Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-actions-marie-curie-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet DaPhNIs (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Preeclampsia is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in pregnancy. Although the pathogenesis remains largely elusive, it is thought to reside in loss of immune-tolerance at the maternal-foetal interface. At present, preeclampsia can neither be reliably predicted nor prevented. Scope of this research project is to investigate how changes in microbiota during pregnancy impact immune responses at the maternal-foetal interface, and to determine the consequences on pregnancy outcomes as well as development of offspring’s immunity. Translational relevance of findings specifically to preeclampsia will be evaluated in a large cohort of patients, with implications potentially arising from the identification of novel biomarkers and of molecular mechanisms amenable to pharmacologic intervention. The Experienced Researcher (ER) of this study, Dr. Silvia Giugliano, is an accomplished immunologist with primary expertise in organ-specific immune responses to microbes. Formerly an independent academic researcher in the USA, she was recently recruited to work at the European Institute of Oncology (Milan, Italy) by Prof. Maria Rescigno, a world-class expert in the field of microbiota and mucosal immunity, specifically to advance the hosting laboratory’s expertise in placental immunity. There is an urgent call for actions aimed at improving women’s health, and it is incumbent on the scientific community to tackle this issue. Thus, the present proposal captures the current zeitgeist and social responsibility of Science. Complementary, prime expertise between the ER and host laboratory will create a synergistic enterprise, ideally suited to the pursuit of this ambitious research goal. Findings and hypotheses generated in this process will kick off additional, related projects, and will be disseminated beyond the boundaries of the scientific community and to public audiences. The ER will emerge with new skills, and the capability to transition to independence in her home country.

Mots clés : dysbiosis, b cell, placenta, microchimerism, noenatal sepsis, biomarker, metagenomic

Participants :
- Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (Italie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Organismes privés (hors enseignement), subvention : 168277.2 €
Projet CERVINO (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Preimplantation Genetic Screening (PGS) based on high-throughput embryo genome sequencing is currently utilised in In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) to select for euploid embryos prior to uterine transfer in order to increase implantation potential. The methodology for the acquisition of genetic material is controversial, as the invasive embryo biopsy required for PGS may compromise embryo quality. Moreover its long-term biosafety has not been evaluated. Consequently, the development of non-invasive methods to screen out aneuploid embryos is paramount. The host research group recently first reported that human IVF embryos release extracellular vesicles (EVs) and demonstrated their uptake by primary endometrial cells (ECs). Our pilot analysis of the embryo-derived EV transcriptome revealed an abundance of genes that may be involved in the establishment of endometrial receptivity. Additionally, our RNAseq on ECs, which had internalised human embryo-exported EVs, showed a gene-upregulation profile relevant to implantation. Collectively, our findings introduce a novel concept to the state-of-the-art whereby human embryos deliver a functional EV-transcriptomic cargo to ECs to mount an implantation response. Delineating the EV transcriptome, and studying the consequence of its delivery in ECs, potentiates mechanistic insight into the pathophysiology of implantation. The project will characterise for the first time the transcriptomic cargo of euploid and aneuploid human embryo-exported EVs and scrutinise the effect of its internalisation on endometrial function. This cutting-edge work may negate potentially harmful invasive embryo biopsies for PGS by instead utilising biomarkers in EVs – a ‘natural cell biopsy’. EV biomarkers could also inspire therapeutics to enhance endometrial receptivity. This programme is especially timely, as leading innovators in the field currently focus to provide the community with a single therapeutic approach to tackle poor endometrial function.

Mots clés : embryo, implantation, aneuploidy, endometrium, biomarkers

Participants :
- Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (Italie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Organismes privés (hors enseignement), subvention : 180277.2 €
Projet SOCIALEU (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Present scholarship insufficiently addresses the linkages between Euroscepticism and supranational solidarity. On the one hand, scholars studying Euroscepticism argue that the lack of perceived benefits of the integration process explains EU citizens' opposition to their country membership in the union. However, this stream of literature does not inquire whether supranational social policies have the potential to change individuals’ perception of gains and losses related to European integration. On the other hand, the normative approach to European citizenship arguing for a transnational conception of justice and solidarity does not fully engage with the consequences of a social solidarity pillar in the EU. The SOCIALEU project builds on these two theoretical perspectives and investigates the role of a redistributive EU social policy in fostering citizen support for the Union. In particular, the project analyses the agenda-setting on social rights at the supranational level and subsequently inquires whether the provision of social benefits by EU institutions increases support for European integration and has the potential to turn populist party voters towards mainstream political parties. In doing so, the SOCIALEU project is the first theoretical and empirical undertaking that investigates the role that supranational social policy may have in changing people’s attitudes and voting behaviour in relation to the EU. I rely on the literature on welfare states’ role in strengthening national identity and social cohesion and argue that the provision of welfare goods at the EU level can strengthen support for the EU in general and among Eurosceptic citizens in particular. I employ an original research design that combines qualitative research in Brussels and survey experiments in France and Spain.

Mots clés : european social policy, euroscepticism, agenda setting, survey experiments

Participants :
- CERCA Institution (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 172932.48 €
Projet COMEX (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Pressure is an important thermodynamic variable in order to understand the properties of the materials, even at room pressure, because it allows for a precise control over the interatomic distances and hence the atomic interactions. Moreover, the application of high pressure, many times in combination with high temperatures, allows the synthesis of new phases of materials with completely different properties to those from stable materials at room conditions. New phases of materials may be metastable at room conditions and thus lead to new technological advances. Sesquichalcogenides (A2X3 stoichiometry) have been traditionally studied due to their many interesting applications at high pressure. These interesting properties, together with the search for miniaturization, which includes isolating layers to form 2D mono- or bi-layer systems, have motivated an increased interest to explore the properties of the A2X3 compounds in the nanosize regime as well. In this regime, quantum confinement effects could become dominant thus altering the structural, electronic and optical behaviour when compared with the bulk material. In this context, studies of the properties of many bulk and nanocrystalline sesquichalcogenides are still required since their high pressure and high temperature phases have not yet been fully explored. Thus, the goal of this project is to study, from a theoretical perspective by employing ab-initio calculations, the structural, vibrational, elastic, and electronic properties of sesquichalcogenides under extreme conditions of high pressure and temperature and predict stable and metastable phases of these materials under these extreme conditions. The proposed work will complement experimental studies and will provide basic understanding of the physical-chemical properties of these materials, which will be important for respective implementation in technological devices.

Mots clés : high pressure, high temperature, lattice dynamics, molecular dynamics, ab initio screening

Participants :
- Universitat Politècnica de València (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 170121.6 €
Projet ELECTROSKIN (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Prevalence of chronic wounds increases along with vascular diseases, diabetes and systemic factors like advanced age. It is estimated that 1-2% of the population would experience a chronic wound and the annual cost of wound care rise to 20 billion dollars in United States. Current therapies are mainly based on in situ administration of bioactive molecules incorporated in wound dressings, although there still are patients resistant to these therapies. In those cases, electroceutical therapies could be an alternative strategy. The use of electrical stimulation is used nowadays to treat neurological and musculoskeletal disorders, although it has a great potential for other tissues as skin. It is known that bioelectricity has an essential role in wound healing, and in chronic wounds, there is a loss of physiological currents. Therefore, the use of exogenous electric fields could enhance chronic wound healing. We propose the use of piezoelectric nanogenerators (NGs) to treat chronic skin ulcers by creating local electric fields without the need of external power and electrodes. Piezoelectric NGs are able to create an inherent electric field when they are strained, collecting the mechanical energy and transforming it to the electric energy. Piezoelectric zinc oxide and poly(vinylidene fluoride) will be tested as NGs for skin tissue applications. We will evaluate their in vitro biocompatibility as well as hemocompatibility and inflammatory properties. The development of in vitro 3D model will allow to analyse the simultaneous interaction of various cell types with NGs. We will also analyse the effect of electric fields generated on different cell types and elucidate the response of the cell membrane and changes in gene expression. Apart from the scientific knowledge, the purpose will allow to start an international multidisciplinary collaboration. The experienced researcher will be able to lead a project and expand his competences and skills in skin tissue engineering.

Mots clés : skin tissue engineering, chronic wound healing, nanogenerators, electrical stimulation, biomedical devices

Participants :
- Czech Academy of Sciences (Rép. Tchèque) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 144980.64 €
Projet MOVE (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Printed electronics is at the forefront of industrial and academic research as the technology promises to play a vital role in enabling low-cost electronic devices on unconventional substrates. The technique has progressed from printing text and graphics to a tool for rapid and versatile manufacturing. Devices such as field-effect transistors (FETs), light-emitting diodes, photodetectors, photovoltaic cells, sensors and photonic devices can be assembled layer-by-layer from electronic inks. A FET is one of the most fundamental devices in modern computing and is essential for technology we use in our daily lives from smartphones to displays. Therefore, the project will focus on improving state-of-the-art printed FETs. Electronic inks of semiconducting two-dimensional (2D) flakes have emerged as a possible route to improve device mobility (μ > 20 cm2 V-1 s−1) and current on/off ratio (Ion/Ioff as > 106) at room temperature (20°C) in ambient atmosphere. Similarly, dielectric 2D flakes have the potential to enable printed FETs with low voltage operation (<5V) with low gate leakage currents (<1 nA). However, a large amount of work, training and international collaboration will be required to engineer novel electronic inks from 2D flakes and assemble them as printed multi-component functional networks. The project will enable an experienced researcher to move internationally and work in a world-leading research centre with modern infrastructure and intersectoral collaboration while developing scientific and transferable skills. If successful, MOVE will revolutionize printed FETs and offer a new path forward to enabling entirely printed integrated circuits.

Mots clés : graphene and 2d materials, liquid phase exfoliation, field effect transistors, printed electronics, electronic inks

Participants :
- Trinity College Dublin (Irlande) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 184590.72 €
Projet CompOLEDs (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2015)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Producing light with low energy consumption and low production costs is of vital importance for the lighting industry and also to face major societal challenges, i.e. exploiting energy resources more efficiently. Towards these aims, organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) are excellent candidates. This research project, CompOLEDs, aims at the refined understanding, at a molecular level, of the photochemical processes occurring in transition metal (TM) complexes and organic dyes used as phosphors and fluorophores in OLEDs. Hence, herein I propose the computation of the i) photophysical properties, ii) steady-state and dynamic properties and iii) reliable potential energy surfaces, which are mandatory to get insights into the processes occurring after light excitation. The design of photoactive materials with tailored photochemical properties is very often done in a trial-and-error manner. Instead, accurate predictive tools would be highly desirable. Thus, through the results obtained with these novel computational studies I will address current key challenges in OLEDs design, including: i) how to improve the internal and external photoluminescence efficiency and ii) how to fine-tune the emission color, notably to achieve white OLEDs (WOLEDs) and highly-efficient photostable blue emitters. These studies will pave the way to the next generation of OLEDs materials. The synergy of my scientific portfolio with the one of the host institution puts myself and this research project in a unique position to reach these goals. Finally, close cooperation with experimental partners, consisting of synthesizing and characterizing our best emitters candidates, are also proposed in this research programme. These collaborations are foreseen to generate technology transfer, especially in filling the current gaps in the OLED lighting industry and in contributing to the forecast market transfer from phosphors to the so-called third generation of emitters.


Participants :
- Nantes Université (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 173076.0 €
Projet MERC (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2015)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Professor Redondo’s group has recently identified Adamts1 as one of the major mediators in vascular wall remodeling. They showed that Adamts1+/-, Adamts1-/- and KD-Adamts1 mice present aortic dilation, aneurysms, medial degeneration and hypotension, leading to the hypothesis that Adamts1 deficiency results in a new familial form of thoracic aortic aneurysm (FTAAD) potentially relevant in human aortic disease. They have also found that nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitors reverse aortic dilation and medial degeneration in Marfan mice and Adamts1-deficient mice. The objective of my project is to study the molecular mechanisms mediating these aortic diseases in mice, and to specifically assess the role of nitric oxide (NO) and related signaling pathways, including those of Adamts1 and its substrates, in the medial degeneration and aortic dilation in both mouse models. I plan to identify potential targets common to both aortopathies and analyze them in patients with syndromic and non-syndromic aortic diseases. I think this project has a strong potential to identify therapeutic targets and prognostic or diagnostic markers for human cardiovascular diseases that constitute one of the major causes of mortality worldwide.

Mots clés : adamts1, molecular regulation of vascular remodeling, nitric oxide synthase  nos, aorta, signaling

Participants :
- Ministry of Health (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 170121.6 €
Projet RIBOSFL (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Programmed ribosomal frameshifting (PRF) is a mechanism of recoding that allows synthesis of multiple proteins from the same mRNA by shifting the translation reading frame. Many viruses, including medically important HIV and coronaviruses rely on PRF to increase their coding capacity and modulate appropriate stoichiometric ratios of viral proteins. An interferon-inducible restriction factor Shiftless (SFL) can block the frameshifting required for viral translation and infectivity. Understanding the mechanism of action of SFL will undoubtedly guide the design of new antiviral therapeutics. However, most structural and functional aspects of SFL and its role in viral infections are unknown. We intend to characterise the role of SFL in HIV and coronavirus infections using a three-pronged approach: (i) We will elucidate the mechanism of inhibition of PRF on viral mRNAs by SFL using a state-of-the-art in vitro reconstituted translation system and depletion/deletion of SFL in human cell lines. (ii) We will determine the interaction of SFL, translating ribosome and frameshifting viral mRNAs using cryo-electron microscopy. (iii) Based on the structural data obtained, we will generate mutants of SFL and characterise their activities by in vitro and cellular translation assays to identify specific domains and amino acid residues required for the antiviral activity of SFL. The results expected from our proposed study should not only be crucial for understanding the molecular mechanism of SFL but should also provide vital inputs to the development of antiviral therapeutic agents by either mimicking or upregulating SFL expression against critically important viruses such as HIV and SARS-CoV-2. Importantly, our research should continue to be relevant for the treatment of any future frameshifting virus.

Mots clés : protein synthesis, ribosome, frameshifting, viral translation

Participants :
- Max Planck Society (Allemagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 174806.4 €
Projet Walgo (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Programs and Functons both have a mathematically sound definition. Every programmer has an informal idea of what an Algorithm is, yet no formal definition exists and this idea is likely to differ from one person to the other. Despite their lack of definition, Algorithms are central in Computer Science. Thus, finding a correct definition is a major modern challenge. This question is not new and has already been studied by many. It is unlikely that we can close it within a two years timeframe. Yet we have identified two novel ideas to attack the problem along three tracks of increasing difficulty thus ensuring results that will drive a future long term project. The main idea is to avoid a direct confrontation with the definition of Algorithm. We consider "being the same algorithm" as an equivalence between programs and we study the set of all possible equivalences. This will allow the use of the full mathematical arsenal, from set and order theory to algebra and topology, and guide future researches. The second idea is to allow algorithms to be an infinite object, thus opening more possibilities. The Researchers already has a permanent Lecturer position. The fellowship will create the condition for defending the Habilitation thesis and thus reach a position of full professorship with a long term research program based on the results obtained.

Mots clés : computability, rice s theorem

Participants :
- University of Copenhagen (Danemark) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 200194.8 €
Projet SUPERSOL (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Progress in thin-film transistor (TFTs) over the past 40 years has been based primarily on the development/processing of new materials and on implementation of innovative device architectures together with new material combinations. The SUPERSOL project is a highly multidisciplinary research effort that aims to develop the next generation TFT technology based primarily on solution-processable low-dimensional (ultra-thin) metal oxide structures. The most important aspects of the technology include; (i) the potential for low-cost and scalable manufacturing, and (ii) performance characteristics well beyond the current state-of-the-art. To achieve these objectives I will develop low-dimensional metal oxide superlattices (SLs) comprised of sequentially deposited (via solution methods) dissimilar ultra-thin metal oxide layers. Device fabrication will be performed solely from solution methods such as spin casting, dip-coating and ultrasonic spray pyrolysis at plastic-compatible temperatures (100-200°C). By exploring the charge transport phenomena occurring at the critical 2DEG interfaces, I will be able to develop transistors with carrier mobility well beyond incumbent technologies (i.e. poly-Si TFTs with carrier mobility ~70 cm2/Vs). The first part of the project I will investigate the critical conditions that determine the formation of 2DEG systems within the oxide SLs. Best performing oxide SLs will then be used for the fabrication of TFTs on arbitrary substrates including plastic. This work will form the basis for the second part of the project which will focus solely on the development of technologically relevant devices including: memristors and novel quantum devices by manipulating at will the nature of the 2DEG formed within these simple to manufacture oxide SL based devices. Evaluation of the technology reliability/manufacturability and potential for scale-up will be performed in collaboration with the Holst Centre during the agreed secondment periods.

Mots clés : solution processed, superlattice, memristor, quantum device, thin film transistor

Participants :
- Imperial College London (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 195454.8 €