Turkey, geographically, is like a bridge between the east and the west and this feature has made Turkey a connecting channel. For a very long time many different goods that emerged in the east were transported to the west of the world, Europe-America, by crossing this bridge. Scripts, money, paper, printing press, gunpowder and a number of value-added products are the most well-known inventions that spread across the world through this bridge.

Considered as the first biotechnological product, yogurt/yeast emerged in this area and spread to the rest of the world via this bridge. Yogurt is still a source for many new biotechnology products.

The production of proteins in bioreactors is the most fundamental step in commercialization. In order to focus to the realization on this step, International Enzyme and Bioprocess Days (EBDays) was organized. It’s aim was to be a platform for researchers working on bioprocessing of various proteins, especially enzymes. The first congress was organized by Istanbul Arel University in June, 2014 within the scope of a Turkish-German scientific cooperation year and the second congress was organized by Gebze Technical University last September, 2020. The other organizers were Dr. Aişe Ünlü, Batuhan Çakır and Conplus MICE, the East Marmara Development Agency, Derince, Kocaeli and district municipalities.

The articles to this special issue are divided into two categories below.

New functional proteins:

Özlem Çapan and co-workers have an interesting article on HNF1A-MODY Mutations in Nuclear Localization Signal Impair HNF1A-Import Receptor KPNA6 Interactions; Fatih Aktaş and co-workers, discuss Heterologous Expression and Partial Characterization of a New Alanine Dehydrogenase from Amycolatopsis sulphurea; Özlem Çapan and co-workers present A Review of Functional Characterization of Single Amino Acid Change Mutations in HNF Transcription Factors in MODY Pathogenesis and Barış Binay and coworkers discuss Enhancing recombinant Chaetomium thermophilium Formate Dehydrogenase Expression with CRISPR Technology.

Bioreactor applications:

Irem Deniz and coworkers cover Key Challenges of Microbial Degradation of Keratinous Wastes; Barış Binay and coworkers, have contributed Production of Industrial Enzymes via Pichia pastoris as a Cell Factory in Bioreactors: Current Status and Future Aspects; Benan İnan and coworkers discuss Microalgal Bioprocess Toward the Production of Microalgal Oil Loaded Bovine Serum Albumin Nanoparticles and Irem Deniz and coworkers also present Effect of Agitation and Aeration on Keratinase Production in Bioreactors Using Bioprocess Engineering Aspects.

Hoping that EBDays2020, which we dedicate to the world’s healthcare professionals, will contribute to the welfare of the world.

Sincerely,

Barış Binay, Guest Editor

Gebze Technical University, 41400 Kocaeli, Turkey