Zeki Kaya

Prof. Dr. Zeki Kaya is a Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Middle East Technical University (METU), Ankara, Turkey. His research focuses on plant population genetics, speciation, and ancient DNA studies related to crop domestication and evolution. He has advised 77 theses and holds an office in METU's Biological Sciences Department (Room 246).

Education:

• B.Sc. Forestry, Istanbul University (1974–1978)
• M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Forest Science, Oregon State University (1981–1987)
• Postdoctoral Research: SUNY Syracuse (2000–2001) and USDA Forest Genetics Institute (1996)

Research Interests:

Prof. Kaya investigates evolutionary processes in plant species, including population genetics of trees (e.g., Populus nigra, Salix spp.), ancient DNA recovery from archaeological seeds, and molecular phylogenetics of Turkish flora. His work bridges ecology, genetics, and archaeology to understand domestication patterns and conservation strategies for threatened plant populations.

Publications:

His recent work explores ancient crop seeds from Bronze Age sites (e.g., Kaymakçı), genetic diversity in Salix and Populus species, and phylogenetic relationships in genera like Acer and Quercus. Major themes include molecular tools for species identification, climate adaptation in trees, and genomic resources for conservation.

Advising & Grants:

With 77 advised theses, Prof. Kaya has mentored students in genetics, archaeobotany, and biodiversity. His work is supported by projects focusing on Turkish flora conservation, UNESCO heritage site nominations, and genomic sequencing initiatives.

Labs/Teams:

He contributes to METU's Biological Sciences research groups and collaborates internationally on projects like the European Silver Fir Genome Project (Abies alba).