Project Overview: The "Revolution of Food Production" project aims to enhance ''Vertical Farming'' systems to drastically increase crop yields and reduce resource use by re-engineering wheat for controlled environments. https://tinyurl.com/2pcsyrnx
Tasks: Assisted in grant proposal development. Facilitated collaboration among 27 Principal Investigators, Organized research events for 50 participants. Managed a research budget of €1M, Outsourced journalists, editors, translators for project communications.
Reporting: Director of HEF (Top 1% Highly Cited Researcher by Web of Science)
Skills: Grant Writing , Grant Coordination, Vertical Farming, SAP ERP
Global Business Development Advisor
Supersol
June 2022
to December 2022
Consultant
Munich
Germany
Company Overview: Agrochemical company based in Turkey, producing residue-free plant protection (fungicides and insecticides) and plant nutrition (microbials and biofertilizers). https://supersol.com.tr/
Tasks: Creating strategic business plans.
Achievement: Signed a distribution contract in Brazil (https://www.biotrop.com.br/), significantly expanding its market presence.
Reporting: CEO
Skills: Agrochemicals, International Business Development, Contract Negotiation
Corporate Spokesperson
CEON Global
January 2022
to June 2022
Consultant
Istanbul
Turkey
Company Overview: Dynamic manufacturing company based in Turkey & England for the production and sales of fertilizers https://ceon.com.tr/
Tasks: Led corporate media strategy, enhancing the company’s global image.
Reporting: CEO
Skills: Corporate Communications, Media Relations
Global Business Development Manager
AlgaEnergy
February 2020
to January 2022
Temporary Replacement
Pandemic-Remote
United States - Oregon
Company Overview: Biotechnology-based Spanish company, specialized in the science of microalgae to develop and commercialize high quality biostimulants http://www.algaenergy.es
Tasks: Developing marketing materials, Leading product registrations, Prioritizing new product concepts, Engaging potential clients
Achievement: Led cross-functional teams through the Stage-Gate Process, achieving 5 successful product developments per market.
Reporting: President
Skills: Portfolio Management, Product Marketing, Cross-functional Team Leadership, Biostimulants, Field Trials
Research & Development Chief
Tekfen Holding, Toros Agri R&D Center
March 2018
to February 2020
Full-time
Mersin
Turkey
Company Overview: The largest fertilizer (AN, CAN, DAP and NPK) producer of Turkey https://www.toros.com.tr/
Tasks: Leading quality control processes (sieve analysis, viscosity, anti-caking tests, and micro/macro element assessments), Guiding 10 post-graduate researchers for product development.
Achievement: Oversaw the construction of a 500 m² R&D Greenhouse, boosting research capacity.
Reporting: Vice President of Research
Skills: Quality Assurance, Research and Development, Kaizen
Global Marketing (Food for Thought MBA Fellowship)
Weenat
March 2016
to March 2017
Cooperative Education Work
Nantes
France
Company Overview: French startup, innovating in sensors for soil management https://www.weenat.com/
Tasks: Building communication channels in Brazil.
Reporting: CEO
Skills: Precision Agriculture, Market Research
Research Scientist (Marie Curie PhD Fellowship)
INRA-French National Institute for Agricultural Research
Project Overview: WallTraC Project is well equipped to dissect plant cell wall & polymer structures and develop analytical procedures required for - and suited to - industrial exploitation.
Partners: INRA France, Copenhagen Uni and CP Kelco Denmark, Newcastle and Leeds Uni UK, Lisbon Uni Portugal, Potsdam Uni and Max Planck Inst. Germany, Bayer Belgium.
Tasks: Characterization of pectic samples for their composition and macromolecular properties.
Reporting: Deputy Manager
Skills: Statistical Data Analysis, IBM SPSS
Visiting Research Scientist (Marie Curie PhD Fellowship)
CP Kelco R&D Center
April 2012
to September 2012
Temporary Replacement
Copenhagen
Denmark
Company Overview: Producer of pectin, gellan gum and many other nature-based ingredients https://www.cpkelco.com/
Tasks: Functional tests (gelling and stabilizing power) of extracted-pectin samples.
Reporting: Innovation Manager
Skills: Hydrocolloids
Education
Marie Curie PhD Fellowship
University of Nantes, France
February 2012
to February 2015
Faculty of Chemistry and Technology, Major: Biochemistry Thesis: Structure and functionality of citrus pectin. Focused on the impact of extraction conditions, structural variations, and characterization of pectin building blocks. Achievement: European PhD Certificate Evaluation: "très bon" (very good).
Innovator PostDoc Fellowship
EIT Food - European Institute of Innovation and Technology, Belgium
June 2020
to June 2021
Entrepreneurial Studies, Major: Agri-Food Research Based Entrepreneurship Program Partners: Aarhus University, Denmark and Universita Degli Studi di Torino, Italy.
Content: Business modeling (Forward Fooding, England), New business financial models (Nagima Business Consulting, Italy), Network effects and platform economy (Azti, Spain), Emerging technologies (Deusto Business School, Spain), Leadership in the COVID era (Fair Saturday Foundation, Spain), Public engagement (Wageningen University, The Netherlands).
Food for Thought MBA Fellowship
Escola Superior De Propaganda E Marketing (ESPM), São Paulo, Brazil
September 2015
to September 2016
Food and Agribusiness Management (Dual Degree) Thesis: Analyzing the digital agriculture market in Brazil through expert interviews.
Content: Agribusiness policy and strategies, Sustainability in agribusiness, Disruptive innovation, Poverty and hunger, Brazilian orange juice strategy, Vegetable distribution strategies, Supermarket traceability, Women in agribusiness marketing, Big corporations' positioning, Media in Brazil, Bioenergy and biofuels, Agribusiness marketing and sales, Leadership and management, Social media governance, Taxes in Brazilian agrisector, Meat supply chain and sustainability, Data analytics, Food marketing in Brazil.
Master of Science (MSc)
Audencia Business School, Nantes, France
September 2015
to September 2016
Food and Agribusiness Management (Dual Degree) Thesis: French wine marketing in the USA: developing a distribution strategy. Achievement: Agreen Startup Contest Candidate, French Chambres of Agriculture, La Roche-sur-Yon, France.
Content: Marketing and food business, Operations management, Financial management, Human resources, Corporate social responsibility, Agribusiness strategy, Analytical tools, Value chain, Design and innovation, B2B and B2C.
Visiting Researcher BMBF Grant
Osnabrück University of Applied Science, Germany
2010
to 2011
Faculty of Natural Sciences, Major: Plant Nutrition Thesis: Iodine biofortification of vegetable crops: examining the impact of various iodine forms and concentrations on vegetable growth and iodine uptake.
Tasks: Crop sorting and evaluation, Drying and grinding plant materials, Greenhouse trials, Alkaline fusion preparation, Iodine concentration analysis.
Master of Science (MSc)
Leibniz University Hannover, Germany
September 2009
to September 2011
Faculty of Natural Sciences, Major: Plant Nutrition Thesis: Cell wall changes in rice leaves post-Silicon amendment, focusing on suberization and lignification.
Content: Research theories and methods, Biostatistics, Molecular biology, Plant physiology, Genetics and breeding, Plant molecular and cell biology, Plant nutrition.
Erasmus-Exchange Scholarship
Royal Holloway, University of London, United Kingdom
September 2006
to September 2007
School of Biological Sciences, Major: Biology Achievement: Cambridge University Certificate in Work Experience (Organic Farming).
Content: Field ecology, Biological data analysis, Molecular genetics applications.
Bachelor of Science (BSc)
Bursa Uludag University, Türkiye
September 2004
to September 2009
Agriculture Engineering, Major: Field Crops Thesis: Current state of Biotechnology.
Major: Science & Mathematics Core Educational Programs taught in English. Achievement: Anatolian High Schools admit students based on high nationwide TEOG scores.
Awards, Skills and Trainings
Academic Distinctions
2020, European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT-Food) "BEST Business Ideas" Award and Innovator Fellowship for innovative approaches in sustainable fish feed production.
2018, Horizon 2020 (ERA-MIN) Grant, Principal Investigator for "Zeolite in Wastewater Management," in collaboration with Fraunhofer, CNRS-IS2M, and other leading institutions. Scientific Excellence Score: 12/15.
2018, TÜBİTAK (The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey) 2244 Grant, as Principal Investigator for "Phosphogypsum Waste Management" (Ankara University, 2,290,656 TL).
2018, TÜBİTAK 2244 Grant for "Slow Release Nano-Fertilizer Synthesis and Characterization" (Mersin University, 2,290,656 TL).
2015, Food for Thought MBA (Dual Degree) Scholarship in France and Brazil, with an academic transcript score of 14/15.
2012, Marie Curie PhD Scholarship in France, with the PhD thesis evaluated as "Very Good."
2006, Socrates Erasmus Scholarship in England, and recipient of the British Council Exclusive Professional Training Prize.
Honours
2024: Welsh Alumni Networking Reception Invitation at the British Embassy, Berlin, Germany.
2024, Jury Member, The Women's Academy for Rural Innovation in Crotia, organised by European Leadership Academy (HUAWEI’s EU Office)
2024: Invitation to the "Farewell to Summer Party" at the Rahmi Koç Museum in Istanbul, hosted by Rahmi Koç, Türkiye’s most prominent and influential businessman, and organized by the British Chambers of Commerce.
2024: Reception Invitation from North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper at the Executive Mansion, Raleigh, USA.
2023: Reception Invitation by the Turkish Consulate of Munich, Süalp Erdoğan, for Turkey’s Republic Day at Nymphenburg Palace, Germany.
2022, Jury Member, Plant-Based Food Production R&D Competition, organised by Middle East Technical University (ODTÜ)
2022: Queen's Platinum Jubilee Party Invitation by British Consul General Kenan Poleo at the British Consulate General, Istanbul.
2022: UK-Alumni Reception Invitation by British Council Country Director Gill Caldicott at the British Ambassador's Residence, Ankara.
2019: Bosphorus Summit Invitation in Istanbul, attended by international dignitaries, including former Presidents and Prime Ministers.
2019: Signing Ceremony of Projects Invitation by Turkey's Industry and Technology Minister Mustafa Varank and TÜBİTAK President Hasan Mandal.
2013: Reception Invitation by the Turkish Consulate of Nantes, France, Nedime Yalçın for National Sovereignty and Children’s Day.
2020: Algal Biotechnology for Sustainable Bioeconomy, Partners: University of Cambridge Algal Innovation Centre (UK), Fraunhofer (Germany), Matís (Iceland)
2019: Understanding Soil Functions, Wageningen University, The Netherlands
2019: Plant Stress Physiology, Sabancı University, Istanbul
2016: Natural Algae-Based Solutions, Olmix, Brehan, France
2016: Chocolate Production & Marketing, Cacau Show, Brazil
2016: Food Sensorial Analysis, Nespresso Expertise Centre, Sao Paulo, Brazil
2016: International Logistics, Santos Harbor Local Frio, Santos, Brazil
2014: Industrial Pectin Production & Regulatory Affairs, CP Kelco, Lille Skensved, Denmark
2014: Mass Spectrometry & Quality Management, INRA, Nantes, France
2013: Recombinant Protein Cloning and Characterization, University of Newcastle, UK
2013: Systems Biology-Oriented Bioinformatics, University of Potsdam, Germany
2013: Plant Cell Walls Molecular Probes & Ethics, University of Leeds, UK
Albastawisi E, Kaya M, Fırat Ş, Kotan R. The efficacy of Pantoea agglomerans Strain RK-84 to control fire blight caused by Erwinia amylovora on pear orchards. Submitted 2024 Aug.
Kaya M, Sousa AG, Crépeau MJ, Sørensen SO, Ralet MC. Characterization of citrus pectin samples extracted under different conditions: influence of acid type and pH of extraction. Ann Bot. 2014 Oct;114(6):1319-26. (Cited by 240; Journal`s Impact IF: 5.04)
Oral Presentations
2021: AGRX & Holden Research, Oxnard, California, USA (Microalgae)
2016: European ICT Research & Innovation Proposers' Day, Bratislava, Slovakia (Digital Agriculture in Brazil)
2014: International Conference on Polysaccharides-Glycoscience, Prague, Czech Republic (Citrus Pectin)
2023, Agnes-Mackensen-Program Mentor, Technical University of Munich, Germany -Empowering women without academic backgrounds to become future leaders, scientists, and startup founders.
2018, Child & Family Development Committee Director, Fenerbahçe Sports Club, Turkey. -'Books for Kids' Project promoted children's literacy through book donations.
2017, Philanthropic Writer, Women’ s Shelter Foundation, Turkey. -My book ''Absolute Happiness'' (http://tinyurl.com/33djbnkw) has been sold in ten countries, and the income from its sales has been donated. -Achievement:: Certificate of Appreciation from Women’s Shelter Foundation.
2024, Sponsor, NewAG World Biostimulants Congress, Miami, USA 2023, Sponsor, NewAG World Biostimulants Congress, Milan, Italy 2023, Sponsor, New Ag International, Barcelona, Spain 2021, Sponsor, NewAG World Biostimulants Congress, Miami, USA
2024, Sponsor, BioAg World Congress, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA 2023, Sponsor, BioAg World Congress, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2023-24, Host, Weihenstephan Forum on the Future of Agricultural Policy, Technical University of Munich, Germany 2023, Host, The World Needs New Proteins AgriScience Symposium, Technical University of Munich, Germany
2021, Sponsor, Fruit Attraction Madrid, Spain
2021-24, Sponsor, GrowTech Fair Antalya 2019, Sponsor, National Plant Nutrition and Fertilizer Conference, Antalya 2018, Food and Agriculture Summit, Bloomberg TV, Istanbul 2018, Medical and Aromatic Plant Workshop, Silivri, Turkey
2022-23, Brand Week Istanbul 2022, Türkiye Innovation Week Istanbul 2022, The Management and Leadership Summit, University of Bogazici, Istanbul 2019-20, Business Strategy Summit, Bogazici University, Istanbul 2019, Leadership Summit, İstanbul University
2021-24, Sabancı University Istanbul International Centre For Energy and Climate (IICEC) Conference 2021, The FCEM (Women Global Business Leaders) World Congress, Istanbul
2016, Agrishow Fair, Brazil 2016, The Rungis International Market, Paris 2011, Agritechnica Fair Hannover, Germany
Emotional Quotient (EQ)
Red Bull Wingfinder Profile:Focused on innovation, adaptability, and discipline, with strengths in confidence and achievement.
ENFJ (Protagonist) – excels in leadership and mentorship roles, fostering team growth and collaboration.