Selçuk University to Develop New Analysis Methods in Antarctica

The Polar-1001 project, supported by TÜBİTAK and led by Selçuk University, aims to obtain original data on the polar ecosystem and to develop new analysis methods through scientific research to be conducted in Antarctica.

The project titled “Biogenic Metal Nanoparticle Synthesis from Antarctic Ocean Sediment Biomass and Its Biological and Environmental Applications,” led by Dr. Tuğçe Göver, a faculty member at the Faculty of Pharmacy of Selçuk University, is the university’s first Polar-1001 project in the field of polar sciences supported by TÜBİTAK.

Within the scope of the studies to be conducted in Antarctica, researchers will develop new analytical methods to determine certain ions in ocean and lake waters and will obtain data on the polar ecosystem using environmentally friendly scientific approaches.

Emphasizing that the project is the product of teamwork, Göver said, “Our project team includes Prof. Dr. Funda Turan and Dr. Ayşegül Ergenler from İskenderun Technical University, as well as Research Assistant Efe Sinan Aydın from Yeditepe University. We will work with an interdisciplinary research team. In addition, our graduate students will actively contribute to the project as scholarship holders. Within the scope of the project, which is supported with a budget of approximately 1.2 million lira and planned to last 24 months, we will participate in the 11th National Antarctic Science Expedition to conduct field studies. We will carry out the experimental work of the project in laboratories in Türkiye.”

Stating that they aim to contribute to Türkiye’s international visibility in the field of polar sciences and to provide new opportunities for training young researchers, Göver said, “Samples to be obtained from Antarctica will offer new contributions to the scientific community. Within the scope of this project for the 11th National Antarctic Science Expedition (TAE-XI), we will work on nanotechnology, chemistry, and toxicology in an integrated manner. We aim to develop an analytical method for ion determination in Antarctic ocean and lake water samples. The collaboration of these disciplines will directly contribute to the project’s goals through environmentally friendly production and safe applications. Our objective is to produce original scientific data on the polar ecosystem and to introduce the method we develop into the scientific literature.”