Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-actions-marie-curie-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet TWINCER (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2022)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : TERMINATED

Thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) have been widely used to protect the substrate of hot components against the hot and corrosive environment, which have extensive applications in power sectors, aerospace engineering and chemical industrials. They are, however, facing the paradox of conflicting competition between the strength and toughness, especially under high temperature. Aiming to develop high temperature TBCs with simultaneously improved strength and toughness, this project proposes an innovative strategy of engineering nano-twinned ceramics and examines their mechanical properties under high temperature with improved mechanistic understanding, which include: i) developing novel nano-twinned TYaO4 ceramic materials via hierarchical structures; ii) examining the mechanical properties of formed TBC materials via a unique high temperature nano-indentation system up to 2000 K; 3) establishing a multi-scale simulation framework to predict the macroscopic mechanical properties; and iv) developing a twin boundary affected hardening and crack growth model to reveal the influence of nanoscale structures. Four work programs are proposed ranging from experiments, simulations to theories to realize such an ambitious plan, intervened with a careful balanced training program, dissemination and management skill development. Properly implemented, the project shall reveal for the first time the effect of hierarchical nanoscale structures on the improved mechanical properties of TYaO4 ceramics up to 2000 K, which are much needed for the development of next generations of TBCs. The project exhibits strong interdisciplinary coupling among materials science and engineering, solid mechanics, and multiscale computation engineering. Not only bearing with significant scientific potentials, the mutual benefits from this program will booster the career of the researcher significantly and promote long term knowledge exchange and collaboration between Europe and China.

Mots clés : thermal barrier coatings nano twins hardening ad toughening high temperature nano indentation multi scale method

Participants :
- Université technique de Munich (Allemagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 189687.36 €
Projet SpinBioAnode (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2022)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Current challenges of humankind in coping with raising energy needs make it necessary to look for alternative technologies for harvesting renewable energy. One of the strategies is to construct biophotovoltaics that directly exploits naturally abundant and highly efficient photosynthetic proteins as photoactive components. My goal within SpinBioAnode is to construct the first generation of energy-efficient semiconductor-free biophotoanodes. To do so, I will design, assemble, characterize, and optimize a biohybrid photoanode consisting of a photosynthetic reaction center interfaced with electrode materials via an electron-conductive immobilization matrix. SpinBioAnode comprises a unique approach for solar energy conversion that hijacks a highly energetic triplet state formed by a spontaneous electron spin flip in purple bacteria photosynthetic reaction centers. This spin flip is biologically unfavorable, but potentially lucrative for biohybrid applications that require large open circuit potentials and high solar energy conversion efficiencies above 1% which to date, have not been achieved using state-of-the-art biophotovoltaics. I will apply a strongly interdisciplinary approach for characterization of the photoanode prototype using a combination of spectroscopic, electroanalytical and modelling methods. This will be achieved by collaboration within a network of physicists, chemists, and biologists. The characterization results will be utilized in the feedback loop workflow to optimize the constructed biophotoanode. Utilization of biologically unfavorable pathways within protein, opened by means of biohybrid approaches, is still an unexplored area in biophotoelectrodes design and the outcome of the SpinBioAnode project will serve as a blueprint in the wider field of light energy conversion in a road towards reaching Sustainable Development Goals such as affordable and clean energy.

Mots clés : biohybrid devices, solar energy harvesting, triplet states, time resolved absorption spectroscopy

Participants :
- University of Regensburg (Allemagne) — Partner, associated partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- Université technique de Munich (Allemagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 189687.36 €
Projet AnBioLED (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2021)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) are present in displays of the great majority of devices we use every day, including smartphones, computers, TVs, etc. Unfortunately, they use toxic non-renewable rare-earth materials for their functioning. Fluorescent Proteins (FPs) have already proven to be an eco-friendly alternative, but their performance over time decreases as the intensity of the excitation source increases. This is because FPs have not been naturally or artificially evolved to function as color converters in electronic devices. Since it is not possible to artificially evolve proteins under LED operation conditions (stress), AnBioLED proposes to merge through machine learning evolutionary information (Ancestral Sequence Reconstruction) and computational protein design to identify key mutations in order to improve FPs photo and thermal stability. More importantly, AnBioLED will use experimental results under device operation conditions to reinforce the protein design strategy. The new ancestral FPs will merge the excellent photoluminescence properties of existing FPs with the robustness of their ancestors. AnBioLED novel approach will allow for the first time to optimize existing FPs for LEDs applications.

Mots clés : bio hybrid white light emitting diodes, protein engineering, fluorescent proteins, biomaterials

Participants :
- Université technique de Munich (Allemagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 173847.36 €
Projet ENCHFATCS (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2022)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The trifunctional catalytic systems (TCS) consisting of bifunctional photocatalysts and transition metals will be designed to achieve the enantioselective N-α C(sp3)-H functionalization of amides (ENCHFA). Mechanistically, the bifunctional chiral hydrogen bonding-based aryl ketones will activate the amides to form α-amido radicals via HAT and control their reactivity in an enantioselective manner while transition metal will provide another opportunity to active substrates and accomplish the photocatalytic cycle via a radical relay. Combining chiral hydrogen bonding-based aryl ketones with Co catalysis, the protocol will develop the external oxidant-free enantioselective N-α C-H alkenylation, arylation and alkoxylation of amides with H2 evolution. Furthermore, the enantioselective N-α C-H trifluoromethylation of amides will be relized by merging chiral hydrogen bonding-based aryl ketones with Cu catalysis. The trifunctional catalytic systems will not only enrich the types of enantioselective C-H functionalization of amides, but also reveal the mechanism of trifunctional catalytic systems, as well as provide guidance for designing multiple systems in asymmetric catalysis.

Mots clés : photocatalysis, enantioselectivity, radicals, hydrogen atom transfer, transition metal catalysis

Participants :
- Université technique de Munich (Allemagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 189687.36 €
Projet REVEAL (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Understanding species extinction risk is a crucial goal in Evolutionary Biology and a contemporary societal challenge. The standard method for assessing extinction risk, the IUCN Red List, focuses on external threats and overlooks genetic factors. Despite some weak and variable correlations, genetic diversity offers insights beyond the Red List, potentially resulting in an underestimation of extinction risk. Genomic data, generated rapidly through initiatives like the Bird 10,000 Genomes Project, has the potential to enhance assessments by revealing historical population demography, genetic diversity, and the genetic load of deleterious mutations. Recently, there has been excitement about the potential of reference genomes in conservation genomics. However, the actual potential and limitations of single reference genomes in informing conservation strategies remain unexplored. To address this gap, I propose a comprehensive approach, REVEAL, which integrates comparative genomics and individual-based simulations within a robust Artificial Intelligence (AI) framework. The proposal comprises three steps: (i) simulating extinction risk using a broad parameter space with a dataset of at least 3,825 bird genomes generated by the B10K consortium, (ii) training AI models to recognise genomic signatures associated with extinction risk, based on the previous simulations, and (iii) evaluating the potential and limitations of single reference genomes for extinction risk assessment, using the trained AI models. In particular, I will focus on avian species with diverse geographic ranges and ancestral population sizes in order to compare extinction risk predictions, considering both spatial dynamics and temporal dynamics. REVEAL seeks to move beyond conventional assessments and improve our understanding of extinction risk evaluation using genomic data, ultimately enhancing our ability to formulate effective species recovery strategies.

Mots clés : comparative genomics artificial intelligence conservation conservation genomics simulations genomic erosion reference genomes bird genomes

Participants :
- Université d'East Anglia (Royaume-Uni) — Partner, associated partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- Université de Copenhague (Danemark) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 247553.28 €
- Université technique de Munich (Allemagne) — Partner, associated partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
Projet EDAIS (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Inflation, the accelerated expansion of the early universe, is a leading mechanism for explaining the origins of perturbations in the primordial universe. During this epoch, tiny quantum fluctuations are imprinted in the primordial density field, serving as the initial conditions for the formation of all structures in the cosmos. To date, predictions from inflation have been limited to analytical techniques based on perturbation theory. The EDAIS proposal aims to revolutionise our understanding of primordial fluctuations and their role in structure formation by developing the first ab initio cosmological simulation. This simulation will begin deep within the inflationary era and extend to the present-day distribution of matter in the universe. This groundbreaking technology will surpass standard approximations, offering new insights into the properties of the large-scale structure predicted by inflation. Recent advances in lattice simulations of inflation have enabled predictions of non-Gaussian primordial fields, emerging from interactions during inflation. The initial phase of the EDAIS project will focus on significantly enhancing these simulations. Once the necessary resolution and accuracy are achieved, the resulting primordial density field will serve as the initial condition for state-of-the-art N-body simulations. This comprehensive approach will allow for the creation of physical maps of the present-day universe, which will be benchmarked against standard approximations to assess the strength of this novel methodology. The anticipated outcomes include an open-source ab initio code and ab initio maps of the universe for selected cosmological models, all publicly available for the research community. This technology is expected to establish a new standard in cosmology, benefiting both theoretical and observational researchers, as well as major experimental collaborations.

Mots clés : inflation, cosmological simulations

Participants :
- Université d'Amsterdam (Pays-Bas) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 232916.16 €
Projet MossTOR (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2021)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The Target of Rapamycin Complex 1 (TORC1) signaling pathway, involved in the coordination of cell growth and metabolism, is highly conserved among eukaryotes, including seed plants and algae. Studies have shown that its activity could be tuned to enhance plant growth, yield and resistance to stress, or accumulation of triacylglycerol in algae, thus indicating that its power could be harnessed to improve diverse plant biotechnological applications. In this project, I aim to characterize the TORC1 pathway for the first time in the moss Physcomitrella (Physcomitrium patens), a model organism of non-seed plants, using protonema cells as a study system. This is linked to another important goal, to test whether the activity of TORC1 can be modulated in order to improve moss-based biotechnological applications. Besides the identification of a functional TORC1 in Physcomitrella, I will develop transgenic lines with hyperactive TORC1 signaling, phenotypically and metabolically analyzing them, and in collaboration with Mosspiration Biotech, test if these lines could produce more human recombinant complement proteins or the drug artemisinin, used to treat patients with complement disorders or malaria, respectively. Enhancing this yield will result in a stable, sustainable and eco-friendly production platform. It would also lead to a reduced price, for instance of artemisinin-based treatments, thus allowing poor communities most affected by malaria to contain the disease. Should this project be successful, it will open the door to improve the yield of diverse well-established products from Physcomitrella, valuable metabolites, active pharmaceutical ingredients and biopharmaceutical proteins.

Mots clés : physcomitrella, bryophytes, plant tor signaling, torc1 hyperactivation, plant based pharmaceutical production, plant growth, rapamycin, translation control, protein synthesis, stress resistance

Participants :
- Tailwind biotech aps (Danemark) — Partner, associated partner, Organismes privés (hors enseignement), subvention : 0.0 €
- Université de Fribourg-en-Brisgau (Allemagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 237109.2 €
Projet NHTS (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2023)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Non-Hermitian topological systems have emerged as a promising area of study within condensed matter physics, garnering substantial attention in recent years. Their distinct characteristics, including the non-Hermitian skin effect and their potential applications in sensing technologies, have spurred a surge of interest and investigation. This research proposal outlines a comprehensive program aimed at studying non-Hermitian systems and exploring their practical utility in the development of innovative devices. The research program is structured around two primary branches, each addressing critical aspects of non-Hermitian systems. The first branch seeks to develop a robust theoretical tool for comprehending and predicting non-Hermitian skin effects in disordered systems, particularly in higher than one dimension. For this wave packet dynamics will be used as a method. As part of the program, a comprehensive code package will be produced, facilitating access to these simulations for fellow scientists and researchers. The second branch of this program focuses on the theoretical development of mechanical metamaterial devices capable of studying non-Hermitian matrices. In stark contrast to conventional approaches, where the dynamical matrix of the system is designed to be non-Hermitian the aim is to engineer systems where the response matrices to external drive exhibit non-Hermitian characteristics. This idea builds on recent research findings where such systems have been successfully realized by us in conductance matrices. Extending this approach to mechanical metamaterials, offers a versatile and rapidly deployable platform. Collaborative efforts with experimentalists will play a pivotal role in the actualization of these novel devices, poised to advance the frontiers of applied non-Hermitian physics.

Mots clés : non hermitian topology, exceptional points

Participants :
- Université d'Amsterdam (Pays-Bas) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 187624.32 €
Projet AbundantPtsDelPezzo (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2023)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Mathematics
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Describing the set of rational solutions to polynomial equations is the oldest field in mathematics and one of the fundamental goals in number theory. In arithmetic geometry such solutions are studied using geometric tools: rational solutions to equations correspond to rational points on the corresponding geometric object. Fano varieties are among the simplest geometric objects, but still far from fully understood. This makes them a great class to test conjectures and develop new techniques. It is generally believed that Fano varieties, if they have a rational point, should have many, and they should be well-distributed. For curves (dimension 1), this is the case. Fano varieties in dimension 2 are del Pezzo surfaces, and already here there are many open questions. These surfaces have been a very active area of research in the last 50 years. Del Pezzo surfaces are classified by their degree, an integer between 1 and 9. The lower the degree, the more complex these surfaces become, and especially del Pezzo surfaces of degree 1 are notoriously difficult. Current results on the rational points on these surfaces make use of ad-hoc constructions, and a general geometric approach is missing. This forms a sharp contrast with del Pezzo surfaces of higher degree, and leaves a big gap in the understanding of rational points on Fano varieties. This project proposes to create a systematic approach to construct rational points on del Pezzo surfaces of degree 1, and use this to prove several different results on ‘abundant’ rational points for new families of surfaces. This will lead to answering big open questions (unirationality, Hilbert property and weak weak approximation for del Pezzo surfaces of degree 1), and providing evidence towards a long-standing conjecture on rational points on rationally connected varieties. Recent developments on the construction of rational points and low-genus curves on del Pezzo surfaces make this the perfect time to tackle the proposed objectives.

Mots clés : rational points, arithmetic geometry

Participants :
- Université de Fribourg-en-Brisgau (Allemagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 173847.36 €
Projet INAD (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2021)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The INAD (INfluential ADolescents) project addresses an urgent need to understand how to influence adolescents’ attitudes and behaviors regarding key societal problem areas, such as interethnic attitudes, substance use, and environmentally-friendly attitudes. To this end, I aim to identify the most influential adolescents in classrooms who could spread attitudes and behaviors among peers. Studying not only individual-level indicators of social influence but also their interaction with contextual factors could be a key element in identifying the most influential adolescents across a range of contexts and outcomes, potentially solving inconsistencies in the prior literature. Such knowledge would enable the preparation of cost-efficient interventions that would include only a few most influential adolescents, yet, influencing all classroom members. In three interconnected studies, I will investigate how various potential individual-level indicators of social influence 1) identify most influential adolescents across different classroom structures, 2) determine adolescents’ ability to affect the most important norms, 3) taking into account a short and a long-term change in attitudes and behaviors. I will employ computational social science methods, which help to capture complex social processes. In Study 1, I will develop a novel theoretical model based on interdisciplinary research and theories by combining theory-building and agent-based modeling. In Study 2, I will calibrate and empirically test the developed theoretical model using longitudinal social network analysis. In Study 3, I will conduct a computer simulation of how changes in attitudes and behaviors of a few most influential adolescents influence change among all classroom members.

Mots clés : social influence adolescence social network agent based modeling longitudinal social network analysis inter ethnic attitudes substance use environmentally friendly attitudes

Participants :
- Université de Groningue (Pays-Bas) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 203464.32 €