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Mechanobiology explores how physical forces affect cellular processes, providing insights into areas like embryogenesis and tumor growth. Cells exert forces onto their environment; the tissue in which they live.

Ecological communities are composed of a vast number of interacting species. Individuals of different species interact for feeding, survival or many other services, like protection or transport.

Malaria remains one of the world’s most persistent infectious diseases, causing hundreds of thousands of deaths every year and placing nearly half of the global population at risk. Although the disease is most common in sub-Saharan Africa,…

About 60 to 70% of soils in the EU are subject to severe degradation processes: erosion, pollution, loss of biodiversity, salinisation and sealing; this is the result of unsustainable land use and overexploitation of agrochemicals. Microbia…

The soaring demand for energy and use of fossil fuels has resulted in the release of vast amount of greenhouse gases and climate change. Developing photoelectrochemical devices for solar fuel production is one of the strategies to address t…

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide, with millions of patients suffering from long-term complications after heart attacks. One of the major medical challenges is the limited ability of the heart to regenerate da…

A breakthrough in precision diagnostics and treatement for breast cancer Breast cancer diagnosis and treatment face persistent challenges, with current methods often lacking the precision and ease of use required for optimal patient care. E…

The scientific aim of the MSCA-DN BeyondTheEdge is to identify the role of nonpairwise ‘higher-order’ interactions in the emergence of complex dynamical behaviour of networks of interacting units. Traditionally, networks are equated with gr…

Sensory cells in marine invertebrates play a fundamental role in detecting environmental cues and translating them into biological responses that enable survival, feeding, reproduction, and interaction with the environment. These cells dete…

Micro- and macroalgae are fundamental components of aquatic ecosystems and will play an increasingly important role in our future. While many algae are beneficial, such as seaweeds used for food, biofuels, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics, ot…

NMR-IMPROV introduces an innovative approach to examining the properties of dairy products through advanced Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) relaxation techniques, including Fast Field Cycling and Time-Domain NMR. This concept is based on t…

Rechargeable batteries are a key enabling technology for the transition toward sustainable energy systems and the widespread adoption of electric mobility. In particular, solid-state batteries based on lithium metal anodes and ceramic elect…

ENRICH is a Horizon Europe – MSCA Staff Exchanges project built around a practical need in protein analysis: post-translational modifications (PTMs) on histone proteins are biologically important, but they are often difficult to detect and…

Myelin is an essential biological structure that allows the nervous system to transmit information rapidly and efficiently. It is produced by specialised glial cells called oligodendrocytes in the central nervous system.

This MSCA project was entitled “A Palaeoenvironmental Investigation of Amazonian Lowland Sensitivity to Climatic Drivers Using Pollen-Based Modelling Approaches”, hereafter Project PALOMA (European Fellowship, Grant ID 101105420), and it wa…

The human immune system is our natural defense against infections and abnormal cells like cancer. It relies on a carefully balanced network of genes that produce receptors, signaling molecules, and transcription factors—all influenced by en…

The overall research aim of BullNet is to use cutting-edge molecular and machine-learning techniques, coupled with functional and applied methods to unravel the underlying sperm biology surrounding compromised fertility of individual bulls,…

The 21st century’s challenges in climate, energy, and health demand new biotechnologies. Synthetic biology offer solutions with consistency and reproducibility unattainable by living cells, but models for integrated synthetic cells systems…

SEASOUNDS aims to better characterize and predict marine soundscapes in various European eco-regions (e.g., parts of the Mediterranean and the Baltic Seas, the Venice Lagoon, the Norwegian fjords) where the scarcity of scientific data, upon…

The GLYCO-N training network aims at training Doctoral Candidates (DCs) to acquire the skills to develop different innovative strategies to 1) understand the diversity and structural complexity of archaeal, microalgal and viral N-glycosylat…

Context and Objectives Carbohydrates mediate critical biological processes, yet natural Carbohydrate-Binding Molecules (CBMs) used to target them are costly, delicate, and often lack selectivity. The ENSCC project addresses this problem by…

Skin diseases are among the most common health conditions affecting over 900 million people according to the World Health Organization. Skin diseases often co-occur with gut disorders and bidirectional crosstalk along the skin-gut axis infl…

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains one of the deadliest cancers and continues to show limited response to current therapeutic approaches, including immunotherapy. Novel therapeutic approaches capable of overcoming tumour immune…

AGRI-DRY is a multidisciplinary research and training network addressing the need for sustainable food production and ecological resilience in dryland regions, which support around 40% of the world’s population. Focusing on the Mediterranea…

Soft biological tissues—such as skin, vessels, and tumors—exhibit highly complex mechanical behavior driven by nonlinear, time-dependent, and multiphysical interactions. Traditional models often treat these effects in isolation, failing to…

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a common debilitating age-related neurodegenerative condition characterized by progressive cognitive decline and pre-symptomatic accumulation of amyloid-β. Over 14 million people in Europe are living with dementi…

The ECHOS project addresses the growing need for sustainable and circular food packaging solutions in line with the EU Circular Economy Action Plan and Bioeconomy Strategy. Conventional plastic packaging remains a major source of environmen…

Cities face increasing pressure to optimise living conditions while ensuring a high quality of life. Urban trees provide multiple benefits, including air quality regulation, recreational opportunities, and habitat for biodiversity.

Understanding how numerical cognition emerges across species is a central question in cognitive science and evolutionary biology. True counting abilities — such as recognising numbers across different procedures and sensory modalities or sp…

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has escalated into a global health crisis, with more than one million estimated deaths in 2019 attributable to infections with antibiotic resistant pathogens. Gram-positive bacteria are responsible for a large…

ProgRET is a multidisciplinary and intersectoral European training network focusing on the mechanisms, diagnosis and therapy of dominantly inherited retinal diseases (IRD). IRD represent a major cause of blindness, affecting 350,000 people…

Throughout history, humanity has displayed remarkable resilience by diverse cultural adjustments to changing conditions. In the face of unprecedented environmental shifts brought about by global warming, societies are grappling with the urg…

The MIRACLE programme brings together leading academic and biotech industrial partners to train the next generation of innovation-minded researchers who can advance precision medicine approaches for cardiometabolic diseases (CMD). CMD are a…

When our ancestors began walking upright millions of years ago, the human pelvis underwent a dramatic transformation. This shift to bipedalism — walking on two legs — was one of the defining moments in human evolution, but it came at a cost…

Mercury (Hg) is a toxic heavy metal that bioaccumulates in aquatic food chains, endangering human health through the consumption of seafood. The atmospheric chemistry of Hg determines how far it can be transported and where it will ultimate…

RhECAST (Rural Landscape Heritage and Carbon Sequestration) addresses the growing need to reconcile climate change mitigation with the preservation of Europe’s cultural landscapes. Across many European regions, traditional agroforestry syst…

DesiRTA: A Targeted Nanotherapeutic Approach for Revolutionizing Arthritis Treatment Arthritis, a prevalent global health concern affecting over 350 million individuals, substantially burdens healthcare systems. This chronic condition, char…

Antibiotics are now recognised as pollutants of global concern. Their widespread use has led to residues in the environment that contribute to antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a major threat to public health and ecosystems.

A sustainable climate and an ecosystem-friendly economy demands novel "cell factories", in which organisms convert renewable biomass into various biomaterials that would otherwise be derived from fossil fuels or (harsh) chemistry. Especiall…

The longer average lifespan in our modern society is accompanied by a global increase in the prevalence of dementia, with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) being the most common cause. By 2050, the number of individuals with AD is expected to double…

Wastewater treatment is essential for public health and environmental protection, yet conventional treatment technologies rely heavily on mechanical aeration, which consumes large amounts of energy and leads to substantial greenhouse gas em…

As people live longer, we are facing a rapid rise in the number of older adults living with muscle weakness and loss of muscle mass, a condition known as sarcopenia. Sarcopenia increases the risk of falls and fractures, loss of independence…

Photosynthesis is a natural process that relies on harvesting solar energy and transforming it into chemical energy. In addition to its ecological importance, obtaining a better molecular-level understanding of photosynthesis, particularly…

Wheat stripe rust, caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp.

Major Depressive Disorder, commonly known as depression, is a widespread mental health condition that affects millions of people worldwide. It's more than just feeling sad; depression can impact every aspect of a person's life, from their m…

High-throughput experimental techniques have transformed the life sciences, enabling quantitative investigation of biological systems across scales, from molecules and cells to patients and populations. These technologies generate massive,…

FutureData4EU is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie COFUND programme designed to address the growing demand for highly skilled researchers capable of navigating the societal, economic and ethical challenges posed by data-driven transformations in Eur…

Mechanobiology is a dynamic and rapidly evolving interdisciplinary field focused on understanding how physical forces influence cells and tissues at multiple scales. This field holds immense potential for advancing healthcare and diagnostic…

Self-assemble 2D chiral plasmene nanosheets: ultrasensitive biomarker and chirality detectors. Surface plasmons are coherent and collective electron oscillations along the surface of a metal.

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide, and early detection is crucial for improving patient outcomes. However, current diagnostic approaches often rely on invasive procedures or lack sufficient sensitivity at early stage…

Introduction and the state-of-the art: A primary boundary between the extracellular environment and the cytoplasm, the plasma membrane (PM) of eukaryotic cells is a highly dynamic structure involves in diverse biological processes such as c…

Project Context WhynotDry aims to develop alternative storage methods for genetic banks by inducing reversible drying in cells and germplasm (spermatozoa). The goal is to create low-cost, low-carbon biobanks that reduce reliance on liquid n…

Lung cancer is one of the most frequently diagnosed malignancy worldwide and the leading cause of cancer-related mortality. Historically lung cancer is divided into two major categories: non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC, ~85%) and small-ce…

More than half of the world’s population lives in cities, and this proportion is expected to increase to nearly 70% by 2050. While urban living offers many benefits, it also exposes people to environmental factors such as air pollution, noi…

‘MultiPly: FMO1 Multifunctionality for improved Plant health’ The project 'MultiPly' will investigate the extended role and evolution of the critically important FMO family in plants and examine the physiological mechanisms of how this enzy…

This project aims to understand the underlying cause of stroke and cognitive impairment. These conditions can be caused by changes in the blood vessels of the brain.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by the progressive extracellular accumulation of β-amyloid peptide (Aβ) in the brain, leading to the formation of amyloid plaques. Aβ deposition is a major risk factor for the onset and progression…

Gender-Based Violence (GBV) within Pakistani society and among Pakistani immigrant communities in Norway is a serious issue. The study examined how entrenched patriarchal norms and power imbalances perpetuate violence against marginalized g…

The discovery of antibiotics in the late 1920s was one of the biggest achievements in medicine. However, the rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) now threatens this progress.

This project investigates the unique kinship systems and family structures among ethnic groups in the Hengduan Mountains of Southwest China, with a specific focus on Gyalrongic-speaking communities in Western Sichuan. This region is charact…

Climate change is having a huge impact on the worldwide crop yield with a considerable decreasing of crop production every year (between 20% to 40% of global crop production). Plant genetic improvement is continuously looking for novel appr…

Biodiversity loss is ranked as one of the top 5 risks globally, both in impact and likelihood. Anticipated significant declines in bird and insect populations could trigger profound ecological catastrophes.

Aviation is one of the most challenging transport sectors to decarbonise due to its reliance on high-energy-density liquid fuels and the absence of viable large-scale alternatives in the near future. Drop-in sustainable aviation fuels (SAF)…

There is growing international concern about the continued loss of animal biodiversity. While most attention has focused on iconic species, the conservation of Europe’s numerous native breeds of farm animals and the need to maintain genetic…

Erythrocytes (red blood cells) make up 84% of all human cells and are exposed to a range of physical and chemical stimuli during circulation, such as pressure changes, shear stress, and hormonal fluctuations. These stimuli are processed by…

Agricultural productivity is increasingly threatened by a range of abiotic stresses—including flooding, prolonged drought, and heat waves—as well as biotic stresses such as bacterial, fungal, and insect infections. These stressors contribut…

Food systems are under growing pressure to deliver safe, healthy, accessible, and affordable nutrition for a rapidly expanding global population, projected to reach 10 billion by 2050. This challenge is intensified by climate change, pandem…

Recent increases in global temperatures have been severely affecting the hibernation patterns of small mammals. Many species now tend to emerge too early in spring, potentially altering individual fitness and posing risks to population viab…

Viral diseases are a major and growing threat to global food security, responsible for severe crop losses and rising pesticide use. One such emerging pathogen is Plantago asiatica mosaic virus (PlAMV), a potexvirus capable of infecting a wi…

Neurons form intricate networks and communicate with each other through synaptic protein complexes. Neuronal excitability and signal propagation are governed by transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression as well…

AREB investigates how Avicenna (Ibn Sīnā, d. 1037) articulated a new paradigm for biological inquiry centred on the organic body—a multifaceted concept encompassing the full range of biological diversity.

Preserve and Use Biodiversity While Promoting Sustainable Wine Production: The Eco2Wine Project The wine industry faces growing challenges across environmental, economic, and societal dimensions. Environmental concerns include the impacts o…

Context Coral reefs are highly valuable ecosystems that support biodiversity, coastal protection, and millions of people worldwide. However, they are rapidly declining due to climate-driven stressors such as warming, acidification, and deox…

Context: Homochirality is a fundamental feature of animate matter, and nearly all biological processes occurring in nature are stereospecific, i.e., responsive to only one type of handedness of the chiral molecule. Most drugs are chiral and…

Tissue heterogeneity is fundamental for the development of multicellular organisms but presents considerable complexity for our understanding of biology and disease mechanisms, including cancer. One of the largest sources of tissue heteroge…

The transformation of plants into foodstuffs can be regarded as a form of cultural expression, and the culinary practices that accompany this transformation have the capacity to serve as indicators of social and cultural identities within t…

Nearly 40% of the human proteome does not fold into well-defined structures. Instead, these proteins, or parts of proteins, are intrinsically disordered, meaning they lack a fixed structure.

Industrial wastewater treatment is one of the greatest environmental and technological challenges of our time, particularly when dealing with high-salinity effluents generated by sectors such as the canned food industry. These wastewaters c…

Climate change is increasingly altering the frequency and intensity of extreme hydrological events, such as droughts and floods, with profound consequences for freshwater ecosystems. In mountain regions, these changes are occurring faster t…

Paediatric cancer is the leading cause of death in children post infancy in the Western world. Solid tumours, including tumours of the central nervous system (CNS), neuroblastomas, and bone and soft tissue sarcomas, are amongst the poorest…

Global food insecurity is one of the current urgent problems, since around 343 million people are now facing high levels of it, notably in Gaza and Sudan, but also in pockets of South Sudan, Haiti and Mali. In addition, agriculture is incre…

One of the most pressing challenges of the 21st century is sustaining agricultural productivity in the face of mounting environmental stress. Root systems are central to this challenge, as they anchor plants in the soil and control the upta…

The ability to feel is central to how humans interact with the world. We rely on our sense of touch to hold a pen, find keys in a pocket, or judge the texture and softness of an object often without needing to look.

EarthSea investigates the ways in which literature and visual media addressed forms of water-soil relationships– with a particular focus on land subsidence – in the context of the Po Delta in Italy. The Po Delta, a significant anthropogenic…

Mutualistic interactions – where both species benefit – lie at the core of many human-relevant microbial communities, such as polymicrobial infections, the human-, plant-, and animal-associated beneficial microbiomes, and synthetic microbia…

This project aims to establish new approaches toward large-scale simulations of biomolecular systems. We concretely seek to develop bottom-up coarse-grained models for the immature HIV CA-SP1 lattice including protease dimers as well as for…

Microorganisms may be too small to see, but they are everywhere around us—and inside us. In fact, the number of bacteria living in our body is roughly the same as the number of human cells we have.

The ARCHAIC project addressed a critical gap in microbiome research: the lack of evolutionary insight into the human virome, specifically bacteriophages (phages), through deep-time metagenomic analyses. Previous paleogenomic efforts primari…

Metastasis—the spread of cancer from a primary tumor to distant organs—remains one of the most complex and least understood aspects of cancer progression, responsible for over 90% of cancer-related deaths. A key step in this process is the…

Certain diseases present themselves as a complex molecular scenario. In these diseases, of which the most important examples are cancer and autoimmune diseases, a single treatment, e.g.

Glycoscience, the interdisciplinary study of the structure, function, and biology of carbohydrates (or glycans) and their roles throughout biology, has made significant strides in the past decade, putting in the spotlight the key role of gl…

MMM is an intersectoral, innovative training network that receives funding from the European Commission (2023-2027) as part of the HE MSCA programme. It consists of nine beneficiaries, hosting 10 doctoral students, plus 14 associated partne…

SPIDocs is an interdisciplinary and intersectoral doctoral network comprising 7 Beneficiaries and 7 associated partners, and 10 Doctoral Candidates (DCs). Among the partners, three are industry partners, of which one is a beneficiary hostin…

Type 2 diabetes is a long-lasting condition in which the body loses its ability to regulate blood sugar levels. The pancreas is the organ responsible for this function.

Human activities have led to rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, altering how carbon moves through the Earth’s systems and profoundly affecting the global climate. This shift changes the delicate balance between carbon, water…

Dementia is a major healthcare challenge worldwide due to its high incidence and its strong impact on the life quality of patients and on society as a whole. Development of treatments for the mitigation of memory impairment in patients with…

With the increase of the global dental implant industry, periimplantitis (PI) has become an emerging problem worldwide, affecting up to 43% of the placed implants. Periimplantitis is caused by pathogenic microorganisms that adhere to the to…

The PROMISE fellowship aimed to improve methods for the study of skeletal proteomes from the Pleistocene and thereafter apply these methods to archaeological sites in the Levant. Palaeoproteomic analyses can allow for the study of evolution…

The GlycoEggshell aims to describe and elucidate specific roles of glycosylation on eggshell proteins across birds and evolutionary times, using modern and sub-fossil samples. The project has three main research objectives: • RO1: Character…

Differences in body proportions for a similar body plan are responsible for much of species diversity, famously referred to as "endless forms most beautiful" by Darwin. Within a particular species, however, the proportions of body parts and…

There is a massive and urgent need to ensure security and safety of the food supply of the growing world population. However, agriculture and food industries continue to be vulnerable to problems of contamination with biotoxins produced by…

All cells need to replicate their DNA to divide and survive, which requires an intricate cooperation between multiple proteins that dynamically read the sequence of parental DNA and synthesize new complementary DNA strands. The individual p…

Many severe ocular diseases lead to visual impairment and blindness in millions of patients worldwide, and the number is rapidly growing in aging populations. Most ocular diseases are still without drug treatment, and the current treatments…

Given the current state of events with climate change and other causes of biodiversity loss, it is crucial to understand the genetic variation of many species, as well as its structure across populations and the way it allows populations to…

Poultry products are the most consumed source of animal protein globally. To enable current and future poultrygenetic improvement towards climate adaptation and sustainable farming practices to meet future nutritional demands it is essentia…

The excessive use of conventional antibiotic drugs cause selective pressure on microbial pathogenes, leading to the evolution of resistant strains. To help prevent expected outbreaks of drug-resistant bacteria, alternative strategies, thus,…

Equipped with sensors and cameras to provide real-time information, drones or unmanned aircraft can provide efficient and effective support during emergency situations. In this context, the EU-funded COVER project develops a cooperative, co…

One of the principal forms of combatting climate change is through biological carbon sequestration. Biological carbon sequestration occurs when carbon dioxide (CO2) is drawn down from the atmosphere into photosynthesising organisms, such as…

Schizophrenia (SCZ) remains a major public health concern, partly due to the variable efficacy of current antipsychotic treatments. Not all individuals experience relief from standard medications, resulting in prolonged illness and consider…

Cohesin is an evolutionarily conserved multi-protein complex that is part of the structural maintenance of chromosomes protein family. It is capable of topologically entrapping DNA molecules, thereby mediating sister chromatid cohesion—an e…

EnTrust is a doctoral network funded by Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) which is a part of Horizon Europe. MSCA is the European Union’s flagship funding programme for doctoral education and the postdoctoral training of researchers.

This project investigates the role of cultural heritages in promoting local economic development and sustaining social and environmental resiliencies in the context of Small Island States (SIS), Small Island and Developing States (SIDS), an…