Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-actions-marie-curie-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet E FUNDIA (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

A key remaining challenge in ecology is understanding the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem function at large spatial scales. Nowhere is this challenge more pressing than in the forests of western Amazonia, which not only harbour some of the most diverse forests on earth, but also hold a key role in global biogeochemical cycles. In E FUNDIA we seek to address this challenge with a unique and innovative approach, combining state-of-the-art airborne spectranomics with an exceptional floristic dataset across the most variable landscape in lowland Amazonia. E FUNDIA will bring together two of the most productive research groups in this field globally: the Asner lab at the Carnegie institution for Science and the Ecology and Global Change cluster at the University of Leeds. Working with these two groups Dr Draper (the fellow) will have the opportunity to be trained at the highest possible level, extending his knowledge and technical skills in hyperspectral remote sensing and macroecology. Whilst receiving this training Dr Draper will produce world-class science and greatly enhance his career development potential. The output of E FUNDIA will be of broad interest to the scientific community, policy makers and the general public. We are committed to disseminating the findings of the project though high impact publications, accessible policy summaries, and presenting the work at international conferences and directly to policy makers. Furthermore, we will engage with high profile media outlets to make sure as many people as possible outside the academic sphere are able to access the research. This communication will be supported by a range of outreach activities that will encourage non-specialists (both adults and children) to actively engage with the research.

Mots clés : tropical forests, amazonia, tree biodiversity, imaging spectroscopy, hyperspectral remote sensing

Participants :
- University of Leeds (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 251857.8 €
- Carnegie Institution for Science (Etats-Unis) — Partner, organization partner, Recherche, subvention : 0.0 €
- Arizona's Public Universities (Etats-Unis) — Partner, organization partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
Projet PhotoDeRac (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : SIGNED

A method is proposed for the deracemisation of tertiary amines via the joint action of three distinct molecular catalysts - an Ir(III) photocatalyst, a chiral Brønsted base and a chiral thiol hydrogen-atom transfer additive. Through sequential visible-light driven electron transfer (ET), proton transfer (PT) and hydrogen-atom transfer (HAT), proximal stereocentres to amine functional groups can be selectively targeted for destruction of the undesired substrate enantiomer, and restored as the desired. An optical enrichment in the amine sample then builds over time, without other chemical change taking place. The two separate chiral catalysts work in tandem on two mechanistically distinct elementary steps, resulting in an amplification of asymmetric induction. Initial substrate activation is non-stereoselective, meaning that the total amount of substrate is capable of being processed, in stark contrast to typical chemical resolution methods. The method requires no stoichiometric reagents, produces no stoichiometric waste, is redox-neutral, and consumes only visible light photos. We believe this method will be of direct utility to the synthetic organic and medicinal chemistry communities, offering more efficient and more sustainable synthetic routes to target molecules, and going beyond the existing state-of-the-art. In the return phase of the project, the method is extended to the control of amine substrate diastereoisomers, in a tandem process involving C–N bond formation. Through appropriate catalyst selection we aim to develop complimentary methods to access either the thermodynamic or kinetic isomer – something difficult to achieve with existing epimerisation protocols. The concepts introduced here address fundamental questions of absolute and relative stereocontrol, retrosynthetic design, asymmetric autocatalysis and the utility of light as a driver of chemical change against a thermodynamic gradient, to achieve an out-of-equilibrium product distribution.

Mots clés : amines, deracemisation, sustainability

Participants :
- University of Cambridge (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 230416.32 €
- Princeton University (Etats-Unis) — Partner, organization partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
Projet ENMMCL (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : CLOSED

A moving contact line (MCL) is a moving line of intersection between a fluid/fluid interface and a solid wall. MCLs are central to a wide range of flows in nature and industry, however, their modeling has been a classical difficulty, especially under non-isothermal conditions. The project will tackle this challenge and we will develop a novel computational model enabling simulations of non-isothermal flows involving MCLs with unprecedented efficiency. The model borrows the idea from the large eddy simulation in turbulence modeling; it will resolve the macroscale flows only while model the effect of MCLs using non-isothermal hydrodynamic theories, which will also be developed in the present project. We expect that the model can lead to a reduction of computational effort by nine orders of magnitude for three-dimensional flows, compared with direct numerical simulations using a uniform grid, and it will therefore enable affordable simulations of practical flows in industry.

Mots clés : moving contact lines, dynamic wetting, thermocapillarity, macroscale computational model

Participants :
- University of London (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 195454.8 €
Projet GSAS (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

A primary crop in Ireland, wheat is the most important cereal within the EU. Zymoseptoria tritici, the causal agent of septoria tritici blotch (STB) disease, continuously threatens Europe’s wheat crop causing loses of up to 50%, if left untreated. The absence of commercial varieties with adequate STB resistance means the sector is wholly dependent on fungicides to offset STB, with control costs >€1bn pa. This chemical dependency has driven the appearance of fungicide resistant strains of Z. tritici. In addition, EU legislation has removed several fungicides due to environmental concerns. In short, the European wheat sector has an unsustainable future unless greater effort is made to identify durable sources of resistance to STB. This is where new breeding methodologies (e.g. genomic selection, GS) can assist traditional breeding initiatives. GS is a form of marker assisted selection that simultaneously estimates all loci, haplotype or marker effects across the entire genome to calculate Genomic Estimated Breeding Values (GEBVs). GEBVs are then used to select individuals of interest for advancement in the breeding cycle. This proposal will apply a GS strategy to a unique population (>600) of wheat lines (DiverseMAGIC, NIAB), that are firstly phenotyped in the presence of natural field-borne STB inoculum. Taking advantage of NIAB resources (35K SNP data, exome capture, genetic maps), this action will combine genotype and field phenotype data so that relevant QTL associated with contrasting STB resistant profiles can be identified. In parallel, an in-house gene editing system will be employed to edit several gene sequences that have demonstrated to be STB responsive based on previously accumulated RNAseq data. Multi-disciplinary in nature, we envisage this proposal (plus secondment) will identify novel sources of resistance to STB disease that thereafter will be integrated into European wheat breeding programmes through existing networks with this project’s partners.

Mots clés : wheat, septoria disease, genetic resistance, genomic selection, fungicide reduction

Participants :
- Teagasc - The Irish Agriculture and Food Development Authority (Irlande) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 175866.0 €
Projet ReconsolidationDynamics (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

A primary treatment for anxiety disorders is exposure therapy, which is based on the principles of extinction, but has the drawback that fear can return. This risk of relapse highlights a need for treatments that persist. Research on reconsolidation has shown that upon reactivation old fear memories can be updated, preventing the return of fear. However, studies targeting reconsolidation to reduce fear have reported mixed results because its boundary conditions are poorly understood. To live up to its clinical potential it is necessary to understand how to most effectively utilize paradigms targeting reconsolidation. The proposed research attempts to address this issue by providing a neural measure of the reconsolidation process itself. This will be achieved by determining whether dynamic patterns of neural network activity that occur during initial learning re-occur during offline ‘rest’ periods, and test whether this ‘replay’ of memory is linked to reconsolidation. The first objective of this grant application is to identify and quantify a neural marker of reconsolidation that predicts the absence of fear recovery. During the outgoing phase these questions will be addressed employing an innovative cross-species (humans, rats) approach using similar behavioural tasks, complementary recording techniques (functional magnetic resonance imaging, multi-unit recordings) and state-of-the-art analyses methods. Acquired knowledge and experience will be applied during the return phase where the second objective is to use this neural marker to determine how context serves as one critical boundary condition to inducing reconsolidation. Findings will significantly advance fundamental understanding of reconsolidation and have important implication for applied and preclinical psychiatric research.

Mots clés : memory, reconsolidation, neural network dynamics, replay, context

Participants :
- Radboud University Nijmegen (Pays-Bas) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 242929.8 €
- New York University (Etats-Unis) — Partner, organization partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
Projet SpinReMag (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2015)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

A revolution is underway, as the fast-paced electronics industry moves towards the nanoscale, researchers are starting to consider single-molecule electronics. Such devices are within reach partly due to a new field, called molecular spintronics, which permits the prospect of controlling both spin and charge in single molecules. On the other hand, we know almost nothing about how a magnetic molecule is affected by electrons flowing through it or what chemical ingredients it takes to construct perspective devices. SpinReMag will investigate these uncharted waters by exploring the boundary between chemistry and single-molecule read-out technology. SpinReMag is a strongly multidisciplinary project utilizing an innovative mix of synthetic chemistry, physics and materials methodology to overcome present experimental limitations. Our design approach is to investigate single-molecule junctions, except instead of placing a molecules between bulk electrodes, we will directly grow photoactive groups on the molecule so that electrons will flow through or close to the spin center after a light pulse. This affords an ultra-clean system that can be studied in bulk, with a perfectly defined geometry of the magnetic and electronic elements. SpinReMag will provide the fundamental ground work to explain how molecular spins interact with flowing electrons. The execution of this project will for the first time provide the understanding of fundamental spintronic processes, and open new pathways to the rational design of single-molecule spintronics. The information gathered by SpinReMag will direct the future of research in single-molecule electronics and in the optical control of spin systems in general.

Mots clés : lanthanide, single molecule magnet, electronic transport, single molecule electronics, break junctions

Participants :
- University of Oxford (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 183454.8 €
Projet STRETCHLENS (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : CLOSED

A smart contact lens is a device in direct contact with the eye, having integrated electronic functionalities in order to improve the well-being of the user. In that respect, these devices are envisaged to address diverse complex aspects, such as providing augmented reality, performing biomedical sensing and correcting or improving vision. For the first two application areas, possible approaches have already been demonstrated. However, the use of smart contact lenses to correct vision has only been recently proposed through the help of integrated liquid crystal (LC) cells. The integration of these LC cells in a contact lens is in particular appealing for ophthalmological disorders like iris perforation and presbyopia; the latter alone affecting more than 1 billion people. The STRETCHLENS platform envisages the hybrid integration of electro-optic capabilities (e.g. LC cells), RF transmission (e.g. antenna, ultra-thin Si chip - UTC), specific biomarker sensing (e.g. to identify some types of cancer cells) and thin-film based stretchable electrical interconnections. The platform, besides being stretchable due to the spherical shape of eye and manipulations during insertion/extraction of the lens, will incorporate novel 3-D electrical interconnections which will allow for multilayer metallization to integrate UTC’s, minimizing surface area and greatly improving miniaturization. Furthermore, the project will develop new knowledge through technological advancement and models of adhesion/cohesion at the interface of hard/soft composites, in order to predict delamination failures and optimize assemblies through design. The completion and development of such highly integrated stretchable systems will open up diverse research opportunities in the fields of biomaterial science, stretchable micromechanics, and autonomous biomedical and conformal electronics smart systems.

Mots clés : stretchable electronics, multilayer stretchable electrical interconnections, cohesive zone modelling, ultra thin si chips, smart contact lens, liquid crystal cells, vision correction, presbyopia

Participants :
- IMEC (Belgique) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 160800.0 €
Projet EPI_nanoSTIM (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

A spinal cord injury (SCI) has consistent social costs, due to dramatic and disabling consequences and a high incidence on the youngest and most productive population, which can hardly be alleviated by the very few and controversial therapeutic treatments. In a recent case report, epidural electrostimulation combined with an intense training enabled some highly variable conscious motor control of legs in four motor complete spinal cord injured volunteers. The aim of understanding the mechanisms behind these improvements can help define more effective pharmacological and electrical stimulating protocols with breakthrough technology to restore functions after a SCI. Experiments will be performed on adult rats, with an experimental SCI closer to human chronic lesions, on which I will apply the novel enabling protocol with epidural electrostimulation associated with an intense motor training. Outcome will be evaluated with innovative combinations of electromyographic and kinematic assessments of locomotion and standing posture, in vivo terminal intracellular recordings from lumbar motoneurons and histological examination of spared axons across the lesion. Then, I will employ carbon nanotubes to devise nanostructured innovative stimulation arrays for a more specific and focussed epidural stimulation to enhance recovery. The unique experience of Prof. Edgerton and Prof. Ballerini will allow me to acquire new skills on both preclinical SCI models and assessments and nanotechnologies, to increase my international collaborations, support my research through greater funds and a new in vivo research line, with the aims of obtaining a professorship and a greater visibility in the field. The project is deemed to advance and diffuse scientific knowledge and further sustain European competitiveness, through two patents on discoveries with a great commercial impact and possible clinical applications to reduce healthcare expenses.

Mots clés : spinal cord injury, motor recovery, neurorehabilitation, activity dependent plasticity, motoneuron, nanotechnology, training, epidural stimulation, pharmacology, carbon nanotubes, contusion injury

Participants :
- Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (Italie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 262269.0 €
- University of California System (Etats-Unis) — Partner, organization partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
Projet Tracer-T (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

A successful adaptive immune response requires T cells to be able to adopt a specific metabolic phenotype. However, in diseases such as cancer or those associated with chronic inflammation, the metabolic microenvironment in which a T cell functions is likely to subvert this metabolic phenotype, thereby disrupting function. A better understanding of how the microenvironment can affect T cell function would permit the development of metabolic 'normalising' treatments that could restore function and permit disease resolution. However, there is currently a disconnect within the field of immunometabolism that requires high resolution, direct analyses of T cell metabolism in order to solve. We therefore propose an approach that uses stable isotope-enriched metabolites that are associated with immunosuppressive cancer microenvironments (e.g. 13C3-lactate) to trace their use in different T cell populations (isolated from healthy peripheral blood), and thereby identify the precise pathway by which they are metabolised and how this alters cytotoxic function and proliferative capacity. By inhibiting the metabolic pathway implicated either pharmacologically, or using physiologically relevant stimuli (e.g. hypoxia), we will unequivocally link use of specific immunomodulatory metabolites, such as lactate, succinate and citrate, with T cell function.

Mots clés : stable isotope, hypoxia, t cells

Participants :
- University of Birmingham (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 195454.8 €
Projet CABOTioN (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : SIGNED

A sustainable energy network must comply with the usage of offshore wind farms and the sharing of surplus renewable energy without a dangerous carbon footprint. Amongst the possible technologies to foster the energy transition one way is to rely on HVDC transmission resorting to submarine cables for energy transfer. However, field measurements show the lack of confidence in simulation results with regard to the voltage and current profiles on the core, sheath or armour. A proper representation of the magnetic behaviour of the armour and the impact of the sea and seabed for an overall assessment of the transient behaviour remain a challenge. The overall objective of CABOTioN is the development of an innovative approach for identification of per-unit-length parameters of submarine DC cables and a straightforward interface with simulation tools. The applicant will resort to up-to-date formulations to design a special-purpose tool to compute electrical parameters considerably faster than the Finite Element Method without a significant loss of accuracy. Therefore, evaluations will be conducted to assess the enhancements achieved with a more accurate model and compared with the common practice and measurements. Implemented at Aalborg University, and supervised by Prof Filipe da Silva and Prof Claus Bak, CABOTioN will bring outstanding competencies and utmost recognition internationally in the field of cable modelling. The secondment with Prof Correia de Barros will strengthen the competency as an independent researcher on a challenging theme. A two-way transfer of knowledge is guaranteed since the applicant has a solid background on development of system models and network solvers and the supervisors have vast experience on challenging research projects. Therefore, CABOTioN will contribute to enhance the European scientific excellence on the development of cost-effective green projects to find new, better and more economical ways of building offshore transmission grids.

Mots clés : electromagnetic transients, submarine cables, modelling, simulation, hvdc

Participants :
- Aalborg University (Danemark) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 219312.0 €