Kırşehir Ahi Evran University Faculty Member of Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Field Crops, Res. Asst. Dr. Funda Özdemir Değirmenci was awarded the A Plus score by TÜBİTAK for Turkiye's first ancient seed DNA project, "Determination of the History of Agricultural and Vegetation of the Marmara Lake Basin and Gediz Plain using Palaeogenetic and Geological Data".


Genetic Changes will be Revealed with 3500-Year-Old Seeds Obtained from Excavation Sites

With the project, the charred seeds of agricultural plant species (wheat, barley, chickpea, bitter vetch, and grapes) excavated from the Kaymakçı excavation site in the Marmara Lake Basin near Gölmarmara in the Gediz District and the genetic changes in those seeds over 3500 years in comparison with their modern relatives will be revealed. With the unique genetic information to be obtained, it is aimed to answer very important questions about the molecular history, origins, first culture, and spread of those species.

Good-Quality Genomic DNA was Obtained from Ancient Seeds in the Project

During the study, five different methods were implemented for DNA extraction from Ancient seeds, and a large amount of good-quality genomic DNA was obtained from the seeds. Amplification of 26S rDNA and rbcL gene sequences from old seeds demonstrated that nuclear DNA was preserved in good condition, thus proving the success of DNA extraction from charred seeds. The 3500-year-old wheat (Triticum aestivum (for bread)/durum (for pasta)) which was excavated from the Kaymakçı excavation area and not identified by archaeobotanists was determined to be for bread (T. aestivum) by genetic studies. However, thanks to the study, it was aimed to provide a clearer understanding of the emergence and spread of agriculture in the Neolithic period in Anatolia. Res. Asst. Dr. Funda Özdemir Değirmenci, who has two publications in Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution, continues her studies to contribute to the field.

In the project titled "Determination of the History of Agricultural and Vegetation of the Marmara Lake Basin and Gediz Plain using Palaeogenetic and Geological Data" supported by TÜBİTAK of KAEU Faculty Member Res. Asst. Dr. Funda Özdemir Değirmenci, Prof. Dr. Zeki Kaya, a faculty member of the Department of Biological Sciences, Middle East Technical University takes place as the project coordinator while Faculty Member of Kafkas University Biology Department Dr. Asya Uluğ, Faculty Member of Tekirdağ Namık Kemal University Biology Department Res. Asst. Dr. Çiğdem Kansu, Faculty Member of Niğde Ömer Halisdemir University Geological Engineering Department Assoc. Prof. Dr. Alper Gürbüz, Faculty Members of Koç University Archeology and Art History Department Assoc. Prof. Dr. Christina Luke and Prof. Dr. Christopher Roosevelt take place as researchers.