BioProt session at Lahti Science Day 2023

Created 21.11.2023

Updated 23.11.2023

We had an interesting forenoon in Lahti on Tuesday 21.11.2023 at 10:05-12:05 where five oral presentations were given by experts of each work package. At first, Krista Koljonen (LUT) introduced shortly the BioProt, explaining the aims and participants of the project, and Katja Lahikainen (CST, LUT) chaired the two-hour session. In the afternoon after the oral presentations, we introduced six posters of different topics and had lively discussions during the poster session. BioProt project thanks the participants for the interest in the BioProt project. The project members also acknowledge Lahti University Campus for organizing the Lahti Science Day. Abstracts for the oral and poster presentations can be found in www.lahdenyliopistokampus.fi/lahden-tiedepaiva/.

BioProt is a two and half -year project started at the beginning of 2022 and has been funded by Business Finland, including six research institutes (LUT, LAB, VTT, JYU, Luke, HU), four companies with own projects (Lifa Air, Teknikum, Premix, Teknos) and five In-kind companies (HUS, Mehiläinen, Berner, Optitune, Lindström Group).

left

BioProt session at 10:05-12:05 in A127

Five oral presentation covered the entire project, starting with bio-based materials, continuing with quality assurance issues, antimicrobial substances, health care views on future face masks, and ending up with the business models and procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE).

10:05-10:10

Krista Koljonen (LUT)

Introduction to BioProt project

10:10-10:25

Aravin Periyasamy (VTT), Enni Luoma (VTT), Tim Höhnemann (German Institutes for Textile and Fiber Research, DITF), Simon Ringger (German Institutes for Textile and Fiber Research, DITF) and Pirjo Heikkilä (VTT):

Bio-based thermoplastics in face masks

10:30-10:50

Satu Salo (VTT), Hannu Salmela (VTT) and Kimmo Heinonen (VTT):

Quality assurance on bio-based materials of face masks

10:55-11:15

Tuula Jyske (Luke), Jaana Liimatainen (Luke), Jenni Tienaho (Luke), Hanna Brännström (Luke), Dan Aoki (Nagoya University in Japan), Katsushi Kuroda (Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute in Tsukuba Japan), Dhanik Reshamwala (JYU), Marjo Haapakoski (JYU), Anni Perämäki (JYU), Susan Kunnas (Luke), Eelis Halmemies (Luke), Eiko Nakayama (Showa Women’s University in Tokyo Japan), Petri Kilpeläinen (Luke), Ari Ora (Luke), Janne Kaseva (Luke), Jarkko Hellström (Luke), Varpu Marjomäki (JYU), Maarit Karonen (UTU) and Kazuhiko Fukushima (Nagoya University in Japan) :

Inspired by nature: Antimicrobial functionalized fiber materials

11:20-11:40

Susanna Tella (LAB):

Health and social care employees’ views on future face masks

11:45-12:05

Paulus Torkki (HU):

Business models for personal protective equipment (PPE) and sustainable procurement

During the session, we were discussing about the bio-based and biodegradable materials and thermoplastics and their availability in the future. Thermoplastics applied in BioProt have been commercially available. It was also discussed could the bacteria be identified individually in the quality testing. We found out that tannin-rich extract is actually the whole extract and tannins have not been separated from the extract, which would make the procedure more expensive. We heard that nurses were suffering different kinds of symptoms during the COVID-19, and referring thereto, it was discussed which kinds of disadvantages should be taken into account when designing the future mask. We learned that the fossil-based surgical mask costs approximately 5 cent per peace and which kind of challenges there are to bring more expensive bio-based or biodegradable alternatives to the market.

right

left

right

BioProt posters at 12:05-12:40 in A117 Tapahtuma areena

We presented six different posters, covering four different topics in BioProt and two topics including results from the face mask research done at LUT :

Simo Hannula (VTT), Eetta Saarimäki (VTT), Pirjo Heikkilä (VTT):

Nano-scale nonwoven fabrics by electrospinning of polylactic acid

Natalia Vinitskaia (LUT), Kaisa Grönman (LUT) and Mariia Kozlova (LUT):

Comparative LCA of single-use and reusable face mask

Jenni Tienaho (Luke), Jaana Liimatainen (Luke), Susan Kunnas (Luke), Petri Kilpeläinen (Luke), Riikka Linnakoski (Luke), Tuula Jyske (Luke), Dhanik Reshamwala (JYU), Marjo Haapakoski (JYU), Anni Perämäki (JYU), Sailee Shroff (JYU) and Varpu Marjomäki (JYU):

Bio-based antiviral solutions from Finnish forest

Patrik Koskinen (LAB), Ari Känkänen (LAB) and Susanna Tella (LAB):

The future of face masks

Kosisochi Ibebunjo (LUT), Susanna Tella (LAB), Samantha Kiljunen (LUT) and Eveliina Repo (LUT):

Shape memory respirator mask for airborne viruses.

Daria Givirovskaia (LUT), Georgy Givirovskiy (LUT) and Eveliina Repo (LUT):

Zeolite Imidazolate Framework-8 on surfaces of face mask.

Abstracts of oral presentations (p. 44-50) and posters (p. 80-85) can be found in www.lahdenyliopistokampus.fi/lahden-tiedepaiva/ through the link "Lahden tiedepäivän abstraktit 2023".