María Martinón Torres, director The Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH), and José Miguel García Pérez, rector of the University of Burgos (UBU), have presented this morning a collaboration agreement for the creation and development of a UBU-CENIEH cross-disciplinary research group in Molecular Archaeology.
UBU researcher Cristina Valdiosera Morales, a molecular archaeologist expert in ancient DNA, will be in charge of coordinating this cross-disciplinary group. This new cross-disciplinary research group aims to leverage the human and material resources currently available separately, to promote high-quality research in the emerging field of molecular paleobiology for the study of human evolution.
This group will enhance the development at CENIEH of this discipline, which began with the creation of a research line in Paleoproteomics ─led by researcher Samantha Brown─ and the construction of a laboratory in Paleoproteomics and ancient DNA, for which a grant was received from the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universiadades and the European Union, through the "NextGenerationUE" funds and the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR) (ICT2022-007840 Molecules for Evolution).
The agreement between both institutions establishes the temporary assignment of Dr. Valdiosera to the CENIEH research team, She will be able to access the new laboratory and carry out part of the genetic analyses proposed within the framework of her project "Biocultural roots of diversity and inequality in Mexico: 500 years of mestizo stories", for which she obtained in 2024 the only ERC Advanced Grant achieved by universities and research centers in Castilla y León, endowed with 2.5 million euros.
With this agreement, UBU and CENIEH aim to strengthen the institutional relationship they already have and join efforts to offer society excellent research in the study of the past, seek synergies in achieving common objectives, maximize public resources, and avoid duplication of equipment