Mikko Herrala (mikko.herrala@uef.fi)
I am working (1.9.2022-31.8.2025) in my Academy of Finland funded postdoctoral project: Genotoxicity Assessment and Comparison of Toxicity Mechanisms of Natural Anthraquinone Dyes.
Before this project, I was working in UEF WATER research, studying possible adverse health effects of microplastics. I am also working in the BioColour -project, which aims to develop new methods of biocolourant production, characterization and application, which enable the buildup of novel processes leading to a variety of sustainable items.
During years 2014-2019 I worked at the Department of environmental and biological sciences in the radiation research group. I was studying biological effects of electromagnetic fields, especially genotoxicity and genomic instability.
Olfat Abdelsaleheen (olfat.abdelsaleheen@uef.fi)
My thesis focus on the reproduction biology and the environmental threats to freshwater mussels. A greater biomass density of freshwater mussels has globally greater potential for enhancing water clarity, reductions in water pollutants and increasing aquatic biodiversity. Effect of pollutions such as polycyclic aromatic compounds and nanoscale-plastic toxicity on freshwater mussels in Finland is poorly documented. So, my research will help to predict the impact of pollution, nanoscale- plastic toxicity and global warming on Finnish freshwater mussels. This information can be applied also internationally and scaled up to larger systems. In general, my research will diminish the large gap in our knowledge on the biology of this globally ecologically and economically important taxa, which are in many areas declining at an alarming.