The Forest Bioeconomy Science Panel has published a report highlighting the possibilities to significantly increase the value added of the forest sector by broadening the added value product portfolio. According to the Forest Bioeconomy Science panel report, the forest sector in Finland could achieve an value added of up to 15.6 billion euros in 2035, meaning an increase of 80% compared to the level of 2019. The goal of Finland's bioeconomy strategy is to double the value added of bioeconomy by 2035 without compromising the national climate and biodiversity goals. The Forest Bioeconomy Scie ..read more

Roberta Teixeira Polez, Margaret A. Ajiboye, Monika Österberg, Marilia M. Horn ,,International Journal of Biological Macromolecules 2024, 265, 130808 Abstract: We report a facile strategy to prepare chitosan (CS) hydrogels that eliminates the need for chemical crosslinking for advanced biomedical therapies. This approach gives controlled properties to the hydrogels by incorporating a natural bioactive phenolic compound, phloroglucinol (PG), into their microstructure. The adsorption of PG onto CS chains enhanced the hydrogels' antioxidant activity by up to 25% and resulted in a denser, more ent ..read more

Circular Materials Bioeconomy Network is a national consortium across nine universities that will educate 67 doctorates focusing on sustainable materials and processes. The network operation starts in 2024 and provides doctoral researchers funding for three years. CIMANET is coordinated by ,Aalto University and the research lines are supported by the strong foundation built in the FinnCERES Flagship.  We are now hiring the first students to join our network - read more at the CIMANET site and apply! https://video.wixstatic.com/video/c623cc_93fe989c68714fda81a42e223b5c9a4b/720p/m ..read more

Warm welcome to the spring seminar "IMPACT Forum - Sustainability through innovative bio-based materials" on April 25, 2024 in Helsinki and online! This event, organized by the FinnCERES Flagship and Aalto Bioinnovation Center, brings together top experts to highlight the societal impact of innovative bio-based materials. Join us to discuss environmentally responsible ways to increase the added value of the forest industry. How does the increasing regulation impact innovative bio-based materials? What is the role of packaging made from renewable raw materials in the current fossil-driven world ..read more

Circular Materials Bioeconomy Network is a national consortium across nine universities that will educate 67 doctorates focusing on sustainable materials and processes. Circular Materials Bioeconomy Network (CIMANET) is an interdisciplinary doctoral education network to support the renewal of the bio-based industry through new sustainable materials and processes. CIMANET is part of the 255 M€ doctoral education pilot program established by Finland’s Ministry of Education and Culture. The program starts in 2024 and provides doctoral researchers funding for three years. CIMANET provides sci ..read more

The Emission Free Pulping program aims to significantly reduce biomass burning and increase the product yield of wood material used for pulping from approximately 50% to around 70%. Woodcut and a silo. Picture: StoraEnso Thanks to the strong support from the forest industry and public funding, 10 research organizations, universities, and companies are establishing a groundbreaking research program with around 20 full-time researchers. The Emission Free Pulping program aims to significantly reduce biomass burning and increase the product yield of wood material used for pulping from approximate ..read more

Maria Heilala, Arttu Lehtonen, Ossi Arasalo, Aino Peura, Juho Pokki, Olli Ikkala, Nonappa, Juha S Klefström, Pauliina M. Munne Advanced Healthcare Materials, 2023, 12, 31 Abstract: The extracellular matrix (ECM)-regulated phenotypic plasticity is crucial for metastatic progression of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). While ECM faithful cell-based models are available for in situ and invasive tumors, such as cell aggregate cultures in reconstituted basement membrane and in collagenous gels, there are no ECM faithful models for metastatic circulating tumor cells (CTCs). Such models are essen ..read more

The Bioeconomy Innovation Day in Brussels offered valuable insights on what is needed to enable bioeconomy innovations in Europe. The Bioeconomy Innovation Day: Advancing Resource Efficiency and Value Creation in Europe was organised as a joint effort of the European Polysaccharide Network of Excellence (EPNOE Association), Swedish research collaboration platform Treesearch, FinnCERES materials bioeconomy Flagship from Finland, and the B2BE Facilitator, a matchmaker in the Flemish bioeconomy between farmers and the industry. The event, organized at the Marriott Hotel Brussels Grand Place, brou ..read more

Doctoral candidate Daria Robertson embarked on a 12-week research collaboration with Imperial College London UK (ICL) to advance the production of a carbon catalyst from lignin, a by-product of industries like pulp and biofuel. Lignin, constituting 30% of plant biomass, is typically discarded or incinerated, but Robertson aims to upcycle it for high-value chemical production, contributing to a cost-effective lignin valorisation process. The research activities included hands-on learning of extraction techniques, carbonization processes, and collaboration with leading lignin and carbon exp ..read more

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about unprecedented changes to our world. The swift and widespread transmission of pathogens has created an urgent need for antimicrobial and antiviral materials in the medical field.  In the midst of the pandemic, researchers at Aalto University and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland began to envision a wood-based self sterilizing material. The first thing we thought about was definitely face masks. So what if we not only stop the aerosols from our breathing, but also deactivate them, to make the masks even safer. Eduardo Anaya Plaza, Aalto Univers ..read more