The interdisciplinary project entitled “Translating the 'Father of Translation'. Linguistic and Cultural Transfers in Byzantium” (TRANSFA) deals with the translation of Latin hagiographical literature into Greek in Byzantium (330-1453). Hagiography, the literature inspired by the acts, the miracles and the sayings of holy men and women, is a substantial part of the medieval cultural legacy. The project sets out to explain how Greek hagiography translated from Latin functioned as a vector of cultural transfers in Byzantium, by making accessible major unpublished material and by focusing on the circulation of people and texts. Dr. Lampadaridi’s project aims to contribute to a better understanding of this process through the examination of the dossier of the Greek versions of the Vita Sancti Hilarionis (hereinafter VH), a Latin hagiographical text composed by Saint Jerome, regarded as the “Father of Translation”, at the end of the 4th century. The Greek dossier of the VH constitutes an extremely rare case of hagiographical translations from Latin into Greek, a phenomenon not as well documented as the opposite flow of translations from Greek into Latin, as it includes different Greek translations. The project will provide the first critical edition of a mostly unknown verbatim translation of the VH into Greek, an extremely rare and fundamental text for the study of translations from Latin into Greek in Byzantium. By shifting the focus from translations from Greek into Latin to translations from Latin into Greek and by looking into the "milieux" of their production and circulation, the project breaks with traditional patterns that imply that Byzantium “gives” and the West “receives” and sets out new approaches to understand contacts between West and East. As a result, the project represents an absolutely novel contribution to the history of cultural exchanges in Byzantium.

RNA therapeutics are revolutionizing medicine, offering new treatment possibilities for diseases once considered undruggable. Central to the delivery of nucleic acids, especially mRNA, is the use of Lipid Nanoparticles (LNPs) – the most advanced and the only clinically approved gene delivery platform. LNPs protect mRNA from degradation, facilitate its transfer, and ensure delivery into the cell. Despite their potential, the therapeutic potency of RNA-LNPs remains limited due to suboptimal RNA delivery, with <10% of the administered RNA-LNP system reaching the cytoplasm. To this end, crucial gaps persist in our understanding of LNP structure, integrity and their impact on trafficking and RNA delivery. CryoLipNano aims to advance our knowledge on LNP ultrastructure and intracellular dynamics, by linking – for the first time – lipid composition, morphology, LNP integrity, mRNA localization and trafficking after endocytosis. By integrating physical chemistry with cutting-edge cryo-electron microscopy (cryoEM), advanced imaging techniques, and proteomic analysis, this study will address critical knowledge gaps, ultimately leading to the rational design of second-generation LNP platforms with enhanced efficiency and potency. Moreover, CryoLipNano will establish the first RNA-LNP research hub at the host institute and, alongside with the ERA Chair's launch of the country's first cryoEM facility, will create a new line of expertise in RNA-LNP characterization by cryoEM. This expertise will be valuable not only in Greece, but also for entities across Europe and globally. CryoLipNano will also focus on disseminating the lab’s presence, educating the scientific community and the public about RNA therapeutics and their structural analysis, and inspiring young scientists. Finally, the high-level science and training the fellow will receive, will significantly advance her expertise and enhance her future employability in the field of nanomedicine and RNA therapeutics.