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

Sufficient sleep is a key determinant of health, and sleep loss is associated with severe health risks. Nevertheless, the reason for why we sleep is not yet understood. Recently, a molecular function of sleep was described in rodents. The ‘glymphatic system’ (GS) is a sleep dependent macroscopic pathway of the brain that facilitates the removal of metabolites, including amyloid-beta. This project will for the first time reveal a sleep-driven human GS and show whether glymphatic flow (GF) can be linked to cognitive impairments associated with sleep loss. Secondly, I will promote GF with the adrenergic antagonist Carvedilol. This manipulation of glymphatic clearance may define new approaches for treating sleep-disorders and Alzheimer’s disease, or reduce or delay our need for sleep. I will investigate the human GS by applying state of the art, 5-10 Hz, ultra-fast MR sequences across sleep and wakefulness. Preliminary data show that these sequences enable the detection of cardiac, respiration, and slow pulsations, previously considered noise in fMRI imaging and distorted by aliasing effects. These pulsations are now believed to drive GF. The project will be a major step forward for sleep and neuroscience research, but also provide a key step in my career, demonstrating independent work and allowing me to learn advanced data-analysis skills and develop a novel imaging method, which I can apply in future studies. The chosen host institution is perfectly situated for the project, as they have established expertise and an exceptional skill-set in analyzing novel neuroimaging data including ultra-fast MRI. Secondly, my host provides unique infrastructure that allows for completion of the study, with key personnel in neuropsychology and data-analysis, as well as the world leading experts in glymphatic mechanisms. The project forms a foundation for a more general approach to integrate imaging of sleep-regulation and glymphatic mechanisms with patient or trait specific data.

Mots clés : glymphatic system, ultra fast mri, sleep homeostasis, adrenaline, carvedilol

Participants :
- Capital Region of Denmark (Danemark) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Organismes publics (hors enseignement & recherche), subvention : 200194.8 €
Projet SuChaMa (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Sulfur (S) is a fundamental element in geo/biochemistry, due to its effects on atmosphere chemistry, its essential role for the origin and evolution of life and its importance for mantle chemistry. It is also a volatile element and thus provides key insights into how the Earth’s volatile flux developed through time. The terrestrial S cycle is governed by the initial amount of S present during Earth’s accretion, the extent to which S degassed and/or delivered during accretion, the amount of S that was/is recycled into the deep Earth by plate tectonics and the compatibility of S in the (deep) terrestrial interior (core, sulfide matte, minerals). Unfortunately, the potential reservoir role of minerals and deep sulfide mattes for S and chalcophile elements is as of yet not well constrained, prohibiting a full understanding of the terrestrial S cycle. Sulfide-loving (chalcophile) elements are important geochemical tracers of S due to their compatibility in these phases. The proposed research will investigate crucial aspects of the S cycle using experimental petrology. Novel high pressure-temperature experiments will be conducted at WWU Münster to constrain the reservoir potential of mantle and crustal phases in terms of S and chalcophile elements. Experiments will be chemically analyzed using micro-analytical methods, and these results will be used to obtain thermodynamic models describing their distribution between minerals, sulfides and melts at high pressure. The models will be used to fully constrain the terrestrial S and chalcophile element cycle. During his PhD research and first postdoctoral fellowship at the Carnegie Institution for Science (USA), he has worked with a wide range of experimental and analytical methods. WWU would greatly benefit from the applicant’s research experience and international collaborations. Finally, the applicant would benefit greatly from doing the proposed research at one of the world’s top experimental petrological institutes.

Mots clés : experimental petrology, high pressure high temperature experiments, sulfide ore petrogenesis, terrestrial mantle, late accretion, chalcophile elements, volatile elements

Participants :
- University of Münster (Allemagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 174806.4 €
Projet CATSO (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Sulfur dioxide is produced in millions of tonnes per annum, and represents an abundant and low-cost feedstock for chemistry. Despite a varied and useful range of reactivity as a reagent for organic synthesis, the use of sulfur dioxide as a feedstock for catalytic processes was extremely limited with only a handful of reactions reported before 2010. This is particularly striking when the wide occurrence of the sulfonyl motif is considered, as it features in a variety of useful organic functional groups such as sulfones and sulfonamides. Together these functional groups appear in an enormous range of intermediates and final compounds used in the pharmaceutical, agrochemical and fine chemical industries. In earlier work we have show that use of an SO2 surrogate, such as DABSO, allows a variety of catalytic reactions to be developed. The take-up of these reactions, particularly the catalytic methods for sulfinate synthesis from aryl halides or aryl boronic acids, has been significant, and these reactions are being used in industrial laboratories. This is a great start, but there are a number of limitations to the chemistry, as well as opportunities to develop exciting related chemistry that we believe will have significant impact. The vast majority of catalytic reactions developed employ Pd catalysts and pre-functionalised “activated” substrates, such as aryl halides, boronic acids, or diazonium salts. These are useful reactions, but the reliance on precious metal catalysts and activated substrates is limiting, both from a sustainability perspective, but also in terms of reactivity, as the majority of these reactions all proceed by 2-electron processes. Accordingly, the main objective of this Fellowship is to develop catalytic reactions for SO2 incorporation that employ more sustainable catalysts, and also to show that readily available feedstocks, such as carboxylic acids and alcohols can be used as substrates.

Mots clés : organosulfur chemistry

Participants :
- University of Oxford (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 224933.76 €
Projet FIRSTBHs (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Supermassive black holes (BHs) of more than a billion solar masses have been observed at z > 6 when the Universe was less than a billion years old. Forming such objects is highly challenging, as high accretion rates need to be maintained over very long time scales. Seed BHs with masses of 10^4 -10^6 solar masses, as predicted by the “direct collapse” scenario, provide a promising pathway to explain their presence. During this project, I will derive the mass distribution of the BHs to provide constraints on their masses and growth mechanisms which can tested with upcoming missions such as JWST and ATHENA. To achieve this goal, I will build up a statistical sample of high-resolution adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) simulations of massive primordial halos, following the dynamics of the gas from cosmological scales down to scales comparable to the solar system. The gravitational collapse initially forms a rapidly accreting protostar, which subsequently moves to the main sequence providing ultra-violet (UV) feedback and finally collapses to a massive BH. In the first part of the project, I will compute the impact of stellar feedback from the supermassive star and follow the time evolution of the mass accretion rates. Subsequently, the simulations will be extended by incorporating the X-ray feedback from the BH itself. Finally, scaling relations between the properties of the host halos and BH masses will be derived. This work will provide the first detailed assessment of the mass distribution of seed BHs, and their observational properties. This is a substantial step forward to understand the origin of high-redshift BHs.

Mots clés : black hole formation, early universe, first galaxies, cosmology theory, first quasars, numerical simulations, agn and stellar uv feedback

Participants :
- Centre national de la recherche scientifique (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 173076.0 €
Projet DualFun (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2016)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Surface-induced thrombosis and infection are two main complications which cause failure of medical devices. Device-related thrombosis is associated with activation of blood clotting and platelets adhesion and activation. Infection of the implanted devices occurred as a result of bacteria adhesion to the biomaterial surface. A genuinely biocompatible polymer for blood-contacting devices should have both antithrombotic and antibacterial functionalities as both types of complication lead to an increase in morbidity, extended hospital stay and mortality. In order to prevent device-induced thrombosis and infection novel dual function polymer materials - thromboresistant and antimicrobial, will be produced. A novel and original approach that involves construction of multifunctional coatings, which combine formulation of the NO-generating surface with the ability to prevent bacterial adhesion, capacity to inhibit platelet adhesion and the use of surface bound argatroban drug to inhibit any surface-produced thrombin, will be applied. The polymer matrices chosen for the design of dual function materials are the most commonly used synthetic polymers polyurethane (PU) and polyvinylchloride (PVC) and the biopolymer collagen. This aim will be achieved by: i) chemical attachment of the organoselenium or copper nanoparticle catalysts to the polymer surface in order to continuously generate NO by decomposition of endogenous S-nitrosothiols; ii) immobilisation of the direct thrombin inhibitor argatroban to inhibit any thrombin in the surrounding environment. Catecholamines, polydopamine and poly(norepinephrine) will be used as the surface modification reagents, as they form very stable thin films strongly attached to the polymer surface. Owing to the chemical bonding of the ligand to the polymer surface it is expected that these materials will have long storage life and exploitation period and therefore retain their ability to generate NO from the inexhaustible endogenous NO donors.

Mots clés : no releasing polymers, selenium and copper compound immobilisation, thrombin inhibitor immobilisation

Participants :
- University of Brighton (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 195454.8 €
Projet DREAMS (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : European Researchers' Night
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Sustainability means to create value by using resources in a responsible way to not jeopardize the needs of future generations. Society, sometimes, has a partial perception of this definition, too often limited to environmental problem, as well as underestimates the importance and responsibility of researchers, essential to pursue sustainable solutions. People usually think about achieving sustainability as a too big problem to be solved by common citizens, a solution too far from them! A sort of DREAM! DREAMS is a national level project: a network of Italian cities. DREAMS will show researchers as common citizens directly involved in the making of a new sustainable future: highlighting the European dimension of research, enhancing researchers’ integration, reinforcing the link between researchers and citizens, furthermore helping the youth to understand the attractiveness on pursuing a scientific career. DREAMS is articulated in several appealing activities finely tuned in spectacular and rigorous scientific ways. DREAMS is coordinated by Frascati Scienza and is hosted in many research areas in Italy where more than 5.000 international researchers operate and live. The events in Trieste, Bologna, Milano, Ferrara, Catania, Pisa, Bari, Cagliari, Pavia, and Frascati/Rome, as epicentre of the events, will show the researchers activities done by the Italian excellence of research institutions - ASI, CNR, ENEA, ESA-ESRIN, INAF, INFN and Rome Universities -, the role of Italian researchers in a society and their involvement in making a new sustainable future. Frascati Scienza is supported in the project by many local, regional and national institutions and has a long experience in managing successfully the Researchers’ Night, since 2006 DREAMS can sometimes come true. It all depends on cooperation between expert partners and on their commitment on pursuing the common objectives.

Mots clés : research, researchers, citizens

Participants :
- Frascati Scienza (Italie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Autres, subvention : 300000.0 €
Projet N2OPNA (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2015)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Sustainable nitrogen removal from wastewater is of increasing significance in the future, aiming to achieve savings of energy consumption and operational cost as well as minimized emission of greenhouse gases. Under such a context, the proposal of N2OPNA is developed to give first insights into nitrous oxide (N2O) production, a potent greenhouse gas, from the mainstream partial nitritation and Anammox (PNA) process. The influencing factors such as sludge particle size, dissolved oxygen, nitrite, hydroxylamine and inorganic carbon will be investigated using enriched granular ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and Anammox bacteria. Isotopic technique will be applied to shed some light on the transformation of N2O production pathways under varying operational conditions. Based on the process and isotopic data obtained from experiments, an integrated mathematical model for predicting N2O production in PNA system with the consideration of electron transfer, energy balance and bacterial growth will be established. The findings in this proposal would be beneficial for the design and operation of full-scale wastewater treatment plant with the aim of N2O mitigation.

Mots clés : nitrous oxide, partial nitritation, anammox, mainstream wastewater, isotopic technique, mathematical modeling

Participants :
- University of Antwerp (Belgique) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 160800.0 €
Projet MINOTAUR (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Symbiosis between heterotrophic hosts and microalgae (photosymbiosis) is a widespread and ecologically important phenomenon in the oceanic plankton. Symbiotic organisms like radiolarians (unicellular eukaryotes) are key players in marine biogeochemical cycles by contributing to predation and primary production. While knowledge of the diversity of symbiotic partners has improved in recent years, metabolic interactions remain poorly understood. This project will explore the metabolic basis of planktonic photosymbiosis, with radiolarians as an ecologically relevant model, to understand the functioning of the partnership and its contribution to elemental cycling in the pelagic ecosystem. An original and cutting-edge single-cell approach involving stable isotopes and high-resolution chemical imaging techniques (e.g. ToF-SIMS and nanoSIMS) will be used to visualize the elemental and isotopic composition of intact radiolarian symbioses at the subcellular level, and to quantify the assimilation and transfer of nutrients between partners in different experimental conditions. The same approach will be applied on cultured free-living symbionts to determine the degree of host control over symbiont metabolism. In order to develop a holistic view of metabolic interactions, bioinformatic analyses will identify key metabolic genes and pathways from available transcriptomes of radiolarians. The exceptional microscopy facility and expertise in isotope biogeochemistry at the host institution is unique in Europe. Given the interdisciplinary nature of the project consortium, the potential for exchanging new knowledge and skills is very high. This project pushes back the boundaries of marine biological research and represents a significant step in my personal development towards my long-term research ambition to merge knowledge on biodiversity and physiology into ecological studies to better understand the functioning of aquatic ecosystems and their responses to anthropogenic pressures.

Mots clés : single cell chemical imaging, secondary ion mass spectrometry  sims  imaging, marine eukaryotic plankton, micro algae, photosymbiosis, transcriptome mining, stable isotope labeling

Participants :
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (Allemagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 171460.8 €
Projet TEN-COMPLEX (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2015)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : TERMINATED

Synapses, connections between neurons, are critical to the formation of neural circuits. Functional neural circuits control intricate processes such as learning and memory, whereas failure in neural circuitry formation can lead to developmental disorders including autism. At the molecular level, synapse formation is enabled by cell-adhesion molecules that interact across the synapse. At present, many individual proteins have been identified that contribute to synaptic cell adhesion, but it is unclear how these individual proteins team up in macro-molecular complexes. I will focus on synaptic cell-adhesion complexes containing Teneurins, a protein family whose essential role in synapse formation has only recently been characterized. To understand how Teneurin complexes promote synapse formation, I aim to determine the molecular mechanisms that underlie Teneurin1 and Teneurin2 dimerization, including complex formation with their recently identified binding partner Latrophilin. To achieve this goal, I will determine the structure of Teneurin protein complexes using single particle electron cryo-microscopy. In parallel, I will study the function of Teneurin complexes in synapse formation using primary hippocampal neurons. Dissecting the molecular mechanisms that underlie Teneurin functions might ultimately advance small molecule therapeutics to treat developmental diseases, including autism. The work I propose here, draws upon my background in the field of developmental neurobiology, but complements that background with new knowledge and skill sets in structural biology to set me off conducting my own line of research as an independent scientist.

Mots clés : cell adhesion, macro molecular complexes, synapse, single particle electron cryo microscopy

Participants :
- Utrecht University (Pays-Bas) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 165598.8 €
Projet SynBioGov (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Synthetic biology aims to exercise control in the design, characterization and construction of living organisms and biological parts. No longer the domain of science fiction literature, it has progressed by leaps and bounds in recent years, accompanied by great promises and grave risks. Law and governance lag behind. Lab experimentation and field trials take place in a legal vacuum. On top of companies and research institutes, a vibrant do-it-yourself community is engaged in research, claiming to democratize innovation. Global deliberations on the environmental and socio-economic impacts have only recently begun under the auspices of UN multilateral environmental agreements, and policy-relevant academic analysis is urgently needed. Based on my academic record in international environmental law and governance of novel technologies and my empirical knowledge of intergovernmental negotiations, complemented by training in socio-legal methodologies during the fellowship, I will develop a new integrative framework for the governance of synthetic biology. It will be built upon: a) an assessment of the current state of international law and governance, including an analysis of regulatory gaps and novel normative challenges; b) an examination of existing theoretical frameworks on risk management and responsible research and innovation, including gendered approaches to risk that have been understudied to date; and c) a typology of actors involved in synthetic biology research, including an analysis of who does what, why, and how they envisage regulation, with a particular focus on gene editing in agriculture. Aiming at improving accountability and enhancing legitimacy, both of law and governance and of the innovation process, this framework will not only bridge gaps in scholarly efforts but will also facilitate decision making, ensuring that synthetic biology applications promote the global objectives of food security, sustainable agriculture and environmental protection.

Mots clés : international environmental law, biodiversity governance, biosafety, access and benefit sharing, emerging technologies, stakeholder participation

Participants :
- University of Trento (Italie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 183473.28 €
Projet ENERGSYNTISSUE (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2016)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Synthetic tissues are of great scientific and technological importance as they might not only enable purpose-driven complementation of natural tissue functionalities to repair or replace dysfunctional or damaged tissues, but also allow the engineering of intelligent artificial biomaterials with features that do not exist in nature. Main limitations of current synthetic tissues based on lipid-coated droplet networks are a low material durability over the long-term, a low availability of diverse functions (apart from electrical communication and macroscopic deformation) and a lack of control capacity using external signals in a reversible manner. The main goal of this proposed project is the engineering of a novel light-controllable synthetic tissue capable of generating energy, which consists of a printed network of polymer-coated droplets that carry specific enzymes within distinct droplets. Such energy-generating synthetic tissues convert chemical energy into electrical energy, and might therefore be applied as miniature bio-batteries to power implanted medical devices such as pacemaker in human patients. Engineering of synthetic cells and bio-batteries are a current focus of the 2017 Work Programme of European Commission and will advance the development of industrial biotechnology, which is one of Key Enabling Technologies of European industrial policy.

Mots clés : synthetic tissues, droplet networks, bio batteries, light controllable, enzymatic reaction

Participants :
- University of Oxford (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 195454.8 €