Guest Editors
Turgay Cetinkaya
Department of Aquatic Biotechnology and Genomics, Istanbul University
Dr. Turgay Cetinkaya is an assistant professor at Istanbul University in the Faculty of Aquatic Sciences, Department of Aquatic Biotechnology and Genomics. Throughout his academic journey, Dr. Cetinkaya has joined several research groups as a visiting researcher at renowned institutions such as Ghent University, Denmark Technical University, and the Technical University of Liberec. His research primarily focuses on non-thermal applications, particularly nanotechnological approaches to food products. He has published numerous reviews and research articles on developing nanocapsules and nanofibers through electrospraying and electrospinning. Additionally, he conducts morphological, thermal, molecular, and physicochemical characterization of nanomaterials and explores their use in food products to enhance shelf life or implement active and intelligent packaging functions.
Sebahat Oztekin
Department of Food Engineering, Bayburt University
Dr. Sebahat Öztekin is an assistant professor in the Department of Food Engineering at Bayburt University. She completed her undergraduate studies at Ege University in 2010 and her master's and doctoral studies at Istanbul Technical University in 2014 and 2023, respectively. Her research areas include postharvest biology, food microbiology, food safety, biocontrol of diseases, mycotoxin detection, intelligent packaging, and acrylamide reduction. She has participated in various academic activities, including serving as a visiting scholar in Germany and the U.S. and engaging in European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) projects. Öztekin has also attended notable summer schools and workshops to enhance her expertise.
Busra Gultekin Subasi
Novonesis
Dr. Busra Gultekin Subasi earned her PhD in Food Science and Engineering from Istanbul Technical University in collaboration with the Technical University of Denmark in 2021. Following her doctoral studies, she worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, where she focused on a holistic biorefinery approach to plant sources, particularly protein fractions. In 2023, she joined the Department of Food Science at Aarhus University, where she investigated food structuring and biophysics through extrusion technology. Currently, she works as a research scientist at Novonesis.Her primary research interests include plant-based and hybrid food structuring, valorizing industrial food by-products, non-thermal food processing, and protein modification. She is also focused on improving the techno-functional properties of biological macromolecules and utilizing data science and machine learning tools for data-driven predictions of these properties.
Fatih Tornuk
Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Sivas Cumhuriyet University
Fatih Törnük is a professor in the Nutrition and Dietetics Department at Sivas Cumhuriyet University. He earned his PhD in Food Engineering from Erciyes University. His research primarily focuses on active food packaging and the development of probiotic carrier foods. He has published numerous papers on enhancing food packaging materials with organic or inorganic nanoscale fillers, including nanoclays and cellulose nanocrystals. Additionally, he has authored papers on creating activated food packaging by incorporating bioactive compounds like essential oils, plant extracts, and probiotics. Currently, he is involved in studies and projects aimed at designing new functional foods and beverages enriched and fermented with probiotic bacteria isolated from traditional Turkish foods.
Collection Overview
Food nanotechnology is an interdisciplinary field that applies nanoscale materials and technologies to enhance food quality, safety, and functionality. It has led to innovations in nutrient delivery, packaging, antimicrobial coatings, and spoilage monitoring. With growing demand for functional foods, intelligent packaging, and sustainable food systems, nanotechnological approaches offer promising solutions to global food security and health challenges.
Despite its potential, food nanotechnology faces challenges, including regulatory concerns, potential toxicity, and the need for robust characterization techniques. Understanding nanomaterial interactions with food matrices and biological systems remains a key hurdle, requiring advanced analytical approaches. Developing scalable and cost-effective applications of nanomaterials in the food industry also demands further exploration.
This collection aims to gather cutting-edge research and methodologies that advance food nanotechnology. It will include diverse synthesis techniques, characterization methods, and innovative applications of nanomaterials in food systems. Contributions addressing safety assessment and real-time applications are also encouraged.
By integrating method-focused articles and original research findings, this collection will serve as a comprehensive resource for students, researchers, and industry professionals. Moreover, the scientific community will benefit from a centralized platform that disseminates advancements, fosters interdisciplinary collaboration, and promotes knowledge exchange.
