Prof. Dr. Betül Kaçar is a scientist specializing in molecular biology and astrobiology, with a focus on the chemical foundations and evolution of life. While investigating the origins of life processes on Earth, she also examines the potential for life in other regions of the universe. She continues her academic work at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is internationally recognized for her projects conducted in collaboration with NASA.

Education and Academic Background

Kaçar completed her undergraduate studies in the Department of Chemistry at Marmara University, after which she earned her doctorate in biomolecular chemistry at Emory University in the United States. During her doctoral research, she focused on enzyme structure and function. She carried out her postdoctoral research at the NASA Astrobiology Institute. Kaçar continued her academic career by establishing an independent research group at Harvard University, followed by appointments in the Departments of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Astronomy at the University of Arizona. Since 2021, she has served as a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Research Areas

Prof. Dr. Kaçar’s research aims to experimentally investigate how the fundamental components of life emerged through evolutionary processes. In particular, she reconstructs in laboratory settings the structural and functional evolution of proteins and enzymes that arose during the early stages of life. In this context, her experiments on the enzyme nitrogenase hold a significant place. Nitrogenase is one of the key enzymes in the nitrogen cycle, playing a critical role in converting atmospheric nitrogen into biologically usable forms. By synthesizing evolutionary variants of this enzyme that existed approximately three billion years ago, Kaçar has generated novel experimental data to better understand ancient biochemical environments and early forms of life.

In addition, Kaçar’s work focuses on identifying biosignatures of extraterrestrial life. Her astrobiology projects aim to develop experimental models that define universal principles of life and apply these models to investigate the likelihood of life in diverse environments across the universe. As leader of a team within the Interdisciplinary Consortia for Astrobiology Research (ICAR) program, supported by NASA, she coordinates interdisciplinary research in this field.

The Kaçar Research Group simulates the dynamics of molecular evolution in laboratory settings to decipher the fundamental operating principles of life and mechanisms of evolutionary adaptation. Using evolutionary biomolecular engineering techniques, the group tests the functions of ancient proteins within modern organisms, thereby rediscovering the molecular architecture of past biological systems.

Awards and Support

Kaçar has received research fellowships and awards from prestigious institutions including the NASA Astrobiology Institute, Templeton Foundation, Scialog, and Simons Foundation. She is also among the researchers supported by numerous scientific programs conducted by NASA.