Education

B.Sc. Middle East Technical University, Biology 1985

M.Sc. Middle East Technical University, Biochemistry 1987
Ph.D. Universitatis de Atilla Jozsef , Biochemistry 1990

Current Research Activities

I : Genetic Transformation of Crop Plants:

Target plant species: Tomato, potato, tobacco, eggplant, lentil, chickpea, wheat

Agronomic characters: herbicide resistance, salt/drought resistance, nematode-insect resistance

Transformation techniques: Agrobacterium, particle bombardment (biolistics), in planta electroporation

II: Stress Physiology:

Target Plant Species: Wheat, barley, lentil, chickpea

Abiotic Stresses: salt (NaCl), drought, heat, boron toxicity

Parameters Evaluated: Photosystem-II activity, Antioxidant enzyme activity (SOD, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, 2D protein profiles

III. Signal Transduction:

Modulation of Inositol-1,4,5-triphosphate (IP₃) and opioid receptors by lipid derived second messenger (lysophospholipids and arachidonic acid).

Membership

International Society of Plant Molecular Biology( Since 1994)

International Society of Neurochemistry

Turkish Biotechnology Society (Member of Executive Community)

Turkish Biochemistry Society

Recent Publications

1. Karabal E., Yücel M., Öktem H.A. “Antioxidant Responses of Resistant and Sensitive Barley Cultivars to Boron Toxicity” Plant Science, In press, 2003.
2. Eyidoğan (İnci) F., Yücel M., Öktem H.A “SOD Activity in Salt Stressed Wheat Seedlings”, Acta Physiologia Plantarum, In press, 2003.
3. Mahmoudian M., Yücel M., Oktem H.A. Transformation of Lentil (Lens culinaris M.) Cotyledonary Nodes via Vacuum Infiltration of Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Plant Mol. Biol. Rep. Vol 20 (3), 251-257, 2002.
4. Mahmoudian M., Celikkol U., Yücel M., Oktem H.A. Vaccum Infiltration Based Agrobacterium Mediated Gene Transfer to Lentil (Lens culinaris) Tissues. Biotech. Biotechnol. Eq. 16 (1), 24-29, 2002.
5. Mahboobi H., Yücel M., Öktem H.A. “Nitrate Reductase and Glutamate Dehydrogenase Activities of Resistant And Sensitive Cultivars of Wheat and Barley Under Boron Toxicity” J. Plant Nutrition, Vol 25 (8), 1829-1837, 2002.
6. Mahboobi H., Yücel M., Öktem H.A. “Changes in Total Protein Profiles of Barley (Hordeum vulgare) Cultivars in Response to Toxic Boron Concentration.” Journal of Plant Nutrition, Vol 23 (3) 391-399, 2000.
7. H.A.Öktem, M. Mahmoudian, F. Eyidoğan (İnci), M. Yücel. “Gus Gene Delivery And Expression In Lentil Cotyledonary Nodes Using Particle Bombardment” LENS Newsletter, Vol 26, 3-6, 1999.
8. Öktem H.A., Apaydın S.: "Arachidonic Acid Modulation of 3H-Naloxone Specific Binding to Rat Brain Opioid Receptors", Neurobiology, Vol.6, 323-332, 1998
9. Öktem H.A.: “Development of Phosphinotricin Resistant Fertile Transgenic Tobacco Plants”, ACTA Agronomica Hungarica, 46, 97-104, 1998.
10. F. Inci, H.A.Öktem, M.Yücel: “Effect of Water Defict Conditions on Superoxide Dismutase Isozyme Activity In Wheat” Cereal Research Communications, Vol. 26, No 3, 297-304, 1998.