Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-actions-marie-curie-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet eXcape3D (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Mammalian genomes are structurally organized into sub-chromosomal self-interacting domains called topologically associating domains (TADs). Functionally, genes embedded within the same TAD appear to be co-regulated by their shared regulatory landscapes, suggesting the tendency of the genome to be divided into discrete regulatory domains. Although disrupting TAD boundaries has been shown to result in aberrant patterns of gene expression, whether TAD organisation is cause or consequence of transcriptional activity remains largely unknown, as well as the regulatory elements that direct TAD formation and long-range chromatin interactions within TADs. This project aims to define the exact functional link between genome topology and transcriptional regulation by exploiting the mammalian dosage compensation mechanism X-Chromosome Inactivation (XCI) as a model system. First, I will identify the combination of regulatory elements that allow a subset of X-linked genes to resist the transcriptional silencing of one entire X chromosome in female cells. Then, I will characterise their functional and structural relevance by combining advanced epigenetic tools for the manipulation of complex regulatory networks with transcriptomic analysis and chromosome conformation capture, an innovative method that allows to define the 3D structure of chromosomes within the nucleus. This project represents a unique opportunity to enhance our understanding of genome topology, providing valuable insights into the roles of the non-coding genome in gene regulation. Considering my personal professional background, and the outstanding level of scientific excellence of the host institution, this project promises a great potential of radically advancing the field and, in addition, will provide the European Research Area with a highly-qualified expert scientist who has the technical and complementary skills to successfully lead a European research team.

Mots clés : x chromosome inactivation, gene regulation, chromosome conformation, chromatin structure, chromatin loops, genome topology, dna regulatory elements, crispr cas9, embryonic development

Participants :
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (Allemagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 174806.4 €
Projet URBS (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Many European cities are characterised by the presence of a medieval cathedral within a settlement comprising of civic, religious and domestic buildings, enclosed by vestiges of urban walls and gates of antique or medieval origin. They can be small settlements as well as capital cities, with variable degrees of conservation of the historic built environment, but they all have similar patterns in their historic landscape created by a common history and culture. There are many challenges in the curation, including conservation and presentation to the public, of cathedral cities: inspired by the UNESCO (2011) declaration on managing change in the Historic Urban Landscape, which promotes a comprehensive survey of tangible and intangible heritage and includes the ways in which people absorb and react to their surroundings, URBS will focus on how inhabitants and visitors perceive, experience and value the historic landscape of cathedral cities. The first aim of the project is to develop a set of narratives and mapping that addresses the experience of cathedral cities from several perspectives simultaneously, applying historic landscape methodologies together with qualitative research methods to four case studies: Girona (Spain), City of London (UK), Palermo (Italy) and Poitiers (France). The second aim of URBS is to investigate and demonstrate how cathedral cities in Europe, despite having their individual character and spirit of place, have similarities in their topography and historical layers. The third aim of URBS is to train the fellow in qualitative research methodology and in the emerging technology of cultural mapping, giving her experience of leadership of collaborative groups; she will thus develop a full range of skills and experience which will allow her to design and direct future research in participatory approaches to the historic urban landscape.

Mots clés : historic urban landscape, cathedral cities, urban history, heritage, medieval archaeology, cultural, mapping, participation, theory of space, archaeology of buildings

Participants :
- University of Girona (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 160932.48 €
Projet NiCoFlow (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2015)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Many aspects of the animal flight still remain unexplored, despite the enormous possibilities they offer to improve the current aerospace technology. One such aspect that received least attention of the scientists is the following: the wing surfaces of the flying animals are coated with hairs, feathers and other filamentous structures. These self-adaptive hairy layers strongly influence the flow field characteristics, and it has been reported that such coatings may be used to control the laminar-turbulent transition as well as turbulence in order to achieve energy efficient flight. The objectives of the NiCoFlow project are: (1) to devise the essential mathematical and computational framework to study the flow around objects with surface-mounted self-adaptive hairs, and (2) to elucidate the fundamental fluid dynamic mechanisms through which the surface coatings can enable new flow control strategies. In this work, a homogenized poro-elastic continuum models will be used to describe the flow through the hairy layers. Moreover, a computational approach to simulate two-way coupling between such homogenized continuum models and the surrounding fluid flow will be developed.. This approach will be thoroughly validated by simulating fluid flow over a flat plate attached with surface-mounted flexible hairs and comparing the numerical results against existing experimental data. The validated model will be used to perform direct numerical simulations of transitional and turbulent flows to reveal the detailed flow characteristics, and shed light on how these self-adaptive hairy features may delay the transition to turbulence and reduce the turbulent skin-friction. A potential passive control technique, relying on these nature-inspired hairy coatings, will have a large industrial impact, including applications in aeronautics, energy harvesting and the transport sector.

Mots clés : turbulence, fluid flow control, biomimetics, homogenization, direct numerical simulation, high order methods, computational mechanics, fluid mechanics, fluid structure interaction

Participants :
- KTH Royal Institute of Technology (Suède) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 173857.2 €
Projet GelSwimming (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Many cavities in the human body such as the lungs, the stomach or the reproductive tract are covered and protected by a thin layer of mucus gel. Under certain conditions pathogenic bacteria are able to penetrate the mucus layer which leads to serious infections. For example, in cystic fibrosis motile bacteria swim through the mucus layer and form biofilms which can be resistant to antibiotic medication. Interestingly, corals in the ocean are also covered by mucus. Again, pathogenic bacteria are able to penetrate the coral mucus layer and cause serious diseases resulting in a world-wide decline of corals. The underlying mechanisms how the bacteria are able to move through mucus are not yet understood. We aim, in our proposal, to clarify physical conditions under which bacterial locomotion in polymer solutions and gels is possible. In contrast to existing theories on swimming in viscoelastic fluids we explicitly model the gel and the bacteria via mesoscale computer simulations. Our novel approach will enable us to identify the microscopic conditions for bacterial locomotion in gels and the conditions for immobility (gel-trapping). Our findings may also inspire biologists and medical researchers in designing novel medication and finding strategies to avoid bacterial invasion into mucus of relevance to both the prevention of human disease and the degradation of corals.

Mots clés : low reynolds number hydrodynamics, active systems, bacteria, micro swimmers, biopolymers, gels, mucus, viscoelasticity, mesoscale modelling

Participants :
- University of Oxford (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 195454.8 €
Projet SAMBa (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Many countries in Western Europe have large and growing populations of older Turkish migrants. Turkish migrants tend to have relatively poor later-life outcomes in a broad range of areas. Efforts to improve the ways in which Turkish migrants age may be hampered by a lack of knowledge, given the limited attention to ageing in the study of immigrants and to immigrants in the study of ageing. Rowe and Kahn’s model of successful ageing (SA), which has for decades been presented as a benchmark of how people should ideally become older, may be of limited use for the case of older Turkish migrants, given the plausibly specific ageing preferences of this group, the fact that risk factors for adverse later-life outcomes may be different for migrants than for non-migrants, and the fact that migrants may be confronted with specific challenges, such as discriminatory practices. A redefined model of ageing well is therefore called for. The envisaged project will contribute to this through the pursuit of three sets of specific research objectives: 1. To provide insights (a) in the perceptions of SA held by older Turkish migrants, (b) in potential differences between these perceptions and the views of older non-migrants, and (c) in variation by gender in these views. 2. To assess (a) whether the impact of particular socio-demographic factors on (dimensions of) SA differs between older Turkish migrants and older non-migrants, and (b) whether differences by migrant status are gendered. 3. To explain variation within the group of older Turkish migrants on (dimensions of) SA. To achieve these goals, multiple data sources with complementary strengths will be analysed, and innovative statistical techniques, such as factorial design experiments, fixed effects regression and instrumental variable estimation, will be used. Three destination countries will be considered to gain a broad understanding of the ageing experiences of older Turkish migrants: Germany, the Netherlands, and Norway.


Participants :
- Erasmus University Rotterdam (Pays-Bas) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 187572.48 €
Projet SAFE-FLY (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2016)
Action : Doctoral Networks - Industrial Doctorates
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Modern aeronautical structures are increasingly made of composite materials due to their well-known benefits. Composite materials have however a wide range of possible failure modes, implying lengthy and expensive structural inspection processes for modern aircrafts. Ultrasonic guided wave technologies are nowadays confined in baseline subtraction approaches, where structural damage can be detected but not identified. This is due to lack of efficient techniques for predicting wave interaction with damage in composite structures. A genuine need is therefore identified for a programme that will: i)Develop, deliver and implement novel SHM technological tools within the European aerospace industry, ii)Nurture and train the next European generation of SHM research professionals. SAFE-FLY has an intensely intersectoral character engaging a European leading aerospace industry (ANOVA) and an academic research team at the forefront of aerospace innovation (UNOTT). It also has an intensely multi-disciplinary character, coupling expertise from mechanical, civil and electronic engineering, as well as from the area of applied mathematics. On the research side, SAFE-FLY will focus on developing multiscale models for obtaining a comprehensive description of damage in a composite structural segment. Understanding the interaction of ultrasonic GW with such nonlinear damaged segments is another scientific challenge that the Network will tackle. SAFE-FLY aims at developing reliable tools for predicting the reflection, conversion and transmission of each GW type, when impacting on the damaged section. On the training side, SAFE-FLY will provide a fully supportive environment for 3 ESRs. A training programme aiming at developing both the research as well as the transferable skills of the Fellows has been designed. All Fellows will have the opportunity to work in a multi-disciplinary environment, spending at least 50% of their time at the premises of the industrial beneficiary.

Mots clés : aerospace composites, multiscale damage modelling, wave interaction with damage, online damage detection and identification

Participants :
- Aernnova (Spain) (Espagne) — Partner, beneficiary, Organismes privés (hors enseignement), subvention : 0.0 €
- University of Nottingham (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 789498.32 €
- University of South Carolina System (Etats-Unis) — Partner, organization partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- University of California System (Etats-Unis) — Partner, organization partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
Projet RhizoSheet (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Modern plant varieties have been bred to grow and increase production under non limiting soil conditions and have consequently lost their ability to capture resources efficiently. Designing an efficient fertiliser requires optimising bioavailability and mobility of nutrients. Unfortunately, bio-availability and mobility are often antagonistic. Traditional fertilisers, which package soluble mineral elements into granules, are easily acquired by plant roots but have been linked to excessive loss to the environment and pollution. Slow release fertilisation has been proposed to slow down the diffusion of nutrients to the soil, including the use of nanotechnology, but slowing down the diffusion of nutrients excessively affects root uptake. Biological fertilisation is inspired from known mechanisms observed in soil, but maintaining efficient colonisation of the root by beneficial microbes is challenging. New approaches must be developed to better control the associations taking place between plants and beneficial microbes, since fundamental knowledge to achieve this target is nowadays lacking. Roots exude a huge diversity of biomolecules, and their role in maintaining adequate beneficial microbes are mostly unknown and rarely studied. The aim of the RhizoSheet project is to apply cutting-edge microfluidic techniques based on hybrid paper-polymer technology for device fabrication. Optical sensors and novel functional materials will be applied as biochemical sensors to gain knowledge on the location of compounds secreted by roots and on the response of roots over time, when interacting with soil microbes. The acquired knowledge will be highly beneficial for the scientific and agricultural community and finds the interest of the EU in soil and food safety, the RhizoSheet project meets the interest of the Horizon Europe - the next research and innovation framework programme in particular the natural resources in Pillar 1.

Mots clés : microfluidics, lab on a chip, sensors, root exudate, root microbe interactions, tomato, bacillus subtilis, crop production

Participants :
- University of the Basque Country (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 160932.48 €
Projet SEASON (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Most species show seasonal variation in survival and reproduction, which determines and is affected by biotic (intra- and interspecific) interactions. Such demography-biotic-interaction feedbacks, in turn, mediate community responses to seasonal patterns in environmental factors. Changing these seasonal patterns and thereby adversely affecting the demography of interacting species, is one important way in which global environmental change alters biodiversity. However, as population and community responses to changes in seasonality are typically studied separately, we lack a mechanistic understanding of the processes that threaten the persistence of interacting species, posing a major challenge to biodiversity conservation. SEASON aims to bridge this fundamental knowledge gap by linking demographic processes and biotic interactions under changes in the seasonality of environmental factors across time and space. Integrating theoretical and empirical analyses, the two main objectives of this project are to (i) develop an analytical framework which assesses how demography-biotic-interaction feedbacks mediate multi-species population responses to seasonality change; and (ii) apply the framework on empirical systems to synthesize novel information on the importance of the feedbacks. By developing an integrative framework to assess simultaneous responses of several species to seasonality, a key but understudied aspect of environmental change, this research will substantially contribute to global-change ecology. It will also assist researchers and managers in developing new strategies beyond single target populations or annual demographic censuses to mitigate global threats. As SEASON aims to develop a flexible tool that can be expanded in the future and relies on collaboration between two research institutes and several conservation initiatives, the MSCA fellowship will be critical in building a long-lasting research line and a global network of collaborators.

Mots clés : multi species demographic analyses, seasonal life cycles, vital rates, vital rate models, global environmental change, bayesian models

Participants :
- Spanish National Research Council (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 172932.48 €
Projet EGERNIALIZARDS (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Mothers can alter the characteristics of their offspring through non-genetic maternal effects. For example, stress experienced by mothers during gestation can have organizational effects on offspring behaviour and physiology – such effects may substantially influence the subsequent success of these offspring. Theory suggests that, depending on the environment in which they occur, maternal effects have the potential to accelerate or constrain the rate, and alter the direction, of evolutionary change. It is therefore critical to know how ecological variation influences the outcomes of maternal effects, such as maternal stress effects, in order to understand the evolutionary importance of maternal effects in different species. A source of environmental variation likely to be important in determining the outcome of maternal effects, and maternal stress specifically, is the post-natal social environment – in other words, whether offspring remain with their mother/parents, or not. I propose an integrative research project to test how the outcomes of maternal stress are influenced by the post-natal social environment. To achieve this, I will combine a large-scale field experiment using a social lizard species (Liopholis whitii) in which the degree of post-natal mother-offspring association varies naturally, with physiological laboratory analysis and meta-analytical methods to: experimentally address how the post-natal social environment alters the effects of maternal stress on key phenotypic traits (such as growth, and dispersal and competitive behaviours), identify potential endocrinological and neurological mechanisms underlying these effects, and test the generality of these patterns across taxa in a meta-analytical framework. This work will provide novel insights into the long-term consequences of maternal stress-induced maternal effects for offspring fitness and the extent to which these effects may show the evolutionary and ecological trajectory of populations.

Mots clés : maternal stress, maternal effects, lizard, evolution

Participants :
- Simon Fraser University (Canada) — Partner, organization partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- Lund University (Suède) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 232551.0 €
Projet MEMOBJECT (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Much attention in our theorizing about the mind has been devoted to episodic memory. In episodic memory, a subject remembers an event from their personal past in a way accompanied by conscious imagery, typically from the first-person perspective, through which they 're-live' the experience. Other species of memory are no less significant to our mental lives, however. We remember objects—for example, one's first car, or one's childhood family dog—and we do so in ways which may outstrip our memory of events in which those objects featured. It is possible, for example, to remember a face while having no sense of where in one's past one's memory of it derives. While we presently lack a philosophical account distinctive of what I will call 'objectual memory', the raw materials are there for the taking. This project will use state of the art, 'simulationist' approaches to memory in order to address this lacuna, establishing the following core hypothesis: Objectual memory is not a mere form of episodic or semantic memory (Work Package 1). We can best understand it, in harmony with broadly simulationist approaches to remembering, as a kind of ‘epistemically informed’ imagination (Work Package 2). Though broadly simulationist in character, this view is compatible with experiences of objectual memory constituting a direct relation to the past (Work Package 3). This project has immediate implications for philosophy of mind and epistemology, but it also generates questions for the sciences. If objectual memory is to be considered a product of the so-called 'episodic' memory system, it is misleading to think of this system as a means of constructing temporally structured episodes from one’s past. For the system also produces occasions for the awareness of past objects—things which lack an essentially temporal structure. Alternatively, if the ‘episodic’ memory system is confined to the awareness of events, objectual memory must be the product of another system.


Participants :
- Université Grenoble Alpes (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 184707.84 €