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Hikmet Geckil, Professor of Molecular Genetics
Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Inonu University
44280 Malatya, Turkey
hgeckil[at]inonu.edu.tr
+90 422 377 3749
About
Hikmet Geckil is a Turkish academic who received PhD degree in Molecular Biology (with Benjamin C. Stark) at IIT. His research is in the area of genetic engineering. His current affiliation is with the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics at Inonu University
Research in Geckil’s GE Laboratory is primarily based on the function of Vitreoscilla hemoglobin (VHb), the first prokaryotic hemoglobin. Using VHb, Geckil’s group engineered various bacteria for the purpose of producing industrially important products ranging from microbial fuels butanediol, acetoin to drugs used in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson disease (e.g., dopa, dopamine) and to asparaginase, an enzyme used in cancer chemotherapy. One of the recent endeavors of his laboratory is to understand the role of mTOR signal complex on the “aerobic glycolysis of cancer cells” also known as Warburg effect, one of the 10 hallmarks of all cancers.
Geckil has published in the areas of biochemistry, biomedicine, and biotechnology, and has over 30 peer-reviewed publications. He is the lead editor of the Moleküler Hücre Biyolojisi, the Turkish version of the highly acclaimed textbook Molecular Cell Biology by Harvey Lodish et al. He is also the editor of Biochemistry, the Turkish translated version of Instant Notes in Biochemistry by David Hames and Nigel Hooper. In 2009-2010, he carried out research at Harvard–MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology as a Fulbright Senior Research Associate. He has served on the editorial board of several international scientific journals, including the Biotechnology Journal and the Turkish Journal of Biology.
He was the founding director (2010-2012) of the Center for Gifted and Talented at Inonu University and the founding director of Inonu Children’s University (2010-2012), the founding member of European Children Universities. Dr. Geckil was also the founding chairman (2010-2013) of the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, the only department with fully English curricula at Inonu University. Nominated by TUBITAK (The Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey), in 2012 he represented Turkey in COMSTECH (OIC's Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation) as Chief Scientific Officer.
Education
EDUCATION (detailed...)
- B.S., Firat University, 1980-1984 Department of Biology, Elazig, Turkey.
- M.S., Inonu University, 1986-1988 Molecular Biology, Malatya, Turkey
- Financial support: The Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey, (TUBITAK)
- Language Education, Middle East Technical University, 1988-1989 (5 months)
- Financial support: Turkish Ministry of Education.
- Language Education, American Language Academy, BW College,1989-1990 (7 months), Berea, Ohio.
- Financial support: The Turkish Ministry of Education
- Ph.D., Illinois Institute of Technology, 1991-1995: Molecular Biology), Chicago, Illinois.
- Financial support: The Turkish Ministry of Education
- Postdoctoral Fellow, Ben Gurion University,1999-2000 (1 year) Life Sciences, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
- Financial support: The Council for Higher Education of Israel
- Fulbright Fellow, Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2009-2010 (6 months) Center for Biomedical Engineering, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, MA
- Financial support: US Department of State
TEACHING and RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
- 1985-1988: Research Assistant at Inonu University, Biology Department, Malatya, Turkey
- 1992: Instructor for "Women in Science and Engineering" summer program at Illinois Institute of Technology
- 1992-1994: Teaching Assistant, Methods in Microbial Genetics and Genetic Engineering Laboratory (BIOL 523), at Illinois Institute of Technology (Practical aspects of recombinant DNA technology; Growth, handling andmaintenance of cultures; Quantitative techniques; Use of mutagens; Isolation and genetic analysis of mutants inyeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Cloning, transformation of Escherichia coli and restriction mapping ofDNA; Use of Southern blotting and amplification of DNA using PCR technology).
- 1993-1994: Teaching Assistant, Advanced Biochemistry Laboratory (BIOL 519) at Illinois Institute of Technology(analytical methods for macromolecules; enzyme reactions; spectrophotometry; purification of proteins; centrifugation; chromatography; electrophoresis; pHand ion specific electrode; radioisotope tracer methodology).
- 1993-1994: Teaching Assistant, Molecular and Cell Biology Laboratory (BIOL 446/533) at Illinois Institute of Technology (Growth of Escherichia coli; Chromosomal DNA extraction from bacteria; optical properties of DNA; Elements of genetic engineering: bacterial plasmid DNA extraction, restriction mapping and analysis; Cell fractionation: organelle isolationand markerenzyme assays; Protein fractionation; Estimation ofprotein molecular weight: polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis; Protein synthesis and detection in vitro: in vitro translation, electroblotting, chemiluminescence detection; Chromosome stability in yeast.
- 1994-1995: Teaching Assistant, Advanced Biochemistry Laboratory (BIOL 519) at Illinois Institute of Technology(analytical methods for macromolecules; enzyme reactions; spectrophotometry; purification of proteins; centrifugation; chromatography; electrophoresis; pH and ion specific electrode; radioisotope tracer methodology).
- 1996-1999: Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, Inonu University, Malatya, Turkey
- 1999-2000: Postdoctoral Fellow of The Council for Higher Education of Israel at Ben Gurion University (Israel)
- 2000-2005: Assistant Professor , Department of Biology, Inonu University, Malatya, Turkey
- 2005-2010: Associate Professor of Molecular Genetics, Department of Biology, Inonu University, Malatya, Turkey
- 2009-2010: Fulbright Fellow, Center for Biomedical Engineering, Department of Health Sciences and Technologyof Harvard University Medical School and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
- 2010-2011: Professor of Molecular Genetics, Department of Biology, Inonu University, Malatya, Turkey
- 2011-present: Professor of Molecular Genetics, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Inonu University, Malatya, Turkey
Publications
P-28: Gurkan UA, Moon S, Geckil H, Xu F, Wang S, Lu TJ and Demirci U.Miniaturized lensless imaging systems for cell and microorganism visualization in point-of-care testing. Biotechnology Journal, 2011; 6(2): 138-149.
P-27: Geckil H, Xu F, Xiaohui Z, Moon S-J, Demirci U.Engineering hydrogels as extracellular matrix mimics.
Nanomedicine, 2010; 5(3): 469-484.
P-26: Kurt AG , Aytan E, Ozer U, Ates B and Geckil H
Production of L-DOPA and dopamine in bacteria bearing Vitreoscilla hemoglobin gene.
Biotechnology Journal, 2009 4(7), 1077-1088.
P-25: Aydin S, Karatas F and Geckil H.
Simultaneous Quantification of Acylated and Desacylated Ghrelin in Biological Fluids.
Biomedical Chromatography, 20008; 22(12): 1354-1359.
P-24: Aydin S, Geckil H, Kilic N, Erman F, Kilic SS and Yesilada O.
Is Ghrelin a Natural Anti-Microbial Agent?
Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences, 2008; 38(2): 187-187.
P-23: Aydin S*, Geckil H, Karatas F, Donder E, Kumru S, Kavak EC, Colak R, Ozkan Y, Sahin I.
Milk and blood ghrelin level in diabetics.
Nutrition, 2007; 23(11-12): 807-811.
P-22: Aydin S*, Ozercan IH, Geckil H, Dagli F, Aydin S, Kumru S, Kiliç N, Sahin I, Ozercan MR.
Ghrelin is present in teeth.
Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, (2007); 40(3):368-372.
P-21: Aydin S*, Geckil H, Karaoglu A, Elkiran ET.
Ghrelin: A novel peptide with therapeutic effect in certain cancers?
Medical Hypotheses, (2007); 69(5): 1157-1158.
P-20: Geckil H*, Gencer S, Ates B, Ozer U, Uckun M, Yilmaz I.
Effect of Vitreoscilla hemoglobin on production of a chemotherapeutic enzyme, L-asparaginase, by Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Biotechnology Journal, (2006); 1(2): 203-208.
P-19: Aydin S*, Ozercan HI, Aydin S, Ozkan Y, Dagli F, Oguzoncul F, Geckil H.
Biological rhythm of saliva ghrelin in humans.
Biological Rhythm Research, (2006); 37(2): 169-177.
P-18: Aydin S*, Geckil H, Zengin F, Ozercan HI, Karatas F, Aydin S, Balik DT, Ozkan Y, Dagli F, Celik V.
Ghrelin in plants: What is the function of an appetite hormone in plants?
Peptides, (2006); 27(7): 1597-1602.
P-17: Ates B, Gencer S, Erenler SO, Uckun M, Ozer U, Yilmaz I, and Geckil H.
Production of L-asparaginase, a chemotherapeutic enzyme, in bacteria expressing Vitreoscilla haemoglobin.
FEBS JOURNAL, (2006); 273: 139-139.
P-16: Kahraman H, Gencer S, Geckil H.
Effect of Vitreoscillaon L-lysine alpha-oxidase, a chemotherapeutic enzyme, from Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
FEBS JOURNAL, (2006); 273: 139-140.
P-15: Kahraman H and Geckil H*.
Degradation of benzene, toluene and xylene by Pseudomonas aeruginosa engineered with the Vitreoscilla hemoglobin gene.
Engineering in Life Sciences, (2005); 5(4): 363-368.
P-14: Geckil H*, Ates B, Durmaz G, Erdogan S, Yilmaz I.
Antioxidant, free radical scavenginging and metal chelating characteristics of propolis.
American Journal of Biochmemistry and Biotechnology, 2005; 1(1): 27-31.
P-13: Geckil H* Ates B, Gencer S, Uckun M, and Yilmaz I.
Membrane permeabilization of Gram-negative bacteria with a potassium phosphate/hexane aqueous phase system for the release of L-asparaginase: an enzyme used in cancer therapy.
Process Biochemistry, 2005; 40(2): 573-579.
P-12: Geckil H*, Barak Z, Chipman DM, Erenler SO, Webster DA and Stark BC.
Enhanced production of acetoin and butanediol in recombinant Enterobacter aerogenes carrying Vitreoscilla hemoglobin gene.
Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering, 2004; 26(5): 325-330.
P-11: Geckil H*, Arman A, Gencer G, Ates B and Yilmaz HR.
Vitreoscilla hemoglobin renders Enterobacter aerogenes highly susceptible to heavy metals.
Biometals, 2004; 17(6): 715-723.
P-10: Geckil H*, Gencer S and Uckun M.
Vitreoscilla hemoglobin expressing Enterobacter aerogenes and Pseudomonas aeruginosa respond differently to carbon catabolite and oxygen repression for production of L-asparaginase: an enzyme used in
cancer therapy.Enzyme and Microbial Technology, 2004; 35(2-3): 182-189.
P-09: Ates B, Yilmaz I, Geckil H*, Iraz M, Birincioglu M, Fiskin K.
Protective role of melatonin given either before ischemia or prior to reperfusion on intestinal ischemia-reperfusion damage.Journal of Pineal Research, 2004; 37(3): 149-152.
P-08: Geckil H* and Gencer S.
Production of L-asparaginase in Enterobacter aerogenes expressing Vitreoscilla hemoglobin for efficient oxygen uptake. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 2004; 63(6): 691-697.
P-07: Erenler SO, Gencer S, Geckil H*, Stark BC, and Webster DA.
Cloning and expression of the Vitreoscilla hemoglobin gene in Enterobacter aerogenes: effect on cell growth an oxygen uptake.
Applied Biochemistry and Microbiology, 2004; 40(3): 288-295.
P-06: Geckil H*, Gencer S, Kahraman H, and Erenler SO.
Genetic engineering of Enterobacter aerogenes with Vitreoscilla hemoglobin gene: cell growth, survival, and antioxidant enzyme status under oxidative stress.
Research in Microbiology, 2003; 154(6): 425-431.
P-05: Munzuroglu O*, Karatas F, and Geckil H.
The vitamin and selenium contents of apricot fruit of different varieties cultivated in different geographical regions.
Food Chemistry, 2003; 83(2): 205-212.
P-04: Munzuroglu O*, Obek E and Geckil H.
Effects of simulated acid rain on the pollen germination and pollen tube growth of apple (Malus sylvestris Miller cv. Golden).
Acta Biologica Hungarica, 2003; 54(1): 5-103.
P-03: Yurekli F*, Geckil H, and Topcuoglu F.
The synthesis of indole-3-acetic acid by the industrially important white-rot fungus Lentinus sajor-caju under different culture conditions.
Mycological Research, 2003; 107(3): 305-309.
P-02: Munzuroglu O* and Geckil H.
Effects of metals on seed germination, root elongation, coleoptile and hypocotyl growth in Triticum aestivum and Cucumis sativus.
Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 2002; 43(2): 203-213.
P-01: Geckil H*, Stark BC, and Webster DA.
Cell growth and oxygen uptake of Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa are differently affected by the genetically engineered Vitreoscilla hemoglobin gene.
Journal of Biotechnology, 2001; 85(1): 57-66.
Books and Book Chapters
BROCK MİKROORGANİZMALARIN BİYOLOJİSİ
Translation Editor: Cumhur Çökmüş
2010, Palme Publishing, Ankara, Türkiye
Translated Chapters:
Bölüm 9- Virolojinin Esasları (Chapter 9- Principles of Virology)
Bölüm 11- Ökaryotik Hücre Biyolojisi ve Ökaryotik Mikroorganizmalar
(Chapter 11- Eukaryotic Cell Biology and Eukaryotic Microorganisms)
ORIGINAL BOOK
“Brock’s Biology of Microorganisms”
Michael Madigan and John Martinko
11th Edition (2002), Pearson Prentice-Hall
BİYOKİMYA
Translation Editors: Yusuf Tutar, Hikmet Geçkil, Mehmet Karataş
2009, Nobel Publisihin, Ankara, Türkiye
Translated Chapter:
Bölüm K- Lipid Metabolizması (Chapter K- Lipid Metabolism)
ORIGINAL BOOK
“Instant Notes in Biochemistry”
by David Hames and Nigel Hooper
2007, 3rd Edition, Taylor & Francis
MOLEKÜLER HÜCRE BİYOLOJİSİ
Translation Editors: Hikmet Geçkil, Murat Özmen, Özfer Yeşilada
Palme Publishing, Ankara, Türkiye
Translated Chapters:
Bölüm 1- Yaşam Hücrelerle Başlar (Chapter 1- Life Starts with cells)
Bölüm 2- Kimyasal Temeller (Chapter 2- Chemical Foundadtions)
ORIGINAL BOOK
“MOLECULAR CELL BILOGY”
Harvey Lodish, Arnold Berk, Chris A. Kaiser, Monty Krieger, Matthew P. Scott, Anthony Bretscher, Hide Ploegh and Paul Matsudiara
2008, 6th edition, W.H. Freeman & Company, New York
Editorship
• Editor,Biotechnology Journal[1], Wiley-VCH Publications, Weinheim, Germany
• Technical Editor (2004-2006), American Journal of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Science Publications, New York, USA
• Associate Editor (2006-present), American Journal of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Science Publications, New York, USA
• Editor, Journal of Applied Biological Sciences, A journalby Nobel Publishing and Nobel Science Research Center, Ankara, Turkey
• Member of Editorial Board, FIRAT ÜNİVERSİTESİ Fen Bilimleri Dergisi, A Journal Published by the Institute of Science, Firat University, Elazig, Turkey
• Member of Editorial Board, Turkish Journal of Science and Technology, A Journal Published by the Institute of Science, Firat University, Elazig, Turkey
Awards, Degrees, Honors
• 1986-1987: Scholarship for master study (Molecular Biology) from "The Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey, (TUBITAK)"
• 1987-1988: Honor member (A Graduate Student Recognition), TUBITAK
• 1988: Secondplace in National Exam in Biological Sciences carried out by the "Turkish Ministry of Education" for postgraduate studies abroad.
• 1988: Scholarship award from "Turkish Ministry of Education" for graduate (Ph.D.) study(Biotechnology/Genetic Engineering) in the United States of America.
• 1995: Ph.D.degree from Illinois Institute of Technology (Chicago), USA (GPA: 3.625/4.0).
• 1999-2000: Post-doctoral fellow of "The Council for Higher Education of Israel" (Ben-Gurion University, Israel)
• 1996(November): Foreign Language Proficiency Examination for State Employees (KPDS)- (Level A, 90/100)-a gradual montly compansetion for thosewho score 70+ is paid for a 5 year period
• 2006(November): Foreign Language Proficiency Examination for State Employees (KPDS)-(Level A, 94/100)
• 2005- present: Serving regularly on proposal review panels for TUBITAK
• 2008- present: Instructor for Biology Olympiads, organized by TUBITAK, to prepare secondary school students for tackling biological problems,inventiveness, and creativity in an international competition held yearlyin selected centers around the world (The International Biology Olympiad).
• 2008-present: Refereeing in "Technology and Inovation Funding Programs- TEYDEB" of TUBITAK. TEYDEB encourages research and development activities of private companies settled in Turkey.
• 2009:Chairing and organizing the Biology Section of Secondary Education Science Project Competitions Program sponsored by TUBITAK. The activity involved students from selected high schools from 11 major cities in the region (Esatern Anatolia) and around (South Eastern Anatolia)
• 2009-2010 (6 months): Fulbright Fellow, Center for Biomedical Engineering, Department of Health Sciences and Technology of Harvard University Medical School and Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
Cambridge, MA (Financial support: US Department of State)
• Listed in the 7th edition of "Who's Who in Science and Engineering", 2002
• Listed in the "2000 Outstanding Scientists of the 21st Century" publishedby the International Biographical Centere (IBC), 2004.
• Listed in the Laureate of the "Living Science Award" given by theInternational Biographical Centere (IBC), 2004.
• Listed in the 9th edition of "Who's Who in Science and Engineering", 2007.
• Inclusion in Who's Who in Science and Engineering 2011-2012 (11th Edition)
External links
Hikmet Geckil's Institutional website
Hikmet Geckil's Personal websit
Hikmet Geckil's Blog
