University of Oulu leads NutriEV Project for nutrition innovation
The University of Oulu, established in 1958, is one of Finland’s largest and most multidisciplinary universities. Located near the Arctic Circle, it combines strengths in biomedical sciences, molecular medicine, and digital health with a distinctive focus on Arctic health, climate resilience, and sustainable development.
With eight faculties and strong collaborations with Oulu University Hospital, Biocenter Oulu, and Infotech Oulu, the university bridges life sciences, engineering, and technology. This combination of diverse research areas enables groundbreaking developments in AI-driven diagnostics, wearable health technologies, and remote patient monitoring for improved public health.
Coordinating NutriEV’s ambitious research
As the coordinator of the NutriEV Project, an EU-funded Horizon Europe project, the University of Oulu leads pioneering research into nutrient-enriched extracellular vesicles (nutriEVs) derived from plants and fermented foods.
Under the leadership of Professor Seppo Vainio, the team investigates how these nano-sized, membrane-bound particles – released naturally by cells and carrying proteins, lipids, and RNA – can influence human health. By decoding their molecular composition and understanding their roles in gut health, metabolism, and immune function, NutriEV aims to harness diet-derived EVs as nutritional interventions and non-invasive biomarkers to combat obesity and related metabolic disorders.
Professor Seppo Vainio explains, “Our goal is to uncover how food-derived extracellular vesicles can reprogramme metabolic pathways and support health in ways we are only beginning to understand. This project allows us to bridge basic science with future nutritional solutions.”
Scientific leadership and team expertise
At the heart of this work is Professor Vainio’s laboratory in the Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine. His group focuses on isolating and characterising cloudberry-derived EVs, developing labelling strategies to track their transport within the body, and creating innovative detection approaches using sweat as a non-invasive diagnostic medium. They also study fusing Cre-recombinase mRNA lipid nanoparticles to EV labelling systems and contribute cloudberry material for consortium research.
Supporting project coordination is Dr. Susanna Kosamo as project manager, ensuring seamless integration of scientific and operational activities, alongside Dr. Susanna Kaisto, who brings additional management expertise from coordinating Finland’s GeneCellNano flagship programme.
Dr. Kosamo reflects, “Coordinating NutriEV is about nurturing collaboration across our multidisciplinary teams, supporting each other as we work towards our shared vision of one day turning complex molecular insights into nutritional innovations that can improve lives.”
Interdisciplinary contributions across Oulu
Associate Professor Jane Chen leads studies on nutriEVs as potential probiotic therapeutics in intestinal inflammation models, with PhD researcher Zheng William Lei contributing to mouse model work.
Professor Terhi Ruuska-Loewald oversees clinical studies examining how nutriEVs influence gut microbiota and metabolic health across life stages, supported by Postdoc Tejesvi Mysore, who specialises in microbiome-derived EV analysis, and MD-PhD student Nea Hakkarainen.
In a novel approach, Dr. Olli Loukola’s behavioural ecology team investigates how bumblebees’ exceptional olfactory senses could support detection of nutriEVs, bridging ecological cognition with biosensor innovation to improve nutrition monitoring.
Arctic knowledge with global impact
Through its Arctic-rooted yet globally relevant research environment, the University of Oulu provides advanced infrastructure in genomics, imaging, proteomics, and digital health. Its leadership within NutriEV ensures integration of fundamental research, clinical studies, and technological development, transforming scientific discoveries into impactful solutions that support healthier and more sustainable societies worldwide.
A strong European consortium
NutriEV unites leading institutions across Europe. Alongside the University of Oulu, the consortium includes the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche in Italy, the Technical University of Braunschweig in Germany, the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, and Zabala Innovation in Spain.
Together, these partners combine expertise in molecular biology, nutrition, biosensing, innovation, and communication to advance the project’s mission and lay the foundations for future nutrition innovations that can improve health across Europe and beyond.