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.
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):
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
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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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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Addressing semantic ambiguity in biotechnology: Proposals from the European research infrastructure IBISBA
Ancelin, M., Martins dos Santos, V. A. P., Morrissey, J. P., O'Donohue, M. J., Penttilä, M. & Philp, J. C., 25 Sept 2025, In: New Biotechnology. 88, p. 83-88 6 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review
Open Access -
Discovery of Cortinarius O-methyltransferases for the heterologous production of dermolutein and physcion
Jetha, P., Mojzita, D., Maiorova, N., de Ruijter, J. C., Maaheimo, H., Hilditch, S., Peddinti, G., Castillo, S., Toivari, M., Penttilä, M. & Molnár, I., 2025, In: Biotechnology for Biofuels and Bioproducts. 18, 1, 25.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review
Open AccessFile3 Citations (Scopus)84 Downloads (Pure) -
Phylogenetically distinct fungal expansins show different binding preferences towards cellulosic materials and enhance cellulase activity
Koitto, T., Dahiya, D., Huusela, M., Penttilä, M. & Master, E., Jan 2025, In: Current Research in Biotechnology. 9, 100296.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review
Open Access -
Production of xylitol by yeast fed with formic/acetic acid organosolv treated wheat straw
Toivari, M., Vehkomäki, M. L., Ruohonen, L., Penttilä, M. & Wiebe, M., Dec 2025, In: Bioresource Technology Reports. 32, 102410.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Accelerated Engineering of ELP-based Materials through Hybrid Biomimetic-De Novo Predictive Molecular Design
Laakko, T., Korkealaakso, A., Yildirir, B. F., Batys, P., Liljeström, V., Hokkanen, A., Nonappa, N., Penttilä, M., Laukkanen, A., Miserez, A., Södergård, C. & Mohammadi, P., 11 Jul 2024, In: Advanced Materials. 36, 28, 2312299.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review
Open AccessFile6 Citations (Scopus)5795 Downloads (Pure)
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