As Turkey's first space travelers prepare for a historic journey to Space after a 6-month training period, this time the delegation's stop was Üsküdar University. Within the scope of the scientific mission, which involves 13 scientific projects, Alper Gezeravcı and Tuva Cihangir Atasever met with project executives at Üsküdar University. The duo received training from Dr. Cihan Taştan and his team regarding the study.
Üsküdar University Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Transgenic Cell Technologies and Epigenetics Application and Research Center (TRENGMER), hosted the Turkish astronauts who will travel to space for the first time, at the Central Campus Aziz Sancar Conference Hall.
Within the scope of the National Space Program, Turkish space travelers Alper Gezeravcı and Tuva Cihangir Atasever will conduct 13 experiments as part of the scientific mission. One of these 13 scientific projects belongs to Üsküdar University.
Dr. Taştan and his team informed Gezeravcı and Atasever about the Message (Microgravity Associated Genetics) project.
Within the scope of the training, TRGENMER Director Dr. Cihan Taştan conveyed information to the space travelers. Expressing his happiness and gratitude on behalf of the organization that will go down in Turkey's astronomy history, Taştan used the following statements:
“We are carrying out many studies, especially in the fields of cancer treatments, cancer immunotherapy, and genetic engineering. I am sincerely grateful to Alper Bey and Tuva Bey, and also to the Turkish Space Agency, TÜBİTAK Space, and their esteemed executives who organized these studies, for such a wonderful organization that will go down in Turkey's astronomy history. We have given dozens of lectures in this hall, which is very special to us. This is a hall we named after our esteemed Professor Aziz Sancar, who brought us our Nobel Prize. We are proud to have signed such a valuable study that will go down in Turkey's space history in this hall, and to be a part of it.”
Dr. Taştan: “We will receive the message not from space, but from the genetic profile affected by space.”
Speaking about the Message scientific mission, Taştan stated that they derived the name 'Message' from the Microgravity Associated Genetics phrase. Noting that they aimed to give and receive a message, Dr. Taştan added that this message would not come from space, but directly from the genetic profile affected by space. Taştan used the following expressions: “In the presentation, I will talk about our team and also what kind of project it is. We will talk about the procedure we need to follow, especially after blood collection in space. After the training, we will tour our laboratories.” he said.
Practical blood collection demonstrated…
Subsequently, a sample blood collection was practically demonstrated to the delegation going to space by training nurse Melis Kübra Duran.
“The project draws attention to an important area for our future in space”
Stating that the project draws attention to a very important area for our future in space, Taştan said regarding the experiment; “We aim to research the Anti-Cancer, Proliferation, and Immunogenic Effects of our Turkish Astronaut’s Genetic Profile in an Acoustic Levitation Device that provides a Microgravity Environment. He conveyed that they aim to identify genes whose functions have not yet been discovered and are affected by the microgravity environment, and to determine which immune cells will be directly affected by gravity during space missions, using CRISPR gene engineering methods.”
The productive meeting concluded after a group souvenir photo session.