The Department of Biotechnology advances innovative applications of molecular biotechnology for therapeutic development and disease control. A central focus is the use of Aspergillus oryzae as an industrial expression system for the large-scale production of recombinant therapeutics. This platform has been successfully applied to generate a stable and functional interleukin-1 receptor antagonist with improved half-life, as well as high-affinity nanobodies that represent promising alternatives to conventional monoclonal antibodies.
Beyond therapeutic protein production, biotechnology research within the department also addresses global health challenges. Recombinant A. oryzae strains have been engineered to block malaria parasite development within mosquito vectors, demonstrating the potential of paratransgenesis for vector control. Computational modeling combined with experimental validation is further used to identify inhibitory peptides targeting viral proteins, including high-affinity ACE2 orthologous peptides against SARS-CoV-2. Together, these research directions exemplify the Department's mission to translate molecular and computational biotechnology into scalable innovations for medicine and public health.
Active Labs Under Biotechnology
Uysal Lab
