Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-actions-marie-curie-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet REMIX (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Staff Exchanges
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Natural materials in biomedical field are investigated for clinical use, as materials for the fabrication of biomedical prostheses, for the stimulation of regenerative medicine patterns, or as carriers for drug release, and have acquired increasing relevance in the past years, being recognized their intrinsic bioactive properties and the possibility to repair and overcome diseases with the use of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (TERM) based procedures. Different kinds of natural materials like silks from silkworms, chitins and chitosan from crustacean, corals, collagen from marine organisms, polymers derived from plants or algae have found or are investigated for clinical use. Research activities will be directed to the exploitation and validation of natural materials for tissue engineering applications. The exchange of faculties and researchers aims also at comparing methods, regulations, procedures, good practices and methodologies with the goal of establishing a consensus on the use of in vitro experiments for the validation of materials, the possibility of building in vitro models for the investigation and the reduction of animal testing, and the use of in vitro technologies for the construction of 3D predictive models to be used for the evaluation of biocompatibility of materials, efficacy of regenerative process and drugs efficiency without earlier use of animal testings, and to model disease progress and mechanisms (e.g. tumor models). The involved institutions have a proven excellence in the area covered by this proposal, and scientific collaborations already exist among their scientists. Besides, the two EU partners are members of the European Institute on Regenerative Medicine, with a dense network of collaborations all over the world. The exchange of researchers and the organization of joint networking activities will facilitate the know how circulation, alignment of procedures and the involvement of a broader industrial community.

Mots clés : tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, scaffold, natural materials, in vitro testing

Participants :
- University of Minho (Portugal) — Partner, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 324000.0 €
- University of Trento (Italie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 346500.0 €
- Jeonbuk National University (Corée du Sud) — Partner, organization partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- Chulalongkorn University (Thaïlande) — Partner, organization partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- Mongolian University of Science and Technology (Mongolie) — Partner, organization partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
Projet HELICOID (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2016)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Natural photonic structures are present in a wide variety of flora and fauna, and are useful for camouflage mechanisms, mating and pollination signalling among other biological purposes. These natural photonic architectures constitute an invaluable source of blueprints for scientists to innovate in bio-inspired technological devices that can make a real impact in the technology based economy, for example in sensors, solar cells and lighting applications. Among the natural structures that have an artificial counterpart with huge impact in the economy are optical thin films, where for example single layers are used for anti-reflection coatings and multilayers for high quality mirrors and filters. Interestingly, some animals, such as the scarab beetles, exhibit unique circular polarization dependent reflection properties due to an inner helicoidal structure embedded within the multilayers of its cuticle. Fabricating such multilayers with added optical functionalities can find applications for example in anti-counterfeiting elements or in optical applications as chirality dependent micro-mirrors. During this MSCA I aim to gain the necessary training and knowledge to become an independent researcher in the fields of structural colour in nature and bio-inspired photonic devices. To achieve this goal, I will build up from the expertise of the host supervisor (Prof. Ullrich Steiner) and his group at the Adolphe Merkle Institute in Fribourg, Switzerland on the field of structural colour in nature, and specifically, on their experience with the chiral structures of such beetles. I will investigate novel multilayered devices exhibiting unique optical properties by performing optical simulations and combining state-of-the-art nano-patterning techniques together with a self-assembly method for multilayer fabrication that will yield unprecedented optical responses leading to innovative photonic devices.

Mots clés : photonics, structural colour, thin films, biomimmetics, nanofabrication, self assembly

Participants :
- University of Fribourg (Suisse) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 187419.6 €
Projet pyrroQuin (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Natural products (NPs) and their structural scaffolds are a rich source of small molecule tools for chemical biology and drug candidates. In a novel approach, this proposal will investigate the combination of natural product fragments to form pseudo-natural products (pseudo-NPs) with uncharted biological activity. The purpose of this project is to explore the diastereo- and enantioselective synthesis of two pyrroquinoline scaffolds, a combination of pyrrolidine and tetrahydroquinoline fragments, and submit the obtained compound collections (>100 compounds) to phenotypical screening assays to assess their biological activity. The obtained molecules could potentially serve as novel biological probes and lay the foundation for the discovery of novel targets or drugs. Highly active compounds will be used to establish structure activity relationships (SAR) and design affinity isolation probes for the identification of cellular targets.

Mots clés : evaluation of biological activity, stereoselective synthesis

Participants :
- Max Planck Society (Allemagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 162806.4 €
Projet NAIL (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Nucleic acid storage and stability is of primary importance as it finds uses in material science as nanomachines, biosensors and bioelectronics. The long-term stability and storage of DNA is a major challenge as hydrolytic reactions cause its denaturation when stored in an aqueous environment with conventional buffer solutions. Most of the devices employing nucleic acids require the nucleic acid molecule (generally DNA) to be adsorbed on the surface with a solvent in its immediate vicinity. The search for suitable solvents and electrolytes received a boost with the advent of ionic liquids (ILs). Nucleic acids have showcased enhanced chemical and structural stability in ILs compared to conventional buffer solutions. However, to employ ILs as electrolytes or solvents in biosensors and bioelectronics it is paramount to understand the effect of IL ions on the adsorption and dynamics of DNA molecules on surfaces. The objective can be achieved by employing a synergistic approach of microscopy, spectroscopy and theory. Time lapse scanning force microscopy (SFM) and Tip Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (TERS) supported by computational studies will give a comprehensive idea in this regard. In essence, the central research objective of NAIL is to understand, the role of the various stabilizing interactions on Nucleic Acids imposed by the ions of Ionic Liquids on the adsorption and dynamics of the former on surfaces. Along with the research objectives, the ultimate goal of the project is to propel me, Sugosh Prabhu to a position of professional independence at the forefront of academic/industrial research by enhancing my innovative potential, diversify my individual competences; and also to open up new avenues in terms of collaboration for me and the host organization.

Mots clés : ionic liquids, dna adsorption, dna dynamics, tip enhanced raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, scanning force microscopy

Participants :
- KU Leuven (Belgique) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 172800.0 €
Projet a-Sign (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2015)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Nucleotides are the building blocks of nucleic acids and have emerged as significant determinants in energy transfer and signalling. Four nucleotides are known to function as signalling molecules in bacteria, namely the cyclic mono-nucleotides cAMP and cGMP, and the cyclic di-nucleotides c-di-AMP and c-di-GMP. These molecules play specific and distinct roles in many bacterial species, and can co-exist within a single bacterial cell. Whereas the diversity of cyclic nucleotide signalling is now starting to be uncovered, very little is known about their coordination in the control of their respective signalling pathways. Specifically, in the human pathogen Listeria monocytogenes, agent of a life-threatening and foodborne disease, it is known that both cyclic di-nucleotides c-di-AMP and c-di-GMP are produced but the production of cAMP and cGMP, as well as the contribution of the four nucleotides to the virulence mechanisms deployed by L. monocytogenes is yet to be uncovered. Using multidisciplinary approaches, the present proposal aims to 1) investigate the production of cAMP and cGMP, 2) identify new signalling pathways governed by the different cyclic nucleotides, and 3) uncover their role in physiology and pathogenesis. The overall impact of this proposal can open up the field to novel concepts and provide a basis for the study of cyclic nucleotide crosstalk.

Mots clés : signalling, bacteria, cyclic nucleotides, listeria, pathogenesis

Participants :
- University of Porto (Portugal) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 148635.6 €
Projet NUMERICS (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Cofund Doctoral programme
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Numerical simulation and scientific computing will face major challenges in the coming years, such as the development of hardware and software architectures able to deliver very high computing power, the development of specific simulation algorithms that run on HPC computers, the generation of data from “simulation experiments”, data analysis with adequate multi-D visualisation systems, statistical analysis, modelling methods combining different scales and physical models and the management of large and complex data sets (BigData). CEA has been recognized as an expert in scientific and technological research in this strategic area but ambitions to increase its competitiveness by renewing its research organisation and training capabilities, thus developing its expertise, accelerating development, and internationalizing its position. In this context, the NUMERICS project will promote cutting edge research in scientific domains with real prospects yet still poorly developed at CEA by proposing an innovative PhD training that focuses on “numerical simulation and scientific computing” as transversal research activities that will act as leading stake for CEA and further outline the existing PhD programme. The NUMERICS project will rely on internal structures (among which Maison de la Simulation) that will be stimulating base camps for all PhD students (research, training, expertise sharing, mutual exchanges). The proposed project targeting 50 international fellowships all along the programme duration will further stimulate the development of European research and human resource capacities, knowledge transfer between academic institutions and industrial stakeholders and thus strengthen the competitiveness and innovation of EU industries in this competitive area. Training NUMERICS PhDs to the high standard set out in the programme will ultimately lead to producing a new generation of researchers able to answer the societal challenges covered by CEA.

Mots clés : numerical, simulation, scientific computing, infrastructures, facilities, excellence, networks, eurotalents

Participants :
- Commissariat à l’énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 3924000.0 €
Projet TFNup (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Nup98 is a mobile nucleoporin that localizes both at the nuclear pore complex and within the nucleus. Nup98 is frequently rearranged to form leukemogenic Nup98-fusion proteins with various partners. Nup98-HoxA9 (NHA9), a fusion between phenylalanine-glycine-rich (FG-rich) region of Nup98 and the homeobox transcription factor (TF) HoxA9, is one of the most frequent Nup98-fusion associated with acute myeloid leukemia. The physiological role of NHA9 in hematopoietic development has been gradually established in the past decade at the cellular level. However, the plasticity and the phase separation behavior of such intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) largely hinder our understanding of their functions in gene regulation at the molecular level. In this project, I will develop platform technologies that combine chemical biology, microfluidics, and high-resolved molecular imaging to study the structure and biophysical function of NHA9 in vitro and in cells, and open up a new pathway to unravel its role in gene dysregulation from molecular perspective. Firstly, I will dual-label NHA9 at specific sites using the cutting-edge genetic code expansion technology developed by the host laboratory, and characterize the plasticity of NHA9 in live cells using Fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) based Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) platform. Next, I will use my strengths in microfluidics to design a new platform for tracking the phase separation behaviors of NHA9 with high temporal resolution in vitro. Finally, I will fuse NHA9 with proximity-dependent biotin identification (BioID) tags, and visualize the dynamic interaction networks of NHA9 using super-resolution microscopy (SRM) in live cells. By integrating those interdisciplinary approaches, the proposed research would make a conceptual breakthrough in understanding the molecular mechanism of NHA9-driven leukemogenesis and may provide a rationale for the search of potential therapeutic approaches in the future.

Mots clés : intrinsically disordered protein, phase separation, single molecule detection, chemical biology, microfluidics

Participants :
- Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (Allemagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 174806.4 €
Projet OPEN P-CAN (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

OPA1 Educates the Nucleus in Pancreatic CANcer. Pancreatic cancer represents an unresolved health burden, showing abysmal chances of survival and refractoriness to conventional and immunological therapies. Significant benefit will be gained from a better understanding of molecular mechanisms leading to cancer formation, with the goal to curtail disease incidence and improve the opportunities to treat it early. The study will describe how mitochondria and nuclei communicate to facilitate pancreatic cancer initiation. Building from my prior research in metabolic-dependent histone acetylation, and leveraging on the host laboratory expertise in mitochondrial dynamics, I designed a roadmap for the study of how mitochondrial activity is altered during pancreatic carcinogenesis and whether that can be exploited for therapeutic purposes. I will decipher the specific role of major cristae-remodeling factor OPA1, which is an unfavorable prognostic factor for pancreatic cancer patients. I will seek how OPA1-altered expression impacts mitochondrial function and metabolite availability in mouse pre-malignant cells, using in vivo models of pancreatic carcinogenesis. My previous experimentation found that metabolite-dependent histone acetylation is critical for the initiation of pancreatic carcinogenesis. I will now investigate whether OPA1-mediated mitochondrial rewiring impacts citrate and acetyl-CoA abundance in a way that alters the levels of histone acetylation. Epigenetic reprogramming will be further investigated in various OPA1 transgenic mice. Finally, the therapeutic potential of OPA1 targeting will be addressed using both genetic and chemical approaches using resources recently developed at the host laboratory. The project represents a career-defying framework for the study of molecular determinants of pancreatic cancer onset.

Mots clés : mitochondria, acetyl coa, citrate, histone acetylation, pancreatic cancer

Participants :
- University of Padua (Italie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 183473.28 €
Projet OUTNANO (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2016)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : CLOSED

OUTNANO is about developing a new generation of nanophotonic devices by exploiting ultrafast dynamics of electrons driven out-of-equilibrium. Photonic sciences profoundly impact our society, enabling the development of high-technology devices that are currently employed in our daily life: DVD players, LEDs, laser printers, barcode scanners, displays, sensors, optical fibres, medical equipment and many others. Among the future frontiers of photonics, the achievement of ultraviolet lasers, compact white-light sources, and on-the-chip signal processing play a crucial role for several applications, e.g., all-optical computing, spectroscopy, imaging techniques, bio-sensing, cancer treatment, dental surgery, and micro-machining. Extreme exploitation of optical nonlinearities in nanophotonic components is fundamentally important in tackling these challenges, as frequency conversion mechanisms can be enhanced to generate ultraviolet radiation. Besides, optical nonlinearity enables active controlling of light by means of light, a basic requirement for developing all-optical devices. The high field enhancement provided by plasmonic materials and metamaterials is crucial for the full exploitation of nonlinear effects. Currently, the inherent high losses of these materials hamper their efficiency and their application in new-generation photonic devices. OUTNANO aims at tackling these challenges of nanophotonics by using ultrashort optical pulses with time duration of few femtoseconds, which drive the out-of-equilibrium electron plasma in the collisionless regime, where ohmic losses are suppressed. This novel regime enables the development of low-loss plasmonic circuits for on-chip all-optical computing and the engineering of highly nonlinear nanophotonic devices with enhanced efficiencies for generating UV radiation and for achieving ultra-compact white-light sources.

Mots clés : plasmonics, metamaterials, nanophotonics, nonlinear optics, nonlinear plasmonics, nonlinear

Participants :
- National Research Council (Italie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 168277.2 €
Projet miVaO (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Obesity and its comorbidities currently represent major societal and health challenges worldwide. Its prevalence has reached epidemic proportions and trends continue to rise. This situation highlights the need for more effective preventive measures. The realization that the gut microbiota could play a central role in human energy metabolism has constituted an unprecedented shift in the way we envision obesity management. Nonetheless, we still lack understanding of which the key gut microbiota players are and how they communicate with the host, thus hindering further advances in the design and clinical applicability of microbiome-based strategies to combat obesity. Preclinical studies indicate that gut microbiota impact on energy homeostasis by modulating gastrointestinal innervation function, including vagal afferent fibres, which are involved in regulating the gut-brain-periphery axis. Scientific evidence suggests that vagal afferent function may be directly affected by gut microbiota or indirectly by the enteroendocrine system, also modulated by gut microbiota. The aim of the miVaO (microbiota mediating Vagal communication in Obesity) proposal is to a gain greater understanding of how gut microbiota influences the gut-brain axis by modulating gut vagal innervations and the subsequent impact on energy homeostasis and, in particular, on white adipose tissue. To achieve this general aim, we propose using the intestinal human bacteria biobank created in the context of the EUproject MyNewGut by the host institution to: 1) identify bacterial strains with potential neuroactive properties; 2) discern between direct and indirect-enteroendocrine-mediated bacterial effects on vagal afferents and 3) identify the best candidate strain able to prevent or attenuate obesity by modulating vagal afferents. The ultimate goal of this proposal is to propel the development of microbiome-based strategies that bring societal benefits via disease prevention and public health promotion.

Mots clés : microbiota, obesity, vagal nerve

Participants :
- Spanish National Research Council (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 158121.6 €
Projet CLEARFAT (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Obesity is a metabolic disorder with unmet medical intervention strategies, for which a therapy is urgently needed. The Domingos Lab recently discovered that sympathetic (SNS) neuro-adipose junctions mediate lipolysis and fat mass reduction (Zeng et al., 2015). Thus, direct and targeted activation of SNS inputs to adipose tissues (AT) could represent a new strategy for the induction of fat loss that would circumvent central leptin resistance as well as historical challenges associated with drug delivery across the blood-brain-barrier. While it is known that the autonomic nervous system (ANS) plays a critical role in energetic metabolism through both its sympathetic and parasympathetic (PNS) branches; the mechanisms that underlie the development of the autonomic innervation of AT remain completely unexplored. Both the parasympathetic and sympathetic systems develop before birth, and autonomic nerve fibers can be observed in various peripheral organs as early as mid-gestation (Black, 1978; Burris and Hebrok, 2007; Rinaman and Levitt, 1993) although as AT originates at late gestation it is unclear how this late stage targeting may occur and how disruption to this process may impact metabolic profiles later in life. Although it has recently gained acceptance as an important endocrine organ, the cellular architecture of AT also remains elusive, as well as how this may be altered past hyperplasia and hypertrophy in pathological states. This has been due to the amorphous and unclearly defined nature of the tissue that becomes deformed and disrupted by classical dissection. The advent of whole body tissue clearing techniques allows us for the first time to study the architecture of AT and its inputs obviating the need for dissection and sectioning.

Mots clés : metabolism, sympathetic nervous system, development, obesity

Participants :
- University of Oxford (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 212933.76 €