Near East University researchers won an award at the 8th National Clinical Microbiology Congress for their drug project developed against “Candida auris,” defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a “critically prioritized pathogen” and a cause of hospital infections.
Near East University researchers participated in the 8th National Clinical Microbiology Congress and 5th Virology Days, which brought together leading scientists in the fields of microbiology and virology in Turkey, with five different presentations.
The studies presented at the congress received intense interest from the participants, and the study titled “A New Ray of Hope Against Candidozyma Auris? Testing the In Vitro Susceptibility of Novel Benzoxazine-Based Pentacyclic Derivatives Against Fluconazole-Resistant C. auris Strains” conducted in collaboration with Near East University, Gazi University, and Van Yüzüncü Yıl University, was presented by Assist. Prof. Dr. Ayşe Seyer from DESAM Research Institute, and the project was awarded the “Second Place in Oral Presentation”. The award-winning project bears the signatures of Prof. Dr. Tamer Şanlıdağ, Prof. Dr. Ayşe Kalkancı, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Burak Kuzu, Assist. Prof. Dr. Ayşe Seyer, and Assist. Prof. Faika Başoğlu.
Over 1200 participants, over 400 presentations!
The congress, with over 1200 participants, showcased the scope of current research in clinical microbiology and virology in Turkey with over 400 scientific presentations. The opening lectures were given by Prof. Dr. Dilek Yeşim Metin, President of the Clinical Microbiology Specialists Association (KLMUD), and Prof. Dr. Candan Çiçek, President of the Turkish Microbiology Society. Throughout the congress, critical topics such as “A Global Threat: Candida Auris”, “Ongoing and Emerging Threats in Clinical Virology”, “Antimicrobial Resistance: A Threat Without Borders”, “Epidemic Monitoring and Modeling with the One Health Approach”, and “Applications of Artificial Intelligence in Microbiology” were discussed. The congress, which examined current clinical findings, new treatment and diagnostic approaches, resistance mechanisms, and digital technologies, created a comprehensive scientific platform that guided both academic and clinical microbiology practice.
Near East University Researchers Presented 5 Papers
Over 400 papers were presented at the congress, which was attended by scientists from all over the world. The studies presented by researchers from Near East University, which is among the top 500 universities in the world, attracted the attention of participants with their innovative and pioneering qualities. The presentations shared with the scientific community studies on vector identification using artificial intelligence algorithms with the FESAT application, testing the efficacy of novel benzoxazin-based pentacyclic derivatives against fluconazole-resistant strains of Candidozyma Auris, the microbiota of Cypriot fleas, overcoming oseltamivir resistance caused by the H275Y mutation in influenza virus with natural phenolic compounds, and phage isolation targeting multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains.
Prof. Dr. Tamer Şanlıdağ: “Every high-quality research conducted in microbiology contributes directly not only to scientific advancement but also to public health and global security.”
Prof. Dr. Tamer Şanlıdağ, Rector of Near East University and himself a medical microbiologist, emphasized that the increasing number of infectious diseases, resistance mechanisms, and newly emerging pathogens on a global scale have made microbiology and virology the most strategic scientific fields of our time. “Thus, every high-quality research project conducted in these fields contributes directly not only to scientific advancement but also to public health and global security,” said Prof. Dr. Şanlıdağ, adding, “The recognition our research in critical areas directly affecting public health, such as clinical microbiology and virology, received at the 8th National Clinical Microbiology Congress and the 5th Virology Days is a reflection of the strong research ecosystem of our university, which is among the top 500 universities in the world.”
