phone: +32 (0)2 650 45 11

e-mail: ekaymak@ulb.ac.be

Since 2012, I've joined the team of Olivier Hardy (http://ebe.ulb.ac.be/ebe/Hardy.html) as a technician, in the Evolutionary Biology & Ecology lab.

I'm in charge of training new comers in laboratory technics. The purpose is to permit them to handle all the basic laboratory protocols in molecular biology as DNA extraction, PCR amplification, electrophoresis gel, microsatellites genotyping, chloroplast and nuclear DNA sequencing... with good reflexes and in a clean environment. 

I'm also focusing on keeping our plant samples collection updated. Until now we have more than 30,000 samples of different species of trees, mostly from African rainforests.

One of our current projects is to develop next generation sequencing (NGS) for analyzing whole chloroplast genomes and for designing polymorphic microsatellite markers, in collaboration with IRD (Montpellier) and GIGA (Liège).

Research implications

1. •Evolution and ecology of African rainforest trees
   

2. •Phylogenetics, phylogeography, population genetics, DNA barcoding
   

3. •Screening of genetic diversity using molecular biology tools
   

4. •Technical support, training and lab material management
   

Scientific skills

1. •Plant DNA extraction using commercial kits, CTAB protocol and ancient DNA treatment
   

2. •DNA quantification and quality assessment (NanoDrop, Qubit, QIAxcel, agarose electrophoresis)
   

3. •Development of microsatellite markers
   

4. •Microsatellites genotyping on ABI 3730
   

5. •Sanger sequencing of nuclear and chloroplast DNA
   

6. •Long range PCR for NGS probes preparation
   

7. •DNA shearing (Covaris E220, Bioruptor)
   

8. •Purification and sizing using magnetic beads
   

9. •Preparation of genomic libraries (NGS analyses)
   

10. •Quantitative PCR and Real Time PCR (Roche LightCycler, StepOnePlus)
    

11. •Metabarcoding, environmental DNA and fauna diet
    

Academic training

1. •2012 - today: lab technician in Molecular Biology (Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium)
   

2. •2009 - 2011: Bachelor degree in Chemistry : Biotechnology (Haute Ecole de la Province de Liège, Belgium). Scientific training in genetic, microbiology, immunology…
   

3. Graduate thesis topic: «Caractérisation de mutants affectés pour leur teneur en lipides chez la microalgue verte Chlorella sp.»
   

Publications

Piñeiro R, Dauby G, Kaymak E, Hardy O (In press) Congruent phylogeography and postglacial expansion in two shade-tolerant African rainforest trees. Molecular Ecology.

Vigeolas H, Duby F, Kaymak E, Niessen G, Motte P, Franck F, Remacle C (2012) Isolation and partial characterization of mutants with elevated lipid content in Chlorella sorokiniana and Scenedesmus obliquus. Journal of Biotechnology 162, 3-12

1. Esra Kaymak