The economic size of the Turkey's industrial enzyme market hovers around $300 million and half of this amount is fostered by imports. In order to cut $150 million in enzyme imports, Turkey has recently founded a scientific institution that produces industrial enzymes.
Bezmialem University Chairman of Board of Trustees Ahmet Akça underscored that the university established an institute in theBeykoz barracks, which were renovated with the help of Development Ministry and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, to domestically produce some of the enzymes imported from abroad.
Harboring 10 fully-equipped laboratories, Bezmialem University Natural Sciences and Biotechnology Institute will form an academic staff consisting of 100 members, including Turkish researchers from Canada and the U.S. The institute is currently conducting research on Hepatitis-B and thyroid, Akça stated.
Dr. Serdar Uysal, who has been conducting industrial enzyme research at the institute, said the body of research at the institute follows two routes. The first consists reverse engineering which aims to domestically develop and manufacture products of foreign origin, Uysal explained and added that the second route includes immense investments in the natural science to develop the technology of the future.
The biotechnological products including the enzymes produced under these conditions and pharmaceutical medicines, he emphasized, incorporate high added-value that is incomparable to other industrial areas.President of Bezmialem University, professor Dr. Rümeyza Kazancıoğlu, also said that the research on the production of parathormone released by parathyroid glands continues at the institute. The parathormone is produced only three countries in the world the president noted, and added that it will be offered to the Turkish market at a much more affordable price.
