A Success Story: Aziz Sancar

21.05.2019

Aziz Sancar was born as the seventh child of a farmer family with eight children in Savur district of Mardin in 1946. Sancar, who was closely interested in football and wanted to be a footballer during his high school years, changed the course of science world with a decision he made in the final year of high school… The decision he made was to go to Istanbul to continue his higher education. When the calendars showed the year 1969, Aziz Sancar graduated from Istanbul University Faculty of Medicine with a first degree. And so, Sancar’s success adventure began. After working as a doctor in a primary health care center for 2 years in Savur district of Mardin, he went to Johns Hopkins University and the University of Texas at Dallas with NANO TUBITAK scholarship he gained. He continued his studies with Claud Rupert, his advisor in Dallas. In his study, he colonized a photolyase gene and multiplied in bacteria at very high rates by genetic engineering. Thanks to the enzyme encoded by the gene, the DNA damaged by UV lights is repaired. Thus, in 1977, Aziz Sancar’s invention allowed him to do a master’s degree and then to receive his doctorate. In the years 1977-1978, Sancar worked in Yale University Faculty of Medicine and began studies on nucleotide excision repair. He completed his associate professorship on DNA repair. Sancar, who has conducted studies in the field of Biochemistry and Biophysics from 1997 until today, is still working as Sarah Graham Kenan Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics Department of University of North Carolina in the United States of America North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

Towards Nobel

Human characteristics emerge with the combination of 23 chromosome sperm and 23 chromosome egg. Thus, they form the genetic material called genome that is preserved in every human. Development continues by the division and differentiation of cells and the presence of the same genetic material in the cell. The chemical events occurring in our body have to fight with mutations and include DNA. In his study, Aziz Sancar had knowledge about cancer development, aging mechanisms, and how cells in human body continue to function. In particular, Sancar targeted nucleotides, which are the building blocks of DNA. The enzymes first identify the damaged area and excise it by isolating, and then, the site excised is filled out and the damaged area is repaired. This process is called “Nucleotide Excision Repair”. As a result of a life devoted to science and his studies on DNA, Aziz Sancar was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2015 with his studies “Molecular Mapping of How Cells Protect Genetic Information by Repairing Damaged DNA”.

In 2007, Aziz Sancar established a Turkish House for medical students in North Carolina in order to introduce Turkey and to help the students who came to America from Turkey. The emergence of the idea of Carolina Turkish House was based on the difficulties that Sancar had in his first years in America. Turkish House which is supported by Turkish and Turkish- American donations does not have any profit. Turkish house, which offers low cost accommodation to students coming from Turkey, also accepts 4 scholarship students. Meetings, celebrations and cultural activities also take place in Turkish House on special days for Turkey. We offer our endless respect and gratitude to Professor Doctor Aziz Sancar who has made great inventions for the history of mankind and has given us this pride. Prepared by: Çağla Köksal