Academy
With its highly qualified staff and advanced infrastructure, METU Central Laboratory (MERLAB) serves not only as an analysis and measurement facility, but also as an education and competence development hub where knowledge, skills, and experience are shared.
MERLAB Academy is an institutional education and knowledge-sharing platform dedicated to providing theoretical insight and practical competence in the operating principles of advanced analytical instruments, modern characterization techniques, sample preparation procedures, and data interpretation. These activities directly align with our core mission: “providing continuous training and knowledge development for high-quality human resources” and “disseminating expertise, skills, and experience regarding instruments and techniques both within METU and across Türkiye.”
Mission and Scope
MERLAB Academy operates toward the following objectives to support and reinforce the R&D processes of universities, public institutions, and industry:
-
Advanced instrumental analysis training: Imparting the theoretical foundations and operational protocols of advanced instrumentation utilized in materials characterization, molecular biology, and biotechnology.
-
Transfer of experience and know-how: Connecting the extensive laboratory experience of our specialists and researchers with the broader research community at METU and nationwide.
-
Accurate data, qualified results: Developing researchers’ competencies to independently interpret analytical data, perform spectrum and signal analyses, and evaluate margins of error.
-
Interdisciplinary collaboration: Bringing together researchers from diverse disciplines through workshops and technical seminars to establish a foundation for new national and international partnerships.
Areas of Activity
|
Field |
Content |
Format |
|---|---|---|
|
Fundamental & Advanced Instrument Training |
Operating principles, sample acceptance criteria, and hands-on practices for electron microscopy (SEM/TEM), spectroscopy, chromatography, X-ray diffraction/scattering, and related systems |
Face-to-face workshops and hands-on laboratory sessions |
|
Expert Seminars & Invited Lectures |
Insights on state-of-the-art analytical techniques and innovative research methodologies presented by prominent national and international scientists |
Hybrid / online webinars |
|
Sample Preparation & Data Processing Workshops |
Critical sample preparation workflows directly impacting data quality, artifact identification, and specialized data analysis software |
Practical technical sessions |
|
Customized Training for Industry & Institutions |
Focused training modules tailored to the specialized research and testing needs of private sector and public R&D centers |
Demand-driven institutional programs |
|
Academic Contribution & Outreach |
Lectures and practical sessions integrated into METU departmental curricula, high school summer school programs, and orientation seminars |
University courses, summer schools, and introductory outreach programs |
Target Audience
-
Master’s and Ph.D. candidates
-
Independent researchers, postdoctoral fellows, and faculty members
-
R&D / P&D engineers and specialists from industrial organizations and technoparks
-
Laboratory technicians, analysts, and instrumentation specialists