Vilja Siitonen
PhD (FT)
vksiit@utu.fi Tykistökatu 6 Turku Office: 6108 ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1444-2622 |
Molecular biology; Protein biology; Bioactive small metabolites; Microbiology; Fermentation; Biotransformation, HPLC, MS, NMR, GC
Photosynthetic Microbes group
Senior Researcher, Photosynthetic Microbes -research group (www.utu.fi/photo-microbes) (2025–
Postdoctoral Researcher, Photosynthetic Microbes -research group (2020–2025)
Postdoctoral Researcher, ABE Lab – Antibiotic Biosynthetic Engineering -research group (https://abelab.utu.fi) (2017–2020)
Doctoral student, ABE Lab – Antibiotic Biosynthetic Engineering -research group (2011–2016)
Research assistant, ABE Lab – Antibiotic Biosynthetic Engineering -research group (2009–2010)
Summer trainee, University of Salzburg (https://www.plus.ac.at/) (2007)
My research in the Photosynthetic Microbes -research group focuses on utilizing green algae and cyanobacteria as biocatalysts or cell factories.
My previous research in the ABE -research group focused on soil bacteria, their fermentation, genetic modification, and the structural analysis of the compounds they produce, as well as studying the functions of proteins involved in antibiotic biosynthesis.
I have taught some parts on these courses:
Photosynthetic Biotechnologies (DIBT0608-3001) (2025)
Applied Photosynthesis Research - Theory (KABI4015) (2023, 2024)
Applied Photosynthesis Research - Practical (KABI4016-3002) (2021, 2022)
Harjoitustyö biokemian tutkimusryhmässä I/II (BKEM1028/1029) (2011–2019, 8 x 1 month)
Molekyylibiologian harjoitustyöt (BKEM1010) (2011)
I have supervised theses at different levels of studies.
I have studied university pedagogy 10 ECTS.
- Divergent non-heme iron enzymes in the nogalamycin biosynthetic pathway (2016)
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Glycosylation and Glycodiversification in Polyketide Antibiotics: Unraveling Biosynthetic Steps in Nogalamycin Formation (2016) Siitonen Vilja
(G5 Article dissertation ) - Laboratory course on Streptomyces genetics and secondary metabolism (2016)
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Crystal structure of the glycosyltransferase SnogD from the biosynthetic pathway of nogalamycin in Streptomyces nogalater (2012)
- FEBS Journal
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Discovery of a Two-Component Monooxygenase SnoaW/SnoaL2 Involved in Nogalamycin Biosynthesis (2012)
- Chemistry and Biology
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Identification of Late-Stage Glycosylation Steps in the Biosynthetic Pathway of the Anthracycline Nogalamycin (2012)
- ChemBioChem
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal)



