📝 Summary
Assoc. Prof. Ch.M. Dr. Roswanira Ab Wahab from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) concluded a two-week research visit at Ondokuz-Mayis University in Türkiye, fostering international collaboration and advancing sustainable agricultural solutions and environmental remediation technology. The visit led to the development of new research routes for endophytic microorganisms that can inhibit plant pathogens while promoting plant growth, with potential applications in protecting Türkiye’s vital hazelnut crops. Dr. Roswanira also collaborated on a project to capture microplastic pollution using green sorbents, which will be tested during an Antarctic expedition in February 2026.
SAMSUN, Jan 5 – Assoc. Prof. Ch.M. Dr. Roswanira Ab Wahab, from the Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, the recipient of the TUBITAK 2221 Visiting Scientist Fellowship 2025 under the Presidency of Scientist Support Programs, has concluded a productive research visit at Ondokuz-Mayıs University (OMU), located in the Black Sea region, for the duration between 21st December 2025 and 5th of January 2026. Her visit aimed at achieving good progress on two important scientific initiatives: developing sustainable agricultural solutions and advancing environmental remediation technology. The visit fostered substantial international collaboration and established clear pathways for future innovation in both fields.
The core of Dr. Roswanira’s work with her collaborators at Ondokuz-Mayis University focused on the collaborative project “Endophytic Microorganisms for Biotechnologically-Driven Sustainable Farming,” conducted alongside host researcher Dr. Feyza Tufan-Dulger. Together, they developed further research routes based on three recently identified promising fungal isolates that demonstrate a valuable dual capability: actively inhibiting common plant pathogens while promoting plant growth through phosphate solubilization.
The project collaborators also include Asst. Prof. Dr. Yilmaz Kaya and Prof. Hasan Murat Aksoy from the Faculty of Agriculture of OMU. To translate these findings into practical applications, Dr. Roswanira assisted in establishing a detailed research roadmap that includes transcriptomic analysis to understand the genetic mechanisms involved and systematic metabolite harvesting to identify novel bioactive compounds.
The real-world impact of this research was highlighted during strategic discussions with scientists from Türkiye’s Institute of Hazelnut Research in Giresun, through their research officer, Merve Yılmaz, where the team explored applying these biological solutions to protect the country’s vital hazelnut crops. This aligns well with Turkiye being the world’s largest producer, exporter, and consumer of hazelnuts. Türkiye supplies over 70% of the world’s hazelnut crop, with reports reaching 75-80%. In fact, the Black Sea region, particularly provinces like Ordu, Giresun, and Samsun, is the heart of this production.
In a parallel environmental initiative, Dr. Roswanira, who is also an Associate Fellow of the Advanced Membrane Technology Research Center (AMTEC) of UTM, successfully connected laboratory innovation with global conservation efforts through cooperation with several TUBITAK researchers in Gebze, Kocaeli, Turkiye.
The researcher prepared specialized green, biological-metal-conjugated sorbents designed to capture microplastic pollution. Through collaboration with scientists from the Polar Research Institute of Marmara (KARE), including Dr. Özgün Oktar and Dr. Atilla Yılmaz, an agreement was secured to test these materials in one of Earth’s most challenging environments. The sorbents will be deployed during Türkiye’s Antarctic expedition in February 2026 for preliminary field testing of underlying conditions in low-fluctuation-temperature ecosystems that affect microplastic removal by the sorbents (Figure 5).
Beyond direct research, Assoc. Prof. Ch.M. Dr. Roswanira’s fellowship strengthened international academic networks through dedicated mentorship and strategic outreach. The scientist provided guidance to graduate students, including Ph.D. candidate Mohamed Abed, helping refine research methodologies and objectives. The visit also facilitated discussions with Ondokuz-Mayis University’s International Office and a meeting with both Asst. Prof. Dr. Ahmed Aycan and Asst. Prof. Dr. Deren Basak Akman. They discussed possible ways forward to establish a formal Erasmus+ exchange program, and Dr. Roswanira extended invitations to Turkish academics in OMU to the 8th International Conference of Biomedical Sciences in Thailand, to be held on 28-30 August 2026. The conference will be a good platform to create opportunities for future international research consortia between the two institutions.
Reflecting on her two-week visit to OMU in Samsun, Turkiye, Dr. Roswanira would like to emphasize the value of collaborative science. “This fellowship has enabled a remarkable integration of focused research and broader scientific partnership,” the researcher noted.
“We’ve advanced our agricultural project to a new phase of molecular investigation. At the same time, there would be opportunities in creating a real-world test for the green sorbent being developed by the team led by Dr. Roswanira. The relationships built here with Turkish colleagues are founded on a shared commitment to meaningful scientific impact, and I believe they will continue to produce important innovations well into the future.”
