Origin - VR 2/2021

VR VapaaRadikaali

#2/2021

primarilythewriters’ownopinionsand thereforedon’tnecessarilyrepresenttheofficial viewoftheassociation.

ThismagazinereceivesHYY’sstudent organizationmagazinefunds.

AScientistIsBornTwice

Editorial

WhenIwasachild,Idreamed aboutbeingadozenofthings.A doctor,avet,acrazyscientist.Yeah, acrazyscientist.LikeGyro GearloosefromtheDonaldDuck, whichwasacharacterIdeeply enjoyed.Today,I’mmostdefinitely goingcrazy,andI’malmosta scientist.I’mhappythatIgotto fulfillmychildhooddream.Butwhat isitthatmakesyouascientist?

Yearsago,onmysecondyearinto myuniversitystudies,Iheardthe phrase“growingupintoa profession”.Thatsoundedreally scary.WouldIactuallyhaveto matureintoacertaintypeofaperson tobewhatIwanttobe?Whatdoes thatevenmeaninthefirstplace?

Lookingback,itactuallydoesn’t meananything.It’sanaturalprocess youdon’tevennoticeafteryearsand yearsofgoingtroughpagesupon pagesofcomplicateddetailsabout themitochondrialmetabolic pathwaysyoustilldon’tunderstand. Butsomethinginsideyouhas awaken.It’showyoureactto science.It’showyoutalkaboutit. Butmostly,it’sjusthowitmakesyou feel,rangingfromthecuriosityto knoweverythingtotheanxietyofnot handlingeverysinglelittledetail.

Iloveclassicalballet.Thereisa saying:“Adancerdiestwice.”The firsttimewhentheyretirefromthe stage.So,maybe,justmaybe,a scientistisborntwice?Oncewhen theyactuallyenterthisworld,andthe secondtimewhentheyfirstwalkinto thelectureroom,sitdownandstart

questioningthat“whyonEarthdidI choosethiscareer”.

Growinguptobecomeascientisthas beenoneofthetoughestexperiences inmylife.Maybesomeonecanrelate totheexistentialcrises,thenot knowingwhatyoureallywanttodo. Thethingis,whenyouaspiretobea scientist,it’snotthateasytoplan yourlifeahead.Idon’tknowwhereI aminfiveyears,andit’sscary,it stressesmeout.Thereisnobalance, nothingcertaintorelyon.Butonthe otherhand,it’sexciting.Itkeepsyou fighting.Youlearntobeflexibleand liveinthepresentworld.

WhatIloveaboutscience,isthatit neverstaysinplace.Itchallenges itselfallthetime.Althoughitwould belovelytohaveapeaceofmind aboutmyfuture,IthinkI’veadapted amindsetwherethescaryunknown isthedoortoendlesspossibilities. Afterall,sciencedoesn’tgiveyouan easyanswer.Never.Youhaveto buildityourself.

LiljaNikula Editor-in-chief

Originof…buttholes?

Oneday,Iwasthinkingabout wherealltheseinterwebs morons,humanbuttholesand know-it-allshavecomefrom.The generationofourparentswould probablysayitmustbebecauseof theinternet,videogamesand teachersnotallowedtosmackyou onthehead.Theseniorsonthe otherhand,wouldsayitsthegood oldrock‘n’roll,radio,tv…Imay disagree.

Inourromanticisedmentalimages ofthegoodolddays,nohuman buttholesaretobeseen.Onlygood, hard-workingpeoplelivingtheirlife —wait,somedyingfromthe plague,polioorotherdisease becauseofinequelpartitionof resources,somesteelingthecoin fromtherich,somebeatingthecrap outofpeopleofdifferentethnicity, draggingthepoliticalopponents behindthesaunatoface‘muilutus’ (finnish;meaningtheactof combinedkidnappingandassault; fromthetimesaftertheFinnish civilwar),forcingchemical castrationonqueerpeople…

Itseemsbeinganassholeisnotonly nowadaysproblem.Butwheredo theycomefrom?Howfarinhistory dowehavetogonottofindanyof them?Well…’asshole-ness’seems notonlytobeaproblemofour species;Chimpanzeesthrowing faeces,antsenslavingotherants,

cuckooslayingeggstootherbirds’ nesttobetakencarefor,andmany others.Atleast,formammals,birds andrelatedanimals,wecould hypothetisethatassholesremain assholesallthewayfromgastrulation; evenduringtheformationofthe embryo,theasshole(‘blastopore’) formsbeforeanythingelse,otherthan couplelayersofcells.Formore douchebaganimals:

Butwhatdefinesbeinganasshole? Well,ofcoursethetermcomesfrom theliteralholethatanimalbodie utilisetogetridofexcess…biomass. Butisthepresenceofthecrapsecretor thedefiningfactor?Evensomeplants aretrulyshitty,stealingessential nutrientsfromotherplantsdirectly throughparasitismorthrough

Kraus,Y.&Technau,U.2006.Dev GenesEvol.

competitionandchemicalwarfare, andthentherearefungithatmind controlantsandeatyourbrain…Is multicellularitythereasonthen? Canbacteriabebastardly?Yup…to otherorganismsandtoother bacteria(ifeatingotherbacteria countsasbeingan“asshole”)… Andlet’snoteventhinkofthe vivaciousintracellularparasites, suchasviruses,andpinheadprions, turningotherproteinsasshole-yas well.IhavenoideawhyIendedup thinkingandevenwritingabout this…Life,andcomplexmolecules, trulyareabunchofturds.

thestorYbehiNDthecover

Inspirationforthecovercamefrom Kalevala,Finland’snationalepic.In Kalevala,there’samythoftheorigin oftheworld.Apochardlaidsix goldeneggsandoneironegg.From thebrokenpiecesoftheseeggs becameearth,sky,sun,moon,stars andclouds.

Thebirdofthemythisthoughttobe agoldeneye,whichwasapparently previouslyknownaspochardin Finland(Fin.sotka).Itisnotcertain whetherthisbirdwasactuallya goldeneyeasitisaholenesterand thebirdofthemythmadeitsneston ground(specificallyonthekneeof thegoddesofair,Ilmatar).

Yes,weknowthatthebirdonthe coverisamalegoldeneyeandthe eggisn’tgoldeneye’s.Butthatisjust someartisticfreedom:it’sallabout thestory!

-TimoPihlajamäki

SakuMattila

Chairperson, helixry

RecentlyatHelix

Wabu(nicknameforVappu,1st ofMay) cameandwabuwentaway!Helix celebratedVappuasapartofBiosfääri’s Vappuweek.On22nd ofAprilHelix organisedaremotesewingnightwitha “Wineandwhine”theme.

On3rd ofJulyBiosfääriorganised aPridepicnicwhereHelixwas wellrepresented!APrideparade marchedfromViikkicampusto Viikinojanpuistoforanice summerpicnicinthenameof loveandequality.

Autumnwillbeatimeforlotsof eventsasnewstudentsarrivetothe campus!Remoteornot,thatstill remainsamystery.Informationon eventswillbesharedonwebsites andsocialmediaofHelix, BiosfääriandMMYL!

OriginalPhoto:SiljaMinkkinen

CoViikki-19

TheCOVID-19pandemichittheworldhardandsciencecommunitiesall aroundtheworldgavetheircontributionforthecollectiveefforttobeatthe crisis.HereinViikki,atourhomecampus,someresearchgroupshaveworked dayandnighttobringsolutionstounansweredquestions.Theeditorialstaffof VRgatheredalltheinformationtheycouldfindandgettopresentthesegroups’ hardworktothereadersofVapaaRadikaali.

Aerovirology

GroupLedbyProf.MartinRomantschuk,EmeritusProf. DennisBamfordandPhDDoc.NinaAtanasova

OurinterdisciplinaryCOVID-19 researchaimstoclarifythe significanceofairbornetransmission ofSARS-CoV-2inthespreadingof thepandemicandwhatkindofsafety solutionscanbedevelopedtobetter protectpeopleindoorsfromvirus infection.Wehavestudiedthe experimentalaerosolizationof SARS-CoV-2incollaborationwith AssociateProfessorTarjaSironento measuretheinfectivityandsize distributionofvirus-ladenaerosols. Thestudywasfundedbythe AcademyofFinlandCOVID-19 specialfunding.Inaddition,our groupusedthenon-pathogenic modelvirusPhi6tosimulate airbornetransmissionofenveloped virusesinareal-liferestaurant setting.Thisresearchwasfundedby BusinessFinlandandperformedbya multidisciplinaryresearch consortiumincludingresearchers

fromtheUniversityofHelsinki, FinnishMeteorologicalInstitute, HUSandFinnishInstitutefor OccupationalHealth.Resultsofthe studywillbepublishedlaterthis year.

Themostimportantdiscoveriesof ourrecentresearchincludethe observationsthatinfectiveviruses aretransmittedinsmallaerosol dropletsoverdistancesofseveral metersandthatefficientair conditioningandmixingofairare goodmeanstoprotectoneselffrom airbornevirustransmission.

TextbyNinaAtanasova,PhD, DocentofMicrobiology, AerovirologyResearchGroup, UniversityofHelsinkiand AtmosphericDispersionModelling Group,FinnishMeteorological Institute.

Text: SakuMattila,TimoPihlajamäki,ValtteriLeppilampi,ResearchgroupsofViikki(mentionedinthetext)|

CoViikki-19

Macromolecularstructure andfunction

Ourrecentresearchhasdiscovereda roleforNeuropilin-1(NRP-1) enhancingSARS-CoV-2infection (Cantuti-Castelvetrietal.,Science 2020).EventhoughNRP-1cannot potentiateCoV2infectionalone,in thepresenceoftheCoV2receptor, angiotensin-convertingenzyme2 (ACE2),itsignificantlyincreasesthe uptakeofviralparticlesintothecell. NRP-1bindstoafurin-cleaved peptideinthespikeproteinandthis hasbeenconfirmedbyanatomic modelofNRP-1domainboundtoa shortpeptidefromthespikeprotein (Daly,Simonettietal.,Science 2020).

However,noknowledgeon conformationalchangeswhichmay occurinthespikeproteinwhen boundtoNRP-1existandhowthat increasesSARS-CoV-2infectivity. MyworkasaPhDstudentinthe Butcherlabistoutilizecryo-elctron tomographyandsubtomogram averagingtoobtainastructureofthe wholeSARS-CoV-2virionboundto ACE2andNRP-1.Thismayfurther

ourunderstandingoftheSARS-CoV2infectionandthehostproteins involved,andinturnhelpinthe designandimprovementofSARSCoV-2antivirals.

ThisispartofalargerAcademyof Finlandfundedconsortiumcalled “CoVIDD”ledbyMarkkuVarjosalo, whereweaimtounravelthe interactionsofviralproteinswith theircellularfactorsandthehost pathwaysinvolvedinSARS-CoV-2 infectionbyacombinationof moderntechnologies,genomics, proteomics,structuralbiology, chemoinformaticsanddrug discovery.

TextbyZlatkaPlavec,ILSPhD student,SarahButcher’sgroupin MIBS,FBES,UniversityofHelsinki

GroupleaderProf.SarahButcher

FoodandEnvironmentalVirology ResearchGroup

GroupleaderPhDLeenaMaunula

We,togetherwithtraineeMScstudentAuroraPerezDiaz,have participatedintheTUPAproject,the leaderofwhichisDr.Nina Atanasova,inmaincollaboration withAss.Prof.TarjaSironen’sgroup, aswellasHUS,FMI,andTTL.Our collaborativerolehasbeenin demonstratingSARS-CoV-2RNA onhospitalwardsurfaces.ViralRNA wasevidentonvarioussurfacesbut onlyclosetothepatientswhichisin linewithliterature(Virtanenetal., manuscript).PrimersintheRT-qPCR influencedtheresultssuggesting thereisstillplacefordevelopmentof theassays.Inaddition,wewereable togiveaminorcontributioninthe simulationprojectleadbyDr. Atanasovathatinvestigatestheair transmissionofSARSwithhelpof

surrogatephageinarestaurant.

Atthedepartment,wetogetherwith PhDstudentEmilLoikkanenhave ongoinginactivatingefficiency testingofdisinfectantsoractive surfacesdevelopedbyindustry,using infectiousmurinenorovirusasa surrogateforvirusesthatsurvive wellintheenvironment.Results generateinformationrequiredonthe survivalofSARS-CoV-2insimilar conditions,whichcanbeusedto preventthespreadofviruses.

TextbyLeenaMaunula,PhD,Doc, FoodandEnvironmentalVirology ResearchGroup,Departmentof FoodHygieneandEnvironmental Health,FacultyofVeterinary Medicine,UniversityofHelsinki

EmergingInfectionsResearchgroup

GroupleaderAss.Prof.TarjaSironen

EmergingInfectionsResearchgroup oftheFacultyofVeterinaryMedicine focusesondiscoveryofnovel viruses,diseaseecologyand molecularepidemiologyofrodentandbat-borneviruses.Theyare currentlyfocusingondevelopment ofserologicaltestsandantiviralsfor COVID-19incollaborationwith Prof.OlliVapalahtigroupandthey workontheoriginofcoronaviruses,

batsandinter-mediatehosts.Sironen groupwasalsopartofthe interdisciplinaryTUPAproject.

Theresearchgroupdidn’tdeliveran introductiontexttotheeditorialstaff ofVR.Thistextisbasedonthe UniversityofHelsinki’sCOVID-19 andEmergingInfectionsResearch groupwebsites.

ViralZoonosisResearchUnit

GroupleaderProf.OlliVapalahti

OlliVapalahtiisaprofessorof clinicalmicrobiologyatthefaculties ofmedicineandveterinaryatthe UniversityofHelsinki.Heisthe actingchairpersonofthe University’smultidisciplinaryviral zoonosisunit,whichcurrently studiesthephenomenarelatedtothe currentSARS-CoV-2pandemicin co-operationwithHUSLAB. Vapalahti’sresearchgrouphas workedonmanyofthezoonoticand viraldiseases,liketheSARS-CoV-2 andarboviruses.

Recently,thestudieshave additionallyincludeddiagnosis methodologyforthecoronavirusand factorsaffectingtheseverityofthe disease.Forexample,theyhave foundthroughmeta-analyticstudies ofEuropeanandChinesepopulations thatinsomeplacesandpopulations over80%oftheinfecteddonotshow anysymptomsasthevirusinfection ismainlycontainedintheupper respiratorytrack[1].Inthesame study,theyobservedthetemperature andhumiditytopositivelycorrelate withtheseverityofdisease, connectingtheriseofzoonotic diseasesandincreasedfatalititiesto globalclimatechange.

Inthemostrecentstudy,theyfocused ondevelopmentandevaluationof diagnosismethodsofthecoronavirus

disease[2].Forexample,with reversetranscriptionpolymerase chainreaction(RT-PCR),the detectionprovestoberelatively moresensitivethanwithrapid antigendetectiontests(RADTs); althoughlesssensitive,RADTsstill remainadequatelysensitivetodetect thepresenceofviralparticlesand/or RNAinthemuchshortertime available.

Theresearchgroupdidn’treplyto theeditorialstaffofVR.Textis basedonthefollowingsources:

WebsiteoftheViralZoonosis ResearchUnit

[1]KiferDetal.(2021). Effectsof EnvironmentalFactorsonSeverity andMortalityofCOVID-19.Front. Med.7:607786.

[2]Jääskeläinen,A.etal.(2021). Evaluationofthreerapidlateral flowantigendetectiontestsforthe diagnosisofSARS-CoV-2infection. JournalofClinicalVirology,137, 104785.

ImmunoViroTherapyLab

GroupleaderProf.VincenzoCerullo

ImmunoViroTherapyLabinthe divisionofpharmaceuticalbiosciences,ledbyVincenzoCerullo,is currentlyworkingondevelopmentof novelpan-coronavirusvaccine.The vaccineisbasedonpreviousand currentlyon-goingresearchonanticancervaccinesdonebythegroup. Thevaccineindevelopmentis thermostablemultitargetcoronavirus vaccine.

ThisSARS-CoV-2vaccineunder developmentiseasytoadaptand modify,sincethetechnologyusedis basedonvaccinethattargetsrapidly changingtumorcells.Thevector usedinthisvaccineisadenovirus vector.UnlikemostSARS-CoV-2 vaccinesthatonlyusesurfacespike proteinofthevirionasanantigen, thisvaccinecontainsmultiple antigensthattriggertheimmune system.Thismeansthatthevaccine indevelopmentcouldgiveprotection

againstmultipletypesof coronaviruses.Anothergoalofthe researchgroupistomakethevaccine thermostable.Thermalstabilityof thevaccinemeansthatnocoldchain isrequiredforstorageand transportationofthevaccine.This featurecouldmakeitsuitableforuse indevelopingcountrieswherethe coldchainrequiredformostvaccines isunattainable.

Theresearchgroupdidn’treplyto theeditorialstaffofVR.Thistextis basedonatalkVincenzoCerullo heldatTiedekulma11thofJune, 2020.

ViralCellBiology

GroupleaderProf.GiuseppeBalistreri

Viralcellbiologygroupledby GiuseppeBalistrerifocuseson researchingcellbiologywithviruses. Virusesareusedasameansof researchingmacromolecule assemblysuchasmembranevesicles. Theaimoftheresearchistocreate newantiviralstrategiesand treatments.Infall2020,thegroup publishedapaperaboutresearchon receptorsthatSARS-CoV2usesto infectcells.

Inadditiontothemainreceptor ACE2,thegroupdiscoveredthatthe virushasanabilitytobindto neuropilin-1receptor.Thegroup discoveredthatbindingtothe neuropilin-1iscausedbyadditional sequenceinthesurfacespikeprotein Sgene.AsthegenomeoftheSARSCoV2isavailable,groupnotedthat thesequencecontains“hook” structuresintheS-gene.Similar sequencesarepresentonother dangerousandcontagiousviruses, butthesestructuresarenotpresenton othercoronaviruses.These“hook” structuresarealsopresentonother

hormonesandcellularproteins utilizingneuropilin-1.Thisincreases theinfectivityofthevirusasthe ACE-2israrereceptorinthenasal mucosa,butneuropilin-1isrelatively abundantinthisarea.

Researchdonebythegroupalso suggeststhatbindingofthevirusto theneuropilin-1alsoenablesthe transportationofthevirustothe centralnervoussystem.Whenthe neuropilin-1receptorswereblocked withantibodiesincellcultures,the viralinfectionwasdownplayed. However,thiscannotbeyet consideredasatherapeuticapproach fortreatmentorpreventionofcovid19,sincesideeffectsofblockingthe receptorispoorlyunderstood.

Theresearchgroupdidn’treplyto theeditorialstaffofVR.Thistextis basedontheresearchgroup’s UniversityofHelsinkiwebsiteand theirpublications.

UPPSALA SCREAMS

FOREIGNCORRESPONDENT’SCOLUMN

So,I’vebeenlivinginUppsala,Sweden forayearnowstudyingforensicsciences. I’vebeensingingsitsit-songs,wornmy overallsandbeenamazedatthesheer volumeofdifferentcrustaceanssoldat grocerystoreslikeyourregularSwede withmoreeasethanIanticipated.

sciences.I’vebeensingingsitsit-songs, wornmyoverallsandbeenamazedatthe sheervolumeofdifferentcrustaceanssold atgrocerystoreslikeyourregularSwede withmoreeasethanIanticipated.

Evenbeforemovinghere,Iwasvaguely awarethatSwedenisactuallytheorigin countryforalotofstudent-ythingsthat wenowconsiderFinnish.Forexample, thewhitegraduationcapsandtheiconic overallsarebothactuallyofSwedish origin,thathavesincemigratedtoFinland.

Although,“Swedishorigin”mightbe over-exaggeratingabit.Mosttraditions, likeValborgandsitsithaverootsin EuropeanculturesrangingfromBritainto FrancetoGermany,butitsfairtosay Swedenhasadoptedtheseasuniversity studenttraditionsbeforeFinlandtook note.Uponfurtherinspectionduring booze-filledadventurestherehasbeen prettymuchonlyonecultureshockI wasn’tpreparedfor,andthatistheallimportant1stofMay.

ThecentreoftheyearstudenteventVappu inFinland,andtheiconicValborgin Sweden.Iwassoexcited.Withallthe foodanddrinks,partygames,smilesand goodtimesit’snowonderthatVappuis themostanticipatedstudenteventofthe year.So,youcanimaginemysurprise whenIfoundoutthattheSwedesdoit wrong!

Notonlydotheycelebrateitwithout graduationcaps,butit’salsocelebrated onthewrongday!Theswedescelebrate Valborgonthe30thofApril,asdo Finns,butonthemainday(thefreaking nameoftheholiday)1stofMay,the streetswereempty!Pubsa-closed!Parks unoccupiedandthevibesnon-existent! That’sjustplaineffedup,therewasnot evenhungover-mölkkyanywhere.

Yousee,graduationcapsareonlyworn ontheValborgoftheyearyougraduate highschool,whichdoesexplainthefew “grattisar”Igotbywearingmycap. AfterdiggingalittledeeperIfoundout thatapparentlythe1stofMay,whichis commonlyknownaslabourday,ismore ofaseparateentitywithpoliticalrootsin SwedenthanitisinFinlandwhereits moreorlessapaganholidayand continuationofthepartiesfromthe30th. Isupposewetookthepossibilityof havingatwo-daycarnivalandranwith it,andI’mnotcomplaining.

Withallthatsaid,thereisstillsomething aboutstudentlifeherethatjustfeels differentevenwiththingsbeingfairly similaronthesurfacelevel.Ijustcannot pointmyfingeratityet.Luckily,Istill havetimetofigurethatout.

So,I’vebeenlivinginUppsala,Sweden forayearnowstudyingforensic

FinnishwhitestudentcapsweremodelledaftertheUppsalaUniversity modelfortheUniversityofHelsinkiinthe1870s.Inbothcountriesthecaps wereoriginallywornthroughallofthesummermonths,butsincethenthe usehasbeenreducedto1stofMayandvariousacademicevents.

Overallsthatoriginallywerewornjustasprotectivegearwere establishedasa“poorman’spetticoat”ininformalacademicevents inthe1960sintheRoyalinstituteoftechnologyinStockholm. TheylandedinFinlandbytheengineeringstudentsinAalto universityinthe1980sandwereadoptedbyHelsinkiUniversity andotheruniversitiesaroundFinlandsoonafter.

Studentnationswerecopied fromaFrenchsystemtoSweden’s oldestuniversity,UppsalaUniversityduring itsfoundingyearin1477,andthenations

Theoriginsofsitsitare mostlyunknown,butone theoryisthattheywere modelledafterthesit-down dinnersofBritish mercenariesSwedenused duringitsThirtyyear’swar inthemid-1600s.

SitsitthenmigratedtoFinlandwithsimilar toasting,singinganddress-coderules, althoughthereareafewvariationstothe sitsitinSweden,suchasthemoreformal gasqueandtheinformallate-nightsexa.

wereandstilllargelyarethemainproviderofstudenteventsandgeneralstudentlifewith pubs,libraries,clubs,spexandhousing.NationswerealsoadoptedtothefirstFinnish university,RoyalAcademyofTurku,inthe1600sandnationsfollowedwhentheinstitution waslatermovedtoHelsinkiandnamedtheUniversityofHelsinkiinthe1800s.However, nationsinFinlandhavetocoexistinaseaofsmallerunionsandindependentclubsandtheir presenceinstudentlifeisremarkablysmaller.

Hidephotographyisnature photographer’sultimatetestof knowledge,patienceand,last butdefinitelynotleast,luck.

Everybodyhastheirownhobbies. Orlikemyfathersays,everybody hastheirowncraziness.Sometimes thatfeelsveryaptinmycase.What wouldyouthinkaboutwakingupat 3:00amandgoingouttowanderin thenature–andthenjustsitinone placeforhours?Ormaybespenda fewdaysinasmallcontainerinthe middleofnowhere?Thatisthelifeof manynaturephotographers especiallyduringthespringand summer.

Well,photographinginhidesisn’tas boringasImighthavemadeitsound, butitdoestakealotofpatienceand dedication.Theeffortisallworthit: youwilllearnalotaboutnatureand photography,witnesssomeunique sightsintheserenityofnatureand youwillalsogetsomekillerphotos!

Howtogetstartedin hidephotography?

Beforegoingdeeperinthesubject,a littledisclaimer:Ihavelearntmostof thisstuffthroughmyown experiences,andIamnota professional.Butthat’salsothe brightsideofthishobby.Youdon’t havetobeanexpert,andyoudon’t havetogetawardwinningphotos. Thebestpartisfeelingconnectedto thenatureandseeingphenomenaand animalsthatyouwouldn’totherwise see.

Anyway,backtothetopic.Before puttinganyhidesanywhere,firstyou havetoknowwheretoputthem.You needtoknowhowtheanimalyou’re afterisbehavingandthenscouta goodlocation.Andifyou’regoingto

takephotostoo,it’snotenoughthat youknowwheretheanimalsare.You needtofindagoodandclearcamera anglewithgoodlight(sidelightisthe best,itwillcastniceshadowsand bringdepthtotheimage!).It’snota badideatoaskforhelpandtips either.Localresidents,especially localnaturephotographers,bird watchersandhunters,usuallyhave themostknowledgeonwheretofind thebestlocations.

Onceyouhavethelocation,it’stime forthehide.Manymanufacturers andstoressellhideswhicharegreat –ifyouhaveafewhundredeurosto investinthem.Youcanalsobuild yourownhidesimplybycutting somecameraholesinaregulartent andthrowingacamouflagenetover it.Addaninsulatedbottomforextra comfort.Thesimplesthideisjusta camouflagenethungonacoupleof sticksortrees.

Atenthideisgreatforbirddisplays andyoucanalsosleepthenightinit (don’tworryaboutputtinganalarm clock,hornybirdswillwakeyouup withtheirnoise).Justacamouflageis greatifyouneedtohikealongway tothelocationandyourtargetisn’tso sensitivetomovement.Takein considerationthatifyou’replanning toleavethehideinalocationfora longertime,youmusthavetheland owner’spermission.

Photographinglargepredators,like bears,wolvesandwolverines, requiresawellbuilthidewith ventilationtubesmanymetersupin theairtogetridofhumansmell. Peopleusuallyspendmanydaysin hideslikethis.Largepredatorhides areapopularcommercialactivity especiallyintheNorthernFinland.

Youdon’talwayshavetobuyor buildahide.Therearealsosome publiconesthatarefreetouse.The closestonetoViikkiisat Pornaistenniemi,Vanhankaupunginlahti.It’sagreatplacetakebird photosespeciallyfromspringto autumn.Andifyougothereearly enough,youmighthaveachanceto enjoythearea’snatureinsolitude. Pornaistenniemiisagreatplaceto witnessawesomesunrisestoo.

Nowthatyouhavethelocationand thehide,it’stimetowait.Duringthe bestbirddisplayseasonyouhave practically100%probabilityof seeingthebirdsduringearlymorning orlateevening.Withotheranimals theoddsareabitworse.Sometimes youspendhoursandhourswithout seeinganythinginteresting.This mightgoonfordaysorevenweeks.

Ifthatisthecase,youmightwantto reconsideryourlocation.Butfor someanimalsthisisjusthowitis. Especiallypreyanimalsarereally shyandsensitive.Andanimalswith agreatsenseofsmellprobablynotice youbeforeyoucanevencatcha glimpseofthemifthedirectionof thewindisontheirfavour.Butwhen youfinallycomeacrosswhatyouare after,itmakestheencounterfeel evenmorespecial.Andthewaiting isn’talwaysawasteoftime:you mightmeetsomesurpriseguests everynowandthen.

Amoorhen(Gallinulachloropus)photographedatPornaistenniemihide,July2020.

Beardedreedlings(Panurusbiarmicus) liveatVanhankaupunginlahtiallyear round.(September2020)

Ashortchecklist:

1.Location

Scoutagoodlocation.Rememberto thinkaboutcameraanglesandlight.

2.Ahide

Make,buyorrentahidethatfitsyour needs.Oruseapublicone.

3.Wait

Wheneverything’sdone,youjust wait.Themoreyouwait,themore likelyyouencounterwhatyou’re lookingfor.Ofcourseit’snecessary toknowhowyourtargetbehavesand whenit’sthemostactive(whattime ofyearandwhattimeofday).

Also,here’salittlebonustipthatcan makethingsaloteasier:trail cameras.Trailcameraskeepaneye onyourlocations24/7andtheydon’t disturbanimalswithhumansmell. Withatrailcamerayoucanmake surethatyouhaveachosenagood location.

Nowadaysyoucangetadecenttrail cameraforprettycheap.ScantheQR codesbelowandcheckthesevideos thatIcaughtwithatrailcamera whiletrackingbeavers!

OnthefollowingpagesIwilltellyou moreabouttwoofmyfavourite speciesthatIhavebeenable photographwiththehelpofahide.

Beaveratwork!

Beaver (Castorfiber & Castorcanadensis)

Whenwalkingonabeavers’ territory,it’shardnottonoticeit. Toppledtrees,chewedsticksand muddytrailsallovertheriver banks.Beaversarethelargest rodentsnativetoEurasiaand NorthAmerica.Thereexiststwo separatespeciesofthesesemiaquaticmammals:Eurasian beaver(Castorfiber)andAmerican beaver(Castorcanadensis).

Beaversarestrictlyveganand theirdietconsistsmainlyofbark, phloemandleavesofbroad-leaved treesandrootsofaquaticplants. Theyarealsoskillfulengineersand builddamstokeepthewaterlevel stable.Thesedamscreateunique ecosystemswhicharevery beneficialformanyotherspeciesas well.

OriginofbeaversinFinlandisfull oftwistsandturns.Fossilrecords showthatbeaverslivedinFinland already6500–7000yearsago,but inthe19th centurythenative populationwashuntedto extinction.Theywerehuntedfor theirfur,butalsoforcastoreum,a secretefromtheiranalglands whichapparentlysmellsandtastes likevanilla.Luckilynowadayswe havesomeartificialoptions...

Inthe1930s,Eurasianbeavers werebroughtbacktoFinlandfrom Norway.Roughlyatthesametime Americanbeaverswerebrought fromtheUnitedStates.Atthetime theywerethoughttobethesame species.Itwasn’tuntil1970swhen theyfoundoutthetruth.These speciesappeartobephenotypicallyalmostidenticalbutthey aregenotypicallyverydifferent. Eurasianbeaverhas48 chromosomes,whereasAmerican beaverhas40.

Jämijärvi,Finland|©TimoPihlajamäki May2020

Beavershavepooreyesightand hearingbuttheirsenseofsmellis excellent.Thismakesitquitehardto photographthemastheywillreturn tothewaterandstayalert immediatelywhentheysmellyou. Beaversarealittlebitclumsyonland whichiswhytheyseeksafetyinthe water.

Ihaven’thadanyluckseeingthese beaversonland.Thisisalsobecause ofthechallengingenvironmentwith steepriverbanksandthickvege-

tationonthisriver,whichislocated nearmyparents’farminJämijärvi. ThisareaislocatedinWestern Finlandaroundtheborderof EurasianandAmericanbeavers’ habitatsandIhavenoideawhich speciesthesebeaversare,ittakesan experttoseethedifference.

Americanbeaversareclassifiedas invasivespeciesinFinland.Theyare takingtheirEurasiancousins territoriesastheybreedfasterandare biggerthanEurasianbeavers.

Blackgrouse (Tetraotetrix)

Thesunhasbarelyrisenonachilly springmorningwhencooingand babblinghavefilledthecountryside. Blackgrousecockshavegatheredon theleklocatedonanopenarea,like abog,afieldoreveniceonalake. Continuoustunefulbabblingis interruptedeverynowandthenwith aloudandharshwhistle.Males spreadtheirlyre-shapedtalesandtry tolookasbigaspossible.Fightsfor thecenterofthelekcansometimes getveryviolent.Femalesobserve males’competitionandchoosethe strongestoneswiththehighest testosteronelevelsandbestspotsat thelektomatewith.

Birddisplaysaresomeofthemost spectacularsightsInFinnishnature, andblackgrouses’lekisoneofthe easiesttofind.Theirbabblingcanbe heardevenata1–2kilometre distance!Thelekisalwaysonan openflatarea.

Blackgrousesarealsooneofthe mostcommonfowlsinFinland,even thoughtheirnumbershavebeen decliningformanyyears.Despite thatevenover10%ofthepopulation ishuntedeveryyear.

Sources:

AlataloR.V.,HöglundJ.,LundbergA.,RintamäkiP.T.andSilverinB.(1996) Testosteroneandmalematingsuccessontheblackgrouseleks,Proc.R.Soc. Lond.B.263:1697–1702

LahtiS.andHelminenM.(1974) ThebeaverCastorfiber(L.)andCastor canadensis(Kuhl)inFinland.Białowieża.19.13:177–189.

MehtolaJ.(2016) Karvaineninsinööri.SuomenLuonto.2:16–25.

NatureGate,Blackgrouse.availableatluontoportti.com/en/t/753/black-grouse accessed22.7.2021

Wouldyouliketolearnmoreaboutdifferent aspectsofphotographyinlike-mindedcompany?

JoinBiofilm!

Biofilmisaphotographyclubwhich wasfoundedbyHelixryin2020. Acticityoftheclubiscenteredat Viikkicampus,butitisopenfor everystudentfromallthecampuses!

Biofilmisaplaceforphotographing studentstolearnmoreandsharetheir experiencesinphotography.Theclub organisesphotowalks,workshops andhangouts.Thepandemichas reallyhinderedouractivity,but hopefullyontheupcomingsemesters wewillbeabletoreallystartdoing allthethingsthatweoriginally plannedto.

Whetheryou’reabeginneroran expert,welcometoBiofilm!Stay tunedbyjoiningourFacebookgroup andfollowingHelixry’sbulletins. LogobySakuMattila

ORIGINOF HELIX

text:HennamariKupariand ValtteriLeppilampi

Layout:MariHumalajoki

HELIXDIGITALIsATIONPROJECT2021ScanningmywaythroughthehistoryofHelix

ReportbyHelixsummeremployeeHennamariKupari

ahsummer,thetimeofvacation forsomeandworkingforothers, usuallybothformanyofusstudents. Also,thetimefortheHelix Digitalisationprojectthisyear.The ideabehindthisprojectwasto preserveolddocuments,records, andmagazinesofHelixintoadigital formsotheycouldbeeasily accessibletopeopleinamore organizedmanner.

AsIarrivedtotheViikkiCampusto fulfilmydutyasapartofthis project,Inoticedthatthecampus wasnotmuchdifferentfromtheone Ihadexperiencedduringmyfresher year.Onecouldsaythatiteven seemshauntingduetothepandemic causinglesspeopletoaccumulatein thecampusarea,buttherewere somelivingbeingspresentand hidingsincesomepeoplearestill workingthereduringthesummeras well.HereIwouldbespendingthe nextcoupleofweeksscanningold archivesintoelectricalform.

Untilthispointnotmuchof digitalisationhasbeendonewhich wassortofhardformetobelieveas Helixhasbeenaroundsince1969. Butbetterlatethannever.Thelast timeIwasatthecampuswasabout amonthagowhenIhadmygenetic techniqueslaboratorycourse. AlthoughIhavemainlyspentmy fresheryearinmyroomstudying, thecampusandBiocentre1have becomeevenslightlyfamiliartome throughthelaboratorycourses.

Nevertheless,Ihaveneverseenit trulyinitsmostlivelystate,fullof studentsandlife.NorwasIgoingto seethatduringthissummereither. ButsomethingfeltabitdifferentasI noticedtheentrancedoorbeingopen insteadofclosedasIentered Biocentre1buildingtostartmy work.Itseemedmoreinviting althoughthehollownessofthe emptyhallshauntedme.

Myexpectationsforthisjobwere basic.Iwouldbescanningalotof oldrecordswhichwouldprobably beaveryeasyjobtodo.Reasonsfor takingthisjobweresimple:Ihad nothingbettertodo,earningmoney wouldbeniceandthiswasagood chancetogettoknowmystudent organisation’shistoryabitmore.

Iwentintothisprojectwith curiosity,andIwasofcoursehoping tofindsomethingmysteriousor scandalousfromtheoldfilesof Helix.WhenIwasshownthe cabinetwherealltheoldtop-secret Helixfoldersandarchiveswere kept,asenseofoverwhelmwiped measIsawthegreatnumberof foldersinneedofascan.I swallowedthelumpinmythroatand gottowork.Also,toavoidamess, weestablishedagoodfoldersystem forthescannedfilesduringthefirst dayandIcannotemphasizetoo muchofhowimportantagood systemforajoblikethisturnedout tobe.

Sonowabitbackgroundaboutthe one-yearrelationshipbetweenme andourstudentorganisationHelix.I joinedHelixassoonasmyfirst semesterstartedinthefall2020. Later,Igotmoreinvolvedinthe studentorganizationactivities.Ihave takensomesmallerfunctionariesin Helixsuchasbeingpartoftheevent organisingteamandbeingoneofthe internationalstudentcoordinators.

AboutthehistoryoftheHelix,Ihad nocluenorwhatsoeverdidIknow prettymuchanythingelsebesidesthe factthatHelixwasastudent organisationandthattheytookcare ofourrightsamongotherthingslike providingthedailydoseofcaffeineat theHelixclubroominBiocentre1.

ThetwoweeksflewbyasIscanned pageafterpage,fromHelixboard meetingstoourorganisation magazines.Itriedcomeupwith simpleandconcisefilenamesto describedifferenttypesof documents(withvaryingdegreesof success).Ialsoscannedsome financialdocuments,letters,and otherpapers.

Myexpectationstofindsomething completelymind-blowingwerenot metbutIstilldidfindinteresting stuff.Andofcourse,scanning througholdrecordswasevenfunat timeswhentheoldHelixmembers hadclearlytoomuchtime(orfun)in theirhandswhilemakingthese documents.

Herearefewofmypicksfromthe historicarchivesofHelix.1409files, 101foldersandwhatfeltlikean endlessnumberofpageslater;I presentyousomeofmyfindings.

Openingof Biocentre1in1995

Helicansplayingtug-o-war ca1980,contextunknown

FoundingofHelixry

Originally,biochemistrywaspartofscientificinstituteof chemistryandbiochemistrystudentswerepartofHYK (HelsinginYliopistonKemistit),studentassociationforchemistry students.

Duringspringof1969discussionaboutownstudentassociation forbiochemistrystudentssparkedandlaterbiochemistrystudents decidedtoformtheirownstudentassociationinfallof1969, exactdatebeing24thofSeptember.FirstchairpersonswereHand SöderlundandReijoVihma,whobothleadtheorganisationin 1969.

ThereasonsbehindHelixryformationwerepromotionof interestsofbiochemistrystudents.Therewerelotsofconcernsin biochemistrystudentsaboutqualityofeducation,stateofthe university,employmentetc.Therefore,ownstudentassociation forbiochemistrywasdeemednecessarytotakeastandinthese typesofissues.

1)Openinglinesfromthe foundingmeetingofHelixry, 24.9.1969

2)Anoldunofficiallogoofhelix, dateunknown

3)“Jorma”,dateandcontext unknown,ca1970-1980s.

2)

1)

3)

THEORIGINOFVAPAA RADIKAALI,THESTUDENT ORGANISATIONMAGAZINE

Letusstartwithonethingthatnew studentslikemecertainlyarenot awareof.BeforeVapaaRadikaali wasthemagazineweknowtoday,it wasknownasKatalyytti.Before establishingitsmagazineform,it usedtobeanewsbulletinwithquite asimplelook.FirstKatalyyttiwas publishedin1971.

Actually,duringthisyear´weare celebratingthe50thanniversaryof ourstudentassociationmagazine. Staytunedformorecelebrationin thenextissues!

Ontosomemorecontroversialthings Icameacrosswhilescanning.To pointoutthefewthatstucktome wasajokeaboutAIDSin1995 Katalyyttiwhichonecouldlabel darkhumourandotheranoffensive joke.Thatwouldhavedefinitely stirredsomeheatedconversations andcommentsintoday’sworld. VapaaRadikaalicouldhavebeenin thedangerofgettingcancelled.

Also,thecoverofsecondKatalyytti publishedin1994is,well,howto putit…provocative.Basically,itis veryclosetoaNazi-Germany symbol.Ofcourse,whenyouread themagazineandcometoseewhere thecoverartideacomesfrom,you understanditmore,butitisstill quiteacontroversialchoicefora cover,especiallyifyoujustseethat. Istronglybelievethatthesethings wouldnevereverbepublishedin today’sHelixmagazineifsomeone wouldsuggestsuchathing.

Bonusfact:Thenameofthe magazinecould’vebeenHiiva (Yeast),Entsyymi(Enzyme)or Radikaali(Radical)insteadofVapaa Radikaali(Freeradical).

OldcoversofKatalyyttimagazine,2/1971and1/1995

HELIXTAKINGACTION

Inthe70sHelixseemedtohavemorepoliticalundertoneinsomeofitsactions. HelixdecidedtojointovariousclubsincludingtheFinland-Chileclub,The FinnishPeaceCommitteeandFinland–SovietUnionPeaceandFriendship Society.InthethirdKatalyyttiof1973,Helixannouncesitsdutiesasapartof democraticstudents’movementtodotheirpartinthepeaceworkandantiimperialisticaction.ItwasinterestingtoseehowHelixhasbeenquiteactive sincethebeginningoftimestotakepartinevenpoliticaltopicsaswellasmore commonthingsrelatedtobiochemistrystudents’rightsandstudies.

Incontrast,nowadaysstudentorganisationsarethoughttobenon-political,as I’veunderstoodit,andnotlookeduponwelliftheyshowpoliticalagenda.Of course,thepoliticaltopicsweredifferentbackthen.Thisisnonewnewseither sincethistopichasbeenponderedbeforeforexamplebythechairmanofHelix inthefirstKatalyyttiof1995.Itiskindofweirdtorealisehowstudentslikeme havelivedthroughthesesignificantdifferenthistoricaleventsandhowsome thoughtsbackthenhavebeenquitethesamelikeourstoday.

Otherthingthatcaughtmy attentionwasthattheworries abouttheclimatehave consideredamongtheHelix membersforalongtimetoo.

InthesecondKatalyyttiof 1980therewasanarticle“The problematicsofclimate protection”thatdiscussed abouttheeffectsoftheacid rainsandcarbondioxideto environmentand,surprise, surprise,theusageoffossil fuelstooandtheireffectson theclimate,ourhealth,andour forests.

Aposterforalecture seriesaboutindustrial workandenvironment organisedin1972byHelix ry,HYKry,MYYryand Symbioosiry

THEBOARDOFHELIXIN1996

Mostoftherecordsoftheboard meetingsfromtheearlierdecades areappropriateandthere’snothing standingoutwhichcertainlymakes sensesincetheirfunctionistokeep trackofthemeetingandwhathas beendecidedanddiscussedthere. ButImustsayIhadfunwhile scanningthroughthedocumentsof theboardmeetingsoftheyear1996. That’swhyIamgivingalittle shoutouttothem.Whetheritwas uttercrazinessorjustfunwhile working,thefeelingwastransferred tomethroughthedocumentsof theseboardmeetings.

Insurprisinglymanyofthe documents,theychangedthetitleof thechairpersonfrom “puheenjohtaja”to“paheenjohtaja”. Sostraighttranslationofthatwould betheleaderofthevices.The atmosphereatthemeetingswaseven comparedtobewilderandcrazier thanintheEnglishparliamentary meetings…

Also,apparentlytheboardofHelix keptamomentofsilenceforthe memoryofcommonsensedueto somewildspeculationsthatatthe biochemistrydepartmentthere mightbeanuclearreactor.In1996 recordsVapaaRadikaali(Free radical)magazinewasapparentlyat onepointveryunreactivetoo,no punintended.

Thechairperson,orshouldIsaythe headofthevices,ofHelixsaidsome ratherinterestingcommentsatsome ofthemeetinglike“itismore hygienictokeepthecarrotsbetween yourthighswhiledoingcarrotpushups(porkkana-punnerrus)duringthe flu-season”Thiswasrelatedtoa ChristmaspartyHelixheld.Iguessit ismorehygienicthankeepingitin themouth,butformethemysterious actionofdoingcarrotpush-up remainsunknown.

Vappu,ca1990s

Banterataboard meeting,1996

Oneofthebestthingsaboutthis projectwasthatIdidn’thavetodoit “allbymyself”.Itwouldhavebeen waymoretiringwithoutthe occasionalpeoplethatcameto hangoutattheclubroom.Sometimes peoplewereaskinghowIwasdoing andasanewpersonenteredtheclub roomtherewasahopethatthis personmightbecoffee-thirstyand wouldoffertomakesomecoffeefor allofus.Specialthankstoour vicechairpersonTimoforkeeping mecompany,helpingmewiththe workloadandthrowingoverall badgesatmewhileIwastryingto work.Humancontactwasniceto havewhileworking.

Also,theheatwavewasalready presentduringthisprojectsoone definitepluswhileworkingwasthe airconditioningandcoolnessinside theclubroom.

Movingontonot-so-pleasantpartsof thistwo-weekjob.Toomuchof staringatthecomputerscreenmade myeyesdryuplikeprettymuch anythingatthisweatherweare experiencingrightnow.Also,yes, afterawhilethescanningdoesget veryrepetitive.AsIroutinely masteredthespeedatit,itdidget moretiringatthesametime.

InthestartofthisIwaseagertodig deepintotheolddocumentsbutit turnedoutthatspeedandefficiency ofscanningversuslookingfor qualitycontentinthehistoryof Helix,werenottogohandinhand.In otherwords,theywereinversely proportional.

IfIwantedtolookoutforinteresting stuff,Icouldn’tscanasfastandother wayaround.Intheendoftheday,I neededtoscancertainamountof documentsandgetthingsdone,soI didnotgetthechancetotakeadive deepintoasmanyofinteresting piecesofhistoryasIwould’ve maybewanted.

Asforthechallengesthatstumbled onmyway,Imuststartwiththe messthatsomeofthefolders contained.Iguessonemightcallit anorganizedmess,butformeit seemedmorelikejustamess. Unorganiseddifferentpapersfrom differentyears.Thiscausedmea greatdealofheadache.ButIguess severalthingssuchasmovingout andlifeingeneralhappens,sowhoI amtojudge.

OtherchallengeIfacedwasthepace ofthescanningwhichIcouldnotdo fasterasIreachedacertainthreshold inspeed.Thirdbutnotthesmallest challengewasthefactthatsome recordsandsuchweresimply missingfromallthefoldersbysome mysticalorlessmysticalforceof disappearancetowhichwehadno answers.Forexample,thefirst Katalyyttibulletinisstillmissing.In casesomeonehasanyknowledge aboutitfeelfreetoshare.

Overall,therearemanypossible thingsyoucanfindwhilescanning throughthearchivesofyourstudent organisationwhileyoureyesget drieranddrierfromlookingatthe screenandyouhearthesweetsound ofthescanneroverandoveragain. Seeinghistorythroughthisproject hasbeenticklingmycurious tendencies.

IncaseyoufindyourselfinterestedaboutthearchivesofHelixfrom1969till thisdayIsuggestcheckingoutsomeofthefruitsofmylabouratHelixwebpage whereyoucanreadandskimthroughouroldstudentassociationmagazines KatalyyttiandVapaaRadikaali.AllthisisunfortunatelyonlyinFinnishbut therearepicturesaswell,fromwhichyoucancatchthesubtlevibesofthetimes withtheimmaculatefashionofHelixmembersfromthedecades. Digitalisationprojectwouldn’thavebeenpossiblewithoutfinancialaidof RondoBeerhouse,ahugeshoutouttothem!

RondoisabeerhouseinViikkiwithwideandvaryingselectionindrinks. Especiallythebeerandwhiskeyselectionisinvestedin.Rondostaffalso organisesdifferenteventsliketastings,livemusicanddancenights.Youcan alsoplaypool,watchsportsorjusthangoutwithyourfriendsinthecomfy lounge.

RondoBeerhouseislocatedthepremisesoftheoldKaskibarat Latokartanonkaari23.There’sacontinuous -10%studentdiscount on everythingbyshowingyourstudentcard.Rondo’sstaffwelcomeseverybodyto hangoutattheirbeerhouse,buttheyhighlightthattheiractivityispractised undertheguidelinesandrestrictionsoftheRegionalStateAdministrative Agency(Aluehallintovirasto,AVI).

IG@rondobeerhouse

InternationalStudent LifeinHelsinki

IwasborninBarcelonaon1997 andIlivedthereuntil2019,when IdecidedtocometoHelsinkiasan exchangestudent.SinceIcame here,Igettoanswerveryfrequently thereasonwhyImovedto Helsinki.Why,comingfromoneof thecountrieswherethesunis shiningallthetime,Idecidedto cometosuchacoldanddarkplace? Atthebeginning,Iusedtosaythat FinlandwastheoptionthatIgot fromtheselectionImade.Butthen, astaythatwassupposedtobefor only5months,endedupinbeing morethan2years.AndHelsinki wasnotanymore,acoincidenceof thedestine.

IstudiedaDegreeinBiomedical SciencesattheUniversityof Barcelona,andIcametoFinlandto domyfinaldegreeprojectinalab attheUniversityofHelsinki.The experienceIgotinthislabwasone ofthemainreasonstostaylonger. Sincetheverybeginning,Ifelt welcomeinthisgroup,Igottobe independentinthelabandallmy ideasweretakenintoconsideration. Duringthistime,Istartedgetting anawesomefeedbackonFinnish educationfrommycolleagues,soI decidedtoexperienceitmyself.I appliedforaMaster’sinGenetics

andMolecularBiosciencesand,right now,Ithinkthatwasoneofthebest decisionsImadeinmylife.Firstof all,IwasimpressedwhenIrealized thatallFinnisheducationisfreeifyou areaEuropeanresident.WhereI comefrom,wehavesomethingcalled “publiceducation”whichissupposed tobefree,butitisnotreallythecase. Itwasamazingthataforeigncountry wasgivingmebetteropportunitiesto growmyselfasascientistaswellasa person.Regardingthestudies,Iknew theUniversityofHelsinkiwasina greatworldrankingposition,and throughthelastyeastIhave understoodwhy.Itcouldbe summarizedinagoodcombinationof greatteachersandamodern education.Ofcourse,sincelastyear, teachinghasbeenquiteuncommon duetoCovid-19,butIthinkthatithas beenorganizedthebestpossibleway. DuringmyBachelor’sinBarcelona,I usedtohaveahardtimeduringthe examsperiod,sincemostofthegrade wasdependentononesingleexam. However,inhereisslightlydifferent. Thereareexamsandsomeofthemare hard,buttherearedifferentevaluation typesaswell.Groupworkisavery commonmethodinthisUniversity, whichIfindessentialtodevelopboth socialandteamworkskills.Overall,I

Textandpicture: RosaLópez

Layout: LiljaNikula

thinkinhereteachersmotivateyou tothinkbyyourself,toquestion everything,researcharrivetoyou ownconclusions.

Nevertheless,thisroadhasnotbeen alwayseasyandstraightforward. Oneoftheworstthingswasbeing awayfromhomeandseehowthe summerwasending.Myfistwinter herewasdemanding,Iwasnot expectingtheweathercouldaffect meinsuchanegativeway.Besides, atthatpointIdidnotknowsomany people.Probably,thatwasthe secondworstthingandastriking differencefromBarcelona. However,Ilearntthatbeingalone didnotalwaysmeanbeinglonely. Anotherconsiderablebigchallenge hasbeenthelanguage.Finnishis

noteasy,andItriedtolearntwice, althoughIwasnotsuccessfulonit. However,Iamalwaysmovinginan internationalenvironment,thusIhave neverfoundittobecompletely essentialtoliveinhere.

Helsinki,andinmyexperiment,the UniversityofHelsinkiisagreatplace tostudy.Iencourageeveryonewhois searchingforanewadventuretocome here.Itisnotonlyaplacewithgreat opportunitiesrelatedtostudiesor work,butthecityischarming.There isnatureineverycornerfillingtheair withoxygen,thereisnoneedtogoto thewoodstobreathfreshair.AsI mentioned,ithasnotbeenaneasy path,buteachadventuremusthave somedifficulties.

S Loimuishereforyou!

ummervacations,summerjobsand internshipsaresoonbehindusandit ishopefullyatimetogetbacktostudent colleaguesoncampus.Thingsrelated essentiallytoautumnareexpectations forthecomingsemester,spendingtime withfellowstudentsandvariousstudent events—notforgettingthestudying itself.WeatLoimuwanttobepresentin yourstudentautumn.

LoimusupportstheactivitiesofHelix rythroughdiversecooperation,for examplebysponsoringoverallsand workinglifeexcursions. Inadditionto supportingHelixandothersubject organizations,Loimuhasitsownactive studentassociationonyourcampus, whichorganizesactivitiesandworklife eventsmadeforyou!Itisworth following Loimunopiskelijat-Viikki on Instagramandactivelyparticipatingin theactivitiestheyoffer.Thereisalsoa LoimucampuspromoterinViikkiwho youcancontactinallkindsofmatters andquestionsrelatedtoLoimu.Loimuis heretosupportyourjourneytowards workinglifeinvariousways.

ContactLoimunopiskelijat-Viikkiorthe campuspromoterforexampleifyou wanttocomeupwithideasforevents thatrelatetoworkinglife.Ormaybeyou wanttoproposeanexcursiontosome

certainestablishmentonprivate,thirdor publicsector!Toputitshort:ifyouhave anyquestionsaboutworkinglife,come tousandwewillhelpyou!

Autumnisoftenanactiveperiodoftime forstudents.Haveyoualreadysecured yourselfandtakentheappropriate insurancesforyourselftocoveryour backincaseofproblems?Ifnot,thenno worries: byjoiningLoimuasastudent member,youwillalsohaveaccessto significantinsurancebenefits. Check outtheinsurancebenefitsfromour website!Aswinterapproaches,various downhill,cross-countryandother cottagetripswillalsobecometopical. Youmightnotknow,butforLoimu membersthesetripscanbearranged morecheaply.Loimuisworthkeepingin mindwhenmakingcottagereservations andtripplans.Atthesametime,itis worthgettingtoknowotherLoimu membershipbenefitsandservicesand joiningusasastudentmember.

Iwishyouaveryrewardingand enjoyableautumn!

Henri fromthestudentsectorof Loimuoffice.

Makersofabrighter future,TheUnionof ProfessionalsinNatural, Environmentaland ForestrySciencesLoimu

Kitchen chemistry

Illustration:TimoPihlajamäki,LiljaNikula,SakuMattila

Layout:TimoPihlajamäki

Playingwithfoodwhilelearning interestingorganicchemistry throughpracticalworkinyourown kitchen?Countmein.Thistime VapaaRadikaalistudiednature’s ownproducts’potentialaspH indicators.

Redcabbage(Brassicaoleraceae) contains anthocyaninswhicharea groupofphenoliccompounds belongingtotheflavonoidfamily. Anthocyaninsgiveplantsred,blue andpurplehues.pHchangetriggers astructuralchangeinthesepigments causingachangeofcolour.Theuse ofredcabbageanthocyaninsasa naturalpHindicatorforfood productshasalsobeenresearched.

Text:TimoPihlajamäki| Assistance:LiljaNikula,SakuMattila

Ahalfofaredcabbagewasfirst choppedintodecentsized piecesandputintoablender.5 dlofwaterwasaddedandthe mixturewasblendedassmooth aspossible.Afterlettingthe mixturesitinroomtemperature forfifteenminutes,itwas filteredfirstwithastrainerand thenthroughapieceofcloth.

Cuttingandblendingthe cabbagebreaksitscellwalls andmembranesreleasingthe contentsofthevacuole, includinganthocyanins,intothe media.Thisliquidcanalreadybe usedaspHindicator,butyoucan alsomakepHpaperbyapplyingthis liquidtowhiteporousmaterial,likea filterpaper,andlettingitdry.

Wetriedanthocyanins’pHindicatingpropertieswithfive substancesofdifferentpHvalues: vinegar(aceticacid,CH3COOH), Sprite(largelycitricacid,C6H8O7), tapwater,sodiumbicarbonate (NaHCO3,bakingsoda)solutionand sodiumhydroxide(NaOH)drain cleanersolution.Equalamountofred cabbageextractwaspouredintofive glasses.Wethenaddedeachofthe testsolutionstotheglasses.Our extractionturnedouttobewaytoo efficientandwehadtodilutethe solutionquitealottomakethe colourchangemorevisible.

Inanacidicenvironment,anthocyaninsgainpositivechargewhich delocalisesoverthewholeorbital systemcausingalltheotherwavelengthsbeingabsorpedexceptred.

pHofvinegarisaround2,5and Sprite’spHisaround3,3.Inbasic solutions,likesodiumbicarbonate solutionwhichhasapHof8–9, anthocyaninsbecomeanionicasthe hydroxylsinaphenylic,conjugated systemareslighlyacidic,allowing

deprotonationandshiftofabsorbed wavelengths,turningsolutionbright blue..Finnishtapwaterisalso slightlybasicasitisalkalizedto preventcorrosioninwaterpipes.

AccordingtoHSY(HelsinkiRegion EnvironmentalServices),pHoftap wateris8,4.Inneutralconditions athocyaninsarepurple.Toachieve thisweshouldhaveuseddistilled water.Andevendistilledwaterisn’t completelyneutralascarbondioxide fromairwilldissolveinitmakingit weaklyacidic.

Withsodiumhydroxidethecolour changegoestopaleyellow.Thisis becauseofatautomerizationreaction (allthereactionsareillustratedinthe chartmadebySakuMattilabelow). Thetertiarycarbonconnectedtothe phenylmoietyoftheanthocyaninis boundtoaheterocyclicoxygenand inabasicenvironment,ahydroxyl group.Thepresenceofthesetwo highlyelectronegativeoxygens decreasestheelectrondensity betweenthecarbonandtheoxygen ofthecyclicstructure,resultingin bondbreakage.Thismakesthe carbonmoreinclinedinforminga

ketogroupwhichismorestablethan individualcarbon-carbondouble bonds,causingtautomerizationand formationoftwo cis-trans stereoisomers.

It’sfascinatinghowmuchexciting chemistryeverydayitemscontain. Whenyougodeepdownintothe molecularlevelevenfooditemstend tohavequalitiesyouweren’t expecting.Butthisishownatureis: fullofsurprisesandingenious systems.Wonderwhatallkindsof secretstherestilllie...

Sources: PourjavaherS.etal.(2017), DevelopmentofacolorimetricpH indicatorbasedonbacterial cellulosenanofibersandred cabbage(Brassicaoleraceae) extract,CarbohydratePolymers,Vol 156,pages193-201

Mattila,S.(2019), Antosyaanien biosyynteesi,sekäfysiologinenja ekologinenmerkitys,Facultyof BiologicalandEnvironmental Science,UniversityofHelsinki (unpublished)

saku.mattila@helsinki.fi

HSYWatertreatmentlaboratory: AveragewaterqualityatPitkäkoski andVanhankaupunki watertreatmentplants1.1.30.6.2021.

Otherthantapwater’spH-values: Wikipedia.org

Fuksikampanja!

FuksivuonnaLoimuun liittyvätuudetjäsenetsaavat fuksisyksynjasitäseuraavan kalenterivuodenjäsenyyden ilmaiseksi!

OLEMMELUOTETTAVAKUMPPANI FUKSIVUODESTAAINAELÄKEPÄIVIINASTI

MeLoimussatiedämme,ettäomanammattiidentiteetinluominenjaensimmäisenomanalan työpaikanhankkiminenvoiollatyölästä.Siksi haluammeauttaajatukeaalojemmeopiskelijoita hetiopintojenalkuvaiheestalähtien!

Teemmemielellämmeyhteistyötämyösainejärjestösi kanssa!Loimustasaattetilaisuuksiinnepuhujiaja kouluttajia,jotkavoivatauttaaalanneopiskelijoita eteenpäinomiensuunnitelmienjahakemustenkanssa. Otayhteyttäomanjärjestösiaktiiveihin,Loimun paikallisyhdistykseesitaiLoimuntoimistoon,niin aloitetaanyhteisentilaisuudensuunnittelu.

Erityisestiopiskelijoillehyödyllisiä palveluitammeovat:

•Loimunalojenuramahdollisuuksien esittely

•Henkilökohtainenura-ja työnhakuneuvonta

•Juurisinulleräätälöidyt työnantajalistatjauramahdollisuudet

•CV:n,työhakemuksenjaLinkedInprofiilinpalautepalvelu

•Työsuhteeseenliittyvä neuvontapalvelu

Loimuunkuuluminenonfiksua!

Darwin Daringto Doubt

hefoundationofthepresentlifeliesin evolution.Butforsome,itstill doesn’tmakeanysense,althoughit canfeelabitweirdtoberelatedto amosquito.Biologyissocomplex itwouldbeeasiertoinventatime machinethansolveeverymystery behindthebeginning,developmentandcontinuationoflife.It’s weirdtothinkthatthereisan unstoppablelineoflifefrommillionsof yearsago,alloriginatingtothesame blinkofmovementinthemiddleof nowhere.It’sthestoryabouttheextreme survivoroftheoldestmemorydiscever: theDNA.Capableofbeatingfivemass extinctions,extremeweatherconditions anddramaticlackofnutrients,thiswonder moleculehascarriedlifefromnothingto everything,fromwatertosoil,andevenair.

Textandlayout LiljaNikula

Illustration TimoPihlajamäki

Buthowdidlifemanagetosurvive, alwayshavingabackupdisc somewhere,hidinginthebushes whiledinosaurswerealreadyrotting ontheground?Iguessit’slike makingsterileluriaplates: sometimesabastardofabacteria managestoruinyourwork. Basically,youonlyneedone individualorganismtokeeplife going–andit’snotthateasyto sterilizetheentireEarth.DNAislike thegentlemanthiefLupin:alwaysa stepahead,makingfunofbigand mightydestroyingforces,managing toslideawayfromthebackdoor withanewmutation.

aboutmutationslinkedtocomplex behavior,gotreallyexcitedand askedme,howcouldthisbe explainedwithevolution.Iactually didn’thaveanansweratthattime. Mysister,presentattheconversation,thoughtitwouldbea learntskill,however,thiswonderful, quitecomplexandmathematicalskill calledthewaggledanceistruly somethinglinkedtogenes.

Tobestexplainhowit’spossibleto developthiskindofabehavioraltrait insuchasimplespecies,wehaveto thinkaboutthescaleoftime.Thisis thebehavioryouwouldactually

I’vehadsomeinteresting conversationswithmyrelatives abouttheevolutiontheory.There wasthisonetimeIheardaboutmy father’sfriendhavingabeegarden. Thefriendwaswondering,howdid hisbeesmakemovementswiththeir tailstothedirectionofthenectar.He haddescribedthistomyuncle.My uncle,whoreadilyhadhisdoubts

expect,like,asifbeeswouldbe dumbashellafterallthistime.For me,itmakessensethatevolution actuallyexplains,ratherthan juxtaposes,thecomplexcommunicationpatterns.Ifthereweren’tany sophisticatedmechanisms,there wouldn’tbeevolution.Andonthe otherhand,wouldtherebeanything atallwithoutevolution?

somemusclecontraction,thetail dropsrightoff.Andofcourse,it growsbackinitsplace,althoughthat takessometimeandpatience.The questionisthough,howevolution madethishappen.It’sdefinitely somethingcomplex,somethingvery specific.Howdidthetailfalloffthe firstplace?Whatistheintermediate form?Somerandomlizardjusthada weaktailthataccidentallyfelloff andthelizardreproduced,andthe restishistory?Ormaybeithasbeen likethatsincethedaysofwormsand otherprimitivecreatures?

Thequestionsneverendinbiology. Andthat’sgood.Itkeepsthescience goingandevolving.Infact,it’sonly agoodthingtoquestionevolution. Doubtingtheverythingthatdefines thedevelopmentofspecies,wefind newevidencetoproveitcorrect.We findnewmechanismsand approaches,andwehaveastrong willtosolvethemostconfusing mysteriesoflife.Evolutionis actuallyconsideredafalsifiable theory.Thatmeans,youcantryto

proveitfalse,asthereisnosmoking gunevidenceit’strueallthetime. However,theeffortstotryproving somethingsoapparentfalse,often leadstotheopposite,asintheNetflix documentaryabouttheFlatEarthers. Butlikeinmathlogicstoo,tryingto provesomethingfalseisone approachoftryingtoproveitright. So,keepdoubting,keepasking questions.It’scompletelyhealthy. Myadvicetoanyonehavinghard timebelievingevolution:read biology.Andtomyfatherandmy uncle:thankyou.Youreallymade methinkoutsidemyecologicaltray.

Sources:

l’AnsonPriceR.etal.(2015) Why,when andwheredidhoneybeedance communicationevolve? Front.Ecol.Evol., 05

ClauseA.R.etal.(2006) Caudalautotomy andregenerationinlizards J.Exp.Zool., 305A:965-973.

WittlingerM.etal.(2006) TheAnt Odometer:SteppingonStiltsandStumps Science.Vol.312,Issue5782:1965-1967