Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-actions-marie-curie-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet ENCAPSULATE (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2023)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Anthropogenic climate warming has led to more frequent climate extremes and pollution episodes, posing serious threats to the ecological environment and human health. The rapid development of CO2 mineralization technology for industrial solid wastes offers a promising solution to ENCAPSULATE CO2 while stabilizing wastes. However, unlike desirable natural silicate minerals like olivine and wollastonite, industrial solid wastes exhibit a complex and diverse composition. The efficiency of mineralization in the carbonation process can be significantly impacted by the competitiveness of impurities relative to Ca/Mg. Whereas, the correlated systematic assessments of impurities' competitiveness remain lacking. In addition, the leachability of potentially toxic elements after mineralization has not been explored, raising significant safety concerns. ENCAPSULATE takes an interdisciplinary approach, combining the researcher’s experience in waste characterization and thermodynamic modeling with the supervisor’s expertise in interfacial geochemistry and molecular modeling to address these hitherto neglected challenges head-on. To this end, ENCAPSULATE will establish publicly available datasets and novel models to (i) estimate the impurities constraints on mineralization efficiency at the outset, (ii) propose possible strategies to reduce the environmental impacts of using carbonized products in practical applications and (iii) link CO2 emission to specific activities in industries. The outcomes will benefit EU organizations and industrial stakeholders engaged in CO2 mitigation efforts. The fellowship will be carried out at Université Grenoble Alpes (ISTerre joint research unit) and work with both academics (PSI, ESRF, CNRS, and EMPA) and industry partners (AMIII). The supervisors' expertise and the organizations' equipment ensure successful research progress and unsurpassed academic-industry intercommunication.

Mots clés : solid waste management, carbon dioxide mineralization, carbon capture, geochemical modeling

Participants :
- Université Grenoble Alpes (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 244893.6 €
- Centre national de la recherche scientifique (France) — Partner, associated partner, Recherche, subvention : 0.0 €
- ArcelorMittal (Spain) (Espagne) — Partner, associated partner, Organismes privés (hors enseignement), subvention : 0.0 €
Projet LAUREL (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2021)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Europe and the world are facing to the climate change emergency. To preserve the environment, the ambitious European Green Deal has in the agenda actions related to reducing air, water and soil pollution. In this regard, plastics represent a huge challenge because of they are pollutants that present a recalcitrant nature and consequently widespread and accumulation. Tackling this challenge requires the application of remediation processes beyond than recycle or thermal treatment. Aqueous phase reforming, a mild catalytic process, is here presented as an alternative to eliminate plastics at moderated temperatures and pressures and adding the additional benefit of the production of energetic vectors such as hydrogen or alkanes. To implement this process with high performance, low cost and energy efficiency, photo-oxidation reaction can be employed in a previous treatment. In both stage, the performance of the catalyst is a key aspect. In this context, the general objective of this project is to obtain heterostructured materials for application on complex catalytic process to achieve a clean conversion of plastics to hydrogen. With this aim, this project proposes the synthetic procedures and the physicochemical characterization of heterostructures composed by layered double hydroxides assembled with carbon materials, to get a library of materials with the catalytic properties demanded in photo-oxidation and aqueous phase reforming. The materials will be tested and optimized in the coupled processes over plastics in micronized size, from different nature and composition. The identification of the intermediates is a requirement to understand the mechanism and the catalytic route followed for the pollutants, the especial relevant to demonstrate the potential of this technology to remove and valorize plastics at large scale.

Mots clés : aqueous phase reforming, carbon materials

Participants :
- Université Clermont Auvergne (France) — Partner, associated partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- Université autonome de Madrid (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 165312.96 €
Projet LipiSyn (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2021)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Neurodegenerative pathologies (NDs), including Parkinson’s disease, represent a huge burden worldwide from a health, economical and societal point of view. However, the physiopathology of these diseases is not well understood, making the discovery of a cure extremely hard. A common feature of NDs is the accumulation of misfolded proteins such as alpha-synuclein (asyn) in different types of proteinaceous aggregates, the formation of which follows a prion-like spreading mechanism. In this context, the host lab has extensively studied the capability of neuronal and non-neuronal cells to transfer asyn through Tunneling Nano Tubes (TNTs). However, the causes and mechanisms of a asyn misfolding and accumulation are still poorly understood. Asyn is a lipid-binding protein, that associates with the head of phospholipids, and it is involved in the regulation of vesicles trafficking. Given the ability of asyn to directly bind membranes, studying the lipid composition of asyn-interacting membranes appears to be pivotal to understand its function and the consequences of its misfolding on the cell homeostasis and metabolism. In this regard, a peculiar class of glycerophospholipids, called N-acylethanolamines (NAPEs), which are enriched in the neuronal membranes after injurious stimuli, have been shown to regulate the binding and stabilization of proteins that interact with the inner leaflet. The present proposal aims to investigate the role of NAPEs in asyn anchorage to membrane, and how the perturbation of membrane lipid composition is affecting asyn spreading in vitro and in vivo. The combination of pharmacological, biochemical and molecular biology techniques applied in various neurodegenerative models and my strong knowledge in NAPE biology and metabolism, together with the expertise of the host lab in cutting-edge imaging techniques applied to membrane trafficking and asyn spreading are crucial and will assure the successful development of this project.

Mots clés : lipids, cell membranes, membrane trafficking, alpha synuclein, parkinson s disease, neurodegeneration, n acylphosphatidylethanolamines

Participants :
- Institut Pasteur (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 195914.88 €
Projet FlexAggon (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2022)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

How animal multicellularity evolved from unicellular ancestors remains an open evolutionary question. One key pre-requisite for the evolution of animal multicellularity was the evolution of cell adhesion. However, little is known about how cell adhesion evolved in the animal stem. In the last decades, considerable advances to reconstruct early animal evolution have come from investigations of the closest living unicellular relatives of animals, notably the choanoflagellates. These microeukaryotes have become powerful models to address the evolution of animals, for several reasons: (1) they are the sister group to all animals; (2) their genomes encode homologs of genes that can inform about animal origins, including an animal-like “cell-adhesion toolkit”; (3) they can temporarily adhere to each other and form multicellular colonies; and (4) they are amenable to functional genetics. Therefore, studies on choanoflagellate molecular and cell biology can inform the mechanisms of the emergence of multicellularity in animals. Here, I will investigate the cell adhesion mechanisms governing multicellularity in the recently discovered choanoflagellate Choanoeca flexa. C. flexa has direct cell-cell adhesion and aggregative multicellularity (unique in choanoflagellates) and also undergoes light-controlled collective contractility of colonies (unique in unicellular relatives of animals), making it a powerful model to study the emergence of collective behaviors. I will perform a systematic characterization of the environmental and endogenous factors regulating cell adhesion during colony formation in C. flexa using a combination of genetic engineering, biochemistry, proteomics, molecular and cell biology approaches, and functional genomics. The data generated here will contribute to converting C. flexa into an experimentally tractable species and has the potential to shed light on the pre-metazoan function of cell adhesion genes.

Mots clés : evolution, multicellularity, origin of multicellularity, cell adhesion, choanoeca flexa, choanoflagellates, holozoa, aggregation, evo devo, evolutionary cell biology, protistology

Participants :
- Institut Pasteur (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 195914.88 €
Projet MOMENTS (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2022)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Small RNAs have a remarkable regulatory role in most eukaryotes. These molecules bind to Argonaute proteins (AGO) and form a complex that recognizes its mRNA targets by sequence complementarity. The regulatory role is driven by the catalytic activity of AGO, but not exclusively. In several organisms, AGO recruits other factors to perform the silencing. Remarkably, during transcriptional gene silencing, the small RNA-AGO complex engages factors that interfere with transcription but also proteins that modify the DNA and the chromatin at the targeted loci. This phenomenon has been observed in plants, yeast, flies, and worms. Particularly, in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, this silencing regulation can be triggered and inherited by the next generations. This reveals the importance of small RNAs and chromatin modifications for transmitting non-genetic information and maintaining germline stability across generations. Several factors required for epigenetic inheritance have been identified by genetic screens in the worms. The nuclear Argonaute, HRDE-1, is expressed in the gonad and is a key component of this pathway. Still, what are the HRDE-1-associated factors required for transgenerational transcriptional silencing are not fully understood. This proposal aims to address what are the factors participating in the different stages of silencing mediated by HRDE-1: establishment, inheritance, and maintenance. To answer these questions, I will employ strains that allow the inducible depletion of the factors involved in the silencing response. I will combine these tools with encompassing genomics and proteomic approaches to investigate the changes across generations. This proposal will unveil the molecular mechanisms of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance. Moreover, this study will be instrumental for the study of these responses in other organisms, especially other nematodes, with potential applications to health and ecology.

Mots clés : epigenetics gene silencing chromatin small rnas c elegans rna interference

Participants :
- Institut Pasteur (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 195914.88 €
Projet AxTransCode (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

The microtubule cytoskeleton plays crucial roles in regulating a vast range of biological processes in different cell types, in particular in neurons that strongly depend on intracellular transport for cargo delivery over long distances. Posttranslational modifications (PTMs) of tubulin recently emerged as modulators of microtubule properties and functions, which is expected to dynamically adapt them to specific cellular functions. Neuronal microtubules are strongly enriched in the PTM polyglutamylation, which was shown to affect the transport of different cargos. Strikingly, perturbed polyglutamylation causes neurodegeneration in mice and humans. How the impact of polyglutamylation on neuronal microtubules translates into such drastic physiological effects is, however, not understood. In my project I aim at determining how polyglutamylation affects physiological functions that are driven by microtubule-based transport in neurons. I will use primary neurons with different levels and patterns of tubulin polyglutamylation and a novel CRISPR/Cas9 technology to endogenously label cargos. Super-resolution microscopy techniques will be applied to precisely determine how this PTM temporally and spatially regulates cargo distribution to their target sites, and how this contributes to neuronal homeostasis. The proposed work will provide a mechanistic understanding of how tubulin PTMs control the physiological roles of the microtubule cytoskeleton at cellular level. This will expand our knowledge of the role of the tubulin code in regulating organism homeostasis, which might provide a mechanistic explanation for its role in neurodegeneration.

Mots clés : microtubules tubulin code tubulin polyglutamylation neuronal transport neurons

Participants :
- Institut Curie (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 242260.56 €
Projet DENVMosSusceptible (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2022)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Emerging infectious diseases represent a global health problem, as demonstrated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Among them, viral pathogens transmitted by mosquitoes represent a growing threat to human health, due to global warming and globalization. For example, Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are the main vectors of dengue viruses that infect 400 million people annually. However, major knowledge gaps remain in our understanding of interactions between mosquitoes and viruses. For example, the mechanisms underlying natural variation in susceptibility to viral infection between different mosquito populations remain mostly unknown. My project aims to address this question using novel methods combining single-cell transcriptomics and metabolomics approaches. First, I will identify Ae. aegypti mosquito populations that are highly or poorly susceptible to infection with dengue viruses. Next, I will analyze infection dynamics in key mosquito organs: the mosquito midgut, which is the entry point for the virus, and the fat body which regulates metabolism. I will analyze their response to virus infection using single-cell transcriptomics and metabolomics. A joint “multi-omics” analysis of both datasets will describe, for the first time, the metabolic functions of different cellular subpopulations of the mosquito midgut and fat body upon dengue infection. It will reveal the metabolic pathways and gene expression patterns that are associated with susceptibility towards virus infection at the cellular level. Finally, the contribution of these candidate genes and metabolites to susceptibility or resistance to infection will be validated using functional assays (e.g., chemical inhibition, gene knockdown) in vivo. This project will address an important knowledge gap in virus-mosquito interactions by revealing metabolic factors underlying susceptibility towards dengue virus infections. These results might contribute to the development of innovative disease-control strategies in the future.

Mots clés : arthropod borne virus, dengue virus, aedes aegypti, single cell, transcriptomics, metabolomics, mosquito susceptibility, virus mosquito interaction, system biology

Participants :
- Institut Pasteur (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 211754.88 €
Projet PATH2EU (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : SIGNED

The project focuses on developing innovative, participatory pathways for the social inclusion of Unaccompanied Minors (UAMs) in Europe. By employing a co-creation model and participatory methods such as Photovoice and Living Labs, the project aims to address the unique challenges faced by UAMs. It emphasizes creating an inclusive policy framework that actively involves UAMs as well as other actors in charge of their integration in designing solutions that impact their inclusion and well-being. The core objectives include: 1) analyzing the current state of UAM integration and identifying gaps and best practices through comprehensive research, 2) developing and testing a participatory model that enhances UAMs’ roles in shaping their social inclusion policies, 3) providing practical recommendations and tools for stakeholders, including policymakers and practitioners, to improve UAMs integration processes. The innovative aspect of the project lies in its integrative approach, combining academic research with real-world applications. This model not only involves UAMs but also engages a diverse range of stakeholders, ensuring that the developed solutions are grounded in actual needs and experiences. The project will employ cutting-edge methods and frameworks, such as the EU’s Green Charter, the European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), ensuring ethical and effective practices in all stages. Key outcomes include improved social inclusion strategies for UAMs, practical tools for implementation, and a robust participatory policy framework that could serve as a standard for Europe. PATH2EU has the potential to offer valuable insights and solutions for similar challenges faced by other regions worldwide. The project will contribute significantly to both academic research and practical policy-making, aiming to make a meaningful impact on the lives of UAMs and the broader migration community in Europe.

Mots clés : unaccompanied minors uams social inclusion models participatory research innovative integration strategies living lab photovoice green, ethical and open science research practices

Participants :
- Université de Gênes (Italie) — Partner, associated partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- Université de Gand (Belgique) — Partner, associated partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- Université pontificale de Comillas (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 209914.56 €
Projet THELMA (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2023)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Fertility data can be misused to increase women’s inequalities, affect their reproductive autonomy, and violate their rights. THELMA will explore such impacts on women’s rights due to algorithm surveillance in reproductive health by Femtechs, the tech industry focused on women’s health and well-being, which can provide statistical analyses enough to control fertility on a mass level. Several concerns about this industry have been reported in scientific studies: gender biases; enforcement of gender binary stereotypes; sharing users’ data with third parties without consent; data collection for profit and advertising; unwanted pregnancies, etc. However, the invisible power relations that drive the use of fertility data with multi-level effects on women’s rights due to their - social, economic, and political – body value in producing human capital have not been explored until now. THELMA will provide critical analyses about this industry producing data-driven analysis and insights that will contribute to developing an EU regulatory framework for Femtechs based on interdisciplinary, intersectional, and gender-sensitive approaches. Combining social science methods with legal analyses, THELMA will be carried out in the Gender and ICT Research Group (GenTIC) from the Internet Interdisciplinary Institute (IN3) at Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) – Spain focused on gender studies in the digital age. The research findings will contribute to enriching the current state-of-art on fertility data and digital surveillance in the EU with end-user experiences as focal points. Success in my multi-dimensional training with my Host will position me as an intranational expert combining quantitative research and legal theoretical expertise that will contribute to innovative EU research on fertility data.

Mots clés : femtech fertility data biopolitics fertility surveillance

Participants :
- Université ouverte de Catalogne (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 165312.96 €
Projet VARIFN (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2023)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Both antiviral immunity and susceptibility to viral infections are remarkably variable. Factors such as older age, increased body mass index, and male sex can increase the risk of developing severe viral disease, yet the impact of these features on antiviral immunity, particularly the type I interferon system (IFN-I), is not understood. Here we propose to use a systems immunology approach to identify features that influence IFN-I responses and understand their impact on infection susceptibility. We will use datasets and samples from the Milieu Interieur (MI) cohort of 1000 donors consisting 500 males and 500 females aged 20-69 years old. Using Simoa digital ELISAs, we have quantified IFN-I (IFNa and IFNb) in the supernatants of whole blood from the 1000 donors that was stimulated ex vivo with 7 agonists that activate the IFN-I system. Preliminary analysis of these results shows interesting age and sex differences in the IFN-I response. We will integrate the IFN-I cytokine data with existing demographic, microbiome, immune cell phenotyping and plasma protein data from the cohort and determine their associations with IFN-I levels. To investigate sex differences in IFN-I we will quantify sex hormones in the plasma of the 1000 donors. We will perform RNA-sequencing on IFNa-stimulated whole blood on a subset (n=200) of the donors to investigate the factors that shape the response to IFNa itself. We will perform genome wide association studies of the IFN-I response in the cohort to identify variants that influence IFN-I production using SNP genotyping data from MI. To determine the impact of these features on IFN-I and influenza infectivity in vitro, we will develop an organ on chip model encompassing features that we find to be associated with IFN-I levels in MI. Results from this project will identify novel regulators of IFN-I and shed light on new strategies to boost the antiviral response to better protect against viral infection.

Mots clés : type i interferon, systems immunology, innate immunity, sex differences, inter individual variation

Participants :
- Institut Pasteur (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 195914.88 €