Seminar - Burcu Şirin Kaya - Microbial Bioprocess Development: Fermentation, Optimization and Scale-Up Strategies
GRADUATE SCHOOL OF NATURAL AND APPLIED SCIENCES
BIOTECHNOLOGY PROGRAM
SEMINAR
Microbial Bioprocess Development: Fermentation, Optimization and Scale-Up Strategies
Burcu Şirin Kaya, PhD
Yeditepe University
Date & Time: May 12th 2025, 16:00
Place: Faculty of Engineering / Ground Floor B306
All interested are cordially invited.
ABSTRACT
Microbial bioprocess development is essential for optimizing industrial biotechnology applications, particularly under challenging conditions such as oxygen limitation. This talk will focus on the characterization, optimization, and scale-up of nitrogenase enzyme using Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus, an endophytic, nitrogen-fixing bacterium with potential as a biofertilizer, cultivated under microaerobic conditions. Given the oxygen sensitivity of nitrogenase, integrated systems biology tools and bioprocess engineering approaches were employed to identify optimal growth and production parameters. Using Response Surface Methodology (RSM), the medium composition and dissolved oxygen levels were optimized, resulting in a four-fold increase in enzyme activity and a 15% biomass improvement during scale-up from 3 L to 150 L. This presentation also includes complementary research on fermentation techniques and scale-up strategies, covering broader applications such as solid-state fermentation for food safety and co-culture systems for enhanced postbiotic production. Taken together, these findings reinforce the importance of integrating biological and engineering approaches for successful deployment to commercial-level production and contribute to advancements in sustainable agriculture and biomanufacturing.
BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Burcu Şirin Kaya graduated from the Department of Bioengineering at Marmara University in 2016. She completed her Ph.D. in the Department of Biotechnology at Yeditepe University, specializing in systems biology, fermentation technologies, and metabolomic analysis. Following her PhD, she continued her research in fermentation techniques and bioprocess scale-up strategies. She has been actively involved in several national and international R&D projects focusing on solid-state fermentation, microalgae-based production systems, and process development and scale-up. She works as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Yeditepe University.