Project description
Insight into human history through ancient proteins
The study of ancient biomolecules such as DNA and proteins provides direct windows into past human populations. While ancient DNA has transformed archaeology and anthropology, it often degrades under harsh conditions. Proteins, however, are more durable, offering new opportunities to recover information when DNA is lost. Recent advances in palaeoproteomics, the study of ancient proteins, now make it possible to address evolutionary questions. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the ProPGen project will test whether protein evidence can also reveal patterns of population structure. By creating a global protein reference panel and applying it to ancient samples, the project aims to assign ancestral origins and shed new light on human origins and the distribution of populations across time.
Objective
The study of ancient biomolecules is a captivating field that allows us to delve directly into the past and unravel the demographic history of human populations and their evolution. Through the study of ancient biomolecules such as proteins and DNA, researchers have unearthed new hominin species and the geographical distribution of humans and their relatives in the distant past. However, the recovery of ancient DNA is often limited by environmental factors that lead to its degradation. In contrast, skeletal proteins have been shown to endure for longer periods than DNA and in a wider range of environmental conditions. This has led to recent breakthroughs in the analysis of ancient proteomes(palaeoproteomics) through protein mass spectrometry methods, enabling us to address phylogenetic questions in human evolution based on ancient protein evidence. Such studies have been largely restricted to phylogenetic hypothesis testing so far. In contrast, ProPGen aims to evaluate the feasibility of population genetic analyses based on palaeoproteomic data. I will use existing human and archaic hominin genome data to create a reference panel of proteome sequence variation among globally distributed human populations and interrogate this dataset to explore whether population genetic analysis with proteomics information reveals known patterns of population genetic relationships. Next, I will leverage this dataset in the context of recent (Mediaeval humans from the Netherlands) and Pleistocene European human proteomes, testing existing hypotheses on the population genetic relationships of the studied individuals. The anticipated outcome is a reference panel of proteomic information from bone and teeth, and the assessment of population genetic analyses using proteomic data. This will enable the assignment of a putative population ancestry to each ancient individual analyzed through their proteome, providing unprecedented insights into their population and demographic history.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins proteomics
- humanities history and archaeology history
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics DNA
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics genomes
- social sciences sociology anthropology physical anthropology
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
1165 KOBENHAVN
Denmark
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