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A Turkish scientist is making global waves with her biotechnology breakthroughs. Associate Professor Ayca Bal Ozturk, an academic at the Istinye University Faculty of Pharmacy, exports locally developed biotechnological health products to seven countries, including the United States, Japan, Germany, and South Korea.
Her company, AdBioInk, founded in 2020 with backing from the The Scientific and Technological Research Institution of Türkiye (TUBITAK) Entrepreneurship Support Program (BiGG), operates at TUBITAK Marmara Technopark. It has quickly risen to prominence in the field of tissue engineering and artificial organ research.
The firm’s flagship products—bioinks and biopolymers—are designed to simulate the body’s natural microenvironment, allowing cells to grow as if they were inside the human body. These materials are essential in advanced medical research, including artificial organ development, and are already being exported to high-tech markets such as the U.S., Japan, Spain, and Brazil.
Ozturk, who completed her postdoctoral research at Harvard University's tissue engineering lab, returned to Türkiye with a mission: to advance biomedical innovation and create homegrown solutions with global relevance.
“Thanks to support from TUBITAK and KOSGEB, we developed materials crucial to tissue engineering, including synthetic organs,” Ozturk told Anadolu Agency. “We’ve specialized in producing biomaterials such as bioinks and biopolymers. So far, we’ve exported to seven countries—including the U.S. and Japan—where technological standards are extremely high. The export value is around $100,000 per kilogram.”
Ozturk explained that their bioinks act as consumables for 3D bioprinting systems. “They mimic the extracellular matrix and help cells adhere and develop in artificial environments. Our bioinks cure under light and transform from a viscous state into a stable structure without harming the cells,” she noted.
“These materials can be used in skin regeneration as well as in bone, cartilage, cardiac, and nerve tissue applications,” she added.
Ozturk emphasized that the company is now involved in several national and international projects and aims to become a global leader in health technologies.
Her pioneering work has not gone unnoticed. In December 2024, she received the Young Outstanding Scientist Award (GEBIP) from the Turkish Academy of Sciences (TUBA), presented by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the Presidential Complex.
“This award has been an enormous source of motivation,” she said. “Having our efforts recognized at the highest level gives us strength to push even further.”
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