Research Areas

Studies conducted in the Animal Genetics Laboratory are carried out within the scope of legal permissions obtained from the "Animal Experiments Ethics Committee and the General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks." The research covers three different fields—molecular, genetic, and ecological—focusing on animals in their natural habitats.

Molecular mechanisms developed in response to environmental stress factors such as heavy metals, drought, and habitat degradation are investigated at the DNA, gene, and protein levels. Additionally, identifying necessary measures against human-induced threats to animals and ensuring the conservation and sustainability of natural life are among the primary objectives.

Our laboratories have established the foundational steps for creating cDNA libraries to preserve and sustain genetic resources, and the genetic data of certain species have been stored. The University’s Animal Genetics Laboratory has contributed to the Noah’s Ark National Biodiversity Project initiated across Turkey.

Cytogenetic and molecular-based projects are being conducted to determine the phylogenetic relationships of Turkey’s mammalian fauna, and these studies are ongoing. Among the ecological and biological research carried out, the environmental investigation of pollutants, along with DNA damage in marine organisms due to heavy metal accumulation in Turkey's coastal waters, is also being conducted.