The newest unit of our Faculty, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics was founded in February 21, 2003 with the teaching staff consisting of 5 Professors, 2 Associate Professors, 4 Assistant Professors and 8 Research Assistants. Undergraduate education started by the enrollment of 30 students in 2003-2004 academic year. By 2010 number of students for the first year has been arisen to 50. Currently, 7 Professors, 1 Associate Professor, 6 Assistant Professors and 8 Research Assistants continue the education and training at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Graduate programs also cover the foreign students under Erasmus agreements.
Department's history goes to the University reform in 1933. During that time, when a new building was required for "Plant and Animal Institutes" in the Faculty of Science, according to the records, "Biology Institute" was built in 1935 in Suleymaniye (a well-known historical region of Istanbul). Education has been started in that new building at 4th of June, 1937. A chair previously named as "Pharmacobotany and Genetics", was replaced with "Botany and Genetics" and continued education until the establishment of a new section "Molecular Biology" in 1982. This section later became the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics which is located in a building nearby Faculty of Science in Vezneciler.
During the period of University reform, many scientists from Germany began to work in Istanbul University. Ord. Prof. Alfred Heilbronn and Ord. Prof. Curt Kosswig had been appointed in the Faculty of Science, worked on genetics and supervised Ph.D. thesis. Heilbronn and Kosswig published a book together titled "Principia Genetica" which is the first book on genetics in Turkey.
HEILBRONN A and KOSSWIG C. (1947) Principia Genetica.
Following are the brief biographies of the scientists who made significant contributions to the establishment of our Department.
Ord. Prof. Alfred Heilbronn (1885-1961) was born in Fürth/Germany and graduated from Münich Ludwig-Maximilian University, Life Sciences Department (having courses on Botany, Physics, Chemistry, Philosophy and Musics) in 1910. He was appointed to the directorate of "Pharmacobotany and Genetics Chair" of Istanbul University in October, 1933. He gave the first lecture of genetics to the Biology students in our University. Heilbronn's research was focused on sex determination in plant species including Ferns, Mercurialis, Bryonia, Digitalis.
Ord. Prof. Curt Kosswig (1903-1982) was born in Berlin and had an education on Philosophy and Life Sciences (Zoology and Genetics) . Kosswig became Associate Professor at the Faculty of Philosophy and Life Sciences, Münster University in 1930. He was appointed to the Zoology Institute of Faculty of Science, Istanbul University, as a director in 1951. During his career in Turkey, Kosswig established the National Park of Manyas Lake (known as " Bird Heaven"). His research included comparative genetics in mammals, the inheritance of sex, intersexuality in fishes, the inheritance of tumor, heterologous gene expression, evolution and preadaptation theory. Kosswig worked for Erzurum Ataturk University as emeritus professor in 1969 (after his retirement).
Prof. Sara Akdik (1897-1982) was born in Crete and graduated from the German High School in 1918. She completed her education in Istanbul Darulfunun (Ancient Istanbul University) being the first woman student . Akdik became research assistant in Pharmacobotany and Genetics Chair of the Faculty of Science, Istanbul University . She worked with famous Swedish geneticist Prof. Müntzig. Akdik directed eight Ph.D. thesis , gave the lectures of general botany, genetics, evolution, plant geography and pharmacobotany during her career. She is the author of the books titled "General Botany" (with Dr. Heilbronn) and "Introduction to Genetics" .
Prof. Emine Bilge (1926-1978) was born in Erzurum (Turkey) and graduated from Zoology-Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Istanbul University. She had joined the Chair of Pharmacobocotany and Genetics as research assistant in 1954. She completed her Ph.D thesis ( "Morphological, anatomic and genetics examinations on Brryonia macrosytilis" ) under the supervision of Prof. Heilbronn. She gave the lectures of genetics to Botany students and wrote the book of "Genetics" in 1969. Her other course books were "Evolution" and "Genetics problems". She directed a project on "Basic genetics studies for obtainment of high quality barley varieties" has been supported by Turkish Scientific and Technology Council (1972-1975 TÜBITAK-TOAG Grant No. 162). This research included the first experimental mutation studies in plants which were ever made in Turkey.
Prof. Melekper Öktay (1924-1985) was born in İzmir (Turkey). She graduated from Zoology Department of Istanbul University in 1946. She worked in Munich Zoology Institute and Hamburg Zoology Institute. Öktay's research interests were genetics and morphology of color design in Xiphophorus maculatatus . Prof. Öktay was also the first instruction member giving molecular genetics lectures in the Faculty of Science.
Prof. Gönül Bara (1931-2007) was born in Istanbul and graduated from the Zoology- Botany Department of the Faculty of Science, Istanbul University. Following her graduation, she became a research assistant in the chair of Zoology II. She had been given the "Science Award" of TUBITAK n 1975. She was appointed to the newly assembled Molecular Biology Section as director in 1982 and she held this position until her retirement on 1990. Her research interest was steroid enzymes. Prof. Bara played an important role in the institutionalization for the molecular biology and genetics education and training programs in our University, initiated the graduate education on Biotechnology and directed young researchers to the field.
Prof. Metin Bara (1929-2000) completed St. Joseph High School in 1949 and attended Botany Department (Faculty of Science) , Istanbul University. He was appointed to Dean of the Faculty of Science between the years of 1982-1987. He was also selected member of the Science Committee of TUBİTAK. His research interest was the gravity effect in Helianthus annuus (sunflower). He joined the research projects in Argonne National Laboratory and became visiting professor in Yale University, USA. Prof. Bara made leadership in emerging and development of biotechnology concept in our Faculty.
We offer our eternal gratitude to the Professors who made the great contributions for the organization of our Department.