Biological Engineered Living Materials
Group led by Professor Rahul Mangayil
H&W Bio- and Chemical Technologies
This cluster is a subarea of Aalto University’s Health and Wellbeing (H&W) expertise and includes research and development on the biotechnology and -engineering needs of the health and wellbeing sector.
Biotechnology and -engineering are developing at an exceedingly fast rate to offer novel solutions, technologies, and products for fulfilling the fast-evolving needs of the health and wellbeing (H&W) sector, and come together at our university with our multifaceted expertise in chemistry and chemical engineering. Aalto’s profile in this area is multidisciplinary and scientifically competitive both at the level of basic research as well as that of the development of new medical applications.
We are active in the study of application opportunities for personalised medicine, synthetic biology, regenerative medicine, rapid diagnostics, and production for unit operations for the biorefining of highly specialized value-added compounds from biobased raw materials. Underlying technologies include nanotechnologies, biopolymers, microfluidics, microarrays, high-throughput screening, and bioprocessing.
Industrial biotechnology includes the disciplines of biochemistry, microbiology, biomolecular materials, and bioprocess engineering. High-level skills in organic chemistry synthesis and analysis in combination with chemical engineering are in a crucial role in developing modern active pharmaceutical agents, biomaterials, diagnostic technologies, and their production technologies. Synthesis and tailoring of novel biomaterials includes polymeric biomaterials, bioactive materials, and biomolecular materials as well as inorganic biomaterials.
Key Research Area: Health and well-being
Representative Research Groups and Major Projects
Molecular Nanoengineering
The Molecular Nanoengineering group operates at the interface between nanoscience, molecular self-assembly, DNA nanotechnology and nanoplasmonics with particular focus on DNA-based artificial molecular systems with functionalities tailored for biosensing, nanophotonics and biomimetics.
Biohybrid Materials
Group led by Professor Mauri Kostiainen
The LIBER Centre of Excellence
LIBER aims to create dynamic and soft hybrid materials with a capability to learn, adapt or response to the environment. LIBER combines eight research groups with expertise on molecular self-assembly, soft robotics, surfaces and interfaces, genetic engineering of proteins, biotechnological production of engineered biomolecules, and computational modelling.
Bioinspired colours and adaptable materials - Professor Olli Ikkala's third EU project builds on living systems
Department of Applied Physics Professor Olli Ikkala received his third Advanced Grant from the European Research Council (ERC) on 11 April 2024. The funding amounts to €2.5 million and the project will run for five years.
Medical innovation makes early cancer diagnostics cheaper, faster, easier
Aalto University researcher makes two-pronged improvement on microbubble technology
Coating bubbles with protein results in a highly stable contrast agent for medical use
Researchers developed bubbles that are safe, highly stable, and function as contrast agent in medical applications. They could be used to diagnose, for example, cardiological issues, blood flow, and liver lesions.
Nanoscience expert Olli Ikkala and team part of new flagship project on biopharmaceuticals
The Academy of Finland project brings together Finland’s front-line genetic, cellular, and nanotherapy researchers, as well as clinical actors, leading companies, and third sector players.
Bio-Piezoelectric Ceramic Composites for Electroactive Implants—Biological Performance
Electrochemical behavior of additively manufactured patterned titanium alloys under simulated normal, inflammatory, and severe inflammatory conditions
Electrochemical and biological characterization of Ti–Nb–Zr–Si alloy for orthopedic applications
Unveiling additively manufactured cellular structures in hip implants: a comprehensive review
Engineering a Hybrid Ti6Al4V-Based System for Responsive and Consistent Osteogenesis
Bio-Piezoelectric Ceramic Composites for Electroactive Implants—Biological Performance
Carefully designed DNA molecules can weave together, all by themselves, into complex shapes and structures. One of the approaches for building DNA nanostructures is called DNA origami (after the Japanese art of paper folding). Using DNA origami technique it is possible to build three-dimensional nanostructures of unprecedented complexity.
Reconfigurable Bio-nano Hybrid Metasurface for Biosensing
Professors active in the area
Mauri Kostiainen
Key Research Area: Health and well-being
Aalto University’s expertise in health and well-being is broad-based, with strong clusters of research groups such as in medical devices, health AI, neuroscience, and care-facility architecture.
Aalto Networking Platform
The Aalto Networking Platform brings together research expertise across departments, supporting collaboration both inside and outside of Aalto.