Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-actions-marie-curie-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet MIRNANO (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2015)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

WHAT: MIRNANO project is an interdisciplinary nanotechnology-driven program in which the fields of nanomaterial and DNA functional engineering are merged to develop innovative nanodevices for pluripotent targeted cancer treatment. The leading idea is to focus on aberrantly expressed microRNAs (miRNAs) as targets of the proposed therapeutic care, which allows for tailoring of the action to the genetic expression of a specific tumor. WHY: Current chemotherapy still relies on an untargeted paradigm, which suffers from poisoning side effects and lacks a focused action over the tumor area. Molecular biology has definitely demonstrated the pivotal role played by microRNAs in cancer development and metastasis progression, therefore anti-miR therapy is the ultimate strategy to bet on. Working at the nanoscale will allow to achieve advanced nanomaterials that can home to the specific tumor tissue and silence the aberrantly expressed miRNAs producing a downstream therapeutic effect. HOW: The proposed program is a very challenging project that aims to provide a groundbreaking contribution to cancer treatment. Nanomaterial science is primarily involved in this project. Porous silicon nanoparticles are intended to be used as luminescent, biodegradable, and biocompatible platforms for producing the anti-miR nanodevices. Functionalization with tumor-penetrating peptides will allow to achieve homing of the particles to the site of action, thus specifically targeting the tumor environment. Anti-miR nucleic acids, carried and delivered through the silicon nanocarriers, will ensure knockdown of target miRNAs, inducing downstream suppression of tumor growth. A complementary engineering of the anti-miR nucleic acid unit through rational design of advanced switching structures will allow for developing programmed miR-responsive tools, which are meant to reinforce the primary anti-miR effect with an extra-therapeutic action.

Mots clés : microrna targeting, nanomedicine, porous nanomaterials, nucleic acid engineering, hybrid biomaterials, targeted cancer treatment

Participants :
- University of California System (Etats-Unis) — Partner, organization partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- University of Rome Tor Vergata (Italie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 244269.0 €
Projet WIMPACT (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

WIMPACT has two main objectives. In the first place, make an exhaustive research gathering the manuscripts and early printed books on/by European Late Medieval Mystic Women (13th-14th cc.) present in Castile in the premodern period (second half 15th c.-early 16th c.) and catalogue them. In the second place, evaluate the impact that those writings had, firstly, in the Castilian religious communities affected by Ximénez Cisneros Observant reform (1492-1517) and, secondly, in the Carmelite reform, accomplished by major literary figures as Teresa de Ávila and Juan de la Cruz (second half 16th c.). The first aim will be achieved by making an in-depth search in catalogues and directly in convent libraries of Castile and other institutions with keep collections related with female monasticism. In doing this, the ER will use his philological expertise combined not only to correctly classify the books, but also to understand them in a specific reception context. The results of this first phase will be accessible by the scientific community by creating an ad hoc open access webpage. The second aim will be achieved by implementing an interdisciplinary methodology which also departs from the comparative philology, but which uses tools of different fields (especially, gender studies, sociology and religious studies) to interpret the impact of those writings had in premodern Castile. The relevance of WIMPACT for Horizon 2020 is twofold: in the first place, it implies a comprehensive, transnational perception of the cultural history of Europe, which crosses traditionally established national and chronologic boundaries. In the second, it studies the empowerment of women, their subsequent influence in the politics of the Castilian court and the role that they had in the Observant reforms undertaken in the period. Consequently, WIMPACT will provide a novel, deeper picture of the importance of the role of women in the development of European history.

Mots clés : feminine literature, mysticism, tertiaries, observant reform, nunneries, mendicant movements, castilian, literature

Participants :
- Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (Allemagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 174806.4 €
Projet WOentrecompMEN (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : SIGNED

WOentrecompMEN aims to further innovative tools and methods to analyse and develop the competencies of entrepreneurs to foster the entrepreneurial potential of both males and females as a source (often under-exploited in the latter case) of economic growth for a society that promotes gender equality in education and entrepreneurship, which align with the objectives and initiatives of the European Union and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. The project will explore the validity of the Entrepreneurship Competence (EntreComp) Framework, which was developed in 2016 by the European Union to foster the development of entrepreneurial competence, by comparing it with American frameworks and studying the competencies of 30 American and 30 Italian entrepreneurs, of which 50% will be male and 50% will be female, through competency analysis tools, such as behavioural event interviews. WOentrecompMEN will allow the ER to add value to knowledge of this area of study in Europe, particularly at the Free University of Bolzano (Italy), by transferring, adapting and innovating knowledge on American entrepreneurial frameworks, new methodologies and tools based on competencies, the best training practices of entrepreneurship based on the competencies of a country that stands as a role model in the field of entrepreneurship education and developing a network of the best scholars of entrepreneurship in the world from the Ohio University, Babson College of Massachusetts, the University of Florida and the Tampa University of Florida.

Mots clés : entrepreneurial competencies, female entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship education

Participants :
- Free University of Bozen-Bolzano (Italie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 251002.56 €
- University System of Ohio (Etats-Unis) — Partner, organization partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
Projet TOOLBOX (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2016)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Waste disposal and treatment is a major source of contamination of soils, surface and groundwater, and accounts for 35% of the 1.1 million contaminated sites in Europe. Leaching of the organic solvent trichloroethylene (TCE) into groundwater has been identified as a primary issue with unlined landfills , affecting up to 70% of leachates tested. Mainly used as a metal degreaser and dry-cleaning reagent, TCE is difficult to treat; current treatment methods, such as anaerobic digestion or air stripping , are ineffective and/or expensive. This project will investigate the use biochar, or other appropriate media, for treatment of TCE contaminated water via two technologies - permeable reactive interceptors (PRIs) and permeable contaminant retaining filter (PCRF) bags. This novel, low-cost solution will address the requirements of European Union (EU) legislation, including the Water Framework Directive (WFD). The project will be based at the National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG) with supervision by Dr Mark Healy (GeoEnvironmental Engineering Research Group – GENE) and support from Dr Florence Abram (Functional Environmental Microbiology - FEM). As the applicant has experience in TCE treatment from a microbial background, this highly novel, interdisciplinary proposal will compliment and strengthen her existing skillset by approaching this technology from an engineering perspective, with support from a research group that has a strong track record in this research area. With detailed career development assistance, multiple opportunities to further her strong publication record, access to numerous and varied fora for dissemination of results and support for IP exploitation, this proposal will have a significant impact in reintegrating the applicant back into the EU research community from her current research position in New Zealand.

Mots clés : biochar, trichloroethylene, landfill leachate, soil contamination, multidisciplinary, engineering, microbiology, molecular biology, chemistry

Participants :
- National University of Ireland (Irlande) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 187866.0 €
Projet FULLREMOVAL (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) guarantee that contaminated water is released back to the environment in safe conditions. However, due to the rise in antibiotic consumption all over the world, they have become hotspots for the development of antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) and the spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Antibiotic resistance in bacterial pathogens is responsible for the death of thousands of people every year and thus, a high-priority issue for the WHO and the EU. The use of ultrafiltration membranes as physical post-treatment is considered a promising solution for the effective removal of ARB and eARGs from WWTP effluents. However, this alternative has been studied to a limited extent and many questions remain to be tackled. FULLREMOVAL is a training-through-research project aimed at filling these knowledge gaps by investigating: a) the abundance of ARB and eARGs in a local WWTP together with the capacity of eARGs to transform non-resistant bacteria (specific objective-SO1), b) the efficiency of ultrafiltration membranes to remove ARB and eARGs from secondary effluents (SO2) and c) the role of biofouling layer formation for the spread of ARB and eARGs (SO3). The interdisciplinary approach of the hereby presented project combines advanced water technology with innovative microbiological analyses and will help to find mitigation strategies for one of the major global health threats of this century. FULLREMOVAL’s achievements will be beneficial for sanitary services all over Europe as well as adjacent sectors such as the pharmaceutical industry and water resource management. Above all, the whole society will benefit from shedding light on this important public health issue.The experience and prestige of the UFZ in conducting environmental research in all of its facets combined with the scientific expertise of the fellow in membrane technology will make the perfect tandem for the successful development of FULLREMOVAL.

Mots clés : antibiotic resistant bacteria, antibiotic resistance genes, ultrafiltration membranes  wastewater   horizontal gene transfer

Participants :
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (Allemagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 174806.4 €
Projet GSR (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2015)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Water, oxygen, and sunlight are essential to most forms of life, yet they also represent a challenging environment for the genetic material as they drive reactions that lead to damage of DNA. To ensure cell survival, an elaborate response to DNA damage maintains genome integrity. Until recently, the DNA damage response (DDR) was described as a wave of protein posttranslational modifications that signal the presence of DNA damage to the cell and mobilize enzymatic repair pathways. Recently, genome-wide screens and advances in next-generation sequencing (NGS) shed light on the role of RNA-binding proteins and non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) in the DDR. A novel class of small ncRNAs produced from the vicinity of DNA double strand breaks (DSB) – DNA damage-inducible ncRNAs (diRNAs) - were identified in plants, flies, and mammals. Our understanding of the biogenesis of diRNAs and their role in DSB repair is currently limited by the lack of methods for their detection that can be implemented in every laboratory. The aim of this project is to close this technological gap by developing robust and versatile methods of analysis of diRNA biogenesis. Our original approach consists to map diRNAs using NGS technology at site-specific DSBs inducible by an endonuclease, and to create the first database of human diRNAs. The knowledge of the sequences of diRNAs will allow us to develop methods for detection of both precursor and mature diRNAs. To identify novel players of the diRNA biogenesis pathway, we will perform a small-scale siRNA-based screen of RNA-binding proteins using the developed methods. This study will lead to important technological and knowledge-based developments in the DDR field, and to a better understanding of how the “non-coding” genome regulates important cellular functions.


Participants :
- National University of Ireland (Irlande) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 175866.0 €
Projet FEN INHIBITORS (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

We are searching for Kinetoplastida flap endonuclease (FEN) inhibitors as a base for potential therapeutics for parasite infections, for which there is significant unmet clinical need. Kinetoplastida are flagellated protists responsible for 3 neglected human diseases. We will target the FEN enzymes from Trypanasoma cruzi and Leishmania species, the organisms causing Chagas disease and leishmaniaisis respectively. FEN activity is crucial for the survival of all organisms tested so far from mouse to bacteria, including Trypanosoma. We will identify specific inhibitors of Kinetoplastida FENs as the basis for future development of urgently needed new therapeutics. This multidisciplinary structure-based inhibitor design project will involve in vitro and in silico screening, protein crystallization, rounds of inhibitor design and finally in vivo potency and toxicity experiments. The project will be overseen by Prof Sayers who has 30 years of experience with nucleases and who has founded two spin-out companies. His group is complemented through collaboration with a parasitologist Dr Helen Price (20 years research experience), who has been actively involved in developing antiparasitic agents. The experienced researcher, who has a strong protein biochemistry and crystallography background, is returning to academic research after almost 4 years outside science. Ultimately, the experienced researcher is aspiring to an academic career in translational medicine rooted in state-of-the-art basic research but with the skills and experience to synergise with the pharmaceutical sector.

Mots clés : inhibitor assay screening, docking, virtual high throughput screening, nuclease inhibitors, mechanistic enzymology, in vivo toxicity experiments, antiparasitic agents, neglected tropical diseases

Participants :
- University of Sheffield (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 319400.64 €
Projet E-TEX (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2015)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : CLOSED

We are surrounded by fabrics, the carpet floors in our homes or offices, the seats in our cars, and obviously all our garments and clothing accessories. There are already examples of smart textiles in garments for monitoring physiological and biomechanical signals. However, the manufacturing schemes for current applications rely mostly on the integration of off-the-shelf electronic components mounted on a textile substrate. Such components are silicon-based, thus unsuitable for applications where flexibility and fault-tolerance are required. The incorporation of current technological items, such as communication or tracking devices on fabrics would certainly be a game-changer in modern technology. This innovative project aims at building electronic devices directly on textile fibres which can be woven into fabrics. Two types of key electronic devices will be targeted, field-effect transistors and loudspeakers. The approach described herein relies in using unconventional materials in electronics: organic and molecular materials, particularly graphene and its derivatives. These materials overcome many limitations of current technology, namely allowing flexibility, elasticity and transparency. This breakthrough will allow the development of completely new approaches for integrated electronics, capable to be embedded into our everyday clothing. Since textiles are so present in society, these devices would transform our clothing into mobile phones, displays with electronic newspapers or GPS-activated maps. Establishing the foundations for this future in wearable electronics is also essential for other societal needs, such as biomedical monitoring, communication tools for sensory impaired people and personal security.

Mots clés : graphene, smart textiles, e textiles, wearable electronics, organic electronics

Participants :
- University of Exeter (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 195454.8 €
Projet GONOGO (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

We cross the street when the traffic light is green (action initiation), and we wait if it is red (action suppression), both in order to reach a goal across the street, such as getting an ice cream (rewarding) or insect-repellant to avoid a mosquito bite (aversive). Such action control is dysfunctional in several psychiatric disorders. For example, action initiation and suppression are impaired in patients suffering from depression and impulsivity, respectively. Thus, improving our incomplete understanding of the neural basis of action control has translational value, specifically how action outcome valence (rewarding or aversive) interacts with brain mechanisms of action control (i.e., initiation or suppression). The direct and indirect output pathways of the basal ganglia are strongly implicated in action initiation and suppression, respectively, and receive modulating input from dopamine and serotonin neurons, which are implicated in processing rewarding and aversive stimuli, respectively. I hypothesize that the anatomical and functional integration of these opposing systems supports action control as well as constitutes a neural interface for the interaction of action control and outcome valence. I propose to use a set of innovative and inter-disciplinary approaches that include monitoring neuronal ensemble activity with calcium imaging using implantable, miniaturized fluorescence microscopes and simultaneous optogenetic manipulation in novel transgenic rats performing in a tailor-made behavioral paradigm. I aim to understand the neural mechanisms in the basal ganglia that crucially govern the control over actions with different outcome valences. My anticipated results will inform future research and potentially treatment of psychiatric disorders such as depression and impulsivity disorders. Further, this fellowship will strengthen my position as an independent researcher and increase my chances for a tenure-track position at a European research institution.

Mots clés : calcium imaging, striatum, dopamine, serotonin, optogenetics, dimensionality reduction, neural manifolds

Participants :
- Amsterdam University Medical Centers (Pays-Bas) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 187572.48 €
Projet BIOMARK (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

We know talk of ‘the autisms.’ Evidence shows us that autism refers to a heterogeneous group of neurodevelopmental disorders. This heterogeneity has greatly hindered our understanding of autism. This proposal will attempt to disentangle this heterogeneity by focusing on one piece of the autism phenotype: disordered language. More specifically, we will focus on impairments involving phonology, the sounds of language. Infants acquire phonological skills in the first year of life. A disruption in the development of these skills can compromise or even preclude language acquisition. Behavioral studies have provided evidence for an autism subgroup defined by phonological deficits. This subgroup is hypothesized to overlap with specific language impairment (SLI), a developmental language disorder clinically marked by phonological deficits. Given that the presence of speech before age five is the strongest predictor of a better outcome for a child with autism, understanding language deficits that can be present at a very early age is critical. This study will be the first to utilize EEG to examine neural activity relevant to phonological processing in children with autism with and without SLI as well as children with SLI. Our primary goal is to identify biomarkers indexing impaired phonology that can inform earlier diagnoses and treatments for children with disordered language. In addition to this goal, undertaking this research at the BCBL and the University of Seville, which will provide access to both mono- and bilingual children, will enable us to address a critical gap in both autism and SLI research. Developing bilinguals are the rule in the world. Despite this, little is known about bilingualism in autism or SLI. Scientific evidence suggests that there is a ‘bilingual advantage’ that sharpens the mind of bilingual speakers. Could there also be a ‘bilingual advantage’ for children with disordered language? Or is bilingualism simply an extra burden for these children?

Mots clés : autism, language impairment, biomarkers, bilingualism

Participants :
- Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 170121.6 €