Molecular Evolution and Biogeography Laboratory (MEVBIL)

About | English

MEVBIL, established by Prof. Dr. Battal ÇIPLAK within the Biology Department of the Faculty of Science at Akdeniz University, commenced its operations in 1995 as the Akdeniz University Zoology Museum (AUZM). Over the past twenty-five years, AUZM, possibly amassing Turkey's most extensive Orthoptera collection, successfully transformed in the 2000s, transitioning to DNA-based studies on biodiversity, biogeography, and evolution. In conjunction with a conceptual shift in the research team's approach, the Molecular Evolution and Biogeography Laboratory (MEVBIL) was incorporated as a distinct unit alongside AUZM. MEVBIL utilizes different lineages within the Orthoptera order as models for DNA-based studies, aiming to characterize the evolution of Anatolian biodiversity and current distribution patterns.

Several scientific works, published in leading journals (Q1, Q2), attest to the laboratory's contributions to studies on Anatolian and Western Palaearctic biogeography. Collaborative efforts with various organisms and laboratories, both nationally and internationally, have elevated MEVBIL's status to that of a recognized laboratory.

This recognition has led to a growing number of researchers, both domestic and international, seeking to benefit from MEVBIL's facilities. Noteworthy instances include doctoral student Dirk BERGER (Erlangen University, Germany), Dr. Dragan P. Chobanov (Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria), Dr. Mustapha Bounechada (Ferhad Abbas University, Setif, Algeria), and master's student Abir Abed (University of Constantine 2, Constantine, Algeria), who have visited MEVBIL as guest researchers. Additionally, numerous domestic postgraduate students and doctoral researchers have utilized MEVBIL's resources for their education and research endeavors.

MEVBIL has engaged in collaborative research with several international laboratories, including Friederic Alexander University, Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement - CIRAD, Novosibirsk State University, Bulgarian Academy of Science, Polish Academy of Science, Estacion Biologica Donana Sevilla, Ecology and Evolutionary Laboratory at the University of Michigan, and Texas A&M University.

Prof. Dr. Battal ÇIPLAK, the founder and coordinator of MEVBIL, has played a pioneering role in evolutionary biology, contributing to life sciences education in Turkey. Under his leadership, three books (1- Evolutionary Analysis, 2- Principles of Evolutionary Medicine, and 3- Why Do We Get Sick) have been translated into Turkish and made available for educational purposes. Notably, Evolutionary Analysis received the 2010 Translation Work Award from the Turkish Academy of Sciences (TÜBA-2010 Award).

In addition to research and educational contributions, MEVBIL, in collaboration with AUZM, initiated the Taxonomy Summer School, a workshop aimed at postgraduate and postdoctoral education. MEVBIL continues to strive towards becoming a nationally pioneering and internationally recognized laboratory through its universal biodiversity, biogeographic, and evolutionary studies.

Principal Investigator (PI): Prof. Dr. Battal ÇIPLAK
Address: Akdeniz University, Faculty of Science, Block A, 2nd Floor, No: 329&352
Phone: +90 242 310 23 56 - +90 242 310 2339