**Meet the editor**

Mahmut Çalışkan is a Professor of genetics and molecular biology in the Department of Biology at Mustafa Kemal University in Turkey. He obtained his BSc at Middle East Technical University in Ankara, and in the same year was appointed as Research Assistant to the Biology Department of the same University. During his MSc study he was awarded a grant from the Turkish

High Education Council to continue his MSc and PhD studies abroad. He attended the University of Leeds Department of Genetics in England for his PhD study, focusing on analysis of germin gene products. After he received his PhD degree, he was appointed as Assistant Professor at Mustafa Kemal University, Hatay. In 2000 he obtained the title of Associate Professor in genetics from the Turkish High Education Council. Following five years of extensive research and lecturing he was appointed as Professor of Molecular Biology in 2006. Prof. Çalışkan was awarded for his postdoctoral research in England with grants from NATO and University. In addition to acting as a reviewer and advisor to numerous journals and grant awarding institutions, he has been involved in the establishment of the Biology Department at Mustafa Kemal University.
