According to the Italian National Institute of Statistic (ISTAT), in 2012 the 23,9 per cent of the Italian young people between 15 and 29 years are unemployed; moreover, they are not even involved in training activities. This problem belongs to a large scale European phenomena generally known with the acronym “Neet” - Not in Education, Employment or Training. In Italy, the phenomena is particularly strong in the age group between 25 and 28 years (28,8% of the Italian young people). Therefore, the general objective of the project is the creation of a European and transcontinental network between youth organizations, public and private institutions active in the field of formal and non-formal education, and actors of the labor market to foster the cooperation in the exchange of experiences and best practices to better face common challenges related to the training and the entry into the labor market of young people who are not involved in studying and working activities as well as of young people with fewer opportunities. More precisely, the project aims at the strengthening and reintroduction of humanities (ancient and modern languages) in the training process of young people as the root of the education for citizenship, democracy and global policies, and of the socio-educational development to foster young people’s social inclusion and active participation in society. Specific objectives of the project are: - arrange new form of high-quality training modules in the field of old and modern languages as a combination of formal and non-formal paths, also in addition with general additional skills as a part of the university curricula, to foster the employment prospects of young people; - develop and disseminate new approaches and techniques in the study of humanities focusing on old and modern languages; - enhance synergies between youth organizations, formal and non-formal training actors in the field of humanities and the labor market to foster employability of young people with a liberal art education;- improve the attractiveness of university education among young people;- promote the entrepreneurship, the employment and the education of young people with a liberal art education inside and outside Europe;- arrange new forms of training modules fostering skills and competences in the field of media literacy applied to old and modern languages;- foster the virtual cooperation of the stakeholders through the implementation of the web-site portal “In-Youthmanities” promoting training, open source materials and the matching between the demand and supply of labor in the field of humanities.Specifically, the project will promote initiatives to involve Youth workers, trainers active in the field of formal and non-formal education both from public and private sector, staff of the institutions active in the field of labour market, policy makers in the field of Youth, local and regional authorities, in conferences, seminars and job-shadowing.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an irreversible neurodegenerative condition affecting 50 million people worldwide. To date, no disease modifying therapy for AD is available. Neuroinflammation is emerging as an important component of the disease. A recent GWAS analysis identified a rare protective coding mutation (P522A) in the PLCG2 (Phospholipase C Gamma 2) gene that is associated with AD. Interestingly, the gene encodes a transmembrane signaling enzyme that is highly enriched in microglia. The major aim of the proposal revolves around the functional characterization of the P522A mutation in microglia. To that aim, using an array of biochemical, imaging, functional, and transcriptomic assays, we will investigate human microglia generated from control- and AD patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). iPSCs will be gene-edited to generate P522A mutated isogenic cell lines. The proposal aims at identifying novel therapeutic targets and, in line with the objectives of the H2020 Framework Programme, explores new grounds in the molecular underpinnings of AD. The use of cutting-edge and innovative approaches (CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing, iPSC reprogramming, RNA-Seq analysis, high-throughput screening, and subcellular calcium imaging) provides a novel experimental model that is closer to the pathological processes of the AD brain and bypasses the limitations and shortcomings of preclinical AD animal models.

Multidrug-resistant bacteria are becoming implicated more frequently in acute and chronic infections. Bacteria often live together in a biofilm community, which makes it easier for bacteria to become resistant to different classes of antibiotics. This poses a severe threat to global public health, and the fact that antibiotics have many side effects makes the situation even worse. It is imperative to search for novel, safe, and effective antimicrobial agents and robust drug delivery strategies. In INSAPANT, South African plants will be employed for the green synthesis of biogenic nanoparticles, and their antibacterial potential against biofilm associated with multidrug-resistant bacteria will be investigated. The main goal of the INSAPANT is to exploit a synergic therapeutic approach by designing a novel delivery system targeted with aptamers that will carry the biogenic nanoparticles selectively on site of action and protect them following systemic administration. This combinatorial strategy can potentially remove the biofilm in a manner that is more efficient than a passive release or the administration of the content alone. INSAPANT has significant social benefits since it has the potential to lead to the creation of a unique drug delivery system for the treatment of biofilm formation and, ultimately, the reduction of mortality caused by bacterial infections. The INSAPANT fellowship will contribute to i) Expose the researcher to a multidisciplinary and intersectoral research network and foster excellence in research; ii) Improve the researcher's project management and fundraising skills; iii) Enhance the researcher's communication, dissemination, and exploitation of results, as well as Transfer of Knowledge to various audiences; and iv) Boost the researcher's career development skills.