The Faculty Members of the University of Kyrenia and the Near East University are taking places in research studies within the frame of Micro B3 Project that is supported by the EU’s Seventh Framework Program (EU FP7). Micro B3 Project aims to create a database on viral, bacterial, molecular, archaeal, protistic genomes and meta-genomes that exist in different marine ecosystems.

According to press statement released by the Directorate of the Press and Public Relations Office of the University of Kyrenia, the studies are being carried out by using the latest technology aiming to realize the objectives of the project. To use the collected data and pave the way to new biotechnological approaches is among the objectives of the project. To create a legal base for all relevant issues is also among the main objectives. Many globally renowned scientists of different fields such as bioinformatics, computing, biology, ecology, oceanography, biotechnology and the law are taking part in the research which requires an interdisciplinary study.

The Micro B3 is a project that came into effect on 1 January 2012 encompassing a four year period. The workshop of the project relevant to the shores of North Cyprus was held at 11 am on 20 June 2013 and hosted by the Near East University. The Project Workshop was realized by the attendance of the Project Coordinator Prof. Dr. Dawn Field from Oxford University, the person in charge of Project Secretariat Dr. Mesude Bıçak, The Chairman of Higher Education Council for Planning, Evaluation, Accreditation and Coordination (YÖDAK) Prof. Dr. Hasan Ali Bıçak and the Vice Rector of NEU Prof. Dr. Şenol Bektaş. During the Workshop, Prof. Dr. D. Field, Dr. M. Bıçak, Prof. Dr. Nedime Serakıncı, lecturer at NEU Faculty of Medicine, Assist. Prof. Dr. Burak Çiçek, lecturer at EMU, Prof. Dr. İlkay Salihoğlu, lecturer at the University of Kyrenia, made presentations and carried out scientific discussion on the subject. The organization of the Workshop was carried out by the Chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering of NEU Assist. Prof. Dr. Terin Adalı. The abundance of scientific outputs of the ongoing EU Project, which have contributed and will go on to contribute to the universities of TRNC, is another striking topic of the Workshop inter alia.

Scheduling the marine navigation that will be realized on the day of 21 June 2013, when the sun appears highest in the sky relative to the celestial equator on the north sphere, was also discussed during the workshop.

On the 21st of June 2013, the navigation was realized at the pre-scheduled time with R/V TEAL JR, the research and training ship in common use of the Near East University and the University of Kyrenia. The scientific expedition team comprised the Chief Specialist and lecturer at the University of Kyrenia, Prof. Dr. İlkay Salihoğlu, Prof. Dr. D. Field, Dr. M. Bıçak, Asst. Prof. Dr. Terin Adalı, and the researchers Ali Özgen, Harun Öztürk and Hasan Kutay.
The navigation was started and completed on the planned time. Samples were taken and after being treated with required procedures, they were sent to the laboratory for analysis. Some of the lab analyses have been completed and the rest is still being analyzed.

The results will be evaluated jointly with participants from 50 different countries all over the world.