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Areas of expertise
Biography
University lecturer 9/2022-
Academy research fellow, group leader 9/2017-8/2022 (5-year term).
Research topic: Regulation of eukaryotic transcription.
Researcher/University teacher at the University of Turku, Department of Biochemistry. 2016-2017.
Research topics: Mechanism of transcription & Molecular evolution of membrane-bound pyrophosphatases.
Postdoctoral fellow at the University of Oxford, Department of Physics. 2014-2016.
Research topic: Single molecule biophysics of bacterial transcription initiation.
Postdoctoral fellow at the University of Turku, Department of Biochemistry. 2009-2014.
Research topics: Mechanism of transcription elongation in bacteria & Mechanism of membrane-bound pyrophosphatases.
Doctoral candidate at the University of Turku, Department of Biochemistry. 2002-2009.
Research topic: Structure and function of membrane-bound pyrophosphatases.
Teaching
Teaching interests:
Bioprocess technology, mammalian cell factories, enzyme and protein chemistry, transcription, gene regulation, membrane biology.
Research
To understand on the molecular level how the function of RNA polymerase I is regulated in normal and sick cells, we aim to elucidate the identity and sequence of molecular events that take place at the beginning of Pol I mediated production of ribosomal RNA. Our research approach depends on sophisticated biochemical, enzyme kinetic and single-molecule biophysics tools that we develop to monitor the function of Pol I in real-time. The molecular mechanisms that we will uncover pave the way for the development of new drugs that specifically constrain the function of Pol I and hence potentially slow down the progress of cancer and other diseases.