Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-actions-marie-curie-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet SuspenseStory (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2023)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Dense suspensions are complex fluids, like shampoo or concrete, with equal parts of particles and liquid. Large particles necessitate external forces for movement, causing mechanical properties to depend on shear history. This is currently not understood nor well characterized and is a major obstacle for the modeling of its flows with quickly varying conditions, which are ubiquitous in industry (e.g. extrusion, drilling) or in nature (e.g. landslides). This project will unravel how flow history controls the mechanical response of suspensions.  The viscosity of a suspension of hard particles under a quickly varying flow can be much smaller than a steady flow because the anisotropic microstructure is too slow to evolve and provide a strong resistance. For the same reason, a jammed suspension of soft particles can retain stresses even after flow stops. So far, only shear stress has been studied, and the microstructure-stress relation remains poorly characterized. Advanced particle-based simulations, considering hydrodynamics and complex contact physics, allow precise exploration of this relationship. Separately, a new generation of microscopics-informed constitutive models show great promise to predict the evolution of the stress under arbitrary flow history but remain tested only in limited setups. We aim at characterizing the full stress tensor response under shear rotations, i.e. model time-dependent flows where the strain axes are suddenly rotated. We will determine the contribution of hydrodynamics, elastic, frictional interactions to the response, and how these depend on particle softness. We will use our results as stringent tests for current constitutive models.  The last goal is to achieve quantitative match with experiments performing shear rotations on suspensions of polystyrene (hard) and Carbopol (soft) performed by collaborators, which report intriguing observations of transient tangential stresses orthogonal to the flow direction.

Mots clés : dense suspensions

Participants :
- Université Grenoble Alpes (France) — Partner, associated partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- Centre national de la recherche scientifique (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 211754.88 €
Projet META-SONIC (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Industries like aerospace and automotive constantly demand novel materials that ensure reduced material usage, improving the performance and sustainability of structural components. Panels, crucial structural components in aircraft and automobiles, require lightweight, high-strength, and vibration-attenuating properties. Elastic metamaterials, artificial media engineered to exhibit excellent mechanical properties, offer unconventional approaches to achieve a balance between extreme stiffness and wave manipulation capabilities. The exploitation of metamaterials, however, remains limited due to conflicting requirements, such as (i) enduring realistic workloads, (ii) attenuating vibrations on a wide frequency range, and (iii) reduced component weight. META-SONIC will realize metamaterial-based multifunctional panels optimized to exhibit outstanding performance in structural and wave attenuation roles. Using multi-objective optimization methods, this project will propose the design of multifunctional panels that endure stresses with a high strength-to-weight ratio and manipulate waves in a broadband manner, tailored considering lightweight designs. This approach will close the gap between the current theoretical design of metamaterials and their development for industrial and technological applications. The obtained computational results will be experimentally validated using the manufacturing (3D printing) and testing equipment currently available at the host institution (Universitat Politècnica de València, UPV). The implementation of META-SONIC will allow new paradigms for the design of multifunctional panels that address vibrations safely and cost-effectively, contributing to sustainable manufacturing practices, energy efficiency, and reduced emissions in the aerospace and automotive industries.

Mots clés : acoustic metamaterials engineering multi objective optimization low frequency vibration attenuation

Participants :
- Université polytechnique de Valence (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 209914.56 €
Projet MDS-APP-UAF (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2022)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : SIGNED

The MDS-APPThe MDS-APP-UAF action is supervised by Professor Vicente Romero-García at Instituto Universitario de Matemática Pura y Aplicada (IUMPA) at Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), Spain. This proposal is on the implementation of a novel "mosaic design strategy" to the fabrication of an underwater acoustic impedance tube prototype, as well as the realization of an underwater acoustic absorber with a broadband absorption spectrum and thickness that can surpass the causal constraint. The proposed project combines theoretical modelling, simulations, and experiments. The successful completion of this project can have commercialization implications with the attendant effect of propelling the research and development activities in the underwater acoustics area. The proposed action is seconded by the Laboratoire d’Acoustique de l’Université du Mans at Le Mans Université (LAUM). LAUM represents one of the largest acoustics laboratories in the European Union. Therefore, it will complement the mathematical and physical skills provided by IUMPA with the acoustics and mechanics needed for the project. Both IUMPA's and LAUM's activities range from basic research to industrial collaborations, with connections with many of the leading universities and research institutions in Europe. Both offer an ideal environment for the successful completion of this proposed project (including scientific management, dissemination and exploitation activities) and its subsequent trials prior to commercialization considerations. This inter-sectoral and inter-disciplinary action is also actively seeking cooperation with European acoustic companies, aims to extend the development of underwater acoustics in academic research and industrialization. It would also contribute to broadening the applicant's horizon in the European Research Area, strengthening her multidisciplinary skills to grow into a mature researcher and enhancing host's international influence in the relevant fields.

Mots clés : underwater acoustics, mosaic design strategy, experimental test, finite element simulation, portable underwater acoustic measuring device, ultra thin underwater sound absorbing metamaterials

Participants :
- Centre national de la recherche scientifique (France) — Partner, associated partner, Recherche, subvention : 0.0 €
- Université polytechnique de Valence (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 181152.96 €
Projet NanoNIR (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2022)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Breast cancer is the most common cancer globally, accounting for 12% of all new annual cancer cases worldwide, according to the World Health Organization, and early detection is a key issue as survival improves when cancer is detected early. NanoNIR will develop a novel fluorescence-based nanotool for the detection and quantification of miR-99a-5p in liquid biopsy samples from breast cancer patients. The nanotool will consist of upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs) decorated with aptamers and small gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). UCNPs are inorganic nanocrystals that convert near-infrared (NIR) light into shorter wavelength emissions and exhibit narrow emission bandwidths and large anti-Stokes shifts (λex = 980 nm, λem = 540, 655 nm). These photophysical properties make them excellent candidates for fluorescence biosensing allowing for effective sensing with diminished background noise in a complicated detection system. The AuNPs have a large extinction coefficient and a broad UV–Vis absorption band (500 – 580 nm) making them excellent fluorescence quenching agents. The combination of UCNPs (donors) with AuNPs (acceptors) linked through complementary aptamers will result in a fluorescence emission quenching of UCNPs at 540 nm. Following the detection of miR-99a-5p by its complementary aptamer sequence, AuNPs will be displaced from the UCNPs surface restoring the luminescence of UCNPs at 540 nm with an intensity-dependent to miRNA-9a-5p concentration allowing the detection of miR-99a-5p in real samples. Additionally, the luminescence signal at 655 nm could be used for the ratiometric measurements.

Mots clés : upconverting nanoparticles, gold nanoparticles, near infrared, micrornas, breast cancer, ratiometric, fluorescence, sensor

Participants :
- INCLIVA Health Research Institute (Espagne) — Partner, associated partner, Recherche, subvention : 0.0 €
- University of Regensburg (Allemagne) — Partner, associated partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- Université polytechnique de Valence (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 181152.96 €
Projet MetaMelNiche (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2021)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Metastasis is the leading cause of death among patients with solid tumours including melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer. Despite tremendous progress in the development of effective targeted and immunotherapies, patient survival is still low. Understanding the mechanisms regulating the dissemination of cancer cells is critical to uncover new vulnerabilities of aggressive tumours. Whilst previous research has mostly focused on cell-intrinsic properties of cancer cells, the aim of this project is to define the impact of signals from the cancer cell niche on melanoma dissemination in vivo, with the long-term goal of discovering drug targets and developing new pharmacologic strategies against metastatic melanoma. Building upon previous results from the Ablain laboratory, I will elucidate and target the mechanism by which melanoma cells change their adhesion properties in response to local IGF1 signalling. Additionally, new interactions between melanoma cells and niche cells will be identified by scRNA-seq in human metastatic melanoma tissue obtained from the HCL Hospital, and recapitulated in reconstructed human skin systems and in zebrafish models. I will investigate the role of these interactions in the regulation of melanoma cell behaviour by combining genetic and pharmacologic manipulation with cutting-edge live-imaging in vitro and in vivo. This fellowship, through advanced interdisciplinary and intersectoral training and collaborations, will serve as a launchpad for reaching a position of academic independence, whilst facilitating a transfer of knowledge between myself, the CRCL and several collaborators, and addressing an unmet need for a better understanding of the behaviour of aggressive tumours. I will use this award to expand my skillset, build an international professional network, and establish myself as an expert in the field of cancer cell behaviour, producing high quality, cutting-edge research with strong translational potential.

Mots clés : metastasis, melanoma, cancer cell niche, cell cell interactions, zebrafish, high resolution imaging, 3d culture

Participants :
- Université d'Édimbourg (Royaume-Uni) — Partner, associated partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- Centre national de la recherche scientifique (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 206364.88 €
Projet VIRODOM (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2023)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

The emergence of animal domestication and farming practices during the last 10,000 years is thought to have enhanced humans' exposure to infectious diseases, but the consequences of these developments for the health of domesticated animals themselves have been largely overlooked. Understanding the long-term effects of domestication and breeding practices on the epidemiology and evolution of animal pathogens is yet of foremost importance given current concerns regarding modern farming practices and their impact on animal and public health. Recent major advances in sequencing and biomolecular techniques have allowed the recovery of rare and degraded DNA molecules from ancient biological samples, including those of pathogens which can persist in the remains of their hosts for millennia. Here, we will leverage a massive collection of ancient equine DNA (aDNA) libraries spanning more than 50,000 years to investigate the past epidemiological and evolutionary dynamics of DNA viruses in horses and donkeys from the earliest stages of domestication to modern days. An innovative approach will be implemented for the systematic enrichment of viral DNA in aDNA libraries prior to sequencing, to maximize viral detection sensitivity. Metagenomic analyses of resulting datasets will allow characterizing ancient equine viromes and their variations through time. Ancient viral sequences will be used for genomic and phylodynamic analyses to reconstruct past viral genomic changes, geographical spread and transmission dynamics. Inferred patterns will be interpreted in the light of detailed knowledge about horse and donkey's domestication and management history which has been generated in recent years. VIRODOM will provide major insights into the evolutionary history of important equine pathogens which remain understudied and contribute to the development of an integrative, One Health vision of infectious disease's history and evolution.

Mots clés : ancient dna, virus, equid, domestication, breeding

Participants :
- Centre national de la recherche scientifique (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 211754.88 €
Projet NEURO-IPVAW (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2023)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : SIGNED

One in three women worldwide has been subjected to either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence in their lifetime. By understanding what the roots of intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) are, and how it manifests as a pattern of behaviour, we might be able to prevent and counteract this violence. Attitudes toward IPVAW significantly shape interpersonal behaviours and societal reactions, acting as a factor that contributes to the risk of committing violence. Yet, despite first research, it remains unclear how these attitudes are instantiated on a neuronal level, and how they shape our daily emotional experience and behaviour. The overall goal of the research program NEURO-IPVAW is to provide an explanatory theory of the neural underpinnings mediating attitudes towards IPVAW and a predictive quantitative model capturing this theory. Towards this goal, NEURO-IPVAW will introduce an innovative neuroscientific approach. First, NEURO-IPVAW will reveal the neural foundations underlying IPVAW attitudes in relation to emotional processing in the mature brain. Second, it will unravel the link between the neural foundation and daily-life experience. For maximal efficiency and power in unified theory formation and model building, NEURO-IPVAW will employ an integrated, interdisciplinary research strategy that combines a) large-scale non-invasive brain imaging to capture neural underpinnings of IPVAW attitudes, b) experience sampling assessing daily-life experience in an ecologically valid setting, c) advanced computational modelling using representational similarity analysis to build a predictive, quantitative model of daily-life emotional experience and behaviour. Through this orchestrated effort NEURO-IPVAW will provide the empirical pieces of evidence for a new theory and model of the neural basis mediating IPVAW attitudes, thereby enhancing IPVAW prevention efforts, challenging our societal norms, and contributing to the progression of gender equality.

Mots clés : intimate partner violence, emotion, empathy, attitudes, brain, fmri, human, individual differences

Participants :
- Université d'Innsbruck (Autriche) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 183600.96 €
Projet SizeGrowth (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2021)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

What determines organ and organism size is a fundamental question that remains unanswered. All through development, organ size increases while being scaled to organism size, until growth terminates. This project addresses the question of how growth is regulated and arrests during development. We propose that energy becomes limiting throughout development and thus sets final size. Indeed, Kleiber's law postulates that the cellular metabolic power decreases with increasing organism mass, limiting the energy assigned for growth. Using Drosphila melanogaster as a model organism, we aim to study growth directly as a 3D dynamic process in order to address the question of how organs and organisms form with consistent size and shape. We will track organism growth in terms of mass and volume as well as organ growth during the larval period of development. By correlating size increase to energy fluctuations, we will uncover to what extent fly larvae follow Kleiber’s law and whether individual organs also follow the same rule. Finally, we will consider three pillars that restrict growth capacity of organs by constraining energy: fractal transportation (branching), morphogenetic gradients and mechanics, and demonstrate how growth arrests during development.

Mots clés : size, growth, energy, metabolism

Participants :
- Centre national de la recherche scientifique (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 195914.88 €
Projet REGENERATE (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2023)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : SIGNED

REGENERATE explores gender differences in how urban natural environments (UNE, comprising parks, seaside, and other green and blue spaces in cities) can support psychological restoration (i.e. recovery of depleted cognitive and psychophysiological resources, including recovery from psychological stress). It addresses challenges of urban sustainability, gender inequality, and poor mental health – all key for Europe and Horizon. The nature-health research field suggests that nature contact is restorative and promotes long-term health benefits. However, to date nature-health theories and evidence tend to lack a gender focus. This is despite women are up to seven times more likely than men to report depression. Regenerate explores how restorative benefits of UNE can be affected by gender (e.g. socio-cultural norms, attitudes, and behaviours), due to gender roles and relations (e.g. childcare responsibilities), gender stereotypes (i.e. what is socio-culturally appropriate for women) and sex-related biological attributes (i.e. needs to use restroom more often than men) – thus addressing a key theoretical and empirical blind spot. Specific objectives include i. reviewing evidence and identify factors affecting women’s nature-health restorative pathways in UNE, ii. exploring gender-specific experiences in UNE and related long-term restorative benefits, and iii. integrate findings into policy. The methodology includes a review of the evidence and analyses of secondary data on nature-health from four European countries representing diverse European regions. Results then inform real-world policy. REGENERATE contributes to policies for healthy, gender inclusive, and sustainable cities (SDG3 Good Health & Wellbeing, SDG5 Gender Equality, SDG11 Sustainable Cities and Communities). It contributes to making cities good for all, guided by the feminist urbanism principle that if public spaces are good for women, they will be good enough for everyone.

Mots clés : nature health gender urban environments stress recovery wellbeing secondary data analyses

Participants :
- CERCA Institution (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 165312.96 €
- Université d'Exeter (Royaume-Uni) — Partner, associated partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- United Nations Human Settlements Programme (Kenya) — Partner, associated partner, Organismes publics (hors enseignement & recherche), subvention : 0.0 €
Projet EpiHIVgametesembryos (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2022)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

HIV (Human immunodeficiency virus) is a global epidemic that led to the death of over 40.1 million persons since its first report. Currently, about 38.4 million people are living with HIV (PLHV) globally; 1.9 million in Nigeria. The introduction of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) has improved the lifespan of PLHV making it a chronic disease, yet in 2021 about 650,000 persons died from HIV-related illnesses. Efforts are being made to scale up treatment access to cART to reduce mortality. However, in recent years, a not well-understood decline in fertility of PLHV undergoing cART is a great concern for HIV treatment. Recent studies detected epigenetic abnormalities in the blood of PLHV undergoing cART with global changes in DNA methylation, where it is unclear if cART or HIV itself could be the cause. Abnormal establishment of DNA methylation in the gametes can lead to the manifestation of epimutations in the growing embryo with potentially bad consequences like embryo loss, diseases, and cancerogenesis. This study aims to determine the impact of cART on fertility and on the DNA methylome in gametes and derived embryos in the mouse as a model system. It will involve the analysis of DNA methylation changes in spermatozoa and oocytes, derived embryos, and offspring, as well as the examination of embryonic genome activation in 2-cell embryos and successful blastocyst development in early embryogenesis of mice under cART. This study will contribute to health education about HIV and its treatment, boosting the reproductive health of PLHV and, importantly, improving their compliance with antiretroviral therapy - thereby aiding the achievement of the UNAIDS target of 2030. Furthermore, It will foster the mutual transfer of expertise in andrology and HIV-biology to the host institution and will equip the applicant with novel skills in epigenetics and assisted reproduction, relevant soft skills, and new collaborations for his career development.

Mots clés : human immunodeficiency virus hiv , combination antiretroviral therapy cart , lamivudine, tenofovir, dolutegravir, dna methylation, fertility

Participants :
- Université de médecine de Vienne (Autriche) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 199440.96 €