Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-actions-marie-curie-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet NEURONESt (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Bird nests may be the most familiar of the animal-made objects, but still we don't know much about how birds actually make them. Using zebra finches as a model system, Healy and Meddle have overturned the folk wisdom that bird nests are the results of an instinctive behaviour, showing that birds learn about the physical nature of the world when building. Using the immediate early gene (IEG) c-Fos, a marker of neuronal activity, they have also begun to identify the key neuronal structures active during nest building (NB), including among others the cerebellum (CB). Interestingly, across bird species, as the complexity of the nest increases so does the degree of folding of the CB, a brain region traditionally associated with motor control, but more recently with cognition. In the first part of the project, I will thus test whether this reported pattern of cerebellar activation relates to cognitive aspects of NB (such as planning or problem solving) and/or to a purely manipulative component. In addition of being a building activity, NB is also a key behaviour for birds' reproduction and fitness. Interestingly, most of the brain areas involved during NB are sex-steroid sensitive. I will thus determine in a second experiment whether and how sex hormones play a role in NB, as they do for so many other behaviours. To do this I will test the involvement of sex steroids, their receptors and traditional effectors in NB, using a combination of molecular biology, IEG studies and experimental manipulation of sex hormone levels. This work will lead to the first major synthesis of the cognitive, neurobiological and molecular mechanisms underlying NB by birds. It will also provide significant insights into the neural bases of other building behaviours, such as tool manufacture, and will open new avenues of research about the role(s) environmental pollutants acting as endocrine disruptors play on brain functioning, and how they interfere with birds’ reproduction and fitness.

Mots clés : nest building, birds, physical cognition, neuroethology, neuroendocrinology, cerebellum, cognition, sex steroids

Participants :
- University of St Andrews (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 212933.76 €
Projet BrightPhoton (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2015)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Black Phosphorus or P(Black) is a lamellar crystal of tervalent P atoms stacked by weak Van der Waals interactions that can be exfoliated down to the monolayer. Recent results demonstrate that quantum confinement in P(Black) thin layers leads to promising electronic properties such as an extremely high carrier mobility and tunable direct band gaps from visible to mid-infrared depending on the layer thickness. These properties have significant echoes in photonics and 2D transport physics. Studying pristine P(black) thin layers is however challenging due to the poor chemical and structural stability of elemental phosphorus. Indeed, the PI and his coworkers recently revealed a photo-activated charge transfer process involving adsorbed oxygen and water in ambient conditions that leads to a strong photo-oxidation of P(Black). Our approach targets 1- the fabrication of nano-heterostructures based on P(Black) thin layers sandwiched and or intercalated with protective Boron Nitride (BN) insulator layers ; 2- the fundamental studies of this new type of material. The scientific program focuses on the band gap study of P(black) depending on the thickness by Transmission Electron microscopy (TEM) and on electroluminescence of P(black) based heterostructures. The project represents a major leverage in the career trajectory of the PI by a fast, efficient and sustainable repatriation of this new field of research in the French and European landscape, in complete synergy with the momentum given by the EU member states on 2D related materials. Moreover this action offers, via a strong and customized training programm, a unique opportunity to the PI to acquire new and complementary skills in Boron Nitride thin layer synthesis and TEM, especially the TEM-Energy Electron Loss Spectroscopy (EELS) operating mode, that is particularly well adapted for 2D semiconductors in the hosting laboratory fully expert in these matters and with which the PI has already developed a strong link.

Mots clés : black phosphorus, 2d materials, photonics, heterostructures, boron nitride, electroluminescence

Participants :
- Centre national de la recherche scientifique (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 185076.0 €
Projet REGMat (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Black holes (BHs), where gravity is strongest in the universe, are the objects where we must confront the most extreme phenomena predicted by general relativity (GR) and extensions thereof. As for the majority of astrophysical bodies, BHs are typically spinning. However, addressing rotation in GR is notoriously difficult. Moreover, BHs are ‘dirty’: they are accompanied by clouds of gas or accretion disks, which introduce deviations from the known vacuum solutions. The complexity of the Einstein equations, taking into account the presence of matter and the rotation of spacetime, hampers attempts to model realistic BHs. The prime goal of this research proposal is to deepen our understanding of BH dynamics in the presence of matter, and in particular the interplay between matter and the rotation of spacetime. This line of research will significantly advance our knowledge regarding the stability of more realistic (non-vacuum, non-spherically symmetric) BHs, as well as on outstanding issues, such as cosmic censorship. Moreover, BHs nowadays are central to many areas of physics through the application of GR to fields other than the traditional ones of astrophysics and cosmology, namely to the more modern ones such as quantum gravity, high-energy physics (HEP) and strongly coupled quantum systems. Higher-dimensional gravity and the gauge/gravity duality provide a strong motivation to investigate BHs in contexts formerly regarded as removed from physical applications, in particular asymptotically anti-de Sitter (AdS) spacetimes of more than four dimensions. This proposal investigates, as a natural extension of the above-mentioned problems, the dynamics of rotating AdS BHs with implications for our understanding of thermalization in strongly coupled quantum theories.

Mots clés : black holes, gravitational collapse, linear perturbations and stability analysis, cosmic censorship, cft correspondence

Participants :
- University of Barcelona (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 170121.6 €
Projet SPINBHMICRO (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Black holes are among the most intriguing objects in theoretical physics. They are thermodynamic ensembles and they possess huge entropy, proportional to the area of the event horizon. Black hole entropy provides precious quantitative information about the microscopic structure of quantum gravity: its holographic behavior suggests that the quantum degrees of freedom of gravity are encoded in a lower-dimensional field theory. The first aim of this ambitious project is to make progress in understanding the nature of quantum gravity by using String Theory and the holographic (AdS/CFT) correspondence. The candidate will use AdS/CFT to explain the microstructure of extremal rotating black holes, whose near horizon geometry falls into the same class as those present in our universe. The counting of microstates is related to very recent exciting technical advances in the study of supersymmetric QFT by exact non-perturbative methods. The applicant will push current techniques to encompass also supersymmetry breaking setups, providing a new window into the fundamental microscopic theory of gravity. The second aim of this proposal is to investigate the process of energy extraction from fast spinning black holes. The candidate will solve the equations of Force Free Electrodynamics, which describe the electromagnetic field of the black hole magnetosphere filled with plasma, in a simplified setup of spinning black hole. She will analytically achieve a quantitative estimate of potential observational consequences, for instance the order of magnitude of the Lorentz factor of accelerated particles in black hole jets. The expertise of the candidate in black holes and holography complements that of the group at Harvard U. (Black Hole Initiative) and Milano U. in index computations, Kerr/CFT and magnetohydrodynamics, providing a unique opportunity to shed new light on these open questions.

Mots clés : black holes, string theory, holography, rotating black holes, gauge, gravity duality, supersymmetry, general relativity

Participants :
- Harvard University (Etats-Unis) — Partner, organization partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- University of Milan (Italie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 251002.56 €
Projet ReDrugBC (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Bladder Cancer (BC) is the costlier cancer type to manage, characterized by high recurrence and progression rates. Despite recent advancements, current BC therapeutic strategies remain suboptimal, mostly due to the disease molecular heterogeneity. Profiling at the transcriptomics and, very recently, proteomics levels, revealed the existence of a cross-omics conserved molecular signature marking progression from low to high risk non muscle invasive (NMIBC) and eventually muscle invasive disease. ReDrugBC targets to identify drugs, via drug repurposing, able to revert the aggressive molecular signature for NMIBC, hence tackling the disease at an earlier stage and on a more holistic manner. To address this state-of-the-art concept, ReDrugBC is divided into three highly interrelated strategic points: 1) drug identification (among existing compounds) for NMIBC based on the existent tissue molecular profiles analyzed in a multi-layer and multi-omics manner using specialized bioinformatics-drug prediction tools, 2) definition of impact of selected drugs on the functional properties of BC cell lines in vitro and 3) characterization and understanding of the drug impact on a molecular level, via the application of high-throughput proteomics analysis. This research program will be carried out in a research intensive SME-leader in clinical proteomics and multi-dimensional analysis, by a very active and promising young researcher originating from academia, in a multidisciplinary, implementation-oriented manner. Outreach activities include among others links to pharmaceutical companies and regulators to accelerate progress towards (pre-) clinical trials post-ReDrugBC. Collectively, the proposed approach in ReDrugBC paves the way for better treatment of NMIBC via drug selection based on the patient molecular signatures, while offering unique inter-sectorial training on translational research to a highly motivated young female researcher.

Mots clés : bladder cancer, drug repurposing, treatment, omics, proteomics, systems biology

Participants :
- Mosaiques Diagnostics and Therapeutics (Germany) (Allemagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Organismes privés (hors enseignement), subvention : 162806.4 €
Projet FLEXOBONEGRAFT (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2016)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Bone is the most transplanted tissue with 1.3 million procedures every year in Europe. With an increasing demographic ageing across Europe, bone transplant represents a significant socio-economic burden that necessitates new bone regeneration strategies in line with one of the Horizon 2020 priority: "Smart Growth: knowledge and innovation based economy". The field of bone tissue engineering has flourished over the last decades, owing to a solid knowledge on bone biology and increased progress on materials engineering. A few weeks ago, Dr Gustau Catalan at ICN2 brought to light the groundbreaking discovery that bone is flexoelectric. In order to biomimic the flexoelectric character of bone, we aim in this project to produce new synthetic bone scaffolds that exhibit flexoelectricity. Engineering scaffolds with a flexoelectric character calls for particular design requirements. Flexoelectricity is the coupling between strain gradients and polarization, whereby any dielectric can polarize in response to an inhomogeneous deformation. In order to generate the required strain gradients within the scaffold to produce a flexoelectric effect, scaffolds will be manufactured with controlled porosity gradients by 3D printing based approaches. Three polymers used in bone tissue engineering, namely PLLA, PLGA and PCL will be investigated to produce the flexoelectric scaffolds. It is envisaged that a flexoelectric-induced polarization can be attained in any of them. In view of improving the osteoconductive, osteogenic and mechanical properties of the flexoelectric scaffolds, they will further incorporate different amounts of nanohydroxyapatite (from 0 to 50 wt %). Finite element calculations will be used to refine porosity geometries (porosity gradient and pore shape). It is expected that through careful geometrical design of porosity, scaffolds could exhibit a bone-like flexoelectric effect that would not only support the bone tissue regeneration process but also stimulate it.

Mots clés : functional materials, flexoelectricity, bone tissue engineering, scaffolds, polymer science, 3d printing

Participants :
- Institut Català de Nanociència i Nanotecnologia (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 158121.6 €
Projet SUPERMIN (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Bone tissue is an organic-inorganic composite material that provides the mechanical support and protection for our bodies. Its impressive mechanical properties arise from the hierarchical organization of the organic collagen matrix that is mineralized with ultrathin, aligned inorganic crystals of carbonated hydroxyapatite. Despite its importance to the human body, still relatively little is understood about the mechanisms by which collagen mineralization occurs, and what the respective roles are of the collagen and other, non-collagenous proteins (NCPs) in directing this process. This is because the process is complex: there are different stages that occur over multiple length scales, and many different components are involved. So far, studying collagen mineralization has mainly relied on analyses that require sample-altering preparation methods and lack information about the dynamics; or on simplified in vitro systems that do not necessarily represent what happens in the native bone environment. To really understand the role of NCPs in collagen mineralization, we need to study their dynamics and structural interactions with the highest possible resolution and in an environment as close as possible to native bone. I will use a recently developed tissue engineering platform that produces mineralized collagen with the main characteristics of that in bone. This will now allow me to apply gene editing for studying the role of NCPs in situ and in a living system with correlative imaging using super resolution microscopy and cryogenic transmission electron microscopy. My approach will provide unprecedented details on the role of selected NCPs in collagen mineralization. It will significantly impact how bone defects and mineralization are studied, and open the door to new treatments for related diseases such as osteogenesis imperfecta and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.

Mots clés : biomineralization, cryo electron microscopy, collagen mineralization, apatite, correlative, bone, non collagenous proteins, cryo super resolution, csclem

Participants :
- Eindhoven University of Technology (Pays-Bas) — Partner, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 117299.15 €
- Radboud University Nijmegen (Pays-Bas) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 48299.65 €
Projet BorGal (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

BorGal orbits around the figure of the italian physiologist, physicist, and mathematician Giovanni Alfonso Borelli (1608-1679). He was the only one among the Galileo’s disciples to cross the disciplinary boundaries and to apply the master’s teaching to the different branches of scientific research. Like Galileo’s, his sperimentalism mantained a strong theoretical and ‘ideological’ committment; he pursued with extraordinary energy and method an overall strategy to spread the credo of the new philosophy in all fields of scientific investigation, in all Italian Universities (especially in the Mediterranean area) and even in the ‘public sphere’. Despite his unquestionable value, this figure has not yet been the object of a monographic project. BorGal will accomplish this necessary task to make clear to everybody the importance of B.’s in the making of European scientific thought and community. I aim to achieve these goals by employing and enhancing Borelli’s still neglected correspondence, and in particular: to recover it by merging published, unpublished and still-to-be-discovered letters; to process the correspondance-data through the methodology proposed by the Mapping the Republic of Letters Project sited at Stanford History Department. Once in the US with the support of the GF, thanks to the powerful desktop application and programming languages for data visualization developed by the MRofL team with the support of the Stanford Center for Spatial and Textual Analysis, I will be able to map, chart ‘heuristically’ visualize and make visible to others the spatial multifaceted dimentions of ‘B.’s galaxy’ (places, people, works, letters, instruments, objects, information…), as well as the way ‘Galileo’s heritage’ took shape circulating across it. Last but not least, this B’s epistolary – by means of BorGal - will allow us to connect to the European ‘Republic of Letters’ an alleged marginal area like Spanish Sicily.

Mots clés : giovanni alfonso borelli, galileo galilei, galileo s heritage, republic of letters, scientific correspondences, public sphere, digital humanities, data driven historical analysis, data visualization

Participants :
- Stanford University (Etats-Unis) — Partner, organization partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- Sapienza University of Rome (Italie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 262269.0 €
Projet SO-LNG-ORC (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Both renewable energy (e.g. solar energy) and conventional fuels (e.g. Liquified Natural Gas (LNG)) play an important role in the future energy market. Rising electricity demand, finite fossil fuel reserves and environmental concerns motivate the switch to renewable energy sources, increasing energy efficiency, and recovery of unused energy streams. I am determined to make my own contribution in dealing with these issues. This project aims to develop a holistic systematic method for a future energy system design for an integrated Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) for simultaneous utilization of solar energy and LNG cold energy. Through various training during my Ph.D. research, I am equipped with good knowledge regarding (ORC), process integration and optimization. As a postdoc at Norwegian University of Science and Technology and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, I obtained experience in the field of Process Systems Engineering and energy system optimization. I would like to extend my knowledge and skills with the optimization under uncertainties, process risk analysis, and environmental impact assessment to design a combined renewable and conventional energy system based on an interdisciplinary approach. Therefore, I have decided to apply for a Marie Curie Individual Fellowship at the Process and Systems Engineering Center at DTU, which excels in the simulation-based optimization, process risk analysis, and environmental impacts assessment. In the future, I would like to continue focusing on future energy system design as well as greenhouse gas emissions and aim to deliver novel applicable energy systems featuring high efficiency and profitability, but low risk and low environmental impacts. The training I would get through a Marie Curie fellowship, would also bring me closer to a more permanent faculty position and job opportunities in LNG related industries.

Mots clés : solar energy, organic rankine cycle, lng cold energy, process optimization

Participants :
- Technical University of Denmark (Danemark) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 207312.0 €
Projet SIMMS (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Boundaries govern the hydrodynamics of swimming microbes, both affecting individual and collective motion. However, in vivo circumstances are vastly more perplexing because biological surroundings are adaptive. While previous work has productively considered complications to individual swimmer dynamics, it has neglected mechanoreciprocity, the bi-directional relationship between cells and their material surroundings. This research program proposes that the collective dynamics exhibited by swimming bacteria play a presently overlooked role in restructuring their material surroundings as active “ecosystem engineers.” This proposal seeks to uncover whether the active hydrodynamic stresses due to the collective motion of many motile microbes can be sufficient to mechanically induce structural changes to their material environments. Crucially, this will, in turn, modify swimmer dynamics, creating a reciprocal relationship between the microbes and their surroundings. Thus, this research program seeks to establish the new research direction of Swimming-Induced Mechanoresponsive Material Stigmergy (SIMMS). Through a series of coarse-grained particle-based numerical simulations of many swimming microbes and their pliable surrounding, this proposal will try to find evidence of mechanoreciprocity due to active hydrodynamic stresses generated by collective bacterial flows. Activity-driven restructuring of responsive micro-environments would not only represent an embodiment of biophysical multi-scale self-organised complexity, but also open pathways for regulating bacteria dynamics to aid biodegradation, hinder contamination and combat medical infections.

Mots clés : microswimmer, collective motion, polymers, mechanoreciprocity

Participants :
- University of Copenhagen (Danemark) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 207312.0 €