Johanna Rinta-Kanto

Johanna Rinta-Kanto is a University Lecturer in Materials Science and Environmental Engineering at the University of Helsinki. She holds a PhD from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (2007) and was appointed as a Docent in Microbial Ecology at the University of Helsinki in 2013. Her research focuses on microbial community dynamics, biogas production, microbial electrosynthesis, and environmental biotechnology, with applications in sustainable waste management and renewable energy systems. Key projects include optimizing bioelectrochemical systems for carbon utilization and studying microbial responses to environmental stressors like hypoxia and temperature shifts. She has contributed to over 30 peer-reviewed publications and serves as a reviewer for journals such as Environmental Microbiology and Scientific Reports.

Her work bridges engineering and microbiology, addressing global challenges in sustainability through innovations like microbial electrosynthesis for carboxylate production and anaerobic digestion of lipid-rich wastewater. Ongoing research explores microbial community assembly in granular biofilms and the ecological roles of archaea in boreal forest ecosystems.