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About me

Post doctoral research fellow funded by the Tampere Institute for Advanced Studies. Member of Prof. Minna Kellomäki's Laboratory of Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering, part of Academy of Finland's Center of Excellence in Body-on-Chip research.

Hydrogel expert focusing on development of characterization methods for hydrogels and use of hydrogels in 3D cell culture application, such as disease modeling as well as clinical tissue engineering. Aiming for deeper understanding of hydrogel mechanics and cellular mechanotransduction (how cells sense their environment and how that affects cell behavior). I enjoy multidisciplinary research and working at the interface between materials engineering and biomedical applications. I've always been facinated by biology. 

I'm open for collaboration suggestions within the field of biomaterials.

Responsibilities

  • Scientific research (running my own project)
  • Applying for research funding
  • Student supervision
  • Teaching (assisting role)

Fields of expertise

  • Hydrogels
  • Compression testing
  • Rheology (macro- and microrheology)
  • Setting up 3D cell culture systems
  • Biocompatibility/cytocompatibility testing & cell culture
  • Stem cell differentiation

Top achievements

Awards:

  • 1 500€ stipend for doctoral thesis approved with distinction, from Industrial Research Fund at Tampere University of Technology.
  • Honorary membership of the Materials Science and Engineering Students' Guild (Materiaali-insinöörikilta, MIK) of for special dedicated work towards the benefit of the materials science students and the guild, awarded by Materials Science and Engineering Students' Guild at the 30th Anniversary Gala 2023. 
  • Badge of Merit for continuous work towards the benefit of the materials science students and the guild, awarded by Materials Science and Engineering Students' Guild at the 25th Anniversary Gala 2018. 

Funding:

  • Travel grant for visit to Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Erik & Edith Fernström Foundation (Sweden) (2022)
  • Travel grant for conference participation, Karolinska Institutet internal travel grant (2022)
  • Post Doctoral Mobility Grant (Visit to Karlsruhe Institute of Technology), Osk. Huttunen Foundation (Finland) (2020)
  • Grant for Doctoral Studies, Finnish Cultural Foundation, Pirkanmaa Regional Fund (2015)

Student supervision:

PhD thesis supervision (Tampere University):

  • Anastasiia Yiannacou (née Astanina) (on-going)

PhD Follow-up Group Member (Tampere University):

  • Anastasiia Astanina (2022, from 2023 onwards thesis co-supervisor)

M.Sc. thesis supervision (Tampere University):

  • Kati Rinnekari (Biotechnology Master’s Program, on-going)

M.Sc. thesis supervision (Karolinska Institutet) (In English):

  • Nicole Accord (Diagnostic Cytology Master’s Program, June 2021): “Cell density and scaffolding in a 3D hydrogel-based in vitro model of bone”

M.Sc. thesis supervision (Tampere University of Technology) (In English):

  • Christine Gering (Materials Science Master’s Program, May 2016): “Functionalization of the Polysaccharide Hydrogel Gellan Gum for Tissue Engineering Applications”
  • Jette-Britt Naams (Biotechnology Master’s Program, May 2016): “A Rapid Cell Culture Protocol for Screening Material Cytocompatibility”
  • Laura Salonen (Materials Science Master’s Program, August 2014): “Rheological and Mechanical Properties of Hydrogels”

B.Sc thesis supervision (Tampere University of Technology) (In Finnish):

  • Jenna Suoranta (October 2019): “Electrophysiological Measurement of Electrically Active Cells in 3D Hydrogel” 
  • Ria Makkonen (January 2018): “Methods for Studying Hydrogel Microstructure, Porosity and Diffusion” 
  • Olli Etelätalo (October 2016): “Development of Heart Tissue -Like Scaffold Using Textile Technology” 
  • Jette-Britt Naams (July 2015): “Interactions of Laminin with Integrin in Neurons and Glial Cells” (joint supervision with Neuro Group, former University of Tampere)
  • Hanna Kemppi (January 2015): “In Vitro Differentiation of Astrocytes from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells” (joint supervision with Neuro Group, former University of Tampere)
  • Anni Junnila (May 2014): “The Effect of Substrate Mechanical Properties on Cell Growth”

Main positions of trust

  • Auditor, Scandinavian Society of Biomaterials (11/06/2020 – (on-going))
  • National Chapter Representative of Finland, Young Scientist Forum, European Society of Biomaterials (07/2019 – (on-going))
    • Co-organizer of monthly webinar series for career development of young scientist in the Nordic and Baltic countries (10/2021 – (on-going))
  • Founding member and two-time secretary of the board of Tampere University of Technology Materials Science Alumni Association (2017 & 2021) 
  • Chairman of BioMediTech Stem Cell Research Groups’ Free Time Activity Committee (09/2015 – 04/2019)
  • Organizer of Stem Cell Research Workshop as part of high school students' Science Navigation (once per year 2015-2018)
  • Organizer of Hydrogel Journal Club (09/2015 – 01/2018)
  • Master of Ceremonies, Joint Meeting of Finnish Developmental Biology Society & Stem Cell Network, Tampere, Finland (10/2018)
  • Editor of 25th Anniversay History Book of Materials Science and Engineering Guild (2018) 
  • Co-editor of Conference Abstract Book and Organizer of Student Sauna Evening, Joint Conference of the European Medical and Biological Engineering Conference and the Nordic-Baltic Conference on Biomedical Engineering and Medical Physics (EMBEC’17&NBC’17), Tampere, Finland (05/2017 – 06/2017)

Funding

Tampere Institute for Advanced Studies (Internal University Funding)

Research career

I studied materials science and engineering at Tampere University of Technology (currently part of Tampere University), majoring in biomaterials and tissue engineering. Masters thesis about differentiation of peripheral sensory neurons from human iPS cells in the Heart group of prof. Katriina Aalto-Setälä, University of Tampere (currently also part of Tampere University) and graduated 2013. After graduation worked first one year as research assistant and then as doctoral student in prof. Minna Kellomäki's Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering group in the Hydrogel project, which was part of Business Finland funded Human Spare Parts project. Throughout my doctoral studies I maintained a secondary affiliation in the Heart Group. Graduated as Doctor of Science (Tech.) in December 2019 with the thesis topic "Development and characterization of gellan gum based hydrogels for soft tissue engineering applications".

I did my first post doc, 1.5 years, in the Microelectronics Research Unit in University of Oulu (Finland) under the supervision of adjunct professor Gabriela Lorite. There I studied the interactions of carbon nanotubes with hydrogels, developing composite biomaterials.

Then did my second post doc (2 years) in Assist. Prof. Tuomas Näreoja's Bone Biology group, Division of Pathology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. My aim was to develop 3D bone disease model of inflammatory osteolysis. In practise this included development of composite 3D cell culture systems for bone cell co-cultures and conducting the necessary hydrogel characterization related to our model system.

During autumns 2021 and 2022 (total ~6 months) I was on a research visit from Sweden to Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany, to learn more about rheology and microrheology in the Applied Mechanics research group of Prof. Norbert Willenbacher. During the visits I also (thankfully) used the cell culture facilities of Prof. Martin Bastmeyer.

Since October 2022 I have held the current fellowship position and in January 2023 moved physically back to Tampere, Finland. 

Selected publications

Anastasiia Astanina, Janne T. Koivisto, Markus Hannula, Turkka Salminen, Minna Kellomäki, Jonathan Massera: “Chemical interactions in composites of gellan gum and bioactive glass: self-crosslinking and in vitro dissolution” Frontiers in Chemistry (Vol. 11, Article ID 1133374, May 2023) https://doi.org/10.3389/fchem.2023.1133374 

Muthusamy Saranya, Janne T. Koivisto, Ana C.M. Carvalho, Fernando Sato, Andrea Lassenberger, Lionel Porcar, Baleeswaraiah Muchharla, Saikat Talapatra, Lauriane Janssen, Olli Pitkänen, Minna Kellomäki, Krisztian Kordas, Gabriela S. Lorite: “Aligned multi-walled carbon nanotube-embodied hydrogel via low magnetic field: a new strategy for engineering aligned injectable scaffolds” Composites Part B: Engineering (Vol.248, Article ID 110398, November 2022) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesb.2022.110398 

Reeja Maria Cherian, Chandra Prajapati, Kirsi Penttinen, Martta Häkli, Janne T. Koivisto, Mari Pekkanen-Mattila, Katriina Aalto-Setälä: “Fluorescent hiPSC-derived MYH6-mScarlet cardiomyocytes for real time tracking, imaging and cardiotoxicity assays” Cell Biology and Toxicology (Published online 23.07.2022) https://doi.org/10.1007/s10565-022-09742-0 

Musammir Khan, Janne T. Koivisto, Minna Kellomäki: “Injectable and self-healing biobased composite hydrogels as future anticancer biomaterials” Nano Select (Vol.3, Issue 8, pp.1213-1222, April 2022) https://doi.org/10.1002/nano.202100354 

Christine Gering, Anum Rasheed, Janne T. Koivisto, Jenny Parraga, Sampo Tuukkanen, Minna Kellomäki: ”Chemical modification strategies for viscosity-dependent processing of gellan gum”, Carbohydrate Polymers (Vol.269, Article ID 118335, October 2021) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbpol.2021.118335 

Jairan Nafar Dastgerdi*, Janne T. Koivisto*, Olli Orell, Pantea Rava, Jarno Jokinen, Mikko Kanerva, Minna Kellomäki: “Comprehensive characterisation of the compressive behaviour of hydrogels using a new modelling procedure and redefining compression testing”, Materials Today Communications (Vol.28, Article ID 102518, September 2021) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtcomm.2021.102518 

Birhanu Belay, Janne T. Koivisto, Jenny Parraga, Olli Koskela, Toni Montonen, Minna Kellomäki, Edite Figueiras, Jari Hyttinen: “Optical projection tomography as a quantitative tool for analysis of cell morphology and density in 3D hydrogels” Scientific Reports (Vol.11, Article ID 6538, March 2021) https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-85996-8 

Musammir Khan, Fawad Ahmad, Janne T. Koivisto, Minna Kellomäki: “Green Synthesis of Controlled Size Gold and Silver Nanoparticles using Antioxidant as Capping and Reducing Agent” Colloid and Interface Science Communications (Vol.39, Article ID: 100322, September 2020) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colcom.2020.100322 

Gabriela S. Lorite, Laura Ylä-Outinen, Lauriane Janssen, Olli Pitkänen, Tiina Joki, Janne T. Koivisto, Minna Kellomäki, Robert Vajtai, Susanna Narkilahti, Krisztian Kordas: “Carbon Nanotube Micropillars Trigger Guided Growth of Complex Human Neural Stem Cells Networks” Nano Research (Vol.12, Issue 11, pp. 2894–2899, November 2019) https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-019-2533-2 

Christine Gering, Janne T. Koivisto, Jenny Parraga, Jenni Leppiniemi, Kaisa Vuornos, Vesa P. Hytönen, Susanna Miettinen, Minna Kellomäki: “Design of Modular Gellan Gum Hydrogel Functionalized with Avidin and Biotinylated Integrin Ligands for Cell Culture Applications” PLOS ONE (Vol.14, Issue 8, Article ID: e0221931, August 2019) https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0221931 

Mari Pekkanen-Mattila, Martta Häkli, Risto-Pekka Pölönen, Tuomas Mansikkala, Anni Junnila, Elina Talvitie, Janne T. Koivisto, Minna Kellomäki, Katriina Aalto-Setälä:” Polyethylene Terephthalate Textiles Enhance the Structural Maturation of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes”, Materials (Vol. 12, Issue 11 (Special Issue on Textile-Based Advanced Materials), Article ID: 1805, June 2019) https://doi.org/10.3390/ma12111805 

Gabriela Simone Lorite, Olli Pitkänen, Melinda Mohl, Krisztián Kordás, Janne Tapio Koivisto, Minna Kellomäki, Monique Culturato Padilha Mendonça, Marcelo Bispo de Jesus: “Carbon Nanotube-Based Matrices for Tissue Engineering” in Materials for Biomedical Engineering - Bioactive Materials, Properties and Applications, 1st Edition, edited by Alexandru Mihai Grumezescu & Valentina Grumezescu, published June 2019, Elsevier, ISBN: 9780128184318, pp. 350-380. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-818431-8.00003-9 

Janne T. Koivisto, Christine Gering, Jennika Karvinen, Reeja Maria Cherian, Birhanu Belay, Jari Hyttinen, Katriina Aalto-Setälä, Minna Kellomäki, Jenny Parraga, “Mechanically Biomimetic Gelatin-Gellan Gum Hydrogels for 3D Culture of Beating Human Cardiomyocytes”, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces (Vol.11, Issue 23, pp.20589-20602, May 2019) https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.8b22343 

Laura Ylä-Outinen, Venla Harju, Tiina Joki, Janne T. Koivisto, Jennika Karvinen, Minna Kellomäki, Susanna Narkilahti: “Screening of Hydrogels for Human Pluripotent Stem Cell–Derived Neural Cells: Hyaluronan-Polyvinyl Alcohol-Collagen-Based Interpenetrating Polymer Network Provides an Improved Hydrogel Scaffold”, Macromolecular Bioscience (Vol. 19, Article ID: 1900096, May 2019) https://doi.org/10.1002/mabi.201900096 

Kaisa Vuornos, Miina Ojansivu, Janne T. Koivisto, Heikki Häkkänen, Birhanu Belay, Toni Montonen, Heini Huhtala, Leena Hupa, Minna Kellomäki, Jari Hyttinen, Janne Ihalainen, Susanna Miettinen:” Bioactive Glass Ions Induce Efficient Osteogenic Differentiation of Human Adipose Stem Cells Encapsulated in Gellan Gum and Collagen Type I Hydrogels”, Materials Science and Engineering Part C (Vol. 99, pp.905-918, February 2019) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msec.2019.02.035 

Musammir Khan, Janne T. Koivisto, Terttu Hukka, Mikko Hokka, Minna Kellomäki: ” Composite Hydrogels using Bioinspired Approach with In-situ Fast Gelation and Self-Healing Ability for Tissue Engineering Application”, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces (Vol. 10, Issue 14, pp.11950-11960, March 2018) https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsami.8b01351 

Jennika Karvinen, Tiina Joki, Laura Ylä-Outinen, Janne T. Koivisto, Susanna Narkilahti, Minna Kellomäki: “Soft Hydrazone Crosslinked Hyaluronan- and Alginate-Based Hydrogels as 3D Supportive Matrices for Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Neuronal Cells”, Reactive and Functional Polymers (Vol. 124, pp.29-39, December 2017) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2017.12.019 

Jennika Karvinen, Janne T. Koivisto, Ilari Jönkkäri, Minna Kellomäki: “The Production of Injectable Hydrazone Crosslinked Gellan Gum-Hyaluronan-Hydrogels with Tunable Mechanical and Physical Properties”, Journal of Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials (Volume 71, July 2017, Pages 383–391) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmbbm.2017.04.006 

Janne T. Koivisto, Olli Koskela, Toni Montonen, Jenny E. Parraga, Tiina Joki, Laura Ylä-Outinen, Susanna Narkilahti, Edite Figueiras, Jari Hyttinen, Minna Kellomäki: “Texture-Property Relations of Bioamine Crosslinked Gellan Gum Hydrogels”, IFBME Proceedings, EMBEC & NBC 2017 (Vol 65, pp 189-192, June 2017). Oral presentation at Joint Conference of the European Medical and Biological Engineering Conference (EMBEC) and the Nordic-Baltic Conference on Biomedical Engineering and Medical Physics (NBC), Tampere, Finland, June 2017. https://www.doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-5122-7_48 

Christine Gering, Janne T. Koivisto, Jenny Parraga, Minna Kellomaki: “Reproducible Preparation Method of Hydrogels for Cell Culture Applications – Case Study with Spermidine Crosslinked Gellan Gum”, IFBME Proceedings, EMBEC&NBC 2017 (Vol 65, pp 811-814, June 2017). Poster presentation at Joint Conference of the European Medical and Biological Engineering Conference (EMBEC) and the Nordic-Baltic Conference on Biomedical Engineering and Medical Physics (NBC), Tampere, Finland, June 2017. https://www.doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-5122-7_203 

Birhanu Belay, Janne T. Koivisto, Kaisa Vuornos, Toni Montonen, Olli Koskela, Mari Lehti-Polojärvi, Susanna Miettinen, Minna Kellomaki, Edite Figueiras, Jari Hyttinen: “Optical Projection Tomography Imaging of Single Cells in 3D Gellan Gum Hydrogel”, IFBME Proceedings, EMBEC & NBC 2017 (Vol 65, pp 996-999, June 2017). Oral presentation at Joint Conference of the European Medical and Biological Engineering Conference (EMBEC) and the Nordic-Baltic Conference on Biomedical Engineering and Medical Physics (NBC), Tampere, Finland, June 2017. https://www.doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-5122-7_249  

Janne T. Koivisto*, Tiina Joki*, Jenny Parraga, Rami Pääkkönen, Laura Ylä-Outinen, Laura Salonen, Ilari Jönkkari, Marja Peltola, Teemu Ihalainen, Susanna Narkilahti, Minna Kellomäki: “Bioamine-Crosslinked Gellan Gum Hydrogel for Neural Tissue Engineering”, Biomedical Materials (Volume 12, Number 2, Article ID: 025014, March 2017) https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-605X/aa62b0  

Ana M. Soto, Janne T. Koivisto, Jenny E. Parraga, Joana Silva-Correia, Joaquim M. Oliveira, Rui L. Reis, Minna Kellomäki, Jari Hyttinen and Edite Figueiras: “Optical Projection Tomography Technique for Image Texture and Mass Transport Studies in Hydrogels Based on Gellan Gum”, Langmuir (Vol.32, Issue 20, pp. 5173–5182, May 2016) https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.6b00554 

Edite Figueiras, Ana M. Soto, Danilo Jesus, Mari Lehti, Janne Koivisto, Jenny E. Parraga, Joana Silva-Correia, Joaquim M. Oliveira, Rui L. Reis, Minna Kellomäki and Jari Hyttinen: “Optical Projection Tomography as a Tool for 3D Imaging of Hydrogels,” Biomedical Optics Express (Vol. 5, Issue 10, pp. 3443-3449, September 2014), https://doi.org/10.1364/BOE.5.003443