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Prof. Robin Ras elected as member of the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters
Membership of the Academy is awarded to scientists distinguished in their field. Ras is an internationally prominent researcher of surfaces and wetting.

Researchers create gel that can self-heal like human skin
Until now, artificial gels have either managed to replicate this high stiffness or natural skin’s self-healing properties, but not both. Now, a team of researchers from Aalto University and the University of Bayreuth are the first to develop a hydrogel with a unique structure that overcomes earlier limitations, opening the door to applications such as drug delivery, wound healing, soft robotics sensors and artificial skin.

Get to know us: Associate Professor Maria Sammalkorpi
Sammalkorpi received her doctorate from Helsinki University of Technology 2004. After her defence, she has worked as a researcher at the Universities of Princeton, Yale and Aalto.

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.

Olli Ikkala and Esa Saarinen found a common thread in baroque music and lecturing
Olli Ikkala will continue his research on nature-inspired materials and will find himself again as an organist after his busy research career. Esa Saarinen, on the other hand, continued to lecture the Philosophy and Systems Thinking (Filosofia ja systeemiajattelu) course to packed halls this spring. When they met, they discussed the organ and the atmosphere of the lectures.

Two new professors appointed at the School of Chemical Engineering
Maria Sammalkorpi has been appointed Associate Professor and Ville Miikkulainen has been appointed Assistant Professor at the Department of Chemistry and Material Sciences.

Medical innovation makes early cancer diagnostics cheaper, faster, easier
Aalto University researcher makes two-pronged improvement on microbubble technology

Researchers create the most water-repellent surface ever
Revised method to create hydrophobic surfaces has implications for any technology where water meets a solid surface, from optics and microfluidics to cooking

At the frontiers of combining physics and biology: Workshop photo gallery and participant experiences
This three-day, international event included talks, poster presentations, and cross-disciplinary collaboration

Emil Stråka: It’s interesting to see physicists and chemists complement each other’s expertise
'It’s interesting to see how physicists and chemists can be looking at the same system, and yet arrive at very different conclusions, questions, and results. In LIBER Center of Excellence, you can see the expertise from different disciplines.'

Professor Olli Ikkala receives Finnish Science Award
Ministry of Education and Culture grants Olli Ikkala, Aalto Distinguished Professor of applied physics, significant national acknowledgement for his interdisciplinary career in materials research

Considerable Novo Nordisk funding for researcher Sesilja Aranko
Staff Scientist Sesilja Aranko has been awarded the highly competed Emerging Investigator 2023 Grant from Novo Nordisk Foundation for a research project focusing on post-translational modifications in protein-based biomaterials. The grant awarded is 10 million DKK (approx. 1.34M€) for a five-year period.

Oops: A curious discovery
During doctoral researcher Fereshteh Sohrabi’s master’s project, curiosity turned a failing experiment into a new research avenue.

The path of least resistance
Antimicrobial resistance is causing a silent, stealthy pandemic – and the pipeline of new antibiotics is dwindling. The good news is that researchers are turning to other ways to fight bacteria, by targeting the very weapons they deploy during an infection.

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.

Merja Penttilä receives honorary title of Academician of Science
Merja Penttilä's specific focus is on so-called cell factories, microorganisms that are engineered to produce biobased products for energy, health, materials and other applications.
Jaana Vapaavuori: From dancer to researcher
Professor of functional nanomaterials would like to combine technology and art in her research.

Ascending Investigator Grant from Novo Nordisk Foundation awarded to Maria Sammalkorpi for computational biosynthetic materials research
Senior Scientist Maria Sammalkorpi has been awarded the highly competed Ascending Investigator 2022 Grant from Novo Nordisk Foundation for a total of ca 9 million DKK (1.2M€).
Sustainable optical fibres developed from methylcellulose
Researchers from Tampere University and Aalto University have developed optical fibres from methylcellulose, a commonly used cellulose derivative. The finding opens new avenues to short-distance optical fibres using sustainable and environmentally benign fibre processing. The finding was published in the journal Small

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.
