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

Despite the investment of billions of euros, there has been an inexorable decline in the discovery of new antibiotics over the last decades. In this individual fellowship (IF) application we propose a strategy to develop bacterial histidine-kinase (HK) inhibitors targeted at the catalytic and ATP-biding domain (CA) as novel broad-spectrum antibacterial (nano)medicines. Furthermore, putative mechanism of resistance to HK inhibitors and known antibiotics will be studied and novel antibacterial drug targets will be identified by using transposon insertion mutant libraries (Tn-libraries) to identify mutations involved in intrinsic resistance to antibiotics and/or leading to increased sensitivity to existing antibiotics in multi-drug resistant (MDR) strains.

Mots clés : antibacterial drug discovery, novel antibacterials, antimicrobial resistance, histidine kinases, transposon insertion libraries, nanoparticles, structure based drug design

Participants :
- Wageningen University & Research (Pays-Bas) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 165598.8 €
Projet SUSAMIDE (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Despite the ubiquity of the amide group, its synthesis is not always straightforward and the existing methods for amide formation score badly from the perspectives of economy and sustainability. This proposal aims to develop unprecedented methodology for amide synthesis, allowing one to access “challenging” representatives. Two routes are proposed to mitigate risk and to provide complementarity. The objective of the proposal is twofold: 1) to expand the available chemical space (allowing one to synthesize challenging amides previously considered inaccessible via library synthesis with existing methods) and 2) to substitute existing syntheses with better ones (delivering higher yields without using toxic reagents and minimizing waste). Achieving these two objectives will have an impact on the discovery of new molecular entities and the improvement of production processes in the fine chemicals sector. The power of the new methodology will be demonstrated on the synthesis of selected real-life examples, APIs (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients).

Mots clés : amide, isocyanides, multicomponent reactions, sustainable chemistry

Participants :
- University of Antwerp (Belgique) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 172800.0 €
Projet TAXGLOBAL (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Economic Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Despite the wide-spread cross-border operations of firms, the lack of appropriate data has so far precluded a knowledge-based understanding of the international repercussions of corporate tax policies. TAXGLOBAL provides novel insights into the cross-border effect of firm taxation on economic activity. Given the recent tax reform in the United States and a surge of corporate tax reforms to be expected in Europe in the near future (e.g. France, the United Kingdom), such insights are now needed more than ever. It is essential to fully understand and quantify the cross-border impact of corporate tax policy in order to enhance job creation, sustainable investment and productivity growth in a globalized economy. TAXGLOBAL will provide a new understanding of the issue by compiling detailed high-quality data from Norway and analysing it in a quasi-experimental research design. In particular, I will (i) merge several administrative data sets on the domestic and foreign operations of companies which are obtained directly from the administrative and statistical authorities to which they report. This new and unique database will provide an unprecedented opportunity to study in detail the cross-border links on the level of the individual firm. I will (ii) compile a comprehensive and complementary database of all corporate tax reforms in a broad selection of countries to which firms are exposed via foreign affiliates. The information will then (iii) be combined and analysed using state-of-the-art regression models. This integral study of cross-border tax effects using administrative data for multinational firms will advance the research field with new insights into the global effect of tax policy on real business activity, as well as providing policy makers with a novel understanding of the implications of their decisions in integrated economies such as the EU.

Mots clés : multinational companies, taxation, globalization

Participants :
- Norwegian School of Economics (Norvège) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 214158.72 €
Projet ADMIN (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2015)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Detecting relevant and ignoring irrelevant visual stimuli of our environment is a fundamental yet challenging task which relies on at least 3 mechanisms all based on or requiring attention: 1) selecting relevant information for prioritizing their cortical processing 2) binding them into a single representation and 3) making a decision about the relevance of the analyzed stimulus. Visual attention is supported by top-down modulations, presumably originating in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Such feedback modulations affect which sensory information that thereafter are transformed into perceptual decision, a task partly achieved by the Lateral Intraparietal area (LIP). However, no study has yet proposed a clear descriptive model of (i) how cortico-cortical connectivity allows contextual clues to dispatch attentional top-down modulations from the PFC toward the appropriate population of occipital visual neurons; (ii) and how LIP neurons integrate and bind the representation of relevant features encoded by these occipital visual neurons. Here we propose to fill these gaps by recording simultaneously the activity of population of PFC, V4 and LIP neurons during performance of a task which requires to alternatively allocate attention toward different set of spatial and non-spatial visual features. We will first characterize the dynamic modulation of PFC population activity specifically linked to attention control. Then, to test how top-down modulations selectively target visual neurons, we will study how such modulations of PFC activity are linked to V4 population gain control. Lastly, we will characterize how LIP read-out the shaping of V4 population activity to encode the appropriate perceptual decision. This pioneer approach will highlight how parieto-frontal areas interact with visual cortices in order to encode reliable decisions. It will un-doubtfully be of highest relevance to scientists and clinicians interested in the study of attention and its related-deficits.

Mots clés : visual attention, decision making, prefrontal cortex, posterior parietal cortex, lateral intraparietal area, occipital cortex, functional connectivity

Participants :
- Centre national de la recherche scientifique (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 169333.43 €
Projet NeuroTick (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Detecting surprising events, such as the sudden approach of a predator or an unexpected touch, is crucial for the survival of all species. We aim to study neuronal mechanisms underlying surprising events. In order to predict upcoming events, mental models of future actions are essential. Where in the brain are such predictions and mental models created? The somatosensory cortex might contain a body model, in which superficial layers provide context and sensory memories, and inputs from deeper layers allow for simulating body movements. In rats, the somatosensory cortex is activated by tickling, which is a special form of unexpected touch containing elements of both sensory and social surprise. However, self-touch induces signals which prevent activation of the somatosensory cortex and prevent self-tickle. Where do these self-touch induced inhibitory signals come from? We hypothesize that the cerebellum is the source of self-touch induced signals. The cerebellum has reciprocal connections with key forebrain areas, including the somatosensory cortex. Combined with its known role in adapting action to sensory and internally generated events, the cerebellum seems well placed to aid in the processing of surprising events. We will test in mice and rats the hypothesis that the cerebellum plays a key role in processing unexpected events to modulate representations in somatosensory cortex. By combining the applicant’s experience in recordings from awake behaving mice, the expertise of the lab of Prof. Wang at Princeton University in cerebellar research with a focus on motor and non-motor function, and the expertise of the lab of Prof. Michael Häusser at University College London in naturalistic systems neuroscience, we are well placed to study the cerebellar signals for sensory prediction. This study can help us to understand how we make sense of the complex environment around us by combining different inputs to form predictions and signal unexpected events during surprising situations.

Mots clés : tickling, cerebellum, somatosensory cortex, touch, surprise, systems neuroscience, naturalistic behaviour

Participants :
- University of London (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 246669.12 €
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (Allemagne) — Partner, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- Princeton University (Etats-Unis) — Partner, organization partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
Projet BioTec (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2016)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Detection of bio-signatures on planetary objects are of high interest for science and society. Mars is one of the most promising target in our Solar System to find traces of life. Several missions are planned in the future by, e.g., NASA and ESA to find bio-signatures on Mars. Unfortunately, since the first Viking landing on Mars in the 1970s the quest for finding bio-signatures remains unresolved. Therefore, the development of new measurement concepts for the detection of bio-signatures is of high importance for future space missions to Mars. The aim of BioTec is to provide a new and innovative measurement technique for the detection of bio-molecules based on laser desorption ionisation mass spectrometry (LIMS). Knowledge from various science disciplines, ranging from astrobiology to the development of space instrumentation, is required for a successful realisation of BioTec. First, laboratory techniques will be learned to analyse Mars analogues for their bio-molecule content. These have been collected from different Mars analogue field sites on Earth. This will i) provide insights into the pros and cons of current collecting strategies and ii) further define the best Mars analogues. Next, a field trip to the Atacama Desert, Chile (most representative Mars analogue site on Earth) is planned. The previously conducted analyses will define the sampling strategy, which in turn will allow me to collect the most promising Mars analogues from the Atacama Desert. These are subsequently analysed using laboratory techniques. Using expertise gained from these Mars analogues, a simple and robust measurement protocol shall be developed using the LIMS system. This includes testing of i) laser parameters for desorption of amino acids and ii) coatings to minimise the fragmentation pattern of desorbed bio-molecules. Finally, the best Mars analogues from the first task, together with Mars analogue samples collected from the Atacama Desert will be analysed using the LIMS system.

Mots clés : astrobiology, space research, space exploration, mars, bio signatures, bio molecules, laser desorption ionisation mass spectrometry, field study, mars analogue

Participants :
- Leiden University (Pays-Bas) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 177598.8 €
Projet NASCAR (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Detection of special nuclear materials (SNM), is of vital importance to prevent nuclear terrorism and to secure states’ national security. Neutron detection is a particularly useful tool to identify SNM and neutron-sensitive scintillators have many promising properties, such as ease of use, good time resolution, and high detection efficiency. In this project we develop a new state-of-the art neutron sensitive scintillator using on nanostructured scintillating materials. Based on the early advancements that our research team has made, we propose Li (or B) incorporated nanostructured ZnO devices for highly efficient thermal neutron detection. These devices use a novel nanorod array design that greatly increases the effective surface area and efficiency of the sensor. Cost effective low temperature hydrothermal growth is used to obtain ZnO nanorod arrays. The state-of-the-art design of the nanorod array combines the key advantages of a low cost growth technique together with environmentally friendly and widely available materials. The Global Fellow (GF) has outstanding experience in Nuclear Science and Technology and has wide expertise in radiation and nuclear physics. The supervisor at the partner organization (Georgia Tech, USA) is a renowned Professor in radiation physics and holds a highly relevant patent. The supervisor at the beneficiary organisation (University of Surrey, UK), has a strong background in the physics of materials for new detectors and has recently developed novel nanocomposite scintillators and organic neutron detectors, both of which are highly relevant to the project. The GF worked on neutron measurements under the supervision of the host at Georgia Tech between 2013-2015, and therefore has the required expertise to deliver this program through effective collaboration with both partner institutions.

Mots clés : nanoparticle scintillator nuclear security

Participants :
- University of Surrey (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 289732.8 €
- University System of Georgia (Etats-Unis) — Partner, organization partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
Projet DESIRE (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Developing artificial enzyme mimics represents a promising strategy to overcome some of the limitations of enzymes such as low tolerance to experimental conditions, poor substrate versatility or poor adaptability to abiotic reactions. Supramolecular approaches to creating organized ensembles of molecules allowed for constructing enzyme-mimicking assemblies displaying collective properties in terms of affinity and reactivity. Despite these advances some critical challenges, such as achieving synergy between multiple functional and structural components to enhance the catalytic performance and selectivity of artificial enzyme-mimics, remain untackled. Self‐assembly of peptides on the surface of metal nanoparticles has recently emerged as a powerful strategy towards creating arrays of functional groups in a defined geometry and space. This strategy provides the opportunity to induce cooperativity between the functionalities in the assembly which would be a highly sought for property in an enzyme-mimicking system. The proposed DESIRE project aims at developing new enzyme-mimicking assemblies where a supramolecular approach is used to preorganise simple catalytic units in order to achieve enzyme-like efficiency and selectivity. The designed enzyme-inspired multivalent catalysts will be obtained by a fine-tuning involving orientation, local hydrophobicity and spatial proximity of amino acids and short peptide ligands which coated on the surface of monolayer-protected nanoparticles or embedded within functional polymers. This should allow to create hydrophobic regions decorated with catalytic moieties in the nanostructures reminiscent of the catalytic pockets in enzymes. The catalytic performance of the constructed systems will be evaluated in selected chemical transformations: aldol reaction and cleavage of ester bonds.

Mots clés : metal nanoparticles, functional materials

Participants :
- Board of the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology (Suisse) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 191149.44 €
Projet GreenChalcoCell (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2015)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Development of new efficient solar cells (SCs) is one of the hottest topics of the modern material science and technology. Among the challenges evoked by the progress in SC technologies is the quest for new efficient visible-light-absorbers that can be produced from Earth-abundant materials by eco-friendly methods. The aim of the project is to develop strategies for mild and "green" synthesis of ternary chalcopyrite ((Cu,Ag)InS(Se)2) and quaternary kesterite ((Cu,Ag)2ZnSn(S,Se)4) nanocrystals (NCs) as visible-light-sensitive active com¬ponents of the semiconductor NC-based solar cells. The principal idea is in realization of low-temperature (below 100 ºC) syntheses directly in polar solvents (water, dimethyl-sulfoxide, etc.) using non-volatile and low-toxic sulfur and selenium sources. Such syntheses will be realized in ambient conditions (no vacuum and inert atmosphere required) and on the gram-scale by using chalcogenide complexes of metals (Sn, In, Sb, etc.) as stabilizers imparting the NCs with the resistance to aggregation and ability to form self-assembled layers after the solvent evaporation. The synthetic protocols will be selected allowing for a precise control of the NC composition and size. The binary and ternary metal chalcogenide NCs will be tested as visible-light-sensitive components of prototype liquid-junction and solid-state SCs where the NCs will serve as spectral sensitizers of the wide-band-gap oxide AIIBVI-type photoanodes to enable photocurrent generation. For the NCs with the best photovoltaic properties synthetic protocols will be developed to produce concentrated colloidal "inks" ready for use in scalable technologies of the SCs fabrication.

Mots clés : colloidal synthesis, eco friendly synthesis, optical properties, metal anion complexes, photoelectrochemistry, semiconductor nanocrystals, quantum dots, surface modification

Participants :
- TU Dresden (Allemagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 171460.8 €
Projet LIPMETIN-sURFing (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2016)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Dietary excess is the major origin of cardiovascular diseases and remains the leading cause of mortality. Due to difficulties with bioinformatics detection and experimental analysis, along with their sheer numbers, small open reading frames (smORF) –of fewer than 100 amino acids– have been largely disregarded. Advances in bioinformatics, RNA-sequencing (ribosome profiling), biochemical (peptidomics) and functional (genetic) screens, suggest that a large amount of smORF are transcribed and sometimes widely conserved. However, how much of these smORF-encoded peptides or small proteins (microproteins (MPs)) are translated into a functional peptide is largely unknown. Moreover, whether food bioactive components modulate the expression of MPs remains complete obscure. Thus, the main goal of this project is to search for MPs that regulate lipid metabolism in the intestine in response to dietary excess. The intellectual merits of this proposal are threefold. First, it will use cutting-edge technology to search for novel functional MPs. Second, it will address a new group of novel potential players not previously addressed in lipid metabolism, providing a novel insight into disease mechanism and innovative therapeutic strategies. Last, by testing two common food bioactive components from our healthy Mediterranean diet, we will open up a completely new field of research in the area of nutrition and health. The research approach will involve (i) a genome-wide peptidomic screen and ribosome profiling analysis of lipid-induced intestinal MPs, (ii) the use of in vivo and in vitro biochemical approximations to validate the function of the selected intestinal peptide, and (iii) the use of dietary components hydroxytyrosol and the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid DHA as proof of concept that MPs can be modulated by our diet food bioactive. This project is framed in the “Food & Healthy Diet and Biotechnology” research area in the European Union's Framework Programme HORIZON 2020

Mots clés : dietary excess, small open reading frames  sorf, peptidomic, proteomic, lipids, microprotein

Participants :
- Madrid Institute for Advanced Studies (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 257191.2 €
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies (Etats-Unis) — Partner, organization partner, Recherche, subvention : 0.0 €
Projet DMSWet (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Dimethyl sulfide (DMS) is the most abundant organic sulfur compound emitted to the atmosphere and is considered as the ‘climate-cooling gas’. However, its microbial degradation in anoxic sediments leads to the production of methane and carbon dioxide, which are the significant greenhouse gases. Wetlands, which account for ~ 30% of the methane emissions from natural sources globally, are hotspots for DMS with concentrations up to 10µM. Better monitoring and management of wetlands in terms of methane emissions are encouraged under the EU decision No 529/2013/EU, to mitigate climate change. Anaerobic microbial communities metabolizing DMS and producing methane (methanogens) likely has a huge impact on the methane flux from wetlands. Understanding the microbial mechanisms that control the methane production from wetland sediments and including this information in climate prediction models are urgently required for devising effective strategies to comply with climate change mitigation goals. To fill this major gap in our knowledge, we designed this project around three objectives: (1) Characterize the active methanogenic populations that degrade DMS to methane in anoxic wetland sediments (2) Characterize the anaerobic DMS degradation pathway and their environmental regulation in wetland sediments. (3) Develop a model to predict the response of methanogens to temperature change in anoxic wetland sediments. These will be achieved using state-of-the-art microbial ecology techniques (stable isotope probing-sequencing) combined with statistical modelling, which makes this project highly novel and competitive. The outcomes of this project will advance our understanding of the role of microbial communities on methane emissions from wetlands and their response to the temperature rise. Hence, they will further advance the European excellence in the fields of microbial ecology and climate change.

Mots clés : dimethyl sulfide, microbial ecology, methane, climate change, metagenomics

Participants :
- University of London (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 183454.8 €