Elina Puljula

Short biography

• 2010 BSc (University of Eastern Finland, Biosciences)
• 2011 MSc (University of Eastern Finland, Biochemistry)
• 2017 PhD (University of Eastern Finland, Regulation of bisphosphonate bone binding)

My research

My history in research is colorful, as I have always followed the great advice I got from my supervisor in the beginning of my PhD studies: A young scientist should try many different things to find his or her own field. I have experience in synthetic chemistry, in vivo studies with mice, radiochemistry and imaging, pharmaceutical compounds, NMR metabolomics, natural compounds and microbiology. However, I have to admit that only one field has stolen my heart, and that is NMR.

When it comes to natural compounds, NMR has a lot to offer. It is a great tool for determining and verifying compound structures, especially when combined with mass spectrometry. Structure determination is like assembling a chemical jigsaw puzzle, and it is one of my favorite things to do. However, at the moment my goal is to deepen my know-how in using NMR to study more complex systems, such as molecular interactions.

NMR never lies, if you know what you are doing.

At the moment I am working as a postdoctoral researcher in Maarit Karonen’s LipidET project, ”Ellagitannin-lipid interactions – Molecular aspects, mechanisms and antimicrobial effect” funded by the Academy of Finland.