BBM Magazine Issue-Sayı: 44 May/June - Mayıs/Haziran 2021

58 INTERVIEW • RÖPORTAJ BBM / MAYIS - HAZİRAN 2021 • MAY - JUNE 2021 domestic resources, in an effort to reduce the depen- dence on foreign resources in this field. No sooner than had I returned to Turkey in 2014, I founded LIVZYM -which was another dream of mine- with a concept of technology start-up, concurrently with the institute, as well. Currently, our central office in Beykoz carries on R&D activities in laboratory and pilot scales, while our fac- tory at the Istanbul Leather Organized Industrial Zone in Tuzla carries out enzyme production operations on industrial scale. We created a team that reflects the spirit of technol- ogy start-up, by bringing together our R&D team mainly composed of our colleagues specialised in the field of molecular biology and chemical engineering, with the names who have a remarkable management and production experience in their fields. It is a truly pleas- ing experience to work with this team driven by the competence introduced into our country by our line of business, not to mention the economical aspect of this enterprise. Which sectors use biotechnology the most? Where do we get to see the enzyme technology in our lives? As you know; the future of food and agriculture has become of critical importance upon the outbreak of COVID-19. It is predicted that the world population will reach 10 billion in 2050. Sustainable solutions are needed to meet the food needs of the growing population in the future. Biotechnology stands out as a driving force that will shape the future, owing to its transformative power in a number of areas from food to the industrial production, as it also involves several sectors. So, the importance and necessity of industrial en- zymes in our lives become more evident day by day. Used as technological by-products in various sec- tors, the enzymes are more eco-friendly and easy- to-apply alternatives, compared to their equivalents, thanks to their biochemical properties. Microorgan- isms required for enzyme production are made ready for industrial production by means of modern molecular biotechnological methods. The enzymes are used mostly in food sector, e.g. in starch, bak- ery, dairy, brewing and fruit juice industries. It is also used in many areas such as textile, leather, paper, feed/fodder industries, biofuel production, personal care sector and detergent industry in particular. As LIVZYM, we set it as the top priority, to ensure food Şu an Beykoz’daki genel merkezimizde laboratuvar ve pilot ölçeklerde Ar-Ge faaliyeti, İstanbul’un Tuzla ilçesindeki Organize Deri Sanayi Bölgesi’ndeki fabri- kamızda ise endüstriyel ölçekte enzim üretim faaliyet- lerini yürütüyoruz. Moleküler biyoloji ve kimya mühendisliği alanında uzman arkadaşlarımızın ağırlıklı olduğu Ar-Ge ekibi- mizi, yine kendi alanlarında ciddi yöneticilik ve üretim tecrübeleri bulunan isimlerle bir araya getirerek tekno- loji start-up’ı ruhunu yansıtan bir ekip oluşturduk. Yap- tığımız işin iktisadi boyutu kadar ülkemize kazandırdığı yetkinlikten de enerji alan bu ekiple çalışmak gerçek- ten mutluluk verici bir deneyim. Biyoteknolojinin en çok kullanıldığı sektörler ne- lerdir? Enzim teknolojisiyle hayatımızın en çok han- gi alanlarında karşılaşıyoruz? Bildiğiniz gibi; Covid-19 salgınıyla birlikte özellik- le gıda ve tarımın geleceği kritik bir önem düzeyine taşındı. 2050 yılında dünya nüfusunun 10 milyara ula- şacağı öngörülüyor. Artan nüfusun gelecekteki gıda ihtiyacını karşılayacak sürdürülebilir çözümlere ihtiyaç var. Biyoteknoloji de birçok sektörü kapsamasının yanı sıra, gıdadan endüstriyel üretime kadar pek çok alan-