Department of Agricultural Biotechnology Joins COST Network
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kaan HÜRKAN, a faculty member of the Department of Agricultural Biotechnology at the Faculty of Agriculture, Iğdır University, and his research team have been accepted as members of Working Group-1 (WG-1) within a COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) Action conducted under the European research cooperation program.
The aforementioned COST Action aims to strengthen the international research network dedicated to elucidating the molecular bases of seed priming mechanisms, stress physiology, and innovative biostimulant applications in plants. Representing our department in the project, the team consists of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kaan HÜRKAN, Dr. Yasemin KEMEÇ HÜRKAN, who has expertise in plant tissue culture and in vitro plant systems, and Zeynep ÖZMEN, an undergraduate student in the Department of Plant Protection at Iğdır University and an early-stage researcher.
The research activities of the team focus on the molecular and physiological investigation of the effects of innovative priming agents such as karrikin (KAR1) and strigolactones on germination performance, stress tolerance, and the establishment of stress memory in plants. Within this scope, integrative approaches combining molecular biology, gene expression analyses, and physiological assessments are employed to examine how priming applications regulate plant responses under abiotic and biotic stress conditions. In addition, the team aims to develop regional and international scientific collaborations within the framework of the European COST network.
Dr. Yasemin KEMEÇ HÜRKAN contributes to the project with her experience in plant regeneration, stress physiology, and controlled priming applications, while Zeynep ÖZMEN, an early-stage researcher at the undergraduate level, supports the team through her studies examining the effects of karrikin-mediated priming applications on abiotic and biotic stress responses using gene expression–based analyses.
Within the scope of the COST Action, the research team plans to contribute scientifically particularly to the following WG-1 topics:
· Molecular and physiological mechanisms of seed priming applications
· Priming-induced stress memory and signal transduction pathways
· Next-generation priming molecules and biostimulant development studies
· Integration of gene expression and phenotypic responses in primed seeds
The active involvement of our department faculty members and students in international research networks not only enhances the scientific visibility of our university but also strengthens the participation of early-stage researchers in global scientific collaborations. This significant development is expected to increase the effectiveness of the Department of Agricultural Biotechnology in international projects and to create new research and collaboration opportunities.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kaan HÜRKAN
Dr. Yasemin KEMEÇ HÜRKAN
Zeynep ÖZMEN