Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-actions-marie-curie-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet BactErase (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Antimicrobials are the cornerstone of modern medicine, essential for treating millions of people worldwide. Without effective antibiotics, even minor surgeries and routine operations could become high-risk procedures due to untreatable infections. Antimicrobials save lives and contribute, on average, 20 years to global life expectancy. However, the overuse of these drugs and the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria are severely diminishing their therapeutic effects, making treatment increasingly difficult or even impossible. This phenomenon, known as antimicrobial resistance (AMR), is a growing health crisis that threatens to undermine the foundation of medical treatment that doctors, patients and public have come to rely on. Currently, an estimated 4.95 million deaths per year are associated with drug-resistant pathogens, with 1.27 million directly attributed to bacterial pathogens resistant to existing antibiotics. Hence, to address this urgent health challenge, new strategies are critically needed to contain, control and mitigated the spread of AMR. In this respect, BactErase proposes a novel host-directed therapy that leverage the natural ability of resident macrophage to utilize macroautophagy - a process that cells use to degrade and recycle intracellular components - to eradicate intracellular invaders. The primary goal of this proposal is to develop a bacteria-specific probe that can uniquely discriminate the bacteria within the cells and to design nanoparticles preferentially targeting infected cells. This approach aims to enhance the host’s intrinsic ability to resolve drug-recalcitrant infections while minimizing the risk of antimicrobial resistance development. By exploiting the host’s own mechanisms for bacterial clearance in conjunction with selective nanoparticle delivery, BactErase offers an attractive alternative to conventional antibiotic therapy, potentially remodulating the treatment of infectious disease.

Mots clés : antimicrobial resistance amr , nanomedicine, drug delivery

Participants :
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 194074.56 €
Projet PRISMA (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2022)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The ongoing shift towards plant-based diets and the higher intake of plant-based food might have caused a substantial change in the exposure of consumers to contaminants. Taking into consideration the climate change scenario, this could be particularly relevant for natural contaminants such as mycotoxins. The increased intake of plant-based meat alternatives (PBMA) might have altered the current dietary exposure used in risk assessments which stay at the basis of current regulatory frameworks. This project is designed as a proof of concept to assess the real PBMA contribution to the overall mycotoxin exposure in alternative diets, with the ultimate ambition to provide support to regulators and policymakers in improving the regulatory framework of meat substitutes. This MSCA will consist of spending 24 months at Parma University, under the supervision of Prof. Dall'Asta who is among the most renowned scientists in the field of natural toxins and has a well-known expertise in advanced mass spectrometry. During the fellowship, the candidate will undergo training for 4 months in human biomonitoring at ONIRIS-LABERCA. Consumer surveys, the development of new analytical methods for mycotoxins detection in PBMA, consumers' exposure to mycotoxins, and risk-benefit assessments will be carried out. Additional workshops, lectures, and a short visit will provide excellent training for the researcher in the field of food chemistry and risk assessment. To maximise the impact of the research outcomes, the candidate is planning to organize public engagement activities and publish papers in highly-ranked peer-reviewed journals which will benefit the lay public, the scientific community, and policymakers. This proposal will be a tremendous opportunity for Dr. Mihalache's career and will contribute to his long-term career perspective of following a tenure-track position in academia or an EU public institution.

Mots clés : prisma, risk benefit assessment, plant based meat alternatives, mycotoxins, metabolomics, regulatory framework

Participants :
- Université de Parme (Italie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 172750.08 €
- Oniris VetAgroBio (France) — Partner, associated partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
Projet SEEDS (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2022)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Every massive galaxy in the Universe contains a supermassive black hole in the center, which has grown from a smaller black hole, a so called seed black hole. Galaxies must have acquired their seed black holes in the early Universe, to allow for the observed long coevolution between black holes and galaxies, but recent research has shown that the dynamics of seed black holes in early galaxies are complex, and that seed black holes struggle to find their way to the center of future host galaxies.  For this project, I propose the first large-scale study of seed black hole dynamics in the early Universe. I will use my extensive expertise in numerical simulations to design a high-resolution simulation able to fully resolves seed black hole trajectories. From this simulation, I will create the first large-scale catalogue of high-redshift black hole seed dynamics for different black hole formation models. I will use this unique dataset to understand galaxy seeding, determine the relative importance of different seed formation mechanisms and make observational predictions for the James-Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA). These upcoming major observational campaigns will soon provide an unprecedented wealth of observational data on black holes and their host galaxies in the early Universe, making the proposed project extremely timely. With this work, I will challenge the standard paradigm of rapid seed black hole delivery, and lead the way towards a paradigm shift in our understanding of the origin of supermassive black holes.

Mots clés : supermassive black holes, early universe, dynamics, simulations

Participants :
- Université nationale d'Irlande à Maynooth (Irlande) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 215534.4 €
- National Institute for Astrophysics (Italie) — Partner, associated partner, Recherche, subvention : 0.0 €
Projet ANEX-PXA (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2022)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Chlorinated paraffins (CPs) are polychlorinated linear chain alkanes with high production volumes used as flame retardants and plasticizers in a wide array of consumer goods. CPs may be released from treated goods and have become widely distributed in the environment and human tissues. Humans are exposed to CPs via contaminated indoor dust and food, while certain CPs have been registered as United Nations Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and their usage restricted due to well documented toxic and bioaccumulative properties. Recent evidence has suggested that banned CPs may have been replaced by compounds known as polyhalogenated alkanes (PXAs), which share very similar chemical structures to CPs, differing only by the addition of bromine atoms. Both CPs and PXAs comprise of mixtures of thousands of isomers, making analysis and quantification highly complicated. A recent pilot study of PXAs in indoor dust revealed that the replacement compounds may be present at similar levels as banned CP groups. Based on the physicochemical similarities, PXAs are predicted to share similar bioaccumulative and toxic properties as banned CPs, but have not been studied widely. This research projects aims to develop the first analytical procedures for quantification of PXAs in indoor dust and generate methods for assessing the occurance of PXAs in a variety of environmental matrices. Measurements in indoor dust samples from Europe and the United States of America will be used to conduct a world-first human exposure assessment for PXAs. Developed methods will then be applied for retrospective screening of PXAs in archived data files to provide a broad snapshot of PXA contamination in food and the environment for the first time. The outcomes of this project are intended to characterize the current contamination status of PXAs in indoor dust, food and the environement with the objective of public health protection against potentially hazardous chemicals.

Mots clés : human exposure assessment, environmental contamination

Participants :
- Université de Hohenheim (Allemagne) — Partner, associated partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- Oniris VetAgroBio (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 195914.88 €
Projet UltracoldTetramers (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : TERMINATED

There is currently growing interest in forming ultracold polyatomic molecules. It is anticipated that their rich internal structure will provide powerful platforms for quantum information processing, precision measurements, studies in cold-controlled chemistry, and simulation of quantum many-body systems. In a recent ground-breaking experiment, weakly bound ultracold tetratomic molecules (“tetramers”) have been realized from pairs of ultracold alkali-metal diatoms using external fields [Nature, 626, 283 (2024)]. It also opened a new question on how such weakly bound tetramers can be transferred to their absolute ground state. The main challenge is to mitigate their collisional loss from experimental traps which is expected to be very high due to an immense number of internal degrees of freedom. In this Action, I will propose novel theoretical methods to transfer weakly bound ultracold tetramers to deeply bound states in their ground electronic potential using lasers. To achieve this goal, I will combine two well-established methods for ultracold diatomic molecules: (a) Collisional shielding of molecules against inelastic and reactive loss, and (b) Stimulated Raman Adiabatic Passage (STIRAP) method for transferring weakly bound ultracold molecules to their ground vibronic state. I will implement the method (a) for molecules colliding in an excited electronic state required for STIRAP. I will develop a new method (b) which will enable the creation of deeply bound ultracold tetramers.  Successful implementation of this project will create a new indirect method of creating ultracold polyatomic molecules in deeply bound states. The proposed method is near-universal and can be applied to a wide range of molecules. Stable gases of such molecules will allow the creation of a new type of Bose-Einstein Condensate made of polyatomic molecules. This Action will enable me to expand my skillsets in cutting-edge ultracold research and will help to launch my independent career.

Mots clés : ultracold molecules, ultracold collisions, stirap, photoassociation, ultracold shielding

Participants :
- Université de Varsovie (Pologne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 179006.16 €
Projet MP Valley Transistor (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Modern information processing faces significant challenges, including high power consumption, speed saturation, and scaling limitations. Valleytronic transistors, exploiting the valley degree of freedom, offer energy-efficient operations by minimizing heat generation and increasing data densities. However, robust room-temperature valleytronic transistors are challenging due to strong intervalley scattering. This research aims to develop a groundbreaking magneto-plasmonic assisted room-temperature valleytronic transistor. The objective is to enhance the performance of room-temperature valley transistors through an innovative approach. The proposed method involves the combination of chiral plasmonic nanostructures with a ferromagnetic Fe3GaTe2 monolayer. The chiral plasmonic nanostructures are designed to selectively generate valley-polarized hot carriers in WS2, with their effectiveness further amplified by the magnetic proximity effect induced by Fe3GaTe2. This device can generate, propagate, detect, and manipulate valley information at room temperature, advancing energy-efficient electronic devices. This project could potentially mark a new milestone in the field of valleytronics. Warsaw University, with its state-of-the-art facilities and the expertise of Prof. Maciej Molas, provides the necessary resources and environment for the successful execution of this ambitious project. This research could revolutionize information processing and advance energy-efficient electronics. This research aligns closely with the objectives of the Work Programme by addressing the need for advancing energy-efficient electronic devices. This project aims to enhance sustainable and efficient information processing technologies by exploring valleytronic transistors and incorporating magneto-plasmonic assistance. Additionally, it will host Marie Curie fellows to promote international collaboration and knowledge exchange.

Mots clés : chirality, surface plasmon resonance, hot electron, valley polarization, 2d material, magnetic proximity, transistor

Participants :
- Université de Varsovie (Pologne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 179006.16 €
Projet UrbAnt (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Late Roman cities were multifaceted and possessed several social and political networks which contributed to its urban dynamics. Antioch – a major military base, ecclesiastical centre, and imperial residence in the East of the later Roman Empire – saw the coming and goings of the imperial retinue, external ecclesiastical appointments, and the introduction of many external political networks which meant that its urban dynamics were consistently in flux and often contested. Simultaneously, the internal climate of Antioch saw local responses to these external pressures, and the Antiochene local elites would also interfere in these transfers of power, often being obstinately opposed to the emperor or the externally appointed officials and bishops. The significance of these intersections and interactions has been hitherto downplayed, despite the major role these played not only on the internal political climate of Antioch, but also its external role in the political events of late antiquity, with many Antiochenes also possessing great influence in other major cities like Constantinople. UrbAnt will both create a framework for understanding the urban dynamics of Antioch, and will help scholars understand the role of a non-capital city in the contests, negotiations, and transfers of civic, ecclesiastical, and imperial power in the Late Roman world. It will adopt a prosopographical and social network analysis approach for the framework. It will create a holistic prosopographical database, which will collate information about individuals regardless of secular or ecclesiastical career, gender, or political class. It will then use a form of network analysis involving ego-networks to investigate the shifting political and social networks of Antioch. It will be shown that Antioch’s political networks closely intersected and that there was a continuous negotiation of power both internally and externally, and that these heavily influenced the urban dynamics of the Late Roman city.

Mots clés : prosopography administration social network analysis database

Participants :
- Université de Gand (Belgique) — Partner, associated partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- Université de Varsovie (Pologne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 163166.16 €
Projet Micro_Syn (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Neurodevelopmental disorders like autism (ASD) and Fragile X syndrome (FXS) are associated with changes in microglia function and synaptic pruning. No approved or effective therapies exist for FXS/ASD. Novel therapies are needed that target microglia, distinct from conventional drugs targeting neurons. Research on synaptic pruning mediated by microglia is scarce, and the role of microglia in FXS/ASD has been overlooked. Previous studies, including my own work and studies from the host laboratory, however, advanced approaches for analysis of microglia-synapse interactions and demonstrated that the abnormal pruning may be associated with the Integrated Stress Response (ISR) pathway since the elevated phosphorylation of eIF2α is linked to neuroinflammatory disorders characterized by excessive synapse loss. Thus, impaired microglial eIF2α phosphorylation may decrease synaptic pruning, highlighting eIF2α as an attractive target for restoring synaptic pruning in FXS/ASD. My project aims to uncover microglia's contribution to FXS/ASD pathophysiology. First, I will address how the FXS/ASD state affects synaptic pruning by microglia, microglial morphology, and function. Second, I will explore the role of microglia and FAM69, a novel kinase mediating eIF2α phosphorylation, in impaired synaptic pruning at the molecular and cellular levels. Genetically engineered mice and human brain organoids will facilitate visualization and targeting of microglia-synapse interaction. To assess changes in synaptic pruning, I will use viral vector-assisted silencing and overexpression of microglial FAM69, validating their impact on synaptic pruning by vital two-photon microscopy. Finally, I will evaluate whether these interventions can alleviate autism-like behavior. With this integrative approach, I aim to uncover novel molecular pathways mediating the synaptic pruning by microglia and to identify new targets for the treatment of FXS/ASD.

Mots clés : autism spectrum syndrome, asd, microglia, synaptic pruning, eif2 , fam69, integrated stress response, isr

Participants :
- Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas (Grèce) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 181423.68 €
Projet PULSE (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2023)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Glacier retreat is escalating in response to amplified Arctic warming. This exposes large areas of new glacier forefield to seasonal freeze-thaw, wetting-drying cycles and variable oxygen conditions. These physical changes dramatically alter biogeochemical cycling in previously glaciated sediments, facilitating soil and vegetation development in the 21st century. Arctic streams are well-known suppliers of the key nutrient nitrogen (N) to N-limited fjords and coasts, which host lucrative fisheries. However, the influence of glacial retreat and associated soil development on N release to streams, thus fjords and coasts, is a complete unknown. The PULSE project aims to quantify the impact of Arctic glacier forefield exposure on soil N cycling and export to coastal marine environments, and how they are influenced by time since deglaciation, local geology and freeze-thaw cycling. In PULSE, I will measure N release from a field scale chronosequence in a Sub-Arctic glaciated catchment and quantify the forefield soil N contribution to river N runoff. I further use a “space for time” approach to simulate future climate conditions for High Arctic forefield sediments, thus predicting future High Arctic forefield N release. This highly interdisciplinary project combines my background in soil biogeochemistry with glacier hydrochemistry at the Arctic University of Tromsø (UiT). UiT is the ideal host for me to gain new analytical chemistry and modelling skills in order to establish how future glacier retreat will shift sources of riverine N transport to downstream fjords and coasts. A secondment to the Norwegian Polar Institute will additionally expand my scientific expertise and network to include marine monitoring stakeholders directly using my results. PULSE will, therefore, provide a high-impact, first quantification of future potential proglacial soil N leaching across Sub-Arctic to High Arctic climates, which will inform future ecosystem management policies in the Arctic.

Mots clés : glacier forefield, nutrient dynamics, river n runoff

Participants :
- Université de Tromsø (Norvège) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 210911.04 €
- Norsk Polar Institutt (Norvège) — Partner, associated partner, Recherche, subvention : 0.0 €
Projet ALGAPOW (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2021)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Algae protein and plant protein are considered as novel and primary source of protein for the human being in future as it is now crucial to reduce our dependence on animal-based protein, notably to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Also, among varied food structure, the powder matrix of the algae-plant-based formula will reduce transportation and storage costs due to lower water content, which is interesting for food industry. Moreover, the algae-plant-based powder can be a replacer to traditional dairy powder, which is namely milk-analogue powder. However, the formula of algae-plant-based solution and its powder has not been studied yet. This project therefore aims to 1/investigate the powder matrix of algae-plant based formula influenced by drying protocol, 2/demonstrate the rehydration profile of the powder matrix, and 3/improve the sustainable production of this powder. Technological and health potentiality of plant and algae protein for the production of functional food powders by spray drying will be investigated focusing on milk-analogue powder as a model. To achieve the sustainability of the process, mass and energy transfer will be modelled to identify optimal conditions for greener production. The physical characteristics of algae-plant-based initial liquid feed and final powder will be investigated. Both are linked and are of great significance on the development of powder structure during drying and on the final powder functional properties. Especially, the rehydration of algae-plant-based powder will be studied stepwise in comparison with the characteristics of feed solution and spray drying conditions, which can enlighten the smart design of powder matrix for instant breakage during rehydration. Lastly, the digestion of algae-plant-based powder and nutrition analysis pave path to alternate the real milk. As a fresh researcher, my career can be facilitated by this advanced research at AgroParisTech, internationally recognized institute on future food.

Mots clés : algae protein, powder matrix design, green drying, powder digestion

Participants :
- Institut national de recherche pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (France) — Partner, associated partner, Recherche, subvention : 0.0 €
- AgroParisTech (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 211754.88 €