Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-actions-marie-curie-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet Cu-XAT (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : SIGNED

The formation of carbon–nitrogen bonds is crucial to the preparation of molecules that impact almost every aspects of our lives like drugs, agrochemicals and food additives. In text-books, creating C–N bonds is approached considering the natural nucleophilic character of N-molecules in substitution reactions with alkyl halides. In practice, these reactions are only used in the case of highly reactive substrates with low steric hinderance (e.g. primary amines + primary alkyl halides). The vast majority of substrates require forcing conditions which lead to side reactions like elimination or poly alkylation. To by-pass these issues multi-step approaches, based on extensive functional group manipulations, are still required. There is an urgent need of methods enabling to directly “plug” complex N-molecules into complex alkyl halides. This project aims at providing a conceptually novel approach to perform substitution reactions between N-nucleophiles and alkyl halides. This will be achieved by developing a radical reactivity where alpha-aminoalkyl radicals convert alkyl halides into C-radicals by halogen-atom transfer (XAT) and a copper catalyst binds the N-nucleophiles and enables amination. Upon achieving this initial goal, I aim to extend and engineer this reactivity as part of complex radical cascades leading to structurally complex chemotypes. The proposal capitalizes on recent developments of the host group that has experience in XAT and the development of catalytic reactions for the formation of C–N bonds. The development of this innovative project at the University of Manchester will create new tools in bio-organic chemistry and facilitate the preparation of high-value materials. Its implementation will be facilitated by generating, transferring, sharing and disseminating knowledge, and will enhance my future career following the training plan envisioned.

Mots clés : radical, copper catalysis, halogen atom transfer, amination, synthesis, radical cascade, electron transfer

Participants :
- University of Manchester (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 212933.76 €
Projet BEYONDCO (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2015)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The formation of stars underpins all of astrophysics, from driving the evolution of galaxies to setting the conditions for the genesis of planetary systems. Stars form deeply embedded in the densest regions of molecular clouds (MCs), but we still know very little about how MCs are assembled and destroyed -- the two processes that ultimately set the timescale over which stars can form. Since carbon monoxide (CO) forms up to 10 Myr after the MC forms and is easily dissociated by energetic photons, it is a poor probe of MC formation and stellar feedback. This project aims to determine the range of conditions under which MCs are formed and destroyed using newly accessible tracers of MCs and their environments: ionised carbon ([CII]), atomic carbon ([CI]) and atomic oxygen ([OI]). Together with CO, these tracers supply a comprehensive structural and dynamical profile of MC environments. In a sample of galactic clouds, we will measure the gas density, temperature and the local interstellar radiation field. We will compare observed dynamic signatures to simulations to MC formation scenarios, and we will determine the peak turbulence driving scale and the nature of stellar feedback in dense and diffuse gas. This project makes timely use of new observational capabilities offered by Herschel and SOFIA alongside results of state-of-the-art numerical simulations. Using these tools together, the fellow will determine the physical processes driving the formation and destruction of MCs, which can be applied to better understand how galaxies evolve as star formation engines.


Participants :
- Cardiff University (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 183454.8 €
Projet FREE_TEEN_DESIRE (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The frequency of gender violence today is extremely high; 35% of women worldwide experienced either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence (World Health Organization, 2013). In 2009, Miguel Carcaño, adolescent, confesses to have raped and killed his ex-girlfriend, Marta del Castillo. After entering prison, a platform started in support of the self-confessed murderer, through which his admirers declared their desire to meet and to start a relationship with him. While many studies are being conducted to understand and ameliorate this situation, further research is needed to better identify the causes and consequences and to analyze in-depth methods that can advance research on this topic. The applicant has worked for the last fourteen years on the fact that some adolescents have been socialized into a type of relationships that link attraction and violence. FREE_Teen_Desire will draw from this background and learn from host expertise and methodological approaches in order to: 1) explore the extent to which dialogue situations (based on a language of desire) can question adolescent girls’ desires that link attractiveness to violent behaviours, 2) assess whether this dialogic questioning of girls’ desire, if any, is true beyond cultures, thus breaking down cultural and racist stereotypes associated to violence against women, and 3) develop the evidence-based approaches needed to increase effectiveness in the prevention of gender violence among adolescents. The research will have a mixed methods approach, involving a quasi-experimental study with 240 adolescent girls from four different countries and a qualitative analysis of some of their stories. The project will also innovate in dissemination and outreach activities in order to achieve political and social impact, in prevention campaigns and programmes against gender based violence.

Mots clés : gender violence, desire, teenagers, criminology

Participants :
- University of Cambridge (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 97727.4 €
Projet CRISPR-KissCas9 (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis is mastered by the hypothalamic neuronal population producing gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), which regulates LH and FSH secretion by the pituitary. Perturbations of fertility, e.g., in polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and hypogonadism associated with metabolic disorders, are related to functional alterations in the neuronal networks controlling pulsatile GnRH secretion. Recently, a neuronal population in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (ARC), which synthesizes kisspeptins (Kp; products of the Kiss1 gene), has been identified as an essential element in the regulation of pulsatile GnRH release. This ARC Kiss1 neuronal population co-expresses the neuropeptides, neurokinin B (NKB; encoded by Tac2) and dynorphin-A (Dyn; encoded by Pdyn); the term KNDy (for Kiss1, NKB & Dyn) has been coined to name this population. Different studies have pointed out the reciprocal stimulatory and inhibitory roles of NKB and Dyn, respectively, in the control of Kp output, which seemingly play a crucial role in the control of GnRH pulse generation. However, the relevance of such NKB/Dyn interplay in the dynamic control of GnRH release in different (patho)-physiological conditions, and whether this is fully dependent on Kp signaling, has not been fully clarified. We propose here to apply for the first time somatic genome editing of Tac2, Pdyn and Kiss1 loci in KNDy neurons, by using the CRISPR/Cas9 technology and virogenetic tools in suitable genetic mouse models, to address the physiological roles of NKB and Dyn in the dynamic control of GnRH neurosecretion, and their dependence on Kp signaling. The studies outlined in this proposal will substantially advance our understanding of basic neuroendocrine mechanisms for the control of fertility and will aid for the development of better strategies to treat reproductive abnormalities, such as polycystic ovarian syndrome and in/ subfertility related to metabolic disorders.

Mots clés : health sciences, neuroendocrinology, reproduction, gnrh, kiss1, hypothalamus, metabolism, crispr, cas9

Participants :
- University of Córdoba (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 160932.48 €
Projet AstroSignals (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The functional significance of subcellular compartmentalization in signal transduction has emerged in recent years, a development that is gaining momentum due to significant advances in optical microscopy and genetically encoded biosensors. However, much less attention has been given to the spatial architecture of the metabolic networks that provide energetic support for intracellular processes. This project will investigate spatiotemporal organization of energy metabolism in astrocytes, focusing on two hypotheses: • I propose that within astrocytes, signalling microdomains are energetically supported by local delivery of ATP. I will employ confocal and total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy, using biosensors for ATP, glucose and Ca2+ that can be targeted to subcellular locations. My initial focus is on cultured human astrocytes and the provision of ATP for Ca2+ signalling. Do the five cellular sources of astrocytic ATP support different ATP pools? Which pools are needed for the many ATP-requiring steps that link cell-surface receptors to Ca2+ signals? • I suggest that the ER lumen may provide a glucose reservoir that allows rapid intracellular transfer of glucose to meet local energy needs. The ER of astrocytes contains luminal glucose-6-phosphatase-β (G-6-Pase-β) and a glucose-6-phosphate transporter, which together can generate an ER luminal pool of glucose. The source of glucose-6-phosphate transported into the ER and the function of luminal glucose are unknown. Using cytosolic and ER-targeted glucose sensors, immunocytochemistry and siRNA knockdown of glucose G-6-Pase-β, I will determine the source of the glucose pool and whether it contributes to metabolic support of Ca2+ signals. Combining state-of-the-art techniques and expertise in the fields of cell signalling and metabolism, this project will enhance our understanding of metabolic regulation of signal transduction, opening new possibilities for targeted treatments of brain diseases.

Mots clés : brain metabolism, subcellular compartments, atp microdomains, ca2  signalling, optical imaging

Participants :
- University of Cambridge (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 183454.8 €
Projet InDiQE (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The fundamental understanding of quantum correlations, as well as their characterization and quantification play a fundamental role for information processing and communication. The investigation of quantum correlations in high-dimensional, infinite dimensional or hybrid systems is of particular interest for the development of novel applications in quantum technologies. High-dimensional entangled states contain a large amount of entanglement, which represents a vital resource for applications in quantum information processing. The goal of this proposal is to find an optimal strategy to exploit this resource. Crucial open problems to be solved are the continuation of the development of mathematical methods and observable conditions for a convenient description of general qudit systems, and verifying as well as quantifying general quantum correlations in high-dimensional and multipartite systems. This project is placed at the border between quantum information theory and quantum optics, exploring the potential of high and infinite dimensional systems for quantum information tasks. Additionally, modern questions in quantum thermodynamics also relate to the control of infinite dimensional quantum systems and will benefit from the methods developed. Particularly, we adapt and further develop theoretical tools to harness and efficiently describe quantum correlations in complex systems. The specific objectives are to advance the understanding of practical systems and realistic scenarios for quantum information tasks and quantum thermodynamics applications. Furthermore, the role that different kinds of quantum correlations have when complex systems are constituted of multiple degrees of freedom will be addressed. We are going to accomplish these goals by quantifying and classifying multimode non-classicality, investigating discrete- and continuous-variables hybrid systems and the discretization problem, addressing key challenges in the respective fields.

Mots clés : entanglement, hybrid systems, quantum information, quantum thermodynamics, quantum correlations, high dimensional systems

Participants :
- Austrian Academy of Sciences (Autriche) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 174167.04 €
Projet QFluidsNano (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The general aim of this project is the development of advanced computational models that enable affordable yet accurate quantum mechanical calculations of the structure and thermophysical properties of atomic and molecular fluids adsorbed on nanostructured surfaces.The proposed method is based on the liquid density functional theory (to treat the nuclear quantum dynamics) with the first principle evaluation of the interaction forces employing state-of-the-art electronic structure methods. These models will be subsequently applied to the computational investigation of macroscopic quantum effects on the adsorption isotherms, the isotopic selectivity on adsorption, particle diffusion, etc, of helium and hydrogen fluids adsorbed in nanoporous materials. We will focus on the characterization (via computational screening) of the influence of the structural and electronic properties (e.g., the size and geometry of the pores, the specific surface area, the topology of the electronic states) on the capacities of nanomaterials for hydrogen storage and isotope separation via quantum sieving. The density functional simulations will provide a realistic representation of the nuclear motion underlying storage and sieving phenomena in the target nanomaterials (e.g., metal- and covalent-organic frameworks), and accurate estimations of strutural and thermodynamics properties of the adsorbed fluid, in situations where the computational cost of the standard numerical schemes becomes prohibitive. The insight provided by these calculations can be used to guide the experimental efforts on the investigation of the target systems, and on their applicability in the design of more efficient nanodevices. Consequently, they may lead to significant savings of energy and of natural resources, associated to the design, synthesis, optimization and testing of nanocomponents.

Mots clés : liquid density functional theory, helium, quantum dynamics, surface physics, molecular physics, molecular dynamics

Participants :
- Université de Toulouse (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 196707.84 €
Projet NanoLight (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The general objective of the project is to understand the photophysical processes in light harvesting complexes in the vicinity of optical antennas and particularly, the impact of quantum coherence on efficiency and directionality of ultrafast energy transport in photosynthesis. Purple bacteria is an organism that most effectively transforms solar energy into chemical one. Light harvesting complex 2 (LH2), plays key role in this process: collects solar energy and transfer it to the reaction centre. The photophysics of light harvesting complexes is still not fully understood. In recent years long-lived coherences were observed, which was unexpected for such complicated systems. Many crucial questions appeared: Are the coherences purely induced by excitation schemes? Do they have a biological function? Is the nature of the coherences electronic or vibrational? So far, the experimental approach concentrated on ensembles, but the complexity of the system cause that registered coherences are temporarily and spatially averaged, which makes it difficult to answer the questions. One can lift the ensemble by observation of one-by-one individual LH2 complex with single molecule (SM) spectroscopy methods. The observation of SM fluorescence requires chromophores with high quantum efficiency. Unfortunately, LH2 QE is very low. To enhance the fluorescence signal I propose to use optical antennas. These nanoscale structures, can focus electromagnetic energy to a spot of nanometric size. If the molecule is placed on such spot, the strong interaction between antenna and molecule allows the registration of enhanced SM fluorescence and even Raman spectra. With that tool, the study of LH2 complex at the SM level is possible. Hence we propose the investigation of single LH2 complex coupled to the optical antenna with ultrafast fluorescence and Raman spectroscopy, two complementary methods providing information about both, ground and excited state evolution.

Mots clés : single molecule, nanoantenna, optical antenna, femtochemistry, spectroscopy, light harvesting, cars

Participants :
- Institute of Photonic Sciences (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 170121.6 €
Projet 2for1-SingletFission (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2015)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The generation of renewable energy is of paramount importance as we move toward a low carbon economy. Solar cells represent a partial solution to this problem, and there has already been significant uptake of these technologies globally. In the proposed project we will study a quantum mechanical process which occurs in organic semiconductors called singlet fission (SF). Put simply this process involves a molecule absorbing a photon, and the resulting electron-hole pair ‘sharing’ its energy with a neighbouring molecule, to produce two electron-hole pairs. As such, SF has the potential to double the electrical current generated by these molecules from sunlight. While it has been studied since the 1960s, new experimental techniques developed in the host laboratory have recently lead to breakthroughs in our understanding of SF. The aim is of this project is to understand the intricacies of SF so that it can be exploited to achieve dramatic increases in device efficiencies. This will be achieved using a two-pronged approach to the problem. The first is the use of newly developed ultrafast spectroscopic techniques to understand the fundamental aspects of SF. The host group is world-renowned for using spectroscopy to produce breakthroughs in our understanding of organic electronics and quantum chemistry. The second will leverage the applicant’s background in physical chemistry to engineer SF systems with control on a molecular length scale. By combining these two innovations the project is expected to produce important results for the research community. These results will enhance our understanding of SF, with a view to exploit the process in real-world devices. We will elucidate the vibronic nature of intermolecular electronic processes with an unprecedented level of sensitivity. This has broader implications for our fundamental understanding of molecular physics, and the work will be a step toward an overarching picture of multi-molecular excitonic processes.

Mots clés : singlet fission, ultrafast spectroscopy, photovoltaic solar cells

Participants :
- University of Cambridge (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 195454.8 €
Projet TRITON (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The generation, control and transfer of triplet excitons in molecular and hybrid systems is of great interest for optoelectronic applications such as light emission, singlet fission, up/down-conversion and photovoltaics. While coupling triplet excitons from inorganic QDs to organic molecules has been well demonstrated, the reverse process, the transfer of triplets from organic semiconductors to QDs is much more challenging and the underlying reasons are still unclear to the field. Recently, the host group has demonstrated that it is possible to transfer triplet excitons from molecular acenes to emissive nanocrystal quantum dots (QDs). This allows the direct conversion of dark triplet excitons to photons in the hybrids. As triplets generation yield through singlet fission in acene molecules can be up to 200%, this discovery opens a new avenue for highly efficient down-conversion. However, the exact factors that govern the transfer, especially the role of interfaces between the two components, remains unknown. The project will build on the host group’s discovery to develop the fundamental science of this new hybrids platform for optoelectronics. Specifically, we will develop a series of highly controlled solution/solid phase systems, where the interfacial conditions of the hybrid will be intentionally modified. The surface ligands, passivation, energy states of the QDs and the distance to the molecules will be precisely controlled. The molecules will also be covalently attached to the QD surface by a range of functional groups. These systems will be studied with steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopies with the aim of elucidating the underlying mechanism controlling the wavefunction overlap and triplet exciton transfer in the hybrids. We will also conduct proof of concept experiments to demonstrate the use of the optimised hybrid materials for down-convertor. These fundamental investigations will open up new possibilities for down-conversion and optoelectronics.

Mots clés : organic semiconductors, nanoparticles, quantum dots, energy transfer, surface chemistry, spectroscopy, photon management, down conversion

Participants :
- University of Cambridge (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 224933.76 €