Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-actions-marie-curie-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet LANAFUSEHA (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2021)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : SIGNED

The project will make an impact in important societal needs in the fields of energy harvesting and sensing for environmental, safety, and medical applications, which are relevant to the entire global population. The development of any of these high-tech areas is associated with the use of new materials. The scope of this proposal is to advance 2D materials by adding to them novel functionalities for improved energy-harvesting and sensing applications. Such 2D materials as graphene and transition metal dichalcogenides were selected for functionalization. The creation of nanopores or the attachment of chemically active compounds will significantly expand the capabilities of such materials, for example, it will enable the development of universal chemical sensors for the detection of volatile organic compounds. The project proposes to solve an important problem of functionalization, localized on nanoscale, which will allow minimizing the proposed devices. The disruptive technique to be used in this proposal for nanometer-precision patterning of 2D materials is based on one of the latest nanophotonics advancements, the photonic nanojets. It is possible to functionalize 2D materials by laser with spatial resolutions significantly lower than the diffraction limit, as light in a photonic nanojet can be concentrated into a volume that is one order of magnitude smaller. The project provides for a fairly simple and scalable technology. The low technological hazard of the method and invariance for materials are the basis for economic feasibility. New materials and devices arising from this project will be exploited by the industry, strengthening the EU economy and technological excellence in the fields of energy, electronic technology, health industry, security, environmental and industrial monitoring

Mots clés : laser functionalization, optical tweezers, nanojet, graphene, dichalcogenides of transition metals

Participants :
- Nanotypos ee (Grèce) — Partner, associated partner, Organismes privés (hors enseignement), subvention : 0.0 €
- Fondation nationale de la recherche scientifique (Grèce) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 169326.72 €
Projet ECLIPSE (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a common and serious disease in which a blood clot forms in the venous system. When a blood clot forms in the deep veins of the leg (deep vein thrombosis, DVT) and migrates through the bloodstream, to lung arteries, it creates a pulmonary embolism (PE). VTE encompasses DVT and PE and causes more than 30000 annual deaths in Europe. After clinical investigation, nearly half of the events can be explained (immobilisation, cancer, inherited thrombophilia), the other half of VTE cases have no known origin (called idiopathic VTE). Among the patients developing idiopathic, about 30% of them would have a recurrent thromboembolic event, 70% would not be subjected to any recurrence. This leads to difficult decisions in the population of idiopathic VTE; if the anticoagulation therapy used to treat VTE is very efficient it also has major side effects, such as bleeding events, that can be deadly. A balance must be struck between the risks of recurrent thrombosis if anticoagulant treatment is stopped versus the risks of bleeding associated with continued anticoagulation therapy that can go up to the course of decades. Physico-chemical properties of clots seem to be relevant parameters to describe their mechanical resistance and to develop risk assessment models. Currently, the most investigated methods in the literature are based on turbidimetry, rheology and permeation. Therefore, the development of optical approaches seems particularly interesting. In addition to their ease of implementation, their non-invasive and non-contact features, they would allow access to information related to the clot density, fibrin fibre arrangement, and dynamic changes during clot formation. These techniques are promising, but an integration of the different results from various methods is necessary to get a comprehensive understanding of clot properties.

Mots clés : scattering, laser, biospeckle, speckle imaging, optical diagnostics for medicine

Participants :
- Université de Bretagne Occidentale (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 226420.56 €
Projet DEPI (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2023)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Enhancers control spatio-temporal gene expression, which is central to the diversification of cell-types and tissue differentiation. Enhancers can be located in close proximity to, or distally from, their target gene’s promoters, including in introns of non-cognate genes. To regulate gene expression, distal enhancers (E) must come into proximity to interact with their promoters (P) through folding/looping of the intervening DNA. How enhancers identify and regulate their specific target gene remains poorly understood and is subject of this proposal. Chromosome conformation capture based techniques such as Nuclear-Titrated (NuTi) Capture-C are powerful tools for the genome-wide investigation of enhancer–promoter proximity/interactions (EPIs) at sub-kilobase resolution. This project aims to uncover general features of EPIs by measuring and characterizing EPIs using NuTi Capture-C across many different developmental stages and tissues during Drosophila embryogenesis. I will analyze a massive Capture-C dataset already generated by host lab, capturing interactions from 16,663 genes’ promoters each at eight different conditions (with four replicates), thereby providing unprecedented scale and resolution. I will integrate this Capture-C resource with multiple genome-wide datasets (gene expression, histone marks and chromatin accessibility) from the host lab and others. The analysis of this comprehensive EPIs atlas will link enhancers to promoters (genome-wide), characterize features driving E-P specificity and potentially identify novel factors involved in their establishment. This new view of tissue- and developmental stage- specific EPIs will serve as a unique resource that we will share through a user-friendly web-based portal to a large community using this important model organism. The biological insights that we uncover, including features linked to E-P specificity and tissues-specific regulation, will interest a very broad community studying genome regulation.

Mots clés : enhancer promoter specificity, 3d chromatin organization, chromatin loops, capture c, embryonic development

Participants :
- Laboratoire européen de biologie moléculaire (Allemagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 173847.36 €
Projet PCNE (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2022)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

The traditional view of proliferation in eukaryotic cells maintains that genome duplication is followed by cellular division into two new daughter cells, each containing its own nucleus. Organisms have evolved diverse strategies to accomplish this feat efficiently whilst acted upon by different selection pressures, some of which alter the mode of proliferation altogether. Strikingly, several organisms across the tree of life have evolved to utilize the multiplication of genetic material without the generation of new daughter cells as a successful replicative strategy. Although the nuclei reside in a shared cytoplasm, the dynamics of the nuclear cycles of multinucleate cells vary across organisms, from synchronicity, such as in the Drosophila embryo, to asynchronous replication as in the filamentous fungi Ashbya gossypii. While the fast, synchronized divisions in developing Drosophila embryos are hypothesized to benefit growth speeds, asynchronous divisions are hypothesized to balance replication speed with resource availability. While it is evident that the efficient use of resources for regulating the cell cycle control network is fundamental for survival and adaptation to the environment, the factors and molecular mechanisms regulating autonomous nuclear cycles in multinucleate cells are largely unknown. Using a combination of multiplexed spatial transcriptomics, classic cell biology approaches, high-resolution imaging, and molecular genetics, the proposed project will elucidate the extent to which the environment influences nuclear cycling in two evolutionarily distant eukaryotes, the free-living slime mold, Physarum polycephalum and the intracellular parasite, Plasmodium falciparum.

Mots clés : protist apicomplexa evolutionary cell biology physarum polycephalum multinucleate cell division mitosis

Participants :
- Laboratoire européen de biologie moléculaire (Allemagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 173847.36 €
Projet ENASA (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Pesticides are vital for global food productivity. Traditional formulations pose environmental risks due to their heavy reliance on organic solvents and surfactants. Nanopesticide formulations (NPF) offer safer, eco-friendly alternatives but are often costly and complex. The ENASA project aims to simplify this by developing pure water-based nanopesticide formulations (PW-NPF) that are free of organic solvents and use minimal surfactants for plant production. To achieve this goal, researchers will undergo secondment at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) for training in molecular dynamics simulation to aid in designing amphiphilic water-soluble surfactants for constructing PW-NPT. Subsequently, a secondment at NovaMechanics Ltd (NovaM) will use computational modeling to establish relationships between surfactant configurations and pesticide structures, enabling the prediction of structure-activity relationships and broader applications. This project has the potential to unlock the application of many pesticide varieties through formulation innovation, especially considering the high costs of developing new pesticides today. Additionally, it represents a crucial step for the fellow, who is in the early stages of his career, on his path to becoming an excellent researcher in the field of nano-agrochemicals.

Mots clés : plant protection, pesticide formulation, nanopesticides, water based nanodelivery, sustainable agriculture

Participants :
- Queen Mary University of London (Royaume-Uni) — Partner, associated partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- Université de Birmingham (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 260347.92 €
- NovaMechanics (Cyprus) (Chypre) — Partner, associated partner, Organismes privés (hors enseignement), subvention : 0.0 €
Projet WAC-mTOR-OC (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2022)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Ovarian Cancer (OC) is the most lethal gynecological tumor and has an especially high impact in Europe. 70% of patients develop an advanced stage due to the lack of early diagnosis tools and chemotherapy resistance. Therefore, a better understanding of altered molecular mechanisms driving OC progression is needed. Preliminary data from the host lab suggest that a complex formed by R2TP/TTT/WAC upon glucose and glutamine depletion, impairs mTOR activation. Moreover, the components of this complex are co-expressed in OC, a disease influenced by mTOR signaling and metabolic reprogramming. Thus, our hypothesis is that WAC regulates an mTOR activation pathway that influences OC progression and response to chemotherapy and that targeting this complex is a potential therapeutic prospect for the treatment of OC. In particular, we propose to (i) establish the mechanism and role of the R2TP/TTT/WAC/mTOR complex in OC and (ii) to identify new therapeutic strategies targeting this complex for the treatment of OC.  We have envisioned this project as a diverse node of cancer signaling and protein experts, with a predicted outcome highly transferable to society. The translational character of this proposal, from molecular mechanism to therapeutics, relies on the integration of an interdisciplinary team formed by the host group proficiency in Structural Biology and my expertise in Molecular Biology and Drug Discovery, together with scientific experts on Experimental Therapeutics and Bioinformatics from the host institution and collaborators. Importantly, I will have the opportunity to develop new professional skills by both scientific exchanges and specific courses and to participate in dissemination activities to translate our findings to the scientific community and society. Thus, the MSCA fellowship will allow me to develop unique technical and transferable skills, to help me progress in my career developmental plan and establish myself as a leader in cancer research in Europe.

Mots clés : ovarian cancer, mtor, wac

Participants :
- Centre National de Recherches Oncologiques (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 181152.96 €
Projet PYREPAX (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2023)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : SIGNED

For centuries, the relationships between Pyrenean valleys were regulated by pacts called “pacerías”. These agreements were intended to maintain peace between valleys (hence their name, which derives from the Latin word “pax”), and to regulate the ownership and use of the natural resource which was at the basis of the Pyrenean communities: grassland. The pacerías between valleys on the same side of the frontier have received little historiographical attention, and their environmental dimension has barely been studied.  PYREPAX focuses on the agreements regarding two mountain pastures in the Aragonese Pyrenees, Guarrinza and Cerbillonar. Each of them was a common of two valleys, the former of Ansó and Echo, and the latter of Panticosa and Broto. The project examines the pacerías, the practices associated with them, and their role in shaping the environment since the mid-eighteenth century. More widely, PYREPAX studies the reciprocal influences between society and nature, and the co-evolution of those relationships across time. The project intends to explain why and how the relationships between human societies and nature have changed by examining the evolution of the pacerías and the practices related to them.  Furthermore, PYREPAX examines the current situation of the pastures and the communities from a historical perspective and through an interdisciplinary approach (ecology and environmental economy), by carrying out fieldwork, surveys, and interviews. In the last phase, the project will put into dialogue the ancient pacts with local actors, natural scientists, and regional management authorities with a view to redesigning some pacerías, thus creating permanent fora for debate based on interdisciplinary scientific knowledge, providing tools for bettter management of the pastures, promoting economic activity such as extensive livestock breeding, fixing population in rural areas, and, in short, achieving social, scientific, economic, and environmental benefits.

Mots clés : environmental history, public history, political ecology

Participants :
- Conseil supérieur de la recherche scientifique (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 206641.2 €
- Asociacion para el desarrollo integral de la cuna de aragon adecuara (Espagne) — Partner, associated partner, Autres, subvention : 0.0 €
Projet META-GRID (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : SIGNED

The European power grid is the backbone of our society. Climate hazards, exacerbated by climate change, trigger at least one-third of power outages in Europe, leading to significant direct and indirect socioeconomic losses. Network extensions and ageing infrastructure further increase the power grid vulnerability. Hence, power operators and regulatory agencies must understand and quantify the resilience of the power grid infrastructure against windstorms, snowstorms and floods based on well-informed fragility and restoration models. Currently, the available models for power grid assets in the EU lag behind compared to other infrastructures. META GRID aims to fill this acknowledged gap, by applying a multi-disciplinary and practice-oriented methodology that advances resilience assessments at Pan-European level, considering various climate adaptation investments. Novel fragility and restoration functions will be generated, based on extensive numerical modelling, evidence from previous failures, climatic projections and input from experts. Win-win-win and low-regret adaptation investments will be exploited to cope with climate change. A freely accessible web-based toolkit will be developed to incorporate the fragility and restoration models and the resilience mapping which intends to evaluate the impact of investments in two critical EU regions. Under the MSCA programme, the Fellow will engage in multidisciplinary research on infrastructure resilience by joining the Brunel University London (host), with complementary training on climate data analysis and EU policy at the Joint Research Centre (JRC), and collaboration with the industry (Électricité de France) and KIOS (Cyprus) research centre. In line with the new EU Resilience Directive and Strategic Plan, META-GRID has a direct industrial and societal impact by advancing EU power grid resilience assessment and decision-making. Enhancing the services offered by power operators increases peoples’ safety and well-being.

Mots clés : energy infrastructure, vulnerability, resilience, numerical modelling, restoration models, multiple hazards, climate change

Participants :
- Brunel University London (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 260347.92 €
- Centre commun de recherche (Belgique) — Partner, associated partner, Recherche, subvention : 0.0 €
- Électricité de France (France) — Partner, associated partner, Organismes privés (hors enseignement), subvention : 0.0 €
Projet DROPCOS (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2022)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a human hormonal disorder of complex etiology, characterized by reproductive, endocrine and metabolic abnormalities, which affects 15% of women of reproductive age and has a very low survival rate. Recent studies on its pathophysiology suggest that it reflects alterations in homeostatic feedback mechanisms between the ovaries, adipose tissue, and hypothalamic circuits that develop during embryogenesis. Despite its high prevalence and significant impact on health, there are no effective treatments for PCOS due to its complex etiology. The development of new animal models displaying features of human PCOS is an unmet need because classical mouse models of PCOS have relied on its induction with androgen excess, providing only very limited insight into the pathogenesis of PCOS. In a genetic screen against secretable and transmembrane proteins involved in tissue-to-tissue communication, the host lab has identified new genes that act as sensors of the amount of body fat in the larval prothoracic endocrine gland of Drosophila. This gland corresponds to the neurosecretory part of the mammalian hypothalamus and mutants in these genes are characterized by PCOS. The main objective of this proposal is to characterize how cell communication in the neuroendocrine-adipose tissue-ovary axis is responsible for the uncontrolled proliferation of gonadal germ cells. The underlying PCOS will be studied using single-cell genomic approaches, metabolomics, and genetic studies on the different elements that make up this axis. By elucidating the molecular/hormonal mechanisms involved in brain-adipose tissue-ovary communication in normal development and disease, I hope to better define the pathogenesis and development of targeted therapies against PCOS.

Mots clés : drosophila, obesity, ovary, polycystic ovary syndrome pcos , neuroendocrine axis

Participants :
- Conseil supérieur de la recherche scientifique (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 181152.96 €
Projet HYPERACT (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2022)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Glioblastoma and skull base chordoma are two of the most aggressive types of brain cancers and have an extremely poor prognosis, with most tumours recurring within months of surgical and chemoradiation treatments. Recurrence is caused by tumour heterogeneity, as regions of the tumour with different biological properties respond differently to treatment. Tumour hypoxia (low oxygenation) is the leading cause of resistance to radiotherapy in heterogeneous cancers and is linked to poor patient prognosis. Effectively counteracting tumour hypoxia requires delivering higher doses of radiation selectively to hypoxic tumour regions. This is hard to achieve with conventional radiation treatment, where a uniform moderate radiation dose is delivered to the entire tumour target and dose-escalation strategies are limited by toxicity constraints established to limit damage to important surrounding brain structures. Standard radiotherapy plans do not incorporate any measure of tumour hypoxia, due to limitations in imaging techniques currently used for planning. The work proposed in this fellowship aims to improve radiation treatment for heterogeneous cancers by combining quantitative MRI/PET imaging, to non-invasively characterise regions of tumour hypoxia, and carbon ions radiotherapy, to deliver higher doses of radiation to those regions, whilst sparing surrounding healthy tissue. This strategy will deliver a more effective radiation dose distribution, providing an opportunity to improve local tumour control and patients’ survival outcomes and quality of life.

Mots clés : quantitative mri, mri guided radiotherapy, charged particle radiation therapy, brain tumours, radiation oncology

Participants :
- École polytechnique de Milan (Italie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 188590.08 €
- National Center for Oncological Hadrontherapy (Italie) — Partner, associated partner, Recherche, subvention : 0.0 €