Prof. Dr. Yeşim Sağ Açıkel is a Professor of Chemical Engineering at Hacettepe University’s Faculty of Engineering. She holds a B.S., M.Sc., and Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Hacettepe University (1985–1993). Her research focuses on environmental biotechnology, wastewater treatment, biosorption of heavy metals, and nanocomposite development. She has authored numerous publications and received awards including the Ihsan Dogramaci Excellent Achievement Prize and Hacettepe University Science Award (2013–2014). Her work includes pioneering studies on rhamnolipid biosurfactants for soil remediation and chitosan-based nanomaterials for heavy metal removal. She teaches courses in biotechnology and chemical engineering and has advised over a dozen graduate students. Education: B.S. in Chemical Engineering, Hacettepe University, 1985 M.Sc. in Chemical Engineering, Hacettepe University, 1988 Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, Hacettepe University, 1993 Research Interests: Her work spans environmental biotechnology, with emphasis on heavy metal remediation via biosorption, bioaccumulation, and nanotechnology. Key areas include: Heavy metal removal from soils/water using biosurfactants Development of chitosan and magnetic nanoparticle-based systems Optimization of microbial processes for lipase production Antibiotic removal from wastewater using nanocomposites Publications: Her articles focus on adsorption mechanisms, biosorption modeling, and nanomaterial applications. Notable themes include rhamnolipid efficacy in soil remediation, chitosan-based systems for dye removal, and synergistic interactions in multi-component adsorption. Awards: Ihsan Dogramaci Prize (1985) Hacettepe University Encouragement Award (1994–1996) Hacettepe University Science Award (2013–2014) Advising & Education: Supervised 14 graduate students (Ph.D. and M.Sc.) and teaches courses in biotechnology, chemical reaction engineering, and biochemical engineering. Her research group includes members like Görkem Polat and Parinaz Raeiatbin, focusing on nanocomposite synthesis and antibiotic removal systems. Labs/Teams: Active in labs developing nanomaterials for environmental applications, particularly magnetic halloysite-chitosan composites for heavy metal and dye adsorption.









