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

Urinary tract infections (UTI) are severe bacterial infections of the urinary system. Low understanding of specific bacteria-host interactions and associated disease aetiologies has led to global misuse of antibiotics driving bacterial resistance. However, relevant human modelling platforms that replicate all parameters of a physiological bladder and reciprocate infection conditions are non-existent. During infection bladder stretch-mechanisms are commandeered by opportunistic bacteria to penetrate the impermeable bladder defence, that are then not appropriately cleared by antibiotics regimens. With CURIES, we will develop microfluidic bladder-on-chip systems able to replicate the dynamic biomechanical scenarios and chemically-rich environments of the bladder epithelium; the urothelium. Without appropriate models that recapitulate organ biomechanics the emergence of superpathogens is likely to never be counteracted by targeted therapeutic design, accelerating antibiotic resistance to greater crisis levels. In this MSCA application I aim to combine my bioengineering experience with the world-leading expertise of my host laboratory in epithelial mechanobiology to create dynamic simulations of human bladder-on-a-chip homeostasis and UTI infections. I will perform thorough analyses on the transcriptomic level of changes across the expanse of the urothelium with periodic filling and voiding during pathogenic and non-pathogenic infections. CURIES will have unparalleled relevance for the drug discovery industry. Bringing together such advanced methodologies will yield discoveries in molecular mechanisms impacted by bladder-pathogen interactions and enable computational modelling simulations to serve as predictive tools. By undertaking this work I will develop valuable transferable skills, increase my scientific visibility, and move closer to scientific independence. CURIES will both shape my academic career and positively impact the fight against antibiotic resistance.

Mots clés : mechanotransduction bladder microfluidics epithelial biology

Participants :
- Université de Copenhague (Danemark) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 230774.4 €
Projet FIXNALCN (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2022)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The resting membrane potential of a cell is a crucial element of signal transduction across cell membranes and temporary changes are the basis of neuronal excitability. The key ions in the process are unequally distributed intra- and extracellularly and ion channels are regulating the transport. One of the main ions involved in this process are sodium ions. The depolarizing sodium influx on the resting membrane potential is primarily mediated by the sodium leak channel (NALCN). The neurological syndromes IHPRF1 and CLIFAHDD originate from NALCN gain-of-function (GOF) and loss-of-function (LOF) mutations, yet patients have overlapping or highly similar symptoms. Therefore, a genotype-phenotype correlation for these symptoms remains unclear. Here, we aim to understand genotype-phenotype correlations by establishing GOF and LOF patient mutations in a human induced pluripotent stem cell system and characterizing these mutants’ impact on neurological activities and comparing these to the wild type. To further expand our understanding of the patient mutations, I will use computational approaches, such as molecular dynamics to characterize NALCN wt compared to the above NALCN missense mutations. Together with the already available clinical data and the data obtained by the Pless lab in heterologous expression systems, this will provide the first comprehensive overview over the detrimental effects of NALCN GOF and LOF mutations. To date, no negative or positive NALCN modulators have been found or developed to fix patient GOF or LOF mutations, respectively. We aim to identify NALCN modulators using both, in silico docking and in vitro TEVC and patch clamp screening approaches, to treat these neurological phenotypes pharmacologically and thus potential drugs to rectify the effects of NALCN dysfunctions, potentially serving as drug therapy for patients suffering from CLIFAHDD and IHPRF.

Mots clés : ion channels, electrophysiology, stem cells, voltage gated sodium channels

Participants :
- Université de Copenhague (Danemark) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 214934.4 €
Projet TANES (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : SIGNED

The TANES project, Truth, Truthlikeness, and Trust: Shaping Reality in Ancient Near Eastern Societies, investigates why formal truths were established and how misinformation was used in Old Babylonian (OB) documents (2003-1695 BCE). Through interdisciplinary approaches, it aims to redefine our understanding of truth construction in ancient societies, significantly impacting both Assyriology and broader studies of historical information dynamics. As Van McGhee notes, truth is essential for understanding group and individual behavior. In ancient societies, truth's socially constructed perception validated interpersonal bonds, with trustworthiness of information and its conveyors crucial for the stability of political, religious, and social groups. However, the authenticity of information often conflicted with its intended use. The project explores the concept of "truthlikeness," introduced by Karl Popper, which allows for varying degrees of informational manipulation. This focus shifts from traditional truth (factual reality) to a strategic use of truth and misinformation that served specific social and political purposes in Mesopotamian society. OB documents, especially from the royal archives of Mari, show how truth was shaped to influence decisions and maintain social order, often relying on trust in supernatural validations rather than factual accuracy. The project analyzes a carefully selected corpus of political correspondence and legal documents to uncover the deliberate manipulation of truth and the role of trust. This examination includes rhetorical strategies, performative speech, and the construction of socially accepted truths within OB political and legal contexts. TANES seeks to break new ground by applying contemporary theories of truthlikeness and information manipulation, offering fresh insights into ancient societies' information dynamics and contributing significantly to both Assyriology and broader historical research.

Mots clés : assyriology

Participants :
- Université de Rome « La Sapienza » (Italie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 396991.08 €
- Université de New York (Etats-Unis) — Partner, associated partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- Collège de France (France) — Partner, associated partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
Projet CosmicBells (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : TERMINATED

Neutron stars (NSs) are among the densest objects in our Universe, yet what constitutes their interior remains unanswered. Recent studies suggest the existence of quark matter inside the heaviest NSs, while there is growing speculation about the presence of dark matter inside them. In addition to state-of-the-art electromagnetic experiments like NICER, we are now, for the first time, able to observe the evolution of binary NSs using gravitational waves (GWs) as well. With the advancement of GW observatories like LIGO, and the upcoming third-generation detectors on the horizon, there is now a unique opportunity to explore NS composition through their dynamical imprint on GW signals from compact object (CO) binary mergers. Yet, most theoretical efforts are still focused on static properties of NSs, which are unable to provide detailed information on their composition. The CosmicBells project seeks to address this gap by answering the critical question: what can we learn about exotic matter inside NSs by observing the impact of tidal oscillations on the GW signals of CO binaries? As a Marie Curie Fellow I will achieve this goal by providing theoretical predictions on the properties of gravitational-mode (g-mode) oscillations in exotic matter admixed NSs using state-of-the-art field theoretical methods. I will also develop a few-body model to simulate the evolution of dynamically formed CO systems, focusing on the effect of g-mode tides. Working alongside Prof. Johan Samsing at the Niels Bohr Institute, I will be provided with the ideal research environment to carry out this project. The proposed research will present a novel method to study the impact of g-mode tides in CO systems, which might serve as beacons to pinpoint the existence of exotic matter in NSs.

Mots clés : neutron stars, gravitational waves, strong interaction

Participants :
- Université de Copenhague (Danemark) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 263393.28 €
Projet DISRUPT (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2023)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : SIGNED

DISRUPT, which stands for "DISorder in Ultrafast Phase Transitions," represents a theoretical physics initiative with the primary aim of harnessing both static and time-dependent disorder to gain full control over ultrafast phase transitions occurring in quantum materials. A key aspiration within the realm of nonequilibrium physics is to attain the ability to manipulate the properties of quantum materials over time, offering numerous potential applications in high-impact technologies such as ultrafast electronics, probabilistic computing, and quantum computing. However, in experiments where a pump-probe approach is employed, disorder is often viewed as an unwelcome factor that threatens to undermine the vision of achieving complete control over the dynamics of quantum many-body systems through the use of light. Our objective is to challenge this conventional perspective and demonstrate that disorder serves two fundamental purposes: Firstly, it enables us to place the system in nonthermal states that would be otherwise inaccessible under equilibrium conditions (as seen in ultrafast inhomogeneous disordering). Secondly, it allows us to theoretically devise robust mechanisms for preventing the thermalization of quantum systems, with direct implications for quantum memory technology. This dual objective lies at the core of our proposal. To accomplish these objectives, we plan to implement, for the first time according to our knowledge, an out-of-equilibrium extension of real-space Dynamical Mean Field Theory. This will enable us to investigate both the (absence of) thermalization in correlated electron systems experiencing static quenched disorder (Many-Body Localization) and the ultrafast inhomogeneous disordered transition in vanadium dioxide involving annealed time-dependent disorder.

Mots clés : inhomogeneous disordering noise and fluctuations electron phonon interaction electron electron interaction ultrafast phase transitions many body localization statistical dmft condensed matter

Participants :
- Collège de France (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 195914.88 €
Projet AxiTools (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2021)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : CLOSED

This project is to extend our knowledge about the landscape of viable axion models. Axions originally emerged as a solution to the strong CP problem and are excellent dark matter candidates, thus providing highly motivated extensions of the Standard Model. The project focuses in particular on models that solve further puzzles, e.g. improving the so-called Peccei-Quinn quality problem. To find such models, it considers QCD axions that are lighter or heavier than the usual benchmark models or axion-like particles from astrophysical sources. Moreover, the next generation of experimental searches need accurate computations that match the expected precision of the experiments. Advancing our understanding of the models and their predictions, and confronting them with experimental data, will require the development of new software codes and possibly new computational techniques. It will further require combining the expertises of the Researcher (phenomenology, statistical analyses) with those of the Supervisor/Host (theoretical computations, model building). Learning about the most viable axion models will not only increase our knowledge but also guide future experimental searches. By making software codes and data sets publicly available, the project will contribute to the sustained growth of this exciting field of research. These tools will provide researchers with a solid basis for ongoing and future research activities in axion physics. In turn, the project can benefit from community feedback on its open-science products, ultimately improving the efficiency and quality of the underlying research.

Mots clés : axions, axion like particles, astroparticle physics, global fits, dark matter

Participants :
- Université de Padoue (Italie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 172750.08 €
Projet CosmoBubbles (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2021)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : SIGNED

In 2015, nearly a century after their existence was predicted by Einstein's theory of general relativity, the LIGO detectors observed gravitational waves directly for the first time. The significance of these observations can be compared to the pioneering observations of astronomical objects made by Galileo Galilei in the 17th century at visible wavelengths of light. Both observations opened a new window to the Universe, and, in the same way observations made across the electromagnetic spectrum have revolutionised our view of the Universe, it is expected that observational advances in gravitational wave astronomy will result in great scientific breakthroughs. Gravitational wave astronomy has potential for solving some of the biggest questions in astrophysics, cosmology and fundamental physics. This, however, requires theoretical studies that allow us to understand the observations and their implications. This project includes such studies quantifying connections between the following three topics: GWs, primordial black holes (PBHs) and cosmological phase transitions. First, considering formation of GWs in cosmological phase transition, we develop new approaches for the calculation of the resulting GW spectrum, which allow for efficient studies of the parametric dependences of the spectrum. Second, considering formation of PBHs in cosmological phase transitions, we quantify the phase transition and collapse dynamics with numerical simulations to determine whether PBHs can form and, if yes, what are their properties and whether this process can be probed through GWs. These studies may lead to important developments in our understanding of what is dark matter, and the results of this project are necessary for deploying the full potential of the current and future GW observatories.

Mots clés : gravitational waves, primordial black holes, cosmological phase transitions

Participants :
- Université de Padoue (Italie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 172750.08 €
Projet AstroWaveforms (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : SIGNED

The study of “environmental effects” (EEs) offers the unique prospect to extract astrophysical information from individual gravitational wave (GW) signals, by modelling perturbations to the vacuum emission of binary sources. Cutting-edge numerical simulations indicate that a range of complex and previously un-modelled EEs should arise in binary systems subject to perturbative forces, due to e.g. Roemer delays, tidal fields, migration in gas, stochastic accretion, resonances in neutron star interiors. Accessing this rich astrophysical information encoded in GW signals requires entirely new models of EEs, able to characterise unique GW signatures from a range of physical mechanisms and astrophysical environments. As a Marie Curie Fellow at the NBIA, I will resolve this issue by developing a novel model for EEs based on a Fourier decomposition of astrophysical perturbative forces, and create a modular Python package to implement the model in state-of-the-art waveform templates. I will use the latter to perform first-of-their-kind parameter inference studies, demonstrating how EEs can be harnessed to reveal the physics of BH environments and distinguish between binary formation pathways. The completion of the AstroWaveforms project will result in a new state-of-the-art in the modelling of EEs, as well as a novel tool to perform parameter inference studies on both simulated and real GW data. Developments in this aspect of GW modelling are highly timely, considering the imminent release of the LVK fourth observation run catalogue, the upcoming upgrades to the LVK facilities and the recent adoption of the LISA mission.

Mots clés : gravitational waves, post newtonian dynamics, accretion discs

Participants :
- Université de Copenhague (Danemark) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 247553.28 €
Projet FREEINFOGEOM (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Mathematics
Statut du projet : SIGNED

This project will develop an information geometry for free probability theory. Free probability is a theory of non-commuting random variables that describes the large-n behavior of many families of n x n random matrices. Free probability has had applications to data analysis, communication, finance, and many other topics where matrices appear, as well as to the structure of von Neumann algebras, which is a wide-ranging and challenging field of pure mathematics. Information geometry refers to the synthesis of optimal transport together with measures of information such as entropy, which has shaped much recent work in partial differential equations, optimization, and data analysis. Information geometry has motivated many corresponding results in free probability theory, but several deep questions remain open concerning the relationship between optimal transport and entropy in free probability, and whether it accurately describes the large-n limit of the classical information geometry for random matrices. This project aims to show that free entropy is concave along optimal transport geodesics, establish the existence of momentum measures in free probability, give an optimal control formulation of free entropy, and exhibit counterexamples to regularity properties for optimal transport through connections with quantum information. The project will be supervised by Magdalena Musat in the Department of Mathematical Sciences at the University of Copenhagen, which provides a wealth of training and resources on operator algebras and quantum mathematics.

Mots clés : free probability, information geometry, wasserstein distance, random matrix, quantum channel

Participants :
- Université de Copenhague (Danemark) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 247553.28 €
Projet DOMAIN-PHOS (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

In recent decades, phosphoproteomics has greatly advanced our ability to quantify protein phosphorylation. However, characterizing the functional consequences of these phosphorylation events remains challenging, with only ~6% of recorded events having an associated function. This project aims to bridge this gap by developing a high-throughput method for characterizing biochemical functions of phospho-events. The proposed approach, supported by preliminary data, leverages the fact that some protein domains recognize phosphorylation of other proteins, thereby defining the function of both the binder and the phospho-substrate. For example, 37 human proteins contain the phospho-binding Forkhead-Associated (FHA) domain, each with a slightly altered sequence influencing substrate choice. FHA proteins act in various processes, including DNA damage response and cytoskeletal movements, areas of expertise for the applicant. The project involves GFP-tagging all human FHA domains for use in affinity pulldowns, followed by mass spectrometry for comparative analysis of phospho-substrates. For validation, we will perform large-scale reciprocal phosphopeptide pulldowns, a technique developed in the host lab. The combination of the applicant's expertise and the host lab's methodology creates a strong synergy. To understand structure-function relations, we will model interactions of shortlisted FHA:phospho-substrate pairs using AlphaFold3. Additionally, we will conduct phenome-wide association studies to find links between mutations in interaction pairs and disease states, including the functional follow-up on disease-relevant findings. The appeal of this approach extends beyond expanding FHA domain biology, as it has the potential to generalize to other post-translational modification- (PTM-) binding domains. This method could start a field describing PTM-associated functions at scale, enabling easier causative linking of protein function, mutation, and disease.

Mots clés : molecular biology, phosphorylation, protein domains, fha domain, affinity purification, alphafold, dna damage response, phenome wide association studies, disease mutations, cytoskeleton

Participants :
- Université de Copenhague (Danemark) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 247553.28 €