Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-actions-marie-curie-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet VUAD (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Autonomous vision aims to solve computer vision problems related to autonomous driving. Autonomous vision algorithms achieve impressive results on a single image for various tasks such as object detection and semantic segmentation, however, this success has not been fully extended to video sequences yet. In computer vision, it is commonly acknowledged that video understanding falls years behind single image. This is mainly due to two reasons: processing power required for reasoning across multiple frames and the difficulty of obtaining ground truth for every frame in a sequence, especially for pixel-level tasks such as motion estimation. Based on these observations, there are two likely directions to boost the performance of tasks related to video understanding in autonomous vision: unsupervised learning and object-level reasoning as opposed to pixel-level reasoning. Following these directions, we propose to tackle three relevant problems in video understanding. First, we propose a deep learning method for multi-object tracking on graph structured data. Second, we extend it to joint video object detection and tracking by exploiting temporal cues in order to improve both detection and tracking performance. Third, we propose to learn a background motion model for the static parts of the scene in an unsupervised manner. Our long-term goal is also to be able to learn detection and tracking in an unsupervised manner. Once we achieve these stepping stones, we plan to combine the proposed algorithms into a unified video understanding module and test its performance in comparison to static counterparts as well as the state-of-the-art algorithms in video understanding.

Mots clés : computer vision, autonomous driving, autonomous vision, video understanding, unsupervised learning, multi object tracking, video object detection, motion estimation, structured deep learning

Participants :
- Koç University (Turquie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 145355.52 €
Projet ParaplegiaAxonsER (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2015)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Axonal endoplasmic reticulum (ER) forms a continuous network of tubules that appears to occur ubiquitously in neurons, and has been compared to “a neuron within a neuron”. Its importance is suggested both by its apparent ubiquity, and by the identification of several causative genes for the axon degenerative disease, hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP), that encode proteins that contribute to ER modeling. However, its physiological roles, and how it could influence axon degeneration, are poorly understood. There is increasing awareness of the existence, nature and roles of contact sites between ER and other cellular organelles including mitochondria. Here I will explore these interactions and their functions in axons, in particular testing the model that ER architecture is important in regulating mitochondrial function in axons. My host laboratory has recently identified Drosophila mutants that lack one or more relevant HSP genes, and shown abnormalities in the level or continuity of ER in some genotypes. I will use Drosophila HSP mutants to determine whether mitochondrial abnormalities arise with altered ER organisation. I will also test for colocalisation of a Drosophila Reep protein with ER-mitochondrial contact sites, and whether loss of this protein leads to abnormal mitochondria. Together these experiments will address whether ER-localised HSP proteins affect mitochondrial function. Secondly I will examine whether mitochondrial Ca2+ handling is affected in these models. I will generate transgenic Drosophila that express mitochondrial and cytosolic Ca2+ sensors, and attempt to develop a suitable lumenal ER sensor. I will use these to test the levels and heterogeneity of Ca2+ concentrations in resting and active axons, and investigate how HSP mutants affect this. My work will examine the interplay between ER and mitochondria in axons for the first time, and mechanisms of dysfunction that are relevant for human axon degeneration.


Participants :
- University of Cambridge (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 183454.8 €
Projet Nano Structured Emulsion Foods (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Ayurveda is ~5000 years old healing science which was originated from India with the concept of use of natural ingredients for health purposes such as curcumin, quercetin etc. Ayurvedic bioactive compounds (ABC) can potentially be used to control chronic health problems such as obesity by the targeted and controlled release of bioactives. The use of these bioactives in complex food products is limited as they are sensitive to various factors such as pH, temperature etc. Recent advancement in application of nanotechnology to food product development offers an opportunity to allow enriching food products with bioactive molecules isolated from ayurveda or any other medicine system by applying the learnings developed for pharmaceutical nano drug delivery technology, in particular “nanocrystals technology”. The project has two interrelated objectives: (1) fabrication of nanocrystals of ABC to modulate solubility, wettability etc.; (2) use of these nanocrystals as edible Pickering particles to control emulsion functionality (stability, rhelogy, and digestibility). As the particles will be used for stabilization, and also as bioactive (i.e. dual functionality) this system will be unique. The interfacial layer of ABC will allow the control of the emulsion functionality without using high concentration of emulsifiers which are generally used to stabilize emulsions. Fatty acids in emulsion will help improve the bioavailability of ABC. Success in this project will seed and lead the development of innovative formulation strategy for healthy food product development by reducing the use of synthetic emulsifiers (PGPR) thus impacting on consumers and industry. This will be possible by combining the pharmaceutical drug delivery technology expertise of the experienced researcher with the food delivery expertise and more engineering oriented approach of the supervisor with the intersectoral collaboration between University of Birmingham & Unilever, Netherlands.

Mots clés : obesity, ayurvedic bioactives, pickering double emulsion, lipolysis, bioavailability

Participants :
- University of Birmingham (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 195454.8 €
Projet BCRdangerCOMPETITION (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2016)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

B cells represent a specialized population of lymphocytes responsible for adaptive immune responses and life-long immune memory. All mature B cells carry B cell receptors (BCRs) on the surface and it is through the BCR that B cells recognize foreign antigens and subsequently provide antibody responses. Acute ablation of the BCR in resting mature naïve B cells in mice leads to a fast disappearance of Immunoglobulin negative (Ig-) B cells from peripheral lymphoid system. This phenomenon has been mainly explained by a “tonic” signal provided by the BCR, essential for B cell survival. However, there are at least two other possible, not mutually exclusive, mechanisms. In this proposal I hypothesize that i) loss of the BCR structure provides a “danger” signal leading to apoptosis of Ig- B cells; ii) Ig- B cells are eliminated as a result of cellular competition with the Ig+ B cells. I will test these 2 hypothesis by i) addressing the unfolded protein response (UPR) in Ig- B cells as a possible “danger signal” followed by in vivo genetic rescue experiments testing for its causality in Ig- B cell depletion; ii) I will produce pure Ig- B cell cultures, exploiting the novel system of genome editing of primary B cells, and address - in vitro and in vivo - the fitness, proliferation and differentiation capacity of Ig- B cells in presence and absence of cellular competition with Ig+ B cells. By addressing these points my work might provide a first-time evidence for the existence of “a danger signal” initiated in a B cell upon BCR ablation and prove its causality in Ig- B cell disappearance. On the other hand, elimination of Ig- B cells as a result of cellular competition with Ig+ B cells is a novel concept with important implications for lymphoma biology and potential clinical applications.

Mots clés : b cell receptor  bcr, immunoglobulin, cellular competition, unfolded protein response, crispr, cas9 mediated genome editing, in vitro derived germinal center b cells  igb

Participants :
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (Allemagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 171460.8 €
Projet BIOP (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

BIOP aims to address one of the most critical environmental issues derived from human activities, plastic wastes. Far from having a suitable alternative to palliate their impact and promote their recyclability, the emerged pandemic alarm associated to the fast coronavirus (COVID-19) spreading worsens detrimentally the scenario. Disposable Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) used by healthcare professionals produces vast quantities of plastic waste, being worthwhile to develop biodegradable PPE for the future, which would allow alternative ways to process this waste. In addition, it is reasonably urgent to propose an efficient alternative to handle the giant amount of non-biodegradable plastics already generated (mainly protective suits, boot covers and single-use gloves). The project focuses mostly on single-use polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) recycling into lighter value-added molecules (upcycling) that can be used as building blocks to synthetize new biobased polymeric units, in combination with specific biomass-derived platform chemicals such as 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA). Hence, going through the plastics to bioplastics concept, the project’s guiding light is the joint valorization of plastic and biomass wastes to finally produce BIOPolymers, approach that add value to both wastes thus paving the way towards a circular economy. With this purpose, the project’s specific challenges concerns 1) PE/PP conversion to lower molecular weight alkenes through the development of specific processes and highly selective catalysts, 2) 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF, biomass platform molecule) transformation to FDCA over the new designed and optimized catalysts and 3) joint conversion of alkenes (derived from plastics) and HMF (one-pot oxidation) thus allowing cost savings and technologies coupling.

Mots clés : wastes upcycling, biomass valorisation

Participants :
- Universidad de Sevilla (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 160932.48 €
Projet IMPACT (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Cofund Postdoctoral programme
Statut du projet : SIGNED

BROADER CHALLENGE Europe is currently facing several challenges in its R&I landscape. Studies have shown that the European Union is struggling to keep up in the global race for innovation, and that stronger collaborations between academia, business and civil society are needed to counter this trend. Consequently, the future of innovation leadership in the EU goes hand in hand with knowledge and technology transfer. In addition to this observation, research focusing on the practices of TTOs has identified an underexplored opportunity in knowledge and technology transfer, i.e. the inclusion of postdoctoral researchers in the process. Postdocs can have tremendous potential in triggering economic and social impact, while training in knowledge and technology transfer can significantly expand their career development. OVERALL OBJECTIVE With imπACT, VUB wants to address these challenges on a local scale, by deploying a postdoctoral research and training programme fostering impact development and entrepreneurship. We will deliver 20 postdoctoral researchers equipped with the necessary knowledge and technology transfer skills to take up leadership positions in academia, business and civil society and to deploy intersectoral solutions the European R&I landscape so much needs. This overall objective will be met through a set of specific objectives focusing on the development and implementation of the imπACT structure, more specifically on: - The recruitment of postdoctoral fellows - The impact- and entrepreneurship-driven research - The dedicated training programme fostering impact development and entrepreneurship - The dissemination, exploitation and communication activities

Mots clés : postdoc programme, research and training, entrepreneurship

Participants :
- Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Belgique) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 1471200.0 €
Projet MIGRAGEN (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2015)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Back-and-forth migrations of insects occur on an enormous scale, encompassing billions of individuals. Negative consequences such as the destruction of crops and the spread of diseases are well documented, yet understanding migration also offers the potential to reap enormous rewards from beneficial insects. One of the most abundant European migrants is the marmalade hoverfly, Episyrphus balteatus, a species of significant economic importance for its dual roles in protection of crops against aphids, and pollination of both crop and non-crop plants. This project addresses the fundamental scientific question of how environment and genetics control the migration of Episyrphus. It utilises state-of-the-art flight recording technology to fully characterize the migratory syndrome, and the hoverfly genome to identify the molecular determinants of migration. Unlike previous studies, it will offer mechanistic insights into the function of these molecular determinants. This has been unobtainable in other migratory models where reverse-genetics is of limited value. Hence, the results will greatly impact our understanding of animal migration, and will lay the foundations for comparative studies. This is the only approach that will offer deep scientific insights into the origin and evolution of the migratory syndrome. Finally, this research will also allow innovative approaches to improve food security and agricultural sustainability, by providing the fundamental data needed to supply forecasts of ecosystem service provision, and by offering new ways to influence the movement capabilities of economically important insects.

Mots clés : migratory genomics, food security, ecosystem services, animal behaviour, pollination, biological pest control

Participants :
- UK Research and Innovation (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 195454.8 €
Projet Child-MHO (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Background: Recent large-scale genomic studies have provided evidence that a number of genetic variants implicate an inverse relationship between increased adiposity and an unfavorable cardiometabolic profile. So far, it is not known whether the loci showing “favorable adiposity”-like associations exert their influence already in childhood. Objectives: The aims of the project proposed are 1.The identification of gene variants associated with increased adiposity yet a favorable cardiometabolic profile in children and adolescents and 2. Identification of the childhood genetic and environmental predictors of adult metabolically healthy obesity (MHO) and metabolically unhealthy normal weight (MUNW). The approach: To study, whether such “favorable adiposity” genetic effects are found already in childhood, I will perform a meta-analysis of six child populations from Finland, Denmark and England including a total sample size of 10,038 children and adolescents aged 3-18 years. To examine associations of childhood genetic and environmental factors with MHO and MUNW in adulthood, I will utilize follow-up data from the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns study. The impact: Identification of MHO and MUNW related genetic variants in children and the childhood predictors of adult MHO and MUNW will help to assess the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease as well as to target interventions in the high-risk groups. The ability to improve advice and intervention measures would help alleviate the burden of obesity-related comorbidities on health care systems worldwide. Moreover, this project will allow me to learn highly valuable research skills in the area of genetics and meta-analyses related to cardiometabolic risk factors and support my professional and research advancement.

Mots clés : obesity, overweigt, children, genetics, life style, early growth, insulin resistance, waist circumference

Participants :
- University of Copenhagen (Danemark) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 106097.4 €
Projet FCS-BACSUB (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Bacteria are fascinating organism, relatively and yet not fully understood. Fundamental research on bacteria led across the years to major technological breakthroughs like the discovery of genetic editing with CRISPR-Cas9. Besides, resistance of bacteria to antibiotics is becoming a growing public health concern, raising the need for a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved. We propose here to further our understanding of the molecular biology of bacteria by studying the dynamic of lipids in bacterial (B. Subtilis) membranes. In eukaryotic cells, it was found that lipid dynamics can reveal the micro- and nanoscale organisation of the plasma membrane, revealing a dynamic interplay between membrane components such as lipids, membrane proteins, and the actin cytoskeleton. Bacterial membranes were thought until recently to be much simpler, but accumulating evidence over the last ten years suggested that they too were highly heterogeneous and dynamic. However, very few studies so far focused on the question of lipid dynamics, in part because of the experimental complexity of such measurements. To address this, we will transfer new technologies based on fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS), that were developed mainly for eukaryotic research, to the field of microbiology. With this unique methodology, we will answer a series of fundamental open questions: how do bacterial membranes organise at the nanoscale? Do they exhibit transient lipid-mediated interactions (called lipid rafts) as is thought to be the case in eukaryotes? Does MreB, bacterial equivalent of actin, also compartmentalises lipid diffusion? Answering these questions will help us build a holistic picture of the mechanisms associated with essential bacterial processes such as biofilm formation or antibiotic resistance, which will have far-reaching implications in both biology and medicine.

Mots clés : lipids, bacillus subtilis, diffusion, plasma membrane

Participants :
- Institut national de recherche pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 184707.84 €
Projet OSCBAGDIS (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Basal ganglia is a brain structure, whose dysfunction is tightly tied with a variety of severe neurological diseases, including the widespread Parkinson’s and more rare Huntington’s diseases. Despite many efforts, current treatments for Parkinson's disease have many serious drawbacks and for Huntington’s disease barely exist. Basal ganglia play an important role in motor control and motor learning, which are both faulty in the diseases. A complete understanding of basal ganglia is still lacking though a better understanding of it is required to understand the diseases better. A distinctive feature of basal ganglia is oscillatory activity, that correlates with movement execution in different ways for different frequencies. The oscillations patterns are known to change in pathological conditions. E.g., an increase in beta-band oscillations power starts to occur in Parkinson's disease. It appears that direct high frequency stimulation of basal ganglia output structures removes some of the most important Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases symptoms. The mechanism of action of this deep brain stimulation technique is not well understood, but it is believed to act by interfering with anomalous oscillations. "How exactly basal ganglia oscillations are related to the diseases?" is an important long-standing question, that requires a system-level approach to be answered. The project aims at the development of a detailed basal ganglia system-level computational model, constrained by experimental data and coupled to a movement system. Use of analytical and numerical approaches and close interaction with experimental neuroscientists during the model development will make it provide a coherent explanation of many basal ganglia-related behaviors in healthy and pathological brains and answer the question above, in particular. Moreover, the model simulations will also give insights into new treatment/diagnostics strategies for basal ganglia-related neurological diseases.

Mots clés : parkinson s disease, basal ganglia, motor learning, huntington s disease, levodopa, deep brain stimulation, neural oscillations, tremor, reinforcement learning, mathematical modelling

Participants :
- CERCA Institution (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 170121.6 €
Projet SUPRACOPHS (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2015)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Based on the reversible bonds that hold the structural units together, supramolecular polymers gain technological relevance from the simplicity of their synthesis, while a constantly increasing amount of research is dedicated to the study of the unique solution, electronic, mechanical and rheological properties of these materials. An interesting aspect of these properties may arise when the use of such polymers in photonic structures is considered. Optical properties, such as reflectivity, polarization, iridescence, and transmission, rely on the spatial arrangement of the components of nano- and micro- structures and are a direct result of their refractive index mismatch and their wavelength scale periodicity that constructively or destructively interacts with the incident light. While the use of traditional block copolymers has been extensively reported in the literature, a leap forward in the accessible properties requires high molecular weight polymers that add complexity and significantly increase processing timescales due to chain entanglements. Herein we propose the use of supramolecular block (co)polymers with highly dynamic interactions that can circumvent such constraints. We intend to study the effect of polymer composition, molecular weight, and architecture on the periodic structure scale in order to achieve a fine balance between interaction and segregation of the polymer chains and obtain the desired periodic structures, such as double gyroids.


Participants :
- University of Fribourg (Suisse) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 175419.6 €