Microalgal Biotechnology Conference: “The Journey of Science, Labor, and Entrepreneurship”

A remarkable conference on the biotechnological importance of microalgae was held at our faculty, organized by the Canlılar ve Bilim Öğrenci topluluğu. The event titled “From the Laboratory to the Sector; The Journey of Microalgal Biotechnology Science, Labor, and Entrepreneurship” featured Associate Professor Dr. Füsun Akgül as the speaker, sharing comprehensive information on the scientific and technological value of algae from past to present.

In the conference, Associate Professor Dr. Akgül, who presented a broad perspective from the historical use of microalgae to current biotechnological applications, provided significant insights to students about the studies in this field. She stated that the aim of the event was to inspire young researchers with scientific and technological ideas. Highlighting the place of algae in human history, Akgül reminded that there are archaeological and anthropological findings indicating that communities living in Central America used spirulina thousands of years ago. She emphasized that during wartime, soldiers were fed with algae and that today NASA considers algae as astronaut food.

Touching on the critical role of algae in the history of the Earth, Akgül said, “We owe the formation of the oxygen we breathe today and the development of terrestrial life to algae. Cyanobacteria being the first organisms to produce oxygen by using water led to the accumulation of oxygen in the atmosphere, the formation of the ozone layer, and paved the way for organisms to move onto land. This great transformation is a process of approximately 3.5 billion years.” Akgül stated that algae, which adapted to environmental changes in Earth's history, learned to produce very valuable metabolites during this process, and these metabolites hold high value in today's biotechnology. She pointed out that algae, which have a wide range of uses, are present in many sectors from sunscreen products to health, cosmetics to feed and fertilizer production, wastewater treatment to carbon-capturing environmental projects.

Emphasizing that even some components used in sunscreens are algae-derived, Akgül stated that algae use light to capture carbon and produce organic and valuable biomolecules. She said these molecules are utilized in many areas from fuel to fertilizer, health to cosmetics, and that microalgae are a low-cost, high-yield biological resource. At the end of her speech, Akgül shared examples from their research on microalgae and spirulina and concluded the event by answering students' questions.