TÜBİTAK and the Russian Foundation for Basic Research Launch Protein Project

A protein research project supported by TÜBİTAK and the Russian Foundation for Basic Research with funding of TRY 700,000 is being conducted by Dr. Günnur Güler, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering at İzmir Ekonomi Üniversitesi. Within the scope of the project titled 'Investigation of Functional Mechanisms of Proteolysis Using Physicochemical Techniques,' researchers are working to determine the structural and functional properties of proteins and enzymes. Dr. Güler stated: "If we understand the structure of proteins and solve the mystery of proteins, we will have laid the foundation for developing vaccines or drugs against many diseases. We know that the Covid-19 virus attempts to attach to our cells through the spike protein. Additionally, we observe that when the Covid-19 virus mutates, changes occur in protein structure. In this regard, protein research is quite important. We have been working on this project for approximately 1 year. We aim to complete it within 3 years." Dr. Güler noted that numerous workshops will be organized between Russia and Turkey within the scope of the project, saying: "The project will involve scientific visits. At the same time, laboratories of both countries will be available for use. It will be a foundational project for many studies. Particularly in Europe, research involving proteins is viewed as highly valuable. In the future, we may face a profession such as protein engineering. Protein projects will continue to increase in the coming days. Work has begun within the scope of the project, necessary materials have been procured and we have prepared our initial report and sent it to Russia. We aim to complete our project as soon as possible and contribute to science. The project includes our graduate and undergraduate students and our TÜBİTAK scholarship holders." Source:DHA