Interview with Professor Fazilet Vardar Sukan, DIRECTOR, SUNUM (SABANCI UNIVERSITY), accompanied by researchers Sibel Çetinel and Özlem Kutlu, who specialize in ophthalmology and rare diseases.

Can you provide an overview of SUNUM and the center’s vision and purpose?  

FVS: SUNUM was established in 2010 as a central analytical research laboratory of Sabanci University’s engineering faculty. We secured an investment of US$35 million from the Ministry of Development and the Sabanci Foundation to establish the center. The center has a very good infrastructure and the unique building is designed after the structure of the cell.

SUNUM served the Faculty of Sabanci University until 2016 when there was a state call for the development of national research centers. We made the strategic decision to apply to become one of these centers. Our application was accepted in 2017, and SUNUM is now one of the four national research centers of excellence in Turkey. Naturally, we have evolved and are now a self-sustained national research center with considerable funding from the state. We also attain finances from industry through contract research projects, and we are also trying to create our own revenue through the development of special business models.

SUNUM was initially doing research work at early stage levels, but now we are developing projects further to prototype levels. We are aiming at doing research up to a technology readiness level of six, and we are steering towards more applied research, rather than just pure fundamental research.  

What is the need in Turkey for research institutions like SUNUM?

FVS: There is quite a good level of fundamental research being carried out in Turkey, which can be demonstrated by the ranking of publications in the country. There is a high quantity of research publications, but we are lagging in quality. We are also not very competitive with regards to the patents filed. The government is investing significantly in research and R&D support mechanisms, but somehow we are not able to convert these investments to outputs that will create societal benefit. There is a problem in the seamless transformation of an idea to an end product. The establishment of national research centers happened to fill this gap. Through the research centers, we are trying to formulate models that will translate research to societal value.

SUNUM follows the “no departments, no walls” approach, complementing the research expertise of different internal units and external stakeholders. Can you elaborate on the benefits of this approach?

FVS: SUNUM is following a very contemporary approach where the aim is to create and develop together. Societal challenges require solutions that can only be achieved by multidisciplinary teams. There is no social issue that can be addressed by one discipline alone, and that is why we are focused on taking a multidisciplinary approach towards research and finding solutions. Our approach is parallel to Sabanci University’s mandate to have no departments in order to encourage multidisciplinary collaboration and innovation.

Rare diseases and ophthalmology are two of the therapeutic areas where nanotechnology is applied. Could you introduce our audience to the research carried out at SUNUM in these fields?

OK: In rare diseases, as in other conditions, we have different pathological conditions for which the exact molecular mechanism remains unknown. Most of these diseases are deemed incurable at the moment. My research focusses on understanding the molecular details of such diseases. The long-term vision is to find a new nano-biotechnology based treatment approach to target these issues and improve the life of patients.

SC: My research is focused on diagnosing and treating diseases in the ophthalmology field. Nano-medicines have a rather universal applicability, with processes such as targeted delivery, sustained release and increasing bioavailability relevant in the treatment of any kind of disease. However, utilizing nanotechnologies is more challenging due to a significant number of barriers, and we are collaborating with companies to take on the barriers. We are also focusing on tissue engineering where we are trying to regenerate tissue using bio-mimicked materials.

Can you give insight into SUNUM’s collaborative culture with partners in both the academic and industrial worlds?  

FVS: SUNUM’s main research focus is in the nano-biotechnology space. Whatever we do must somehow relate to nano-technologies, but we have vertical pillars in the spaces of life sciences, energy, defense, agriculture, environment and water. The vertical pillars and their intersection with the horizontal theme of nano-technologies is our focus area.

We are forming partnerships with different institutions. With academic institutions, our partnerships are more focused on fundamental research and early stage projects. With large industrial companies, our focus will be on product manufacturing or developing prototypes. SUNUM is positioned in the middle of the process where we are taking a scientific result, turning it into a technology and developing a proof of concept-prototype. We will then collaborate with our industrial strategic partners to turn the proof of concept into a marketable product.  

Can you give some examples of successful partnerships that SUNUM has established with industry players?

FVS: SUNUM has developed different collaborative models to establish good relations with industry and to secure trust and respect. The German company Merck has invested approximately €1 million in the center, and we have subsequently established a small production line for cell cultures and new molecules of pharmaceutical value. We have a SUNUM-Merck collaboration unit in the life sciences space, and we are progressing to a three-way partnership model that will include SUNUM, industry and pharmaceutical companies to develop novel molecules.

Another collaboration model we use is building partnerships within industrial graduate programs. This collaboration model includes industry and academia using our infrastructure to educate and train PhD students.

The R&D support program TUBITAK 1004 is a project that brings together two ends – one side is led by industrial companies, and the “1004” is led by academia. SUNUM has also submitted a project for a platform for nanotechnological sensors under this program, and I am proud to say our consortium has 24 partners, eight of which are academic institutions (two research centers and six universities) and 16 of these are industrial companies. Having these 24 entities signing up to a single document demonstrates that SUNUM is progressing quite steadily towards a collaborative model.

Do you have a final message for our global readership?

FVS: Turkey has significant potential, especially with regards to the country’s highly qualified R&D workforce. The country also has quite good infrastructure that makes us competitive against international standards. We must continue to create a win-win environment through partnerships and collaborations, both nationally and internationally.