TEKNOFEST ACHIEVEMENT OF STUDENTS
High school students scientifically supported by members of IBG’s Computational Structural Biology Lab won first prize in TEKNOFEST 2021’s Biotechnology Innovation Competition.
As the “SARS-CoV-2 Infectivity Prediction Team”, Buca Municipality Kızılçullu Science and Art Centre high school students Ege Çalışkan, Murat Işık and their advisor Dr. Cansu İlke Kuru attended the competition as part of the Aerospace and Technology Festival TEKNOFEST 2021, which is organised by the Turkish Ministry of Industry and Technology and the Turkish Technology Team Foundation, aiming to enhance the national technologies of the country. The team received scientific support from Dr. Ezgi Karaca, group leader of IBG’s Computational Structural Biology Laboratory, and other members of the laboratory for their project “Prediction of Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 Mutations Which Increase Infectivity”.
The SARS-CoV-2 Infectivity Prediction Team returned to Izmir with first prize from the Biotechnology and Innovation Competition’s high school category. Team members had the pleasure of receiving their award from the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Nobel Laureate scientist Prof. Dr. Aziz Sancar. Furthermore, TÜBİTAK President Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal, IBG Chair of the Board Prof. Dr. Ahmet Yozgatlıgil visited the team’s stand and showed great interest in their project.
The success of these high school students reminded us once again that one is never too young to be curious or start scientific research. As IBG, we are proud to have supported our students and congratulate them on their achievement.