Kemian tekniikan korkeakoulun uutisethttp://chem.aalto.fi/en/current/news/2013-06-18T08:51:09+00:00FeedCreator 1.7.6(BH) (info@mypapit.net)Academy funding to three research projects in the School of Chemical Technology2013-06-12T11:03:11+00:002013-06-12T11:03:11+00:00http://chem.aalto.fi/en/midcom-permalink-1e2d34fac1cba2ad34f11e281e149613b004f404f40Aalto-www <verkkotoimitus@aalto.fi>Professors Sami Franssila, Markus Linder and Ari Koskinen and Academy Research Fellow Maria Sammalkorpi have received research funding from the Academy of Finland.
Professors Sami Franssila and Markus Linder have received research funding from the Academy of Finland in the Synthetic Biology (FinSynBio) Research Programme application process.
Their consortium headed by Professor Markus Linder has chosen “Synthetic genetic circuits for programming the structure of materials” as its research topic. Academy Research Fellow Robin Ras (from the Aalto University School of Science) is also a member of the consortium.
Professor Ari Koskinen has been granted research funding through an academy project funding decision made by the Academy of Finland Research Council for Natural Sciences and Engineering.
The title of Professor Koskinen’s research project is ‘Synthesis of Target Molecules Inspired by Natural Products: Calyculins as Research Tools for Cell Signalling and Chemical Genomics’.
Academy Research Fellow Maria Sammalkorpi has received research funding from Academy of Finland and NSF Materials World Network joint call.
The title of the project is ‘Thermal Transitions in Polyelectrolyte Multilayers and Complexes’. The project has a partner team in the USA lead by Prof. Jodie Lutkenhaus, Texas A&M University.
]]>Professors Sami Franssila, Markus Linder and Ari Koskinen and Academy Research Fellow Maria Sammalkorpi have received research funding from the Academy of Finland.
Professors Sami Franssila and Markus Linder have received research funding from the Academy of Finland in the Synthetic Biology (FinSynBio) Research Programme application process.
Their consortium headed by Professor Markus Linder has chosen “Synthetic genetic circuits for programming the structure of materials” as its research topic. Academy Research Fellow Robin Ras (from the Aalto University School of Science) is also a member of the consortium.
Professor Ari Koskinen has been granted research funding through an academy project funding decision made by the Academy of Finland Research Council for Natural Sciences and Engineering.
The title of Professor Koskinen’s research project is ‘Synthesis of Target Molecules Inspired by Natural Products: Calyculins as Research Tools for Cell Signalling and Chemical Genomics’.
Academy Research Fellow Maria Sammalkorpi has received research funding from Academy of Finland and NSF Materials World Network joint call.
The title of the project is ‘Thermal Transitions in Polyelectrolyte Multilayers and Complexes’. The project has a partner team in the USA lead by Prof. Jodie Lutkenhaus, Texas A&M University.
]]>Studying Minerals Engineering takes students around Europe2013-06-10T09:54:03+00:002013-06-10T09:54:03+00:00http://chem.aalto.fi/en/midcom-permalink-1e2d1b3aea51b36d1b311e28bf3bdde2a94f9d0f9d0Aalto-www <verkkotoimitus@aalto.fi>The international EMEC course concluded at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering of the School of Chemical Technology in May. The course brought together students of materials science and technology from around Europe. The year-long course involved study periods at universities in different parts of Europe. This year the last phase of the course took place at Aalto University from January to May.
The European Minerals Engineering Course, or EMEC, covers the life cycle of metals from the mines to recycling. The course is arranged by the Federation of European Minerals Programmes, a foundation whose founding members also included the former Helsinki University of Technology. In Finland, the course is headed by Kari Heiskanen, Professor of Mechanical Processing and Recycling. He was involved in planning the course and launching it in 1998.
'EMEC began from the notion that professors from around Europe who know each other could share the burden of teaching. We accepted each other's courses in the whole, and EMEC ran for a long time with the support of a network of trust', Professor Heiskanen says. According to Heiskanen, the course has developed over the years, becoming more systematic and demanding, its contents have altered and the partners involved have changed.
This year's EMEC course was held in England, Poland, and Finland. The students came mostly from around Europe, but there were also some from outside Europe. This year six of the 25 students on the course were from Aalto University.
The study comprises plenty of group work, lectures, and laboratory work. Teaching methods vary from one country to another. 'In Poland the students were accustomed to sitting in lectures, and they were initially shocked when we sent them to a laboratory right away', Heiskanen says. Aalto's portion of the course is difficult and most of the study involves application and experimentation. EMEC is also significantly more fast-paced than ordinary courses, as it brings 60 credits in a year.
Valuable benefits to the students included the opportunity to operate in an international group, travel, and getting to know other universities.
Course develops international thinking and offers magnificent job opportunities
Student Andrews Osei praises the course especially for its hands-on approach - that is, how it allows students to experiment and do much more in their studies than they would on ordinary courses. Osei, who is from Ghana, is taking part in a master's programme at EMEC. Contrary to many of the European students on the course, Osei has another year of EMEC studies ahead of him.
'The course has also been a great opportunity to get to travel and to get friends from different countries. I am enthusiastically looking forward to spending next year with the course', Osei says.
Juho Heikkilä studies materials technology at Aalto University. 'I took part in the EMEC course because I was interested in its subject matter. As a whole the course has been great: working in a tightly-knit international group and travelling is a completely new experience, and has made my own internationalism grow to a new level', he says.
According to Heikkilä, the course affected his plans for the future. 'I used to think that I definitely want to get work now only in Finland. However, through the course, I have started to become more interested in jobs in which there is a possibility to travel a lot, and perhaps also, to work abroad'.
Working abroad is no impossible dream, as there are more than 600 people so far who have been on an EMEC course, and most of them can be reached. For the students, the course is a very good way to get contacts for jobs in the minerals industry.
]]>The international EMEC course concluded at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering of the School of Chemical Technology in May. The course brought together students of materials science and technology from around Europe. The year-long course involved study periods at universities in different parts of Europe. This year the last phase of the course took place at Aalto University from January to May.
The European Minerals Engineering Course, or EMEC, covers the life cycle of metals from the mines to recycling. The course is arranged by the Federation of European Minerals Programmes, a foundation whose founding members also included the former Helsinki University of Technology. In Finland, the course is headed by Kari Heiskanen, Professor of Mechanical Processing and Recycling. He was involved in planning the course and launching it in 1998.
'EMEC began from the notion that professors from around Europe who know each other could share the burden of teaching. We accepted each other's courses in the whole, and EMEC ran for a long time with the support of a network of trust', Professor Heiskanen says. According to Heiskanen, the course has developed over the years, becoming more systematic and demanding, its contents have altered and the partners involved have changed.
This year's EMEC course was held in England, Poland, and Finland. The students came mostly from around Europe, but there were also some from outside Europe. This year six of the 25 students on the course were from Aalto University.
The study comprises plenty of group work, lectures, and laboratory work. Teaching methods vary from one country to another. 'In Poland the students were accustomed to sitting in lectures, and they were initially shocked when we sent them to a laboratory right away', Heiskanen says. Aalto's portion of the course is difficult and most of the study involves application and experimentation. EMEC is also significantly more fast-paced than ordinary courses, as it brings 60 credits in a year.
Valuable benefits to the students included the opportunity to operate in an international group, travel, and getting to know other universities.
Course develops international thinking and offers magnificent job opportunities
Student Andrews Osei praises the course especially for its hands-on approach - that is, how it allows students to experiment and do much more in their studies than they would on ordinary courses. Osei, who is from Ghana, is taking part in a master's programme at EMEC. Contrary to many of the European students on the course, Osei has another year of EMEC studies ahead of him.
'The course has also been a great opportunity to get to travel and to get friends from different countries. I am enthusiastically looking forward to spending next year with the course', Osei says.
Juho Heikkilä studies materials technology at Aalto University. 'I took part in the EMEC course because I was interested in its subject matter. As a whole the course has been great: working in a tightly-knit international group and travelling is a completely new experience, and has made my own internationalism grow to a new level', he says.
According to Heikkilä, the course affected his plans for the future. 'I used to think that I definitely want to get work now only in Finland. However, through the course, I have started to become more interested in jobs in which there is a possibility to travel a lot, and perhaps also, to work abroad'.
Working abroad is no impossible dream, as there are more than 600 people so far who have been on an EMEC course, and most of them can be reached. For the students, the course is a very good way to get contacts for jobs in the minerals industry.
]]>Two research groups from the School of Chemical Technology are involved with recently selected Centre of Excellence led by Olli Ikkala2013-06-07T10:02:34+00:002013-06-07T10:02:34+00:00http://chem.aalto.fi/en/midcom-permalink-1e2cf5960129018cf5911e2b2dc416bfd521f901f90Aalto-www <verkkotoimitus@aalto.fi>The School of Chemical Technology is involved with the Molecular Engineering of Biosynthetic Hybrid Materials Research Group led by Olli Ikkala, which was chosen as an Academy of Finland Centre of Excellence on Tuesday 4 June 2013.
Ikkala's Centre of Excellence includes Professor Markus Linder's Research Group, as well as Professor Janne Laine's Research Group. Research Professor Merja Penttilä with her Research group from VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland is also involved with the project.
The project of the Centre of Excellence, located at the Aalto University School of Science, concerns the development of high-tech materials and dynamic complex modelling systems for the future, based on naturally occurring basic materials that are manipulated and produced through biological production processes. In technologies of the future, new basic materials and processes which protect the environment and conserve energy are set to be in a key role, as the gradual replacement of oil-based materials and processes by biotechnical processes and biological materials is within sight.
The Board of the Academy of Finland has selected the Centres of Excellence in Research (CoE) for the 2014‒2019 CoE programme. The new CoE programme will consist of 14 units, involving research teams from twelve universities or research institutes. The Academy has reserved a total of EUR 45 million for the first three years of the six-year programme term. The funding negotiations for the new CoEs will be held in autumn 2013. The Academy’s CoE call attracted a total of 128 letters of intent, of which the Academy’s Board selected 34 to submit full applications. These applications were reviewed by international expert panels. Unit representatives were also interviewed at the Academy.
The Centres of Excellence are are the flagships of Finnish research. They are at the very cutting edge of international science in their fields, carving out new avenues for research, developing creative research environments and training new talented researchers for Finnish society and business and industry.
A Centre of Excellence is a research and training network that has a clearly defined set of research objectives and is run under a joint management. Funding is provided for a six-year term, which means that CoEs can work to long-term plans and even take risks. CoEs are jointly funded by the Academy of Finland, universities, research institutes, the private business sector and many other sources. The Academy has funded CoEs since 1995.
]]>The School of Chemical Technology is involved with the Molecular Engineering of Biosynthetic Hybrid Materials Research Group led by Olli Ikkala, which was chosen as an Academy of Finland Centre of Excellence on Tuesday 4 June 2013.
Ikkala's Centre of Excellence includes Professor Markus Linder's Research Group, as well as Professor Janne Laine's Research Group. Research Professor Merja Penttilä with her Research group from VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland is also involved with the project.
The project of the Centre of Excellence, located at the Aalto University School of Science, concerns the development of high-tech materials and dynamic complex modelling systems for the future, based on naturally occurring basic materials that are manipulated and produced through biological production processes. In technologies of the future, new basic materials and processes which protect the environment and conserve energy are set to be in a key role, as the gradual replacement of oil-based materials and processes by biotechnical processes and biological materials is within sight.
The Board of the Academy of Finland has selected the Centres of Excellence in Research (CoE) for the 2014‒2019 CoE programme. The new CoE programme will consist of 14 units, involving research teams from twelve universities or research institutes. The Academy has reserved a total of EUR 45 million for the first three years of the six-year programme term. The funding negotiations for the new CoEs will be held in autumn 2013. The Academy’s CoE call attracted a total of 128 letters of intent, of which the Academy’s Board selected 34 to submit full applications. These applications were reviewed by international expert panels. Unit representatives were also interviewed at the Academy.
The Centres of Excellence are are the flagships of Finnish research. They are at the very cutting edge of international science in their fields, carving out new avenues for research, developing creative research environments and training new talented researchers for Finnish society and business and industry.
A Centre of Excellence is a research and training network that has a clearly defined set of research objectives and is run under a joint management. Funding is provided for a six-year term, which means that CoEs can work to long-term plans and even take risks. CoEs are jointly funded by the Academy of Finland, universities, research institutes, the private business sector and many other sources. The Academy has funded CoEs since 1995.
]]>I love these experiments!2013-05-31T08:09:24+00:002013-05-31T08:09:24+00:00http://chem.aalto.fi/en/midcom-permalink-1e2c9c967ef6a76c9c911e28e7e4b5266a6403f403fAalto-www <verkkotoimitus@aalto.fi>'I love these experiments!' and 'Fun and interesting' were some of the opinions voiced by pupils of class 5B from Jalavapuisto School in Espoo when asked about their visit with their teacher Sari Pyysiäinen on 28 May to the Department of Chemistry at the School of Chemical Technology. The schoolchildren briefly acquainted themselves with the activities of the department and performed laboratory experiments, such as producing carbon dioxide. Serving as guides were Department of Chemistry Lecturer Minna Nieminen and Laboratory Manager Kimmo Karinen. Each year a few groups of schoolchildren, from daycare age on up, visit the Department of Chemistry.
The first thing that was done in the laboratory experiments was to make observations. Then they pondered together what happened in the experiments.
Producing carbon dioxide and using pH paper to determine acidity and alkalinity
In the experiment on carbon dioxide production, there was a bubbling sound and foam in the liquid when gas was released and accumulated in a balloon. A change in the colour of the solution was also noted, and pH paper was used to measure its acidity and alkalinity.
Carbon dioxide that collected in the balloon was released into a glass container, and the whole time that it stayed in the container, a candle at the bottom could not be lit.
A dandelion, a balloon, and liquid nitrogen
In one experiment a dandelion and a balloon were dipped in liquid nitrogen at -196 degrees Celsius, and everyone watched what happened after that.
The dandelion froze in the liquid nitrogen and crumbled into dust when squeezed.
In liquid nitrogen a balloon shrunk to a very small size, but returned to normal once it was back at room temperature.
'Bye! It was fun', said one of the pupils before walking out the door when the visit was over.
Text and pictures: Heli Laukko
]]>'I love these experiments!' and 'Fun and interesting' were some of the opinions voiced by pupils of class 5B from Jalavapuisto School in Espoo when asked about their visit with their teacher Sari Pyysiäinen on 28 May to the Department of Chemistry at the School of Chemical Technology. The schoolchildren briefly acquainted themselves with the activities of the department and performed laboratory experiments, such as producing carbon dioxide. Serving as guides were Department of Chemistry Lecturer Minna Nieminen and Laboratory Manager Kimmo Karinen. Each year a few groups of schoolchildren, from daycare age on up, visit the Department of Chemistry.
The first thing that was done in the laboratory experiments was to make observations. Then they pondered together what happened in the experiments.
Producing carbon dioxide and using pH paper to determine acidity and alkalinity
In the experiment on carbon dioxide production, there was a bubbling sound and foam in the liquid when gas was released and accumulated in a balloon. A change in the colour of the solution was also noted, and pH paper was used to measure its acidity and alkalinity.
Carbon dioxide that collected in the balloon was released into a glass container, and the whole time that it stayed in the container, a candle at the bottom could not be lit.
A dandelion, a balloon, and liquid nitrogen
In one experiment a dandelion and a balloon were dipped in liquid nitrogen at -196 degrees Celsius, and everyone watched what happened after that.
The dandelion froze in the liquid nitrogen and crumbled into dust when squeezed.
In liquid nitrogen a balloon shrunk to a very small size, but returned to normal once it was back at room temperature.
'Bye! It was fun', said one of the pupils before walking out the door when the visit was over.
Text and pictures: Heli Laukko
]]>Micro-and nano-structures lead to new opportunities for analytics2013-05-29T12:19:01+00:002013-05-29T12:19:01+00:00http://chem.aalto.fi/en/midcom-permalink-1e2c859f22ad64cc85911e2b802afc4a48ce9efe9efAalto-www <verkkotoimitus@aalto.fi>Chips containing micro and nano-sized flow channels, which can be used to study things such as neuronal network activity under the influence of various drugs, are being developed at Aalto University's Department of Materials Science and Engineering.
Revealing the secrets of neural networks
Postdoctoral Researcher Ville Jokinen is researching micro and nanofluidic chips and their bioanalytical applications in the Aalto University Research Group for Microfabrication, led by Professor Sami Franssila.
The chips are prepared using a top-down method, which means that micro or nano-sized channels are etched into the surface of the structure using a mask, for example. Traditional thin-layer chromatology can also be considered as a form of microfluidics. Micrometre-sized channels are mostly used for analytical chemistry applications, because the understanding of many of the phenomena specific to nano channels is still at the research stage.
Picture: Polymer microfluidic chip for neuroscience.
’Microchips can be made for instance for antibody blood tests, for which a very small sample size can be used. The surface to volume ratio is high, so the interaction between the substance to be analysed and channel surfaces is emphasised and can also be controlled.’
The group's cooperation partners at University of Helsinki Neuroscience Center have grown networks of nerve cells in micro-channels, which allows researchers to investigate neuronal network activity under the influence of drugs, for instance. When nerve cells are grown in a Petri dish they form a shapeless mass which is not feasible for a detailed analysis of the neuronal network activity.
Picture: Post-doc researcher Ville Jokinen is inspecting a polymer microfluidic chip for neuroscience.
’There are many other applications where it is also beneficial that the structures and analyte are in the same size-range. In the United States nano-channels have been tested for DNA molecule sequencing, i.e. base sequence reading.’
From a lab on a chip to fuel cells
One of the objectives in this field is to develop the so called lab on a chip. This is a sheet containing small flow channels, which would be cheap to produce and which would allow a number of chemical analyses to be made for a single sample. A corresponding electrical application would be an integrated electrical circuit on a microchip.
’There are applications in many areas. One of our group's researchers, for example, is examining the use of micro-structures in fuel cells,’says Jokinen.
Picture: Silicon wafer micromold for replication molding of polymer microdluidic chips.
]]>Chips containing micro and nano-sized flow channels, which can be used to study things such as neuronal network activity under the influence of various drugs, are being developed at Aalto University's Department of Materials Science and Engineering.
Revealing the secrets of neural networks
Postdoctoral Researcher Ville Jokinen is researching micro and nanofluidic chips and their bioanalytical applications in the Aalto University Research Group for Microfabrication, led by Professor Sami Franssila.
The chips are prepared using a top-down method, which means that micro or nano-sized channels are etched into the surface of the structure using a mask, for example. Traditional thin-layer chromatology can also be considered as a form of microfluidics. Micrometre-sized channels are mostly used for analytical chemistry applications, because the understanding of many of the phenomena specific to nano channels is still at the research stage.
Picture: Polymer microfluidic chip for neuroscience.
’Microchips can be made for instance for antibody blood tests, for which a very small sample size can be used. The surface to volume ratio is high, so the interaction between the substance to be analysed and channel surfaces is emphasised and can also be controlled.’
The group's cooperation partners at University of Helsinki Neuroscience Center have grown networks of nerve cells in micro-channels, which allows researchers to investigate neuronal network activity under the influence of drugs, for instance. When nerve cells are grown in a Petri dish they form a shapeless mass which is not feasible for a detailed analysis of the neuronal network activity.
Picture: Post-doc researcher Ville Jokinen is inspecting a polymer microfluidic chip for neuroscience.
’There are many other applications where it is also beneficial that the structures and analyte are in the same size-range. In the United States nano-channels have been tested for DNA molecule sequencing, i.e. base sequence reading.’
From a lab on a chip to fuel cells
One of the objectives in this field is to develop the so called lab on a chip. This is a sheet containing small flow channels, which would be cheap to produce and which would allow a number of chemical analyses to be made for a single sample. A corresponding electrical application would be an integrated electrical circuit on a microchip.
’There are applications in many areas. One of our group's researchers, for example, is examining the use of micro-structures in fuel cells,’says Jokinen.
Picture: Silicon wafer micromold for replication molding of polymer microdluidic chips.
]]>Poster award to Susanna Kuitunen for developing a model for mass transfer in wood chips2013-05-13T09:53:14+00:002013-05-13T09:53:14+00:00http://chem.aalto.fi/en/midcom-permalink-1e2bbb2ee07df64bbb211e2a5610f119292a04da04dAalto-www <verkkotoimitus@aalto.fi>Susanna Kuitunen, a researcher at the Department of Biotechnology and Chemical Technology received the award for the best research poster in the worldwide chemical technology ECCE9 congress at The Hague at the end of April.
Kuitunen’s poster ‘Modelling mass transfer in wood chips’ presents a study in which two mathematical methods for solving the chemical compounds’ profiles in wood chips are compared. One of the methods is generally accepted but requires large amounts of computer memory and computing time. In her study Kuitunen developed a new faster method needing less computer memory.
The new mathematical method developed in Kuitunen’s study was found to give the same results as the existing method. The new method enables the simulation of the production of pulp more accurately and faster than before. Thus optimization of chemical pulp production using simulations is enhanced.
The study is part of FIBIC’s (Finnish Bioeconomy Cluster) programmes EffFibre and Fubio JR2.
]]>Susanna Kuitunen, a researcher at the Department of Biotechnology and Chemical Technology received the award for the best research poster in the worldwide chemical technology ECCE9 congress at The Hague at the end of April.
Kuitunen’s poster ‘Modelling mass transfer in wood chips’ presents a study in which two mathematical methods for solving the chemical compounds’ profiles in wood chips are compared. One of the methods is generally accepted but requires large amounts of computer memory and computing time. In her study Kuitunen developed a new faster method needing less computer memory.
The new mathematical method developed in Kuitunen’s study was found to give the same results as the existing method. The new method enables the simulation of the production of pulp more accurately and faster than before. Thus optimization of chemical pulp production using simulations is enhanced.
The study is part of FIBIC’s (Finnish Bioeconomy Cluster) programmes EffFibre and Fubio JR2.
]]>New species of truffle found in Finland2013-05-08T14:34:53+00:002013-05-08T14:34:53+00:00http://chem.aalto.fi/en/midcom-permalink-1e2b7ec72405d62b7ec11e2b611c16b5a311d331d33Aalto-www <verkkotoimitus@aalto.fi>A species of truffle that is considered to be rare has been found for the first time in Finland. Previously it has been thought to exist only in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The truffle was found in Puumala, growing under a pine tree. The truffle was identified on the basis of its shape, as well as through methods of molecular biology. On the basis of phylogenetic analysis (evolutionary tree) the truffle was identified as a Tuber anniae. Aalto University and the Juva Truffle Center will study the new truffle's edibility and its commercial potential.
Truffle species have spread around Asia, Europe, North Africa and North America. There is extensive variation among truffle species in Europe. Truffles are ecologically symbiotic fungi that can form a symbiotic relationship with trees, including pine, birch, spruce and oak. Truffle research is fairly new in Finland. So far, Aalto University and the Juva Truffle Centre have found only a few wild truffles, including the Tuber foetidum and the Tuber maculatum.
Research with a bioreactor
'Our research today focuses on the development of DNA-based techniques. The aim is to determine the "fingerprint" of the truffles so that the different Finnish species of truffle can be distinguished from each other. This would allow them to be listed according to species on the lists of the Sienikauppa mushroom store. Different truffle species have different prices which are based on a number of factors, including their availability and nutritional value', says Aalto University researcher Salem Shamekh, D.Sc. (Tech.), who is also the director of the Juva Truffle Center.
'We also study the production of the fungal mycelium of the truffles in a bioreactor, as well as the isolation of flavours and antioxidants. We planned to collaborate with Aalto University researchers in organic chemistry, including the group led by Professor Reija Jokela. '
'We have succeeded in implanting truffle spores in Finnish trees (such as the Black Diamond Truffle and the Summer Truffle) which makes it possible to set up a company based on truffles.'
'We are the first research group to have produced truffles in a truffle garden in Finland', Salem Shamekh, D.Sc. (Tech.), says.
More information:
Dr Salem Shamekh Aalto University School of Chemical Technology salem.shamekh@aalto.fi tel. 470 22545
]]>A species of truffle that is considered to be rare has been found for the first time in Finland. Previously it has been thought to exist only in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The truffle was found in Puumala, growing under a pine tree. The truffle was identified on the basis of its shape, as well as through methods of molecular biology. On the basis of phylogenetic analysis (evolutionary tree) the truffle was identified as a Tuber anniae. Aalto University and the Juva Truffle Center will study the new truffle's edibility and its commercial potential.
Truffle species have spread around Asia, Europe, North Africa and North America. There is extensive variation among truffle species in Europe. Truffles are ecologically symbiotic fungi that can form a symbiotic relationship with trees, including pine, birch, spruce and oak. Truffle research is fairly new in Finland. So far, Aalto University and the Juva Truffle Centre have found only a few wild truffles, including the Tuber foetidum and the Tuber maculatum.
Research with a bioreactor
'Our research today focuses on the development of DNA-based techniques. The aim is to determine the "fingerprint" of the truffles so that the different Finnish species of truffle can be distinguished from each other. This would allow them to be listed according to species on the lists of the Sienikauppa mushroom store. Different truffle species have different prices which are based on a number of factors, including their availability and nutritional value', says Aalto University researcher Salem Shamekh, D.Sc. (Tech.), who is also the director of the Juva Truffle Center.
'We also study the production of the fungal mycelium of the truffles in a bioreactor, as well as the isolation of flavours and antioxidants. We planned to collaborate with Aalto University researchers in organic chemistry, including the group led by Professor Reija Jokela. '
'We have succeeded in implanting truffle spores in Finnish trees (such as the Black Diamond Truffle and the Summer Truffle) which makes it possible to set up a company based on truffles.'
'We are the first research group to have produced truffles in a truffle garden in Finland', Salem Shamekh, D.Sc. (Tech.), says.
More information:
Dr Salem Shamekh Aalto University School of Chemical Technology salem.shamekh@aalto.fi tel. 470 22545
]]>New equipment for study of surface layers of material2013-05-06T07:29:24+00:002013-05-06T07:29:24+00:00http://chem.aalto.fi/en/midcom-permalink-1e2b61eace76642b61e11e287b6db3d2a211d371d37Aalto-www <verkkotoimitus@aalto.fi>The Department of Forest Products Technology has acquired a new x-ray photoelectron spectrometer, XPS, and new laboratory facilities for it. The previous equipment was located in the Chemical Technology Building, serving there dozens of research groups at Otaniemi for more than 17 years.
The XPS method, based on photoelectric effect, is used to study the chemical structure of the topmost atomic layers of materials. Characterising the surface is important, since it is only the surface that reacts with environment. Thus, the surface structure and composition may be very different from the bulk.
With XPS it is also possible to observe light elements, such as carbon, oxygen and nitrogen, which are not detected with other surface sensitive methods. In addition to the elemental composition, the method also provides chemical information on compounds present at the surface.
‘The new instrument has imaging properties. With elemental and compound maps and/or the analysis of spectral backgrounds, we can now better estimate ultra-thin film coverages, surface modifications and try to solve tricky contamination problems’, says Leena-Sisko Johansson, Research Fellow at the Department of Forest Products Technology.
Originally, XPS was used mainly for inorganic metal, mineral and oxide surfaces. Only in the 1990s the instrumentation was further developed for quantitative analysis of insulating and organic materials. Cellulose is a good example of this: recently XPS has been successfully utilised in analysis of wood, paper and the novel nanocellulose applications.
Better characteristics, more possibilities
Research at the Department of Forest Products Technology is focused on nature derived materials. For this reason the department needed an XPS instrument specifically customised for soft, charging surfaces.
The chosen instrument, AXIS Ultra, is a state-of-art high power instrument, equipped with a monochromator and a neutraliser that is suitable even for fragile organic materials.
‘In addition to the imaging, we can now start work on water containing samples. In the cryo experiments samples are inserted and analysed in a frozen state, below -150 degrees Celsius. This opens another new view for understanding the unique surface properties of nature derived materials’, Johansson explains.
The new XPS equipment was inaugurated with a seminar at the Department of Forest Products Technology on 25 April. The event was arranged together with the Finnish section of the Royal Society of Chemistry.
The address of the laboratory is Tekniikantie 3, 2nd floor.
]]>The Department of Forest Products Technology has acquired a new x-ray photoelectron spectrometer, XPS, and new laboratory facilities for it. The previous equipment was located in the Chemical Technology Building, serving there dozens of research groups at Otaniemi for more than 17 years.
The XPS method, based on photoelectric effect, is used to study the chemical structure of the topmost atomic layers of materials. Characterising the surface is important, since it is only the surface that reacts with environment. Thus, the surface structure and composition may be very different from the bulk.
With XPS it is also possible to observe light elements, such as carbon, oxygen and nitrogen, which are not detected with other surface sensitive methods. In addition to the elemental composition, the method also provides chemical information on compounds present at the surface.
‘The new instrument has imaging properties. With elemental and compound maps and/or the analysis of spectral backgrounds, we can now better estimate ultra-thin film coverages, surface modifications and try to solve tricky contamination problems’, says Leena-Sisko Johansson, Research Fellow at the Department of Forest Products Technology.
Originally, XPS was used mainly for inorganic metal, mineral and oxide surfaces. Only in the 1990s the instrumentation was further developed for quantitative analysis of insulating and organic materials. Cellulose is a good example of this: recently XPS has been successfully utilised in analysis of wood, paper and the novel nanocellulose applications.
Better characteristics, more possibilities
Research at the Department of Forest Products Technology is focused on nature derived materials. For this reason the department needed an XPS instrument specifically customised for soft, charging surfaces.
The chosen instrument, AXIS Ultra, is a state-of-art high power instrument, equipped with a monochromator and a neutraliser that is suitable even for fragile organic materials.
‘In addition to the imaging, we can now start work on water containing samples. In the cryo experiments samples are inserted and analysed in a frozen state, below -150 degrees Celsius. This opens another new view for understanding the unique surface properties of nature derived materials’, Johansson explains.
The new XPS equipment was inaugurated with a seminar at the Department of Forest Products Technology on 25 April. The event was arranged together with the Finnish section of the Royal Society of Chemistry.
The address of the laboratory is Tekniikantie 3, 2nd floor.
]]>Professor Michael Gasik awarded by The National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine2013-04-29T06:49:52+00:002013-04-29T06:49:52+00:00http://chem.aalto.fi/en/midcom-permalink-1e2b098fe58b886b09811e2a0819de142918afe8afeAalto-www <verkkotoimitus@aalto.fi>
Professor Michael Gasik has been awarded 18 April 2013 by National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine for his book "Electrothermy of Silicon". This award, named after M. Dobrohotov, is issued for outstanding scientific work in the area of metallurgy and materials science.
Professor Michael Gasik has been awarded 18 April 2013 by National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine for his book "Electrothermy of Silicon". This award, named after M. Dobrohotov, is issued for outstanding scientific work in the area of metallurgy and materials science.
]]>Results of the Master's admissions 2013 have been published2013-04-26T07:57:21+00:002013-04-26T07:57:21+00:00http://chem.aalto.fi/en/midcom-permalink-1e2ae46ecbd0248ae4611e2af0229551d52f5bdf5bdAalto-www <verkkotoimitus@aalto.fi>Results of the Master's admissions at Aalto University have been published on 26 April 2013.
Please note that the list contains only the names of those applicants who have given the permission to publish their admission decision on the web site.
The applicants can also check their own admission results in the online application system apply.aalto.fi.
A formal letter of acceptance will be sent to the admitted students by mail.
Please note that the list contains only the names of those applicants who have given the permission to publish their admission decision on the web site.
The applicants can also check their own admission results in the online application system apply.aalto.fi.
A formal letter of acceptance will be sent to the admitted students by mail.
]]>Artificial blood vessels and tissues using a 3D printer2013-04-23T12:14:45+00:002013-04-23T12:14:45+00:00http://chem.aalto.fi/en/midcom-permalink-1e2ac0f627e82deac0f11e2af59b311d4b66b306b30Aalto-www <verkkotoimitus@aalto.fi>Aalto University School of Chemical Technology and BIT Research Centre are collaborating on a project called ArtiVasc 3D, funded under the European Community´s 7th Framework Programme. This ambitious venture aims to manufacture artificial vascularised skin using 3D printing technology.
Artificial skin is intended primarily as a model for pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries partly allowing reduction of tests on animals. Furthermore, it has potential to be used to develop skin grafts in the treatment of burn injuries and associated trauma.
Artificial tissue consists of polymers
The new polymer-based materials that artificial tissues consist of play a crucial role. Academy Professor Jukka Seppälä from Aalto University heads the work package for materials.
’Our goal is to develop biopolymers in which skin-like tissues can be produced,’ he says.
An enormous challenge facing the development of materials is to manage to acquire the right properties for them. For the materials to be able to be printed out using 3D technology, they need to be both liquid and quick to harden. In addition, the resulting tissue must be elastic and appropriate for use with the human body.
’The materials being developed divide into three main groups,’ says Minna Malin from the Department of Biotechnology and Chemical Technology, who is involved in the project. ’These are light-hardening polymers, thermoplastics, and hydrogels. Each has its own part to play in the designed tissue model.’
Blood vessels printed out using inkjet technology
Jouni Partanen, head of Aalto University BIT Research Centre, is one of the world’s leading developers of 3D technology. The technology helps make it possible to manufacture a tissue model that resembles original human tissues or blood vessels.
It is a challenging process to design and produce viable vascularisation. Vessels with a diameter of hundreds of micrometres are manufactured using inkjet technology, whereas smaller capillaries are produced using high resolution two-photon laser technology.
After that, the vessel structure is enclosed in a surrounding network consisting of a hydrogel combined with a fleece of nano sized e-spun fibres, which function as growing media for different types of cells. The vessel structure allows for an optimal metabolism of the artificial skin and a ready supply of nutrients.
The project started in 2011 and is due to end in October 2015. In all, 16 partners from around Europe are involved in this multidisciplinary undertaking. Aalto University is contributing to a total of five work packages in the project. Its biggest role is in the development and characterisation of new materials and in the creation of model files for the 3D printing technology.
Further information at: http://www.artivasc.eu/
Lic.Sc. (Tech.) Minna Malin Aalto University School of Chemical Technology Department of Biotechnology and Chemical Technology minna.malin@aalto.fi
Academy Professor Jukka Seppälä Aalto University School of Chemical Technology Department of Biotechnology and Chemical Technology jukka.seppala@aalto.fi
]]>Aalto University School of Chemical Technology and BIT Research Centre are collaborating on a project called ArtiVasc 3D, funded under the European Community´s 7th Framework Programme. This ambitious venture aims to manufacture artificial vascularised skin using 3D printing technology.
Artificial skin is intended primarily as a model for pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries partly allowing reduction of tests on animals. Furthermore, it has potential to be used to develop skin grafts in the treatment of burn injuries and associated trauma.
Artificial tissue consists of polymers
The new polymer-based materials that artificial tissues consist of play a crucial role. Academy Professor Jukka Seppälä from Aalto University heads the work package for materials.
’Our goal is to develop biopolymers in which skin-like tissues can be produced,’ he says.
An enormous challenge facing the development of materials is to manage to acquire the right properties for them. For the materials to be able to be printed out using 3D technology, they need to be both liquid and quick to harden. In addition, the resulting tissue must be elastic and appropriate for use with the human body.
’The materials being developed divide into three main groups,’ says Minna Malin from the Department of Biotechnology and Chemical Technology, who is involved in the project. ’These are light-hardening polymers, thermoplastics, and hydrogels. Each has its own part to play in the designed tissue model.’
Blood vessels printed out using inkjet technology
Jouni Partanen, head of Aalto University BIT Research Centre, is one of the world’s leading developers of 3D technology. The technology helps make it possible to manufacture a tissue model that resembles original human tissues or blood vessels.
It is a challenging process to design and produce viable vascularisation. Vessels with a diameter of hundreds of micrometres are manufactured using inkjet technology, whereas smaller capillaries are produced using high resolution two-photon laser technology.
After that, the vessel structure is enclosed in a surrounding network consisting of a hydrogel combined with a fleece of nano sized e-spun fibres, which function as growing media for different types of cells. The vessel structure allows for an optimal metabolism of the artificial skin and a ready supply of nutrients.
The project started in 2011 and is due to end in October 2015. In all, 16 partners from around Europe are involved in this multidisciplinary undertaking. Aalto University is contributing to a total of five work packages in the project. Its biggest role is in the development and characterisation of new materials and in the creation of model files for the 3D printing technology.
Further information at: http://www.artivasc.eu/
Lic.Sc. (Tech.) Minna Malin Aalto University School of Chemical Technology Department of Biotechnology and Chemical Technology minna.malin@aalto.fi
Academy Professor Jukka Seppälä Aalto University School of Chemical Technology Department of Biotechnology and Chemical Technology jukka.seppala@aalto.fi
]]>Professor Mauri Kostiainen harnesses viruses to create new materials2013-04-22T07:46:02+00:002013-04-22T07:46:02+00:00http://chem.aalto.fi/en/midcom-permalink-1e2ab20ae546bfaab2011e2b5d241f299fcdfc1dfc1Aalto-www <verkkotoimitus@aalto.fi>‘Viruses have interesting properties that can be used in various ways in materials science. From the point of view of a materials scientist, the most important property viruses have is related to their well defined size and structure,’ says Mauri Kostiainen who began his career as Assistant Professor at the Department of Biotechnology and Chemical Technology at the beginning of March.
‘A specific virus is always the same size and shape and often researchers have been able to determine its exact structure using x-ray crystallography. This is a great benefit when viruses are harnessed for the needs of materials science. It's worth getting friendly with old enemies since they have a lot to offer materials science,’ Kostiainen says with a laugh.
Professor Kostiainen gives some examples of how viruses can be used in materials science. A virus can be emptied out and the empty sphere can then be filled with enzymes and used as a small nanoreactor. Applications can also be found in medicine. A virus can, for instance, be used to carry nanoparticles into our body. Synthetic polymers can also be produced inside viruses.
In addition to these uses, viruses can be used to produce accurately specified nanoparticles. As viruses are always of the same size and shape, they can be used as a mould to produce particles that are also of the same size and shape.
In materials science, viruses can be used to produce crystalline materials. ‘We want to produce binary crystals that consist of two different components. In this way, several different functionalities can be included in a single crystalline material,’ Kostiainen explains.
Cowpea chlorotic mottle virus (CCMV). Native CCMV is a small icosahedral plant virus with a diameter of 28 nm consisting of 180 identical coat protein subunits that form a capsid around a RNA genome.
Binary nanoparticle superlattices are periodic nanostructures that are typically made from two different types of synthetic material. However, forming superlattices from biological building blocks remains challenging. This computer generated image shows a binary superlattice formed from cowpea chlorotic mottle virus (blue) and gold nanoparticles (yellow) that adopt a AB8fcc crystal structure – a structure that has not been observed before with nano-sized building blocks
Two different protein cages, cowpea chlorotic mottle virus (blue) and Pyrococcus furiosus ferritin (red), can be used to guide the assembly of binary nanoparticles superlattices through tunable electrostatic interactions with charged gold nanoparticles (yellow).
A great number of viruses yet to be found
Kostiainen began working on viruses during his post-doctoral position in the Netherlands. One of the research areas of Radbound University Nijmegen was chemical virology. When Kostiainen returned to Finland a couple of years ago he brought back several ideas for virus-related research.
‘Viruses can be found everywhere, but we only know a very small part of all viruses. The virus used in our research is the cowpea chlorotic mottle virus which has a number of interesting properties. For example, the structure of the capsid and the structure of the individual capsid proteins are known extremely thoroughly. The capsid can also be opened and closed which makes it possible to enclose various substances within the virus.’
As part of his research, Professor Kostiainen even gets the opportunity to dabble in horticultural science since the virus cannot be acquired and must hence be produced at the university. The plants have to be grown, infected and then several purification phases have to be performed in order to obtain a virus solution suitable for research purposes.
]]>‘Viruses have interesting properties that can be used in various ways in materials science. From the point of view of a materials scientist, the most important property viruses have is related to their well defined size and structure,’ says Mauri Kostiainen who began his career as Assistant Professor at the Department of Biotechnology and Chemical Technology at the beginning of March.
‘A specific virus is always the same size and shape and often researchers have been able to determine its exact structure using x-ray crystallography. This is a great benefit when viruses are harnessed for the needs of materials science. It's worth getting friendly with old enemies since they have a lot to offer materials science,’ Kostiainen says with a laugh.
Professor Kostiainen gives some examples of how viruses can be used in materials science. A virus can be emptied out and the empty sphere can then be filled with enzymes and used as a small nanoreactor. Applications can also be found in medicine. A virus can, for instance, be used to carry nanoparticles into our body. Synthetic polymers can also be produced inside viruses.
In addition to these uses, viruses can be used to produce accurately specified nanoparticles. As viruses are always of the same size and shape, they can be used as a mould to produce particles that are also of the same size and shape.
In materials science, viruses can be used to produce crystalline materials. ‘We want to produce binary crystals that consist of two different components. In this way, several different functionalities can be included in a single crystalline material,’ Kostiainen explains.
Cowpea chlorotic mottle virus (CCMV). Native CCMV is a small icosahedral plant virus with a diameter of 28 nm consisting of 180 identical coat protein subunits that form a capsid around a RNA genome.
Binary nanoparticle superlattices are periodic nanostructures that are typically made from two different types of synthetic material. However, forming superlattices from biological building blocks remains challenging. This computer generated image shows a binary superlattice formed from cowpea chlorotic mottle virus (blue) and gold nanoparticles (yellow) that adopt a AB8fcc crystal structure – a structure that has not been observed before with nano-sized building blocks
Two different protein cages, cowpea chlorotic mottle virus (blue) and Pyrococcus furiosus ferritin (red), can be used to guide the assembly of binary nanoparticles superlattices through tunable electrostatic interactions with charged gold nanoparticles (yellow).
A great number of viruses yet to be found
Kostiainen began working on viruses during his post-doctoral position in the Netherlands. One of the research areas of Radbound University Nijmegen was chemical virology. When Kostiainen returned to Finland a couple of years ago he brought back several ideas for virus-related research.
‘Viruses can be found everywhere, but we only know a very small part of all viruses. The virus used in our research is the cowpea chlorotic mottle virus which has a number of interesting properties. For example, the structure of the capsid and the structure of the individual capsid proteins are known extremely thoroughly. The capsid can also be opened and closed which makes it possible to enclose various substances within the virus.’
As part of his research, Professor Kostiainen even gets the opportunity to dabble in horticultural science since the virus cannot be acquired and must hence be produced at the university. The plants have to be grown, infected and then several purification phases have to be performed in order to obtain a virus solution suitable for research purposes.
]]>Multifunctional nanoparticles enable a range of applications2013-04-17T13:09:29+00:002013-04-17T13:09:29+00:00http://chem.aalto.fi/en/midcom-permalink-1e2a76009dbf246a76011e28920310750a9aa6eaa6eAalto-www <verkkotoimitus@aalto.fi>By bringing together various components, it is possible to produce nanoparticles, which combine many different properties. In her dissertation research, Norsuria Mahmed, a doctoral student, developed a method of synthesis, which enables production of multifunctional nanoparticles faster, easier and more efficient.
Bundling together the properties of particles creates a structure, which can be applied in many different ways, from cancer treatment to wastewater treatment.
Mahmed's dissertation research focuses on the development of synthesis methods for multifunctional magnetic-core nanoparticles, i.e., magnetite nanoparticles. The primary purpose of the research is to expand the multifunctionality of the core-particles by combining various kinds of nanoparticles under one system by developing a simple, economical and efficient synthesis method, and also by compacting the materials into a bulk component in order to explore the interesting and novel properties that can be found when the powder particles are transferred into bulk materials.
Norsuria Mahmed developed the synthesis method, which enables the production of multifunctional nanoparticles with a magnetite core. The particle structure consists of a magnetite core coated with silica decorated with silver nanoparticles and silver chloride particles, the amount of which affects the possible applications. For example, the silica shell prevented the synthesized magnetite from oxidizing, and improved its magnetic properties thus enabling the building of a magnetite core for multifunctional nanoparticles.
The nanoparticles created were combined in various ways. They were also compacted into porous or into transparent hybrid materials. Mahmed explained how properties of the materials change when nanoparticles are combined or compacted.
Recyclable nanoparticles helping in cancer treatment and wastewater treatment
Multifunctional materials function in various applications according to the requirements. Depending on the ratio of magnetite, silicon dioxide, silver and silver chloride in the combination, and on the way they are combined, it is possible to create applications for different needs. As examples, Mahmed names biomedical as well as photocatalytic applications, and magneto-optical studies.
Silicon dioxide - nanosilver hybrids having a magnetic core could be used for example as a carrier for protein structure/molecules, such as antibody, that can be used in cancer cell treatment. ‘With the help of the magnetic core, particles can be moved about. In this way, for example, antibodies can be targeted to an infected area and, similarly, the substance can be removed from the body with the help of its magnetism. Because the substance can be recollected, it can also be recycled', Mahmed explains.
When also silver chloride is part of the making of nanoparticles, they can be used in photocatalytic applications, for example in biochemical treatment of wastewater. Moreover, by adjusting the amount of magnetic-core nanoparticles in relation to silicon dioxide, it is possible to make transparent oxide ceramics with magnetic properties. These can be used for example in magneto-optic studies.
]]>By bringing together various components, it is possible to produce nanoparticles, which combine many different properties. In her dissertation research, Norsuria Mahmed, a doctoral student, developed a method of synthesis, which enables production of multifunctional nanoparticles faster, easier and more efficient.
Bundling together the properties of particles creates a structure, which can be applied in many different ways, from cancer treatment to wastewater treatment.
Mahmed's dissertation research focuses on the development of synthesis methods for multifunctional magnetic-core nanoparticles, i.e., magnetite nanoparticles. The primary purpose of the research is to expand the multifunctionality of the core-particles by combining various kinds of nanoparticles under one system by developing a simple, economical and efficient synthesis method, and also by compacting the materials into a bulk component in order to explore the interesting and novel properties that can be found when the powder particles are transferred into bulk materials.
Norsuria Mahmed developed the synthesis method, which enables the production of multifunctional nanoparticles with a magnetite core. The particle structure consists of a magnetite core coated with silica decorated with silver nanoparticles and silver chloride particles, the amount of which affects the possible applications. For example, the silica shell prevented the synthesized magnetite from oxidizing, and improved its magnetic properties thus enabling the building of a magnetite core for multifunctional nanoparticles.
The nanoparticles created were combined in various ways. They were also compacted into porous or into transparent hybrid materials. Mahmed explained how properties of the materials change when nanoparticles are combined or compacted.
Recyclable nanoparticles helping in cancer treatment and wastewater treatment
Multifunctional materials function in various applications according to the requirements. Depending on the ratio of magnetite, silicon dioxide, silver and silver chloride in the combination, and on the way they are combined, it is possible to create applications for different needs. As examples, Mahmed names biomedical as well as photocatalytic applications, and magneto-optical studies.
Silicon dioxide - nanosilver hybrids having a magnetic core could be used for example as a carrier for protein structure/molecules, such as antibody, that can be used in cancer cell treatment. ‘With the help of the magnetic core, particles can be moved about. In this way, for example, antibodies can be targeted to an infected area and, similarly, the substance can be removed from the body with the help of its magnetism. Because the substance can be recollected, it can also be recycled', Mahmed explains.
When also silver chloride is part of the making of nanoparticles, they can be used in photocatalytic applications, for example in biochemical treatment of wastewater. Moreover, by adjusting the amount of magnetic-core nanoparticles in relation to silicon dioxide, it is possible to make transparent oxide ceramics with magnetic properties. These can be used for example in magneto-optic studies.
]]>The School of Chemical Technology website will be out of service on 19-21 April2013-04-17T07:40:59+00:002013-04-17T07:40:59+00:00http://chem.aalto.fi/en/midcom-permalink-1e2a73225a5b13ea73211e28f7c010da2160da50da5Aalto-www <verkkotoimitus@aalto.fi>Aalto University's data centre in Otaniemi will be shut down. The data centre infrastructure will be transferred to a new facility located in Otaniemi that the university has leased from an outside company. The procedure will increase the university's data centre capacity to meet the current needs and improve service reliability.
The move will see a service break for all Aalto University external websites such as chem.aalto.fi/en/. The information on these websites will not be visible, and the actual content will be replaced by a temporary error message. We apologise for any inconvenience experienced by users.
During the service break, contact information for university personnel will be available at the Aalto People –site (people.aalto.fi). The schools' Facebook pages and the university's social media channels will not be affected by the service break.
]]>Aalto University's data centre in Otaniemi will be shut down. The data centre infrastructure will be transferred to a new facility located in Otaniemi that the university has leased from an outside company. The procedure will increase the university's data centre capacity to meet the current needs and improve service reliability.
The move will see a service break for all Aalto University external websites such as chem.aalto.fi/en/. The information on these websites will not be visible, and the actual content will be replaced by a temporary error message. We apologise for any inconvenience experienced by users.
During the service break, contact information for university personnel will be available at the Aalto People –site (people.aalto.fi). The schools' Facebook pages and the university's social media channels will not be affected by the service break.
]]>Eija Zitting becomes Development Manager of Aalto CHEM2013-04-16T05:47:08+00:002013-04-16T05:47:08+00:00http://chem.aalto.fi/en/midcom-permalink-1e2a65913804138a65911e29446f1ed1a219d939d93Aalto-www <verkkotoimitus@aalto.fi>The Dean of the School of Chemical Technology has appointed Eija Zitting, Head of Academic Affairs, as the school’s Development Manager as of 1 May 2013. The Development Manager works under Dean Outi Krause but also reports to Director Jari Jokinen, Policy and Foresight.
]]>The Dean of the School of Chemical Technology has appointed Eija Zitting, Head of Academic Affairs, as the school’s Development Manager as of 1 May 2013. The Development Manager works under Dean Outi Krause but also reports to Director Jari Jokinen, Policy and Foresight.
]]>Two open positions for professors in the Department of Forest Products Technology2013-04-10T07:44:11+00:002013-04-10T07:44:11+00:00http://chem.aalto.fi/en/midcom-permalink-1e2a1b26ee1dceaa1b211e2844d195999f7df01df01Aalto-www <verkkotoimitus@aalto.fi>Aalto University School of Chemical Technology is currently recruiting two Tenure Track professors for the Department of Forest Products Technology.
The Department of Forest Products Technology is the leading unit in higher education in the forest products technologies in Europe and globally, with an average of 50 M.Sc. and 10 D.Sc. degrees annually. In addition to an extensive international exchange of students, research scientists and lecturers, many research projects collaborate with research groups abroad. Our goal is to be a leading, globally networked and renowned centre of excellence in the field of forest products education and research. For more information about the department, see http://puu.aalto.fi/en/.
TENURE TRACK POSITION IN WOOD MATERIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
The successful candidate is expected to conduct teaching and research that strengthens and complements the existing efforts at the Department of Forest Products Technology. The appointment may be at any level from Assistant Professor to Tenured Full Professor. Especially young candidates with high potential are encouraged to apply.
The applications for the tenure track positions are to be addressed to the President of Aalto University and submitted to the Registry of Aalto University no later than on 31st of May, 2013. For more information read the whole announcement.
TENURE TRACK POSITION IN BIO-BASED MATERIALS
In the field of Bio-Based Materials the department’s main research and teaching areas are mainly linked to forest-based material science and engineering such as fundamentals and engineering of cellulosic nanomaterials, novel lignocellulosic materials and their processing. The general aim is to provide high quality scientific research with industrial applications in mind.
The successful candidate is expected to conduct teaching and research that strengthens and complements the existing efforts at the Department of Forest Products Technology. The appointment may be at any level from Assistant Professor to Tenured Full Professor.
The applications for the tenure track positions are to be addressed to the President of Aalto University and submitted to the Registry of Aalto University no later than on 31st of May, 2013. For more information read the whole announcement.
]]>Aalto University School of Chemical Technology is currently recruiting two Tenure Track professors for the Department of Forest Products Technology.
The Department of Forest Products Technology is the leading unit in higher education in the forest products technologies in Europe and globally, with an average of 50 M.Sc. and 10 D.Sc. degrees annually. In addition to an extensive international exchange of students, research scientists and lecturers, many research projects collaborate with research groups abroad. Our goal is to be a leading, globally networked and renowned centre of excellence in the field of forest products education and research. For more information about the department, see http://puu.aalto.fi/en/.
TENURE TRACK POSITION IN WOOD MATERIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
The successful candidate is expected to conduct teaching and research that strengthens and complements the existing efforts at the Department of Forest Products Technology. The appointment may be at any level from Assistant Professor to Tenured Full Professor. Especially young candidates with high potential are encouraged to apply.
The applications for the tenure track positions are to be addressed to the President of Aalto University and submitted to the Registry of Aalto University no later than on 31st of May, 2013. For more information read the whole announcement.
TENURE TRACK POSITION IN BIO-BASED MATERIALS
In the field of Bio-Based Materials the department’s main research and teaching areas are mainly linked to forest-based material science and engineering such as fundamentals and engineering of cellulosic nanomaterials, novel lignocellulosic materials and their processing. The general aim is to provide high quality scientific research with industrial applications in mind.
The successful candidate is expected to conduct teaching and research that strengthens and complements the existing efforts at the Department of Forest Products Technology. The appointment may be at any level from Assistant Professor to Tenured Full Professor.
The applications for the tenure track positions are to be addressed to the President of Aalto University and submitted to the Registry of Aalto University no later than on 31st of May, 2013. For more information read the whole announcement.
]]>New materials offer solutions to energy production challenges2013-03-25T12:02:06+00:002013-03-25T12:02:06+00:00http://chem.aalto.fi/en/midcom-permalink-1e29543d020adae954311e2bb7573cef1a43a093a09Aalto-www <verkkotoimitus@aalto.fi>New materials will have a central role in many of the energy applications of the future. For instance, inexpensive and environmentally friendly thermoelectric materials will be capable of converting waste heat into electricity in both homes and factories in the future.
Nearly all of the new inorganic materials being developed at the Aalto University School of Chemical Technology involve energy - its production, transfer, or storage - in one way or another. New superconductors, as well as materials used in lithium ion batteries, solid oxide fuel cells, and oxygen storage, among other things, are being developed at the laboratory of Academy Professor Maarit Karppinen.
Other interesting projects are the thermoelectric materials being developed at the laboratory, which are capable of extracting electrical energy from waste heat originating from various sources. In future visions these materials will be producing energy in places such as the walls of homes, solar panels, car exhaust pipes and the heat exchangers of power plants. They can also be used as sources of electricity in mobile devices or in cardiac pacemakers, for instance.
'Thermoelectric materials can be used in both small consumer applications as well as large industrial institutions in the production of electricity from waste heat', Karppinen says.
Common to all of the materials developed in the laboratory is that they are based on oxides, which do not damage the environment. Also, they contain inexpensive and easily-available materials, such as zinc, titanium, and iron, instead of costly precious metals.
Hard work and pure coincidence
Karppinen's laboratory engages in pioneering basic research in which the goal is the development of completely new materials. The application point of view is always in the background, but it is not necessarily the primary consideration. 'We try to find compounds and entire families of materials that nobody else in the world has managed to produce yet', she says.
She says that in addition to persistent research , coincidence has had an important role in the work. 'A new material that has been developed into a superconductor has sometimes proven to be a good thermoelectric material, and vice versa. A new kind of cobalt oxide which was supposed to be a promising thermoelectric material proved to be uniquely suitable for the storage of oxygen.'
This is possible because the materials being researched are typically mixed oxide materials which can be used for a number of different applications. 'The materials that I have studied have remained similar over the years, but the variety of their applications has kept growing', Karppinen says .
She studied oxide superconductors already for her doctoral dissertation, which was completed in 1993. After that, she went to Japan, to the Tokyo Institute of Technology, where she spent a total of ten years. In the last five years of this period she served as an assistant professor. 'We continue to cooperate closely. Japan is one of the main players in the development of oxide materials.'
An open-minded approach produces results
The application of different methods of synthesis is a key part of the practical work of a laboratory. 'To find something completely new, it is necessary to have the courage to experiment with production methods that nobody else has ever tried before', Karppinen explains.
For instance, her laboratory has produced oxide materials under ultra-high pressure - in the same kinds of conditions that turn graphite into diamonds. Another important method is atomic layer deposition, or ALD, in which materials are produced as thin films, one atom at a time. 'Some materials will only become stable when they are made in thin film form', she says.
Half of the approximately 20 researchers in Karppinen's laboratory produce materials in the form of thin films, and the other half produce them as powders. Researchers have also used ALD technology to produce new types of hybrid materials combining organic and inorganic layers of atoms.
However, it will be a long time before the materials will have commercial applications. 'Closest to it are thermoelectric materials. They have a very wide range of potential applications', she observes.
[Box]
Better thermoelectric materials through atomic layer deposition
Atomic layer deposition, or ALD technology, which was developed in Finland in the 1970s, is an important method at the Aalto University in the manufacture of new materials. In the method, substances are grown as thin films one atom layer at a time, resulting in materials with structures that can be controlled on an atomic scale.
In a recently-published study it was seen that the method can be used for the production of more efficient thermoelectric materials. Researcher Tommi Tynell, who is working in the laboratory as a doctoral student, is using the method to convert familiar zinc oxide into nanostructures, which can improve its thermoelectric qualities.
The thermoelectric properties of a material are affected by how well it conducts electricity and heat, as well as the Seebeck coefficient, whose simultaneous optimisation is a challenge, because improving one property typically worsens another. However, this problem can be avoided by using nanostructures produced with the help of atomic layer deposition.
Karppinen's role model is Professor John Goodenough of the University of Texas at Austin. At the age of 90, he is still continuing his long career as one of the most important researchers in his field. In the late 1970s he and his small research group developed a lithium ion battery which was taken into commercial production by Sony in 1991.
Karppinen says that this is typical of the time frame from the discovery of a new functional material to its commercialisation. 'Significant discoveries do not necessarily emerge in big laboratories alone. We also have possibilities for practically anything', she says.
Author: Marja Saarikko
Photo: Anni Hanén
]]>New materials will have a central role in many of the energy applications of the future. For instance, inexpensive and environmentally friendly thermoelectric materials will be capable of converting waste heat into electricity in both homes and factories in the future.
Nearly all of the new inorganic materials being developed at the Aalto University School of Chemical Technology involve energy - its production, transfer, or storage - in one way or another. New superconductors, as well as materials used in lithium ion batteries, solid oxide fuel cells, and oxygen storage, among other things, are being developed at the laboratory of Academy Professor Maarit Karppinen.
Other interesting projects are the thermoelectric materials being developed at the laboratory, which are capable of extracting electrical energy from waste heat originating from various sources. In future visions these materials will be producing energy in places such as the walls of homes, solar panels, car exhaust pipes and the heat exchangers of power plants. They can also be used as sources of electricity in mobile devices or in cardiac pacemakers, for instance.
'Thermoelectric materials can be used in both small consumer applications as well as large industrial institutions in the production of electricity from waste heat', Karppinen says.
Common to all of the materials developed in the laboratory is that they are based on oxides, which do not damage the environment. Also, they contain inexpensive and easily-available materials, such as zinc, titanium, and iron, instead of costly precious metals.
Hard work and pure coincidence
Karppinen's laboratory engages in pioneering basic research in which the goal is the development of completely new materials. The application point of view is always in the background, but it is not necessarily the primary consideration. 'We try to find compounds and entire families of materials that nobody else in the world has managed to produce yet', she says.
She says that in addition to persistent research , coincidence has had an important role in the work. 'A new material that has been developed into a superconductor has sometimes proven to be a good thermoelectric material, and vice versa. A new kind of cobalt oxide which was supposed to be a promising thermoelectric material proved to be uniquely suitable for the storage of oxygen.'
This is possible because the materials being researched are typically mixed oxide materials which can be used for a number of different applications. 'The materials that I have studied have remained similar over the years, but the variety of their applications has kept growing', Karppinen says .
She studied oxide superconductors already for her doctoral dissertation, which was completed in 1993. After that, she went to Japan, to the Tokyo Institute of Technology, where she spent a total of ten years. In the last five years of this period she served as an assistant professor. 'We continue to cooperate closely. Japan is one of the main players in the development of oxide materials.'
An open-minded approach produces results
The application of different methods of synthesis is a key part of the practical work of a laboratory. 'To find something completely new, it is necessary to have the courage to experiment with production methods that nobody else has ever tried before', Karppinen explains.
For instance, her laboratory has produced oxide materials under ultra-high pressure - in the same kinds of conditions that turn graphite into diamonds. Another important method is atomic layer deposition, or ALD, in which materials are produced as thin films, one atom at a time. 'Some materials will only become stable when they are made in thin film form', she says.
Half of the approximately 20 researchers in Karppinen's laboratory produce materials in the form of thin films, and the other half produce them as powders. Researchers have also used ALD technology to produce new types of hybrid materials combining organic and inorganic layers of atoms.
However, it will be a long time before the materials will have commercial applications. 'Closest to it are thermoelectric materials. They have a very wide range of potential applications', she observes.
[Box]
Better thermoelectric materials through atomic layer deposition
Atomic layer deposition, or ALD technology, which was developed in Finland in the 1970s, is an important method at the Aalto University in the manufacture of new materials. In the method, substances are grown as thin films one atom layer at a time, resulting in materials with structures that can be controlled on an atomic scale.
In a recently-published study it was seen that the method can be used for the production of more efficient thermoelectric materials. Researcher Tommi Tynell, who is working in the laboratory as a doctoral student, is using the method to convert familiar zinc oxide into nanostructures, which can improve its thermoelectric qualities.
The thermoelectric properties of a material are affected by how well it conducts electricity and heat, as well as the Seebeck coefficient, whose simultaneous optimisation is a challenge, because improving one property typically worsens another. However, this problem can be avoided by using nanostructures produced with the help of atomic layer deposition.
Karppinen's role model is Professor John Goodenough of the University of Texas at Austin. At the age of 90, he is still continuing his long career as one of the most important researchers in his field. In the late 1970s he and his small research group developed a lithium ion battery which was taken into commercial production by Sony in 1991.
Karppinen says that this is typical of the time frame from the discovery of a new functional material to its commercialisation. 'Significant discoveries do not necessarily emerge in big laboratories alone. We also have possibilities for practically anything', she says.
Author: Marja Saarikko
Photo: Anni Hanén
]]>An impossible synthesis made possible2013-03-20T09:45:31+00:002013-03-20T09:45:31+00:00http://chem.aalto.fi/en/midcom-permalink-1e29142e75f60f0914211e2a067e10db9a260416041Aalto-www <verkkotoimitus@aalto.fi>Pyrrole is an organic molecule with a five-membered ring structure. One of the ring's five carbon atoms has become replaced by nitrogen. The remaining four carbon atoms are the possible points where various new groups can attach themselves. These additions take place through a reaction mechanism, allowing the synthesis pyrrole derivatives. The more numerous and bulkier the groups we attempt to attach to pyrrole, the more difficult the synthesis becomes. Instead of pyrrole, we might need to use some other molecule as the parent compound, including classes of compounds for which the synthesis has not been possible.
One of these classes is pyrrolidinone: for example, nicotine and proline, which is an amino acid present in plants and connective tissue of animals, have a structure that resembles it. Oskari Karjalainen, who is preparing his dissertation in Professor Ari Koskinen's research group at the School of Chemical Technology, took up a seemingly impossible task a couple of years ago: the development of synthesis of certain pyrrolidinones. No-one had made these compounds before, and their synthesis was thought to be impossible.
The impossible was proved possible through the results published in the Angewandte Chemie journal last February. In the end, the synthesis of pyrrolidinones proved to be fairly straightforward, and no time-consuming isolation and purification of intermediates is needed. As an end result, two diastereomers or stereoisomers out of 4 possible are obtained in varying ratios depending on the specific derivative in question.
’Amino acids, which are inexpensive and readily available, are used as parent compounds. The yields of the syntheses vary between 50 and 90 percent, and the desired diastereomer can be produced when needed with a simple three-step reaction in optically pure form,’ Karjalainen sums up.
The reaction mechanisms for all the synthesis stages are not yet known, but Karjalainen will propose one of his own in his dissertation, which also deals with the reactivity and derivatives of pyrrolidinones. Based on the general structure of the compounds, it can be said that some derivatives produced from them could be useful for example as catalysts or bioactive substances.
’In this work, a method has been created to make backbone structures that were regarded as impossible earlier. I hope that the work will arouse interest and lead to further development of these structures. The results might turn out to be new compounds, for industrial purposes even,’ Karjalainen thinks.
]]>Pyrrole is an organic molecule with a five-membered ring structure. One of the ring's five carbon atoms has become replaced by nitrogen. The remaining four carbon atoms are the possible points where various new groups can attach themselves. These additions take place through a reaction mechanism, allowing the synthesis pyrrole derivatives. The more numerous and bulkier the groups we attempt to attach to pyrrole, the more difficult the synthesis becomes. Instead of pyrrole, we might need to use some other molecule as the parent compound, including classes of compounds for which the synthesis has not been possible.
One of these classes is pyrrolidinone: for example, nicotine and proline, which is an amino acid present in plants and connective tissue of animals, have a structure that resembles it. Oskari Karjalainen, who is preparing his dissertation in Professor Ari Koskinen's research group at the School of Chemical Technology, took up a seemingly impossible task a couple of years ago: the development of synthesis of certain pyrrolidinones. No-one had made these compounds before, and their synthesis was thought to be impossible.
The impossible was proved possible through the results published in the Angewandte Chemie journal last February. In the end, the synthesis of pyrrolidinones proved to be fairly straightforward, and no time-consuming isolation and purification of intermediates is needed. As an end result, two diastereomers or stereoisomers out of 4 possible are obtained in varying ratios depending on the specific derivative in question.
’Amino acids, which are inexpensive and readily available, are used as parent compounds. The yields of the syntheses vary between 50 and 90 percent, and the desired diastereomer can be produced when needed with a simple three-step reaction in optically pure form,’ Karjalainen sums up.
The reaction mechanisms for all the synthesis stages are not yet known, but Karjalainen will propose one of his own in his dissertation, which also deals with the reactivity and derivatives of pyrrolidinones. Based on the general structure of the compounds, it can be said that some derivatives produced from them could be useful for example as catalysts or bioactive substances.
’In this work, a method has been created to make backbone structures that were regarded as impossible earlier. I hope that the work will arouse interest and lead to further development of these structures. The results might turn out to be new compounds, for industrial purposes even,’ Karjalainen thinks.
]]>Three open positions for professors in the Department of Biotechnology and Chemical Technology2013-03-19T07:08:11+00:002013-03-19T07:08:11+00:00http://chem.aalto.fi/en/midcom-permalink-1e29063c2d9ae32906311e282e8ebc06f5815971597Aalto-www <verkkotoimitus@aalto.fi>Aalto University School of Chemical Technology is currently recruiting three Tenure Track professors for the Department of Biotechnology and Chemical Technology.
Tenure Track or Tenured position in Biochemistry
Rank will commensurate with experience but preference will be given to appointment at the full professor level. The applications for the position are to be addressed to the President of Aalto University and submitted to the Registry of Aalto University no later than on April 19th, 2013.
Tenure Track or Tenured position in Chemical Technology, Plant Design
Rank will be commensurate with experience, but preference will be given to an appointment at the full professor level.The applications for the position are to be addressed to the President of Aalto University and submitted to the Registry of Aalto University no later than on April 26th, 2013.
Tenure Track or Tenured position in Chemical Technology; Process Chemistry and Technology of Aqueous-based Systems
Rank will commensurate with experience. The applications for the position are to be addressed to the President of Aalto University and submitted to the Registry of Aalto University no later than on April 26th, 2013.
]]>Aalto University School of Chemical Technology is currently recruiting three Tenure Track professors for the Department of Biotechnology and Chemical Technology.
Tenure Track or Tenured position in Biochemistry
Rank will commensurate with experience but preference will be given to appointment at the full professor level. The applications for the position are to be addressed to the President of Aalto University and submitted to the Registry of Aalto University no later than on April 19th, 2013.
Tenure Track or Tenured position in Chemical Technology, Plant Design
Rank will be commensurate with experience, but preference will be given to an appointment at the full professor level.The applications for the position are to be addressed to the President of Aalto University and submitted to the Registry of Aalto University no later than on April 26th, 2013.
Tenure Track or Tenured position in Chemical Technology; Process Chemistry and Technology of Aqueous-based Systems
Rank will commensurate with experience. The applications for the position are to be addressed to the President of Aalto University and submitted to the Registry of Aalto University no later than on April 26th, 2013.
]]>Professor Tapani Vuorinen appointed as Vice Dean of School of Chemical Technology2013-03-08T08:28:08+00:002013-03-08T08:28:08+00:00http://chem.aalto.fi/en/midcom-permalink-1e287ca1b4783ac87ca11e2a65e290dd46c2ce72ce7Aalto-www <verkkotoimitus@aalto.fi>President Tuula Teeri has appointed Professor Tapani Vuorinen as Vice Dean in Learning and Teaching of School of Chemical Technology from 1 March 2013 onwards.
Professor Tapani Vuorinen acts currently also as vice head of the Department of Forest Products Technology and leads the bachelor’s degree reform.]]>President Tuula Teeri has appointed Professor Tapani Vuorinen as Vice Dean in Learning and Teaching of School of Chemical Technology from 1 March 2013 onwards.
Professor Tapani Vuorinen acts currently also as vice head of the Department of Forest Products Technology and leads the bachelor’s degree reform.]]>
Artificial tissue consists of polymers
One of these classes is pyrrolidinone: for example, nicotine and proline, which is an amino acid present in plants and connective tissue of animals, have a structure that resembles it. Oskari Karjalainen, who is preparing his dissertation in Professor Ari Koskinen's research group at the School of Chemical Technology, took up a seemingly impossible task a couple of years ago: the development of synthesis of certain pyrrolidinones. No-one had made these compounds before, and their synthesis was thought to be impossible.
President Tuula Teeri has appointed Professor Tapani Vuorinen as Vice Dean in Learning and Teaching of School of Chemical Technology from 1 March 2013 onwards.