Berke Tinaz ’16
Berke Tinaz ’16 is a senior scientist at SMi Systems. With more than a decade of lab experience in
molecular, cellular, and biochemical techniques, he supports SMi's single-molecule
platform in detection and quantification of DNA and enzymes in samples. Prior to joining
SMi, Tinaz was a postdoctoral associate at the University of Vermont, where he earned
his Ph.D. in plant biology and served on the Board of Trustees.
Originally from Turkey, Tinaz majored in biology at Skidmore, while conducting research
during all four years under David Domozych, professor of biology and director of the
Skidmore Microscopy Imaging Center (SMIC). Tinaz’s research largely centered on the
single-celled freshwater alga Penium margaritaceum, a close relative of modern-day land plants.
His research included investigating Penium’s cell wall, cytoskeleton, and the secretory system. At the SMIC, he developed protocols
to prepare cells for different types of microscopy techniques, including electron
microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy, a fluorescence imaging technique
that produces high-resolution images. Using different methods for labeling components
of cells with antibodies and dyes, Tinaz observed various cellular processes.
The research resulted in two published peer-reviewed journal papers that he co-authored,
along with four more published over time after he graduated. Tinaz also conducted
research at Cornell University studying xylanase genes, which play a key role in cell-wall
development in plants. The research experience and techniques Tinaz learned at Skidmore
served as a significant stepping stone for his graduate studies and are still relevant
in his current work.
“I never thought about plants before doing research with Professor Domozych,” he says.
“It wasn’t so much about plants, but about the research itself in molecular cellular
biology that I was fascinated with.”
Tinaz was also on the men’s rowing team for all four years at Skidmore, serving as
captain in his senior year, and was a volunteer organizer and swimmer with Special
Olympics New York. He continues to be involved with Skidmore, including as a member
of the Friends of Skidmore Athletics Leadership Council and as the President’s Society
chair for his class.
“I loved my time at Skidmore,” says Tinaz, whose best friends are still his former
rowing teammates. “It still feels like home to me.”
