Emine Ertekin

Emine Ertekin is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Biology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Middle East Technical University (METU). Her research focuses on microbial communities in extreme environments, investigating how they adapt to environmental perturbations and their functional responses. She specializes in phototrophic microbes and their biotransformation capabilities, employing meta-omics, culturing, and molecular tools.

Education:

• Ph.D.: Environmental Sciences, Boğaziçi University (2011–2016)
• M.Sc.: Environmental Sciences, Boğaziçi University (2008–2011)
• B.Sc.: Biology, Marmara University (2004–2008)

Research Interests: Her work explores microbial community dynamics in hyper-arid deserts, endolithic habitats, and extremophile adaptations. Key topics include cyanobacterial light spectrum utilization, rock structure effects on microbial diversity, and enzymatic detoxification mechanisms of pollutants like benzalkonium chlorides.

Publications: Recent work highlights adaptations of cyanobacteria to desert conditions, mechanisms of water extraction from gypsum rocks, and genomic studies of biodegradation pathways. These contributions advance understanding of microbial survival strategies and environmental biotechnology applications.

Labs & Collaborations: Engages in interdisciplinary projects combining fieldwork and lab-based molecular analyses. Active collaborations include studies at Johns Hopkins University and international desert research sites.