Projects per year
Personal profile
Research interests
My main responsibility is to advance science and technology in the fields of Industrial Biotechnology and Synthetic biology. At VTT this research consists of ~90 people, with expertise in metabolic engineering, protein production, plant biotechnology, metabolomics, enzymology, synthetic biology, and bioprocessing. I have supervised or co-supervised ~25 doctoral theses.
Education/Academic qualification
Doctorate, Doctor of Philosophy, University of Helsinki
Award Date: 1 Sept 1987
External positions
Adjunct professor, Aalto University
1 Jan 2016 → …
Co-PI of a Finnish Centre of Excellence in Molecular Engineering of Biosynthetic Hybrid Materials Research (HYBER), Research Council of Finland
2014 → 2019
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 2 Zero Hunger -
SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being -
SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation -
SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy -
SDG 9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure -
SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production -
SDG 13 Climate Action -
SDG 15 Life on Land
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Recent external collaboration on country/territory level. Dive into details by clicking on the dots or
Projects
- 4 Active
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ionPATHS: Biosynthetic oligocellulose-based block coPolymer solid-stAte electrolytes: Towards sustainable and safe-by-design energy storage TecHnologieS
Majoinen, J. (Manager), Torvinen, K. (Owner), Pylkkänen, R. (Participant), King, A. (Participant), Koso, T. (Participant), Rannou, P. (Participant) & Penttilä, M. (Participant)
1/09/24 → 31/08/28
Project: Research Council of Finland
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IBISBA-DIALS: Delivering the Infrastructure As a Legal Structure
Jäntti, J. (Manager), Penttilä, M. (Participant), Blomberg, P. (Participant), Tukiainen, P. (Participant), Healy-Rehn, M. (Participant) & Seraste, E. (Participant)
1/01/24 → 31/12/26
Project: EU project
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BIOINDUSTRY 4.0: RI services to promote deep digitalization of Industrial Biotechnology - towards smart biomanufacturing
Blomberg, P. (Manager), Barth, D. (Participant), Penttilä, M. (Owner), Peltonen, K. (Participant), Peddinti, G. (Participant), Castillo, S. (Participant), Mattila, H. (Participant), Jäntti, J. (Participant), Mäyrä, A. (Participant), Havisto, J. (Participant), Hietala, E. (Participant), Tenhunen, J. (Participant), Kögler, M. (Participant), Toivari, M. (Participant) & Mojzita, D. (Participant)
1/01/23 → 31/12/26
Project: EU project
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BIOS: The bio-intelligent DBTL cycle, a key enabler catalysing the industrial transformation towards sustainable biomanufacturing
Blomberg, P. (Manager), Barth, D. (Participant), Penttilä, M. (Owner), Ylinen, A. (Participant), Peltonen, K. (Participant), Krogerus, K. (Participant), Koponen, T. (Participant), Martinez Espana, L. (Participant), Bennett, E. (Participant) & Nyyssönen, M. (Participant)
1/10/22 → 30/09/26
Project: EU project
Research output
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Adaptively evolved chitin overproduction in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Nguyen, A., Penttilä, M., Frey, A. D. & Jouhten, P., 2026, In: Metabolic Engineering. 97, 102499.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review
Open Access -
Functional characterization of a dockerin-containing expansin-like protein from the anaerobic fungus Neocallimastix californiae
Koitto, T., Pohto, A., Sidorova, E., Vuong, T. V., Penttilä, M. & Master, E. R., 3 Feb 2026, In: Biotechnology for Biofuels and Bioproducts. 19, 1, 28.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review
Open Access -
PHA synthase variant design using a conditional variational autoencoder
Tenkanen, T., Ylinen, A., Jouhten, P., Penttilä, M. & Castillo, S., 19 Mar 2026, In: PLoS Computational Biology. 22, 3, 22 p., e1014087.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review
Open AccessFile2 Downloads (Pure) -
Process to produce anthraquinone pigments and dyes
Molnar, I. (Inventor), Hilditch, S. (Inventor), Mojzita, D. (Inventor), Penttilä, M. (Inventor), Jetha, P. (Inventor), de R, J. C. (Inventor) & Toivari, M. (Inventor), 21 Jan 2026, IPC No. C09B1/00, Patent No. FI 131874 B1, 15 Jun 2023, Priority date 15 Jun 2023, Priority No. FI20230005675Research output: Patent › Patent
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Production of Mycelium-Based Nonwoven Fabrics via Submerged Fermentation
Ahokas, P., Arias-Barrantes, M., Valtonen, A., Kärkkäinen, E., Kunnari, V., Vikman, M., Mattila, H., Penttilä, M. & Szilvay, G. R., Jul 2026, In: ACS Applied Bio Materials. 9, 14, p. 6465–6476 12 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review
Open Access
Datasets
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A design–build–test cycle using modeling and experiments reveals interdependencies between upper glycolysis and xylose uptake in recombinant S. cerevisiae and improves predictive capabilities of large-scale kinetic models
Miskovic, L. (Contributor), Alff-Tuomala, S. (Contributor), Soh, K. C. (Contributor), Barth, D. (Contributor), Salusjärvi, L. (Contributor), Pitkänen, J.-P. (Contributor), Ruohonen, L. (Contributor), Penttilä, M. (Contributor) & Hatzimanikatis, V. (Contributor), Figshare, 26 Jun 2017
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.c.3811786.v1
Dataset
Prizes
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Knight, First Class, of the Order of the White Rose of Finland
Penttilä, M. (Recipient), 2007
Prize: Honorary award for a career
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Member of the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters
Penttilä, M. (Recipient), 2015
Prize: Honorary award for a career