Annual Seminar: Why the Bioeconomy needs Synthetic Biology (free)

Welcome to our annual Synbio Powerhouse event!

Find out Why the Bioeconomy needs Synthetic Biology on Sept. 29th!

Our event is packed with recent findings, inspiring research insight and case studies.

The seminar will be an interactive documentary-style event. This means you will hear case stories straight from the lab and have a chance to discuss with our scientists live online. This hybrid format enables a wonderful amount of exciting news from the Finnish synthetic biology ecosystem.

Register now to join us online- or to receive access to the full 2,5 hour documentary after the premiere!

Full Agenda

14-14:25 - Welcoming remarks

Why Synthetic Biology?

• Antti Vasara, CEO, VTT

Synbio Powerhouse

• Tuula Palmén, Co-creation Manager, Synbio Powerhouse

Bio-intelligent Manufacturing

• Professor Merja Penttilä, VTT, Aalto University

The Bioeconomy: cross-cutting challenges demand cross-cutting efforts

• Professor Orlando Rojas, Scientific Director, Bioproducts Institute, University of British Columbia

14:20 - 15:10 Session 2

Case studies: Boosting circular bioeconomy with microbes

Screening for a novel enzyme cocktail for bioethanol production from lignocellulose

Case: St1 Enzyme production for Cellunolix mill

• Anna Kankaanpää, R&D Manager, Bioprocess Development at St1
• Kaisa Marjamaa, Senior scientist, VTT
• Nina Aro, Senior Scientist, VTT

Hemicellulose side streams and biotechnology

Dissolving pulp market outlook

• Pat Cavanagh, Economist, Fastmarkets RISI

AaltoCell & Biotechnology synergies

• Professor Olli Dahl, Aalto University

Briefly: Use of Xylitol from organsolv hemicellulose fraction in bioproduction (full version available online)

• Merja Penttilä, Professor, VTT, Aalto University

Bio-based insulation boards made with microbes

Case: FinnFoam, turning Soy Molasses into PLA

from strain design to pilot scale demonstration

• Marja Illmén, Senior scientist VTT
• Henry Nieminen, CEO, FinnFoam

Briefly: Microbial drop-in replacement for PET from fruit peels (Full version available online)

• Jussi Jäntti, Principal Scientist, VTT
• Sari Rautiainen, Senior Scientist, VTT
• Nicolaas van Strien, Research scientists, VTT

Plastic precursors from agro and forestry side streams

Case: SynbioPro

Acrylic acid  from lignocellulose based sugars using yeasts

• Outi Koivistoinen, Senior Scientist, VTT

Lignin to adipic acid using Acinetobacter baylyi ADP1

• Ville Santala, Professor, Tampere University
• Milla Salmela, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Tampere University
• Perttu Koskinen, VP of Innovation, Discovery and External Collaboration, Neste
• Rasmus Pinomaa, Corporate Sustainability Director, Kemira

Briefly: Glycolic Acid production in Yeast  (full version available online)

• Merja Penttilä, Professor, VTT, Aalto University

Discussion Q&Q

15:15 - 15:45 Session 3

Utilising CO2 as feedstock for materials and chemicals production

Ethane production with engineered archaea

• Professor Silvan Scheller, Aalto University

Photosynthetic cell factories

• Eva- Mari Aro, Professor emeritus, University of Turku
• Pauli Kallio, Assistant professor, University of Turku

Solid-state photosynthetic cell factories

• Yagut Allahverdiyeva-Rinne, Professor, University of Turku (chair of NordAqua NCoE)

Nanocellulose matrix for solid state cultivation

• Professor Tekla Tammelin, Principal Scientist VTT

PLA and Single Cell Protein Production with Knallgas bacteria

• Laura Salusjärvi, Senior Scientist, VTT
• Cellular Agriculture at VTT
• Emilia Nordlund, Research Manager, VTT

Discussion Q&A

15:50 - 16:15 Session 4

The Design Build Test Learn Capabilities and infrastructure at VTT

• Paula Jouhten, Principal Scientist, VTT
• Dominik Mojzita, Principal Scientist, VTT
• Jussi Jäntti, Principal Scientist, VTT
• Tino Koponen, Research Scientist, VTT
• Kiira Vuoristo, Senior Scientist, VTT

Discussion Q&A

Recent Research highlights

Mycelium leather production at 1 meter / minute

• Géza Szilvay, Senior Scientist, VTT
• Manuel Arias Barrantes, Research Scientist, VTT

The BioColour -project

• Mervi Toivari, Principal Scientist, VTT
• Satu Hilditch, Research Scientist, VTT

Enzymatically synthesized nanocellulose

and beta-glucans

• Robert Pylkkänen, Research Scientist, VTT, Centre for young Synbio Scientists

Synthesis of PHB & PLA co-polymer in yeast in vivo

• Anna Ylinen, Research Scientist, VTT, Centre for young Synbio Scientists

Mantis shrimp inspired nanocomposites

• Pezhman Mohammadi, Senior Scientist, VTT, Centre for young Synbio Scientists

Discussion

16:20 Closing remarks

The Finnish Bioeconomy hub

Why Espoo?

• Glenn Gassen, Director, Innovation, Growth & Invest In Business Espoo

Why Finland?

• Helvi Väisänen, Senior Business Advisor, Business Finland