TechConnect thoroughly explores the ongoing debate regarding the influence of emerging technologies on human labor and skills. It places a distinct emphasis on Human-Tech Skill Complementarity, highlighting the essential interdependence and mutual enhancement of both human and technological skills in a systemic manner. The primary goal is to deepen our understanding of the dynamic interplays between new digital technologies and human skills, generating novel and practical knowledge on this emerging topic of Human-Tech Skill Complementarity. The project brings together a multidisciplinary team and employs diverse methods, including policy analysis, systematic literature review, annual cross-sectoral industry landscape surveys, in-depth case studies in the healthcare sector and validating the findings beyond this sector via stakeholder engagement, workshops, and guidelines production. The key outcomes include the development and validation of the Human-Tech Skill Complementarity Conceptual Framework, Assessment Index, Strengthening Model, and TechConnect Stakeholder Toolkit. These outcomes reveal the how new technologies such as AI and robotics affect human skills, emphasising the development and deployment of technologies that enhance individual skills and workforce capabilities. Adopting a collaborative approach, TechConnect forms a consortium with academics, industry partners, and a stakeholder engagement firm. This collaborative effort fosters partnerships with technology associations, professional groups, and government entities. Grounded in the research-informed, evidence-based and practice-driven approaches, TechConnect will make a meaningful impact on the quality of employment and competitiveness, contributing to social and economic resilience. The collective efforts of the consortium are geared towards disseminating findings and recommendations widely, with the ultimate goal of influencing policy and practice for inclusive growth in the digital landscape.

I became fascinated by pathogen-host interactions at the end of my PhD, working with Hepatitis C virus, and later in my first postdoctoral phase working with Influenza A and SARS-2 viruses, when I learned the OMIC technologies power. Finally, I found out about the world of microbiota-associated interactions and how Dr. Serrano’s studies unveiled these complex networks with a clinical perspective. Most microbiota studies are based on the description of the different bacterial species profiles. How-ever, the interactions between the byproducts derived from cells and bacteria can affect reciprocally to host and microbial metabolism, modifying the outcome of the disease. With my expertise on experi-mental settings, Dr Serrano’s clinical-research view, and the strong collaborations with expert partners in bioinformatics and multi-omics, for my next career step I aim to develop experimental strategies to better identify new potential therapeutic agents. Specifically, to clinically exploit MIcrobiome-associated BOosters of Immune responses to infectious Diseases (MIBOIDs) that define the nature of the host-microbiota interaction I will implement a protocol based on directed culturomics, immune stimulations assays, bacterial species description and multi-omic toolbox to characterize the functional immune profiles associated with highly protective immune responses, and data mining through a mul-tiparametric bioinformatic integration approach. We aim to test several conditions such as describing gut microbiota from different compartments, microbial communities from localized disease-related tissues, and to describe the most functionally relevant. Finally, after the production and validation of the specific candidates in vitro, this project will lead to future validation in preclinical and clinical studies to get specific MIBOIDs to be exploited as therapeutic agents aimed at improving disease-specific immune responses, prevention and cure for several diseases.

Pancreatic cancer (PDAC) is usually detected at late stages and most patients die within one year after diagnosis. In PANCAID we will therefore develop a blood test for early detection of PDAC. Despite tremendous technological advances in Liquid Biopsy Diagnostics (LBx), this goal is very ambitious because small tumors release only minute amounts of cells or cellular products (e.g., DNA, RNA, protein, metabolites) into the circulation. Thus, tests with a high sensitivity are required but increases in sensitivity are usually achieved on the expenses of reduced specificity which can lead to significant overdiagnosis leading to unnecessary stress for the individuals with a false-positive blood test and high costs for the health system. In PANCAID, we will therefore establish a blood test with high accuracy by analyzing large cohorts of patients with PDAC and its precursor lesions, individuals at risk to develop PDAC and appropriate age-matched control groups (healthy and non-cancer diseases frequent in the targeted population). Ambitious objectives of PANCAID include (1) establishment of a unique resource of blood samples of early PDAC and risk groups (WP1); (2) Establishment of a breakthrough blood test for early diagnosis of PDAC (WP2); (3) Identification of the best composite biomarker panel by integrating multimodal features in an AI-assisted computational analysis; (4) Analysis of the socio-economic impact of early PDAC diagnosis (WP4); and (5) Definition of the ethics parameters relevant to early PDAC detection (WP5). A robust multi-biomarker panel will be determined during the training period (year 1-3) and subsequently validated on bio-banked blood samples (year 4-5). Depending on the outcome of this comprehensive analysis, PANCAID will provide the design of a future prospective study for validation of the developed composite blood test in an international multi-center setting required to introduce LBx into screening programs for high-risk individuals. This action is part of the Cancer Mission cluster of projects on ‘Prevention, including Screening’.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in bacteria is one of the main challenges faced by modern medicine and understanding its evolution is urgently required. As any other evolved trait, three fundamental evolutionary forces guide the evolution of AMR: history, chance and selection. The specific role of each force determines whether, by what mechanism, and to what degree AMR evolves in a given population. Horizontal gene transfer is the main route for acquisition of AMR in bacterial pathogens and plasmids play a key role in the spread of resistant determinants. Of critical clinical importance is plasmid-mediated carbapenem-resistance in the Enterobacteriaceae family. The recurrent isolation of certain successful plasmid/bacterium associations in hospitals distributed worldwide is an example of how history and chance constrain the emergence of AMR. For example, pOXA-48 plasmid, encoding the OXA-48 carbapenemase, is frequently associated with the ST11 serotype of Klebsiella in hospitals around the world. Why is pOXA-48 restricted to a handful of clones if it can be mobilized to all K. pneumoniae serotypes? To answer this question, I am proposing a novel project that will analyze the impact of the three evolutionary forces in the evolution of plasmid-mediated AMR in clinical strains of K. pneumoniae. First, using experimental evolution and whole genome sequencing, I will quantitatively analyze the impact of each evolutionary force in AMR evolution. Also, I will study the adaptive mutational pathways leading to the compensation of plasmid-mediated costs. Then, I will use the novel high-throughput genetic screen CRISPRi, which allows silencing the expression of all chromosomal and plasmid genes one by one, to analyze the molecular basis determining the successful plasmid/bacterium associations. Altogether this cutting-edge proposal will greatly impact our ability to predict AMR evolution, paving the way for the development new intervention strategies to counteract AMR.

Temperature measurements are crucial in countless technological developments, accounting for 80% of the sensor market throughout the world. The pitfalls of temperature readouts at the biomedical battleground are mostly represented by the currently achievable spatial resolution. To address key issues, such as intracellular temperature fluctuations and in vivo thermal transients, a technique able to go clearly below 1 μm is highly and urgently needed, as the traditional contact-based sensors and near infrared thermometers are not suitable for measurements at that tight spatial range. To overcome these limitations requires a non-contact thermometry approach granted with sub-micrometer resolution, also providing real-time high relative thermal sensitivity values. The goal of NanoTBTech is to develop a 2-D thermal bioimaging technology featuring sub-microscale resolution, based on nanothermometers and heater-thermometer nanostructures. We will design, synthetize, and bio-functionalize nontoxic luminescent nanostructures, operating essentially beyond 1000 nm, for in vivo nanothermometry and nanoheating. Furthermore, to monitor the temperature-dependent nanostructures’ luminescence we will develop a novel imaging system. The effective delivery of that major advance in 2-D thermal bioimaging will be implemented through two impactful biomedical showcases: highly spatially-modulated intracellular magnetic/optical hyperthermia and in vivo detection and tracking of cancer. In the long-term, we foresee our technology having a broad impact on non-invasive clinical imaging and theranostics. For instance, the accurate measurement of temperature gradients´ sources will be an invaluable tool for real-time control of thermal therapies, thus making them harmless for the patient. Multiple conceptual breakthroughs can be further envisaged from the proposed 2D-thermal imaging system, credibly spreading its impact towards non-biomedical technological areas.