GeneCellNano Flagship Annual Meeting 2025
April 24–25, 2025 – Helsinki, Finland
The NutriEV Project will take part in the upcoming GeneCellNano Flagship Annual Meeting, a key scientific event in Finland that brings together national leaders in gene, cell, and nano research. Set to take place in Helsinki on 24–25 April 2025, the meeting is expected to welcome around 130 attendees, including researchers from the University of Eastern Finland, University of Oulu, University of Helsinki, Aalto University, and the Finnish Red Cross Blood Service, as well as invited speakers from Karolinska Institute and ATPM (Sweden) and company representatives.
GeneCellNano, one of the 14 Flagship programs funded by the Research Council of Finland, focuses on Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs)—including gene therapy, cell therapy, and nanotechnology. As part of this broader framework, extracellular vesicles (EVs) are gaining attention for their potential as biological nanocarriers, capable of delivering therapeutic materials directly to target cells and tissues. This makes the NutriEV Project’s contributions especially relevant to the event’s core themes.
NutriEV on stage
Susanna Kosamo, from the project’s coordination entity, the University of Oulu, will present an overview of the project in her talk poster: “The NutriEV Consortium – Exploring the Role of Extracellular Vesicles in Nutrition”.
Kosamo, Research Manager at the university’s Developmental Biology Laboratory: Organogenesis & Extracellular Vesicles department, will introduce the project’s core objectives: decoding the composition and function of nutrient-enriched extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from plants and foods, with a focus on their potential in precision diagnostics and therapeutics for metabolic diseases.
With a background in molecular biology and biochemistry, Kosamo has previously conducted translational research and biomarker discovery for critical illnesses at the University of Washington Harborview Medical Center (Seattle, USA), bringing valuable expertise to the NutriEV initiative.
At the helm of the NutriEV project is Professor Seppo Vainio, a leading figure in biomedical research and innovation in Finland. He serves as the Scientific Director of the Kvantum Institute and leads a research group at Infotech Oulu. Vainio’s multidisciplinary expertise spans nanobiotechnology, biochemistry, functional genetics, organoid and cell modelling, and nanocellulose-based filtration technologies—areas that are crucial to the scientific backbone of NutriEV.
Beyond his leadership in NutriEV, Professor Vainio plays a pivotal role as Co-Director of the GeneCellNano Flagship; his dual roles ensure that NutriEV is not only advancing nutritional research but also contributing to Finland’s broader strategic vision for biomedical innovation.
Deep dive into EV characterisation
Also from the University of Oulu, Jingdong Shan will present his work on “Avidin labeling of extracellular vesicles”. His contribution will focus on advanced methods for tagging and tracing EVs, a crucial step in understanding their distribution and behaviour in biological systems—a key aspect of the nutriEV approach to functional food-derived nanovesicles
Connecting science across disciplines
The presence of The NutriEV Project at GeneCellNano highlights its unique position at the crossroads of nutrition science, molecular medicine, and nanotechnology. The project’s focus on plant- and food-derived EVs offers promising new perspectives on how everyday nutrition can contribute to cutting-edge biomedical solutions.
By aligning with the GeneCellNano flagship’s mission, NutriEV contributes not only to basic research but also to the advancement of real-world applications—offering potential breakthroughs in targeted delivery, diagnostics, and health promotion.