Lecturer Dr. Ömer Faruk BAY
Dr Ömer Faruk Bay holds a Bachelor's degree in Molecular Biology and Genetics from Atatürk University in Turkey. He received his Master's degree in Systems Biology and Bioinformatics, and PhD degree in Bioinformatics from the University of Manchester, UK. His PhD research focused on investigating the metabolism of Trichuris muris and developing the first genome-scale metabolic model for this parasitic whipworm. Using this model, he identified novel therapeutic targets for more effective treatment strategies. He later joined the Institute of Computational Biomedicine at RWTH Aachen University to study interactions within the gut microbiota using genome-scale metabolic models. At RWTH, Dr Bay's focus was on developing genome-scale metabolic models for a synthetic mouse gut bacterial community known as Oligo Mouse Microbiota 19 (OMM19). He conducted in-depth analyses of the metabolic capabilities and interactions of these bacteria, investigating the phenotype of the community and its resilience to compositional disruptions. Dr Bay joined Abdullah Gül University as a Lecturer in 2024. His future research will focus on understanding host-microbiota and host-pathogen metabolic interactions using genome-scale metabolic models, aiming to develop effective drugs against the whipworm.
Publications
Bay, Ö.F., Hayes, K.S., Schwartz, JM. et al. A genome-scale metabolic model of parasitic whipworm. Nat Commun 14, 6937 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-42552-4.