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A team of researchers at the University of Manchester have secured a major 鈧�2.5 million (拢2.1 million) grant from the to uncover lost medical writings that could transform our understanding of ancient medicine and the exchange of knowledge between cultures.

More than a thousand years ago, Alexandria was one of the world鈥檚 great centres of medical learning. Among its most influential figures was Gesius, a renowned professor whose teachings helped shape health practices across the Islamic world and medieval Europe. His writings were thought to be lost, erased and overwritten on parchment, buried beneath layers of later texts.

Now, thanks to the discovery of five newly identified palimpsests - manuscripts that were scraped and reused centuries ago - those lost texts may soon be readable again. Hidden beneath newer writings are on the works of , one of the most important physicians in history.

Professors () and () are leading the project. Using advanced multispectral imaging and machine learning, their team will recover and transcribe the hidden texts, making them accessible for the first time in over a millennium. Once revealed, the writings will be edited, translated, and analysed to reassess Gesius鈥� contributions to medical theory and education.

鈥淭hese texts will shed new light on how ancient Greek medical knowledge was preserved, adapted, and passed down into Syriac and Arabic traditions, shaping the foundations of both Islamic and Western medicine,鈥� said Professor Pormann, Principal Investigator.

鈥淭his award will allow us to see the invisible and make a hidden source for the history of medicine readable and accessible for the very first time.鈥�

The project builds on Professor Pormann鈥檚 former work as Founding Director of the , established in 2013 to explore the University鈥檚 rich collections of rare manuscripts and books. The Institute fosters collaboration between scientists, historians, conservators, and imaging specialists, using cutting-edge technology to unlock the secrets of the past.

This new grant continues this tradition of innovation, fueled by the Arts Lab approach that Pormann pioneered together with his long-term collaborator Professor William Sellers, whose work has spanned medicine and science. Their partnership is a testament to the power of crossing boundaries between disciplines, traditions, and centuries to uncover hidden knowledge.