Türkiye’s First Biomedicine and Genome Center Has Opened
The official opening of Türkiye’s first Biomedicine and Genome Center (iBG – Izmir) took place in Izmir with an opening speech by the Center’s founder TÜBA Principle Member Prof. Dr. Mehmet Öztürk on September 10, 2015. The ceremony was attended by Minister of Science, Industry and Commerce, Fikri Işık, TÜBA Deputy President Prof. Dr. Ahmet Nuri Yurdusev, TÜBA Council Member and President of the Turkish Association of Health Institutes (TÜSEB) Prof. Dr. Fahrettin Keleştimur, Dokuz Eylül University Rector Prof. Dr. Mehmet Füzün and 2001 Nobel Prize in Medicine recipient Prof. Dr. Tim Hunt as well as many other scientists from Türkiyeand the world.
The international opening ceremony, at which the first speech was delivered by Dokuz Eylül University Assistant Rector Prof. Dr. Murat started with two performances by the Dokuz Eylül University State Conservatory. TÜBA Deputy President Prof. Ahmet Nuri Yurdusev started his opening speech by expressing how pleased he is that a center of this nature had been opened, that this was realized under the leadership of TÜBA Principle Member Prof. Dr. Mehmet Öztürk and that there were TÜBA-GEBİP award recipients within the structure of this institute. Prof. Yurdusev pointed out the importance that TÜBA, an institution that represents all fields of science, places on ‘Life and Health Sciences’ and emphasized that study groups within the structure of the Academy are continuing their activities in these fields and also said he was sure that iBG-Izmir would contribute significantly to ‘Life and Health Sciences’. Pointing out that science has local, national and universal dimensions, Yurdusev said it was meaningful that the goal of iBG-Izmir was not only the Izmir area but also included the Middle East and Northern Africa which was compatible with Izmir’s mission in history.
The International Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center Manager, Prof. Dr. Mehmet Öztürk said in his speech “Türkiye has a mechanical drug expenditure of 15 billion dollars per year, the entrance of biotechnological drugs into the market increases by 20 percent each year. Türkiye should not be depended on the outside for these medications now. We will work to produce these drugs in our center. The stem cell therapy provided at our center is also critical for diseases like Mediterranean anemia and thalassaemia. We are aiming to get to the points of producing stem cells from blood and skins cells, transplanting livers and correcting gene disorders. We need to build this up together. We have only one expectation from you, from Ankara, from local administrations, businessmen and philanthropists. Continue to give us your material and emotional support. This will all turn into hope for our patients, just trust in us”.
Minister of Science, Industry and Commerce, Fikri Işık emphasized that a 150 million TL investment had been gained for Izmir and added “The value of this multipurpose facility goes beyond numbers. Very important work towards the diagnosis and treatment of diseases will be done here. One of the greatest purposes of this center is to be the biggest hub in the Eastern Mediterranean in 2023. I believe the bar will be raised higher every year here. We will gain the ability to import pharmaceuticals. These types of facilities are very important and we are ready to provide every kind of support. Türkiye’s achieving new progress will be through leaps in science and technology. Türkiye must produce light in weight but heavy in profit products. Importer of 4.7 billion dollars in pharmaceuticals, Türkiye paid an average of 1 million dollars for each kilogram of biotechnological pharmaceuticals; one thousand dollars per gram. Calculate how much a gram of gold is. This reveals how important domestic production is. We have prepared a Turkish Biotechnology action plan. Research center institutions are being opened but we are having trouble getting supplies. We have released the research infrastructure law. We will start providing support. You go ahead and do the work and, as long as the people authorize as, we will provide the support. What we want is focus on scientific work”.
The foundations were laid for the iBG-Izmir, where 27 research teams, 7 innovation teams and 13 direct service teams will operate on everything from cancer to production of pharmaceuticals, from treating congenital diseases of babies that are still in the mother’s womb to regenerating deteriorated tissue, in 2006 and now it is one of very few select centers in the world and the first of its kind in Türkiye.
The opening program with ‘The Life Sciences Festival, Technology Session, Innovations in Biotechnology Session, Nobel Session, the International Scientific Opening Session and the ‘Innovation for Life Forum’ with TÜBA Principle Member Prof. Dr. Gökhan Hotamışlıgil among moderators and included the TÜBA stand. At the end of the day the ‘Life Sciences Project Award Ceremony and Cocktail’ took place. Throughout the Science Festival and sessions, world famous scientists delivered their speeches. It was stated that the iBG- Izmir center will develop innovative technologies, instruments and services to combat many global contagious, neurological and degenerative diseases, especially cancer and obesity.
