The period of Greek colonisation between 900 and 500 BC was one of the most formative periods of classical antiquity. Historical and archaeological research has greatly informed our understanding of this era, but the exact nature and demographic impact of the colonisation process remains unclear. The THAIS project will shed new light on this process by combining existing archaeological evidence with new ancient DNA data based on the analysis of human skeletal remains from four archaeological sites in Southern Italy, one of the focal points of Greek colonisation. Using archaeological and molecular lines of evidence, the project will address the following objectives: 1) reconstruct the genetic ancestry and kinship structures of the local Italic population in southern Italy; 2) investigate the origins of the Greek colonists at two colonial sites (Metaponto and Siris); 3) assess nature and demographic impact of the Greek colonisation by investigating possible admixture processes and sex-biased migration, and 4) investigate the genetic legacies and lasting health impact of the Greek colonisation in Southern Italy. The THAIS project will be the first to use ancient DNA analysis to study the impact of the Greek colonisation and together with archaeological lines of evidence will provide new information on the colonisation process and the interactions between the colonists and the indigenous Italic population at a key moment in Mediterranean history.

The production of edible insects is often presented as a solution to the current environmental and food security challenge of feeding a growing human population, but faces major technical and cultural limitations. While cultural limitations can be overcome by convincing people about the importance of shifting our diets to a more sustainable one, many technical limitations can be overcome by using existing methods and theory from the biological sciences. In this regard, it is critical to understand how a variety of biotic and abiotic conditions affect the quantity, nutritional quality, safety and sustainability of insect production. It is currently recognised that the gut microbiome plays a fundamental role in driving the viability of animal food production, with the EU recently investing 1.4 billion € into exploring this relationship further in vertebrate systems. However, I argue there is almost certainly also a strong association between microbiomes and the production of insects as a food resource, hence the focus of my application. Using wild crickets of the commonly farmed species Acheta domesticus, this project aims to decipher the relationship between the environment, microbiome composition, and the nutritional quality (essential nutrients) of edible insects as human food. The knowledge gained from wild animals will be contrasted to controlled experimental results to dissect the production conditions that best reflect the findings from the field. This project will provide key insights about the best quality wild populations in Europe and the corresponding optimal laboratory/industry rearing conditions that maximise edible cricket production and quality.

Trees outside forests make up more than one quarter of the tree cover in Africa, but there is currently a lack of efficient and reliable monitoring systems for trees outside forests. Previous research suggests that most forest and landscape restoration (FLR) is occurring outside of contiguous forests, particularly in agroforestry systems. This implies that tree on fields, in particular those of smallholder farmers, as well as trees in restoration and plantation areas cannot be effectively and rapidly monitored. The ERC project TOFDRY has developed methods and tools that can fulfil these tasks, but the project outputs are not harmonized and not operational. The TREEMAP project aims at moving research into practical and needed application in Africa that facilitate the use of tree level biomass maps with end-users, such as governmental authorities or NGOs. TREEMAP will conduct a user needs assessment, and harmonize TOFDRY methods to develop operational products at two scales: (1) local/regional scale tree-level biomass maps using sub-meter resolution imagery, (2) annual high resolution biomass maps at national scale based on PlanetScope images, with a focus on dynamics in farmlands and restoration/plantation areas. Finally, TREEMAP will disseminate and distribute demo-products to end-users. TREEMAP will partner with AUDA-NEPAD, who is setting up in-country institutional arrangements to enable multi-sector use of the biomass maps. TREEMAP products will generate visibility on and verification of FLR efforts that can attract climate finance. Tree-level biomass maps contribute to Greenhouse Gas (GHG) inventories, the Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use (AFOLU) sector, Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) reporting, and potential participation in carbon markets. Placing highly accurate, user friendly, regularly updated, analysis ready products in the hands of non-experts in Africa allows widespread participation in FLR monitoring and carbon markets.

Quantum Memories are crucial technologies in Quantum Communications infrastructures. The ability to store and retrieve quantum information can simplify a complex process and increase the flexibility of current communication networks. For this reason, different quantum systems are currently being investigated to produce stable and reliable quantum memories(CITE). Despite their potential, the practical application of these technologies is hindered by intrinsic limitations in their read/write process which is generally based on an optical link. This coupling depends on the specific phenomenon used to store the quantum information, and it imposes stringent requirements on the optical wavelengths used as interface. As a result, two issues arise: Firstly, it's not feasible to connect quantum memories with incompatible wavelengths, and secondly, most quantum memories cannot be integrated with standard communication channels. Thus, implementing Quantum Memories in real-case applications requires developing a new writing/reading approach to overcome this constraint. In this project, I will demonstrate that unconditional quantum teleportation can overcome the wavelenght requirement. This communication protocol uses both a quantum and classical channel to transfer quantum information between two distinct systems. By employing a two-colour Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) vacuum-squeezed entangled state as the quantum channel, we can restrict the quantum memory's constraints to just one side of the connection, enabling us to choose the second wavelength based on the external device. I will carry out this project in collaboration with the Danish Center for Quantum Optics (Quantop) led by Prof. Eugene Polzik at the University of Copenhagen (UCPH).

Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) is an inflammatory skin condition that is characterized by dry, scaly, and itchy skin. An important part of the immune response to contact allergens is local memory, which is mediated through specialized cells called resident memory T (TRM) cells. However, the mechanisms involved in the generation and maintenance of the allergen-induced TRM cells in the skin still need to be determined. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short RNA molecules that regulate the expression of a large number of genes on a post-transcriptional level. This project aims to clarify what miRNAs are important for the generation and maintenance of epidermal TRM cells in a mouse model of ACD and patients with ACD. In this current project, we plan to use state-of-the-art methods that have been unavailable to me previously, including NanoString and single-cell RNA sequencing to analyze the miRNA and mRNA data together with functional assays to validate the findings from both mice and human data. The current project will expand the knowledge of miRNA expression in ACD and thereby lead to a better understanding of molecular mechanisms and pathways that contribute to the development of ACD leading to possible new treatment strategies. During this project, I will grow as an independent researcher as in my previous projects I focused on keratinocytes in the context of skin inflammation, and to establish a comprehensive understanding of skin diseases it would be essential to learn in deeper detail about the role of T cells in the context of skin. Therefore this project would complement my current education and help me develop my career. Under the guidance of prof Bonefeld, I would develop as an independent researcher and she would be a good female role model to an emerging young scientist.