Today, I will talk about one important scientists in my blog: Aziz Sancar. As you know, he is a Turkish scientist.
First, I would like to begin with Aziz Sancar. I will start from his childhood and then continue with his education and achievements step by step.
Aziz Sancar was born on September 8, 1946, in Savur, a district of Mardin, Turkey. Although some might assume that he came from an educated family, given how intelligent and successful he became, both of his parents were, in fact, illiterate. He was the 7th child in a family of eight. Although his parents were not educated, they valued education and made great sacrifices to ensure their children could receive a good education by working in farming and small-scale animal husbandry. These efforts were not in vain.
On the insistence of his friends, he enrolled in the Istanbul Faculty of Medicine and graduated at the top of his class. After graduating, he worked as a doctor in his hometown for 1.5–2 years. He devoted himself wholeheartedly to everything he did, and as a result, his patients admired him so much, and loved him. According to Aziz Sancar, these years of practicing medicine were the happiest of his life.
But his passion for biochemistry and molecular biology outweighed his interest in working as a doctor. With a scholarship, he was first accepted to Johns Hopkins University, and later continued at the University of Texas at Dallas for his PhD. His doctoral thesis focused on the photolyase enzyme, which repairs UV-damaged DNA, and this research opened many doors for his future career.
Aziz Sancar then began to unravel, step by step, how cells repair DNA damage. When we look at his main discoveries, we can see that they can be grouped into three major areas: 1) Nucleotide Excision Repair (NER), 2) Photolyase and Light-Dependent DNA Repair, and 3) Circadian Clock and Chronotherapy.
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry was announced on October 7, 2015. It was about mapping the molecular mechanisms of DNA repair.
It is also a source of pride for us that such a successful scientist loves his country and respects Atatürk. He shows this affection even abroad, donating his Nobel medal and certificate to Anıtkabir.
And of course, we don't want to skip his love life. His wife's name is Gwen Boles. Their paths crossed while they were both pursuing science. They met in Dallas, Texas, where his wife was also doing her PhD. Since they were both studying in the field of molecular biology/biochemistry, their paths naturally intersected during this time. They got married in 1978.
As you can see, I've touched on many aspects of Aziz Sancar's life, from his education and achievements to his success and even his love life. This shows us that being born in a village or having limited opportunities is not a barrier; determination, language proficiency, and the right mentorship can open any door. Opportunities create more opportunities. Thank you for reading this far, and don't forget to follow STEMxFuture for more content.