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

Photovoltaics is, to date, the most promising of all technologies to produce clean and renewable energy. Currently in use silicon-based solar cells have reached power conversion efficiencies as high as 26%, but their fabrication involves expensive and contaminating processes. Moreover, further improvement of their efficiency is restricted to around 30% by the so-called Shockley-Queisser (SQ) limit. Potential solutions to these problems may involve moving from inorganic to organic materials. In this sense, organic solar cells (OSCs) represent a promising alternative to replace silicon because of their low cost, flexibility, and manageable nature. Single-material organic solar cells (SMOSCs), a particular class of OSCs in which the donor and acceptor materials are covalently linked, are particularly attractive because of their facilitated fabrication processes, improved stability, morphology, and reproducibility. On the other hand, to enhance the efficiency beyond the theoretical SQ limit, the use of sensitizing singlet fission (SF) chromophores has been proposed. These materials are able to form two triplet excitons from a single absorbed photon, thus raising the External Quantum Efficiency of solar cells up to 200%. The aim of the Full-Fission action is to combine the potentialities of both approaches to fabricate efficient SMOSCs that incorporate fullerenes functionalized with SF moieties as the active layer. The Full-Fission action is conceived as a holistic approach that will combine computationally-assisted materials design, synthesis, and device fabrication in an interconnected and interdisciplinary project developed by a researcher with experience in all these disciplines.

Mots clés : singlet fission photovoltaics fullerenes organic solar cells aromaticity

Participants :
- Université de Gérone (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 181152.96 €
- Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (Espagne) — Partner, associated partner, Recherche, subvention : 0.0 €
Projet SEQoSOIL (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2021)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Soils sustain a multitude of functions contributing to the provision of ecosystem services to human society. The quantification of these functions is a key prerequisite to develop sound policy intervention for their protection and enhancement, as well as to recommend adequate soil management practices to land users. In the European Union (EU), however, there is currently limited knowledge of how the supply of soil functions and their interactions differ spatially with land use type, soil characteristics, climate and management. SEQoSOIL will make the first spatially explicit and quantitative evaluation of soil multifunctionality across the countries of the EU. It will explore the current state of soil multifunctionality, but also the potential – that is, the maximum that a soil can offer based on inherent soil indicators not affected by management practices. This project proposes an ambitious and comprehensive work plan divided in four innovation objectives: i) quantify soil functions of importance, ii) their potential and state, iii) identify synergies and trade-offs between them, and iv) map this information across the EU. The functions quantified will be primary productivity, water purification and regulation, carbon storage and climate regulation, nutrient cycling and provision of habitat for biodiversity. Publicly available datasets on soil, climate and management will be analysed through a combination of well-establish statistical methods and innovative elements in an interdisciplinary approach. The expected results have the capacity to significantly increase our understanding of how the function delivery varies spatially in the EU and which functions to prioritize on different soil and land use types to optimize multifunctionality towards a desired state. SEQoSOIL is timely because it will directly contribute to the implementation of EU environmental policies and management actions such as the Green Deal for Europe and the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030.

Mots clés : digital soil mapping, soil assessment, soil functions, soil, ecosystem services, geostatistics, statistical modelling, mapping

Participants :
- AgroParisTech (France) — Partner, associated partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- Wageningen University & Research (Pays-Bas) — Partner, associated partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- Institut national de recherche pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 211754.88 €
- Institut de recherche pour le développement (France) — Partner, associated partner, Recherche, subvention : 0.0 €
- Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (France) — Partner, associated partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
Projet CARBO-CHAIN (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2022)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

While originally designed to control the topology of polymers, catalytic chain-walking reactions have recently offered new vistas for forging carbon-carbon bonds at previously unfunctionalized C(sp3)–H sites by formally translocating the metal catalyst throughout the alkyl side-chain of a substrate. In particular, nickel catalysis has positioned at the forefront of this emerging field due to its modular reactivity through one- or two-electron pathways. Nevertheless, the chain-walking process is poorly understood in mechanistic terms, being the nature of the active intermediates still subject of considerable speculation, and with Ni(I) or Ni(II) species arbitrarily proposed with no supporting experimental evidence. This project will tackle the challenge of isolating and characterizing discrete Ni(I) and Ni(II) intermediates to test their reactivity in chain-walking scenarios. Control at Ni disproportionation-comproportionation events, and the use of alkyl carbon fragments with appendant carbonyl chelating-motifs will materialize this goal by intramolecularly stabilizing the nickel complexes. The knowledge acquired will be utilized for a regiodivergent chelation-controlled carboxylation of Weinreb amides with CO2, delivering 1,4-dicarbonyl motifs with two orthogonal molecular handles. Lastly, the asymmetric variant of this transformation will strengthen future applications of this novel reactivity in de novo drug synthesis, late-stage functionalization approaches, and radiolabelling assays.

Mots clés : nickel catalysis chain walking c h functionalization carbon dioxide fixation

Participants :
- Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 181152.96 €
Projet OliMed (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2021)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The last twenty years have witnessed an increase in the production of olive oil The last twenty years have witnessed an increase in the production of olive oil in the Mediterranean as a consequence of the campaigns of the International Olive Oil Council. The proposed research aims at bringing forth an original contribution to this dynamic field by adopting a comparative perspective that concentrates on the history of olive oil production in several most important olive and olive oil producing regions of the Eastern Mediterranean. The analysis will focus on the factories and mills built in the late nineteenth century in the islands of Crete and Mytilini (in Greece) and the areas of Ayvalık, Edremit, and Izmir, in Turkey. The historical examination of these “factories” aims to go beyond the World-Systems theory that focuses on the industrial decline in this region with the advent of European industrial products. Instead, this research proposes to evaluate the modalities and limits of incorporation into the world economy by concentrating on the production of olive oil in terms of adaptability, complementarity, and rivalry within the economic structure of the period. The interdisciplinary approach at the crossroads of history, economy, and technology will open the way for a more accurate evaluation of the role of industrial and technological developments in the economic life of these regions and their influence on the social life. The comparative dimension integrating different olive oil producing regions of the Eastern Mediterranean will make possible an evaluation of the positions of these regions within the world economic system and the Ottoman central government’s policies to control the economy of these regions. Thus, by focusing on the olive oil production in Eastern Mediterranean, the proposed study aims to bring an original contribution by highlighting the growing role of the inner dynamics of the Eastern Mediterranean in economic transformation.

Mots clés : eastern mediterranean, olive oil, industry, technology

Participants :
- Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas (Grèce) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 169326.72 €
Projet GinieEffect (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2021)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of making decisions and adjusting our behavioural strategy to tackle unexpected changes in our environment. The cognitive flexibility required to modify behaviour when the rules change is ascribed primarily to the prefrontal cortex (PFC), but the exact mechanisms underlying this phenomenon remain unknown. Inhibitory GABAergic interneurons (INs) seem to play a key role in this process by modulating the primary excitatory pyramidal neurons’ activity in the PFC. Indeed, individuals who have deficits in these INs, a common feature in many mental disorders, often fail to adjust their behaviour to a rule change, even though their ability to learn an initial rule remains intact. The two, main IN subsets, Parvalbumin-positive (PV) and Somatostatin-positive (SST) have different anatomical and physiological characteristics suggesting distinct functions. We, thus, hypothesize distinct roles for each subtype: PV cells may control the gain in pyramidal neuron activity, thereby affecting behaviour. SST cells, however, may control the ability to learn a new rule via plasticity in dendrites, thereby affecting behaviour, but leaving pyramidal neurons activity intact. Combining genetic, imaging and behavioural techniques in freely moving mice with in silico studies, we will dissect the effects of of long-term dysregulation of PV and SST INs on the PFC circuit function, with respect to flexible behaviour. Our experimental results will be fed to a computational model of the PFC circuit to further investigate how interneuronal control of information affects cognitive flexibility and to explore mechanisms that can reverse cognitive flexibility defects. Unravelling the mechanistic role of cognitive flexibility in the PFC will not only further our understanding of a complex brain function. It will also open new avenues for developing therapeutic approaches for numerous mental disorders, thus ameliorating a large societal and economic burden.

Mots clés : neuronal excitation and inhibition balance, neuronal manipulation,  aminobutyric acid inhibitory interneurons, prefrontal cortex, cognitive flexibility, ca2 imaging, set shifting task

Participants :
- Université de Chypre (Chypre) — Partner, associated partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas (Grèce) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 153486.72 €
Projet HyperABCD (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2022)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The antibiotics’ overuse exerts selective evolutionary pressure on microbial pathogens, leading to the emergence of resistant strains. To reduce the likelihood of future epi/pandemics of bacterial origin, it is, thus, essential to put alternatives in action and consume antibiotics more sparingly. While the heavy metal-based antimicrobial agents are convenient for some uses, they bring human and environmental toxicity issues and suffer from microbial resistance. With their potentially low risk of resistance development, carbon-based nanomaterials seem like promising substitutes. Carbon dots (CDs) are particularly interesting owing to their small size, good solubility, and relative affordability, and boron-doped CDs (BCDs) deserve even greater attention as they typically show high antimicrobial activity. However, our current understanding of the toxicity profile of BCDs is fragmented and limited to materials synthesized by small molecular synthetic precursors as carbon and boron sources. In the project HyperABCD, we will first show the hydrothermal conversion of a boron-hyperaccumulator plant (biomass) into BCDs. Then, we will explore the antibacterial activity of BCDs on Gram-negative and Gram-positive species using various bacterial susceptibility tests. Next, we will undertake toxicological evaluations at different levels. To this end, we will perform standard viability tests with various human cell lines as well as a mutagenicity test. The assembled research team is fully competent to realize the ambitious goals of the proposed cross-European effort. I am a multidisciplinary researcher specializing in antimicrobial nanocarbons. The primary host (Dr. Alberto Bianco, CNRS, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology) is among the pioneers of biomedical nanocarbon research, and our co-host Prof. Tom Coenye (Ghent University) is a renowned expert on microbiology. Our industrial partner, PavTec (Turkey), is a leading company in developing boron-based specialty chemicals.

Mots clés : biomass carbonization, biocompatibility, antimicrobials, boron doping, nanodots, sustainable materials

Participants :
- Centre national de la recherche scientifique (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 146936.16 €
- Université de Gand (Belgique) — Partner, associated partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- Pavezyum kimya san. dis tic. a.s. (Turquie) — Partner, associated partner, Organismes privés (hors enseignement), subvention : 0.0 €
Projet GREEN (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2022)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : SIGNED

The electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) provides a sustainable alternative to the Haber-Bosch process for ammonia (NH3) production. Transition metal catalysts have poor NRR performance due to the highly competitive hydrogen evolution reaction and the scaling relation between inert dinitrogen (N2) and other reaction intermediates. Single-atom catalysts (SACs) have been proven to be effective in overcoming these limitations owing to the enhanced active sites and the anomalous quantum size effect. Inspired by biological rhizobia nitrogen fixation, this proposal, Green Renewable Energy-derived Electrocatalytic Nitrogen reduction reaction that yields NH3 under mild conditions (GREEN) aims to develop, characterize and mechanistically understand S/P-coordinated transition Metal Single sites-doped (Fe, Mo and FeMo) Carbon Matrices (MSCMs) as electrocatalysts for high activity and selectivity NRR. The specific goals of GREEN are: i) Successfully synthesis of MSCMs electrocatalysts to achieve high performance and selectivity towards NRR; ii) Characterize MSCMs to determine their electronic structure, local atomic environment, charge density and affinity with N2 molecules, etc.; iii) Determine the activity of the MSCMs catalysts and fine-tuning of working conditions and parameters for highly efficient electrocatalytic NRR and the catalytic mechanisms for NRR will be further recognized. The results of this project have the potential to greatly reduce the energy consuming and CO2 emissions due to the ambient operating conditions and using water as the hydrogen source, which aligns with both the European Green Deal’s call for green energy and zero net emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050 and United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Throughout this project, the applicant will learn new techniques, develop her skills as an independent researcher and mentor, and expand her international collaborations and relationships network.

Mots clés : single sites catalysts, electrocatalysis, nitrogen reduction reaction, ammonia synthesis, iron, molybdenum

Participants :
- Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 165312.96 €
Projet SOLMUP (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2022)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : SIGNED

During the last two decades, scientists have been pointing out an important issue related to the excessive use of plastic in our daily life, i.e., the presence of plastic fragments in the range of micrometer in our natural habitats. These species are known as microplastics (MPs) and their effect on the long bioaccumulation foresees unpromising results on the natural balance. Consequently, different scientific fields are looking into viable approaches to remove or destroy MPs. The upcycling of MPs is an example of these and includes the cleavage of the organic bonds forming the polymers in the MPs to obtain new chemicals. Photocatalysis is a frequent methodology applied in the degradation and removal of water contaminant, such as organic molecules, and, consequently, it is likely to lead to a successful MPs upcycling. This strategy involves the high desirable usage of sunlight, which represent the utmost renewable energy, and inorganic photocatalysts. This project proposes the use of a photocatalytic approach for the upcycling of MPs by photoreforming (SOLMUP). It will allow to sustainably obtain high value-added chemicals starting from undesired plastic waste, in line with the principle of circular economy. To avoid the most common drawback of photocatalysts, i.e., charge carriers recombination, Fe-based photocatalysts will be combined to form heterostructures. For the first time in the literature, the heterojunctional photocatalysts will be applied in MPs PR, ensuring a better light response and durability of the catalytic system to increase selectivity and conversion, compared to the few previous reports. Moreover, the study of the reaction intermediates and the transitional states of the catalyst will unveil the mechanism of the photocatalytic reaction. SOLMUP is combining two striking topics in the protection of our environment by sustainable approaches, i.e., the upcycling of waste and the application of new and durable energy sources such as sunlight.

Mots clés : upcycling photoreforming microplastics heterojunctional photocatalysts photocatalytic mechanistic studies

Participants :
- Université d'Oulu (Finlande) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 215534.4 €
Projet NEMERFEC (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2022)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Artificial neural networks (ANNs) are simplified models and hardware that simulate how the brain of living beings, especially humans, process information. ANNs are inspired by the nervous system and biological behavior, creating a layered interconnection system of artificial neurons that collaborate to process input data and generate output. ANNs differ from other AI models in having the ability to learn automatically (machine learning). This technology has enormous current impact and potential for future applications, just to mention a few ones: autonomous vehicles, renewable energy, economy and financial predictions, computer visions, and disruptive medicine and health care services. In the last decade, ANNs have become a very popular topic, but the technology itself has been around for many decades with several problems yet to be solved. For example, current computer systems are highly inadequate in terms of data processing, storage and transmission. Aspects related to energy consumption are also an unsolved problem, where the rational use of energy and natural resources is a fundamental objective of global sustainability. NEMERFEC aims to realize novel ANNs through the development of hardware based on memristive and ferroelectric material systems. Such thin films of binary and complex oxides are to be deposited by physical ablation methods, such as PLD and sputtering, with a high degree of control during deposition. Advanced characterization techniques, microfabrication and nanofabrication of devices will be performed at the clean room facilities of the Aragon Nanoscience and Materials Institute (INMA-CSIC) to obtain ANNs at nanometric scales and with an ultra-fast response time. The final ANNs will be implemented in the analysis of thermal images in hyperthermia processes with magnetic nanoparticles at the Nano Scale Biomagnetics company during the non-academic placement period. These possible results will be completely novel in this type of application.

Mots clés : artificial neuronal network, nanotechnology, memristor, ferroelectric, thin films

Participants :
- Université de Saragosse (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 206641.2 €
- Beonchip sl (Espagne) — Partner, associated partner, Organismes privés (hors enseignement), subvention : 0.0 €
- Conseil national de la recherche scientifique et technique (Argentine) — Partner, associated partner, Recherche, subvention : 0.0 €
- Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (Espagne) — Partner, associated partner, Recherche, subvention : 0.0 €
Projet NeuroFerro (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2021)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

FERROptosis inhibitors for NEUROdegenerative disorders (NeuroFerro) will focus on the development of potent compounds with improved pharmacokinetic properties, including blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability for future application in the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders. Ferroptosis is non-apoptotic programmed cell death that has been linked to the pathophysiological processes of many diseases, including dementia, Huntington’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Neurological disorders are one of the most significant causes of disability-adjusted life-years and death worldwide with very limited treatment available. Although ferroptosis inhibitors developed by Augustyns and Vanden Berghe (supervisors) are currently best in class compounds, they suffer from no or minor BBB permeability. Therefore the main aim of the project will be the design and synthesis of novel ferroptosis inhibitors with improved pharmacokinetic parameters and high blood-brain barrier permeability to target ferroptosis in neurodegenerative disorders.

Mots clés : ferroptosis, ferroptosis inhibitors, neurodegenerative disorders, lipid peroxidation, cell death

Participants :
- Université d'Anvers (Belgique) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 239700.0 €
- Ryvu therapeutics s.a. (Pologne) — Partner, associated partner, Organismes privés (hors enseignement), subvention : 0.0 €