Selcuk University Advances Vaccine Research for Human and Animal Health

Selcuk University is playing a key role in vaccine development efforts for future pandemics. Professor Dr. Osman Erganiş, Director of the Vaccine Development Application and Research Center at Selçuk University, stated that they are working on two important vaccines: one targeting antibiotic-resistant infections in intensive care patients and the other aimed at avian cholera.

Vaccines critical to human and animal health are being developed through projects under the Protection and Treatment National Platform (KORTUP) within the TÜBİTAK 1004 Excellence Center Support Program. The center aims to enhance Turkey's vaccine development capacity by collaborating with over 100 scientists from more than 20 universities.

Professor Dr. Erganiş stated that KORTUP is a platform that brings together numerous vaccine development projects aimed at preparing for future pandemics.

Erganiş said, "Projects led by seven universities across Turkey are supported by scientists from 20 different universities. One of the most important centers of this platform is Selçuk University. We are leading a vaccine development project for Klebsiella pneumoniae, a bacterium that causes antibiotic resistance in intensive care patients. Additionally, we play an active role in a project aimed at developing a vaccine for avian cholera (H9N2) virus. The critical stages of both projects are being carried out in the Vaccine Development Center laboratories at our university."

Professor Dr. Erganiş, citing the World Health Organization's prediction that antibiotic resistance will cause 50 million deaths annually by 2050, stated, "In this context, Selçuk University is continuing its work on developing a protein vaccine against Klebsiella Pneumoniae. This vaccine will be a milestone in the fight against antibiotic resistance. We have produced two different proteins, and we are currently at the purification stage. Our goal is for this vaccine to increase survival rates in intensive care patients."

Erganiş, noting that they are involved in a vaccine development project against the H9N2 serotype for animal health, said, "The formulation of the vaccine and its efficacy tests will be conducted in our university's laboratories. As Selçuk University, we are utilizing our scientific capacity to the fullest in projects that will contribute to both human and animal health."