Ayça´s research focuses on the molecular biology and biotechnology studies on Tetrahymena thermophila, a model organism in the eukaryotic host. Due to its nuclear dimorphism and complex genomic architecture, this unicellular ciliate offers unique opportunities to explore fundamental biological mechanisms. Ayça is specifically interested in exploring the potential uses for therapeutic protein production of T. thermophila in biotechnology and generating tools and strains for this purpose. In the meantime, she is trying to discover the cellular roles of hormones in this organism and investigate their usability as a novel drug in biotechnology fields.