Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-actions-marie-curie-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet EASY-CROPS (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P) are essential for all aspect of plant growth. As a paradox, they are poorly available in soil, leading to extensive use of fertilisers to fulfil the demand of a growing population. However, this agronomical practice is detrimental to the environment. To exploit N and overcome P starvation, numerous plant families interact with mutualistic root-endosymbionts such as nitrogen-fixing bacteria with legumes, or phosphate-delivering arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) with the 80% of land plants. Despite the benefit of these endosymbioses, P and N fertilizers reduce AM and nitrogen-fixing bacteria endosymbioses. In addition, climate change impact endosymbioses with a decrease in nitrogen-fixing symbiosis at high temperature, in acidic and saline soils. Therefore, it is imperative to develop novel strategies to enhance endosymbioses in crops and optimize N and P nutrition under global warming. The success of root endosymbioses relies on the molecular dialogue between symbionts and plants. One of the core functions of this dialogue is to stimulate the release of calcium by the plant nucleus to switch on the symbiotic program. This calcium release is mastered by the cyclic nucleotide gated channels (CNGC)15. A recent Mtcngc15c-easy allelic variant discovered in the proposed laboratory presents spontaneous calcium release and increase of nodulation and mycorrhization. My objectives are to reveal the effect of CNGC15c-EASY mutation on the channel activity and symbioses, and use this knowledge to translate this system into crops. In addition to discover a novel strategy to improve plant production, this work will give me training in plant biology technics and structural biology. Simultaneously, the project will benefit from my expertise in microbiology. Finally, the work in the proposed destination centre will also provide me a valuable international network and skills for my future career.

Mots clés : nitrogen fixing rhizobia, arbuscular mycorrhiza, calcium signalling, cyclic nucleotide gated channel, crop improvement

Participants :
- UK Research and Innovation (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 212933.76 €
Projet NOCEANIC (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Nitrogen loss fuelled by sinking particulate organic carbon (POC) is a key mechanism that drives biogeochemical cycles in anoxic oxygen minimum zones (OMZs). However, little is known about what controls this mechanism because of the challenges involved in observing it. Noceanic aims to improve current knowledge by exploiting – for the first time – time-series of optical proxies of POC and physicochemical data collected by autonomous profiling floats (i.e. “BGC-Argo”). This data acquired at unprecedented temporal and vertical resolution will generate new insights into the biogeochemical linkages between POC fluxes and N losses. Ultimately, Noceanic will contribute to reducing uncertainties in the mechanistic prediction of N losses and deepen understanding of the biogeochemical response of oceans to ongoing OMZs expansion. Noceanic will combine models, field and remote-sensing data. From field data, optical POC relationships will be tuned and then used to convert optical proxies of POC into POC fluxes. Remote-sensing data will be exploited to model surface POC formed by photosynthesis and assess its source of variability. From these elements, POC fluxes in anoxic OMZs (> 100 m) can then be translated into N losses. Finally, temporal changes in N losses will be explained in terms of the main factors driving the formation of POC and its export to anoxic OMZs. These innovative interdisciplinary activities will establish a two-way exchange of knowledge between the Researcher and the host institution, and enhance their European and international network of collaborators. An expected outcome of Noceanic is its impact on the European strategy for global ocean observations by promoting the inclusion of OMZs – a critical shift because OMZs expansion is affecting the oceans’ role in mitigating the Earth’s climate and the size of fish stocks, ultimately inflicting consequences on European society.

Mots clés : anoxic oxygen minimum zones, nitrogen and carbon cycles, biogeochemical argo floats, ocean optics

Participants :
- Sorbonne Université (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 196707.84 €
Projet IASMOL (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Nobel Prize winner Richard Feynman first emphasized the complexity of simulating quantum systems. Using classical computers, the exponential scaling of the required computational power with the number of constituent particles of the quantum system makes full simulations impossible for high particle numbers. As a solution, Feynman suggested using a quantum computer that operates according to the laws of quantum mechanics. This notion of quantum simulation - to simulate one quantum system with another - therefore has the main goal of solving problems that are not accessible using a classical computer. A prominent example of quantum simulation, that is the topic of this proposal, is the study of interacting many-body quantum systems. Over the course of the “Imaging and Addressing of Single Molecules in Optical Lattices” (IASMOL) project I will develop techniques to combine the state-of-the-art imaging and addressing techniques currently employed in atomic quantum gas microscopes and apply them to molecule experiments. This will enable the quantum simulation of strongly interacting matter with precise single-particle control and in-situ imaging. I will use molecules created by the association of ultracold alkali-metal atoms. This approach benefits from the enormous advances in laser cooling of atoms and crucially allows the lattice to be loaded with atom-pairs from degenerate atomic gases. The host group (HG) within the physics department at Durham University is part of the Joint Quantum Centre which has a major research theme in ultracold atoms and molecules (both theory and experiment). The HG have successfully created RbCs molecules by the association of atoms for many years, allowing for studies of the properties of these molecules. The RbCs experiment in the HG is therefore the ideal environment to implement the IASMOL project.

Mots clés : ultracold molecules, polar molecules, quantum simulation, optical lattices, quantum gas microscopes

Participants :
- Durham University (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 224933.76 €
Projet XeMoon (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2016)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Noble gases trace the evolution of reservoirs inside terrestrial planetary bodies because their isotopic signatures are diagnostic of volatile sources. In addition, original compositions can be modified by radioactive decay of rock forming elements, providing constraints on the chemistry of an interior reservoir and the time at which it was isolated (since when noble gases were retained). Some lunar samples are known to preserve signatures in xenon and argon that were degassed from one or more interior sources to the exosphere, then incorporated into the regolith, potentially allowing this record to be read. In this work I will combine (i) my expertise in lunar evolution, sample characterization and the 40Ar-39Ar system, (ii) the University of Manchester’s expertise in xenon isotope systematics, world-leading instrumentation for xenon isotopic analysis and state-of-the-art sample characterisation facilities, and (iii) expertise relevant to the lunar exosphere from a network of collaborators. With this team, I will (i) determine the range of xenon and argon signatures in lunar regolith samples and the times at which they were incorporated, (ii) develop a model of the lunar exosphere to infer source reservoir compositions from those measured in samples and so (iii) investigate the number of contributing lunar reservoirs, their compositions and their histories. The results of this interdisciplinary study will be disseminated to the range of specialist and non-specialist audiences. They will serve to test models of lunar evolution, allow comparison with the Earth and Mars to gain wider understanding of terrestrial planetary bodies, and stimulate engagement with planetary science. Additionally, I will develop my leadership and teaching skills by completing the University of Manchester’s New Academics Programme, equipping me to move to the next stage of my career as a researcher, leader and teacher for the next generation of multidisciplinary planetary scientists.

Mots clés : lunar exosphere, xe and ar isotopes, cold traps, polar permanently shadowed regions

Participants :
- University of Manchester (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 183454.8 €
Projet NonEqbSK (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Non-equilibrium phenomena continue to challenge our understanding of many-body systems appearing in nature. Macroscopic processes are generally irreversible due to dissipation. Reconciling this irreversibility with the unitarity of quantum mechanics has been one of the long-standing puzzles in physics. To date, we lack a systematic framework to account for stochastic thermal noise in many-body dynamics that becomes increasingly important as we leave equilibrium. The situation is particularly dire in systems that naturally operate far from equilibrium, such as fluids near a critical point, actively driven fluids, or fluids fluctuating in a confined volume, as the validity of existing models is limited. The goal of this proposal is to investigate these systems in the context of the newly developed Schwinger-Keldysh framework for non-equilibrium effective field theories. The new framework offers a systematic understanding of thermal fluctuations and dissipation starting from an action principle, and is suitable for constructing models describing non-equilibrium phenomena in many-body systems. During this fellowship, I will develop effective field theories specialised to the non-equilibrium systems mentioned above, and investigate their repercussions for observed phenomena. These results will have far-reaching impact in the fields of high-energy physics and condensed matter physics, especially concerning the hunt for the QCD critical point at heavy-ion colliders, modelling of living systems in biophysics, and biophysical membranes. This work will also provide insights into the broader physical problems such as the emergence of dissipation from microscopic principles and the quantum nature of gravity via the AdS/CFT correspondence. The increased visibility that I will gain in the scientific community due to these results, along with the training and experience I will obtain during this fellowship, will help me establish myself as an independent scientist in the future.

Mots clés : schwinger keldysh, effective field theory, thermal field theory, stochastic models, critical phenomenon, hydrodynamics of active matter, casimir effect, relativistic hydrodynamics

Participants :
- University of Amsterdam (Pays-Bas) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 175572.48 €
Projet Modular Functors (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Mathematics
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Non-semisimple differential graded modular functors: While semisimple modular categories can be entirely understood in terms of three-dimensional topological field theory, an equally satisfactory topological understanding of non-semisimple modular categories is not available. The proposed project will solve concrete problems related to the topological understanding of non-semisimple modular categories by unraveling within a homotopy coherent framework the relation between the homological algebra of a modular category (in particular, its Hochschild complex) and low-dimensional topology. The backbone of this approach is the differential graded modular functor associated to any modular category (a consistent system of projective mapping class group representations on chain complexes satisfying excision) that I have recently established in joint work with Schweigert. Among the concrete objectives is a generalization of the Verlinde formula to a statement about two compatible E_2-structures on the differential graded conformal block for the torus. This will naturally link the Verlinde formula to the Deligne conjecture. Moreover, rigidity requirements for categories that can be extracted from a modular functor will be studied systematically using cyclic and modular operads and results of Costello and Giansiracusa. This will lead to a vast generalization of existing string-net techniques, namely string-net complexes for any pivotal Grothendieck-Verdier category in the sense of Boyarchenko-Drinfeld. These string-net complexes can be used to compute differential graded conformal blocks for modular categories which are the Drinfeld center of a spherical pivotal finite tensor category and to create a link to Morrison-Walker blob homology. The key techniques that I will learn during the fellowship involve graph models for mapping class group actions and multiplicative structures on Hochschild complexes. My host Nathalie Wahl is an expert in these areas.


Participants :
- University of Copenhagen (Danemark) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 207312.0 €
Projet RAVE (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Non-trophic species interactions such as epibiosis are poorly studied and their impact on food web properties not easily quantified. Using rotifers and their attached bacteria, this project analyses two hypotheses on epibiosis in freshwater systems. (1) Epibiont-derived organic carbon is transported to the predators together with the host and forms a shortcut through the food web from dissolved organic carbon to higher predators. (2) Potentially pathogenic bacteria can attach to zooplankton and migrate with them, dispersing through great distances to areas that are considered pristine. The project follows a bottom-up approach from experimental assessments of the uptake of single cells attached to rotifers to the statistical inference on the effects of rotifer and bacterial communities. The questions are addressed by state-of-the-art methodologies, (tracer uptake, chemostat experiments, next generation sequencing and statistical models) by combining the expertise of a microbial ecologist (the experienced researcher, ER) and an evolutionary ecologist working on animals (the host). The study will be the first one to quantify the impact of epibionts on carbon transfer to higher trophic levels and the host-mediated distribution of bacterial genotypes in nature. The cross-disciplinary training of RAVE will considerably distinguish the ER from other microbial ecologist and prepare her for a further career in the field of microbe-zooplankton interactions.


Participants :
- National Research Council (Italie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 168277.2 €
Projet MetD-AO (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease in the Western world, encompassing a spectrum of liver damage. Multiple issues are involved on the cellular level in failing liver often including enzyme deficiencies such as reduced biosynthesis of S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe). Preserving SAMe homeostasis has only recently started to be considered as a potential therapeutic target in liver-related medical conditions. However, employing the required enzyme, SAMe synthetase (SAMe-synth), as a pharmaceutical, is challenging due to the general issues involved in intact (functional) protein delivery. The aim of the MetD-AO project is to assemble organic SAMe-synth activity mimicking polymer nanoparticles as artificial organelles (AO) and their in vitro characterization of intracellular function in hepatocytes. AOs are typically nano-sized single compartment reactors, aimed to perform a specific encapsulated biocatalytic reaction within a cell to substitute for missing or lost function. The AO will be based on amphiphilic copolymers consisting of a methyl-donating unit, cholesterol methacrylate and poly(5-carboxypentyl acrylate) as membranolytic hydrophilic tail. The latter two will aim at facilitating self-assembly and lysosomal escape, respectively. To allow structurally intact AO to escape the lysosome is unique since typically, the carrier is destroyed and only the therapeutic cargo is release into the cytosol. The proposed AOs with methyl-donating ability are highly advanced because the few prior reported AOs with intracellular activity all considered reactive oxygen related aspects at best. The successful outcome of MetD-AO has the potential to open up entirely new therapeutic opportunities in NAFLD. The complementary expertise of my host Dr. Stadler and me, a trained polymer chemist, will ensure a successful conduction of MetD-AO while it will enhance my future career prospects gaining experience in colloidal science and cell biology.

Mots clés : cell mimicry, biocatalytic polymer

Participants :
- Aarhus University (Danemark) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 219312.0 €
Projet ENVIRON_CHANGE (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Not all species equally respond to environmental changes, and some are better adapted than others to cope with the new challenges. The loss of functional and phylogenetic diversity driven by habitat loss has a great potential to alter ecosystem functioning and reduce stability, and thus impact the long-term sustainability of ecosystem services. Previous assessments on the causes and consequences of biodiversity loss due to human activities commonly adopted a space-for-time substitution approach to quantify the impacts of habitat alteration, but the impacts on ecosystem functions and evolutionary history over time still remains to be uncovered. I propose to advance the knowledge by using a multidisciplinary approach that combines long-term monitoring and survey, niche analysis, GIS tools, phylogenetic comparative analyses and ecological modelling to understand why certain species are better prepared to respond to environmental changes than others, and how the spatiotemporal variation in responses to habitat changes alters the structure of communities in terms of functional and phylogenetic diversity. Building on classic life history theory and modern theoretical and empirical work, I intend to integrate autoecology and community ecology to investigate the causes and long-term consequences of urbanisation and agriculture to the biodiversity of avian communities. The outcomes will provide us a general picture of the impact of land use change on biodiversity, allowing to better guide management decisions, and may also allow us to assess the extent to which functional diversity is more protected in species rich assemblages. I propose to develop this project under the supervision of Professor Daniel Sol, an international reference in life-history theory and responses of organisms to rapid environmental changes. We will work together at the Centre for Ecological Research and Applied Forestries - CREAF, located at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, in Spain.

Mots clés : urbanisation, agriculture, habitat change, land use change, niche analysis, functional diversity, birds

Participants :
- CERCA Institution (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 160932.48 €
Projet AQUIRE (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Novel configurations and concepts for interferometric gravitational-wave (GW) detectors will need a quantum-limited, quadrature-sensitive readout of the output signal. In principle, these requirements can be met by balanced homodyne detection (BHD), which is a well-established technique within table-top experiments in quantum optics. However, up to now no knowledge exists of whether BHD is compatible with the extreme requirements of large-scale interferometers. Within this project, I will use my knowledge of BHD to investigate its performance in interferometric setups with suspended optics, i.e. in an environment as in GW detectors. The research will cumulate in the design and construction of a monolithic BHD to be tested and used within the Sagnac Speedmeter testbed at the University of Glasgow. During my stay in Glasgow, I will benefit from the university’s highly regarded Career Development resources to increase my expertise in professional research management and leadership. At the end of my project I will have acquired substantial knowledge about suspended interferometer techniques, bridging the gap between table-top experiments and large-scale detectors. The results will pave the way for advanced quantum-noise suppression techniques in next-generation gravitational wave detectors such as the Einstein Telescope and LIGO Ultimate, providing high visibility of my research within the scientific community and leading to further career opportunities in GW astronomy

Mots clés : gravitational wave detection, balanced homodyne readout, quantum noise, interferometry

Participants :
- University of Glasgow (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 195454.8 €