Konneveden tutkimusasema

Research at the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences

The research covers all levels of biotic organisation, from molecules through population to ecosystem levels, the interactions between these levels, the interaction of these levels with the non-biological environment, and the sociological and economic linkages that affect them all.

The Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences has three areas of strength in research: biological nanoscience, evolutionary research and sustainable use of natural resources. Many research groups work in several key areas, using their specific expertise to address different questions.

Research activities are characterised by an open-minded integration of different biological disciplines and an emphasis on empirical research. Research is also united by an experimental approach to bio- and environmental science, complemented by theoretical and statistical modelling. Research is carried out both in the laboratory and in the field, and longitudinal data from field surveys are used as the basis for mathematical modelling. Basic and applied research will also naturally co-exist, such as research into the structure and function of naturally occurring antiviral molecules, the potential of phage therapy in fish farming and as a substitute for antibiotics, or the use of artificial intelligence and citizen science to study changes in the distribution of migratory bird species.

Department is within of the JYU’s core fields (“Basic natural phenomena and mathematical thinking”), and it is one of the five core research areas of the JYU Faculty of Mathematics and Science: Evolutionary research.

Varpu Marjomäki
The research have strong inter- and multidisciplinary collaboration with other departments of the Faculty of Mathematics and Science especially in the fields of nanoscience.

The Department has three areas of strength in research

Puuhun ripustettu linnunpönttö ja sinitiainen.

Evolutionary research

At the heart of Evolutionary Research at Ģֱ is curiosity-driven research into scientific phenomena associated with change in biological systems.
Varpu Marjomäki ja Saiele Shroff laboratoriossa.

Biological nanoscience

Biological nanoscience is multidisciplinary research area, which aims at understanding the functions of microbes and proteins at the nanoscale, as well as finding practical applications in biotechnology and medicine.
Konneveden tutkimusasema

Sustainable use of the natural resources

Research into natural resources and the impact of humanity on the environment, as well as solutions for the protection of biodiversity and the sustainable use of natural resources.

Research groups and projects

Research group

Human-Environment Complexity Lab

A multidisciplinary research group studying human-environment interactions from the complex systems perspective, with the main focus on the sustainability of natural resource systems.
Research group

Invasion Biology Research group

We study factors contributing to the invasion success.
Research group

Optogenetic Modules – Function and Applications

Takala group studies and applies phytochromes
Research group

Penttinen group - Ecology and Evolution of Bacterial Antibiotic Resistance

Ecology and evolution of bacterial AMR
Research group

Phage Biology Group

We study phage biology using mainly freshwater phage-host systems as models.
Research group

PlanBee

Adaptation of the honey bees into northern conditions.
Research group

Population and Evolutionary Genetics

Knott Laboratory: Population and Evolutionary Genetics
Research group

Predictive Community Ecology Group

A research group jointly run by Nerea Abrego and Otso Ovaskainen at the Department of Biological and Environmental Science
Research group

Spectroscopy of Biomolecules

Janne Ihalainen research group studies the functions and actions of biological photosensors and photosynthetic systems
Research group

Stress genomics

Stress genomics
Research group

Sundberg group - Host-pathogen interactions

We explore the molecular details of how the bacterial CRISPR-Cas immunity is formed, and how the mucosal surfaces influence phage-bacterium interactions in pathogenic bacteria.
Research group

Tiirola research group - Science for Better Life

Science for Better Life
Project

Re-thinking plastics in a sustainable circular economy (PlastLIFE)

PlastLIFE is an extensive national cooperation project funded by the EU LIFE programme to promote the circular economy of plastics.
Project

ResForest "Enhancing resilience in boreal forests to face climate change challenges"

ResForest aims at strengthening the socio-ecological resilience of Finnish forests by assessing how forest dynamics and forest owners’ preferences and decisions might enhance or limit the resilience of forest ecosystems.
Project

Turning away from the brink of a failing sustainability transition

A research project funded by the Research Council of Finland to study negative outcomes emerging from actions taken toward sustainability (the 'dark side' of sustainability)