Browsing by Author "Ece, Emre"
Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
- Results Per Page
- Sort Options
Item Open Access A sustainable solution to skin diseases: ecofriendly transdermal patches(MDPI AG, 2023-02-08) Yılmaz, Eylül Gülşen; Ece, Emre; Erdem, Özgecan; Eş, İsmail; İnci, FatihSkin is the largest epithelial surface of the human body, with a surface area of 2 m2 for the average adult human. Being an external organ, it is susceptible to more than 3000 potential skin diseases, including injury, inflammation, microbial and viral infections, and skin cancer. Due to its nature, it offers a large accessible site for administrating several medications against these diseases. The dermal and transdermal delivery of such medications are often ensured by utilizing dermal/transdermal patches or microneedles made of biocompatible and biodegradable materials. These tools provide controlled delivery of drugs to the site of action in a rapid and therapeutically effective manner with enhanced diffusivity and minimal side effects. Regrettably, they are usually fabricated using synthetic materials with possible harmful environmental effects. Manufacturing such tools using green synthesis routes and raw materials is hence essential for both ecological and economic sustainability. In this review, natural materials including chitosan/chitin, alginate, keratin, gelatin, cellulose, hyaluronic acid, pectin, and collagen utilized in designing ecofriendly patches will be explored. Their implementation in wound healing, skin cancer, inflammations, and infections will be discussed, and the significance of these studies will be evaluated with future perspectives.Item Open Access Microfluidics as a ray of hope for microplastic pollution(MDPI, 2023-02-28) Ece, Emre; Hacıosmanoğlu, Nedim; İnci, FatihMicroplastic (MP) pollution is rising at an alarming rate, imposing overwhelming problems for the ecosystem. The impact of MPs on life and environmental cycles has already reached a point of no return; yet global awareness of this issue and regulations regarding MP exposure could change this situation in favor of human health. Detection and separation methods for different MPs need to be deployed to achieve the goal of reversing the effect of MPs. Microfluidics is a well-established technology that enables to manipulate samples in microliter volumes in an unprecedented manner. Owing to its low cost, ease of operation, and high efficiency, microfluidics holds immense potential to tackle unmet challenges in MP. In this review, conventional MP detection and separation technologies are comprehensively reviewed, along with state-of-the-art examples of microfluidic platforms. In addition, we herein denote an insight into future directions for microfluidics and how this technology would provide a more efficient solution to potentially eradicate MP pollution.Item Open Access Microneedle technology as a new standpoint in agriculture: treatment and sensing(Elsevier, 2023-09) Ece, Emre; Eş, İsmail; İnci, FatihPreventing plant loss and improving their health status are essential for agricultural industry. Correspondingly, the deprivation of plants severely impacts our ecological system. As such, global efforts have been intensely made to promote the development of advanced sensing and treatment platforms to forestall plant loss. Existing technologies mainly encounter a number of challenges in providing results in a non-invasive, rapid turnaround, and affordable fashions. Accordingly, notable progressions in innovative approaches—particularly biosensing and delivery platforms, are vastly required for agriculture realm. In this regard, microneedles have emerged as a pivotal technological tool that plays multifaceted roles in biosensing and delivery systems, with attention of growing towards agriculture. Simply put, microneedles offer several advantages over conventional methods for being less invasive, rapid, and highly precise. In this review, recent advancements in microneedle technologies including their implementations in agriculture are highlighted coherently. In particular, extracting DNA from plant leaves and expressing transient genes using microneedles are elaborated in details. Microneedle-based sensing platforms for detecting essential compounds and secondary metabolites are discussed as well. Recent advances focusing the delivery of agrochemicals and nanotherapeutics via microneedles are elaborated. By this means, this review aims to bridge the existing gaps between microneedles and agriculture precisely.Item Embargo Microneedles for DNA extraction in plant studies(2024-08) Ece, EmreThe urgency for sustainable life is growing due to the increase in global population and over-consumption. Preserving the agricultural areas, which are among the most basic needs of this lifestyle, is of great importance. In this regard, rapid and effective sampling techniques for plant studies (such as specific gene analysis and genetically modified organism (GMO) determination) and pathogen detection play a significant role in both enhancing the crop yield and preventing the economic losses. Specifically, early pathogen detection prevents their spread by employing correct pesticides and quarantine measures. In plant studies, the conventional cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) is widely used for DNA extraction. However, the hazardous chemical consumption, long-time duration (3-4 h) and high-cost requirements necessitate new DNA extraction methods. To address this, in this thesis, chemical-free DNA extraction was achieved using polymeric microneedles (MNs) in 10 seconds. For that, hydrophilic poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and resin-based 3D-printed MNs were utilized as a DNA extraction tool for both plant studies and pathogen detection. In this process, the effect of concentration on mechanical strength and hydrophilicity of PVA MNs were evaluated. On the other hand, same optimizations were carried out for 3D-printed MNs fabricated using different printing angles (0o, 45o, and 75o) and curing times (10, 20, and 30 min). In plant studies, first, DNA extraction from Oryza sativa and Gossypium hirsutum was completed using MNs, and their DNA extraction performances were assessed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In pathogen detection, the extracted DNA of Puccinia triticina was first amplified using loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP). The presence of that pathogen was controlled by naked-eye using lateral flow assay (LFA). Finally, a portable heater system was developed, enabling the in-field pathogen detection within 40 minutes. In summary, we anticipate that the combination of optimized MNs for high DNA extraction and portable detection systems will provide significant benefits to sustainable agriculture and life.