Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-actions-marie-curie-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet MEBA (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Anthrax is described by the World Health Organization as a disease that “perpetuates poverty by attacking not only people’s health but also their livelihoods.” In the Serengeti region of Tanzania, where income is largely based on agriculture and tourism, regular outbreaks of anthrax in both livestock and wildlife have devastating impacts. Understanding and controlling the spread of Bacillus anthracis, the bacterial agent causing anthrax, in this environment is currently impeded by a lack of data on the genetic diversity and appropriate typing schemes to resolve fine-scale genetic differences. I propose to quantify the genomic diversity of B. anthracis in the Serengeti region of Tanzania and to use these data to develop molecular diagnostic and genotyping tools that can be implemented locally to facilitate surveillance. First, whole-genome sequencing will be performed on isolates obtained from wildlife and livestock carcasses and environmental samples collected through passive surveillance. Bioinformatic analyses will enable single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to be identified that can distinguish among locally-circulating B. anthracis strains and test for epidemiological links between outbreaks. Based on these SNPs, a multi-locus typing scheme will be developed. To further support local laboratory capacity, I will apply recently developed techniques to obtain high quality genomic DNA from environmental samples without the need for bacterial culture, thus greatly reducing the biosafety risks associated with anthrax surveillance in low-biocontainment facilities. This project will generate important baseline information on the diversity and transmission of B. anthracis in the Serengeti. Additionally, facilitating the local implementation of molecular surveillance will eventually allow us to determine the circulation patterns of B. anthracis at the wildlife-livestock interface in Tanzania, providing essential information for anthrax management in sub-Saharan Africa.

Mots clés : molecular epidemiology, whole genome sequencing, diagnostic capacity building, neglected zoonosis, anthrax, wildlife livestock interface

Participants :
- University of Glasgow (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 195454.8 €
Projet SAPIENTIAM (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Anthropogenic emissions (i.e. particles and trace gases) are constantly rising since the industrialization inducing wide changes on the climate of the Earth system, on local degradation of air quality and impactAnthropogenic emissions (i.e. particles and trace gases) are constantly rising since the industrialization inducing wide changes on the climate of the Earth system, on local degradation of air quality and impacting human health. The aim of the SAPIENTIAM project is to identify new mechanisms that allow to describe the preindustrial atmospheric status and its change as consequence of the human activities emission related to industrialization. Secondary organic particles are produced in the atmosphere by the reactions of biogenic volatile organic compounds in presence of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulfate (SO2). One of the main uncertainties of the role of particles on the changes of climate and air quality, is related to the impact of anthropogenic emissions on their concentrations and properties. In order to define new mechanisms of atmospheric particle formation in pre-industrial and post-industrial conditions, a laboratory experiment will be carried out at the Harvard Environmental Chamber (outgoing phase). In detail, the pristine pre-industrial-like environment’s atmosphere will be simulated in the chamber considering first only the biogenic emissions and, then, adding the contribution of anthropogenic emissions such as NOx and SO2. Recent studies highlighted the important role played by the ocean as potential source of atmospheric particle, but field observations to confirm this hypothesis are quite rare. Another aim of this project is to verify the results obtained by the laboratory experiments in a field campaign in marine environment representing an innovative post-industrial-like site, where the interaction between biogenic and anthropogenic emissions are poorly explored (return phase at the University of Chieti-Pescara, Ud'A)

Mots clés : antropogenic emissions, air quality, climate change, aerosol formation and properties, marine environment, pre and post industrial atmospheric chemistry

Participants :
- University of Chieti-Pescara (Italie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 168369.6 €
- Harvard University (Etats-Unis) — Partner, organization partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
Projet OxyTempFish (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Anthropogenic warming of the oceans and the expansion of aquatic oxygen deficient (hypoxic) “dead zones” are changing the abundance and distribution of fishes, with more pronounced effects expected in the future. The behavioural responses of fishes to environmental changes may influence species’ distribution patterns through habitat selection and modification of depth and latitude ranges. Fish behaviour and metabolism have been linked in several species, but despite the profound effects of hypoxia and temperature on fish metabolism, virtually nothing is known about how the behavioural responses of fishes to hypoxia and temperature are affected by metabolic changes. The proposal combines my expertise in fish metabolism with Dr Jutfelt’s knowledge on zebrafish behaviour to answer a call by the international scientific community to establish and test a comprehensive experimental framework for studying how the responses of fishes to aquatic hypoxia and ocean warming are affected by changes in their metabolism. Furthermore, the project utilises unique selectively bred zebrafish lines to assess how climate-driven selection affects the identified relationships between behavioural responses and metabolic changes. The research results will contribute significantly to conservation planning by providing the necessary mechanisms to forecast changes in species distributions with anthropogenic climate change. The mentorship, training, and practical work of this project will provide the Fellow with the necessary skills to become a research leader in fish ecophysiology and climate change biology. The expected outcome of this project is a robust framework for use by scientists to better understand and predict the effects of climate change on fishes worldwide. This new knowledge and predictive power should provide significant benefits to policy makers and management agencies in the ongoing effort to mitigate the impacts of climate change on fish and fisheries.

Mots clés : global climate change, ocean warming, aquatic hypoxia, fish metabolism, fish behaviour, adaptation potential, experimental framework, zebrafish

Participants :
- Norwegian University of Science and Technology (Norvège) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 202158.72 €
Projet ResistEpist (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2016)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Antibiotic resistance is a major threat to public health. Bacteria can become resistant by acquiring genes that counteract the action of antibiotics or by mutation of their targets. These targets are usually involved in essential processes and typically resistance mutations can impair bacterial growth in absence of antibiotics. However, combination of certain mutated alleles can result in an alleviation of this cost, thus favouring the acquisition of multiple resistances. This project aims to understand the mechanisms underlying the epistasis between resistance mutations. Decreased biosynthesis has been considered the main cause of the fitness cost associated to antibiotic resistance mutations. However, our preliminary results suggest the existence of additional causes, such as genomic instability or proteostasis imbalance. The study of these phenotypes in single and double resistant mutants of Escherichia coli will allow us to determine the nature of these epistatic interactions, as well as further understanding essential biological processes, and will provide information for the development of new treatments against multi-resistant infections.

Mots clés : antibiotic resistance, epistasis, transcription translation coupling, genome instability, proteostasis imbalance

Participants :
- Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (Portugal) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 148635.6 €
Projet NanoBindMicro (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Antibiotic-resistant microbes have become a serious health problem world-wide. Development of new antibiotics has been focused on killing pathogens. However, these antibiotics also kill other components of microbiome resulting in immune dysregulation. It is crucial to develop new strategies which can remove pathogens without damaging the homeostasis of the microbiome. Nanotechnology is one of the key enabling technologies identified in the European Union (EU) 2020 Strategy that may be promising in dealing with antibiotic-resistant microbe. My recent study showed that microbes' binding to nanomaterials (NMs) was dependent on NMs' characteristics. This finding inspired me to consider whether I can find functionalized NMs to recognize and remove specific pathogens from 100 trillion microbes in gut and pose no harm to the other microbes. The idea is novel and does not follow the conventional use of NMs killing microbes directly, but I believe this is possible because microbes have very different cell surfaces. This would enable the design of NMs that bind certain microbes but not others. I hypothesize that specific surface molecules of pathogens can be acted as the multiple targeted ligands for functionalized NMs to outcompete the binding sites of pathogens on the epithelium. To verify the hypothesis, I plan to use multiple ligand coated NMs, a new concept of personalized protein corona, and in vitro and in vivo gut microbiome models to study the mechanisms of functionalized nanomaterials binding to microbes in gut. My research experiences on nano-bio interactions combined with my host and collaborators’ expertise in nano-therapy (France), nano-protein corona (Germany) and nano-characterization (Denmark) will allow me to successfully execute this challenging program. The proposed study will result in a new strategy for using NMs to fight multi-resistant microbes without antibiotics.

Mots clés : nanomedicine, antibiotic resistant microbes, nano protein corona, gut microbiome

Participants :
- Université Paris Cité (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 196707.84 €
Projet AntWatFre (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Antifreeze proteins (AFPs) and antifreeze glycoproteins (AFGPs) enable the survival of various organisms in freezing or subfreezing habitats. Even millimolar concentrations of these proteins are sufficient to lower the freezing temperature by several degrees. To reach a similar freezing point depression using sodium chloride would require molar concentrations. Nowadays AF(G)Ps already find applications in food industry, for instance to prevent recrystallization in ice cream and have great potential in medical applications (cell & organ storage, operations at low temperature). Protein-water interactions are of general interest owing to the importance of protein hydration for protein function; AF(G)Ps form an extraordinary example of this coupling that is sufficiently strong and specific that the protein controls macroscopic thermodynamic properties of water. Despite their importance in nature and their industrial relevance, the mechanisms by which AF(G)Ps depress the freezing point are still poorly understood. Although substantial information presently exists on the static protein structures and thermodynamic properties of these systems, molecular scale information on the dynamics of the conformations of the AF(G)Ps, their hydration shells and their binding to ice, is extremely scarce. Here we propose to study the molecular mechanisms by which AF(G)Ps lower the freezing temperature with advanced nonlinear spectroscopic techniques like 2D polarization-resolved vibrational spectroscopy and surface sum-frequency generation. These techniques enable the label-free study of the structural dynamics of the AF(G)P conformations, their hydration shells and their mechanism of binding to the ice surface. They will be used to study several key elements in the functioning of AF(G)Ps.

Mots clés : antifreeze proteins, vibrational spectroscopy, hydration dynamics

Participants :
- Dutch Research Council (Pays-Bas) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 165598.8 €
Projet EstAMR (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is the ability of an infection to stop antimicrobials, such as antibiotics, antivirals and antimalarials, from working against it. In the EU, every year AMR is responsible for thousands of deaths and costs millions of euros. Yet forecasting the prevalence of AMR remains an open challenge. This project meets this challenge by developing cutting-edge Hierarchical Bayesian models (HBMs). As a case study, the models will focus on the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum that has developed resistance to sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine between 1994 and 2016. This ensures that the goals are realistic, with immediate insight and impact, whilst also remaining methodologically relevant for all AMR. Within the field of ecology, regression models are being replaced so as to incorporate more complex non-linear relationships between abundance and the environment. Unlike traditional methods, HBMs are spatiotemporal models that (i) account for varying geography (ii) separate underlying processes and (iii) include uncertainty in the data and model parameters. This thorough package has proven to yield more insight and accuracy. By using partial differential equations, HBMs separate occurrence due to spread and occurrence due to emergence. Despite its relevance, differentiating between these two process is currently unexplored in epidemiology. Furthermore, when modelling AMR, infections competing for hosts is a process which is currently unexplored in HBMs. Thus, the two long term contributions of this project are: Bringing HBMs to epidemiology to gain a better understanding of underlying processes, and advancing the field of HBMs to include more complex dynamics. And more immediately, the two key contributions are: Quantifying the dynamics and influencers of the spread of drug resistant malaria, and forecasting the frequency of partially drug resistant malaria, and fully drug resistant malaria, at different locations and at different times.

Mots clés : mathematical model, malaria, resistance, hierarchical bayesian model, spatiotemporal

Participants :
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Suisse) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 203149.44 €
Projet AmCaLiStat (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Antimicrobial resistance in bacteria is a growing public health crisis, as common drugs are becoming ineffective against many species of pathogenic bacteria. This research aims to devise highly specific and stable antimicrobials, which target the amphiphilic component that anchors LPS to Gram-negative bacterial membranes, “Lipid A”, for direct antimicrobial effect and to potentiate other antimicrobials. Taking inspiration from bacterial lipids, which possess multiple tails and a polybasic headgroup, synthetic cationic lipidoids have the potential to be highly specific bacterial membrane-targeting antimicrobials. Preliminary results demonstrate that some cationic lipidoids bind and disrupt bacterial lipid assemblies, and significantly inhibit the growth of E. coli at micromolar concentrations. However, the breadth of potential molecular structures arising from the range of available starting materials makes the search for optimum compounds an insurmountable task. This proposal outlines an innovative use of statistical software to steer modular synthetic design and expedite the identification of promising new antimicrobials. Relative to a "one-factor-at-a-time" approach, statistical design can quickly uncover correlations between structure and activity, and unexpected interactions between structural variables, thus accelerating the discovery of antimicrobial compounds that would not otherwise be obvious. In addition to uncovering new compounds selective to bacteria, libraries of lipidoids will be investigated to help uncover design rules for the effect of shape on membrane interactions, and generic mechanisms of membrane-targeting antimicrobial action. Results could also lead to new means to potentiate obsolete antimicrobials that are impermeable to bacterial membranes, or act as a chaperone for highly effective but relatively unstable antimicrobial peptides.


Participants :
- University of Graz (Autriche) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 174167.04 €
Projet ILBAB (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Anxiety is one of the most common mental health issues, and debilitating anxiety symptoms can be present across a spectrum of diseases and disorders. While dysfunctional interoception (monitoring of the internal state of the body) is thought to be both a cause and effect of anxiety, the brain mechanisms leading to perturbed interoception remain unclear. Breathing offers a unique insight into our interoceptive processing, as the continuous swap between subconscious and conscious control provides an active gateway into our interoceptive selves. Therefore, this project aims to understand how anxiety may change the brain’s computations that underlie interoception of breathing, leading to identification of targets for treatments of debilitating anxiety symptoms across a range of physiological and psychiatric conditions. This proposal will employ interoceptive breathing tasks with high-resolution functional brain imaging, applying state-of-the-art computational models of perception to investigate where and how anxiety can interrupt brain processing systems. This project will utilise the inter-disciplinary strengths of the Translational Neuromodeling Unit (TNU) in Zurich, where computational research and applied psychological and clinical studies occur in tandem, and employ innovative and novel high-resolution scanning technologies available at the University of Zurich for unprecedented data quality. I will use my previous experience in high-field functional imaging of breathing perceptions, to develop and collect specific scanning protocols for high-resolution computational perception models. Here, I will target disparate anxiety groups within healthy volunteers, before future work moves towards applications in disease or disorder-specific populations. This work will occur within a wider framework of interoceptive research at the TNU, with the ultimate goal of providing novel diagnostic procedures and targeted treatments for symptoms of anxiety within an individual.

Mots clés : breathing, interoception, anxiety

Participants :
- University of Zurich (Suisse) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 175419.6 €
Projet ACCENT (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2016)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Mathematics
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Applications of rank-metric codes arise ever more frequently in network communications problems, and yet their mathematical theory is still in its infancy. To date attention has almost exclusively focussed on very special classes of codes and their generalizations. The covering problem for rank-metric codes is largely unsolved, and is an important combinatorial research topic. For error-free paradigms, codes with low covering radius provide efficient solutions for broadcast problems, and specifically to optimizing content delivery networks for large files distribution. Current approaches to such applications are suboptimal, while known methods to obtaining best possible performance are computationally infeasible. For error-correcting schemes, the covering radius is an important indicator of code performance, as it measures the number of errors that can be corrected in network transmissions. We propose to develop a mathematical theory of covering codes for the rank metric. We will obtain bounds on the covering radius of an arbitrary rank-metric code, as well as special classes of codes. We will develop the fundamental tools required to pioneer this theory, offering scope for researchers of Algebraic Coding Theory, as well as combinatorial objects useful for Engineering applications. We will also investigate symmetric rank-metric codes, focussing on their distance distributions. These codes have a very rich combinatorial structure. The combined expertise of the Applied Algebra group at UCD, along with the methods developed by the applicant in his PhD, will propel the project to achieve its objectives. The potential scientific impact is high, given the newness and combinatorial hardness of the topic, its importance for network communications, and exponentially increasing data traffic. The impact for the applicant will be the opportunity to establish this fundamental topic, magnify his scientific profile, and consolidate/expand his professional network.

Mots clés : coding theory, network coding, finite fields, rank metric code, covering radius, newton radius, rank distribution, codes performance, symmetric code, symmetric bilinear form

Participants :
- National University of Ireland (Irlande) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 175866.0 €