Merja Kontro

Merja Kontro is a University Lecturer at the University of Helsinki, affiliated with the Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences and the Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science (HELSUS). Her work focuses on environmental biotechnology, remediation of persistent compounds, and circular economy innovations.

• Environmental sciences
• Environmental biotechnology
• Environmental engineering
• Microbiology

Her research explores microbial ecology in pesticide degradation and waste valorization for biopolymer production. She leads EU-funded projects like Circulari Systemic Solutions for Plastic and Hämeen ELY-keskus HUUMA, aiming to transform waste into sustainable resources.

Recent publications highlight advancements in Actinobacteria pigment characterization, sugarcane processing, and microbial plastic production. Grants from the Maj and Tor Nessling foundation and Finnish Work Environment Fund support her work.

• Supervised doctoral candidates like Lei Liu and Kaisa Kerminen
• Peer-reviewed for journals including Science of the Total Environment and Waste Management