Istanbul, Turkey, 2000
• F.N.Kök, M.Y.Arica, I.Gürsel, V.Hasirci and G.Alaeddinoglu, Biosynthesis of polyhydroxybutyrate and its copolymers by Alcaligenes latus, Biomedical Principles and Mechanisms of Biosynthesis and Biodegradation of Polymers, Muenster, Germany, 1998
• F.N.Kök, F.Bozoglu and V.Hasirci, Construction of a biosensor for the detection of the pesticides inhibiting acetylcholinesterase, 6^th Biomedical Science and Technology Symposium, Izmir, Turkey, 1998
• F.Türesin, Z.Gümüsyazici, F.N.Kök, I.Gürsel, G.Alaeddinoglu, V.Hasirci, Biosynthesis of polyhydroybutyrate and its copolymers and their use in controlled drug release, 5^th National Biomedical Science and Technology Symposium, Ankara, Turkey, 1998
• F.N.Kök, M.Y.Arica and V.Hasirci, Model drug release from hydrogel microspheres, 2^nd National Biomedical Science and Technology Symposium, Ankara, Turkey, 1995

Awards 

• Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowship - 08/2003-10/2004 
• First Poster Award - 8^th Biomedical Science and Technology Symposium, Ankara, Turkey, 2001