ERC Advanced Grant, recent awardees

Pancreatic juice-based Early Cancer Identification using Specific Epigenetics and (Glyco-)Proteomics – Advanced Next-generation Characterisation

ERASMUS UNIVERSITAIR MEDISCH CENTRUM ROTTERDAM · NL · €2,499,998

Pancreatic cancer is a devastating disease with poor survival due to late diagnosis. Current imaging modalities fail to detect the disease early enough, even in high-risk individuals enrolled in structured surveillance programs. To improve outcomes, biomarkers must be developed that detect high-grade dysplasia, the final premalignant stage, before progression to incurable cancer. This ERC Advanced Grant proposal, PRECISE-PANC, aims to develop such biomarkers using a uniquely powerful biofluid: p

AI-in-the-loop in vivo screening and preclinical development of CRISPR-boosted CAR T cells for solid tumor therapy

CEMM - FORSCHUNGSZENTRUM FUER MOLEKULARE MEDIZIN GMBH · AT · €2,481,176

CAR T cell therapy constitutes a medical breakthrough and proof-of-concept for genetically engineered cells as therapeutics. But little progress has been made for solid tumors. We will tackle this challenge by building upon powerful experimental and computational methods developed in my ERC Starting & Consolidator grants. In Aim 1, we make CAR T cells fitter and better able to withstand the hostile microenvironment of solid tumors through AI-guided in vivo screens in immunocompetent mice, based

Protein Dynamics with Generalized machine-learned potentials

FREIE UNIVERSITAET BERLIN · DE · €3,036,526

After breakthroughs in protein sequencing and structure prediction, the accurate and scalable characterization of biomolecular dynamics and function is the next frontier in molecular biology. This project aims to transform the simulation of macromolecular systems by developing a general-purpose machine-learned coarse-grained (MLCG) model that enables accurate and efficient molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of large biomolecular complexes over biologically relevant timescales. While all-atom

Regions of symmetry in images of natural scenes and artworks

Lisa Koßmann · KU Leuven · BE

While established as an important contributor to shape or pattern “goodness,” mirror symmetry has yet to be extensively studied in complex images more closely resembling our everyday visual surroundings. With this work, we provide insights into symmetry detection and its underlying processes using a novel bounding-box method on 200 images of natural scenes and 200 images of artworks. In a large online study, 901 participants were asked to indicate regions of symmetry within each image by placing

Flexural modulus of sandwich structures through homogenisation: dynamic virtual fields versus quasi‑static RJS method

Túlio Hallak Panzera

A one-step volumetric biofabrication platform for complex hydrogel-based hollow biomaterials

João M. M. Rodrigues · University of Aveiro · PT

Rotational molding (RM) is a widely used industrial process for producing hollow polymeric structures, yet it remains largely unexplored for biomaterials fabrication. Here, a low-cost 3D-printed biofabrication platform is introduced that adapts the general concept of RM to generate tunable hollow constructs with high structural fidelity. Using uniaxial RM, tubular-like hydrogels with precisely controlled diameter and wall thickness are generated by crosslinking light-responsive natural-based pol

Cooperation During the Gezi Park Protests

Benjamin Beranek · Missouri State University · US

In this paper, we compare behavior in the dictator, ultimatum, and public goods games before and during the Gezi Park protests in laboratory experiments conducted in Türkiye. In May 2013, protests began against the proposed destruction of Gezi Park—one of the few remaining green spaces in Istanbul’s city center—for the construction of a shopping mall. Quickly spreading across Türkiye, many ordinary citizens participated in the protests in the following weeks. The collective action demonstrated i

Lymphatic vessels invade bone in disease but are absent in health and regeneration

Bin Zhou · Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science · CN

A recent study reported the existence of lymphatic vessels in normal bone and suggested their involvement in bone regeneration after injury. However, this conclusion was based on approaches that do not allow unequivocal identification of the spatial localization of lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs). Here, we employed a Prox1-based genetic tool and a dual-recombinase-mediated LEC-specific labeling system to trace lymphatic vessels with high specificity. We found that LECs are present in the conn

Bacterial defense via RES-mediated NAD+ depletion is countered by phage phosphatases

Ilya Osterman · Weizmann Institute of Science · IL

Leukemic stem cell subtypes determine venetoclax resistance and therapeutic vulnerabilities in AML

Alexander Waclawiczek · German Cancer Research Center · DE

The BCL-2 inhibitor venetoclax has transformed the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), but relapse due to resistance of leukemic stem cells (LSCs) remains a major challenge. By molecular and functional profiling of LSCs from >150 patients, we identify four LSC subtypes. These mirror distinct hematopoietic lineage stages, which determine the expression ratio between the venetoclax target BCL-2 and resistance-inducing proteins MCL-1 and BCL-xL (MAC-score). Longitudinal analyses reveal that

Diabetes Management Strategies in Intensive Care Settings

Greet Van den Berghe · KU Leuven · BE

Critically ill patients often develop hyperglycemia, which is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Randomized controlled trials have shown that the benefits of tight glucose control (TGC) are context-dependent. TGC reduced morbidity and mortality in patients receiving early parenteral nutrition, using a protocol that included accurate glucose measurements and avoided insulin boluses. Benefit was less pronounced in patients not receiving early parenteral nutrition, which is associat

Suppressing gliding in Ni-rich single-crystal cathodes by defect engineering

Clare P. Grey · University of Cambridge · GB

Defect engineering has been used for centuries to enhance the mechanical strength of metals and alloys, but its application to cathodes remains largely unexplored. Conventional cathode synthesis aims for defect-free crystals to maximize capacity, but such structures degrade easily through interlayer gliding and microcracking, both of which are reported for single-crystal LiNi 0.8 Mn 0.1 Co 0.1 O 2 (SC-NMC811). Dopant substitution or surface coating has been explored to address these issues but i

A case-control study of the association between per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and risk of postmenopausal breast cancer in the Danish diet cancer and health cohort

Tina Kold Jensen · University of Southern Denmark · DK

BACKGROUND: Exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has been associated with breast cancer, however findings have been conflicting and few studies have examined cancer subtypes or risk among subgroups of women. METHODS: We used an individually matched case-control design, nested within the Danish Diet Cancer and Health cohort. We identified 500 incident breast cancer cases with available plasma samples among postmenopausal women aged 50 to 64 years in the Danish Cancer Registry an

H-NESSi: The hierarchical non-equilibrium systems simulation package

Thomas Blommel · University of California, Santa Barbara · US

Jeans model for the shapes of self-interacting dark matter halos

Sean Tulin · York University · CA

The Jeans model is a semianalytical approach to modeling self-interacting dark matter (SIDM) that works remarkably well to reproduce the spherically averaged halo profiles from observations and simulations of relaxed galaxies and galaxy clusters. However, SIDM halos are not spherically symmetric in general since they respond to nonspherical baryon distributions and retain nonsphericity from their initial collapse. In this work, we generalize the Jeans model to describe SIDM density profiles and

Diabetes Management Strategies in Intensive Care Settings

Greet Van den Berghe · KU Leuven · BE

Critically ill patients often develop hyperglycemia, which is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Randomized controlled trials have shown that the benefits of tight glucose control (TGC) are context-dependent. TGC reduced morbidity and mortality in patients receiving early parenteral nutrition, using a protocol that included accurate glucose measurements and avoided insulin boluses. Benefit was less pronounced in patients not receiving early parenteral nutrition, which is associat

Probabilistic spaces: Terrains of resilience targeting in an age of generative AI

Alexander Campolo · Durham University · GB

OvercomingBarriers in Solid Tumors: Lactate-FueledNanomotors Enhance Penetration and Reverse Immunosuppression

Ramón Martínez‐Máñez · Instituto de Salud Carlos III · ES

Abstract Solid tumors present a therapeutic challenge due to their dense extracellular matrix and metabolically immunosuppressive microenvironment, which limit drug penetration and immune clearance. To overcome these barriers, we describe an engineered lactate-powered Janus nanomotor (NM(dox)-LOx) composed of a platinum (Pt) nanodendrite and a mesoporous silica nanoparticle (MSN), loaded with doxorubicin (Dox) and functionalized with the enzyme lactate oxidase (LOx). In this design, LOx acts as

Trade agreements, trade facilitation and mutual recognition arrangements

Bernard Hoekman · Centre for Economic Policy Research · GB

Governments use preferential trade agreements (PTAs), the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) and mutual recognition arrangements (MRAs) to reduce bilateral trade costs. Using data for 2010-2022 and a structural gravity framework, we assess the trade impact of a country-pair using all three policy instruments simultaneously. Our analysis considers MRAs for Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) programs that expedite customs clearance for certified actors in the supply chain. These are not produc

A reference protein atlas of the adult mouse brain vasculature

Liqun He · Uppsala University · SE

Current methods for assessing low-abundance proteins in individual cells are limited. As a result, cell functions are often inferred from single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data, which can be misleading due to the poor cross-gene correlation (different genes in the same cells) between messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein levels. To address this issue, we used isolated brain vascular fragments to study the blood–brain barrier. We applied a combination of deep bulk proteomic analysis, a proteomic

Cblb Gene Editing in T Cells Sustains Expansion and Immunogenic CAR T Tumor Killing Under Chronic Antigenic Stimulation

Gottfried Baier · Innsbruck Medical University · AT

CBL-B is an intracellular E3 ubiquitin ligase that acts as a T cell checkpoint by raising activation thresholds and limiting effector function. Here, genetic targeting of CBL-B enhances the performance of adoptively transferred T cells and CAR T cells under tumor microenvironment-like stress. In fully immunocompetent mouse models, Cblb deficiency or transient Cblb silencing improves control of MC-38 colon carcinoma and autochthonous mammary tumors, demonstrating that CBL-B restrains anti-tumor i

Currents of Life – Molecular Mechanism of Long-Range Biological Energy Transduction

STOCKHOLMS UNIVERSITET · SE · €2,494,937

Life is powered by a membrane-bound protein machinery that captures chemical and light energy to sustain the cellular energy metabolism. At the molecular level, these processes are catalyzed by energy-transducing enzyme complexes that link proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) reactions across remarkably large (>300 Å) molecular distances. The Complex I machinery is the largest (>1 MDa) and most intricate PCET enzyme known, initiating electron transport chains across all domains of life. It op

TCF3::HLF orchestrates an enhancer-promoter network with activation of MEF2C to promote immature HSC gene expression in leukemia

Raffaella Santoro · University of Zurich · CH

Abstract Oncogenic fusion transcription factors (TFs) frequently drive hematopoietic malignancies by altering gene expression in key developmental programs. TCF3::HLF is a fusion TF that characterizes a rare, treatment-resistant subtype of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (t(17;19) TCF3::HLF-positive B-ALL). Despite its clinical significance, the mechanisms by which TCF3::HLF induces leukemia are unclear. We used HiChIP mapping and genetic interference to analyze TCF3::HLF at the 3D-genome le

Development and validation of a dementia risk prediction model for low- and middle-income countries: the 10/66 study

Eduwin Pakpahan · Northumbria University · GB

BACKGROUND: Most people with dementia live in LMICs, underscoring the need for LMIC-specific identification of high-risk individuals. This study aimed to develop and validate a simple dementia risk prediction model for these settings. METHODS: Data from seven 10/66 Study sites were analyzed. Over 100 candidate predictors were screened based on existing models and the 2024 Lancet Commission, including LMIC-specific variables (eg, food insecurity and household assets). Predictors were selected usi

LPL-Positive Endothelial Cells Control T-cell Homing in Liver Metastasis

Hellmut G. Augustin · German Cancer Research Center · DE

Combination therapies involving vascular targeting drugs have shown promise in overcoming resistance to immunotherapy. However, the prerequisite for vascular modulation to evoke an effective antitumor T-cell response remains elusive. Tracing the transcriptional response of liver metastasis-associated peritumoral and tumor endothelial cells (TEC) to T-cell intervention, we discovered an immunomodulatory TEC subpopulation that highly expressed lipoprotein lipase (LPL). LPL+ TECs facilitated intrat

LHCSR1 Functions as a Dimmer Switch for Light Harvesting

Roberto Bassi · University of Verona · IT

In oxygenic photosynthesis, high light leads to a set of photoprotective processes, known as nonphotochemical quenching, that are required for fitness. In moss and algae, the pigment-protein complex, light-harvesting stress-related (LHCSR), is crucial for photoprotection. Acidification of the thylakoid lumen under high light triggers the activation of LHCSR and the conversion of the xanthophyll violaxanthin into zeaxanthin, which is found within LHCSR. These interrelated molecular components com

The Spatial Politics of Blockades: Disrupting Phosphate Industrial Production in Post‐2011 Tunisia

Diane Robert · Délégation Provence et Corse · FR

ABSTRACT This article examines blockades targeting the phosphate‐processing industry in the Gabes region of Tunisia following the uprisings of 2010–2011, questioning their contributions and limitations. Drawing on fieldwork conducted between 2017 and 2019, it foregrounds the spatial dimensions of blockades, conceived as ‘generative refusals’ that simultaneously intervene in industrial flows and produce socio‐political space. By focusing on territorially embedded and relational spatial practices,

The psychosocial impact of receiving a polygenic risk score informing risk of prostate cancer

Elizabeth K. Bancroft · Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust · GB

BACKGROUND: Use of polygenic risk scores (PRS) as a risk-stratification tool in cancer screening is an area of increasing interest. The BARCODE1 study is an observational prostate cancer screening study, investigating the use of PRS to risk-stratify people by risk of prostate cancer, with those identified as higher risk invited for prostate cancer screening. Participants of BARCODE1 were invited to take part in a psychosocial sub-study aiming to explore the effect of receiving a polygenic risk s

Limited efficacy of a therapeutic anti-CD40 monoclonal antibody to inhibit activated CD4 T cell autoimmunity in vitro

Bart O. Roep · Leiden University Medical Center · NL

Iscalimab is a nondepleting anti-CD40 monoclonal antibody, expected to suppress immune responses by blocking the costimulation by antigen-presenting cells through CD40-CD40L ligation. This therapeutic antibody indeed inhibited proliferation of B lymphocytes and TNF production by dendritic cells and is being tested in clinical trials to treat B cell mediated autoimmune diseases. Since iscalimab showed limited clinical benefit and did not improve kidney and liver transplantation outcomes compared

Chemical Maturation Controls Bioavailability of Fetuin‐A‐Mineral Complexes in Biomineralization

Nico Sommerdijk · Radboud University Nijmegen · NL

ABSTRACT Living organisms must transport calcium and phosphate at high concentrations to enable bone formation without triggering uncontrolled mineral precipitation. Fetuin‐A binds calcium phosphate to form soluble calciprotein complexes, but how these complexes contribute to physiological mineralization has remained unclear. Here we show that Fetuin‐A‐based mineral complexes exist in functionally distinct states that determine mineral bioavailability. Using cryogenic and liquid‐phase electron m

Chemical Maturation Controls Bioavailability of Fetuin‐A‐Mineral Complexes in Biomineralization

Nico Sommerdijk · Radboud University Nijmegen · NL

ABSTRACT Living organisms must transport calcium and phosphate at high concentrations to enable bone formation without triggering uncontrolled mineral precipitation. Fetuin‐A binds calcium phosphate to form soluble calciprotein complexes, but how these complexes contribute to physiological mineralization has remained unclear. Here we show that Fetuin‐A‐based mineral complexes exist in functionally distinct states that determine mineral bioavailability. Using cryogenic and liquid‐phase electron m

Energy Shields for Fairness

Konstantin Kueffner · Institute of Science and Technology Austria · AT

Runtime fairness is not a one-time constraint but a dynamic property evaluated over a sequence of decisions. To ensure fairness at runtime, it is necessary to account for past decisions, information neglected by conventional, static classifiers. Traditional fairness shields enforce runtime fairness abruptly, by intervening deterministically whenever a sequence of decisions violates the target for a running fairness measure. This motivates our main conceptual contribution: energy shields. An ener

Arf1 is involved in Neisseria meningitidis-induced cortical branched F-actin network reorganization

Guillaume Duménil · Inserm · FR

Cells experience external forces that deform the plasma membrane to which they adapt by reorganizing their actin cytoskeleton. Here, using the extracellular bacterium Neisseria meningitidis as a model system, we explore how this bacterium reorganizes the cortical actin cytoskeleton subsequently to mechanical membrane deformations. Meningococci trigger the formation of tubular cellular plasma membrane protrusions by a previously described adhesion-driven process known as one-dimensional wetting.

OMA1 protects from liver injury and tumorigenesis during aging by controlling hepatic immunogenicity

José Antonio Enrı́quez · Spanish National Centre for Cardiovascular Research · ES

Abstract Hepatic inflammation and immunosurveillance play major roles in the progression of liver cancer. A common trigger for hepatic inflammation is oxidative stress, which stems from mitochondrial dysfunction. Here, we demonstrate that deletion of the mitochondrial stress integrator OMA1 increases hepatic primary tumor incidence and impairs survival in mice. Persistent activation of the KEAP1-Nrf2 oxidative stress pathway in the absence of OMA1 promotes early liver injury, which progresses in

SplineSplat: 3D Ray Tracing for Higher-Quality Tomography

Michaël Unser · Laboratoire d’Imagerie Biomédicale · FR

We propose a method to efficiently compute tomographic projections of a 3D volume represented by a linear combination of shifted B-splines. To do so, we propose a ray-tracing algorithm that computes 3D line integrals with arbitrary projection geometries. One of the components of our algorithm is a neural network that computes the contribution of the basis functions efficiently. In our experiments, we consider well-posed cases where the data are sufficient for accurate reconstruction without the

Optical spin glasses

Claudio Conti · Sapienza University of Rome · IT

Spin-glass theory emerged in the 1980s as a merger between theoretical physics and condensed matter. Soon, physicists realized that spin glasses serve as a paradigm for complex systems, as underscored by the 2021 Nobel Prize in Physics, and for applications in machine learning and neuroscience, with a profound connection with the Hopfield model and Boltzmann machines, subjects of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics. However, the connection with optics and photonics is even more profound and fundamen

DATA for: AI versus humans as authority figures: Evidence from a rule-compliance experiment

Sebastian Kube

DATA AND ANALYSIS FILES for: "Can AI tell us what to do? Experimental evidence on rule compliance", by Dominik Suri, Simon Gächter, and Sebastian Kube. ABSTRACT: Interactions between humans and artificial intelligence are becoming increasingly common across social and economic domains, yet the behavioral consequences of AI as an authority figure remain poorly understood. We investigate whether individuals differ in their willingness to comply with arbitrary rules depending on whether these rules

Pyroelectric power generator for autonomous systems

Emmanuel Defaÿ · University of Luxembourg · LU

Orbital instability and spanwise vortex structure of unstable periodic orbits in large-eddy simulations of plane Couette flow

Genta Kawahara

From Neanderthals to Homo sapiens: New palaeoecological and tephrocronological data from the MIS3 layers of Grotta-Riparo di Uluzzo C (Apulia, southern Italy)

Juan Ochando · University of Siena · IT

The southern Italian Peninsula plays a crucial role as a biogeographical hotspot in Southern Europe, influenced significantly by the Mediterranean climate. This environment acted as a glacial refuge for diverse flora and fauna, humans included. This study employs pollen analysis on Mousterian and Uluzzian sediments from Grotta-Riparo di Uluzzo C in the Salento Peninsula (southern Italy) to reconstruct the vegetation landscapes encountered by the late Italian Neanderthals (thus far associated wit

Genetic and linguistic landscapes of Gansu-Qinghai populations

Mengting Xu · Xiamen University · CN

The Gansu-Qinghai (GQ) region is a critical Eurasian contact zone with exceptional linguistic and genetic diversity. However, genomic studies integrating genetic and linguistic evidence in areas with intensive language mixing remain limited. We conducted fine-scale genomic analyses on 153 new samples from four linguistically mixing or mixed regions: Linxia and Xiahe in Gansu, and Gan'gou and Wutun in Qinghai. Our findings reveal three primary ancestral components: Yellow River, western Eurasian

Hydrogen Bonding within Dynamic ¹⁹ F-Tagged Oligothiourea Foldamers in Solution and in Membranes

Lucia Trevisan · University of Bristol · GB

High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Molecular conformation plays an integral role in biological signal transduction, with several classes of biomolecules using conformational changes to translate local inputs into spatially remote outputs. This natural communication mechanism has inspired the development of dynamic foldamers with the ability to use conformational changes as a communication mechanism. These foldamers include ethylene-bridged hydrogen-bonded oligo(thio)urea foldamer

The Pestov Identity on the Frame Bundle and Associated Homogeneous Fibrations

Andrei Moroianu · Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · FR

ABSTRACT We prove a global Pestov identity on the (orthonormal) frame bundle of a Riemannian manifold and deduce similar identities on associated homogeneous fibrations. As a particular example, this provides a concise proof of the Pestov identity on the unit tangent bundle of the manifold.

Ultra‐Wideline 2D Correlations Among Low‐ <i>γ</i> Species in Solid‐State NMR via the Progressive Saturation of a Common Proton Reservoir

Rihards Aleksis · Latvijas Organiskās Sintēzes Institūts · LV

ABSTRACT Ultra‐wideline nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra arising from large chemical shift anisotropy and/or quadrupolar broadening can span several MHz, rendering two‐dimensional (2D) correlations between low‐γ nuclei subject to these interactions exceptionally challenging. The limited pulse excitation bandwidth, poor sensitivity, and weak internuclear couplings make correlations between such spins nearly impossible in practice. To deal with such cases, this study introduces the PROgres

miRNA-26b Is Associated with Increased Connexin-40 Expression in Endothelial Cells Under Flow Conditions

Marcus Igl · Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München · DE

Endothelial cell dysfunction is the initial step in atherosclerosis, in which gap junction proteins such as connexin 40 (Cx40) might play an important role. Previously, we could demonstrate that miRNA-26b, a 21-nucleotide miRNA, is highly expressed in human atherosclerotic plaques and plays a key causal role in atherogenesis. There is evidence that miRNA-26b and Cx40 play crucial roles in sustaining endothelial health. However, their potential effects on atherosclerosis-related processes remain

Dynamic bidirectional coupling of membrane morphology and rod organization in flexible vesicles

Stijn van der Ham · Inspire Institute · US

The ordering of rod-like particles in soft, deformable containers emerges from the interplay of anisotropic interactions, geometric confinement, and boundary compliance. This competition couples internal particle organization to container morphology, producing behavior distinct from both rigid confinement and bulk systems. Such coupling is also relevant to biological contexts in which filamentous structures are confined by deformable membranes. Using a minimal model combining experiments and sim

Chiral symmetry restoration effects onto the meson spectrum from a Dyson-Schwinger and Bethe-Salpeter approach

Anonymous · University of Graz · AT

Light meson spectra are studied in a Dyson-Schwinger/Bethe-Salpeter approach to quantum chromodynamics (QCD). By varying the interaction strength of three sets of models for the quark-antiquark interaction, the transition from the chiral symmetric to the chirally broken regime in the vacuum is studied. The simplest type of these models leads to degenerate meson spectra for a large domain of the strength parameter. The more sophisticated and thus more realistic models show significantly smaller p

Inventory of User Expectations for Technology (iExpect)

Steeven Villa

Achieving cell-type specific transduction with adeno-associated viral vectors in pigeons

Noemi Rook · Ruhr University Bochum · DE

Birds are valuable models for studying learning, cognition, song, and vision, yet tools for controlling and recording brain activity with millisecond precision remain underutilized in avian research. Advances in methods such as chemogenetics, optogenetics, and in vivo imaging have transformed rodent studies but require gene delivery techniques, like adeno-associated viruses (AAVs), in non-transgenic species. This study validates AAV tools for precise gene expression in pigeons. We identified bot

The characterisation and reactivity of a Rh ^{<scp>iii</scp>} η ¹ -σ-alkane complex and the role of a structurally responsive phosphine ligand in solid-state molecular organometallic chemistry

Joe C. Goodall · University of York · GB

to a weakly coordinating σ-alkane. These reversible bond activations of the chelating ligand in response to changes in the co-ligands demonstrate that significant structural reorganisation is possible in the crystalline environment.

NR2F6-modified CAR T cells drive extrinsic immunogenic cell death and antigen-agnostic immunity in solid tumors

Victoria Klepsch · Innsbruck Medical University · AT

Shaping Function: Polymeric 3D Systems With Unconventional Geometries for Biomedical Applications

M Oliveira · University of Aveiro · PT

Polymer geometry is a primary determinant of physical behavior and biological performance. Beyond conventional spherical and bulk morphologies, unconventional three-dimensional (3D) architectures - ranging from anisotropic particles and fibers to complex membrane-based systems - have emerged as powerful tools for biomedicine. Advances in fabrication methods, including microfluidics, lithography, and physical deformation techniques, now enable precise control of particle shape, anisotropy, and co

Double-coated PLGA nanoparticles with hierarchical surface architecture for CD44-targeted siRNA delivery

Fabiana Quaglia · Federico II University Hospital · IT

Efficient delivery of small interfering RNA (siRNA) remains a materials challenge because it requires nanocarriers that stabilize polyanionic cargo, support cellular interactions, and enable cytosolic delivery. Although poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs) are used due to biocompatibility, biodegradability, and regulatory acceptance, siRNA delivery with PLGA requires interfacial engineering to meet these constraints. Here, a modular double-coated PLGA NP platform (dcNPs2.0) i

Senescence dynamics define therapeutic windows for Duchenne muscular dystrophy in DBA/2-mdx mice

Aina Calls-Cobos · Fleet Science Center · US

BACKGROUND: Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a severe X-linked disorder marked by progressive muscle degeneration and regeneration, inflammation and fibrosis. Cellular senescence has emerged as a potential driver of chronic muscle damage, yet its temporal dynamics and therapeutic relevance remain unclear. METHODS: We analyzed senescent cell burden in skeletal and cardiac muscles of the DBA/2-mdx mouse model, which closely mimics features of human DMD. The senolytic combination of dasatinib a

Global dataset of soil eukaryotic communities created with a uniform protocol and long read sequencing

Vladimir Mikryukov · University of Tartu · EE

N, as well as P, K, Ca, Mg, and total C and N contents. GloSED is the first database that enables ecological and biogeographic studies of entire soil eukaryotic communities from local to global scales.

Enantioselective Cupraelectrocatalyzed C−H Activation for C−Het Bond Formation

Prof. Dr. Lutz Ackermann · University of Göttingen · DE

Chiral aryl phosphorus compounds are key motifs in medicinal chemistry, materials science, and agrochemistry. Electrochemical, transition-metal-catalyzed C−H activation offers an economical route to these structures. However, enantioselective C−H phosphorylation of ferrocenyl derivatives catalyzed by earth-abundant metals has remained elusive. Here we disclose the enantioselective cupraelectrocatalyzed C−H phosphorylation of ferrocenyl amides, providing planar chiral ferrocenylphosphorus compoun

Retrovirus insertions in host transcripts trigger de novo piRNA immunity

Baptiste Rafanel · Institute of Molecular Biotechnology · AT

How host organisms adapt their defense systems to newly invading transposable elements remains poorly understood. Here, we show how Drosophila melanogaster acquired PIWI-interacting RNA (piRNA)-mediated immunity against the endogenous retrovirus Tirant. We uncover two distinct modes of de novo piRNA biogenesis by combining genetics, small RNA profiling, and population genomics. The primary route involves antisense insertions into the flamenco cluster, a master locus for transposon control. Unexp

Diabetes Management Strategies in Intensive Care Settings

Greet Van den Berghe · KU Leuven · BE

Critically ill patients often develop hyperglycemia, which is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Randomized controlled trials have shown that the benefits of tight glucose control (TGC) are context-dependent. TGC reduced morbidity and mortality in patients receiving early parenteral nutrition, using a protocol that included accurate glucose measurements and avoided insulin boluses. Benefit was less pronounced in patients not receiving early parenteral nutrition, which is associat

Diabetes Management Strategies in Intensive Care Settings

Greet Van den Berghe · KU Leuven · BE

Critically ill patients often develop hyperglycemia, which is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Randomized controlled trials have shown that the benefits of tight glucose control (TGC) are context-dependent. TGC reduced morbidity and mortality in patients receiving early parenteral nutrition, using a protocol that included accurate glucose measurements and avoided insulin boluses. Benefit was less pronounced in patients not receiving early parenteral nutrition, which is associat

The temperature dependence of amyloid <i>β</i> solubility reveals the hydrophobic effect as the main driving force for fibril formation

Max Lindberg · Lund University · SE

The aggregation of amyloid proteins into fibrillar and oligomeric aggregates is linked to a number of neurodegenerative diseases. While the disease onset remains elusive in many cases, an understanding of the driving forces for the aggregation may help finding possible causes. While effects on amyloid formation kinetics are more commonly studied, gaining insights into these driving forces require a thermodynamic approach with equilibrium measurements. Here we investigate the temperature dependen

Brain-inspired Computational Memory

RUPRECHT-KARLS-UNIVERSITAET HEIDELBERG · DE · €2,493,073

Deep neural networks (DNNs) have transformed the field of AI in recent years. However, a significant challenge persists in the form of inefficient hardware implementations of DNNs. Computation in memory (CIM) is an emerging approach that tackles the processor-memory divide in modern computing systems, enhancing their suitability for DNNs. CIM draws inspiration from certain computational principles found in the human brain, such as hard-wired neural networks and analogue processing.A key question

CONTRACT: Conformal Calibration for Reliable AI-Based Wireless Communications

Northeastern University - London · UK · €2,489,890

CONTRACT sets out to investigate a novel, theoretically principled, framework for the reliable deployment of artificial intelligence (AI)-based black-box models in wireless systems. Given the highly non-deterministic patterns of traffic and connectivity conditions, AI is currently viewed as an essential technology to ensure the support of communication services with widely heterogeneous performance requirements, ranging from cloud gaming to Industry 4.0. However, AI ``apps'' are, by and large,

Integrable gauge theories at finite temperature

UPPSALA UNIVERSITET · SE · €2,456,500

We propose a project to explore the properties of supersymmetric gauge theories at finite temperature, with special emphasis on those that are integrable in the large N limit. In particular we study the de-confinement of these theories using the newest integrability methods which have recently proved to be a powerful tool in finding the Hagedorn temperature as a function of the theory's coupling. Progress in this field can lead to better understanding of the long unsolved problem of confineme

Numerical Analysis for Stable AI

THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH · UK · €2,498,941

From a numerical analysis perspective I will identify, quantify and mitigate vulnerabilities in current artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms.Novel mathematical research will emerge along six overlapping axes:Inevitability: rigorously understand the inescapable endgame of the attack-versus-defence paradigm. Under what conditions is it inevitable that adversaries willsucceed? Formalizing such conditions will allow us to understand and, where possible, overcome current AI instabilities.Editabili

Efficient odour representations in the olfactory bulb: Flexible lateral interactions synchronize co-active columns

UNIVERSITAET REGENSBURG · DE · €3,453,563

How is the percept of a smell generated from the fractionated representation of odours at the periphery where olfactory receptor channels detect structural elements of odour molecules? While this problem seems akin to the detection of a “Gestalt”/object by the visual system using its contours, there is a fundamental difference between olfaction and vision due to the discontinuous, non-topographical nature of odour representation. Recently my group has discovered intriguing subcellular mechanisms

The Catholic Church and the environment.

UNIVERSIDAD DE SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA · ES · €2,494,173

Fifty-six years ago, historian Lynn White Jr. published his “J’accuse” against the Judeo-Christian tradition, blaming it for fostering a culture that exploited nature. Half a century later, Pope Francis published an environmental manifesto, positioning himself as a champion against climate change. Has the Catholic Church (CC) embraced environmentalism? What have been its key environmental interventions, turning points, and internal and external frictions?CATCH will provide the first comprehensiv

The Discrimination-Inequality Cycle: Bridging Unequal Treatment and Unequal Outcomes across Countries, Regions and Workplaces

FONDATION NATIONALE DES SCIENCES POLITIQUES · FR · €2,499,511

Social science research has made impressive strides in studying discrimination (unequal treatment) and inequality (unequal outcomes), but often examines them separately. DISEQUAL bridges this gap by exploring the mutually reinforcing relations between discrimination and inequality – conceptualized as the Discrimination-Inequality Cycle. The project advances the field through three key objectives: 1) Assessing the relations between discrimination and inequality combining experimental and observat

New Horizons of Parameterized Complexity

UNIVERSITETET I BERGEN · NO · €2,500,000

Parameterized Complexity (PC) provides an approach to moving beyond classic worst-case analysis of algorithms by focusing on multivariate algorithms whose performance is influenced by several parameters beyond input size. While it has been successful in various algorithmic domains, particularly those involving discrete objects like graphs, sets, matroids, or Boolean formulas, PC remains underutilized in areas involving geometric and algebraic objects such as points, vectors, linear spaces, or ma

Direct on Sputum Sequencing to Interrupt Transmission of Rifampicin Resistant Tuberculosis

UNIVERSITEIT ANTWERPEN · BE · €2,499,855

The DiSrupT RR-TB pragmatic cluster randomized trial (CRT) will tackle the ongoing public health threat of rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (RR-TB) and prevent the emergence of bedaquiline-resistant tuberculosis (BDQR-TB) as a new public health crisis. The trial aims to evaluate an innovative all-in-1 solution for whole genome sequencing (WGS): the recently launched QIAseq xHYB Mtb assay for WGS directly on sputum (dWGS) in combination with Illumina sequencing and the novel digital MAGMA-MICK

Optimal Transport and Metric Structures for Evolution Problems

UNIVERSITA COMMERCIALE LUIGI BOCCONI · IT · €2,186,890

Several evolution problems, such as gradient flows or rate-independent processes, are governed by variational principles which are extremely useful for studying the existence, stability, and structural properties of solutions by simple and general constructive approximation methods.Deep and beautiful ideas from the theory of Optimal Transport have contributed new insights and additional challenging questions to this scenario and have motivated flourishing and original developments. On the one ha

Biosocial Security: Social Science Transformations of Biosecurity

THE UNIVERSITY OF EXETER · UK · €2,499,723

Biosecurity, the management of biological threats to humans, animals, and environments, is critical for health, economy, pandemic preparedness, and food security. In agricultural settings, it involves protecting livestock and workers from infectious diseases. The tendency is to take an engineering approach, aiming to minimise system breaches or failures. But this Biosecurity I approach is failing. Infection pressures are growing with climate and other environmental changes. Resulting livestock s

Bridging scales for integrated high-resolution modeling of the long-term transition to sector-coupled net-zero energy systems

POTSDAM-INSTITUT FUR KLIMAFOLGENFORSCHUNG EV · DE · €2,493,601

The rapid growth of solar and wind power, as well as demand electrification technologies, increasingly underscores that successful climate change mitigation strategies will heavily rely on sector-coupled energy systems, in which renewables-dominated electricity is used for previously non-electric end-uses and fuels. Under such sector-coupling, the integration of variable renewable energy (VRE) and demand-side electrification are highly synergistic; cheap VRE makes electrification attractive, wh

Resolve human autoantigen-specific regulatory T cell responses

TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAT BERLIN · DE · €2,500,000

Antigen-specificity is the key feature of adaptive immunity, orchestrated by CD4 T helper (Th) cells. A small CD4+ subset of autoreactive Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) secures tolerance against self and contributes to tissue homeostasis and regeneration. It is a central question in immunology how Tregs exert these various functions. In humans, however, self-specific Treg and Th cells are challenging to track and thus remain poorly characterized. In particular, the specific autoantigens targe

Quantifying Evolution: a platform for the synthetic evolution of molecular ecosystems.

UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI MILANO · IT · €2,435,177

Among the fundamental processes governing Nature, evolution is one of the most thoroughlAmong the fundamental processes governing Nature, evolution is one of the most thoroughly described and less formalized. The grand goal of describing evolution via clean universal laws is made difficult by the inherent complexity of both the biological systems and the available experimental models, which generally involve a large number of potentially relevant variables of difficult quantification. This proje

Agents of Cohesion in the Governance of an Empire: the Anthropogeography of Byzantium, 7th to 12th centuries

ACADEMY OF ATHENS · EL · €2,492,721

Crucial to Byzantium’s survival against several post 6th-century external foes was the introduction of the theme-system (military-territorial units), which sealed its provincial administration for five centuries. The long debate on this institution, often biased by anachronistic evidence from literary sources, has gained new impetus through the study of seals, the tiny lead disks that the Byzantines used to secure and authenticate their correspondence. The plethora of irrefutable evidence that s

Dissecting the code for regulatory T cell entry into the tissues and differentiation into tissue-resident cells

THE CHANCELLOR MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE · UK · €2,499,960

Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) are highly potent immunosuppressive cells. Most of our understanding of Tregs is based on the population present in lymphoid tissues, however to harness their anti-inflammatory power in the clinic we need to understand the tissue-resident population. Converting generic Tregs into expanded proto-tissue Tregs, capable of entering inflamed tissues, adapting to local conditions, and driving an anti-inflammatory pro-rejuvenation process would transform cell therapy.

Between Fixism and Evolutionism: The Origin of Species in Medieval Thought

UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI MILANO · IT · €2,424,186

It is commonly believed that the debate on the nature of living species and their possible evolution has no real history prior to the 18th century. The roots of this assumption lie in the belief that the entire previous tradition had been dominated by the combination of the Aristotelian doctrine of the eternity of species (fixism) and Jewish, Christian and Islamic creationism. The core hypothesis of SPECIES is that, on the contrary, the Middle Ages produced a significant and sophisticated series

State-tech relations in the datafied welfare state: Examining the computational transformation of the European social model

GOLDSMITHS' COLLEGE · UK · €2,498,705

Use of data-driven technologies by public bodies is now well-established across central pillars of European welfare states, from predictive benefit fraud in social security to safeguarding apps in schools to algorithmic diagnostics in health. Yet we still lack a proper understanding of what the datafied welfare state entails, and, crucially, what its relationship with the providers of such technologies is, and with what implications. This project investigates the relationship between the welfare

Tracing Evolutionary Pathways in Grassroots Climate Governance: Connecting Past, Present, and Future Inter-Scalar Adaptation Strategies in Southeast Asia

KONINKLIJKE NEDERLANDSE AKADEMIE VAN WETENSCHAPPEN - KNAW · NL · €2,500,000

TRACE aims to amplify grassroots forces in climate governance to spearhead systematic transformations and just transitions. It pushes for a paradigm shift in climate governance, with Southeast Asia as a key site to adaptation strategies. Through reframing and reconceptualization of climate adaptation as geographies of knowledge, culture, and agency, TRACE will develop groundbreaking transdisciplinary concepts, frameworks, research methodologies, and tools for knowledge co-creation, power co-prod

Precise optical synchronization of high-speed electronics with microcombs

CHALMERS TEKNISKA HOGSKOLA AB · SE · €3,499,696

Laser frequency combs based on mode-locked lasers are extraordinary photonic devices that have revolutionized precision frequency synthesis and metrology in the 21st century. They have enabled groundbreaking developments such as optical clocks, femtosecond-level timing synchronization, and ultra-pure microwave generation.Microresonator-based frequency combs (microcombs) offer a transformative potential to reduce the complexity and size of traditional laser frequency combs. Recent advances in dis

Media Production of Prison Communities

UNIVERSITEIT ANTWERPEN · BE · €2,500,000

Incarceration is widely depicted in films, TV, and the news, but prison communities—imprisoned people, their families, and anti-prison activists—are seldom recognized as media producers. Developing a transnational, collaborative, and comparative model of media justice, this project examines textual, visual, and sound media created by prison communities. It focuses on France, Turkey, the UK, and the US, where racial and ethnic discrimination stimulated mass incarceration of minorities from the mi

Unravelling the molecular determinants of insecticide sensitivity in the Hymenoptera HYMOTOX

THE UNIVERSITY OF EXETER · UK · €2,485,038

Hymenoptera (sawflies, wasps, ants, and bees) are an environmentally and economically important order of insects that carry out vital ecosystem services in their role as parasitoids, predators, and pollinators. However, while performing this function, hymenopteran species may come into contact with potentially harmful xenobiotics in the environment such as pesticides. We have recently demonstrated that the impact of pesticides on the health of managed bee species is profoundly influenced by the

Conformal Organic Devices for Electronic Brain-gut REAdout and CharactERisation

THE CHANCELLOR MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE · UK · €2,498,444

Over 100M people in Europe live with a digestive disorder, and this number is rising. The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is a complex ecosystem which facilitates digestion and regulates food intake in addition to regulating immune function in order to effectively guard against pathogens while tolerating innocuous antigens. It also acts as a sensory organ. The GI tract is connected with the brain via neuronal and hormonal signalling pathways which form the gut-brain axis (GBA). Dysregulation of the

Global Methane Politics

UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS · UK · €2,499,924

The ambition of the Global Methane Politics project is to produce a pioneering body of research that simultaneously establishes the distinctiveness of methane politics, investigates and demonstrates the most significant political obstacles to methane emissions reduction, and has transformative impacts on global methane and climate policies and practices. Research on methane politics is urgently needed because 1) methane is the second largest contributor to anthropogenic climate change; 2) reduci

Intermediate-mass black holes in the era of gravitational-wave astronomy

RUPRECHT-KARLS-UNIVERSITAET HEIDELBERG · DE · €2,497,403

Intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs), with masses ranging from 10^2 to 10^5 solar masses, are crucial for understanding the growth of supermassive black holes across cosmic ages, but their formation mechanisms remain an open question, despite being in the spotlight for several years. The recent detection of gravitational-wave (GW) events in the IMBH regime demonstrates the potential of GW astronomy to discover IMBHs, and underscores the need for new models to interpret this emerging population.

Posthuman Music: Creative Practices after AI and Blockchain.

ORPHEUS INSTITUUT VZW · BE · €2,500,000

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and blockchain technologies are becoming increasingly intertwined with human creativity, leading to novel forms of ‘posthuman’ musical expression that decentralize traditional notions of creative agency, authorship, ownership, and the ontology of the artwork. This poses unprecedented challenges and opportunities for new creative practices that need to be investigated, both scholarly and artistically. This project explores the transformative impact of AI and blockchai

Mapping the Controllosphere

UNIVERSITEIT GENT · BE · €2,480,212

The sensation of cognitive effort is integral to everyday human experience, is a core construct in psychological theories of behavior, and contributes to multiple psychiatric disorders like ADHD and depression. However, despite decades of study the neural origin and functional purpose of cognitive effort remain poorly understood. This constitutes one of the most important outstanding questions in cognitive neuroscience and a major challenge to mental health research. Recently, I proposed a new,

Quantum Chemical Exploration of Reaction Networks: From Origins of Life to De Novo Enzyme Design

LUDWIG-MAXIMILIANS-UNIVERSITAET MUENCHEN · DE · €2,495,175

Gaining comprehensive insights into chemical and biochemical reaction networks is crucial for understanding and controlling molecular and catalytic processes; however, unraveling their intricate mechanisms remains a key challenge. QCexplore will provide a generally applicable solution to this challenge by developing an unbiased quantum-chemical reaction network exploration method and a highly efficient, fully automated open-source software framework.The starting point for these developments is o

Synthesising a macroscopic quantum superposition of a nanotube

FUNDACIO INSTITUT DE CIENCIES FOTONIQUES · ES · €2,871,796

One major quest in physics is to extend quantum superposition states from the microscopic to the macroscopic world. To achieve this, we need to explore innovative approaches for synthesizing macroscopic quantum superpositions of massive objects. While recent advancements have demonstrated quantum non-Gaussian states of motion in mechanical oscillators, the delocalization achieved has been only marginally larger than the zero-point motion. QTube aims to address this limitation by quantum delocali

Astrocytic metabolism-driven epigenetics at the cornerstone of cognitive aging

UNIVERSIDAD DE SALAMANCA · ES · €2,467,500

Cognitive impairment is a major source of disability and dependence during aging. Up to 40% of dementia cases are attributable to modifiable environmental risk factors, namely lifestyle, which can be actionable for prevention before the onset of cognitive decline. Physical activity and nutrition comprise promising modifiable factors affecting cognitive aging, but how the lifestyle affects cognition is not fully explained. Because of their unique location at the interface between blood vessels an

Transforming the Story of the Arabic Book, 700–1800: Knowledge, Information Technology, and the Arabic Book

THE AGA KHAN UNIVERSITY (INTERNATIONAL) IN THE UNITED KINGDOM · UK · €2,547,189

The premodern Arabic textual tradition between 700 and 1800 is one of the most prolific in human history, with the number of surviving works surpassing the extant production of any other pre-print culture except perhaps imperial China or Sanskritic India. These texts can now be studied in completely new ways using pioneering digital technology that can identify textual units displaying what one scholar has termed ‘extended textual similarity’. This means not only word-for-word matching, which ca

Sub-Neptunes as Predecessors for Earth-like planets Atmospheres Research for Habitability with the ELTs

INSTITUTO DE ASTROFISICA DE CANARIAS · ES · €2,453,750

One of the most significant discoveries of the past decades is the realization that there are more planets than stars in our Galaxy, with a planet diversity that has far surpassed our expectations. A major focus of 21st-century astronomy is the characterization of Earth-sized planets in the habitable zones (HZPs) around nearby M dwarfs and the search for possible biomarkers in their atmospheres. This is driving the development of advanced, dedicated space missions and ground-based Extremely Larg

Representation theory, equivariant topology and Langlands duality via fixed point schemes

INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AUSTRIA · AT · €2,499,576

We propose a three-way dictionary between representation theory of complex semisimple Lie groups,equivariant topology of affine Schubert varieties and mirror symmetry for Langlands dual Hitchin systemsvia the language of fixed point schemes. This unified framework will yield new insights and advanceswithin these fields, with applications extending to other areas of mathematics and quantum physics.We introduce big algebras, which are commutative algebras attached to representations of complex sem

Bright High Spin Molecular Semiconductors

THE CHANCELLOR MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE · UK · €2,499,998

BRIGHTS builds on the proposer’s discovery of high photoluminescence quantum efficiency, PLQE, from high spin states excitons (S = 1, 3/2, 2) in molecular semiconductors. This is underpinned by their recent development of spin doublet molecular semiconductors where bright spin doublet excitons support efficient OLED operation, particularly for red and near-IR. High spin molecular systems have previously been developed for their quantum properties but have been non-luminescent, preventing optica

Phylogenetic taxonomy and classification of fungi

TARTU ULIKOOL · EE · €3,305,750

The kingdom Fungi comprises >150,000 currently recognised species distributed across 80 classes in 20 phyla. Total species numbers are estimated at 2-3 million and our preliminary eDNA analyses suggest at least double numbers of higher-ranking taxa. However, current nomenclatural regulations fall short in DNA-based taxonomic descriptions. PhylFun aims to develop the concept and methodology for DNA-based phylogenetic classification of organisms, using fungi as examples, for an improved taxon comm

Modernist Authors' Reading: Genesis in Authors' Libraries

UNIVERSITEIT ANTWERPEN · BE · €2,448,053

MARGINAL examines authors’ creativity through the traces of their own reading. The project starts from the idea that knowing what and how a writer read can help us understand the origins of their work. A work of literature often starts in the margins of another book.The project focuses on the reading habits of three modernist authors – Virginia Woolf, James Joyce and Samuel Beckett. The rationale behind the selection of these case studies is based on a twentieth-century crisis of ‘encyclopedism’

Zambezian Entanglements in the South Central African Iron Age

UNIVERSITY OF YORK · UK · €2,813,408

ZAMBEZI introduces a radical new precolonial history of an African region in the Middle Zambezi Valley. The project explores the site of Ingombe Ilede in Zambia and its regional setting, using a nested methodology offering three levels of innovation: (1) deep understanding of a crucial but under-explored site; (2) pioneering methodologies offering unique detail on human settlement and mobility; and (3) a transformative view of the African past derived from an exploration of diversity and conting

Assured Recompilation of Vintage Executables via Binary Lifting: Unfreezing Legacy Software from Obsolete Toolchain Dependence

TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAT BERLIN · DE · €2,500,000

A lot of everyday infrastructure is powered by legacy software that depends on obsolete toolchains. Such software is literally “stuck in time” and cannot benefit from innovations in modern compilers such as automated security mitigations applied during compilation. There are often other undesirable consequences, such as a need to use outdated hardware platforms.Unfortunately, modernizing such legacy software isn’t as simple as taking the ancient source code (if it exists) and re-running it throu

Archaeal keystone species in host microbiomes: Understanding and controlling Methanobrevibacter for Environmental and Health Benefits

MEDIZINISCHE UNIVERSITAT GRAZ · AT · €2,500,000

Archaea, the most ancient domain of life, play a crucial yet largely underappreciated role in human microbiomes and Earth's nutrient cycles. Among them, Methanobrevibacter species are particularly important for methane production in ruminants, accounting for up to 6% of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and are prevalent in animal and plant microbiomes. In recent years, I have become intrigued by the impact of Methanobrevibacter on human physiology. Our research has shown that two distinct

The OrigINs of FINancial FragilITY

UNIVERSITA COMMERCIALE LUIGI BOCCONI · IT · €2,057,919

Banking crises are recurrent phenomena. They lead to large declines in economic activity and share two features: i) they are oftentriggered by runs, i.e., sudden withdrawals by depositors; and ii) they follow episodes of deregulation and/or lax supervision.The 2023 banking turmoil in the U.S. is no exception. After the relaxation of prudential rules in 2018, three midsized banks faceddistress as a result of runs, leading to three of the largest failures in history. Motivated by these events, the

Decoding the Internal and External Drivers of Plant Defence Memory

THE UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD · UK · €2,498,283

Plants excel in adapting to changing environments, which relies on their ability to store and integrate information from previously encountered stresses. Without a cellular immune system or direct communication with their offspring, plants use alternative pathways to obtain defence memory and prepare their progeny against persistent threats. Biotic stress by pests and diseases triggers changes in the epigenetic makeup and root-associated microbiome of plants, resulting in a multi-faceted defence

Dark Nerd Communities: A multi-method exploration of toxic degradation in the adolescent technosphere

UNIVERSITAET MUENSTER · DE · €2,499,776

The online world of adolescent nerd communities, once a refuge for enthusiasts of digital games, technology, and fandom, has taken a troubling turn. Previously harmless niche groups have evolved into ‘dark nerd communities,’ where exclusionary ideologies, misogyny, and extremist views have taken root. Events like GamerGate and the ‘incel’ movement exposed sexism, anti-liberalism, and connections to alt-right ideologies, raising critical questions about the processes behind this shift.This resear

The End of Petroleum and the Global South - Ethnographies of Oil Extraction and Policy Futures in a Decarbonising World

UNIVERSIDAD DEL PAIS VASCO/ EUSKAL HERRIKO UNIBERTSITATEA · ES · €2,496,500

S-OIL is a transregional investigation into the nature, roles and developmental footprints of national oil companies (NOCs) facing the urgency of decarbonisation and the challenges of the global energy transition. Its significance and timeliness have been highlighted by growing academic and policy debates around the resurgence of the state, changing world geopolitics and the phasing out of fossil fuels.State-owned oil companies will make or break the energy transition. To date, however, there ha

Chronology of our Galaxy from Gaia Color-Magnitude Diagram fitting

INSTITUTO DE ASTROFISICA DE CANARIAS · ES · €2,500,000

The overarching goal of ChronoGal is to unveil the sequence of events and physical processes that have shaped the Milky Way (MW) from its early assembly to the present, by providing the holy grail of Galactic Archaeology (GA): precise age information. Our Galaxy is key to study disk galaxy formation and evolution, as it can be analyzed in exceptional detail using individual stars carrying the fossil record of its entire evolution. The importance of GA is underscored by the vast resources investe

Discovering Mineral nAnoinclusions in DiAaMonds

UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI PADOVA · IT · €3,499,978

Diamonds are the only geological materials able to travel hundreds of kilometres vertically, horizontally and through time for billions of years, being un-modified since the day of their formation. Not just a time capsule, when diamonds incorporate mineral inclusions captured from the deep mantle, they represent an open window into otherwise inaccessible regions of Earth. Based on their formation depths, diamonds are classified as lithospheric (formed between about 120 and 200 km depth) and subl

Loneliness, Emotions, and Regulation: Understanding Institutions through Privacy

UNIVERSITAT WIEN · AT · €2,499,987

LONERS addresses the growing public health and security concern of loneliness, which often leads to feelings of isolation, anxiety and despair. As loneliness becomes more prevalent in modern society, its social and political implications expand. However, loneliness can also evoke positive emotions such as calm, self-reliance and empathy, highlighting the complexity of this emotional landscape. Understanding this spectrum of emotions is crucial for addressing loneliness effectively in both indivi

Windows of microbial activity in deserts afforded by non-rain water

UNIVERSITAT WIEN · AT · €2,617,968

Soil microorganisms are essential drivers of ecosystem processes in drylands that cover ~40% of the Earth’s landmasses. It is widely accepted that microbial activity in arid deserts is confined to rare, short and unpredictable rain pulses. Yet, water could be available for soil microorganism by other processes, such as dew formation, fog deposition and water vapor adsorption. These so-called non-rain water inputs represent significant sources of water, as they are more frequent and reliable. Yet

The Late Scholastic Transformation of Hylomorphism. Philosophical Discussions of Form and Matter in Context, 1400-1600

KATHOLIEKE UNIVERSITEIT LEUVEN · BE · €2,498,985

TRANSFORM investigates the development of hylomorphism – the philosophical theory that every physical object is composed of structurable matter and structuring form (“hyle” and “morphe” in Greek) – in the period 1400-1600. For most of its 2500-year history, from its Aristotelian beginnings to modern-day metaphysics, hylomorphism has been a fundamental philosophical notion. From around 1200, when the works of Aristotle and his Arabic commentators were translated into Latin, hylomorphism became ce

Modeling disorder in crystalline materials using systematically improvable correlated methods

UNIWERSYTET WARSZAWSKI · PL · €3,500,000

This proposal aims to advance the modeling of disordered correlated-electron materials by developing novel ab-initio quantum chemistry methods that challenge the prevailing dominance of density functional theory (DFT) in this area. By harnessing recent breakthroughs in Green's function techniques, machine learning, and advanced mathematical models, we propose a comprehensive suite of tools for predicting spectral and thermodynamic properties of disordered materials. The methods developed in thi

Rethinking Queer Kinship: LGBTIQ* Families with children in Central and Eastern Europe

UNIWERSYTET WARSZAWSKI · PL · €2,500,000

The marginalization of Central and Eastern Europe in queer kinship and family studies has created a critical gap in understanding global LGBTIQ* family dynamics. Dominant theories, shaped largely by Anglo-American contexts, often overlook the diversity of family structures and practices in other regions. QUEERSHIP addresses this gap through the first transnational, interdisciplinary study of queer kinship across Poland, Hungary, Czechia, and Croatia.QUEERSHIP aims to develop the Multidimensional

Theorizing the Drivers of the Asylum-Far Right Nexus in Rural Europe

UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI TORINO · IT · €2,333,063

Since 2015, mediatised episodes of protest and hostility towards refugees in rural areas in Europe have contributed to the perception of an alleged nexus between reception and the electoral success of far-right populist parties. However, despite the increasing interest of academic research, a patchy understanding of the factors and mechanisms driving the emergence of an asylum-far right nexus in rural areas persists. Whereas public opinion surveys emphasise the nationalistic orientation of rural

ALK-driven cancers: a Portfolio of ONcoimmunoTherapies to achieve tumor Eradication

UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI TORINO · IT · €2,497,392

Cancers driven by the oncogenic activation of the ALK gene include subsets of non-small cell lung cancer, lymphoma, neuroblastoma, melanoma, glioblastoma, thyroid cancer, stromal tumors and other hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. Typically, these cancers affect children or young adults in healthy conditions with a long expectancy of life. They are currently treated with ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) either in first line or at relapse after other standard therapies. ALK TKIs redu

New Paradigm of Stellar Convection

UNIVERSITAET GRAZ · AT · €2,500,000

Tension between solar observations and theoretical and numericalmodels is shifting the paradigm of stellar convection: simulationsproduce dominant large-scale flows that are absent in the Sun and thesupergranulation scale which according to helioseismology is dominantin the Sun is not captured by simulations. This discrepancy, named theconvective conundrum, is the most likely reason why solar differentialrotation and global dynamo cannot be reproduced by currentsimulations. Canonical theory of c

The role of microbes in the fate of nanoplastics in the marine realm

STICHTING NEDERLANDSE WETENSCHAPPELIJK ONDERZOEK INSTITUTEN · NL · €3,499,999

Nanoplastics (plastic litter fragments <1µm) were only recently discovered in the marine realm. Due to their colloidal nature, nanoplastics may be dispersed throughout the ocean, potentially affecting all marine life. However, their minuscule size has made it virtually impossible to measure their distribution or determine if microbes can degrade nanoplastics, thus influencing their fate in the ocean. Innovative approaches developed by my team have now made this possible for the first time. Using

COLFIN: Colonial Financial Infrastructures

UNIVERSITEIT VAN AMSTERDAM · NL · €2,500,000

COLFIN develops a new approach to understanding and responding to the colonial durabilities in modern financial infrastructures. The starting point is that the relation between finance and colonialism is infrastructural, not purely related to individual families or companies. Financial innovation co-evolved with colonial expansion and vice versa. The longer time horizons, transnational payments and novel uncertainties of colonial expansion are at the heart of modern financial innovation. Academi

Dark Matter Phenomenology in Strong Gravity

UNIVERSITEIT VAN AMSTERDAM · NL · €2,499,763

A new era has come in the quest for dark matter, due to the absence of evidence for the most popular candidates, despite the enormous effort that has gone into searching for them. Here, I argue that the advent of precision gravitational wave astronomy offers a new extraordinary opportunity to discover DM in the strong gravity regime, and to uncover its particle properties. In a series of recent breakthrough studies, my team has shown that upcoming gravitational interferometers will be sensitive

The LPS-code: uncovering meta-level chemical structures that establish LPS as friend or foe

UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI NAPOLI FEDERICO II · IT · €2,500,000

The lipopolysaccharide endotoxins (LPSs) are ubiquitous microbial cell surface glycolipids of Gram-negative bacteria and are key molecular actors in the interaction with eukaryotic hosts. Traditionally, studies have focused on the role of LPS as dangerous and potent molecules with the ability to boost innate immunity in eukaryotes and cause sepsis in humans and severe pathologies in plants. In recent years, however, it has become clear that LPS is not always working as a microbial weapon. Indeed

The roadmap enabling spinal cord regeneration in mammals

I3S - INSTITUTO DE INVESTIGACAO E INOVACAO EM SAUDE DA UNIVERSIDADE DO PORTO · PT · €2,499,963

It is widely documented that the adult mammalian central nervous system (CNS) does not regenerate. This failure results from the inhibitory scar environment and the decline of developmental growth programs. Overturning this dogma, the PI recently demonstrated that the spiny mouse (Acomys cahirinus) regenerates spontaneously the spinal cord, with robust functional recovery. Her current preliminary data support that an early switch occurs in the injured Acomys spinal cord, allowing scar reversion

Engineering Synthetic Gene Circuits through Competitive Dimerization.

FONDAZIONE TELETHON ETS · IT · €2,484,115

Synthetic gene circuits offer considerable potential for engineering human cells to perform complex functions for innovative biotechnological and therapeutic applications. However, current approaches are limited by the lack of versatile, scalable and modular molecular components. DIMERCIRCUITS aims to overcome these barriers by developing a novel class of Modular Artificial Dimerizing transcription factors (MADTFs) whose activity is dynamically regulated through interaction with competitive inhi

Genetics of long-distance migration

LUNDS UNIVERSITET · SE · €2,500,000

It is firmly established that the migratory behaviour of animals is largely genetically hard-wired. However, we do not know the genes involved, where these are expressed and how the genetic code guides individuals to fly in a specific direction for more than a month, across deserts, mountain ranges or oceans, to finally reach a wintering area on the other side of the globe. To approach these gaps of knowledge, I propose a coherent research program that builds on my long-term research of migrator