Strawberry cultivation in Turkiye, one of the world's leading countries in strawberry production, has shown a continuous upward trend in the last 50 years. According to the World Food and Agriculture Organization, strawberry production in 2022 will be 9,569,864 tons, and Turkey will rank third with 728,112 tons. However, there are many factors that affect the sustainability of strawberries. Among them, biotic and abiotic stress factors, most of which are caused by climatic changes that occur during the growing process of strawberries, affect the yield and quality of the product. In addition, the plastic to which strawberries are exposed in all the processes that take place in the field-to-fork strategy significantly affects product quality by increasing the accumulation of nanoplastics in strawberries. This plant, which is exposed to various stresses in the field and whose resistance is broken, is consumed in the market as a low quality product with plastic contact. In addition, Idonella sp. bacteria have been identified as plastic digesting bacteria. The potential of these bacteria and their derivatives as microbial plant simulants is not yet known. Furthermore, microbial plant simulants have the potential to naturally increase crop yield and quality by reducing plant exposure to excess pesticides and chemicals. Our goal in this project is to understand the mechanism of the pathway to crop quality in strawberry subjected to drought, fungal disease and nanoplastic exposure in comparative combinations and to determine the effect of a new plant simulant containing Idonella sp. on the combined stressors and especially on nanoplastic accumulation. For the development of this project we need 3 partners and new ideas. All kinds of project partnerships such as sustainable food approaches, trainings, etc. are welcome.

Within the framework of the mission of Başkent University, the purpose of establishing the Institute of Food, Agriculture and Livestock Development is to contribute to raising the technological, socio-economic and cultural level of society, improving human health, developing and protecting human and environmental rights, and expanding service to society through education, research, development and dissemination of science in the fields of study. Başkent University Food, Agriculture and Livestock Development Institute was established to contribute to sustainable development in the fields of food and agriculture, adopting the motto of Başkent University Founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors Prof. Dr. Mehmet Haberal who said many years ago, "Let the fields not be concretized, let Turkey not go hungry...". The vision of the Institute is to carry out accurate and reliable education-research-development studies in the fields of food, agriculture and animal husbandry in accordance with the developing technologies, to evaluate the applicability of these studies, to ensure the flow of information with internal and external stakeholders at different levels of society and, as a result, to contribute to science, society and the national economy. Within the framework of this project, the project is carried out with a team of academic, public and industrial partners. We have academics from Başkent University and other universities, researchers from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and a qualified team as Biogenesis Biotechnology San ve Tic AŞ. Therefore, we look forward to all kinds of project support and cooperation.