Miia Mäkelä

Miia Mäkelä is an Associate Professor in the Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems at Aalto University, specializing in fungal enzyme systems and plant biomass conversion. Her research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms of fungal carbon metabolism, particularly in Aspergillus species and white-rot fungi like Dichomitus squalens.

Her research interests span fungal carbon metabolism, enzyme technology for biorefinery applications, lignin degradation pathways, and fungal genomics. Dr. Mäkelä's work bridges fundamental fungal physiology with biotechnological applications, particularly in developing efficient enzyme systems for plant biomass conversion. She investigates how fungi adapt their enzyme production to different carbon sources, with emphasis on carbohydrate-active enzymes involved in lignocellulose degradation.

Analysis of Dr. Mäkelä's recent publications (2022-2025) reveals a strong focus on fungal metabolism of plant biomass components, particularly sugar transporters, reductases, and dehydrogenases in Aspergillus species. Her work combines genomic, transcriptomic, and biochemical approaches to understand fungal adaptation to different carbon sources, with applications in biorefinery processes. A significant portion of her research explores the complex regulatory networks controlling plant biomass degradation in fungi.

Dr. Mäkelä has established extensive collaborations, particularly with Ronald P. de Vries and other international researchers in fungal biotechnology. Her work appears in high-impact journals across microbiology, biotechnology, and biochemistry.

Her research group maintains strong focus on both fundamental fungal physiology and practical applications in biorefinery processes. Current work includes enzyme discovery through genomic approaches, metabolic engineering of fungal cell factories, and development of efficient systems for lignocellulose conversion.