University of Helsinki
The Microbiology Day 2024 organizers
Don’t hesitate to contact any of us with any questions you might have regarding the Microbiology Day!
Matilda Kattilakoski
Matilda Kattilakoski is a doctoral researcher at the Natural Resources Institute Finland in soil ecosystems group. She has a master’s degree in microbiology and microbial biotechnology from the University of Helsinki. Her doctoral research focuses on microbial communities in ash-fertilized peatland forest soils. She uses microbial bioinformatics such as metagenomics to understand the effect of ash-fertilizing on the soil microbial communities and greenhouse gas balance of peatland forests.
Renata Majamäki
Renata Majamäki is a doctoral researcher at the Geological Survey of Finland (GTK) and one of the MBDP student representatives. She graduated with a master’s degree in microbiology from the University of Helsinki and continued her doctoral studies in MBDP. In her PhD project, she investigates the recovery and sustainable use of Baltic Sea ferromanganese concretions as a source of hi-tech metals. One of the project’s aims is to study microbial communities occupying the Fe-Mn concretions and their role in the accumulation and release processes of metals with community RNA analysis. Renata is passionate about working with research on geomicrobiology and the sustainable use of natural resources.
Rasmus Malmgren
Ada Pajari
Aigerim Tuganbay
Aigerim Tuganbay is creating starters for dairy products using commercial probiotic bacteria and yeasts isolated from fermented dairy products in Kazakhstan. The project aims to identify and characterize the diversity of the primary lactic acid bacteria and yeast groups found in traditional fermented milk products in Kazakhstan. This will help in creating new starters that can be used to support the growth and development of the local dairy industry.
Aigerim earned her master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Kazakh National Agrarian University in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
Sirja Viitamäki
MBDP Sirja Viitamäki Microbiology day organiserSirja Viitamäki studies soil microbial communities in sub-Arctic tundra. Using mainly metatranscriptomics, she’s focusing on the microbial activity and functions related to greenhouse gas production and consumption mechanisms. As soil microbial activity plays a crucial role in global greenhouse gas cycles, her study aims to a better understanding of the complex soil microbial communities and their interactions with biotic and abiotic variables in the changing environment.
Sirja has a M.Sc degree in microbiology from the University of Helsinki and is now a doctoral researcher in the Arctic microbial ecology research group.