University of Primorska Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies
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Friday, 20 December 2024 December at UP also rich in acquired projects

The end of the year brought a good start to the year ahead, with a wealth of projects - especially at the international level, with the prospect of successful international cooperation. The month is not yet over, so we may be able to report on projects won in the transition year.

At UP FAMNIT and UP IAM, we have acquired the following projects: 

ARIS - (CO-)FINANCING OF EU FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME PROJECTS - ERC PERSPECTIVE PROJECTS

  • Association Schemes, Automata and Incidence Structures, leading partner, leader at UP dr. Giusy Monzillo, UP FAMNIT

The core of the project are the schemes arising from distance regular graphs. In this project, the view of the objects will be from other theories through the lens of association schemes. More precisely, the project concerns the concepts of synchronization and separation for association schemes. These extend those defined for permutation groups which in turn developed from the theory of synchronization in finite automata. One of the more ambitious goals is to extend further concepts from group theory into the language of association schemes, starting from the case of schemes arising from distance-regular graphs.

  • Bridging genotype and phenotype to decipher the synthesis pathways of bioactive compounds in Helichrysum italicum, leading partner, leader at UP dr. Alenka Baruca Arbeiter, UP FAMNIT

Medicinal plants are valuable sources of bioactive compounds, making them desirable for cultivation. Through agronomic research, their quality, sustainability, and profitability can be significantly enhanced. Immortelle or curry plant (Helichrysum italicum) is one of the most remarkable and iconic medicinal plants of the Mediterranean area and represents an outstanding reservoir of bioactive compounds with unique biological properties. The major objective of the proposed project is to comprehensively discover the main genetic factors that direct the synthesis of bioactive compounds in H. italicum which represents the first such approach in the study of H. italicum.

  • Integer flow through vertex-transitive graphs: A study of symmetry in graphs, leading partner, leader at UP dr. Milad Ahanjideh, UP FAMNIT

The exploration of graph symmetry is important in graph theory and affects many areas. By understanding the symmetries, we can learn more aboutthe graph structures. Graphs with a high degree of symmetry, especially those like vertex-transitive graphs (e.g., Cayley graphs), typically displayregular patterns and recurrent structures, presenting opportunities for problem-solving strategies related to graph theory. This project ambitiouslyseeks not only to explore the structure and parameters of graphs exhibiting a certain degree of symmetry but also to pioneer innovativemethodologies and insights that could redefine our understanding and application of graph symmetries.

HORIZON WIDERA

LETSGROW -  Bridging Academia and Industry for Sustainable Agri-Food, partner, leading partner Universidade Catolica Portuguesa – UCP, member at T4EU, leader at UP dr. Michael Mrissa, UP FAMNIT

ARIS PARTNER PROJECTS 

  • Personalised medicine of IgA vasculitis, basic project, leading organization UL UKC, leader at UP dr. Matjaž Hladnik, UP FAMNIT
  • Integration of two indigenous breeds of small livestock into a mixed grazing system; ethology, genomics, productivity and biodiversity of grasslands, basic project, lead organisation UM, UP lead Dr. Elena Bužan, UP FAMNIT
  • Insects and microalgae: a functional feed substitute for breeding grayling for improved reproduction and resistance, basic project, lead organisation UL, UP lead Dr Elena Bužan, UP FAMNIT

​ARIS – BILATREAL COOPERATION PROJECTS

  • Distance-regularized graphs, Terwilliger algebras, linear codes and combinatorial structures, dr. Blas Fernandez, UP FAMNIT

The purpose of the project is to investigate 2-Y-homogeneous properties of distance-polynomial regular graphs and classify all 2-Y-homogeneous distance-biregular graphs. The outcomes of the research will not only be applicable in graph theory but also in other areas of mathematics such as algebraic combinatorics and combinatorial designs.

  • Directed graphs in commutative association schemes and associated codes, dr. Safet Penjič, UP IAM

In this project, we plan to construct codes from the structure of a graph that is living in a commutative association scheme. In the paper Monzillo and Penjić introduce directed distance-regular graphs, giving a definition of the P-polynomial commutative association scheme in the sense of equitable partition of a graph. We plan to obtain codes from this equitable partition in similar meaner as was done by project leader from Croatian side.

NEW PROJECTS OF BILATERAL RESEARCH COOPERATION WITH VILNIUS TECH UNIVERSITY

  • Fungal Melanin: Enemy or Friend? Evaluating its Role in Human Health and Antimicrobial Properties, leader at UP asist. dr. Anja Černoša, UP IAM

Fungal melanin, a complex biopolymer produced by many fungi, has attracted considerable attention due to its role in evading the immune system and its unclear link to virulence. While it is known that melanized fungal cells exhibit increased resistance to the body's immune defenses, it remains uncertain whether melanin directly threatens human health. Conflicting findings on its involvement in virulence emphasizes the need for further investigation.