ABOUT US

The PhagOTech Research-Diagnostics Group Laboratory, operating within the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics at Yıldız Technical University and led by Tülin Özbek, is an interdisciplinary research group actively working in the fields of microbial genetics, applied microbiology, and biotechnology.

The group pursues multiple approaches simultaneously in the fight against antimicrobial resistance. Through genomic engineering and recombinant DNA technologies, it develops attenuated vaccine strains and subunit vaccines, evaluates immune responses, and works on the design and application of nanosystems for biomedical use. The team employs a variety of serological, molecular, and culture-based methods for the diagnosis of microbial agents and investigates the biological activity of antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral compounds.

In recent years, the PhagOTech group has placed significant emphasis on bacteriophage research to combat antimicrobial resistance. Its main preclinical research activities include the isolation and characterization of phages from environmental and clinical sources, as well as their in vitro and in vivo evaluation. The team aims to determine the diagnostic and therapeutic potential of phage-derived proteins through their cloning, expression, purification, and comprehensive evaluation using in vitro assays and animal infection models (such as sepsis, pneumonia, mastitis, wound healing, etc.). In addition, the team aims to develop phage-based diagnostic kits and therapeutic agents. The team is also working on targeted drug design using phage-derived structures, thereby contributing to innovative strategies in microbiological diagnosis and treatment.