鶹ý

News

Paavo Penttilä awarded Hayashi Jisuke Award for 2022

The Cellulose Society of Japan has awarded Paavo Penttilä the Hayashi Jisuke award for outstanding international achievements in the field of cellulose research. Penttilä is currently working as an Academy Research Fellow leading the “Biobased Materials Structure” research group at Aalto University, Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems. The award was officially bestowed at a special ceremony held last week at the International Cellulose Conference ICC2022+1 in Hiroshima, Japan.
Palkinto jaettiin Penttilälle Hiroshimassa.
The award was officially bestowed at a special ceremony held in September at the International Cellulose Conference ICC2022+1 in Hiroshima, Japan. Photo: Patrik Ahvenainen, Aalto University

Dr. Penttilä has devoted his research efforts on investigating the structure of hierarchical cellulosic materials by X-ray and neutron scattering. He has applied these techniques in various research cases, resulting in more than 50 scientific articles with a wide network of co-authors around the world. Paavo Penttilä has received several research grants, including the Academy of Finland Research Fellow grant for 2021-2026. 

Paavo Penttilä has made significant contributions to the interpretation of scattering data measured from cellulosic systems, which includes the development of a data analysis model for wood. In his research, Dr. Penttilä has used scattering methods specially to study the interactions between wood and water at nanoscale. This research has yielded fundamental information on the water-induced swelling behaviour of microfibrillar structures within wood cell walls and a better understanding of the effects of moisture on cellulose crystals. Most recently, Dr. Penttilä has adopted tools from machine learning to enable efficient analysis of large amounts of scattering data from wood.

The award also acknowledges Dr. Penttilä’s efforts in international exchange activities. He has actively promoted international collaboration and connected European and Japanese researchers, by making visits to research groups at Japanese universities and building collaborations with researchers from both communities. During the three weeks following the award ceremony, he will be staying as visitor at Kyoto University under a fellowship of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. He is also actively contributing to scientific societies, being currently an Alternate Councilor of the Cellulose and Renewable Materials Division of the American Chemical Society and Secretary of the Finnish National Committee for Crystallography.

Previously only one Finn has received this acknowledgement, Professor Eero Kontturi from Aalto University in 2017. 

Previous  winners.

Colour photo of wood chips and samples on textured surfaces, in a petri dish and a closed test tube

Biobased Materials Structure

Group led by Research Fellow Paavo Penttilä

  • Updated:
  • Published:
Share
URL copied!

Read more news

Aalto Inernational Talent -ohjelman opiskelijoita vierailemassa Outokummun toimitiloissa Helsingissä.
Cooperation Published:

Aalto International Talent Program mentor Matti Aksela: I recommend participating to all companies

The Program enables companies to get to know international talent easily and develop a more diverse work community.
Person at shared desk browsing a student course catalogue on a laptop, with plants and office supplies nearby
Cooperation, University Published:

Doctoral positions at Unite! universities now available in one place

Unite! students searching for doctoral positions can now explore a dedicated category in the Unite! Catalogue for Students.
Helenin voimalaitos Vuosaaressa
Studies Published:

Students developed a service blueprint for remote plant advisory services for boiler plants

A multidisciplinary team of master’s degree students from Aalto University collaborated with Sumitomo SHI FW (SFW) in a customized project
Family posing by a fjord harbour with red cabins and snow-capped mountains in the background
Awards and Recognition, Cooperation, Research & Art Published:

The film Fjord wins the Palme d'Or at Cannes – featuring a number of Finnish creators

The film was co-produced by Jussi Rantamäki of the film company Aamu, and it also features a Finnish costume and sound designer.