Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-actions-marie-curie-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet DatingSuCy (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2021)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Earth's biogeochemical sulfur cycle is driven by various microbial dissimilatory processes that couple sulfur redox transformations with energy conservation. These dissimilatory sulfur metabolisms are catalysed by a linked suite of "enzymatic machineries" composed largely of multimeric protein complexes. Over geological timescales, the sulfur-cycling "machineries" have co-opted to create a dissimilatory metabolic network at planetary scale, which has had tremendous consequences on the Earth’s major biogeochemical cycles, surface redox states and climate stability. The advent and expansion of sulfur-cycling "machineries" thus represent milestones in the multibillion-year history of Earth and life. Yet, the timing of the onset of diverse dissimilatory sulfur metabolisms and their interplay with sulfur geochemistry remain generally unconstrained due to the rarity of microbial fossils and ambiguity of ancient stable isotope signatures. The research proposed herein will explore the origin and evolution of dissimilatory sulfur metabolisms by leveraging genomes of uncultivated bacteria and archaea from metagenomes, advances in molecular clock and quantitative evolutionary models, and extensive compilations of sedimentary sulfur isotope records. A novel combination of large-scale comparative phylogenetic analyses and geochemical data will (1) derive expanded phylogenies for a comprehensive set of genes encoding full repertoires of dissimilatory metabolisms of inorganic and organic sulfur compounds, including uncharted sequences from new genomes; (2) map the evolutionary history of sulfur-cycling genes onto a geological timeline; and (3) formulate testable hypotheses on feedbacks between historical shifts in sulfur geochemistry and metabolic innovations. The aim of this work is to create the first unified timescale for the evolution of dissimilatory sulfur metabolisms and geochemistry, and document the transitions of early Earth’s sulfur cycle towards its modern complexity.

Mots clés : evolution dissimilatory sulfur metabolism bacteria archaea biogeochemical cycle sulfur isotope geochemistry

Participants :
- Université de Vienne (Autriche) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 183600.96 €
Projet DENI-CESTOR (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2021)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Field and science-based discoveries over the last decade have revolutionised our understanding of human evolution outside of Africa. We now know that at least 6 or 7 hominin groups lived in Eurasia in the past 200,000 years. Some of these, i.e. Denisovans, Neanderthals and early modern humans, met and interbred with genes from extinct archaic hominins passing down to modern humans living today. Recent DNA studies have shown that selected populations in Southeast Asia, and Oceania in particular, have inherited genetic material from Denisovans, with the highest percentage found in Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Aboriginal Australians. Multiple divergent ancestries are seen in PNG with two unique Denisovan lineages; the latest (D1) occurring as late as ~ 30-15 k years ago. While hugely relevant for understanding hominin dispersals, admixture and adaptation, the Pleistocene and early Holocene archaeological and palaeoanthropological records of PNG are poorly understood. The rarity of hominin fossils from this region is a significant limitation in testing current hypotheses on Denisovan presence in Sahul during the Late Pleistocene. The aim of this project is to analyse two previously excavated archaeological assemblages from highland PNG (Yuku and Kiowa, with the oldest dates ~10-15 ka BP) to expand the record of hominin fossils and provide detailed information on the taxonomy and chronology of these unique assemblages. Through extensive application of Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry (ZooMS) analyses of unidentified bone fragments, radiocarbon dating, stable isotope analysis, and ancient DNA analyses I will analyse new hominin fossils as well as understand early subsistence strategies and adaptation to new environments. This will be focused on the Papuan Highlands which is a hugely under-researched but increasingly significant part of the world for deciphering recent human evolution.

Mots clés : human evolution, denisovan ancestry, human dispersal in sahul, zooms applications, island south east asia

Participants :
- Université de Vienne (Autriche) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 198296.96 €
Projet CAMRIP (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2021)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Traditional scholarship focusing on the examination of archaeological material from the Roman province of Pannonia has ignored cognitive and sensory theoretical approaches, particularly when it comes to the study of Roman religion and ritual. Although the cult of Mithras was extremely popular in Roman Pannonia, we still know little about 1) how ritual practices were learned, performed, remembered, diffused and transformed between different Mithraic communities in Pannonia, and 2) how Mithraic religious networks were formed. My research project aims to bridge this gap in scholarship by applying interdisciplinary cognitive and sensory theoretical perspectives to the analysis of archaeological, epigraphic and iconographic evidence for the cult of Mithras from various Pannonian settlements, in order to investigate and answer 1) and 2). I hypothesize that the project will demonstrate that Mithraic communities throughout Pannonia exhibit localized variations of ritual practices, thereby challenging traditional interpretations of homogeneity of Mithraic ritual. The project will be developed as a series of case studies, where evidence from Mithraic communities and settlements across Pannonia will be analyzed, compared and contrasted. These case studies will be published in the form of peer-reviewed articles. The University of Vienna is the ideal place to conduct this research, firstly because of Vienna's archaeological heritage as an important Roman Pannonian settlement; secondly because of Vienna's museums, archives and libraries which hold Austro-Hungarian excavation reports and archaeological materials; and thirdly due to Vienna's strategic location on the Roman Danube frontier and its proximity to many other Pannonian archaeological sites. Most importantly, collaboration with Prof. Dr. Günther Schörner, a leading international scholar on Roman rituals and cognition, will enable me to broaden my research expertise and contribute to research output at UNIVIE.

Mots clés : roman religion, roman provincial archaeology, roman pannonia, mithras, ritual, latin epigraphy, cognition, cognitive science of religion

Participants :
- Université de Vienne (Autriche) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 183600.96 €
Projet OCCULT-NATION (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2021)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : SIGNED

The project's objective is to understand and analyse ties between occultism and ethnicity and nationalism. Scholars discussed ethnicity and nationalism mostly with regard to German and Nazi occultism, however, Slavic countries also drawn interest recently and remain unexplored since there is a substantial scholarship on the occultism in western Europe and its world globalization, while eastern and central Europe has been neglected until recently. The project fills these knowledge gaps by investigating the Czech occult milieu and its relation to nation and ethnicity between 1890–1945 as a representative case of Slavic occultism. Project's hypothesis is that despite external and outer differences, both Slavic and German occultism is based upon the same shared set of assumptions and concerns. The project challenges the current hypothesis which presupposes an intrinsic difference between the German and Slavic occultism. The research methodology involves a combination of a discursive-historical approach focused on the analysis of topoi. This is supplemented by the comparative method. Although discursive approaches have been used in several studies in the study of esotericism, this project aims to develop such approaches further by focusing on topoi analysis. The project contributes to a better understanding of Central European nationalisms by interlinking research on nationalism and alternative forms of religion and bringing into mutual conversation thus far separated debates in the study of esotericism and nationalism. The project will also introduce new material, unknown to an international scholarly audience, filling a gap in religious and political history in 19th- and 20th-century central Europe. In sum, the project proposes originality and innovation on the level of theory (hypothesis), methodology advancement, presents new material, and interlinks several research fields and approaches.

Mots clés : esotericism, ocultism, nationalism, ethnicity, central europe, bohemia, czechoslovak republic

Participants :
- Université de Vienne (Autriche) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 199440.96 €
Projet Mitophagy (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2021)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Mitophagy is a tightly controlled process in which dysfunctional mitochondria are isolated and selectively degraded by autophagy. Many cell types critically rely on this pathway and mitophagy is therefore essential to life. For instance, egg fertilization or red blood cell development would not be possible without mitophagy. The importance of mitophagy is further underscored by its many links to human disease, most evident by mutations in the protein kinase PINK1 and the E3 ubiquitin ligase Parkin, causing autosomal recessive Parkinson’s disease. While most factors required for mitophagy are known, a major outstanding question is: how do the different factors come together to produce a mitophagosome? As the process comprises many different factors, each with a unique role, this is a challenging scientific question to address. The goal of this project is to gain insight into this process, using biochemical reconstitution, to elucidate how more than 15 different factors work together to initiate the formation of a mitophagosome. A unique aspect about our approach is that it not only allows to elucidate how mitophagosome formation is initiated, it could also reveal additional layers of fine-tuning, for instance also explaining how mitophagy is prevented from being initiated too early. This project may therefore lead to a major step forward, establishing a coherent framework of how mitophagosome formation is organized. Moreover, it could lead to new avenues for treating devastating neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson.

Mots clés : mitophagy pink1 parkin selective autophagy optn ndp52 tbk1 lc3 in vitro reconstitution mitochondria mitochondrial homeostasis parkinson s disease

Participants :
- Université de Vienne (Autriche) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 199440.96 €
Projet LIVE-LOVE (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2021)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

My project investigates the phenomenon of ‘loveability’ and the capacity of creative cultural spaces to facilitate it by comparing six museum-gallery-exhibition spaces in Vienna, Austria and Barcelona, Spain. Timely in addressing paradoxical impacts of rapid urbanisation and pandemic-driven urban exodus in European cities, my research aims to advance (i) loveability (which goes beyond material dimensions by prioritising minds and souls) as a design principle for spaces to support high quality living experiences and (ii) creative cultural spaces in supporting loveability to facilitate positive inner wellbeing of people living in cities. Through targeted research on aesthetics, the goal is to contribute ways of enriching living experiences in major European cities for transformational impact on science, society, and economy by producing three research outputs: Monograph, Matrix, and Handbook. Six research activities (thinking, knowing, feeling, doing, making, and sharing) bind architecture, neuroaesthetics, and human geography in my interdisciplinary 24-month project. I, Dr Mizan Rambhoros, will use existing specialisations in architectural design and theory and gain new skills in psychological/empirical aesthetics under placement supervision (Asst. Prof. Matthew Pelowski, University of Vienna, Austria) and geocreativity/creative landscapes under secondment supervision (Adj. Prof. Rosa Cerarols Ramirez, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain).

Mots clés : architecture, design, psychology, aesthetics, arts, geocreativity, wellbeing, quality of life, cultural spaces, heritage, cities, vienna, barcelona, urban europe

Participants :
- Université Pompeu Fabra (Espagne) — Partner, associated partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- Université de Vienne (Autriche) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 183600.96 €
Projet PHAGECOUNTER (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2021)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Tight co-evolutionary interactions of bacteria and their viruses, termed bacteriophages or phages, lead to continuous selection towards adaptation of the host and counter-adaptations of the parasite. Studying this evolutionary arms race resulted in discovering multiple sophisticated defense mechanisms of bacteria, such as CRISPR-Cas and restriction-modification systems. However, the diversity and mechanisms of action of counter-defense strategies of phages remain largely unknown. In this proposal, I will address this problem. The pan-genome of the phages is proposed to encode for proteins with counter-defense function. I will test this hypothesis using the largest, fully genome sequenced virus-host interaction network to date treasured in the host lab. I will combine comparative population genomics with computational biology, classical molecular genetics, transcriptomics, and proteomics. This approach will allow me to address my research objectives: (1) to identify counter-defense proteins of the phages, (2) validate the counter-defense properties, and (3) determine at which stage of phage infection the counter-defense occurs. This research will allow me to elucidate the diversity of previously unknown counter defense strategies of phages and expand our knowledge of their mechanism of action. Importantly, my approach shifts the paradigm of studying bacterial defense systems and the escape mechanism of phages and will open up many novel avenues in bacterial immunity and microbial population genomics. Implementation of the proposed project will enhance my proficiency by improving and diversifying my experimental and computational science skills and boosting my transferable skills, such as scientific communication and writing, project management, and networking. This altogether will improve my competitiveness and potential on the way to an independent career. Thus, the proposal corresponds well with the aims of the Work Programme.

Mots clés : bacterial immunity, bacteriophages, counter defence strategies, microbial population genomics

Participants :
- Université de Vienne (Autriche) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 199440.96 €
Projet FITTER (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2021)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

From shoot to root plants are exposed to a diverse range of microorganisms, which can play a major role in plant health, growth and development. A small fraction of bacteria can cause disease, the vast majority of bacteria has no known effect on the host, but there are bacteria that are beneficial to the plant. These microbes are able to protect plants from pathogens, modulate immune responses or assist in nutrient uptake. The best studied beneficial relationship for both plant and bacteria, is the long-term biological interaction (symbiosis) between legumes and nitrogen-fixing bacteria. These bacteria called rhizobia, are hosted in root nodules of legumes such as clover or alfalfa, where they fix atmospheric nitrogen. However, rhizobia are not the sole occupants of nodules and despite early findings of the presence of other nodule associated bacteria (NAB), the diversity and role of NAB in symbiosis and plant growth has remained neglected. Legumes are important crop in agriculture worldwide and as such, the potential of plant growth promoting bacteria and increase of nitrogen-fixation abilities is a major topic of research aiming to enhance agricultural productivity. Investigating the genetic material of all the microbes, the so-called microbiome, of legume root nodules, will allow investigation of genetic features of those bacteria, which contribute to increased plant growth and nutrient availability. Here, I will use a holistic sequencing approach to (i) unravel the diversity and metabolic properties of NAB in legume nodules and (ii) gain insights into the environmental factors affecting NAB community composition, (iii) determine to what extent the bacterial community in the soil (rhizosphere) drives nodule community composition. The proposed research will provide a better understanding of the biological role of all co-occurring bacteria in nodules, in the otherwise binary interaction of legume-rhizobia symbiosis.

Mots clés : metagenomics, microbiome, symbiosis, rhizobia

Participants :
- Université de Vienne (Autriche) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 199440.96 €
Projet SuperCut (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Illnesses such as neurodegenerative diseases and cancer represent significant public health challenges due to their increasing prevalence, mortality rates, and societal impact. Mitochondrial dysfunction, specifically the dysregulation of mitochondrial fission, is implicated in these diseases. Together with mitochondrial fusion, the mitochondrial fission process, or the division of mitochondria, is essential for maintaining cellular health. The effector protein of mitochondrial fission is the dynamin-related protein 1 (DRP1). During cell death, mitochondrial fission is elevated and DRP1 interacts with the key apoptotic proteins BAX and BAK. However, the precise role, regulation, and positioning of DRP1 in mitochondrial fission, especially with regards to BAX and BAK during apoptosis remain unclear. The project SuperCut will unravel the molecular architecture of DRP1 as well as its motion pattern during mitochondrial fission in the context of apoptosis by using advanced super-resolution microscopy techniques. Single-molecule localization microscopy (SMLM) will enable the visualization of the spatial organization of DRP1 and its relation to apoptotic pore formed by BAX and BAK. MINFLUX tracking will provide insights into the spatial dynamics of DRP1 and its adaptors in healthy cells and their interaction with BAX and BAK in apoptotic cells. By elucidating these mechanisms, the project will open new avenues for innovative therapeutic strategies targeting dysfunctional mitochondrial fission. The research for SuperCut will be conducted by me, Dr. Sarah Schweighofer at the Max Perutz Laboratories under the supervision of Prof. Jonas Ries, leveraging cutting-edge microscopy techniques to push the boundaries of our understanding of mitochondrial dynamics in health and disease. This deepening of my super-resolution microscopy expertise will enable me to become an independent multidisciplinary scientist with high impact in the life sciences.

Mots clés : super resolution microscopy, mitochondrial fission, apoptosis

Participants :
- Université de Vienne (Autriche) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 214344.72 €
Projet PoEMM (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2023)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Malaria remains the most serious parasitic infectious disease, killing one child every two minutes. Plasmodium infection starts when the female Anopheles mosquito injects sporozoites into the skin of the vertebrate host. All Plasmodium species go through a phase of replication inside nucleated cells prior to infecting red blood cells and causing malaria, however, only mammalian-infectious parasites target the liver and replicate inside hepatocytes at an extraordinary rate to generate tens of thousands of erythrocyte-infectious merozoites. Avian and reptile malaria parasites, in contrast, infect macrophages near the bite site and differentiate into only dozens of erythrocyte-infectious merozoites. The reason behind the high replication rate achieved by mammalian-infectious parasites inside hepatocytes, key to guarantee the establishment of infection by overcoming the bottleneck of malaria transmission caused by a low sporozoite inoculum, remains utterly unexplored. The hypothesizes of this proposal is that the explanation for this lies in the uniqueness of the mammalian hepatic methionine metabolism bestowed by the mammalian liver-specific methionine adenosyltransferase (MAT1) enzyme and its capacity for generating unlimited amounts of S-adenosylmethionine. In agreement with this hypothesis, preliminary data show that Plasmodium’s high replication rate inside hepatocytes relies on the host liver-specific MAT1. By using a combination of genetic, cellular and molecular approaches I will decipher how the liver-specific methionine metabolism present in hepatocytes is hijacked and used by the parasite to achieve such high replication rates and assess the competence of the liver-specific MAT1 in sustaining Plasmodium replication. This proposal has the potential to establish a novel paradigm on how the environment and the resources provided by the host have evolutionarily influenced Plasmodium’s life cycle and will pave the way for new therapeutic targets against malaria.

Mots clés : malaria plasmodium liver stage host parasite interaction host metabolism essential amino acids cell biology infectious disease parasite replication

Participants :
- Gulbenkian Institute for Molecular Medicine (Portugal) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 172618.56 €