Murat Balaban

Dr. Murat Balaban is the founder and CEO of Episome Biotech. He earned his BSc in Molecular Biology and Genetics from Bilkent University in 2005 and his PhD in Molecular Microbiology from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in 2011. He subsequently spent two and a half years as a postdoctoral researcher in microbial pathogenesis at Karolinska Institutet (2011–2013). Upon returning to Türkiye, he founded Episome Biotech in 2014.

At Episome, he develops microbial technologies for the biological pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass for renewable energy production and microbial alternatives to chemical fertilizers. His work centers on cultivating beneficial bacteria with diverse functional traits and translating their capabilities into practical solutions for industry and agriculture. His research has contributed to numerous scientific publications and three patents granted in multiple countries.