ProPGen

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 environmental 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.