Prof. Dr. Murat AYDIN – Ertan Yıldırım Lab

Biography

Prof. Dr. Murat Aydın is a Professor in the Department of Agricultural Biotechnology at the Faculty of Agriculture, Atatürk University, Erzurum. Over more than two decades at the same institution he has built an internationally recognised research line on plant biotechnology, with particular depth in in vitro regeneration of cereals and the molecular biology of plant responses to environmental stress. He earned his BSc (1999), MSc (2006) and PhD (2010) — all in Field Crops — from Atatürk University, rising to full Professor in 2022, with a post-doctoral period at the University of Silesia in Katowice (Poland). His work spans Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of wheat, genome-wide identification of stress-responsive gene families in common bean, and biostimulants and signalling molecules (melatonin, strigolactone, salicylic acid and others) to mitigate drought, salinity and heavy-metal stress.

Research Interests

Plant tissue culture & in vitro regeneration
Somatic embryogenesis & somaclonal variation
Plant molecular genetics, breeding & genetics
Abiotic stress & heavy-metal toxicity (Pb, Cd, Ni) mitigation
Biostimulants & signalling molecules (melatonin, strigolactone, salicylic acid)
Agrobacterium-mediated transformation & genome-wide gene-family analysis

Education

2006–2010 · PhD

Field Crops

Atatürk University

2002–2006 · MSc

Field Crops

Atatürk University

1995–1999 · BSc

Field Crops

Atatürk University

Academic Career

2022 – Present

Professor (Prof. Dr.)

Atatürk University · Department of Agricultural Biotechnology

2017 – 2022

Associate Professor (Doç. Dr.)

Atatürk University · Department of Agricultural Biotechnology

2012 – 2017

Assistant Professor (Yrd. Doç. Dr.)

Atatürk University · Department of Agricultural Biotechnology

2001 – 2012

Research Assistant

Atatürk University · Faculty of Agriculture

Post-Doc

Plant Genetics & Biotechnology

University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland

Projects, Supervision & Teaching

87 Research Projects: Extensive participation as Principal Investigator and Researcher in national and international projects supported by TÜBİTAK, BAP, and international grants.
10 Graduate Theses: Supervised postgraduate dissertations in agricultural biotechnology, somatic embryogenesis, and plant breeding.
Teaching: Advanced courses in Plant Tissue Culture, Molecular Plant Breeding, and Functional Genomics.

Sustainable Development Goals

SDG 2: Zero Hunger — Developing high-yielding, stress-resilient cereal and legume crop varieties.
SDG 13: Climate Action — Elucidating genome-wide stress-responsive gene families in wheat and bean under drought.
SDG 15: Life on Land — Biodiversity conservation and sustainable crop biotechnology.

Recent Publications

Micropropagation and genetic fidelity of Rheum ribes L.: a threatened and endemic medicinal herb from the Turkish Eastern Anatolia region

M Aldaif, S Ucar, E Yigider, M Aydin, A Gul Kasapoglu, E Ilhan Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture (PCTOC) 162 (1), 1, 2025

Rheum ribes L., an endemic medicinal herb of Eastern Anatolia, faces serious conservation concerns due to habitat degradation, seed dormancy, and overharvesting. To overcome these challenges, a robust and reproducible in vitro regeneration system was developed using embryo axis, hypocotyl, and cotyledon explants via direct and indirect organogenesis as well as somatic embryogenesis. The highest...

Unraveling the role of Chrysin in Mitigating Cadmium Toxicity in Pepper by improving antioxidant defense, phytohormone biosynthesis and Photosystem II and Aquaporins related …

M Yuce, S Ucar, M Yildiz, M Aydin, M Turan, TK Ghosh, E Yildirim Environmental Pollution, 126627, 2025

Cadmium (Cd) is the most dangerous and prevalent one which has tremendous impacts on global food security. Although chrysin (Chr) has been extensively studied in Cd stressed animal system, the role of this valuable flavonoid in plants is yet to be clarified. Therefore, this study was designed to determine the effects of different doses of...

Predicting the role of β-GAL genes in bean under abiotic stress and genome-wide characterization of β-GAL gene family members

A Buttanri, AG Kasapoğlu, BM Öner, AS Aygören, S Muslu, E İlhan, ... Protoplasma 262 (2), 365-383, 2025

Β-Gals are a subgroup of the glycoside hydrolase (GH) family of enzymes, which possess the Glyco_hydro_35 (GH35) domain. Although studies have been conducted on the β-Gal gene family in numerous plant species, no such research has been conducted on beans. The purpose of this study was to determine the gene expression levels of β-Gal genes...

Effects of Epigenetic Inhibitors on Somatic Embryogenesis in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

S Ucar, M Aydin Iranian Journal of Science 49 (1), 1-10, 2025

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a global staple cereal known for its nutritional value and economic significance. Somatic embryogenesis (SE) is a powerful biotechnological tool for plant genetic improvement, driven by intricate epigenetic mechanisms as well as controlled by key genes such as Wuschel-related HOMEOBOX (WOX4), Leafy cotyledon (LEC1), Baby Boom 1 (BBM1), and Somatic...

In silico analysis of Phaseolus vulgaris L. metalloprotease FtsH gene: characterization and expression in drought and salt stress

B Inal, S Muslu, E Yigider, AG Kasapoglu, E Ilhan, A Ciltas, E Yildirim, ... Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution 72 (1), 1065-1088, 2025

Proteases help plants maintain protein quality and break down protein subsets in reply to environmental, developmental, biotic, and abiotic stressors. Filamentation temperature-sensitive H (FtsH) is an ATP-dependent metalloprotease detected in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes cells. The present research, the FtsH gene in the bean, which has an important place in the legume family and is...

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