The works of ancient Greek physicians, the manuscripts of the Byzantine and post-Byzantine periods, popular texts and ethnobotanical studies are valuable sources of ethnopharmacological data for the treatment of various diseases. The collection, evaluation and use of this data is a reliable starting point for the discovery of bioactive natural products from the unique flora of the Balkans and the Mediterranean, which can be used for the development of innovative drug lead compounds. The development of the ETHCSTWIN database and the implementation of novel AI tools will thus improve both the data collection process and the prediction of promising plant materials.

The main objective of the “ETHCSTWIN” initiative is to establish a collaborative network between the Institute of Ethnopharmacological Studies and Phytotherapy (IESP / NKUA University) and two renowned academic research teams from Italy (research team Prof. A. Pieroni) and Germany (Prof. M. Hofmann-Apitius), as well as the biotech SME Pangea Botanica and the University of Prishtina (Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences). The goal is to integrate the findings of ethnopharmacology into novel computational and digital systems, focusing on the development of a rich portfolio of complex methods and tools, including the analysis of large data sets and the restoration of tangible and intangible cultural heritage.

Fraunhofer SCAI is leading the development of a training program to enable systematic knowledge transfer between the partners involved. In addition, Fraunhofer SCAI is contributing its expertise in automated biomedical data processing to develop a unified methodology for ethnomedical research based on and supported by artificial intelligence. To this end, a personalized, computer-based biomedical mining approach will be introduced to systematically capture information from ethnobotanical studies and manuscripts.

The ETHSCTWIN project is funded by the European Commission's Horizon Europe programme for three years.

Project duration: 06/2024 until 05/2027