Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-actions-marie-curie-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet SConCichlid (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Sexual selection is one of the major drivers for the evolution of striking phenotypes such as male ornaments contributing to sexual dimorphism in many species. These phenotypes represent some of the most remarkable within-species variation and primarily result from a shared genome between sexes. This may lead to genomic conflicts between males and females arising due to divergent reproductive fitness or survival optima for each sex and have profound implications for genome and trait evolution. Such sexual conflict can hinder the ability of species to evolve towards trait optima, but has also been hypothesized to contribute to the maintenance of genetic variation through balancing selection thereby enhancing their adaptive potential. Despite this, the mechanisms underlying the development of sexually dimorphic traits, the nature and extent of sexual conflict and its role in shaping genetic and morphological diversity remain poorly understood. In this project, I propose to study the genetic and developmental mechanisms underpinning the sexually dimorphic traits using a powerful model system of a cichlid species Astatotilapia calliptera. I will perform RNA-seq and ATAC-seq of different tissue types, sex, and ecomorphs of A. calliptera to identify the genes and gene regulatory machinery involved in the development of sexually dimorphic traits. Next, I will perform whole-genome sequencing of 600 individuals to identify genetic loci under potential sexual conflict by testing for intersexual allelic divergence and balancing selection across the genome. Finally, I will use genome-wide association methods to uncover the phenotypic effects of sexually antagonistic variation throughout development and life history, and determine if sexual conflict contributes to maintaining genetic and morphological variation, particularly in sexually selected male ornaments. This study will profoundly impact our understanding of the mechanisms underlying organismal development and diversity.

Mots clés : sexual selection, sexual conflict, genotype phenotype mapping, cichlids, sexual dimorphism

Participants :
- Université de Cambridge (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 260347.92 €
Projet QFR (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Quantifying Freedom: Data production and everyday life in the Liberated African village, 1807-1901, is a historical ethnography of Liberated African villages in colonial Sierra Leone and the Gambia under British rule. Upon being returned to the coast, many Liberated Africans were settled in English-styled villages managed by the Church Missionary (CMS) and Methodist Missionary Societies (MMS), with oversight from the colonial Liberated African Department. These villages initially formed the basis of an abolitionist social experiment: to attempt to prove the relative productivity of free black labor over slave labor, the civilizational capacities of Africans and alternatives to the slave trade. To this end, these villages were simultaneously sites of data creation and extraction in which clergy village ‘managers’ collected data on everything from church attendance to livestock numbers. After an initial wave of British and German missionary managers, Liberated Africans took over these positions and innovated their own data collection processes that responded to their questions and concerns. This project proposes to study data-driven social reform, race, and the expansion of the British Empire in West Africa in the aftermath of the abolition of the Atlantic slave trade. The objective is to both understand and formulate an account for the impact of the quantification in the Liberated African village on ideas of race within the British Empire, on histories and techniques of British data collection and strategies of colonial governance and social reform in West Africa and Britain. The objectives in terms of training and career advancement is to improve the researchers capacity to produce high-impact publications, to acquire more experience in collaborating with others in teaching and designing courses, public outreach , improvement in the researchers quantitative skills through engagement with quantitatively focused research groups and training programs at Cambridge.

Mots clés : liberated africans, emancipation, racial data, data revolution, gambia, sierra leone, data collection, british empire

Participants :
- Université de Cambridge (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 276187.92 €
Projet ModProtease (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

The integration of ModProtease with antibody-based systems represents a promising strategy for targeted cancer therapy, particularly in addressing the challenges posed by KRAS mutations. These mutations are notoriously difficult to target directly with antibodies due to their involvement in intracellular signalling pathways and the development of resistance mechanisms. Strategies to overcome these limitations could include the development of protease-antibody conjugates and these conjugates might be directed to cleave specific substrates within tumour microenvironment, thereby enhancing the therapeutic effect of the antibody while minimizing off-target effects. However, engineered proteases remain underrepresented amongst protein-based biopharmaceuticals. This situation is due to fundamental challenges that exist in redirecting the substrate specificity of proteases. We propose a high-throughput screening platform that employs monoclonal hydrogel microbeads containing target substrates with FRET-based detection systems allowing for the precise identification of protease activity. This enables the rapid evaluation of various ModProtease variants and their effectiveness when conjugated to antibodies. The interplay of the SpyCatcher-SpyTag system enables the efficient and specific conjugation of ModProteases to antibodies, facilitating the creation of potent antibody-protease. Following high-throughput screening using fluorescence-activated bead sorting (FABS), the platform facilitates the recovery and analysis of protease genotypes from the microbeads. The group of Prof. Hollfelder (University of Cambridge) has substantial expertise in high-throughput methods and regarding the biology of proteases and protein binders. These conditions make the Host laboratory ideal for this project and will provide critical insights and technical support. This project will also collaborate with AstraZeneca, and targeted proteolysis against cancer cells will be assessed.

Mots clés : protein design and engineering therapeutic proteases combinatorial assembly

Participants :
- Université de Cambridge (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 260347.92 €
Projet CAFinCAC (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Cancer-associated “cachexia” is a debilitating condition that causes patients to lose weight and muscle, which limits treatment options and worsens survival. Often patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, a lethal and increasingly common malignancy, are affected by cachexia. Little is known about cachexia and no therapies exist. It is thus important to identify causes of cachexia to develop treatments. Pancreatic tumours contain abundant non-cancerous cells, called "fibroblasts", that promote cancer progression. My host laboratory found various types of fibroblasts that promote pancreatic cancer in different ways. Moreover, they found that genetic mutations of the cancer cells change the fibroblasts. While lots is known about how fibroblasts promote cancer, we know little about how they affect cachexia. My research objective aims to identify features of pancreatic cancer fibroblasts that promote cachexia to guide the development of therapies. I first aim to determine how genetic mutations that alter the composition of pancreatic cancer fibroblasts affect cachexia (Objective 1). I will then test how pancreatic cancer-associated cachexia is affected when fibroblast composition is altered using mouse models that were recently engineered by my host laboratory (Objective 2). This work will highlight candidate therapeutic targets of cachexia. Importantly, cachexia also affects patients with other cancers and diseases, and fibroblasts in these conditions share features with pancreatic cancer fibroblasts. Thus, my project could have a broad impact.  My research background in pancreatic cancer and the models of the host laboratory will guarantee the successful completion of this project. Working with the host supervisor, a world-leading expert on pancreatic cancer fibroblasts, along with the training program outlined, will have a long-lasting impact on my scientific career and will help me transition into an independent position as a cachexia-focused researcher.

Mots clés : pancreatic cancer, cancer associated cachexia, cancer associated fibroblasts, tumour microenvironment

Participants :
- Université de Cambridge (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 260347.92 €
Projet FUSION (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Premature birth disrupts the crucial perinatal period, significantly increasing the risk of lifelong neurodevelopmental disabilities (NDDs) such as cerebral palsy, attention deficit, and autism. Current brain imaging techniques, like cranial ultrasound and MRI fail to characterize subtle brain injuries and to predict long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes. Therefore, NDDs are often diagnosed years after birth, missing the crucial window for early intervention. Functional connectivity (FC), which quantifies how brain regions connect, holds promise as an early biomarker for neurodevelopmental outcomes as abnormal FC patterns are likely to precede later behavioural alterations. However, existing imaging methods, such as EEG and fMRI, are either limited in resolution or impractical for routine neonatal use. The FUSION project aims to address this gap by developing a novel neuroimaging device that monitors FC in the neonatal brain. FUSION proposes a ground-breaking solution by integrating High-Density Diffuse Optical Tomography (HD-DOT) and functional ultrasound (fUS) imaging into a single, high-resolution, bedside device. Both technologies have been used for proof-of-concept studies for neonatal imaging in the last few years, but have their own limitations: HD-DOT can only evaluate FC in cortical areas, missing deep structures, whereas fUS has a restricted access to cortical areas but can image deep structures. The project aims first to create and validate this dual-modality headset for use in neonates, then to define the interaction between HD-DOT and fUS signals and finally to assess whole-brain FC during different sleep states in both healthy term and preterm infants to demonstrate its capacity to give new biomarkers of brain maturation and sleep integrity, known to influence the outcome. By advancing neonatal neuroimaging, FUSION will go beyond the state of the art, offering the first cost-effective, high-resolution, cot-side device for whole-brain FC assessment.

Mots clés : functional ultrasound imaging functional near infrared spectroscopy neonatal brain injury prematurity neurodevelopment

Participants :
- Université de Cambridge (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 260347.92 €
Projet SaSEF (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Distribution networks (DNs) are overwhelmed by rapid growth of distributed energy resources (DERs), such as solar power on homes, and high-power loads, such as chargers. Most such systems are not under the control or even monitored by grid operators, and their state estimation (SE) is still too inaccurate due to limited data and unproper model. This project develops a sensor-aided state estimation framework (SaSEF) for DNs. The core innovation lies in sensor design, DER dynamic modelling, and state estimator development. First, a contactless sensing prototype with threshold-free event-triggering will be developed to capture the DERs’ dynamic data while addressing the data scarcity and privacy in dynamic state estimation. Then, we will develop a dynamic model of DERs under different control scheme and control switching. After that, we will design a state estimator to incorporate the sensing data and dynamic DERs model. The SaSEF will demonstrate its performance on a hardware-in-loop platform. This project will support the European Union's goals for grid modernization and digitalization, enabling distribution networks to operate as active, self-aware entities. The expected outcomes will also inspire novel applications in monitoring and protection, enhancing distribution networks resilience and flexibility and guaranteeing the last mile to energy users. Additionally, this research will expand the fellow's expertise in advanced state estimation techniques and complicated networks analysis, while also inspiring innovative applications in distribution network monitoring, fault protection and proactive management.

Mots clés : state estimation, power distribution network, inverter based resources, contactless sensing, event triggered sensing, data privacy, hardware in loop testing

Participants :
- Université de Cambridge (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 260347.92 €
Projet SFPOLY (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : SIGNED

On the path to enhancing photovoltaic (PV) materials and surpassing their efficiency limits, one promising approach is to exploit the phenomenon of singlet fission (SF). This process involves high-energy singlet excitons generated by light absorption in organic molecules, which interact with nearby ground-state molecules to produce two triplet excitons. This intricate interaction significantly boosts the efficiency of photovoltaic devices. Given the scarcity of SF materials and the advantageous properties of polymers in PV applications, this project aims to address the challenge by employing advanced polymer synthesis techniques.  The project’s hypothesis centers on designing monomers inspired by known singlet fission small molecules. The following steps involve utilizing controlled polymerization strategies to create polymers with various topological structures. These polymers will be combined with PbS quantum dot materials to produce composite films with SF properties through spin coating. By adjusting the polymer topology to fine-tune the stacking configuration of the polymer chains, the photophysical properties of the materials can be precisely controlled. Through detailed analysis of these photophysical properties, the relationship between polymer structure and photophysical behavior will be established. Ultimately, this will lead to the development of a new generation of composite singlet fission photovoltaic materials, enabling the creation of high-performance photovoltaic devices that surpass the theoretical limits of traditional photoelectric conversion efficiency.  Through advanced polymer synthesis, precise photophysical analysis, and fine-tuned thin-film optimization, this research will unlock the potential of singlet fission, significantly impacting polymer materials. It will pave the way for new photovoltaic materials, contributing to clean energy and promoting environmental sustainability.

Mots clés : singlet fission, step growth polymerization, polymer topology, photovoltaic materials

Participants :
- Université de Cambridge (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 260347.92 €
Projet IMMAc (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

We are yet to understand how the body regulates muscle mass in response to nutrient sensing at a whole organism level. The loss of muscle mass occurs in a range of diseases, including cancer cachexia, in which mortality risk is substantially increased by muscle wasting. The melanocortin signalling system in the hypothalamus is a crucial node in energy and nutrient sensing, with growing evidence implicating the understudied melanocortin 3 receptor (MC3R) in the control of body composition and lean mass. To date, the influence of MC3R tone on muscle mass has only been studied in mice and humans lacking MC3R from conception. To understand MC3R action and the spatial and temporal relevance of the receptor in regulating muscle mass, using in vivo and ex vivo approaches, IMMAc will: 7. Determine the neuroendocrine effects of MC3R activity 8. Assess the role of a putatively critical MC3R sub-population in controlling body composition and muscle mass 9. Determine the importance of MC3R for muscle mass in a mature organism and the extent to which MC3R tone can be manipulated to therapeutically alter muscle mass in adulthood  Neuroendocrine impacts of MC3R activation will be examined using ex vivo hypothalamic culture and in vivo. Neuron-specific deletion of MC3R will allow mechanistic understanding of MC3R action, and the physiological and functional consequences of MC3R activation on skeletal muscle will be assessed by examining physical activity and fibre functionality.  IMMAc will provide understanding of mechanisms underlying control of muscle mass and body composition by a key central nervous system receptor. Moreover, this project will reveal the relevance of MC3R for muscle mass in adult life and explore the therapeutic potential of manipulating MC3R to address the global health challenges of muscle atrophy and obesity by increasing lean mass in cachexia and improving increasingly prevalent anti-obesity agents through preventing loss of functional muscle.


Participants :
- Université de Cambridge (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 260347.92 €
Projet Public Lyric (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Public Lyric makes a conceptually bold, publicly engaged case for the role of contemporary women poet-scholars in an emerging new model of the public humanities. Public Lyric shows how contemporary poet-scholars in the Anglophone and European academy perform a vital new form of public thinking that navigates aslant the predominant conceptual model of the public humanities. Among the pioneers of this emergent model are high-profile women scholars whose poetic and hybrid-poetic compositions, with all the theoretical heft and nuance of their academic writing, place the actions of speaking, addressing, and giving testimony at the heart of a transformative public discourse.

Mots clés : contemporary poetry, lyric, public humanities

Participants :
- Université de Cambridge (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 276187.92 €
Projet Plas2Cat (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Plastic waste, once valued for its durability, now presents severe environmental and economic challenges due to its persistence and complex disposal. Contributing 5% to global greenhouse gas emissions with projections of 2.6 Gt of CO2 annually by 2050, urgent solutions are needed. Currently, only 10% of plastics are repurposed into lower-value products, highlighting the necessity for innovative cradle-to-cradle approaches. The Plas2Cat project, which will be hosted by Prof. Erwin Reisner’s lab and the NanoPhotonics Centre (NPC) at the University of Cambridge, aims to address these challenges. The Reisner lab’s expertise in solar reforming and NPC’s advanced plasmonic cavities will underpin the development of core-shell plasmonic nanoparticles (NPs) with tailored properties. By utilising gold, palladium, and exploring copper, nickel, and metal oxides, the project seeks to enhance catalytic performance and sustainability. Plasmonic nanomaterials will enable the harnessing of lower-energy visible to infrared light, broadening the usable light spectrum for catalytic transformations. The project will employ these NPs to drive catalytic transformations of plastic waste. Using photoelectrochemical and spectroscopic techniques, the study will investigate interactions between NPs and plastic molecules, track intermediates and products, and elucidate plasmonic redox properties. Aiming to tackle the challenging recycling of polystyrene (PS), the project will focus on breaking C–H and C–C bonds in PS to produce valuable feedstocks like benzoic acid and styrene. Initial efforts will target smaller compounds and shorter PS chains, with plans to eventually use longer chains and real PS waste. The project will emphasize sustainability by developing plasmonic nanomaterials from earth-abundant metals and oxides like magnesium and manganese oxide. By integrating plasmonics with catalytic processes, Plas2Cat seeks to revolutionize plastic upcycling and advance the circular economy.

Mots clés : solar reforming, waste upcycling, sustainable nanomaterials, plastic recycling, photoelectrochemistry, redox, synergistic catalysis, hybrid catalysts, spectro electrochemistry, polystyrene, mediators

Participants :
- Université de Cambridge (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 260347.92 €