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Hire Dr. Bilge E.

Turkey

USD 350 /hr

Well published biochemist/cell biologist | Expert in lipids | 10+ years experience in academic publishing

Profile Summary

Dr. Bilge Ercan is a protein/lipid scientist at the University of Sydney and the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science (CIPPS). Her research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms of lipid transport in cells, particularly how protein-lipid interactions impact human health and disease. She is also interested in generating novel biosensors to understand these mechanisms. During her Ph.D. studies at the National University of Singapore (NUS), Dr. Ercan's research on bacterial lipid transport mechanisms revealed crucial insights that could be applied in developing new antibiotics. This research could lead to more targeted therapies for combating bacterial infections. Her postdoctoral research at Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore shifted focus to intracellular cholesterol transport in human cells. She initiated the functional dissection of a protein complex involved in intracellular cholesterol transport in mammalian cells. Dr. Ercan's groundbreaking discovery linked mutations in a protein complex to impaired cholesterol recognition, potentially contributing to intellectual disability. This research holds promise for developing novel treatments for diseases caused by defects in cholesterol homeostasis. Beyond her research, Bilge is a committed mentor. She actively mentors undergraduate and graduate students, fostering their scientific curiosity and passion for discovery. Her guidance has positively influenced the perspectives of several undergraduate and graduate students, instilling in them a passion for scientific research. She firmly believes that nurturing the next generation of scientists is as vital as conducting cutting-edge research. Bilge is the recipient of several awards and honours, including the Singapore International Graduate Award (SINGA) for her studies at NUS, the LKCMedicine Early Researcher Network (LEARN) Innovation Award for supporting her independent research, and the LEARN Mentorship Award for her outstanding performance as a mentor to junior researchers. She also won the competitive Fresh Ideas Grant from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science (CIPPS) to support her independent research project and funding through the CIPPS Parental Leave Momentum Initiative. Dr. Bilge Ercan's work holds significant promise for advancing our understanding of lipid transport and its role in human health. Her research paves the way for novel therapies for various diseases associated with disrupted lipid homeostasis.

Subject Matter Expertise

• ★ Biochemistry
• ★ Cell Biology
• ☆ Biochemical Assays
• ☆ Binding Assays
• ☆ Molecular Biology
• ☆ Molecular Cloning
• ☆ Recombinant DNA
• ☆ Plasmid DNA
• ☆ Cell Signaling Pathways
• ☆ Membrane Biology
• ☆ Cell Culture
• ☆ Scientific Animation & Illustration
• ☆ Medical Illustration

Services

• Writing
• Research
• Consulting

Writing General Proofreading & Editing, Translation

Research Market Research, Gap Analysis, Scientific and Technical Research, Systematic Literature Review

Consulting Scientific and Technical Consulting

Work Experience

Postdoctoral Research Associate

University of Sydney

July 2022 - Present

Research Fellow

Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine

September 2018 - April 2022

Education

PhD

National University of Singapore

August 2013 - June 2018

Master of Science (Department of Chemistry)

Koç University

2011 - 2013

Bachelor of Science (Department of Chemistry)

Hacettepe University

2007 - 2011

Certifications

• High-Throughput Virtual Screening for Hit Finding and Evaluation

  Schrodinger

  March 2023 - Present

• INTRODUCTION TO MOLECULAR MODELING IN DRUG DISCOVERY

  Schrodinger

  December 2020 - Present

Publications

LECTURE SPEECH

Bilge Ercan (2022). Molecular basis of accessible plasma membrane cholesterol recognition by the GRAM domain of GRAMD1b . New Frontiers in Biomedicine.

Bilge Ercan (2017). Towards reconstituting phospholipid transport important for the maintenance of outer membrane lipid asymmetry in ​ E. coli. International Union of Microbiological Societies 2017​.

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Jeyasimman D, Ercan B, Dharmawan D, Naito T, Sun J, Saheki Y(2021). PDZD-8 and TEX-2 regulate endosomal PI(4,5)P₂ homeostasis via lipid transport to promote embryogenesis in C. elegans . Nature communications.

Bilge Ercan, Tomoki Naito, Dylan Hong Zheng Koh, Dennis Dharmawan, Yasunori Saheki (2021). Molecular basis of accessible plasma membrane cholesterol recognition by the GRAM domain of GRAMD1b . The EMBO Journal.

Naito T, Ercan B, Krshnan L, Triebl A, Koh DHZ, Wei FY, Tomizawa K, Torta FT, Wenk MR, Saheki Y(2019). Movement of accessible plasma membrane cholesterol by the GRAMD1 lipid transfer protein complex . eLife.

Ercan B, Low WY, Liu X, Chng SS(2018). Characterization of Interactions and Phospholipid Transfer between Substrate Binding Proteins of the OmpC-Mla System . Biochemistry.

Thong S, Ercan B, Torta F, Fong ZY, Wong HY, Wenk MR, Chng SS(2016). Defining key roles for auxiliary proteins in an ABC transporter that maintains bacterial outer membrane lipid asymmetry . eLife.

CONFERENCE POSTER

Bilge Ercan (2018). Elucidating intermembrane phospholipid transport important for the maintenance of outer membrane lipid asymmetry in E. coli. 7th International Singapore Lipid Symposium (ISLS7).

Bilge Ercan, Shu-Sin Chng, Wen Yi Low (2018). Reconstitution of phospholipid transport important for the maintenance of outer membrane lipid asymmetry in E. coli. 43rd Lorne Conference on Protein Structure.

Bilge Ercan (2015). Deciphering structural and lipid transport properties of Mla proteins in E.coli. 6th International Singapore Lipid Symposium (ISLS6).