Under the chairmanship of Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Ahmet Hakan Öztürk and coordinated by the Technology Transfer Office (TTO), the Intellectual Property Rights Board convened on March 26, 2026. The meeting evaluated two inventions aimed at utilizing palm tree waste for application to the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office.

The meeting took place in the meeting room of the Mersin University Advanced Technology Education Research and Application Center (MEİTAM) with the participation of board members Prof. Dr. Caner Özdemir, Prof. Dr. Rükan Genç Altürk, Prof. Dr. Suphan Karaytuğ, Prof. Dr. Seyhan Şahan Fırat, Prof. Dr. Nadir Dizge, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tuncay Turan Turaboğlu, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Fahri Özsungur, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Onur Uca, and Assoc. Prof. and Intellectual and Industrial Property Rights Officer Ramazan Duman.

During the meeting, Prof. Dr. Nadir Dizge and Dr. [Name of second faculty member], faculty members from the Department of Environmental Engineering at the Faculty of Engineering, were also present. Zelal Işık's invention, "Biodegradable Tea Bag Filter Paper Produced from Cellulose Obtained from Palm Sheath Fibers and Production Management," was presented to the board members. Prof. Dr. Nadir Dizge informed the board members about the annual palm sheath waste in Mersin. According to official reports, there are approximately 63,000 palm trees in Mersin city center and its districts, with the majority located along the coastline, boulevard landscapes, parks, and median strips. Prof. Dr. Dizge stated, "According to Mersin environmental reports, the amount of pruning waste generated in the city annually is 5,354 tons, and approximately 25% of this is palm waste. Based on this, the calculated annual palm waste is 1,330 tons. Within palm pruning waste, leaves constitute 40%, leaf sheath 30-40%, and fibrous stem fragments 20%. Therefore, approximately 400-500 tons of palm sheath are produced annually." Highlighting that most of these wastes in Mersin are burned or sent to landfills, Prof. Dr. Dizge underlined that there is almost no industrial use in this area.

Environmentally Friendly Biodegradable Filter Paper

The invention offers the possibility of making filter papers used in tea bag production biodegradable and providing an environmentally friendly alternative to existing plastic-added products. With its innovative advantages such as natural raw materials, environmental friendliness, low cost, and sustainability, the invention aims to develop biodegradable filter paper, eliminate plastic additives, ensure environmental sustainability, and offer an economical alternative. Furthermore, the invention can be used in technical fields and sectors such as tea production, packaging, food packaging industry, sustainable product development, and the premium organic market.

Technology for Preventing Early Loss of Volatile Aromas

Prof Dr. Nadir Dizge and Dr. Zelal Işık's invention, titled "Controlled and Sequential Release Method of Aroma and Bioactive Compounds with a Nanocellulose-Based Multi-Compartment Infusion Bag Derived from Palm Sheath," involves a sustainable and intelligent infusion system through the transformation of agricultural waste into a high-tech product. This invention, which develops a nanocellulose-based multi-compartment infusion bag from palm sheath (a type of agricultural waste), offers a technology to prevent the premature loss of volatile aromas, a high-efficiency carrier system that enhances bioactive stability, and an innovative solution for functional beverage and nutraceutical applications. It can also be applied to fields such as the food and beverage industry, nutraceutical products, pharmaceutical applications, the cosmetics industry, and biomaterial technologies.

At the meeting, it was decided that the evaluation of the patent applications would be presented to the University's Board of Directors.