About

Molen (Molecular Entomology) Lab. was founded in 2014 at the Dept. of Plant Protection Ankara University upon start of Dr. Umut Toprak as an Assistant Professor at the same department. The lab. is equipped with basic and advanced molecular instruments to conduct all types of molecular analysis. We mostly deal with insect physiology, biochemistry, pathology and toxicology.

The primary research projects at MOLEN Lab. are on insect digestive system, insect pathology & immunity, insect lipid metabolism and development of molecular and microbial tools targeting the operation of insect physiological systems for pest control. Some of our collaborators are Dwayne Hegedus’s Lab at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Canada; Dr. Russel Groves’s Lab at University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA; Dr. Steve Whyard’s Lab at University of Manitoba, Canada; Dr. Osman Gülnaz’s Lab at Çukurova University, Türkiye; and Dr. Kazım Sezen’s Lab at Karadeniz Technical University, Türkiye.