Taina Tyystjärvi
Associate Professor
University of Turku, Finland
Biography
Taina Tyystjärvi is Associate Professor and Senior Lecturer at the University of Turku, Finland, where she explores how cyanobacteria regulate their genes and adapt to changing environments. Her research focuses on the role of RNA polymerase and its regulatory components in controlling gene expression in the model species. She investigates how these microorganisms sense and respond to varying levels of inorganic carbon, adjusting their photosynthesis, nutrient uptake, and growth. Her team also develops engineered cyanobacterial strains by modifying regulatory sigma factors and other parts of the transcription machinery, aiming to advance sustainable biotechnological applications such as bioproduction and wastewater treatment. In addition, she teaches molecular biology, transcriptomics, and plant development, and supervises students across all academic levels.
