Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-actions-marie-curie-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet HS_MSCA_2021 (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2022)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

The development of the human body starts from a single cell, fertilized egg, which divides about ten trillion times to form an adult human. During every cell division, the genome is duplicated with great accuracy by DNA replication and distributed with one copy to each of the two daughter cells. Understanding how the cell regulates DNA replication remains one of the most fundamental questions in biomedicine, because up to two-thirds of all cancers are caused by accumulation of errors during DNA replication. Pre-replicative complexes (pre-RCs) serve as essential precursors for DNA replication and their accurate levels are critical to alleviate genome instability associated with severe diseases, including cancer. Indeed, the overexpression of pre-RCs has been reported at early stages of variety of cancers making them an attractive target for cancer therapy. On the other hand, programmed genetic instability is part of the normal mammalian development, including heart cells. The aim of this project is to map differences in the mechanisms that regulate pathological and physiological genetic instability, an area that remains largely unexplored. We will identify signaling pathways responsible for optimal levels of pre-RCs and understand their contribution to genome instability during oncogene-induced tumorigenesis and programmed polyploidy during cardiomyocytes maturation in normal mammalian development. By combining physiologically relevant mammalian cellular models with state-of-the-art CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing, quantitative cell biology, genomics, and proteomics approaches we will address mechanism regulating accurate pre-RC formation and its role in physiological and oncogenic cellular transformation. Our findings will lay the foundations for the development of new anticancer drug targets and thereby expand therapeutic strategies for treatment of cancer associated with misregulated pre-RC levels and poor prognosis.

Mots clés : dna replication, cell cycle, genome stability, cancer, cardiomyogenesis

Participants :
- Académie tchèque des sciences (Rép. Tchèque) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 166278.72 €
Projet PAMFGAL (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2022)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Polycomb-group (PcG) proteins assemble into complexes to maintain cellular identity in multicellular organisms and regulate phase transitions in plants by epigenetic gene repression. Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) is one of the complexes that is evolutionary conserved and catalyzes trimethylation of histone H3 on lysine 27 (H3K27me3). PRC2 is extensively studied in flowering plants, where it determines cell fate during development. Reports predicts putative homologs of PRC2 subunits encoded in the genomes of unicellular green algae but no molecular evidence of PRC2 complex composition, targeting and function is available. The main goal of PAMFGAL project is to describe the molecular functions of PRC2 in the green lineage to elucidate its ancestral roles. It will examine histone modifications in in three trophic states of green algae using ChIP-, RNA- and BS-Sequencing, and determine their impact on the transcription level of genomic elements. By utilizing transgenic algae and complementation of moss coupled with histone modification analysis, the project will investigate PRC2 activity conservation in the green lineage. It will characterize PRC2 complex composition using Co-IP and FRET microscopy. Phenotypic analyses of PRC2 subunit knock-out mutants will elucidate the functional role of PRC2 in growth and reproduction of green algae. Understanding of epigenetic regulation in growth and metabolism of unicellular green algae will contribute to more efficient ingredients production. Rafał Krela will be based in the group of Dr. Iva Mozgova (Biology Center CAS), focused on epigenetic regulation of photoautotrophic development and evolution of the PRCs. Training will involve algae cultivation, bioinformatical analysis, molecular biology and epigenetic methods, and the applicant will take part in leadership and project management training as well. Results will be presented at scientific and industrial conferences, and in high-profile scientific journals.

Mots clés : prc2, polycomb, h3k27me3, histone modification, epigenetic, green algae, green lineage, chlamydomonas, chlorella, interactome

Participants :
- Biology Centre (Rép. Tchèque) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 150438.72 €
Projet lifiFSO (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2022)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : SIGNED

The development of high-speed communication requirements due to explosive growth of subscribers each year has directed researchers to plan the next generation communication systems that can manage the current growing demand. The millimeter microwaves waves, which function within 30 GHz to 300 GHz, can become prospective carriers for delivering large amounts of data. But, in hospital setups, these radio waves are exposed to strict guidelines due to their direct impact on patient's health as well as high interference with other medical equipment which again imposes severe challenges for patients. The Free Space Optical System might become an attractive solution to transmit medical data over light waves as a carrier. LiFi (light fidelity) is a bidirectional wireless system that transmits data via LEDs or infrared light. LEDs are much cheaper than LASER, making the FSO link cost-effective. LiFI does not interfere with the hospital equipment that relies on radio waves. LiFi is one of the future wireless communication technologies, which will help to develop next-generation hospitals with ultra-high-speed transmission. The overall objective of this research proposal is the development of Ultra Speed, resilient, cost-effective LiFi based Free Space Optical Communication to connect Hospitals Departments -clinics and home care patients for next generation Hospitals. However, fading due to atmospheric turbulence is the main problem affecting the FSO communication system performance. Therefore a case study on how the atmosphere around Malta affects light transmission in free space will be carried out to take measures to improve connectivity. After that the researcher will analyses developed FSO link performance on the ground considering different weather conditions(fog, haze, rain) of Malta and internal system parameters (Transmitter divergence angle, Receiver aperture diameter and link range on data rate, power received and SNR).

Mots clés : optical wireless, atmospheric effects, led

Participants :
- Université de Malte (Malte) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 177251.52 €
Projet ENFORCE (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2022)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Silicon solar cells are the most commercialized photovoltaic devices due to their high-power conversion efficiencies (PCE). Over the different types of silicon substrates for solar cells, monocrystalline silicon is the one with the highest PCE reported. Monocrystalline silicon is commonly grown by the Czochralski method, a process in which a small seed crystal is dipped into a melt in a crucible, pulling the seed upwards to obtain a single crystal. Nonetheless, by the same process, two types of intrinsic defects can be incorporated: additional atoms (interstitials) or missing atoms (vacancies); additionally, the crucible used is generally silica, so the result is an oxygen contaminated ingot. Oxygen tends to react with vacancies, seriously affecting the PCE of the synthesized solar cells.  Nitrogen has long been known to simultaneously suppress interstitial and vacancy related defects, the higher the nitrogen concentration, the lower the defect size, which is highly favourable for defect annealing; besides, strongly enhances oxygen precipitation. Unfortunately, quantitative data on the chemical and physical properties of nitrogen in silicon are rare, so the mechanism through which it reacts with intrinsic defects and oxygen is still relatively unknown. In consequence, it is not possible to know what variables should be modified to improve the quality of the crystal.  The main idea of this project is to investigate the effect mechanism of nitrogen on grown-in oxygen precipitates. A complete understanding would lead us to find the ideal conditions to dope silicon with nitrogen, in order to reduce defect sizes and the oxygen amount to a minimum, so as to reach the maximum PCE in a monocrystalline silicon solar cell.

Mots clés : silicon solar cells, co doping, intrinsic defects, interstitials, vacancies, oxygen contaminated ingot, nitrogen on grown in oxygen precipitates, reduce defect sizes, reduce oxygen amount

Participants :
- Université de Malte (Malte) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 177251.52 €
Projet MicroGRANZ (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a critical global health threat, causing over 4.3 million infections annually in OECD countries, with 1.7 million in the EU/EEA. AMR leads to higher mortality, while the economic impact is severe, with increased healthcare costs due to prolonged hospital stays and the need for more expensive treatments, affecting both productivity and societal well-being. MicroGRANZ seeks to explore the antibacterial potential of granzyme proteins—Granzyme A, Granzyme B, and Granzyme M—as novel therapeutic agents to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Granzymes, produced by cytotoxic T lymphocytes and natural killer cells, assist immune cells in pathogen clearance, but also kill extracellular bacteria directly. Granzymes offer great potential as an alternative to antibiotics; however, their mode of action is not well understood.  In MicroGRANZ I will employ interdisciplinary approaches including live-cell microscopy and robotic liquid handling, where thousands of bacteria together with host cells can be monitored over time. This will provide a new understanding of granzyme’s specificity for different bacteria, and in combination with immune cells for cell-assisted killing. I will also improve their effectives by combining different granzymes together, also with other host molecules like Granulysin and Perforin, which enable them to get inside cells. Finally, I will use nanomaterials for enhanced and targeted delivery and controlled release into cells.  By investigating how granzyme proteins can be used to tackle resistant bacteria, MicroGRANZ aims to develop innovative immunotherapies that address the global challenge of AMR. The outcomes could pave the way for new treatments that strengthen the innate immune response, aligning with international public health priorities and contributing to improved patient outcomes. Ultimately, MicroGRANZ will also make a step change to my career in an interdisciplinary environment of IPPT PAN.

Mots clés : antimicrobial resistance, granzyme proteins, infectious disease, immunotherapy, cytotoxic t lymphocytes, natural killer cells, high content microscopy, targeted drug delivery, nano drug formulation

Participants :
- Institute of Fundamental Technological Research (Pologne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 179006.16 €
Projet DiAMonD (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2022)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : TERMINATED

The microbiome plays relevant functions on human health and disease, including roles in the efficacy and security of drug treatments. Capecitabine is a pro-drug of 5-fluorouracil, which is an active metabolite that targets tumor cells. This treatment is used for diverse cancers, including colon tumors, and is commonly associated with diverse adverse reactions such as the hand-foot syndrome (HFS), a skin deterioration for which there has not been discovered its causal mechanism. Preliminary data suggest that some skin microbes interact with 5-flourouracil. Here, I aim to study the dynamics and features of the skin microbiome of patients treated with capecitabine. Using massive parallel sequencing methods, I will look for microbial taxa, genes and/or functions associated with the presence/absence of HFS adverse reaction. Based on those data, I will select appropriate conditions to isolate microbial taxa likely implicated in HFS and I will study their ability to metabolize capecitabine and 5-florouracil. Then, with those microbes showing this activity, I will analyze their genomes and transcriptomes in presence/absence of these drugs to select candidate genes involved in this drug metabolism. Afterwards, I will perform docking methods to decipher more precisely the likelihood of the encoded protein to interact with the drug. Finally, I will validate this data with the phenotypic study of knock-out mutants lacking selected genes likely implicated in the drug metabolism. This project will provide understanding related with the roles of the skin microbiome in the appearance or protection against a skin adverse drug reaction. This knowledge may be used for the advance of a precise and personalized medicine in which the individual microbiome can be considered. The proposed project will allow me to gain skills in novel methods of microbiome studies and in project management, and will extend my research network boosting my career towards a mature and independent stage.

Mots clés : microbiome host microbe interactions microbial skin communities drugs metabolism

Participants :
- Institute of Microbiology (Rép. Tchèque) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 166278.72 €
- Université de Salamanque (Espagne) — Partner, associated partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
Projet StreamScape (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2022)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Cities around the world are undergoing significant transformations and are facing substantial challenges in the form of urban of climate change and ongoing urbanisation. The idea that we can work with nature to improve our cities is now seen as vital. The concept of Nature-Based Solutions has emerged to foster sustainable development by transversally addressing social, economic, and environmental urban challenges. Although the attention to nature-based solutions inclusion is an important pillar of urban sustainability, a clear understanding how they can be implemented in the freshwater landscape, is still missing, even in face of the relevance of the urban freshwaters to wellbeing of the population. This investigation aims to fill this gap, by analysing the social and environmental impacts of urban streams as important nature-based solutions from protecting water quality to reducing natural hazards while preserving biodiversity and providing health and wellbeing benefits to population. By selecting as case studies Aveiro and Coimbra, the research project aims to promote the urban streams and their multiple ecosystem services as important nature-based solutions to mitigate the effects of urbanization and climate change on aquatic ecosystems, in the human health and in the wellbeing of the population. The project will adopt the research strategies: to assess how urban development affect a capacity of urban streams to provide ecosystem services using well-established scientific methods and investigate how the degradation of urban streams reflects on the local residents’ perception of the ecosystem services in terms of benefits, health and wellbeing. In addition, thematic maps of ecosystem services identified in the urban streams will be produced to demonstrate the relevance of urban streams for ecological, cultural and social aspects and to demonstrate can this information can be useful to urban planning and governance.

Mots clés : urban water ecosystem services stream ecology, environmental change nature based solutions people wellbeing

Participants :
- Université d'Aveiro (Portugal) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 172618.56 €
- Université de Coimbra (Portugal) — Partner, associated partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
Projet DSRCT-CAR (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2022)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Desmoplastic small round cell tumor (DSRCT) is an aggressive rare sarcoma that occurs in adolescents and young adults. DSRCT has a dismal prognosis: despite aggressive therapy, 3-year overall survival has been estimated at 44% and the 5-year survival rate remains around 15%. Current therapeutic approaches, including chemotherapy (remain highly toxic) and surgery, are yet to achieve complete disease control. The development of safe and efficient molecularly targeted-therapies, as well as a comprehensive understanding of the molecular driver of the disease, are highly needed to ultimately improve patient outcome.  The originality of this proposal relies on intersecting complementary scientific areas, as the high level of maturity I have acquired both on the molecular basis of DSRCT and on the corresponding cellular and animal models, and a novel form of immunotherapy, as CAR-T cells (which the host group is actively working on), for the treatment of DSRCT. It will be carried out under the guidance of Prof. Moreira from CNC/UC, who holds more than 25 years of experience in the field of targeted delivery to solid tumors and successful entrepreneur.  This Fellowship, in line with Europe Mission on Cancer, is a life time opportunity that will enable me to become a highly qualified researcher, with differentiated background (combining – existing - molecular cancer pharmacology with targeting strategies to solid tumors) and novel transferable skills, among the post-doc universe entering the job market. It will enable me to generate and integrate interdisciplinary knowledge with added economic value, with know-how on how to translate it towards the market and the patients. Overall, these are relevant features to support the sustainability of any organization. As such, approval of this Marie Sklodowska-Curie European Fellowship will give me a wide avenue of opportunities to further pursue a career either in Academia or Pharmaceutical Industry.

Mots clés : sarcoma target discovery targeted therapy car t cells

Participants :
- Université de Coimbra (Portugal) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 172618.56 €
Projet 2BOLD (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2022)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) functional brain imaging is a valuable non-invasive tool widely used in studies of brain development in health and disease, which relies on blood flow and oxygenation state to provide insights into brain function. Intriguingly, functional imaging studies in the newborn developing brain often report unexplained variation and early inverted hemodynamic responses. There is a gap in knowledge to explain the discrepancy in the newborn hemodynamic signals that needs to be addressed for a better understanding of functional imaging data. The main goal of this project is to identify the origins of this shift. This will be achieved through the combination of a multidisciplinary team with cutting-edge methodologies to study the neonatal brain development in the living mouse. 2BOLD will implement specific aims that leverage innovative non-invasive imaging with a mechanistic insight approach. In Aim 1, we will longitudinally track, using suited pre-clinical imaging, the co-development of hemodynamic, vascular, and metabolic activity. Here, we aim to resolve the spatiotemporal developmental switch from negative to positive responses. In Aim 2, we will use in vivo 2-photon microscopy, novel transgenic animals and optogenetic manipulation to elucidate if the emergence of perivascular astrocytic endfeet is linked with cerebrovascular tone development and neurovascular coupling. Lastly, in Aim 3, live imaging will be complemented by comprehensive proteomic and metabolomic profiling of cerebrovascular maturation associated with the hemodynamic changes. This groundbreaking project will capture the dynamics of cerebrovascular events and hemodynamic signatures with unprecedented detail in the intact mammalian neonatal brain. This advance may pave the way for mechanistic studies on how injury or other adverse processes might derail normal development, with an impact on the diagnosis and treatment of neonatal brain pathologies, such as cerebral palsy.

Mots clés : neuroimaging, two photon microscopy, neurovascular unit, astrocytes vascular interactions, molecular screening, sex related differences

Participants :
- Université de Coimbra (Portugal) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 172618.56 €
Projet IRAM (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2022)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The fifth and sixth generations (5G/6G) of cellular networks have to handle an unprecedented surge in data traffic, which comes as a result of the emergence of a wide range of applications, notably, the Internet of Everything, haptic internet, digital-twin, to name a few. On one hand, mobile users expect to experience high-speed and reliable wireless access at an affordable cost. On the other hand, service providers aim at maximizing profits and are expecting cost-effective solutions from wireless industry. Increasing the capacity of the Next Generation Radio Access Network (NG-RAN) capitalizes in a part on reducing the cell sizes and the transmissions on high-frequency bands (e.g., millimeter wave) that offer small coverage. However, these solutions call for a dense deployment of base stations, where traditionally each comes with the expenses of establishing fiber links to the core network and a site acquisition (tower lease). The wireless industry leaders opt for developing flexible and more cost-effective NG-RAN that revolve around the dense deployment of low-cost radio access nodes with Integrated Access and Backhauling (IAB). The wireless backhauling/fronthauling feature will ease the task of IAB nodes deployment/relocation and save in the cost of the fiber-based bakchauling network. Although IAB is an attractive solution that could make dense deployments economically viable, efficient approaches for the optimization and management of the resulting large-scale and heterogeneous NG-RAN remain subject to investigation. Together with my supervisor Prof O. Ercetin, I will contribute to the efforts of building cost-effective NG-RANs empowered by IAB nodes, in particular, to the automation of the deployment, operation, and fast-recovery of NG-RANs. This project investigates two overlapping and complementing research problems: unsupervised planning and optimization of NG-RAN; and reliable backhauling/fronthauling wireless network for IAB nodes.

Mots clés : next generation radio access network, low cost radio access nodes, reliable backhauling fronthauling wireless network, unsupervised planning and optimization

Participants :
- Université Sabancı (Turquie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 148478.4 €