YTU Monthly - August, 2026
Research, Innovation and Campus Life at Yildiz Technical University (YTU)
Featured Research Project
Yıldız Technical University continues to advance knowledge and innovation across diverse fields through pioneering research initiatives. Reflecting this ongoing commitment, a research team led by Prof. Dr. Mevlüde Canlıca of the Department of Chemistry has synthesized a novel active pharmaceutical compound capable of eliminating cervical cancer cells under laboratory conditions. The compound, which has been granted international patent protection, was developed with the aim of reducing the severe side effects commonly associated with chemotherapy; preparations for animal trials are now underway.
The research team synthesized a new active compound designed to directly target cancerous cells. The study’s ultimate objective is to advance this compound through clinical development stages in order to minimize adverse effects frequently associated with cancer therapeutics, such as nausea, vomiting, and cardiac fatigue, thereby enabling patients to resume daily life with greater comfort following treatment sessions.
Patents & Technology Transfer
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mustafa Sinan Yardım and Lecturer Dr. Betül Değer Şitilbay of the Department of Civil Engineering at Yıldız Technical University have developed a novel asphalt material demonstrating resistance to low-temperature cracking at temperatures approximately 10 degrees below those tolerated by conventional formulations. The patented invention is anticipated to contribute to an extended service life for road infrastructure, thereby reducing long-term maintenance and repair expenditures.
Within the scope of the project, bitumen – the principal binding constituent of asphalt – was reinforced through incorporation of a specially formulated polyester resin. The molecular architecture of the resulting composite material was subsequently characterized by means of nanoscale analytical techniques. Formulated in accordance with environmentally sustainable production standards and exhibiting enhanced mechanical durability, the material has been granted patent protection by both the Turkish Patent Office and the United States Patent and Trademark Office, with registration facilitated through YTU Yıldız Technopark.
International Events & Conferences
Yıldız Technical University will host the 2026 UI GreenMetric Türkiye Workshop on 10–11 December 2026, reaffirming the university’s longstanding institutional commitment to environmental sustainability. The event will bring together researchers, administrators, and policymakers to engage in a structured dialogue on the role of higher education institutions in advancing environmental sustainability and climate resilience.
Organized within the framework of YTU’s broader sustainability agenda, the workshop aims to provide a platform for the exchange of research findings, institutional practices, and policy perspectives across a range of thematic areas central to the global sustainability discourse, ranging from climate action and the global energy transition to circular economy practices, water security, sustainable mobility, resilient urban development, digital transformation in sustainability governance, and the broader societal and educational dimensions of sustainability transformation.
Through these sessions, the workshop seeks to foster interdisciplinary collaboration among participating institutions and to contribute to the development of evidence-based approaches for integrating sustainability principles into higher education governance, campus operations, and academic research agendas.
