We present a reconstruction of UKRI's Gateway to Research (GtR) database that links funding opportunities to their resulting project proposals through panel meeting outcomes. Unlike existing work that focuses primarily on funded projects and their outcomes, we close the complete funding lifecycle by integrating three previously disconnected data sources: the GtR project database, UKRI funding opportunities, and competitive funding decision records across UKRI's research councils. We describe the technical challenges of data collection, including navigating inconsistent publication formats and restricted access to panel decisions. The resulting dataset enables a holistic interrogation of the entire funding process, from opportunity announcement to research outcomes. We release the database and associated code.
Differentiation between the main types of cochineal dyestuffs, used as a principal red colourant throughout history, remains challenging. Nonetheless, accurate cochineal source identification would provide corroborating evidence to historical accounts, unveiling ancient practices and historical trade routes. Herein, stable carbon isotope analysis is proposed, for the first time, as a tool for source investigation of colourants on cultural heritage objects. Through bulk analysis, the isotopic signatures of Mexican, Armenian, and Polish cochineal insects were confirmed to reflect those of their host plants (CAM, C4, and C3, respectively). Compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA), widely used for provenancing archaeological lipids, was then utilised to investigate the insect lipid extracts, revealing that Mexican, Armenian, and Polish cochineals have distinct fatty acid profiles and isotopic signatures. A new protocol, based on direct inlet pyrolysis-gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (DIP-GC-C-IRMS), was developed to target a known biomarker of the main colourant carminic acid (CA), thereby obtaining the isotopic signature of the colourant itself. Although Armenian cochineal harvested from C3 plants has not yet been investigated, results so far reveal distinct CA delta 13C values (delta 13CCA) for Armenian and Mexican cochineal lakes and paint replicas, suggesting that this method may be able to differentiate between the three main cochineal sources. The presence of the known marker in similar red insectderived lakes (kermes and lac) was also investigated. In addition to providing the first example of CSIA of lake pigments, this is the first study that utilises DIP-GC-QTOF-MS/MS as a complementary technique. By offering additional structural information for CA derivatives, a structure and mechanism of formation for a newly identified biomarker is proposed.
Proteins have been used as adhesives in art throughout history, but determining their source in aged paintings is challenging. Moreover, the distinction between terrestrial and aquatic animal glues is only achievable with proteomic approaches. Compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA) of collagen, used in the neighboring field of archeology for analogous purposes, has so far required too much sample to be used for painted objects. However, this paper presents a methodology that enables a reduction of sample size by about 3 orders of magnitude (from mg to μg), widening the application of CSIA to rare and fragile objects in our cultural patrimony. Based on direct inlet pyrolysis-gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (DIP-GC-C-IRMS), the method targets the δ13C values of pyrolytic protein markers, especially diketopiperazines (DKPs), reported here for the first time. The isotopic imprint of modern references for rabbit skin and isinglass glues, casein, and chicken and duck eggs was confirmed through established elemental analysis (EA)-IRMS and GC-C-IRMS methods. As expected, bulk and individual amino acid (AA) δ13C and δ15N values for terrestrial animal glues exhibited a higher depletion than those for marine glues, a relationship retained by the DKP δ13C values. Furthermore, the ground layers of two 16th-century Italian paintings from the National Gallery collection yielded δ13CDKP values consistent with terrestrial animal glue, confirming that the isotopic signature of these compounds is retained during aging and degradation.
