This week, the Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH) celebrated the sixteenth anniversary of the opening of its headquarters in the Complejo de la Evolución Humana by hosting the VII Distinguished Annual Lecture. The event featured renowned bioarchaeologist Matthew Collins, a leading international expert in Paleoproteomics, who is Matthew Collins is Professor of Biomolecular Archaeology at the Globe Institute, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences (SUND), and Deputy Head of the School of Archaeology at the University of Copenhagen, as well as Professor of Palaeoproteomics at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, University of Cambridge. In addition to delivering a lecture, Collins, taught a course on his specialty and recorded a podcast for CENIEH Diálogos sapiens, where Paleoproteomics was also a key focus.

This event, held every year to mark the anniversary of the building’s opening, aims to share the most significant advancements in human evolution studies with the public. It features leading international experts, and this year's distinguished speaker was Professor Collins. His lecture entitled "From Dinosaurs to Data: The evolution of ancient proteins" was broadcast live on the CENIEH YouTube channel, with subtitles in Spanish, and drew a large audience both in person and online.

In his lecture, Prof. Collins delivered a rigorous and accessible review of two decades of research on ancient proteins, from the first studies on the preservation of collagen in dinosaur fossils to current approaches based on massive data and standardized protocols. Collins addressed crucial advances like differentiation between endogenous and contaminating proteins, the interpretation of degradation patterns specific to archaeological contexts, and the ability of paleoproteomics to open new windows into the past where ancient DNA is no longer preserved.

To conclude his speech, Prof. Collins received an institutional gift from the director of the CENIEH, María Martinón Torres, as a memento of his involvement in the event: a sculpture in the shape of a hand axe, created by the artist Manuel Revilla from the Burgos-based company Resistible.

Paleoproteomics Course
During his stay in Burgos, Prof. Collins generously offered to deliver a theoretical and practical course on Paleoproteomics, aimed at young researchers and technical staff, to present the latest methodologies for the extraction, analysis, and validation of ancient proteins, providing participants with an up-to-date and rigorous overview of this rapidly expanding field of research.

This course, part of CENIEH's training initiatives, was attended by 20 participants and was offered free of charge, highlighting both Professor Collins’s generosity and his strong commitment to the promotion of scientific knowledge and the training of new generations in emerging disciplines.

Visit to the CENIEH and Atapuerca
During the week, Matthew Collins had the opportunity to get to see the facilities at the CENIEH, showing a particular interest in the laboratories and services that the Center offers as Unique Scientific and Technical Infrastructure to the scientific, academic and business community. He was particularly interested in the analytical and technical capabilities of the dating laboratories, as well as the future Laboratory of Molecular Paleobiology, which is expected to be launched soon. He also took a special interest in the analytical capabilities of the Microscopy and Micro-Computed Tomography Laboratories, the collections housed at the center, as well as the upcoming launch of the Molecular Paleobiology Laboratory.

Accompanied by the CENIEH Director, María Martinón-Torres, Prof. Collins also visited the sites in the Sierra de Atapuerca, touring most of them: Sima del Elefante, Gran Dolina, Penal, Galería, Cueva Fantasma, Estatuas exterior and Portalón. He met with the lead researchers at each site and shared ideas about the potential that Paleoproteomics offers for deepening our understanding of the archaeological and paleoanthropological contexts of Atapuerca.

Diálogos Sapiens
As the culmination of a week of intense scientific and academic activity, Matthew Collins participated together with the CENIEH researcher Samantha Brown in the recording of a new episode of the center's institutional podcast, Diálogos Sapiens. In this conversation, the two discussed the foundations and recent advances in paleoproteomics, as well as its promising application possibilities in the sites of the Sierra de Atapuerca, highlighting its value as a tool for the study of human evolution.
Both the podcast and the other activities carried out this week were made possible thanks to the collaboration of the Fundación Española para la Ciencia y la Tecnología (FECYT) – Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades.