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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.

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,…

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…

Data4Healthcare is a novel postdoctoral programme hosted at the University of Oulu, Finland. The programme was established to train 25 postdoctoral researchers who can work with advanced data technologies, such as big data analytics, machin…

We are proposing a 4-year program of knowledge transfer and networking between academic institutions [University of Leicester (UK), University of Valencia (Spain), International Iberian Nanotechnology Lab (Portugal), University of Bologna (…

Disorders of consciousness (DOC) remain one of the most challenging conditions to assess and diagnose in modern clinical practice. Despite major advances in neuroscience, many patients emerging from coma continue to be misdiagnosed due to t…

The global consumption of metals and metalloids is increasing rapidly owing to an ever-growing demand from technology and renewable energy industries. Most of these metal(loid)s are defined as critical elements, since their supply is expect…

The general goal of the HydroTheC project is the development of a new non-toxic, natural, biocompatible, biodegradable, thermo-responsive, and injectable multidrug-loaded HG as an in situ depot system for the sustained intraperitoneal relea…

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.

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…

ORGESTRA is a Joint Doctoral Network training thirteen PhD researchers in organoid technologies for disease modelling, drug discovery and clinical development for rare diseases including cystic fibrosis and cystinosis. An innovative trainin…

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,…

Today, ion mobility–high-resolution mass spectrometry (IM-HRMS) is a state-of-the-art analytical platform that can measure and quantify molecules that are central to experimental sciences across disciplines. However, it still faces barriers…

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…

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…

Large bone defects caused by trauma, disease, or ageing represent a growing clinical challenge in Europe, particularly in an ageing population. Current treatments heavily rely on bone grafts taken from the patient or donors, which are limit…

Sepsis remains one of the major challenges for societies worldwide, causing an estimated 7-9 million deaths every year. It is the leading cause of death at intensive care units in the EU.

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…

Glioblastoma is among the most aggressive malignant brain tumours in adults and remains associated with limited treatment options and poor survival. While immunotherapies have transformed treatment in several cancers, their success in gliob…

Modern society depends on the rapid discovery of new molecules for health, materials and sustainable technologies. Yet building molecular complexity still often requires long synthetic sequences, and late-stage modification of advanced mole…

CONTEXT | Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) is a rapidly increasing cancer in Europe that still lacks effective, tailored treatments and clear, uniform care pathways. There is an urgent need for better therapies, tools to match the right trea…

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…

MetacMed addresses a major gap in Europe’s innovation ecosystem: the translation of advanced acoustic and mechanical metamaterials (MMs) from laboratory research into practical solutions for healthcare, energy harvesting and noise reduction…

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…

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…

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.

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…

Obesity has become a global epidemic and remains one of the most urgent public health challenges worldwide. Its rise has been accompanied by a marked increase in obesity related comorbidities, including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and ca…

Physical technologies are playing an increasing role in medicine; among these, cold (gas) plasma – partially ionized gas generated at near‑body temperature – shows promise, especially in dermatology. Based on positive clinical results in wo…

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,…

The GETM4 project builds on the successes and insights of its predecessor, GETM3, in addressing a combination of ‘wicked problems’ which disrupt, including a worldwide health crisis, political instability, climate change and rapid digitaliz…

Human reproduction represents a worldwide concern due to fertility decrease, while animal reproduction is equally worrying, especially when it affects breeding efficiency. To overcome this drawback, the assisted reproductive technology (ART…

The REGENERATION project proposes an innovative, bioinspired, and integrated approach to the development of engineered bone tissues mimicking healthy and aged bone that will be used in bioreactors as in vitro bone models for preclinical dru…

The DETMED project aims to develop a novel, high-precision gamma probe for radioguided surgeries, significantly improving cancer detection and treatment. By leveraging next-generation silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) with a buried pixel str…

PorMatDesign set out to develop a computationally feasible framework for the multi-scale design and optimization of porous materials, whose microscopic structure determines their overall mechanical and hydraulic performance. Such materials…

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…

According to the World Health Organization, cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death accounting for 30% of deaths worldwide. Among these diseases, the incidence and prevalence of pathologies related to atrial electrical disfun…

Bone fractures, particularly those related to bone fragility, represent a growing challenge for European societies. Increasing life expectancy and age-related conditions such as osteoporosis are driving a rise in fragility fractures, which…

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…

ESCULAPE project addresses the urgent need for advanced, sustainable, and clinically relevant biomaterials to support regenerative medicine, with a focus on cardiovascular and musculoskeletal applications. Existing solutions often fall shor…

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…

Soft biological tissues such as epithelia are essential for maintaining organ integrity, yet their rupture under physiological or therapeutic loading can have devastating consequences. Blood vessel rupture in brain aneurysms is fatal in app…

PANICOCENE investigates how printed and online news media in the United States and Italy have represented climate change–induced mobilities (CCIM) over the past two decades. The project arises from a growing concern that media coverage ofte…

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.

The gastrointestinal system (GI) is a major barrier in our body that protects us from, but also interacts with, environmental cues. Every day we introduce several kilograms of food and liquid to our body, and with that bacteria, viruses and…

The VIMAS project aims to address the challenges of sustainable management of nature areas due to increased participation in outdoor recreation. The project acknowledges the diversification in visitor behaviour and the subsequent socio-ecol…

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…

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…

NO-CANCER-NET (Advanced Engineering of Nitric Oxide Based Therapeutics for Triple Negative Breast Cancer Training Network) aims to set a landmark in the present European Higher Education Area. Our training initiative uses molecular epidemio…

Organ transplantation saves and transforms lives, but long-term success remains limited by immune rejection and the side effects of lifelong immunosuppressive drugs. While short-term outcomes have improved greatly, many patients still exper…

Epithelia are sheets of interconnected cells that line the surfaces of our body and organs, such as the intestine, kidney, lung, and skin. They form essential barriers that protect us from harmful substances and microorganisms while allowin…

Myopia (near-sightedness) has become a massive eye health problem in industrialized countries, and not just because of its high prevalence. Traditional treatments, such as single-vision glasses and contact lenses, treat the symptoms of myop…

A grand challenge for sustainable development in Europe is to improve public health through reducing incidence of non-communicable diseases, premature mortality and health costs. An unhealthy diet is one of the most important risk factors f…

Cancer remains one of Europe’s greatest health challenges, causing 2 million deaths annually and imposing an economic burden of €100 billion. Despite significant progress in cancer treatments over recent decades, the success rate of new ant…

Autoimmune diseases are the result when the immune system targets its own organs and tissues. We recently described a specific group of autoimmune diseases, termed "IgG4-mediated autoimmune diseases" (IgG4-AID), which are caused by a specif…

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…

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most diagnosed cancer in men worldwide, with 1.5 million new cases in 2020 across 112 countries and the second leading cause of death. PCa arises from the aberrant proliferation of epithelial cells, termed prost…

The environmental crisis we are witnessing today is becoming always more severe. Life on planet Earth is at the risk of extinction and we have almost arrived at a point of no return.

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…

ImAgE-D will train a new generation of Doctoral Candidates (DCs) in the development and application of newly developed high speed and high-resolution imaging tools in biomedical research. The 10 DCs will be cross-pollinated with concepts an…

Orthopedic implant-associated biofilm infections represent a major public health and socioeconomic burden due to the intrinsic tolerance of biofilms that behave as protective and immobile scaffolds to conventional antibiotics and immune sys…

Human skeletal remains can offer key information on diverse aspects of past life but, like all archaeological materials, they only give a glimpse into the life of past individuals; hence, a fragmented perspective into our ancestors’ lives.…

The project aimed to improve understanding of left atrial (LA) and left atrial appendage (LAA) haemodynamics in atrial fibrillation (AF), a major contributor to cardioembolic stroke. Current clinical imaging modalities cannot fully resolve…

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…

Aim: The REMEDY project will provide innovative interdisciplinary empirical research that explores the driver and health consequences of resistant behaviour against epidemic measures, leveraging social science insights, economic and statist…

Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is a major pregnancy complication in which a baby does not reach its biological growth potential. It affects millions of families worldwide and is responsible for a significant proportion of stillbirths.

Improving oral drug delivery is crucial for ensuring safe and effective treatment. A major challenge in oral drug delivery is the significant variability in intestinal drug absorption.

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…

Chlorinated paraffins (CPs), which consist mostly of polychlorinated alkanes (PCAs), are high production volume chemicals used as flame retardants and plasticizers in a wide array of consumer goods. PCAs may be released from treated goods a…

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.