Cansu Sevgi Yıldırım

EDUCATION

College / University

Koç University

Highest Degree

Bachelor of Science

Major Subjects

Molecular Biology and Genetics

Country

Bulgaria, Turkey

Lab Experience

Molecular Biology: DNA/RNA Agarose Gel, DNA/RNA extraction, Transformation (Heat shock, electroporation), Competent cell preparation (ex. dh5α), SDS Page and western blotting, PCR and qPCR, cDNA synthesis, IF, IP, PCR/ Gel cleanup, Miniprep/Midiprep plasmid isolation, antibiotic and stock preparations, cloning (ex. Golden gate, infusion), Maintenance and growth of model organism such as Arabidopsis and Medicago, Hairy root transformation, Root inoculation, Cell/ Tissue Culture Techniques, CFA (clonogenic assay- crystal violet), CTG assay, Site directed mutagenesis (KLD), Virus preparation (lentivirus), transfection (ex. SUM159PT, MDAMB231), CUT&RUN, ATAC-seq, Senescence beta- Gal. Assay, Crispr construct prep., T7 Endonuclease I assay
Programming/Software/Devices: Snapgene, ImageJ, Python, GraphPad Prism, Confocal imaging, Flow cytometry

Projects / Research

2026: Undergraduate Researcher, "Targeting epigenetic dependencies in triple-negative breast cancer to overcome paclitaxel and doxorubicin resistance using a high-throughput CRISPR-Cas9 knockout library (EPIKOL)", Bağcı-Önder Lab, KUTTAM, Koç University
2024 – 2026: Undergraduate Researcher working on different projects at Öztaş Lab, Koç University:
"Determination of the Role of the Alternative Splicing and Polyadenylation Mechanism in Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation using CRISPR-Cas9"
"Elucidating the role of LYK9 and nodulation-specific proteins DNF2/5 in regulating plant immunity during root nodule symbiosis in Medicago truncatula (R108)"
"Transcriptomic profiling of csa1/csa2 mutants and structural characterization of the CHR24 protein in transcription-coupled nucleotide excision repair in Arabidopsis thaliana"
"Genome-wide mapping and functional validation of nucleotide excision repair dynamics using XR-seq data in Arabidopsis thaliana"
2024: Erasmus+ Summer Intern, "Investigating microglia-mediated neuromodulation and the impact of systemic peripheral inflammation on brain aging trajectories", Schaefer Lab, Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing

Scholarships / Awards

2026 – 2027:	Stipend by the International Max Planck Research School
2026:	Valedictorian of the graduating Molecular Biology and Genetics Class of 2026 at Koç University (2^nd in faculty and university)
2026:	TUBITAK 2247-C STAR Intern Researcher Scholarship
2024:	Erasmus+ Grant for the Summer Internship at the Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing
2022 – 2026:	Vehbi Koç Scholar Award for Academic Success
2022:	75% Merit Scholarship by Koç University

SCIENTIFIC INTERESTS AND GOALS

My scientific interests lie at the intersection of molecular biology, cancer biology, immunology, and drug discovery, with a particular focus on understanding the molecular mechanisms that govern disease initiation and progression. I am especially interested in investigating how cellular signalling pathways, gene regulation, and interactions within the tumour microenvironment contribute to cancer development and therapeutic response. I am motivated by the potential to translate fundamental biological discoveries into innovative therapeutic strategies that improve patient outcomes. Alongside my core interests in cell biology and cancer research, I am eager to expand my expertise in protein biology and bioinformatics, recognising their increasingly important role in modern biomedical research. Advances in high-throughput sequencing, structural biology, artificial intelligence–assisted protein modelling, and multi-omics technologies are transforming our understanding of complex biological systems and accelerating the discovery of novel drug targets. I am particularly interested in integrating computational and experimental approaches to study protein function, identify disease-associated molecular networks, and support the development of precision medicine. My long-term goal is to contribute to interdisciplinary research that bridges molecular biology, computational biology, and translational medicine to address unmet challenges in human health.