SU :: FENS :: BIO

Computer controlled plant growth chamber

Localization of zinc (stained in red color) in wheat seed

The group in Sabanci University is mainly investigating micronutrient deficiencies and heavy metal toxicities in crop plants. Special attention is being paid to biofortification of wheat with micronutrients, especially zinc, selenium and iron. In addition, an intensive research is going on to evaluate the use of organic wastes of Istanbul Metropolitan as compost in agricultural production. Heavy metal uptake, transport and accumulation in plants, phytoremediation, role of oxygen free radicals and antioxidants in stressed plants are other research areas of interest.

Faculty Members: Ismail Cakmak, Levent Ozturk, Hikmet Budak, Zehra Sayers

Recent Projects:

• Exploitation of wild wheats for increasing grain concentration of zinc in modern wheat in Turkey (HarvestPlus consortium-Washington DC)
• Improving wheat cultivars grown in Turkey with high zinc and iron concentrations by using wild wheat (State Planning Organization)
• Use of organic wastes of Istanbul Metropolitan as compost in agricultural production (TUBİTAK)
• Selenium status of soils and cereals of the selected regions in Turkey and the role of wild wheats in increasing selenium concentration of modern wheat (TUBİTAK)

Publications:

Ozturk L, Yazici MA, Yucel C, Torun A, Ozkan H, Braun HJ, Sayers Z, Cakmak I (2006) Concentration and localization of zinc during seed development and germination in wheat. Physiol Plant (in press)

Cakmak, I. 2005: The role of potassium in alleviating detrimental effects of abiotic stresses in plants. J. Plant Nutr. Soil Sci. 168: 521-530

I. Cakmak, I., Torun, A., Millet, E., Feldman, M., Fahima, T., Korol, A., Nevo, E., Braun, H.J. and Ozkan, H. 2004: Triticum dicoccoides: An important genetic resource for increasing zinc and iron concentration in modern cultivated wheat. Soil Sci. Plant Nutr. 50:1047-1054.