Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-actions-marie-curie-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet MODERN (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : SIGNED

MODERN will offer a highly skilled young researcher with a PhD in chemistry and an outstanding track record a top-quality training through research in the cross-disciplinary, supra-sectoral field of printed multifunctional 2D semiconductors. Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are revolutionary 2D materials with ultrathin thicknesses and intriguing optoelectronic properties, which are promising alternatives to Si technologies for miniaturized devices thereby extending Moore’s law. TMD inks can be printed into large-area thin films, yet comprising vdW gaps and random defects which significantly hinder charge transport. While molecular functionalization can improve charge transport, most studies focused on single-component TMDs or molecules with a single functionality, missing the potential of supramolecular chemistry to engineer the performance and functionalities of next-generation optoelectronic devices based on 2D materials. MODERN aims to develop covalently linked multicomponent TMD networks with adjustable properties and enhanced performance by molecular engineering for multi-responsive optoelectronic devices. These networks with tunable components, including transition metal disulfides, diselenides, and ditellurides, will be fabricated by covalently linking solution-processed TMD nanosheets in thin films via defect engineering to passivate defects and improve charge transport. Further chemical functionalization with selected functional molecules responding to external stimuli will add responsive capabilities to the multicomponent TMD networks. Photoswitchable optoelectronic devices with enhanced charge transport and switchable photoresponsiveness will be fabricated (responsive transistors, multi-level memories). MODERN will promote the practical application of molecularly functionalized TMD networks in miniaturized optoelectronic devices. MODERN’s ultimate goal is to prepare the fellow for a leadership position in academia or industry in Europe.

Mots clés : two dimensional materials, transition metal dichalcogenides, 2d material networks, supramolecular chemistry, chemical functionalization, optoelectronic devices, photosensitive networks

Participants :
- BeDimensional (Italy) (Italie) — Partner, associated partner, Organismes privés (hors enseignement), subvention : 0.0 €
- Université de Strasbourg (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 226420.56 €
Projet WTEB-Therapy-VML (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Volumetric muscle loss (VML), or a frank loss of muscle tissue often results in a permanent loss of muscle tissue and chronic reduction in strength, which can lead to long-term disability. Tissue engineered biomaterial matrix (e.g. hydrogels) offers a promising strategy to restore and improve the function of VML injuries and regeneration. However, muscle regeneration cannot succeed in the absence of biophysical (e.g. mechanical force, topography, and electrical induction) and/or biochemical cues (e.g. integrins) from the extracellular matrix. The matrix design must take into account the functional characteristics of the target tissue. For example, the structural anisotropy in muscle is critical in guiding cell organization and generating powerful muscle contractions. Recently, mechanotherapy has drawn the attention of physical therapists, which is a strategy for tissue repair and remodelling through a conversional process from mechanical signals into biochemical response in cells. Moreover, muscle is responsive to electrical stimulation due to its physiological nature. Bioresorbable wireless bioelectronics as electrical stimulators have been developed for many applications, including neuromuscular regeneration, and cardiac pacemakers etc. Inspired by these, I aim to develop a novel anisotropic matrix with mechano-responsive properties, followed by integration with bioelectronics, which will provide a dual-mechano-electrical therapy for VML. To achieve this, I will carry out the project employing an interdisciplinary approach, including polymer chemistry, physics, electronic engineering, mechanobiology, and regenerative medicine. My experience in polymer chemistry, physics, and mechanobiology will be integrated with the outstanding expertise of the Northwestern University and University of Cambridge in bioelectronics and regenerative medicine. If successful, it will be a dramatic development for regenerative medicine and broaden the applications of bioelectronics.

Mots clés : biomimetic hydrogels, bioelectronics, anisotropy, magnetic nanoparticles, mechanobiology, volumetric muscle loss

Participants :
- Université Northwestern (Etats-Unis) — Partner, associated partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- Université de Cambridge (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 454103.4 €
Projet GAPIBB (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Obesity and associated metabolic diseases represent a significant health challenge and financial burden worldwide. Recently, a breakthrough has been made in the treatment of obesity with drugs such as semaglutide (Ozempic), which mimic endogenous glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP1) action in the brain and cause weight loss via reduced food intake. The hypothalamus is the key brain region involved in the neuronal control of food intake. Recent research shows that perturbations to the maternal environment in pregnancy may interfere with early neural circuitry development in offspring and lead to life-long metabolic impairments that are a contributing factor of rising obesity rates. The increased Ozempic use in women of reproductive age has resulted in a rise in “Ozempic babies”, where women unexpectedly become pregnant whilst using Ozempic. However, there is limited data regarding Ozempic use in pregnant women to determine whether in utero exposure leads to adverse developmental effects in offspring. The offspring hypothalamus is potentially vulnerable to semaglutide exposure, due to it’s highly plastic developmental state and high GLP1R expression in both rodents and humans. This project is designed to test the hypothesis that in utero Ozempic exposure causes significant alterations to the development of hypothalamic feeding circuitry resulting in subsequent disruptions to metabolic control in the offspring. Using a rodent model of semaglutide administration to the mother in pregnancy, we will determine whether semaglutide exposure during fetal development affects hypothalamic circuitry and transcriptome at different ages from fetal through to adult life and evaluate whether semaglutide exposure causes long-term changes in metabolism or feeding behaviour in offspring in adulthood. This project will deliver vital insight into the long-term effects of semaglutide use in pregnancy on long-term offspring health.

Mots clés : developmental programming, hypothalamus, semaglutide, obesity

Participants :
- University College de Londres (Royaume-Uni) — Partner, associated partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- Université de Cambridge (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 260347.92 €
Projet syRNAlb (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Lung cancer remains the most frequently diagnosed and most lethal cancer, making this disease a huge socio-economic challenge. Therefore, new effective therapeutic approaches are urgently needed. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are versatile molecules that influence crucial pathways in cancer progression. RP3-340N1.2 is a poorly investigated but highly overexpressed lncRNA in lung cancer, suggesting it plays a pivotal role in its progression. The fellow will investigate the role of RP3-340N1.2 in lung cancer and its application in targeted therapy. SyRNAlb aims to overcome the existing limitations of lung cancer therapy by developing clinically translatable human serum albumin-based nanoparticles (HSA NPs). HSA NPs will release therapeutic oligonucleotides and chemotherapeutics in cells to synergistically reduce the lung cancer burden whilst avoiding the development of drug resistance and detrimental side effects. SyRNAlb will support Horizon Europe's mission on cancer by increasing the knowledge in lung cancer biology, specifically by characterising the role of the oncogenic lncRNA RP3-340N1.2. Additionally, the fellow will address the Translational European Challenge by developing a cutting-edge therapy based on a novel, stable and scalable albumin nanoformulation that co-delivery chemotherapeutics and oligonucleotides against RP3-340N1.2. The knowledge generated in syRNAlb will expand our limited understanding of the role of RP3-340N1.2 in lung cancer progression and promote the development of an effective treatment. Furthermore, the expertise and tools generated can be customized for other diseases and other target lncRNAs. This ambitious multidisciplinary project will promote the candidate's career as a future leader by learning not only novel molecular and cellular biology techniques (in 2D and 3D cultures), nano-bioengineering and bioinformatic techniques, but also training in leadership and clinical transfer.

Mots clés : nanomedicine, albumin nanoparticles, long non coding rna, non coding rna, lung cancer, combination therapy, oligonucleotide therapy

Participants :
- Université de Cambridge (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 260347.92 €
Projet 6G-SCOUT (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : SIGNED

As we advance into the 5G networks era, emerging applications increasingly require enhanced broadband and seamless connectivity. While sub-6GHz-based conventional 5G networks offer temporary solutions, the need for greater bandwidth and advanced capabilities drives the development of millimeter-wave and Terahertz networks. These next-generation networks require precise environmental information for reliable communication, which can only be achieved by integrating wireless communication and wireless sensing technologies. Looking ahead, 6G networks are expected to go beyond simply increasing data rates and massive connectivity by merging wireless sensing and communication into a unified system, known as Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC).  6G-SCOUT is leading this evolution by developing efficient ISAC systems for 6G wireless networks that seamlessly integrate communication and sensing functionalities. The project focuses on several key objectives to advance 6G technology. First, it will create a resource-efficient, sensing-assisted communication algorithm that evaluates sensing data from various network nodes, optimizing resource allocation to enhance sensing and communication performance. Second, 6G-SCOUT will develop a cooperative multi-band, multi-static sensing technique for localization and object recognition, using advanced machine learning (ML) and deep reinforcement learning tools. To ensure transparency and robustness of the proposed ML solutions, posthoc explainability techniques will be used. A crucial aspect of 6G-SCOUT is the practical validation of its algorithms and system designs using real-time software-defined radio (SDR) and multi-band testbed platforms. Lastly, with 6G standardization on the horizon, 6G-SCOUT will also promote European Union value-based techniques for 6G ISAC, building a strong stakeholder community through standardization efforts and widespread dissemination, ensuring a lasting impact on global wireless communication.

Mots clés : integrated sensing and communication isac , 6g, network sensing, explainable ai xai , software defined radios, testbed implementation

Participants :
- University College de Londres (Royaume-Uni) — Partner, associated partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- InterDigital (United Kingdom) (Royaume-Uni) — Partner, associated partner, Organismes privés (hors enseignement), subvention : 0.0 €
- Université de Cambridge (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 345234.9 €
Projet DIAMMOND (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

The Agenda for Sustainable Development recognised reducing maternal and newborn mortality as a major challenge. Addressing health during pregnancy offers the potential to improve maternal-infant health and to facilitate women’s social participation. The gut microbiome (GM), the community of microbes that inhabit our gut, plays a key role in maintaining host health; however, the factors that modulate the GM in pregnant women remain underexplored. Being diet one of the main modulators of GM, dietary interventions are an accessible strategy to impact its composition and functionality, consequently affecting host health. Nevertheless, few studies examined how diet affects GM during pregnancy and its effects on maternal physiology. We feed millions of co-habiting bacteria that produce bioactive compounds when we eat. What are those metabolites and microbes that produce them? Can we design nutritional strategies to reduce the risk and severity of obstetric disorders? DIAMMOND (DIet As Food for Gut Microbes to Impact Mother-Offspring Health through Nutrition) aims to (i) unravel the influence of specific dietary components on the relationship between GM and the incidence and severity of foetal growth restriction (FGR); (ii) to discover GM species that catabolise these dietary components and metabolites produced; and (iii) to decipher the effects of the products on gestation. The project will create the first metagenomic database of pregnant women GM and will use it to identify the interaction of GM-diet links in healthy and FGR pregnancies. This information will guide the discovery of metabolites resulting from bacterial transformation after the in vitro digestion of the food. Finally, the mechanisms by which these metabolites impact intestinal and placental physiology will be uncovered using complex cellular models. DIAMMOND has the potential to impact dietary guidelines and the design of products or microbiome-modulation strategies to improve maternal and foetal health.

Mots clés : microbiome, nutrition, metagenomics, in vitro food digestion, pregnancy, foetal growth restriction

Participants :
- Conseil supérieur de la recherche scientifique (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 194074.56 €
- Université de Cambridge (Royaume-Uni) — Partner, associated partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
Projet Bio-fluorine (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Fluorine offers unique properties that are invaluable in molecular design and discovery. Its importance is evidenced by the overrepresentation of fluorine among synthetic small molecule therapeutics. However, unlike synthetic chemists, nature rarely uses fluorine as part of its design tools to construct bioactive molecules. To introduce fluorine into complex scaffolds such as natural products would offer enormous potential for accessing new structural space that combine beneficial features of biological and synthetic molecules for the discovery of novel functions. This proposal, Bio-fluorine, aims to explore the incorporation of fluorine into terpenoids, which constitute the largest and most diverse class of natural products, using biosynthetic enzymes. The proposed research seeks to develop an entirely enzymatic pathway to incorporate fluorine from a simple precursor into diverse carbon skeletons. The proposed work also aims to develop a Saccharomyces cerevisiae chassis for scalable biological fluorine incorporation and novel organofluorine production.

Mots clés : biosynthesis, fluorine chemistry, synthetic biology, metabolic engineering

Participants :
- Université de Cambridge (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 260347.92 €
Projet DialogueWithSleepers (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : SIGNED

After waking from a sound sleep, we typically remember little of what transpired during the night. The common assumption is thus that sleep is unconscious. Yet, what is recalled in the morning offers only the tiniest glimpse into the Pandora’s box of our sleeping minds. For instance, repeatedly awakening individuals to probe the last thing on their mind reveals frequent experiences across sleep stages. Further, studies of brain responses reveal sophisticated environmental processing during sleep. During fleeting moments, sleepers can even respond to questions using subtle signals, like twitching. We propose to take advantage of this real-time dialogue with sleeping people to get a first-hand glimpse into the sleeping mind, unobscured by the memory deficits that usually shield us from knowing what happens each night. Our first project will first elucidate why sleeping people communicate inconsistently. By studying sleepers’ responses to analogous questions posed in three different sensory modalities, we will test whether responsiveness is bottlenecked by global variations in markers of consciousness or by modality-specific sensory disconnection. Our novel response methodology will also allow us to detect whether sleepers form the intention to respond, regardless of their behavioral responses. Next, we will initiate communication throughout a full night’s sleep to query sleepers about conscious experiences in all sleep stages. By posing questions that require a metacognitive judgment, we can directly evaluate how metacognition, a process closely linked with higher order aspects of consciousness, changes throughout sleep. Immediately after responding, sleepers will be awoken to report their experiences to assess whether sleepers report conscious access of responses given. This synergistic combination of methods has the potential to reveal previously intractable mysteries of the sleeping mind, such as the nature of experiences forgotten upon awakening.

Mots clés : sleep consciousness dreaming lucid dreaming communication narcolepsy rem sleep nrem sleep multisensory

Participants :
- Université de Cambridge (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 260347.92 €
Projet SOCIALADAPT (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Social robots, conceived to provide companionship, emotional support, and assistance with daily tasks, play a crucial role in promoting mental health and wellbeing, aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Despite advancements in social robots’ ability to understand and respond to humans, they have limited capabilities in personalization and adaptivity, which are crucial for ensuring long-term user engagement. Meanwhile, given the rapid growth of the AI-driven e-commerce market and the widespread adoption of Large Language Models, conversational recommender systems have become a popular tool for providing recommendations and information. While most recommenders effectively sustain long-term user engagement in real-world applications, they are typically regarded as non-embodied agents, overlooking their social roles in interactions. SOCIALADAPT aims to enable social robots and recommender systems to benefit from each other and achieves the following objectives: for social robots, i) inferring user preferences from multi-modal interactions, and ii) personalized and adaptive responses for long-term use; for recommender systems, iii) integrating conversational recommenders with humanoid embodiments, and iv) evaluating the embodied recommender. To address the first objective, the candidate will use multimodal recommendation methods to infer short-term and long-term user preferences. For the second, she will develop a reinforcement learning method that learns from inferred user preferences to generate adaptive responses. The third objective entails integrating recommendations with virtual humanoid embodiments generated by generative AI. For the fourth, she will evaluate users’ social presence when interacting with the recommender through use studies, in compliance with data privacy. The candidate expects to advance her research career and contribute to the intersection of social robotics and recommender systems, becoming one of the leaders.

Mots clés : social robot, conversational recommender systems, personalization, adaptivity, long term use, intelligent embodiment

Participants :
- Université de Cambridge (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 260347.92 €
Projet ARCH-3D (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Most people alive today carry genetic material inherited from ancient hominins like Neanderthals or Denisovans. This introgression has shaped traits such as immunity, skin pigmentation, and disease susceptibility, yet the precise genetic mechanisms behind these influences remain unclear. Understanding how this archaic DNA continues to affect modern human biology could unlock new insights into both human uniqueness and diversity. While advances have been made in understanding the 3D structure of the genome and how genes are regulated spatially, the role of archaic DNA in these processes remains not fully understood. ARCH-3D aims to address this by constructing the first 3D models of Neanderthal and Denisovan genomes, offering a groundbreaking view of their spatial organisation. By comparing these models to modern human genomes, ARCH-3D will explore how introgressed regions influence gene regulation and contribute to human diversity. These regions may also reveal new targets for drug development, providing a practical application of the findings. Based at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research (MIAR) at the University of Cambridge, ARCH-3D will be conducted under the supervision of Dr. Guy Jacobs, an expert in human population genetics and archaic introgression. MIAR’s interdisciplinary environment, with its focus on human evolutionary genetics and archaeology, will provide invaluable resources for the computational analysis and interpretation of results in an evolutionary context. Dr. Wlasnowolski will also receive comprehensive training in cutting-edge computational techniques and interdisciplinary research, enhancing his academic career prospects. This experience will prepare him for roles in industries such as drug development, where understanding genetic mechanisms is essential, ultimately strengthening the impact of European science and industries like AstraZeneca, will advance European excellence and competitiveness in the field.

Mots clés : human evolution, neanderthals, denisovans, chromatin, 3d structure

Participants :
- The University of Melbourne (Australie) — Partner, associated partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- Université de Cambridge (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 276187.92 €