Mira Sulonen has a Masters degree in Environmental biotechnology (2013) and PhD in Bioengineering (2017) from Tampere University of Technology (Finland). Her research interests include bioelectrochemical systems and mining water treatment - individually and combined. During her doctoral studies, Mira focused on the utilization of reduced inorganic sulfur compounds from mining waters as the substrate for electricity production in bioelectrochemical systems. Her other research areas of expertise include (bio)electrochemical metal recovery, catalysts for electrochemical oxygen reduction, acidophilic sulfur- and iron-oxidizing microorganisms and biosorption of metals. Besides working in international research projects, she has gathered international research experience from the research exchange visits to the Netherlands (Wetsus, Leeuwarden), Turkey (Yildiz Technical University, Istanbul) and India (CSIR-IICT, Hyderabad).

At Genocov, Mira is working on a project developing bioelectrochemical systems for the treatment of acid mine drainage (Bio-e-AMD). This two-year project (2018 - 2020) is funded by the Nessling foundation (Finland). The outflow of acidic sulfate- and metal-rich AMD is a major risk to the environment at mining sites. Bioelectrochemical treatment of AMD aims to comprehensive refinement of AMD combining neutralization and removal of sulfate to metal recovery.

PUBLICATIONS

1. Sulonen, MLK, Kokko, ME, Lakaniemi, A-M & Puhakka, JA 2018, 'Simultaneous removal of tetrathionate and copper from simulated acidic mining water in bioelectrochemical and electrochemical systems' Hydrometallurgy, vol 176, pp. 129-138. DOI: 10.1016/j.hydromet.2018.01.023
2. Sulonen, MLK, Lakaniemi, A-M, Kokko, ME & Puhakka, JA 2017, 'The effect of anode potential on bioelectrochemical and electrochemical tetrathionate degradation' Bioresource Technology, vol 226, pp. 173-180. DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2016.12.023
3. Sulonen, MLK, Lakaniemi, AM, Kokko, ME & Puhakka, JA 2016, 'Long-term stability of bioelectricity generation coupled with tetrathionate disproportionation' Bioresource Technology, vol 216, pp. 876-882. DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2016.06.024
4. Sulonen, MLK, Kokko, ME, Lakaniemi, A-M & Puhakka, JA 2015, 'Electricity generation from tetrathionate in microbial fuel cells by acidophiles' Journal of Hazardous Materials, vol 284, pp. 182-189. DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2014.10.045
5. Butti, SK, Velvizhi, G, Sulonen, MLK, Haavisto, JM, Oguz Koroglu, E, Yusuf Cetinkaya, A, Singh, S, Arya, D, Annie Modestra, J, Vamsi Krishna, K, Verma, A, Ozkaya, B, Lakaniemi, A-M, Puhakka, JA & Venkata Mohan, S 2016, 'Microbial electrochemical technologies with the perspective of harnessing bioenergy: Maneuvering towards upscaling' Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol 53, pp. 462-476. DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2015.08.058
6. Kokko, ME, Mäkinen, AE, Sulonen, MLK & Puhakka, JA 2015, 'Effects of anode potentials on bioelectrogenic conversion of xylose and microbial community compositions' Biochemical Engineering Journal, vol 101, pp. 248-252. DOI: 10.1016/j.bej.2015.06.007
7. Sulonen, Mira L. K.; Lakaniemi, Aino-Maija; Kokko, Marika E.; Puhakka, Jaakko A.

LINKS

Thesis: https://tutcris.tut.fi/portal/files/11924935/sulonen_1485.pdf