People

Members of the Fungal Genetics and Biotechnology group

Current members of the Fungal Genetics and Biotechnology group

Kristiina Hildén

I am the principal investigator in the Fungal Genetics and Biotechnology group which studies plant biomass modifying enzymes from asco- and basidiomycete fungi.

kristiina.s.hilden@helsinki.fi

link to the research portal

Elina Roine

My research focuses on lignin degradation by microbial enzymes. link to the research portal

Johanna Karppi (Rytioja)

My research is focused on enzymatic plant cell wall degradation by the white rot fungi. My key areas of expertise are in biotechnology and microbiology, especially in enzymes and recombinant protein production.    link to the research portal

Saku Mattila

My PhD project focuses on lignocellulolytic fungal enzymes.   link to the research portal

Angel Zhang Xu

My PhD project focuses on fungal oxidoreductases. Link to the research portal 

Austeja Kazanaviciute

My PhD project focuses on the selective degradation of lignin.

ALUMNI
Annele Hatakka

Emerita professor in Environmental Biotechnology

link to my research portal

Docent Miia Mäkelä

I was the principal investigator and Academy of Finland Research Fellow in the Fungal Genetics and Biotechnology group. My research interests include functional genomics of plant biomass degrading asco- and basidiomycete fungi and enzymatic conversion of plant biomass. Current email: miia.makela(at)aalto.fi

Docent Christina Lyra

My research focused on aromatic metabolism of basidiomycete fungi.

Docent Ari Ora

My research focused on bioinformatics and recombinant production of microbial enzymes.

M.Sc. Mila Marinovic

I studied fungal enzymes for selective cleavage of lignin.

Dr. Xing Wan

I studied aromatic metabolism of basidiomycete fungi.

Dr. Riku Maltari

I graduated 2024. My PhD thesis is focused on mild and green solvent fractionation and depolymerization of lignin and lignocellulosic biomass.

M.Sc. Astrid Müller

I studied plant polysaccharide degradation related regulators of basidiomycete fungi.

Dr. Joona Mikkilä

I studied the production of high quality lignin from technical lignins by enzymatic catalysis.

Dr. Joanna Kowalczyk

I studied the regulatory mechanisms of the plant biomass degradation in basidiomycete fungi. 

Dr. Janne Wallenius

My research is focused on aromatic metabolism of basidiomycete fungi.

Dr. Gustavo Borin

My research was focused on aromatic metabolism of basidiomycete fungi.

Dr. Junko Sugano

I graduated 2022. My PhD thesis is focused on co-cultivations of basidiomycete fungi.

Lab technician Zane Dekere 

Dr. Jaana Kuuskeri

My research was focused on characterization of novel esterases and other plant biomass modifying enzymes.

Docent Mika Kähkönen

My research was focused on the characterization and production of laccases. My studies also include dye decolorization by fungi and the impact of nano-metals to fungal enzyme production. link to my research portal

mika.kahkonen@helsinki.fi

Dr. Sadegh Mansouri

I graduated in October 2017. I focused on plant biomass modifying enzymes of ascomycete fungi in my PhD thesis.  

MSc. Harri Hinkka

My research was focused on the characterization of fungal feryloyl and glucuronoyl esterases.