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

Annually, malaria causes 200 million clinical cases and more than half a million deaths. Works carried out more than 40 years ago demonstrated that a malaria vaccine offering sterile protective immunity in humans was possible, but the efforts to develop a modern, recombinant ‘subunit’ malaria vaccine only confer short term protection against clinical malaria in 35-50% of recipients. Several evidences support the presence of foreign short N-glycans and other minor glycosylations in the surfaces of the parasite, Plasmodium faciparum, the causative agent of malaria. In addition, recent studies show that Plasmodium sporozoites present also unknown α-galactose containing antigens in their surface and that antibodies against them provide sterile protection against malaria in mice. We propose to completely characterize the protein glycosylation present in the surface of the extracellular sporozoites, that travel from the mosquito to the liver, and merozoites, that invade human erythrocytes. We will use different quasi-targeted glycoproteomic approaches, based on the expected simplicity and low variability of these glycosylations in the parasite surface and their affinity to well characterized lectins. The investigation of these uncommon parasitic glycosylations may expose an unexpected Achilles’ heel in the Plasmodium parasite that could be exploited to halt sporozoite development and/or stop merozoite invasion and induce protection against malaria, mimicking what has already been achieved using carbohydrate-protein conjugate vaccines against bacterial infections.

Mots clés : glycosylation, sporozoites, merozoites, alpha galactose, glycoproteomics, immunogenic, malaria, analytical glycobiology, xeno glycans

Participants :
- CERCA Institution (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 158121.6 €
Projet PolAME (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Anomalous Microwave Emission (AME) is potentially polarized in the frequency range [1-100] GHz. The polarization properties of this astrophysical signal have to be characterized and understood completely for one willing to remove Galactic foregrounds in order to detect B-mode polarization for cosmology. The characterization of AME polarization properties is also fundamental in term of Galactic Astrophysics to understand the mechanisms producing the AME. The PolAME project aims to use the QUIJOTE-CMB experiment and its two instruments (the MFI and the TGI) for measuring the degree of polarization of the AME in the domain range [10-30] GHz on a sample of selected sources. This new data, in addition to new C-BASS data and the WMAP and PLANCK maps and ancillary data will be compared to theory and state-of-the-art modelling results. The Galactic science community will greatly benefit the new advances that will be provided by the PolAME project. The main outcome of this project will lead to a stronger characterization of the Galactic Polarized Foregrounds which is fundamental for cosmology. Knew knowledge will be produced about our understanding of the nature of the AME and dust grain evolution processes in our Galaxy.

Mots clés : polarimetry, galactic sience, galactic foregrounds, cosmology

Participants :
- Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 158121.6 €
Projet SUSADES (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Answering to the need for more sustainable, more flexible and secure power generation systems, the proposed project aims to develop and apply a methodological framework for the feasibility assessment of novel and existing electricity generation technologies in future energy systems. Specific objectives of the SUSADES project are: (i) to generate simulation models for selected existing and future electricity generation technologies; (ii) to integrate Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) of these modeled technologies in a national electricity model, implemented in LEAP (Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning system); (iii) to propose and formulate an optimization algorithm that allows the establishment of economic and environmental performance targets and benchmarks using prospective modelling results. Within the project, detailed mathematical models of individual components of the selected prospective power systems will be developed. Based on that, a thermodynamic analysis of particular unit processes will be conducted and integration of the models will be made. The systems will be subjected to thermodynamic, environmental and economic analysis as well as to the optimization. This first step will result in defining the Key Performance Indicators which will be incorporated in the Energy System Models (ESM). The KPIs will be further used in a national electricity model, implemented in LEAP. The ESM will be hybridized with the LCA methodology through the integration of relevant life-cycle indicators of the power generation technologies involved in the current and future electricity production mix. As a result, the theoretical numbers for the defined KPIs will be obtained. The optimization will be made with the use of an open-source OSeMOSYS model, integrated with LEAP. The develop tool will allow to evaluate various scenarios of power generation technologies in future energy mix, becoming a valuable instrument for sustainability assessment e.g. for decision-makers.

Mots clés : sustainability, energy system model, life cycle assessment, scenario analysis, energy planning

Participants :
- Madrid Institute for Advanced Studies (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 106326.0 €
Projet CALSOL (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions have seen a steady increase since the industrial revolution. Recent estimates show that 496 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide will be released in the atmosphere between 2010 and 2060. To address climate change, EU needs other technologies that can reduce the carbon dioxide emissions but also that can use the carbon dioxide present in the atmosphere to produce chemicals or fuels; looking at carbon dioxide as a carbon feedstock rather than an undesired waste. Small organic fuel molecules (e.g. formic acid, methanol) can be produced via photoelectrochemical carbon dioxide reduction. Materials that can harvest sunlight to electrochemically reduce carbon dioxide are the “Holy Grail” of energy sustainable societies; they have the potential to reproduce what nature learned in billions of years: photosynthesis. The action at hand aims at creating a carbon based arificial leaf that can convert carbon dioxide into solar fuels.

Mots clés : photoelectrochemical carbon dioxide reduction

Participants :
- University of Bucharest (Roumanie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 125422.8 €
Projet GROUP MOVEMENT (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Anthropogenic noise is ubiquitous across the world and, aside from other negative effects, causes declines in abundance and species richness in birds. How anthropogenic noise does this is not yet well understood, although it is probably because anthropogenic noise disrupts biologically important signals. One such important signal that has received considerable attention in primates and cetaceans but little in birds are calls used to coordinate group movement. Historically, research examining collective movement has focused on free-flying murmurations to determine how individuals’ behaviour impacts group movement. However, these models do not include visual and physical impediments that occur in many habitats (i.e. forests) and assume that information is transferred by visual, not vocal cues. Conversely, research examining vocalizations in groups, has focused on correlations between group movement and vocal behaviour, not accounting for effects of the movement and vocal behaviour of all individuals on their neighbours. To establish the mechanisms behind how birds use vocalizations to coordinate group movement, and the effect of anthropogenic noise on their ability to do this, I will combine a vocal communication approach with the mathematical modelling of collective movement to analyse fine-scale 3D spatio-temporal data collected from starling flocks in semi-natural conditions to determine: (1) what vocalizations are used during group movement; (2) how birds use vocalizations to coordinate group movement; and (3) how anthropogenic noise affects a flock’s ability to coordinate group movement. These data will establish a fundamental understanding of how vocalizations mediate group movement allowing for us to determine the impact of anthropogenic noise on this behaviour, and will provide the foundation for further study into other vocally mediated behaviours.

Mots clés : ecology

Participants :
- Max Planck Society (Allemagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 159460.8 €
Projet ENVIROSTOME (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Antibiotic resistance has become a global public health concern. Although this phenomenon has been widely studied in clinical settings, its impact has not been extensively explored in environmental settings. The environment is continually exposed to a wide variety of antimicrobials and their metabolites through wastewater treatment plant discharges, agricultural runoff, and animal feeding operations which may contribute to the emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance. Moreover, the large-scale mixing of environmental bacteria with exogenous bacteria from anthropogenic sources provides the ideal selective and ecological conditions for the emergence of resistant bacteria. As a consequence, aquatic environments may provide ideal settings for the horizontal exchange of antibiotic resistance genes. Our working hypothesis is that bacteriophages (phages) play an important (and overlooked) role in the acquisition, maintenance and spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in environmental settings, particularly under anthropogenic disturbances. The specific aims of the ENVIROSTOME project are (i) to determine the contribution of phages to the horizontal transfer of ARGs in aquatic environments, and (ii) to investigate the impact of conventional and novel disinfection approaches in wastewater treatment on the prevalence of ARG-carrying phages in aquatic environments. Dr. Balcazár’s group have demonstrated that environmental phages contain a large diversity of ARGs, which warrants further research to clarify their contribution to the emergence of antibiotic resistance among environmental bacteria, as well as to investigate their control through disinfection. The results of this research are expected to deliver critical insights for tackling the global crisis of antibiotic resistance. The project is also supported by an intersectoral secondment with the world-class water intelligence company BlueTech Research and by its founder and CEO, Paul O'Callaghan.

Mots clés : horizontal gene transfer, bacteriophages, antibiotic resistance genes, aquatic environments, wastewater treatments, disinfection

Participants :
- CERCA Institution (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 170121.6 €
Projet TaMIE (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Antibiotic resistance is a growing global crisis and current predictions suggest that by 2050 drug resistant bacteria will cause up to 10 million deaths a year globally. Bacteria employ many mechanisms to become resistant to antibiotics. One important mechanism is antibiotic efflux where membrane bound efflux pumps actively pump molecules, including antibiotics, out of bacterial cells. The RND-family AcrAB efflux pump confers multi-drug resistance in many Gram-negative bacteria including Escherichia coli and is commonly over-produced in antibiotic resistant clinical isolates. Regulation of RND efflux pump expression is complex but in E. coli the master regulator is the AraC/XylS family global transcription factor MarA. In spite of its relevant role up to now no inhibitor targeting this protein has been published. In this project we aim to develop efflux inhibitors that prevent transcription of acrAB by inhibiting MarA and to test their efficacy by measuring AcrAB expression and activity. In order to design the inhibitors we will analyse MarA structure and its direct DNA interactions based on available crystal structures. We will design oligonucleotides acting as a transcriptional factor decoy that modulate transcription by sequestering MarA from their endogenous DNA binding sites (RO1). We will also design peptides acting as inhibitors by blocking DNA-MarA interactions (RO1). Nextly we will measure the affinity of the inhibitor-MarA complexes by in vitro biochemical assays (RO2) and in vivo experiments (RO3). In RO4, we will crystallize the most promising inhibitor-MarA complexes in order to improve their efficacy after structure analysis. Successful development of these inhibitors will open an avenue in the fight against antibiotic resistance conferred by increased efflux pump activity. Training in efflux pumps to complement her existing skills in protein structure analysis will position the ER as a future research leader in the antibiotic resistance field.

Mots clés : rnd type efflux pumps, acrab gene regulation, mara, dna decoy, peptide inhibitor

Participants :
- University of Birmingham (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 337400.64 €
Projet PPOM-PTT (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Antimicrobial resistance is a global challenge which is threatening the life and health of people from every country and region. Basically, most of the chemical or biological interferences may cause resistance to some extent. Recently, photothermal therapy (PTT) is attracting increasing attentions in anticancer researches and bringing enormous impacts in our scientific community. Inspired by this progress, we plan to construct a new class of peptides-polyoxometalates (PPOMs) hybrids for antimicrobial photothermal therapy. We do believe that this project will create a new research orientation in the interdisciplinary boundary between POM chemistry, photothermal therapy and antimicrobial therapy. To this end, we propose a reasonable route divided into three steps: (i) developing a series of PPOMs by covalent or noncovalent linkage of three kinds of POMs and epsilon-poly-L-lysines with 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 repeating units; (ii) endowing PPOMs with photothermal capacities by chemical reduction and establishing a standard method for photothermal antimicrobial experiments based on PPOMs; (iii) evaluating their photothermal antimicrobial activity against non-resistant and ampicillin-resistant E. coli and exploring their potentials to tackle the antimicrobial resistance. This proposal is appropriate for both beneficiary and host. Ms. She has experience in POM synthesis, anticancer therapy and self-assembly, which will be vital in this research. Besides, the expertise in Cronin’s group involving POMs, peptides synthesis, antibacterial evaluation and material characterization will be crucial for this proposal. More importantly, this project will become one step further in the research direction of Cronin's group. To conclude, this project will exert a strong influence in the field of POM chemistry and antimicrobial research, and the bilateral success between host and beneficiary will be achieved.

Mots clés : antimicrobial research

Participants :
- University of Glasgow (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 195454.8 €
Projet DynaTweezers (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Antimicrobial-resistance is a growing concern in modern medicine. The spread of antibiotic resistant genes, both within bacteria species and between species, is greatly accelerated by horizontal gene-transfer. In intestinal bacteria, a major pool of antimicrobial resistance, the impact of foreign acquired DNA is modulated by H-NS proteins that recognize and silence its expression. I propose to investigate the molecular mechanism of gene silencing by H-NS and related co-regulatory proteins at a single molecular level. With the understanding of the underlying mechanisms, we may enable the development of medicines that revert or suppress the expression of antimicrobial-resistant genes. I plan to investigate the silencing mechanism of H-NS using a combination of dynamic Tethered Particle Motion and axial Optical Tweezers. These techniques allow me to characterize the repeated transcription of individual DNA strands in high detail under a variety of external conditions and under applied forces. Using these techniques, I can systematically study how transcription is affected by stalling of the transcription complex, loop formation and promotor occlusion. My experience in biophysical measurement techniques, in combination with the high performance optical tweezer expertise and an established network of H-NS research in Toronto enable the proposed research in a unique and powerful way.

Mots clés : dynamic tethered particle motion, axial optical tweezers, gene silencing, h ns proteins, transcription regulation, bacterial genomics, antimicrobial resistance, antibiotic resistance, rna polymerase

Participants :
- Eindhoven University of Technology (Pays-Bas) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 228421.8 €
- University of Toronto (Canada) — Partner, organization partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
Projet OPTIMAR (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Aquaculture is a sustainable means of generating high-quality fish to satisfy the growing global fish consumption. Flatfish are attractive species for aquaculture due to their high market value and consumer demand. However, abnormal development during metamorphosis is often a problem and has hampered the development of successful flatfish aquaculture. Hence, it is critical to understand the specific molecular signalling pathways associated with abnormal metamorphosis. Larval metamorphosis has been studied using histological sections and gene expression profiling. However, the first requires sacrificing fish and the latter uses pool of larvae. Hence, there is an increasing demand for 3D imaging tools to directly visualise the mechanisms of metamorphosis in whole live flatfish. This offers a unique opportunity for optical imaging (OI) modalities, which are becoming popular for imaging targeted biological processes in model organisms (e.g. zebrafish). However, their full potential for biology and non-model organisms is being overlooked. The vision for this fellowship is to develop a non-invasive OI tool for real-time 3D in vivo imaging, for studying the molecular mechanisms regulating flatfish metamorphosis. The project combines recent advances in the mathematics of forward and inverse problems, marine molecular biology and modern OI technologies, including selective plane illumination microscopy and optical projection tomography. The developed OI tools will provide clear high-resolution pictures from the inside of live flatfish. Accurate light propagation models and image reconstruction methods will be developed to obtain high-quality images of biological significance. Moreover, novel acquisition schemes will be implemented to enable real-time 3D imaging. Finally, the OI tools will be used for in vivo flatfish imaging to obtain markers of normal and abnormal metamorphosis. This is essential to establish a sustainable and profitable flatfish aquaculture industry.

Mots clés : 3d optical imaging, fluorescence, light propagation in biological tissue, inverse problems, image, reconstruction, compressed sensing, flatfish metamorphosis, thyroid hormone receptors

Participants :
- University of Algarve (Portugal) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 147815.04 €
Projet CURIE (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Autophagy is a highly selective cellular quality control pathway. Selective removal of autophagic cargo are mediated by cargo receptors that contain cargo binding domains and ATG8 interacting motifs to bridge the cargo with autophagosomes. Although cargo receptors are the key players linking autophagy to cellular quality control, most of them are still waiting to be uncovered in plants. Identification and characterization of novel cargo receptors will pave the way for future translational studies that aim to enhance stress tolerance in crop species. The host lab recently identified an Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) autophagy receptor C53, that interacts with ATG8 via non-canonical shuffled ATG8 interacting motif. Besides, C53 is regulated by an enigmatic posttranslational modification called ufmylation through binding to another ubiquitin-like protein UFM1. Interestingly, ATG8-UFM1 interaction is mutually exclusive. However, the structural basis of C53-ATG8 or C53-UFM1 interaction are currently unknown. Also, the physiological roles of ufmylation and the ufmylated protein substrates have not been studied in plants. In this proposal, I aim to structurally and genetically characterize C53-ATG8 and C53-UFM1 interaction. In parallel, using proteomics, I will determine the ufmylome, i.e., ufmylated protein catalogue in plants for the first time. Finally, I will move beyond model species Arabidopsis and establish autophagy and ufmylation studies in rice. Altogether, my studies will further our understanding of a novel ER quality control pathway in model plant species and beyond. I will work at the Gregor Mendel Institute (GMI), Vienna BioCenter (VBC) in the lab of Yasin Dagdas. VBC is one of the largest life sciences hubs in Europe. It has a dynamic postdoc community, with structured training programs to prepare postdocs for independent careers. The cutting-edge research concepts, resources, and soft-skill training that I will gain will help me to establish my own lab.

Mots clés : we use multiple biophysics and protemoics methods combined with plant genetics to dissect the role of ufmylation in er phagy regulation and cell homeostasis in arabidopsis and rice

Participants :
- Gregor Mendel Institute of Molecular Plant Biology (Autriche) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Organismes privés (hors enseignement), subvention : 186167.04 €