Which academics are at the forefront of biotechnology in Finland?  

News from Aalto’s School of Chemical Engineering 

Kristiina Kruus, Dean of Aalto’s School of Chemical Engineering, provided an overview of the university’s biotechnology research and education initiatives. The school has received over €40 million in total funding and, by the end of 2023, had produced more than 340 academic degrees. Key research areas highlighted included biomass fractionation and valorization, utilization of industrial side-streams for novel products, sustainable textile and color recycling, microbial and enzymatic conversion of biomass into chemicals and fuels, and the development of bio-based materials, including bio-hybrids and sustainable bio-colors. 

Aalto’s new biorefinery infrastructure, the Finnish Biofoundry, will support the production of chemicals, fuels, and other materials from renewable biomass, employing biotechnological, catalytic, and thermal processing technologies. 

Predictive Microbial Evolution  

Associate Professor Paula Jouhten discussed advancements in engineering microbial physiology for industrial applications. Her team uses predictive modeling and deep learning to analyze microbial metabolism, particularly in yeast. By designing selective environments, the team drives predictive microbial evolution. Their work is part of the EU-project DELICIOUS, which focuses on developing microbial community starters for plant-based dairy alternatives, showcasing the potential of biotechnology in food innovation. The team is also working on methods to predict and engineer desirable microbial traits for similar applications. 

Bacterial Bioprocess Engineering  

Assistant Professor Rahul Mangayil presented his team’s research on leveraging bacteria, such as Komagataeibacter and Clostridium, for sustainable biotechnologies. His research focuses on the development of Biological Engineered Living Materials (bioELMs), where living cells are used to create functional biomaterials with novel properties, as well as bioplastic composites. Additionally, they are optimizing metabolic engineering strategies for gas and biomass fermentations, contributing to more sustainable bioprocesses for chemical and fuel production. 

Advanced Biosynthetic Materials  

Professor Markus Linder presented his work on life-inspired biomaterials, part of the research conducted in the Liber Centre of Excellence. His team studies how proteins, such as silk proteins, can be produced in microbes and subsequently assembled into high-performance composite biomaterials. These materials aim to replace petrochemical-based alternatives, supporting the transition to a more sustainable economy. 

Manipulating Protein Architectures   

Assistant Professor Sesilja Aranko shared insights into her team’s development of novel protein editing tools for cellular engineering. The Catcher/Tag systems developed by her team enables highly specific and irreversible attachment of proteins in vivo and in vitro. The simple yet powerful toolbox opens a variety of applications in enzyme industry, vaccines, and biomaterials. Her team’s research integrates with the Finnish Biofoundry, contributing to advancements in synthetic biology and biomanufacturing research. 

CO2 valorization with Methanogens 

Assistant Professor Silvan Scheller’s team investigates microbial physiology and mechanistic enzymology, with a focus on methanogenic archaea. His presentation highlighted the potential of methanogens to produce feedstocks for the chemical and plastics industry from CO2 and hydrogen. His team is developing a CRISPR-based gene editing toolbox to enhance methanogen metabolic pathways, paving the way for more efficient bio-based production of fuels and chemicals. 

Aalto’s Future Research and Education Direction 

Dr. Techn. Donya Kamravamanesh outlined future directions in bioprocess engineering education at Aalto University, emphasizing infrastructure expansion to support cutting-edge training for students. She introduced plans for a Future Pilot Hall, set for renovation after summer 2025, which will feature advanced bioreactor systems to optimize and scale bioprocesses from milliliters to fourty-liter capacities. These systems will be designed and customized for specific industrial applications. 

Additionally, she highlighted the expansion of the Aalto Biodegradation Lab, supported by Aalto BIC, which focuses on sustainability-driven research, including waste-to-value strategies, environmental cleanup, and plastic waste reduction. Both the Future Pilot Hall and the Biodegradation Lab will provide valuable opportunities for industry collaboration in research and teaching. 

Strengthening Industry-Academic Collaboration 

In addition to the researchers’ presentations, attendees gained insights into biotechnology’s impact on industry operations through presentations by key IBC Finland member companies: AB Enzymes, BIONTO, CH-Bioforce, Kemira, Orion, Solar Foods. The Aalto Campus Day event concluded with a wrap-up discussion. 

As Aalto University continues to expand its research capabilities, future IBC Finland events will deepen the connection between academia and industry, fostering a thriving ecosystem for biotechnological advancements. 

Juha-Pekka Pitkänen, Chairperson of IBC Finland and Chief Scientific Officer of Solar Foods, emphasized, "The Aalto Campus Day showcased how cutting-edge research in biotechnology is shaping the future of sustainable industries. Strengthening collaboration between academia and industry is crucial to accelerate the transition from scientific breakthroughs to real-world applications." 

If you are interested in joining future events, but are not yet an IBC Finland member, please contact IBC Executive Officer Aila Maijanen at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..