Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-actions-marie-curie-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet SIGNAL (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The immune system is indispensable for our defense against infections, and plays an essential role in homeostasis, where compartmentalization and specialization are key aspects of every immune cell. Microenvironmental cues (e.g. stromal cell-derived signals) are integrated by the cell networks forming the immune system to maintain immune tolerance or promote immunity against an antigen. Recent findings suggest that neurons also contribute to curb the immune response; they produce neuropeptides that act directly on immune cells such as dendritic cells and neutrophils. However, our understanding of neuroimmune interactions is superficial: we ignore whether specialized cell subsets are responsible for integrating neural cues, we lack precision when studying these connections, and it is unknown whether neuroimmune exchanges are relevant in different tissues and immune reactions, as with the case of lung immune responses related to allergy and chronic obstructive disorders. Asthma has been shown to present a neurological component not yet entirely linked to the immune system. To gain insight into neuroimmune modulation, SIGNAL aims to elucidate the presence and function of neuro-sentinel innate lymphoid cells (nsILC) in the lung: ILC dedicated to detect and translate neuro-derived signals. ILC are tissue resident immune cells which are pivotal coordinators of immune homeostasis, bridging the innate and the adaptive immune system. Using a multidisciplinary approach by combining the selectiveness of optogenetics and chemogenetics with the unbiased power of detection of single cell genomics, and the comprehensiveness of mouse in vivo models, I have setup myself to discover and define nsILC in the context of type-2 responses in the lung. My work will develop our understanding of neuroimmune interactions, and their influence in allergy and asthma, potentially discovering pathways which will provide the context for new approaches in treating this type of disorders.

Mots clés : allergy, optogenetics, neuroimmunology

Participants :
- UK Research and Innovation (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 224933.76 €
Projet Our Science 2021 (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : European Researchers' Night
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The impact of researchers' work on society and citizens has never been more apparent than now. Unprecedented challenges such as climate changes and fast-spreading global pandemic, calls for science to react - and the role of researchers is crucial. At the same time, there is an impending risk of loosing citizens' trust in science, due to increased amount of misinformation about science and research. Therefore, it is important to promote the key role that researchers have for the development and growth of our societies in a national and international context, and for keeping the public informed about critical challenges and scientific discoveries that have an impact on our daily lives. In Iceland, science has a crucial role to play in a society that relies to a great extent on nature and responsible use of natural resources, from renewable energy and sustainable blue growth to societal and cultural implications of living at the edge of the Arctic. In order to ensure and facilitate interaction with the public and society at large, the project Our Science aims to organise European Researchers Night in Iceland, inviting researchers to engage with the public to communicate their work, their passion and their findings in order to increase the awareness of research and innovation activities. The objective is to enhance a positive public perception of researchers by facilitiating an open and active dialogue between researchers and citizens of all ages, especially focusing on children and young people that could consider a career in research. In addition to higlighting the importance of researchers work, the initiative provides a rare opportunity for researchers to communicate directly with the public at all ages and even to involve citizens in the road to scientific discoveries, thus contributing to the transparency of their work and enhancing the attractiveness of scientific careers, which is instrumental in encouraging young people to embark on a career in science.

Mots clés : researchers, science communication, innovation, science career, citizen engagement, global challenges, researchers  night, public awareness

Participants :
- The Icelandic Centre for Research (Islande) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Organismes publics (hors enseignement & recherche), subvention : 110000.0 €
Projet Our Science (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : European Researchers' Night
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The impact of researchers’ work on society and citizens has never been more apparent than now. At the same time, there is an impending risk of loosing citizens’ trust in science, due to incresed amount of misinformation about science and research. Therefore, it is important to promote the key role that researchers have for the development and growth of our societies in a national and international context, and for keeping the public informed about critical challenges and scientific discoveries that have an impact on our daily lives. In Iceland, science has a crucial role to play in a society that relies to a great extent on nature and responsible use of natural resources, from renewable energy and sustainable blue growth to the societal and cultural implications of living in coastal communites. In order to ensure and facilitate interaction with the public and society at large, the project "My Science – Our Science" aims to organise European Researchers Night in Iceland with the aim to invite researchers to engage with the public to communicate their work, their passion and their findings in order to increase the awareness of research and innovation activities. The objective is to enhance a positive public perception of researchers by facilitiating an open and active dialogue between researchers and citizens of all ages, especially focusing on children and young people that could consider a research career. In addition to higlighting the importance of researchers’ work, the initiative provides a rare opportunity for researchers to communicate directly with the public at all ages and even to involve citizens in the road to scientific discoveries, thus contributing to the transparency of their work and enhancing the attractiveness of scientific careers, which is instrumental in encouraging young people to embark on a career in research.

Mots clés : researchers, public recognition, researchers  night, science communication, public engagment, citizens science, science career

Participants :
- The Icelandic Centre for Research (Islande) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Organismes publics (hors enseignement & recherche), subvention : 175000.0 €
Projet Mercator-e (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2015)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The impact of the transport infrastructures in the development of countries and territories is one of the most current topics in the European policies. The Mercator-e project is designed to analyse the diachronic social, political and economical repercussions of the transport infrastructures during several periods of the Iberian Peninsula. An integrated approach joining multi-proxy analysis (SNA applied to the network centrality, TNA to analyse transport costs & times, demography studies) and the study of archaeo-historical sources will be applied. Analysing the transport communication networks in various time scopes will offer to the academic society new quantified data about the infrastructures morphology and their impact in the political and economical evolution of these territories. Historically, the Iberian Peninsula has had periods with very different political ideologies about the role and needs of infrastructure that will be analysed in this project: 1) The Roman era, 2) The Middle Ages, 3) the Modern Era, and 4) The XIXth Century and the emergence of the railroad. This project offers a new approach to the study and knowledge of the historical infrastructures. From the use of the Network Analysis to study the infrastructures, a set of completely new data could be generated to understand and visualise the transport evolution and the evolution of the territorial configuration. This project will provide a breakthrough in the analysis of transport in big territories. The high digitalisation detail and the diachronic study will offer outstanding results. The Mercator-e methodology will take into account elements such as highly digitised communication networks, historical vehicle characteristics, changes in means of transport or the topography to make more complex and real calculations. Mercator-e will provide a new perspective on ways to quantify Historical Trade and Transport and will place this research into the international research circles of this field.

Mots clés : quantifying transport, infrastructures, network analysis, transport networks, history of transport, economy, transport costs, urban connectivity

Participants :
- Universidade Nova de Lisboa (Portugal) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 160635.6 €
Projet URBANEPIGENETICS (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The impact of urbanisation on wildlife is of increasing global concern. It is well known that exposure to urban environmental stressors increases oxidative stress. More recently, exposure to pollutants has been shown to directly modify the epigenome, via DNA methylation, in humans. Oxidative stress may be a key mechanism mediating epigenetic modifications in response to pollutant exposure and thereby influencing development, disease resistance and ageing. This multidisciplinary project outlines the first study to date of the epigenetic basis of early-life effects in a wild bird exposed to urban environmental stress. Early-life stress exposure can have profound effects on phenotypic development and long-term fitness. Epigenetic mechanisms are influenced by environmental cues during development and therefore may mechanistically link developmental conditions with later-life performance. Using urban and rural populations of birds, we will perform experimental studies in the field and lab to examine whether increased oxidative stress during development modifies patterns of global and gene-specific DNA methylation and thereby alters genome stability (via DNA damage and telomere attrition) and expression of antioxidant genes. To achieve this, we propose a new framework to explain how the modification of DNA methylation and telomere length may be linked and decoupled by the direct and indirect effects of oxidative stress at different stages during development. Pilot data support this framework. This will enable us to disentangle the mechanistic relationships between exposure to urban stressors, oxidative stress, DNA methylation and telomere dynamics during development and the consequences for growth and survival in an altricial bird species. The project has implications for multiple EU policies and H2020 focus areas. By combining the researcher’s existing expertise with new skills and opportunities, the project will enhance career prospects and advance the research field.

Mots clés : urban ecology, oxidative stress, telomere dynamics, environmental stress, early life stress, avian, dna methylation, parus major

Participants :
- Lund University (Suède) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 185857.2 €
Projet TCBI (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The implementation of alternatives to deprivation of liberty throughout the juvenile justice procedure has been on the agenda of international children’s rights for about 28 years. The urgent need for alternatives is based on the requirement of the UN Convention on the Rights of Child to use measures that deprive children’s liberty as last resort and for the shortest appropriate period of time. Accordingly, states have to develop suitable alternatives to detaining children for justice purposes. One of the currently popular alternative measures is surveillance of juvenile offenders by using electronic monitoring (EM) devices. EM ensures control through GPS or radio frequency technology, allowing juveniles to remain in or return to the community and maintain their ties with their families and peers. Although these measures seem to be popular among policy makers because of the high level of control, concerns are also raised about their harmful effects, which may be significant in childhood. This research investigates how the application of EM suits the requirements set out by international documents on children’s rights and how national or international policies may be improved towards a better compliance with children’s best interests. The research will be implemented in England and Wales, Hungary and The Netherlands, using a variety of qualitative (interviews, focus groups) and quantitative (survey) methods to investigate the research questions. The project will generate unique knowledge on multiple aspects of using EM measures in juvenile justice, which will, for the first time, develop understanding at a European level about EM from the perspective of children. It will demonstrate a unique, children’s rights approach and involve different actors of the system, juvenile offenders and children, who will be approached via a number of channels. During the research, special attention will be paid to provide child-friendly and age-sensitive information where necessary.

Mots clés : children s rights, juvenile justice, alternative measures, electronic monitoring, surveillance

Participants :
- University of Leeds (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 183454.8 €
Projet SIAM (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The importance of below-ground organisms for plant growth, plant community dynamics and ecosystem processes is widely recognised. Among them, arbuscular mycorrhizal symbioses are key elements as they mediate plant resource acquisition. The effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on plant fitness have been extensively studied in sexually monomorphic plants, but plant populations with separate sexes are relatively common in nature. Usually sexes differ in their resource needs and allocation patterns. Because arbuscular mycorrhizal symbioses mediate resource acquisition and allocation patterns through imposing both costs and benefits to the plants, it is not surprising that sex-specific interactions between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and sexually dimorphic plants occur. This is an extremely novel field of research. Most available studies on this topic have been exclusively focused on two trophic levels, neglecting the fact that plants live in complex multi-trophic scenarios, where both mutualistic and antagonistic relationships interact both above- and below-ground. The aim of this research project is to explore and understand plant – arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal interactions in a more realistic multi-trophic context. The essence of the project lies in the interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approach as it will cover plant and insect ecology, fungal ecology and genetics, and chemical ecology. Implementation of this project has scientific importance for the improvement of our understanding of complex multi-trophic interactions in plants and has potentially enormous economic significance for agriculture as it includes pollination ecology and herbivory. Besides the scientific importance of the proposed project itself, this project will significantly enhance the applicant’s career by acquiring up-to-date techniques and other significant skills and provide expertise on mycorrhizal research for the host institution.

Mots clés : arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, above ground, below ground interactions, dioecy, gynodioecy, plant, fungal interactions, pollination, soil ecology, sexual dimorphism, multi trophic interactions

Participants :
- University of Lincoln (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 183454.8 €
Projet WORMTUMORS (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The incidence of cancer is significantly lower in developing areas such as Africa, than in the Western world. These developing regions have a high incidence of helminth infection, which can protect against immune-mediated diseases and are currently being successfully used within clinical trials as novel therapeutics to treat inflammatory bowel disease. As Africa develops, lifestyle and dietary changes will collide with the presence of chronic infectious disease, such as gastrointestinal helminths, increasing the risk of colorectal cancer. The intrinsic immune-suppressive nature of helminth infections is known to be detrimental to the generation of immune responses to other infections and vaccination, and may also impair anti-tumor responses in vivo. We have recently found that local exposure to helminth products can result in increased tumor cell growth and metastasis. Currently, it is unknown how helminth modulation of immunity influences colorectal cancer incidence and progression. This fellowship proposal will make use of an inflammation-associated and spontaneous model of colorectal cancer to test the impact of live helminth infection and exposure to helminth excretory/secretory products on tumor development. It will further dissect the impact of helminth exposure on the innate and adaptive anti-tumor immune response, using multi-colour flow cytometry and cell-specific knockout mice. Furthermore, rescue of an impact of helminth exposure on anti-tumor immunity will be attempted by in vivo cell transfer. This fellowship aims to increase our understanding of how helminth infection contributes to tumor development and may lead to the design of novel therapeutics to improve tumor immunity.

Mots clés : helminth therapy, colon cancer

Participants :
- Cardiff University (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 203200.2 €
- University of Cape Town (Afrique du Sud) — Partner, organization partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
Projet POLY-SAAR (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The incorporation of heavier Group 14 double bonds (E=E) (E = Si, Ge) into the main chain of polymers poses considerable synthetic challenges. The catalyst- and byproduct-free polymerization protocols proposed herein build upon exciting preliminary results regarding molecular model systems reported by the host group. Three different strategies will give access to various unprecedented polymer types: (1) The development of a reliable protecting group strategy in Si=Si chemistry will enable the synthesis of silicon- and germanium- analogues of poly(phenylenevinylene)s (dimetalla-PPVs). (2) The reactions of difunctional bis(alkynyl)arenes and bis(isocyano)arenes, respectively, with arylene-bridged tetrasiladienes will give access to sigma-pi conjugated hybrid polymers. (3) The concept of stabilizing low-valent main-group species by N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) and subsequent removal of NHC by a Lewis acid to generate double bonds between Group 14 elements will afford poly(digermene)s. Entirely unprecedented building blocks will be used so that this project will be at the forefront of the newly emerging field of applications and property driven chemistry of heavier main-group elements. It will provide the synthetic tools necessary to exploit the anticipated unique physical and chemical properties of unsaturated main-group polymers. With this explicit focus on material aspects, the proposed research has an excellent fit with the European priorities: despite being fundamental in nature, the project targets smart polymers with bespoke properties, may well develop significant economic and consequentially also societal impact in the longer run. The synergistic combination of the areas of expertise of PKM (chemistry of Group 14 and 15, N-heterocyclic carbenes) and DS (low-coordinate main-group chemistry) will fruitfully enrich both scientific mindsets and weave close ties for future cooperation after PKM excelled in his ambition to obtain an academic position in research.

Mots clés : hybrid polymers, disilenes, digermenes, cycloaddition, insertion reaction

Participants :
- Saarland University (Allemagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 159460.8 €
Projet OLIGOBINPRO (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The increase of life expectancy around the world comes at the unavoidable cost of a rise in the occurrence of neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s as well as debilitating ones like cancer. These conditions prevent the possibility of a sustained quality of life and cost society vast amounts of money for the treatment and care of patients. It is the responsibility of scientists to find innovative methods of treating and eliminating these diseases, allowing for a healthier quality of life. Recently, RNA-binding proteins have been linked to biological processes leading to these diseases as well as the expression of genes relating to obesity. A plethora of natural chemical modifications in RNA fine-tune its structure, allowing for this specific interaction which regulates processes such as gene expression and the tuning of translation. Although these have been known for years, their binding proteins have not been systematically studied. The difficulty of the chemical synthesis of modified oligoribonucleotides represents the major bottleneck in this field. The overall aim of this project is to discover RNA-binding proteins which bind to the non-canonical modifications Am, Cm, Gm, i6A and ms2i6A which were identified in the mRNA of human cancer cell lines. These will first be synthesised and then incorporated into oligoribonucleotide strands mimicking natural mRNA. By incubating with cellular extracts, we subsequently aim to identify their binding proteins by tagging them with novel technologies and analysing them using mass spectrometric techniques. This project will inspire and offer unique training to Dr. Michaelides by exposing him to this multidisciplinary field where chemistry and biology meet, enabling him to embark on his own academic career. Furthermore, it will set the foundation for the better understanding of the mechanisms responsible for the aforementioned conditions, which will in the long term lead to the design of new therapies for their prevention.

Mots clés : non canonical nucleosides, oligonucleotides, rna binding proteins, bioorthogonal chemistry

Participants :
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (Allemagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 159460.8 €