Özlem Sarikaya Bayram

Dr Özlem Sarikaya Bayram

Sport Science and Nutrition, Human Health Institute

Assistant Professor of Nutrition & Health

Food Safety and Future Foods Laboratory

Email Ozlem.SarikayaBayram@mu.ie

Biography

Research and Academic Background:

Dr. Sarikaya Bayram is an SFI-IRC Pathways Principal Investigator, currently leading the Sustainable Future Foods and Food Safety Research Group at Maynooth University. Her research focuses on development of sustainable future foods and the epigenetic regulation of mycotoxins, which are significant contaminants in food that affect human and animal health. Her impactful work on food safety was highlighted in Bridge Magazine at Maynooth University in December 2022. Furthermore, Dr. Sarikaya Bayram is interested in nutrigenetics and the development of nutraceuticals as future functional foods.

Educational Qualifications:

Dr. Sarikaya Bayram earned her Ph.D. (Dr.rer.nat) summa cum laude from the Göttingen Graduate Centre for Neurosciences, Biophysics, and Molecular Biosciences, at Georg August University, Germany as part of the Max Planck Institute Ph.D. program. This achievement was made possible by securing the highly competitive Excellence Ph.D. Scholarship. Dr. Sarikaya Bayram was also honored with the Elisabeth Gateff Best Ph.D. in Genetics Award by the German Genetics Society, in recognition of her groundbreaking discovery on a methyltransferase complex that epigenetically regulates mycotoxin biosynthesis in Aspergillus nidulans, published in Developmental Cell.

Postdoctoral and Industry Experience:

Following her doctoral studies, Dr. Sarikaya Bayram secured an IRC Postdoctoral Fellowship to conduct research at Maynooth University, focusing on Aspergillus fumigatus, an opportunistic human pathogen with a high mortality rate. Her contributions during this period include significant publications on the regulation of gliotoxin production and pathogen sporulation control. Additionally, Dr. Sarikaya Bayram investigated host-pathogen interactions, specifically between bone marrow-derived macrophages and Aspergillus fumigatus spores, providing valuable insights into pathogen pathogenicity and mammalian defense mechanisms.

Dr. Sarikaya Bayram has also gained extensive industry experience in the pharmaceutical sector, specializing in biologics testing for diabetes and breast cancer treatments. This role has equipped her with practical insights into the application of biotechnological advancements in healthcare.

Publications and Contributions:

Dr. Sarikaya Bayram is the author of the book Functional Whole Food Plant-Based Nutrition for Longevity, now in its second edition and published in Turkish by Nobel Scientific Press. The book focuses on preventing global epidemic diseases like diabetes and obesity through the most modifiable lifestyle factor, diet choices—reflecting Dr. Sarikaya Bayram's dedication to public health and nutrition education.

She is also a functional medicine health coach, supporting people to transform their lives by focusing on the root causes of disease and personalized nutrition based on the genetic backgrounds of individuals.

Research Impact:

With over 1,100 citations to her name, Dr. Sarikaya Bayram's research has made a significant impact on the scientific community. Her work continues to influence the fields of food safety, sustainable future foods, epigenetics, mycology, and nutrition, positioning her as a leading expert.

Future Directions:

As an Assistant Professor in Nutrition and Health, Dr. Sarikaya Bayram aims to continue advancing research in food safety, sustainable future functional foods, and nutraceuticals. Her interdisciplinary approach, combining expertise in epigenetics, biology, and nutrition, will contribute to groundbreaking advancements in disease prevention and public health .

Dr. Sarikaya Bayram is dedicated to mentoring the next generation of scientists, fostering an environment of innovation and excellence in her research group. Her vision is to create a healthier future through science-based future nutrition, nutrigenetics and epigenetic research, aligning with the mission and values of Maynooth University.

Research

Research Interests

Prevention of mycotoxins from food sources.
Epigenetic regulation of fungal bioactive molecules.
Functional future foods.
Fungal enzymes for food processing and production.
Human nutrition
Fermentation technologies.

Research Projects

Title	Role	Start date	End date	Amount
Dissection of the epigenetically controlled gene network in aflatoxigenic Aspergillus flavus to improve agricultural productivity and food safety	PI	01/03/2022	28/02/2026	551685.17
New Insights into Gliotoxin Importance in Fungal Pathogenicity	Principal Investigator	01/10/2014	07/07/2017	91790
Investigating role of methyltransferase complex in fungal development	PhD student	01/01/2011	31/12/2013	52300

Post Doctoral Fellows / Research Team

	Researcher Name	Project	Funding Body
	Huong Nguyen	Food Safety

Publications

Peer Reviewed Journal

	Year	Publication
	2023	Alves de Castro, P; Figueiredo Pinzan, C; Dos Reis, TF; Valero, C; Van Rhijn, N; Menegatti, C; de Freitas Migliorini, IL; Bromley, M; Fleming, AB; Traynor, AM; Sarikaya-Bayram, Ö; Bayram, Ö; Malavazi, I; Ebel, F; Barbosa, JCJ; Fill, T; Pupo, MT; Goldman, GH (2023) 'Aspergillus fumigatus mitogen-activated protein kinase MpkA is involved in gliotoxin production and self-protection'. Nature Communications, 15 (1). [DOI] [Full-Text]
	2023	Borges, BM; Ramos, RBC; Preite, NW; Kaminski, VL; Alves de Castro, P; Camacho, M; Maximo, MF; Fill, TP; Calich, VLG; Traynor, AM; Sarikaya-Bayram, Ö; Doyle, S; Bayram, Ö; de Campos, CBL; Zelanis, A; Goldman, GH; Loures, FV (2023) 'Transcriptional profiling of a fungal granuloma reveals a low metabolic activity of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis yeasts and an actively regulated host immune response'. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, 13 . [DOI] [Full-Text]
	2023	Sarikaya Bayram, Ö; Bayram, Ö (2023) 'An Anatomy of Fungal Eye: Fungal Photoreceptors and Signalling Mechanisms'. Journal Of Fungi, 5 (9):1-22. [DOI] [Full-Text]
	2023	Karahoda, B; Pfannenstiel, BT; Sarikaya-Bayram, Ö; Dong, Z; Ho Wong, K; Fleming, AB; Keller, NP; Bayram, Ö (2023) 'The KdmB-EcoA-RpdA-SntB (KERS) chromatin regulatory complex controls development, secondary metabolism and pathogenicity in Aspergillus flavus'. Fungal genetics and biology : FG & B, 169 . [DOI] [Full-Text]
	2023	Bauer, I; Sarikaya Bayram, Ö; Bayram, Ö (2023) 'The use of immunoaffinity purification approaches coupled with LC-MS/MS offers a powerful strategy to identify protein complexes in filamentous fungi'. Essays in Biochemistry, 67 (5). [DOI]
	2023	Traynor, A.M., Sarikaya-Bayram, Ö., Bayram, Ö., Calera J.A., and Doyle, S. (2023) 'Proteomic dissection of role of GliZ in gliotoxin biosynthesis in Aspergillus fumigatus'. Fungal Genetics and Biology, 166 (103795). [Link] [DOI] [Full-Text]
	2022	Sarikaya Bayram Ö; Bayram Ö; Karahoda B; Meister C; Köhler AM; Thieme S; Elramli N; Frawley D; McGowan J; Fitzpatrick DA; Schmitt K; de Assis LJ; Valerius O; Goldman GH; Braus GH; (2022) 'F-box receptor mediated control of substrate stability and subcellular location organizes cellular development of Aspergillus nidulans'. PLoS Genetics, 18 (12). [DOI] [Full-Text]
	2022	Karahoda B; Pardeshi L; Ulas M; Dong Z; Shirgaonkar N; Guo S; Wang F; Tan K; Sarikaya-Bayram Ö; Bauer I; Dowling P; Fleming AB; Pfannenstiel BT; Luciano-Rosario D; Berger H; Graessle S; Alhussain MM; Strauss J; Keller NP; Wong KH; Bayram Ö; (2022) 'The KdmB-EcoA-RpdA-SntB chromatin complex binds regulatory genes and coordinates fungal development with mycotoxin synthesis'. Nucleic Acids Research, . [DOI] [Full-Text]
	2020	Bauer I.; Gross S.; Merschak P.; Kremser L.; Karahoda B.; Bayram Ö.S.; Abt B.; Binder U.; Gsaller F.; Lindner H.; Bayram Ö.; Brosch G.; Graessle S. (2020) 'RcLS2F – A Novel Fungal Class 1 KDAC Co-repressor Complex in Aspergillus nidulans'. Frontiers in Microbiology, 11 . [DOI] [Full-Text]
	2019	Bayram Ö.; Dettmann A.; Karahoda B.; Moloney N.; Ormsby T.; McGowan J.; Cea-Sánchez S.; Miralles-Durán A.; Brancini G.; Luque E.; Fitzpatrick D.; Cánovas D.; Corrochano L.; Doyle S.; Selker E.; Seiler S.; Bayram Ö. (2019) 'Control of development, secondary metabolism and light-dependent carotenoid biosynthesis by the velvet complex of Neurospora crassa'. Journal of Genetics, 212 (3):691-710. [DOI] [Full-Text]
	2019	Elramli N; Karahoda B; Sarikaya-Bayram Ö; Frawley D; Ulas M; Oakley CE; Oakley BR; Seiler S; Bayram Ö; (2019) 'Assembly of a heptameric STRIPAK complex is required for coordination of light-dependent multicellular fungal development with secondary metabolism in Aspergillus nidulans'. PLoS Genetics, 15 (3). [DOI] [Full-Text]
	2018	de Assis L.; Ulas M.; Ries L.; El Ramli N.; Sarikaya-Bayram O.; Braus G.; Bayram O.; Goldman G. (2018) 'Regulation of Aspergillus nidulans CreA-mediated catabolite repression by the F-Box proteins Fbx23 and Fbx47'. mBio, 9 (3). [DOI] [Full-Text]
	2018	Frawley D.; Karahoda B.; Sarikaya Bayram Ö.; Bayram Ö. (2018) 'The HamE scaffold positively regulates MpkB phosphorylation to promote development and secondary metabolism in Aspergillus nidulans'. Scientific Reports, 8 (1). [DOI] [Full-Text]
	2017	Valsecchi I; Sarikaya-Bayram Ö; Wong Sak Hoi J; Muszkieta L; Gibbons J; Prevost MC; Mallet A; Krijnse-Locker J; Ibrahim-Granet O; Mouyna I; Carr P; Bromley M; Aimanianda V; Yu JH; Rokas A; Braus GH; Saveanu C; Bayram Ö; Latgé JP; (2017) 'MybA, a transcription factor involved in conidiation and conidial viability of the human pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus'. Molecular Microbiology, . [DOI] [Full-Text]
	2017	Sarikaya Bayram Ö; Latgé JP; Bayram Ö; (2017) 'MybA, a new player driving survival of the conidium of the human pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus'. Current Genetics, . [DOI] [Full-Text]
	2016	Manzanares-Miralles, L; Sarikaya-Bayram, O; Smith, EB; Dolan, SK; Bayram, O; Jones, GW; Doyle, S (2016) 'Quantitative proteomics reveals the mechanism and consequence of gliotoxin-mediated dysregulation of the methionine cycle in Aspergillus niger'. JOURNAL OF PROTEOMICS, 131 :149-162. [DOI] [Full-Text]
	2014	Sarikaya-Bayram O.; Bayram O.; Feussner K.; Kim J.; Kim H.; Kaever A.; Feussner I.; Chae K.; Han D.; Han K.; Braus G. (2014) 'Membrane-bound methyltransferase complex VapA-VipC-VapB guides epigenetic control of fungal development'. Developmental Cell, 29 (4):406-420. [DOI] [Full-Text]
	2013	Suzuki S; Sarikaya Bayram Ö; Bayram Ö; Braus GH; (2013) 'conF and conJ contribute to conidia germination and stress response in the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans'. Fungal Genetics and Biology, 56 . [DOI] [Full-Text]
	2012	Bayram O; Bayram OS; Valerius O; Jöhnk B; Braus GH; (2012) 'Identification of protein complexes from filamentous fungi with tandem affinity purification'. Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.), 944 . [DOI]
	2012	Bayram Ö; Bayram ÖS; Ahmed YL; Maruyama J; Valerius O; Rizzoli SO; Ficner R; Irniger S; Braus GH; (2012) 'The Aspergillus nidulans MAPK module AnSte11-Ste50-Ste7-Fus3 controls development and secondary metabolism'. PLoS Genetics, 8 (7). [DOI] [Full-Text]
	2010	Sarikaya Bayram O; Bayram O; Valerius O; Park HS; Irniger S; Gerke J; Ni M; Han KH; Yu JH; Braus GH; (2010) 'LaeA control of velvet family regulatory proteins for light-dependent development and fungal cell-type specificity'. PLoS Genetics, 6 (12). [DOI] [Full-Text]

Reviews

	Year	Publication
	2015	Sarikaya-Bayram, O; Palmer, JM; Keller, N; Braus, GH; Bayram, O (2015) One Juliet and four Romeos: VeA and its methyltransferases. LAUSANNE: [Reviews] [DOI]

Book Chapter

	Year	Publication
	2016	Irniger S, Sarikaya-Bayram O, Bayram O (2016) 'Fungal MAP-Kinase-Mediated Regulatory Pathways' In: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 3rd Edition The Mycota III. Switzerland : Springer. [DOI]

Conference Contribution

	Year	Publication
	2023	Özlem Sarikaya Bayram (2023) IFS Annual Meeting Dissection of the epigenetically controlled gene network in aflatoxigenic Aspergillus flavus to improve agricultural productivity and food safety University College Dublin, 22/06/2023-22/06/2023.
	2023	Sarikaya Bayram Ö, Bayram Ö, Karahoda B, Meister C, Köhler AM, Thieme S, Elramli N, Frawley D, McGowan J, Fitzpatrick DA, Schmitt K, de Assis LJ, Valerius O, Goldman GH, Braus GH (2023) ECFG16 F-box receptor mediated control of substrate stability and subcellular location organizes cellular development of Aspergillus nidulans Innsbruck, Austria, 05/03/2023-08/03/2023.
	2022	Bayram, Ö; Wong K, H; Sarikaya Bayram, Ö (2022) How Evolution Learnt to Learn: Epigenetics of Experienced Context Epigenetic regulation of fungal secondary metabolite gene clusters: are we seeing the tip of the iceberg? Salzburg, Austria, 06/07/2022-10/07/2022.
	2019	Elramli N, Karahoda B, Sarikaya-Bayram O, Frawley D, Ulas M, Oakley CE, Oakley B, Seiler S, Bayram, O. (2019) Assembly of a heptameric STRIPAK complex at the nuclear envelope is required for coordination of light-dependent multicellular fungal development with secondary metabolism in Aspergillus nidulans 30th Fungal Genetics Conference Asilomar, Pacific Grove California, USA, 12/03/2019-17/03/2019.
	2019	Frawley D, Karahoda B, Sarikaya-Bayram O, Bayram O (2019) HamE scaffold positively regulates MAP kinase signal transduction to promote development and secondary metabolism in Aspergillus nidulans 30th Fungal Genetics Conference Asilomar, Pacific Grove California, USA, 12/03/2019-17/03/2019.
	2018	Assis LJ, Ulas M, Ries LN, Elramli N, Sarikaya Bayram O, Braus GH, Bayram O, Goldman G (2018) Regulation of Aspergillus nidulans CreA-mediated catabolite repression by the F-box proteins Fbx23 and Fbx47 14th European Conference on Fungal Genetics Haifa, Israel, 25/02/2018-28/02/2018.
	2018	Karahoda B, Bayram O, Sarikaya Bayram O, Elramli N, Thieme S, Assis LJ, Goldman GH, Braus GH (2018) Global analysis of the molecular roles, localizations and interactomes of F-box proteins during fungal development 14th European Conference on Fungal Genetics Haifa, Israel, 25/02/2018-28/02/2018.
	2015	Bayram O, Sarikaya-Bayram O, Reen S, Goldman G and Braus G (2015) Global examination of the molecular roles, localizations and interactomes of F-box proteins in fungal development 28th Fungal Genetics Conference Asilomar, Pacific Grove California, USA, 17/03/2015-22/03/2015.
	2013	Bayram O, Sarikaya Bayram O, Luqman Ahmed Y, Maruyama JI, Valerius O, Rizzoli O, Ficner R, Irniger S, Braus G (2013) The Aspergillus nidulans MAPK module AnSte11-Ste50-Ste7-Fus3 controls development and secondary metabolism 27th Fungal Genetics Conference Asilomar, Pacific Grove California, USA, 12/03/2013-17/03/2013.
	2013	Sarikaya Bayram O, Bayram O, Kim JH, Chae KS, Han DM, Han KH, Braus GH (2013) Two methyltransferase protein complexes control fungal development and secondary metabolite production 27th Fungal Genetics Conference Asilomar, Pacific Grove California, USA, 12/03/2013-17/03/2013.
	2012	Sarikaya Bayram O, Bayram O, Ahmed Luqman Y, Maruyama JI, Valerius O, Ficner R, Irniger S, Braus G.H. (2012) Shuttling of entire MAPK module from membrane to nuclear envelope links fungal development to secondary metabolism 11th European Conference on Fungal Genetics Marburg, Germany, 30/03/2012-02/04/2012.
	2011	Sarikaya Bayram O, Bayram O, Valerius O, Park H.S, Irniger S, Gerke J, Ni M, Han K.H, Yu J.H and Braus G.H. (2011) LaeA control of velvet family regulatory proteins for light-dependent development and fungal cell-type specificity 26th Fungal Genetics Conference Asilomar, Pacific Grove California, USA, 15/03/2011-20/03/2011.
	2010	Sarikaya Bayram O, Bayram O, Valerius O, Gerke J, Irniger S, Han K.H, and Braus G.H (2010) Dynamic and functional interactions between the components of the trimeric velvet complex in the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans 10th European Conference on Fungal Genetics NH Conference Centre Leeuwenhorst, The Netherlands, 29/03/2010-01/04/2010.
	2009	Christmann M, Harting R, Kress M, Bayram O, Sarikaya Bayram O, Jöhnk B, Helmstaedt K, Braus G.H (2009) Fungal development requires the deneddylating proteins Den1 (DenA) and CSN 9 th VAAM Symposium, Molecular Biology of Fungi Munster, Germany, 27/09/2009-30/09/2009.

Professional

Professional Associations

Description	Function	From / To
American Society for Microbiology	Member	03/06/2022 -
German Genetics Society	Member	01/10/2014 -
Irish Fungal Society	Member	16/06/2014 -
The Nutrition Society	Academic Representative	01/01/2025 -

Honors and Awards

Date	Title	Awarding Body
11/02/2023	IFS Ken Haynes Travel Award	Irish Fungal Society
01/12/2021	SFI Pathways Recipient	Science Foundation Ireland
01/10/2014	Elisabeth Gateff Prize-Best Ph.D. in Genetics	German Genetics Society
12/03/2013	GGNB Conference Travel Award 2013	Göttingen Graduate School for Neurosciences and Biosciences
30/04/2012	GGNB Travel Award 2012	Göttingen Graduate School for Neurosciences and Biosciences
01/01/2011	GGNB Excellence PhD Stipend	Göttingen Graduate School for Neurosciences and Biosciences and German Research Fund (DFG)
15/03/2011	GGNB Conference Travel Award 2011	Göttingen Graduate School for Neurosciences and Biosciences
29/04/2010	GGNB Travel Award 2010	Göttingen Graduate School for Neurosciences and Biosciences

Committees

Committee	Function	From / To
Faculty of Science and Engineering EDI Committee	Academic Representative of Food Science and Nutrition	03/04/2023 -
Healthy Campus Committee	Academic Representative of Food Science and Nutrition	13/05/2024 -
Sports Strategy Project Working Group	Academic Representative of Food Science and Nutrition	11/11/2024 -
Campus Life Committee	Academic Representative of Food Science and Nutrition	07/10/2024 -

Employment

Employer	Position	From / To
Maynooth University	SFI Pathways Principal Investigator	01/03/2022 -
Mylan	QC Bioassay Scientist	11/02/2020 - 31/07/2021
Maynooth University	Postdoctoral researcher	01/10/2017 - 31/03/2018
Maynooth University	IRC Postdoctoral Fellow	01/10/2014 - 07/07/2017

Languages

Language	Reading	Writing	Speaking
English	Fluent	Fluent	Fluent
Turkish	Fluent	Fluent	Fluent
German	Fluent	Fluent	Fluent

Editorial / Academic Reviews

Amount	Role	From / To
PLoS Pathogens	Reviewer	18/01/2023 -
Communications Biology	Reviewer	01/01/2023 -
Frontiers in Fungal Biology	Associate Editor	06/09/2022 -
Fungal Genetics and Biology	Referee	03/01/2018 -
Applied and Industrial Microbiology (AMB) Express	Reviewer	31/10/2023 -
Pathogens MDPI	Reviewer	26/10/2023 -
Mycological Progress	Reviewer	09/02/2024 -
Frontiers Fungal Biology	Editor	02/12/2024 -

Outreach Activities

Organisation	Type	Description
Asperfest21 Local Organiser and Co-chair	Policy Makers	The 21st International Aspergillus Meeting (Asperfest21) in Dublin, March 1-2, 2025.
17th European Fungal Conference Organizer	Policy Makers	One of the largest fungal genetics conferences, bringing together over 1,000 scientists from around the globe, will take place in Dublin from March 2-5, 2025. [Link]
Science Week-Science Night	Civic Society	Science Day and Night: Bringing Science to Life for the Next Generation Dr. Özlem Sarikaya Bayram recently led an exciting Science Day outreach session at a local school in Maynooth, sparking curiosity and inspiring young minds. Through engaging, hands-on activities, Dr. Sarikaya Bayram introduced kids to the wonders of science in a fun and interactive way. A standout moment was the DNA isolation experiment using strawberries, where children had the chance to extract and observe the stringy white DNA strands, offering them a firsthand look at the building blocks of life. The session also featured a captivating lava lamp experiment, demonstrating the natural separation of oil and water—mirroring how different nutrients are absorbed in the body. With the help of an anatomical torso model, Dr. Sarikaya Bayram guided the kids through the journey of food in the digestive system, explaining the importance of nutrient absorption and digestive health. To reinforce the significance of physical activity, kids participated in an interactive pulse check before and after a lively dance session to the tune of "Baby Shark," linking exercise with heart health. Through these dynamic activities, Dr. Sarikaya Bayram emphasized the importance of whole, nutrient-rich foods and regular physical activity—key habits that positively impact children's health and wellbeing. Following the Science Day, the Science Night extended the excitement with engaging activities, including a sugar detection experiment using colorimetric assays to help kids understand the sugar content in various foods. These hands-on experiments highlighted the difference between healthier, whole foods and sugary snacks. This Science Day and Night event is part of Maynooth University's ongoing commitment to making science accessible and enjoyable for young learners. By empowering children with knowledge, we are fostering healthy habits that will benefit them for years to come. [Link]

Teaching Collaborators

Internal Collaborators

Name	Role	Country
Kevin Kavanagh	Mentor-Collaborator	Ireland
Rebecca Owens	LC-MS/MS analysis of metabolites	Ireland
David Fitzpatrick	Bioinformatics for RNAseq	Ireland
Robert Elmes	Mycotoxin chemical structure design	Ireland

External Collaborators

	Name	Role	Country
	Gustavo Goldmann	Analysis of stress tolerance	Brazil
	Koon Ho Wong	Analysis of ChIPseq	Hong Kong