Dear readers of the Hacettepe Journal of Biology and Chemistry,

This special issue of Hacettepe Journal of Biology and Chemistry is dedicated to the occasion of 60th birthday of Professor Erhan Pişkin, from the Department of Chemical Engineering, Hacettepe University, one of the most outstanding and a distinguished Turkish scientist who has been working actively in various branches of chemical engineering and bioengineering. 

Dear readers of the Hacettepe Journal of Biology and Chemistry,

This special issue of Hacettepe Journal of Biology and Chemistry is dedicated to the occasion of 60th birthday of Professor Erhan Pişkin, from the Department of Chemical Engineering, Hacettepe University, one of the most outstanding and a distinguished Turkish scientist who has been working actively in various branches of chemical engineering and bioengineering.

It is a great honor for me to edit this special issue. As a one-time student of Professor Pişkin, I feel specially indepted to him who introduced me to the world of science, showed me how to be a researcher, outlined how to be a good scientist. It was at the mids of the 1980s when I first met Professor Pişkin. Today over twenty years later I still have a chance to enrich my experience, as I keep warm and direct contacts with the Professor Pişkin. I highly appreciate his friendship, his readiness to offer generous help, his open-mindedness and kindness, but also his philosophy of life and sense of humor.

As an editor, I would like to thank all the authors who accepting the invitation and contributed to the National Affinity Techniques and BIOMED 2008 Congresses held on May 3-7, 2008, Marmaris, Turkey and for providing this issue with valuable papers.

On behalf of all of us let me express to Professor Erhan Pişkin our most sincere wishes of further success, happiness and joy in his private life and professional life, as well as good health and always having many friendly people around.

Adil Denizli, Ph.D.

Editor