Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-actions-marie-curie-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet AspSync (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Subduction mega-earthquakes are among the most destructive events on Earth. When affecting very densely populated areas these earthquakes may cause extensive human losses and severe damages, as for the 2011 M9.0 Tohoku-Oki event (Japan). According to the ‘asperity model’, a mega-earthquake may occur when regions of the fault that are potentially seismic (i.e., asperities) interact and synchronize failing together. But understanding the physical conditions that are responsible for such synchronization still remains enigmatic. AspSync proposes to tackle this problem using a multidisciplinary approach that combines analog modelling with geodynamics and statistics. AspSync proposes to develop a 3D mechanical prototype that reproduces the convergent margin features, including interplate earthquakes. This model will feature laterally (i.e., in trench parallel direction) heterogeneous frictional behavior mimicking the asperities that characterize the plate interface. Tuning the physical and frictional properties of asperities, AspSync will systematically test the role of their dimensions, distance, geometry and strength in the synchronization process, unlocking the possibility to infer the physical conditions that lead to the triggering of mega-earthquakes. AspSync will then link the experimental results with ‘real Earth conditions’, studying the feedbacks between geodynamical properties of convergent margins and interplate seismicity aiming to identify the physical conditions that promote mega-earthquakes triggering. AspSync will update and analyze the existing database of global physical properties of subduction zones and interplate seismicity developed at UM2 applying robust statistics (e.g., multi-parametric pattern recognition analysis; analysis of temporal series) to quantitatively estimate cause-effect relationships between geodynamical and seismic parameters.

Mots clés : subduction mega earthquakes, seismic asperities, laboratory models

Participants :
- Université de Montpellier (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 185076.0 €
Projet DARKEST (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Subterranean estuaries extend inland into coastal aquifers inhabited by a surprising diversity of subterranean animals with peculiar ecological and evolutionary features. How complex ecosystems thrive in this globally distributed habitat in different hydrological and geological settings is poorly understood. This study aims to integrate a novel global database of subterranean fauna with existing geochemical data and high-resolution hydrogeology maps of the world’s aquifers, using modern statistical and modelling methods, to achieve an integrated understanding of the drivers of biodiversity in coastal aquifers and their response to global environmental change. Indeed, coastal aquifers connect the world’s oceanic and hydrologic ecosystems and provide water source for more than one billion people in coastal regions, but these habitats are among those most prone to the long-term effects of climate change and human population growth. Therefore, expected outcomes of the study will contribute to the increasing efforts to discover, describe, and sustain groundwater-dependent ecosystems and to identify biological communities that could serve as indicators of the health of groundwater resources. To achieve these goals, a holistic approach is proposed that bridges scientific disciplines across ecology and geosciences. The project also targets to build the foundation for my long-term plans, that is, to reintegrate in Europe and establish myself as a leading expert in the emerging field of Earth System Ecology. Ensuring success, I will be supervised by host Diego Fontaneto, an expert in ecology, evolution, and large-scale patterns of biodiversity of microscopic animals at the Water Research Institute of CNR in Italy. Moreover, I will benefit from interactions with secondment-host Nils Moosdorf, who has expertise in aquifer hydrogeology, data-driven geoscience, and mega-scale hydrological modelling, at the Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research in Germany.

Mots clés : functional diversity, groundwater, coastal aquifer, subterranean estuary, anchialine, hydrogeology, community ecology, macro ecology, modelling

Participants :
- National Research Council (Italie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 183473.28 €
Projet miRhythm (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Successful development of an organism relies on careful temporal orchestration of a large number of diverse events. Although processes such as cell proliferation, migration and differentiation are thus under precise temporal control, molecular mechanisms of the relevant biological timers have remained largely enigmatic. I propose to exploit the repetitive development and robust oscillatory gene expression of the nematode C. elegans to identify fundamental principles of temporal control of organismal development through rhythmic gene expression. High temporal reproducibility of developmental progression and genetic tractability are additional major assets of this novel experimental paradigm. Previous work in my host-lab uncovered high-amplitude oscillatory expression of ~2700 genes peaking exactly once per larval stage, with an ~8-hr period. These oscillations appear to orchestrate periodic developmental events encompassing synthesis and shedding of the cuticle, cell proliferation and differentiation. A small set of regulatory miRNAs also exhibit oscillations with large amplitudes. This is surprising given that miRNAs are generally quite stable, and that the transcript level oscillations appear to be rely mostly on rhythmic transcription. Here, I propose to delineate the function of oscillatory miRNAs in rhythmic gene expression and development, and the mechanisms that render them sufficiently unstable to facilitate oscillation. Thus, through a combination of high-throughput developmental tracking, single-cell sequencing, bioinformatics, and biophysics approaches, I expect to uncover molecular mechanisms that control developmental timing and miRNA metabolism.

Mots clés : oscillation, developmental timing, c  elegans, mirna

Participants :
- Friedrich Miescher Institute (Suisse) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 203149.44 €
Projet ToMComputations (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Successful human social behaviour relies on an ability called Theory of Mind (ToM) – the ability to infer the mental states (beliefs, desires) of other people. ToM is the basis of human cooperation and prosocial behaviour, and its importance is dramatically demonstrated when it breaks down in various ways such as in autism or psychopathy. Unfortunately, ToM is often defined rather broadly, and little is known about the exact computations that are carried out in the brain when we think about other minds. This project aims to provide a solid, formal understanding of the computations undertaken by our cognitive system during ToM, and their implementation in the brain. Two complementary approaches will be taken in separate brain imaging experiments using fMRI. First, a top-down approach will be employed, that uses complex verbal stimuli to study ToM in its widest variety. Second, a computationally well understood task paradigm will be adapted to a social setting, presenting quantitative stimuli that can be exactly captured by a formal model. Overlap in brain activation found by the two approaches will establish a comprehensive account of how the brain achieves this remarkable human ability. The project will be carried out at one of Europe’s leading cognitive neuroscience centres under supervision of a research group that has recently pioneered the use of computational approaches to investigate higher-level human cognitive processes. This is an ideal set-up for transfer of knowledge from the host to the applicant (computational modeling) and vice-versa (applicant's anatomical knowledge gathered in Oxford). The project's interdisciplinary approach combines formal computational models with neuroimaging data, and will be one of the first to employ this technique to ask specific questions about Theory of Mind. Its implications can be directly translated to clinical research, and are also relevant for educational research.

Mots clés : mentalizing, perspective taking, social cognition, computational modeling, neuroimaging, fmri

Participants :
- Radboud University Nijmegen (Pays-Bas) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 187572.48 €
Projet DIGDEEP (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Successful public and animal health interventions require detailed knowledge of infectious disease transmission dynamics, in particular how they spread within and between populations. Recent advances in phylodynamics have largely contributed towards the understanding of epidemic spread, including Ebola, HIV and MERS-CoV, by integrating epidemiological and genetic data. Since the beginning of the 21st century, the emergence of new avian influenza viruses (AIV) with high pandemic potential have underlined the need for established global mechanisms to respond to public and animal health threats. To this end, DIGDEEP aims at developing alternative control strategies tailored to the characteristics of AIV evolution and transmission in order to minimize the global economic and health impact of the epidemics. The project will use cutting-edge phylodynamic inference methods to explore devastating and unprecedented epidemics of AIV in Europe and Asia. The outcomes of the project will allow us to infer key epidemiological parameters of the virus spread, such as the basic reproduction number or the likelihood of spillover between host species, and characterize the determinants of the epidemics, such as the importance of population structure or super-spreaders. DIGDEEP will also help to assess the effectiveness of public and animal health interventions in bringing the epidemic under control which are crucial for a well-informed response. Throughout the project, the fellow will gain a strong experience in phylodynamic inference methods, complementing her experience in epidemiology of infectious disease transmission. DIGDEEP will consolidate her scientific expertise in the field of public and animal health and develop transferable skills in team-working, communication and project management, which will be paramount to boost her career as a successful and internationally-recognized researcher.

Mots clés : infectious diseases, phylodynamic inferences, transmission trees, public and animal health, control options

Participants :
- Board of the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology (Suisse) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 203149.44 €
Projet RISTRAD (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is a leading cause of total and cardiovascular mortality. Ventricular fibrillation (VF) is the most common arrhythmia causing SCD. In young individuals, SCD occurs primarily in the setting of rare cardiac disorders generally considered as Mendelian diseases. Among these are the primary electrical disorders associating lethal arrhythmias such as VF. These disorders are highly amenable to genetic studies since they manifest clinically with specific features on the electrocardiogram. As of today, the large gap in our knowledge concerning the determinants of VF at the genetic and molecular level hinders breakthroughs in the development of risk stratification and preventive strategies. As a model of a primary rhythm disorder, Brugada syndrome (BrS may be considered as 'sensitized model' for SCD and be relevant to the broad problem of SCD in the setting of common cardiac pathologies. The aim of this project is to prpose a translational study, combining genome wide association studies in the largest biobank of patients with cardiac arrhythmia ever collected, genotype-phenotype studies for clinical relevance/use and functional characterization for novel genes uncovered. The overarching aim of the study is to decipher the genetic model of the BrS by identifying novel genetic factors that modulate risk for SCD. We also believe that the impact of this project, although focused on a rare disease such as Brs, will be much broader in the field of cardiac arrhythmias and more generally for SCD.

Mots clés : genome wide association study, sudden cardiac death, brugada syndrome

Participants :
- Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 173076.0 €
Projet LIFESPAN (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Suicide is a major public health concern and leading cause of death worldwide. Suicidal ideation and attempts, especially among youths, are of particular concern because of their associations with suicide, poor health, educational and employment outcomes. The World Health Organisation European Mental Health Action Plan has ranked suicide prevention among the highest priorities on the global public health agenda for 2020. While recognising the importance of immediate precipitating factors (unemployment, relationship problems), studies worldwide are showing that early-life events, occurring before or around birth, can influence later susceptibility to suicide. The LIFESPAN project adopts a life-course perspective to examine the early-life influences (birth order, parental age, family/sibling size, birth weight, birth length) on suicide, suicidal ideation and suicide attempts in the general population. It comprises 3 complementary objectives: (1) to summarise available studies about the longitudinal relations between early-life influences and suicide mortality by applying meta-analysis, the statistical approach most informative for policymakers, allowing to go beyond the heterogeneity of existing studies; (2) to investigate the associations between early-life influences and suicidal ideation and attempts in adolescence and young adulthood with data from 3 longitudinal population-based cohorts (from Canada and France; up to 25 years follow-up); (3) to identify specific mediating pathways (targetable with new preventive interventions) linking early-life factors and suicide risk, using advances longitudinal mediation analysis techniques relying on growth curve modelling. By shedding new light on the role of early-life influence on suicidality, this project will contribute to the H2020 aim of “promoting healthy ageing and personalised health care [which] will enable to better understand the determinants of health, keep the population healthier, preserve quality of life”.

Mots clés : suicide, suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, life course perspective, mediation mechanisms, developmental approach

Participants :
- McGill University (Canada) — Partner, organization partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- Université de Bordeaux (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 232160.4 €
Projet SUPERTERA (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Superconducting materials are the heart of the modern quantum technologies including quantum computation with its main workhorse - superconducting qubits, magnetic flux and voltage quantum metrology with Josephson junctions and superconducting quantum interference devices. Hence the formidable effort to raise the superconducting transition temperature by researching new materials and superconductivity mechanisms beyond the standard Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) model. On the other hand, the new superconductivity-based technologies emerge as the phenomenon is becoming more investigated and better understood. The coupling of THz frequency electromagnetic waves with superconducting matter and the emerging possibility of THz field generation, manipulation and detection via light-matter interactions in superconductors is the prime example . Superconductors present a wide playground for the future single-chip THz technology due to the rich electromagnetic response involving nonlinear processes. While the far-field THz nonlinearities in superconductors are being extensively studied for THz applications, the near-field nonlinear THz imaging would provide an insight to the superconducting excitations inaccessible in the linear regime and with high spatiotemporal resolution. In fact, the THz-frequency electromagnetic radiation represents a peculiar energy scale of important condensed matter excitations - interaction mediators in correlated electron systems (e.g. phonons for Cooper pairs in BCS superconductors), making them an indispensable probe for other electron - electron coupling mechanisms in unconventional correlated systems. This project is aimed at (i) implementation of a nonlinear spatiotemporal near-field imaging technique, and its application to the investigation of nanoscale-picosecond THz response of the two fascinating superconducting systems: (ii) high-Tc layered cuprates, (iii) the magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene.

Mots clés : superconductivity, high tc superconducting cuprates, magic angle twisted bilayer graphene, thz radiation, josephson plasmon, higgs mode, scanning near field optical microscopy

Participants :
- Institute of Photonic Sciences (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 172932.48 €
Projet HYDRA (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Superhydrophilic-underwater superoleophobic membrane is a kind of functional separation membranes based on special wettability, with very promising application prospect in oil/water separation. The stability of the material is the key factor in its performance. This proposal aims to develop stable membranes with superhydrophilicity-underwater superoleophobicity design, by combining synergistically the stupendous hydrated polymer brushes and anisotropic micro-/nano-structures on a surface. We will suppress the wetting transition due to oil penetration via the stable hydration shell of the polymer brush on the vertical direction, and directional oil droplet transmission via the anisotropic surface structures tangential to a surface. Our results aim to reveal the relationships between the molecular brush structure, anisotropic micro-/nano-structure on the surface, and wettability in the oil-water-solid three phase system, illustrating the nature of science of wetting transition and transition suppression, understanding the mechanism of superhydrophilic-underwater superoleophobic surfaces under pressure in multiple phase systems, and ultimately establishing the design strategy for effective membranes for oil-water separation important in many applications of significant economic and societal impact.

Mots clés : under water superoleophobicity, superhydrophilicity, anisotropic structure, polymer brushes, oil water emulsion separation

Participants :
- University of Bristol (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 195454.8 €
Projet ASSEMZYME (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Supramolecular chemistry has resulted in truly sophisticated architectures, many of which are able to exert specific functions, as well as to change and adapt in response to external stimuli. So far, however, artificial structures with a similar functional complexity as living self-assembled systems are lacking. This is because nearly all current supramolecular systems are in thermodynamic equilibrium or kinetically trapped states. Living systems, on the other hand, operate far from equilibrium in so-called dissipative steady states, and continuously consume energy to keep their structure and function. Mimicking nature, here we propose to prepare dissipative self-assembled steady states of synthetic discotic molecules, controlled by competitive enzymatic pathways (phosphorylation / dephosphorylation), in which the supramolecular assemblies are kept far from equilibrium by a continuous perturbation i.e. the influx of a chemical fuel. We expect to get fundamentally new insights into non-equilibrium self-assembly, opening the door to truly adaptive, self-healing, life-like complex artificial systems. The candidate will be trained in a promising new research area in one of the hotspots for supramolecular chemistry in Europe, which would be a great stepping stone for his future independent research career.

Mots clés : self assembly, non equilibrium, dissipative steady states, enzyme switching, stimuli responsive aggregates

Participants :
- Université de Strasbourg (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 173076.0 €
Projet GLYCOSENSE (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2015)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Surfaces with the capacity for selective recognition of particular pathogens would offer great potential in a number of biomedical applications, including diagnostic devices. Mammalian cells are decorated with a carbohydrate-rich layer, the glycocalyx, which facilitates cellular recognition. Carbohydrate-binding proteins can interact with these sugar motifs to facilitate highly selective recognition, a strategy which is exploited by many viral and bacterial pathogens. Such species have evolved to display recognition units on their surfaces which may interact with considerable affinity with glycan structures displayed on cellular surfaces. This molecular recognition constitutes a key step in the processes of infection or toxicity, and is therefore an attractive target for the development of diagnostic devices. In this project, Dr Clare Mahon proposes to develop surface-tethered polymer brushes which will mimic the glycocalyx in terms of facilitating adhesion of pathogens. Through the incorporation of different fluorophores, the surfaces will be used to construct sensing arrays which will enable the rapid and cost-effective identification of water-borne pathogens and common respiratory pathogens.

Mots clés : polymer brushes, sensing arrays, biosensors, waterborne pathogens, respiratory pathogens

Participants :
- University of Sydney (Australie) — Partner, organization partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- University of York (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 258107.4 €