ERC

Sentencing Discretion in Continental Europe

This ERC project investigates how judicial discretion in sentencing is structured across European legal systems. By analysing legal frameworks, court practices, and guidelines, the research aims to understand how discretion affects consistency and punitiveness. Using advanced data methods and case studies from Finland and Czechia, the project also tests the impact of newly designed sentencing guidelines.

Utilizing Extracellular Vesicles for Targeted Therapeutic Delivery

This ERC-funded project focuses on engineering extracellular vesicles—naturally secreted nanoscale particles involved in cell-to-cell communication—for targeted in vivo delivery and monitoring of therapeutic proteins. The goal is to develop programmable systems capable of transporting bioactive molecules directly to specific tissues.

How public opinion influences collective defence commitments

MICROCODE project aims to establish a new research agenda on the microfoundations of collective defence, focusing specifically on public opinion in allied countries. The project develop a theoretical model to explain how individuals form attitudes towards allied assistance in various defence scenarios. It will also examine how these individual attitudes aggregate to shape public opinion, which, in turn, influences decision-makers.

A closer look at constitutionalism for collective identity

RECONCILE project seeks to redefine constitutionalism as an integrative force, developing a new theory – identity constitutionalism. By analysing constitutional discourse in Europe and the MENA region, the project will explore how constitutions can foster unity through authenticity.

Challenging the main idea of life

LIFE-19 project aims to develop a bacterial strain that uses only 19 amino acids by mutating all tryptophan (Trp) sites in a minimal Mycoplasma genome. This research will provide insights into early cellular evolution and challenge the assumption that life requires all 20 canonical amino acids, advancing the field of synthetic biology.

Unveiling the Dynamics of Binary Systems

This project pushes the boundaries of astrophysical research by developing ROGALLO, a novel simulation tool for binary systems involving stars, planets, neutron stars, and black holes. By combining advanced numerical methods with custom-designed meshes, it aims to unlock deeper insights into phenomena like gravitational waves, stellar explosions, and galactic evolution.

Polarons Under the Microscope: Tracking Particles in Real Space

Polarons – quasiparticles formed in ionic crystals – play a key role in the electrical, optical, and magnetic properties of materials. Yet they have only been studied indirectly. SPOT aims to directly observe individual polarons in real space for the first time using noncontact Atomic Force Microscopy (nc-AFM), revealing their behavior at the atomic scale.

Who Gets to Be Real in Virtual Worlds

GAMEINDEX explores how digital games construct realism and representation. By analysing game content, media discourse, and conducting on-site ethnography, it investigates which places and people are digitised—and why. Using real-world data like motion capture and 3D scans, the project reveals how production choices shape what players see. Its goal is to develop a new theory of representation that uncovers hidden biases and promotes more inclusive virtual worlds.

An Inclusive Perspective on the History of the Visegrád Countries and Ukraine

The project focuses on a new, inclusive interpretation of the history of Central and Eastern Europe from the 19th century to the present. Its aim is to move beyond the traditional national narrative and, through the perspectives of Roma and Sinti, Jews, and people with disabilities, highlight the agency of historically marginalized communities and offer a more open view of society and its past.

Ways of imagining in children's lives with information texts

The WONDRE project explores how children experience information as personally engaging through nonfiction picturebooks. Unlike fiction, we lack tools to understand the imaginative impact of nonfiction. Combining literary and social science approaches, the research uses innovative methods to uncover how children connect facts with imagination. One of the outcomes will be a multilingual digital book co-created with children.

Exploring whether deep-sea fish can see colours

SensingDEEP project explores whether deep-sea fish can perceive colours using unique visual systems based on multiple rod opsins. By studying their sensory cells and genomes, the project investigates how these extraordinary adaptations may expand the known limits of vertebrate vision.