Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-actions-marie-curie-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet CONSUMALG (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : TERMINATED

Macroalgae play essential roles within their ecosystems, as they provide food and habitats for a large diversity of marine organisms. They are also important primary producers, fixing atmospheric CO2 via photosynthesis, thus acting as one of the most important carbon reservoirs in coastal habitats. The degradation of this organic matter is controlled by microbial interactions shaping the global carbon flow within the ocean. By releasing degradation products from algal biomass, heterotrophic marine bacteria provide an important source of nutrients for the whole trophic chain. Additionally, future global changes, especially warming temperatures, are predicted to highly impact macroalgae. These observations raise the importance of better understanding mechanisms associated with the microbial degradation of the algal biomass. However, the different bacterial groups able to initiate algal biomass breakdown or uptake the released degradation products are largely unknown. More importantly, their metabolic activities and their quantitative contributions to carbon fluxes remain a black box, hindering an accurate vision of the marine carbon cycle, and the health of marine ecosystems under global warming. In this context, the CONSUMALG project aims to study the degradation mechanisms associated with the algal model Saccharina latissima, a kelp species known to provide important ecosystem services, but also industrial applications. With this project, a multidisciplinary approach will be developed to trace the carbon flow during the degradation, to obtain a detailed qualitative and quantitative description of the bacterial degraders and associated functions. Following the first objective associated with the development of optimized protocols (WP1), a second one will be dedicated to the early degradation steps during the algal breakdown (WP2), while a third will be dedicated to the algal dissolved organic matter (DOM) uptake from secondary degraders (WP3).

Mots clés : macroalgae, kelp, degradation, bacteria, 13c multi omics, chemical interactions, metabarcoding, metabolomics, metatranscriptomics, nanosims, sip, microcosms

Participants :
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (Allemagne) — Partner, associated partner, Recherche, subvention : 0.0 €
- Centre national de la recherche scientifique (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 242260.56 €
Projet MICROSYN (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : SIGNED

The global rise in Parkinson’s disease (PD) and other neurodegenerative disorders is becoming an important public health concern in the European Union and worldwide. Recent discoveries have revealed a direct connection between biofilm-associated proteins (Baps) from the human microbiota and alpha-synuclein (alpha-Syn) aggregation - a pathological hallmark of PD - supporting the hypothesis that the gastrointestinal tract plays a role in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. The MICROSYN project aims to investigate the molecular mechanisms behind the impact of Bap proteins - BapSa from Staphylococcus aureus and Esp from Enterococcus faecalis - on the aberrant assembly of alpha-Syn. Currently, structural models of BapSa and Esp amyloid fibrils and the intermolecular interactions during the templating of alpha-Syn aggregation are unknown. Utilizing the state-of-the art techniques magic angle spinning solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance and atomic force microscopy, this project will provide atomic-level information on Bap and Esp amyloid fibril structure and dynamics, reveal conformational changes upon cross-seeding with alpha-Syn, and offer valuable insights into the fibril architectures at the mesoscopic scale. This will be achieved through the expertise of Dr. Álvarez-Mena in the biochemistry and molecular biology of bacterial amyloids, combined with the host lab know-how in solid-state NMR, AFM and complementary physico-chemical techniques, supported by the cutting-edge facilities of the host institution. Understanding the interaction between microbiota-derived BapSa/Esp and human alpha-Syn will offer new therapeutic avenues for combating PD, while insights into the structures of BapSa and Esp fibrils will aid in developing antimicrobial and antibiofilm agents to tackle antibiotic resistance. Thus, the MICROSYN project will support EU health priorities by fostering innovation in disease prevention and treatment.

Mots clés : biofilm associated proteins amyloid fibrils cross seeding alpha synuclein microbiota neurodegeneration structural architecture solid state nmr atomic force microscopy

Participants :
- Centre national de la recherche scientifique (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 226420.56 €
Projet CENTAURIA (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Since the late 2nd millennium BC, the area between the Caucasus and Zagros mountain ranges has served as a crucial hub for horse breeding. A significant challenge in studying this region has been the methodological bias favoring historical sources, which emphasize Eurasian nomadic rider groups as the exclusive drivers of horse breeding and trade in the Near East during the Iron Age. By thinking through the concept of horse economy, an interconnected system of activities spanning animal husbandry, trade, military uses, metallurgy, animal training, and artistic practices, CENTAURIA seek to emphasize the multiplicity of horse breeding centres and how the development and expansion of this mobility technology relates to changes in socioeconomic relations within and beyond the mountainous regions neighbouring the advanced civilizations of Mesopotamia. Using a combination of archaeological and archaeogenetic data, the research seeks to uncover the complex social structures in which equids played a critical socio-economic role. CENTAURIA relies heavily on archaeological evidence, particularly horse burials in the South Caucasus and northwestern Iran, to examine how the evolution of the significance of horses and other equids impacted social dynamics during the Iron Age. While drawing insights from historical records of empires like the Neo-Assyrian and Urartian kingdoms, as well as from the Eurasian nomadic groups, CENTAURIA's primary focus is on material culture. By integrating archaeogenetic data with archaeological evidence, the project contextualizes genetic information within specific cultural, historical, and geographic frameworks. In doing so, CENTAURIA challenges the dominant view of Eurasian nomadic rider groups as the sole drivers of horse breeding and trade in the Near East, emphasizing instead how horse economies reshaped social, symbolic, economic, and more-than-human relations in the region during the Iron Age.

Mots clés : iron age, near east, equids, burials, ancient dna, horse economy

Participants :
- Centre national de la recherche scientifique (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 242260.56 €
Projet pNMR-dev (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy leverages spin—electronic or nuclear—to reveal information about a system otherwise inaccessible to bulk structural characterisation techniques. As applied to device materials, magnetic resonance offers information about local chemical and magnetic structures—e.g., in energy storage and generation, spintronics, and multiferroics—their defects, degradation and failure mechanisms. From a physics-based understanding of spin interactions, one can derive accurate pictures of chemical structure and directly connect it with material properties. Almost all device materials rely on an intimate network of interacting electron and nuclear spins: redox reactions in battery materials, catalysts and photovoltaics; encoding of information in spintronics; and sensing of magnetic, electric and/or strain fields in multiferroics. The unpaired (paramagnetic) electron spins in these systems, however, limit the application of traditional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic methods to study their structures. Through understanding and careful control of the interactions between electron and nuclear spins and their influence on device properties, one can design, develop and optimise materials for device applications. This project will develop novel experimental and theoretical methods in paramagnetic NMR to quantitatively assign spectra and extract a structural model, here, applied to lithium- and sodium-ion battery cathodes. The work packages include: (1) design and implementation of state-of-the-art NMR techniques to probe local material structures; (2) development a revolutionary “NMR Rietveld” software for fitting and refining structural models against spectra; and (3) application of the methods developed in (1) and (2) to investigate an ‘unseen’ system. These projects will ultimately guide the future study of materials using paramagnetic NMR, with wide-ranging benefits for the physics, chemistry and materials science fields.

Mots clés : solid state nmr, batteries, computational models, local structure, statistical mechanics, epr

Participants :
- Centre national de la recherche scientifique (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 226420.56 €
Projet GabaLoco (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Presynaptic modulation is a cornerstone of neural function, shaping everything from basic motor control to sensory processing and motor learning. It is a powerful mechanism that allow the fine tuning of a neuron selected target through an axonal modulation. In the spinal cord, this potent modulation is mediated by "GABApre" neurons. However, although widely studied ex-vivo, their function during naturalistic behaviors remains poorly understood due to technical challenges limiting in vivo access to spinal neurons. By leveraging advanced methodologies, such as in vivo electrophysiological recordings with Neuropixel probes during naturalistic locomotion, this project aims to uncover mechanisms that have so far remained elusive. Combining genetic manipulation, viral targeting, and high-resolution 3D kinematic analysis, this project will investigate the activity of GABApre neurons and their impact on motoneuron dynamics and locomotor performance across movement phases and muscle recruitment. Additionally, we will explore the recently observed dual effect of GABApre neurons and determine whether they consist of distinct subpopulations and whether they exhibit distinct context-dependent functions. By examining GABApre function during natural locomotion, this work will bridge the gap between previous non-physiological studies and the real-world relevance of presynaptic modulation, offering new insights into sensorimotor integration and adaptive motor behavior. While fundamental, this project’s discoveries will provide a crucial foundation for the design of innovative therapeutic approaches.

Mots clés : sensorimotor control, spinal cord, circuit dissection, electrophysiology, behavior

Participants :
- Centre national de la recherche scientifique (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 226420.56 €
Projet BTA (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2021)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Parenting practices, such as discipline techniques and sensitive caregiving, are vital to human development, and they tend to be passed down the generational line. Currently, we mainly know how intergenerational transmission of parenting works on average. Empirical studies on intergenerational transmission of parenting are often relatively small and homogeneous. Consequently, we do not know which parenting dimensions are most likely to be echoed across generations, nor do we understand under which conditions and in which developmental periods intergenerational transmission of parenting is stronger or weaker. By using an Individual Participant Data (IPD) meta-analysis, the Beyond the Average (BTA) project moves beyond average descriptions of intergenerational transmission of parenting. As such, the BTA project has the following objectives: [1] Identify parenting dimensions that are more and less likely to be transmitted across generations; [2] Identify factors that account for the degree of intergenerational continuity and discontinuity in parenting; [3] Add a developmental perspective to models on intergenerational transmission of parenting; and [4] Implement state-of-the-art IPD meta-analyses to examine individual differences in the field of developmental psychology. This project will result in robust and detailed knowledge on intergenerational transmission of parenting, thereby answering to the widely supported call to prioritize across-study-replication and robustness checks. Moreover, the knowledge obtained through this project will help tailor prevention efforts towards specific populations, developmental periods, and parenting dimensions.

Mots clés : intergenerational transmission, parenting, individual participant data meta analysis, 

Participants :
- Université d'Utrecht (Pays-Bas) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 199014.24 €
- Université d'État de l'Oregon (Etats-Unis) — Partner, associated partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- Oregon social learning center, inc. (Etats-Unis) — Partner, associated partner, Recherche, subvention : 0.0 €
Projet NPLs-AcquaSENS (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Nanoplastics (NPLs) are microscopic plastic particles smaller than 1000 nm that pose a significant environmental and health threat. They are frequently released when larger plastic debris pieces decompose, and they can be found everywhere, from marine ecosystems to the food we eat. Detecting NPLs (< 100 nm) is challenging due to the limitations of analytical tools. The "Nanoplastics (NPLs)-AcquaSENS" Project seeks to address these challenges by developing an innovative online Field-Flow Fractionation (FFF) coupled with electro-optic meta-sensors for the rapid, non-destructive, and in situ detection of NPLs in aquatic environments. This project will harness the power of advanced numerical simulations, cutting-edge nanolithography, and state-of-the-art instrumentation techniques to create a novel electro-optic meta tweezer. This device will enable the controlled trapping and precise manipulation of NPLs, pushing the boundaries of current detection capabilities. A key component of the project is the measurement of Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) signals from electro-optically trapped NPLs, which will allow for a detailed analysis of the microscopic physics governing these particles in real-world water bodies. The project will overcome diffraction and diffusion limits in NPL detection and have the lowest LoD to date. Additionally, the project will develop a comprehensive, high-resolution SERS spectral library of commonly found plastic materials in drinking waters to provide a standardised reference tool for researchers and practitioners. This SERS library will serve as a critical resource for the identification and characterization of NPLs. Integrating this advanced technology into routine drinking water monitoring protocols has the potential to significantly enhance water quality regulatory frameworks, providing a powerful tool for safeguarding public health.

Mots clés : sers, field flow fractionation, nanoplastics, raman tweezer, nanolithography, dielectrophoresis

Participants :
- Université technique de Munich (Allemagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 202125.12 €
- Université de Waterloo (Canada) — Partner, associated partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
Projet NATOEUINNOCLIMAX (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2022)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : SIGNED

This research project seeks to explore possible common NATO and EU strategies to fight Russian hybrid warfare, in the crucial areas of the energy-resources-climate security nexus, taking into account the role of Emerging Disruptive Technologies (EDTs). It adopts an inter-disciplinary and policy-focused approach, integrating 2022 events with economic, political, and strategic studies. The project will focus on the development of strategic thinking in NATO and EU political-military institutions, to evaluate the gap between the strategic competition needs and the energy-resources-climate security policy results. The specific question this project aims to contribute to is: How can NATO collaborate with the EU by leveraging the dual use of EDTs to contain Russian strategic competition, especially in the areas of energy-resources-climate security nexus? Addressing this question will provide a range of empirical, policy, and theoretical contributions. The research has 3 specific objectives: SO1) Study what are the NATO new strategies to deal with the energy-resources-climate security nexus, to provide insights into Alliance support to Europe in the Russian weaponization of these areas. SO2) Analyze how NATO is developing its EDTs strategy to see how the dual use of new technologies can help in the energy-resource-climate security, and so the strategic competition with rivals. SO3) Investigate what could be the strategic possibilities of NATO-EU collaboration and offer innovative strategic possibilities to cooperate with different policy options. This project aims to examine whether and how NATO and the EU may help their member countries to decouple from Russia, at the energetic-resource level, deal with technological disruption in a way that becomes a strategic advantage, and deal with climate change in a way that changes it from a threat multiplier to an opportunity. This research will benefit my career allowing me to go back to work from NATO to academia in Italy.

Mots clés : nato, eu, russia, hybrid warfare, energy, resources, climate, emerging disruptive technologies

Participants :
- Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Belgique) — Partner, associated partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- Université George Mason (Etats-Unis) — Partner, associated partner, Autres, subvention : 0.0 €
- Université Ca' Foscari de Venise (Italie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 265099.2 €
- German Marshall Fund of the United States (Etats-Unis) — Partner, associated partner, Recherche, subvention : 0.0 €
Projet PhotoVaccine (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Aquaculture is vital to global food security, but the industry is increasingly threatened by bacterial pathogens that cause significant economic losses. Among these, Photobacterium damselae subsp. piscicida is a major pathogen in the Mediterranean area, causing high mortality rates in valuable fish species like the gilthead seabream and Senegalese sole. Traditional vaccination methods in aquaculture often face challenges, including poor efficacy and the stress caused to fish during handling. Thus, there is a critical need for innovative and effective vaccine strategies that are easy to administer and provide robust protection.  This proposal (PhotoVaccine) aims to address this challenge by developing novel oral vaccines using spores of probiotic Bacillus strains to deliver Phdp antigens. Building on the NUTRIMU group’s recent proof-of-concept for spore surface display technology, this proposal aims to: i) engineer Bacillus spores to display Phdp antigens on their surface, and ii) assess the immunomodulatory effects and protective efficacy of these PhotoVaccines in fish models. Specifically, we will address the following questions:  - Can spores of B. subtilis be used as oral delivery vehicles for Ph. damselae subsp. piscicida antigens? - Are oral PhotoVaccines effective in protecting fish against infections? - What type of response is elicited by oral PhotoVaccines on fish intestinal mucosa?  By the end of this project, we aim to develop at least one PhotoVaccine candidate with potential for commercial use, contributing significantly to disease management in aquaculture. This research will also enhance our understanding of fish immunology, particularly how mucosal vaccines can overcome intestinal tolerance to provide long-term protection. The outcomes of this project could transform disease control in aquaculture, promoting sustainability and reducing economic losses due to bacterial infections.

Mots clés : antigen, aquaculture, bacillus subtilis, gilthead seabream, host pathogen interactions, molecular microbiology, oral vaccines, photobacterium damselae subsp piscicida, senegalese sole, spores

Participants :
- Institut de Recherche et d’Innovation en Santé de l’Université de Porto (Portugal) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 191343.12 €
Projet HALO (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2023)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

The European Union has clear targets in place to maintain an average global temperature 2˚ below pre-industrial levels, as shown by the Green Deal, Circular economy action plan, and Bioeconomy strategy; reducing emissions levels, incentivising a green, circular economy, and consolidating Europe's resources and environments. Gasification can convert organic waste into a potential feedstock (syngas), while reducing landfill volume, and emissions. Furthermore, microbial processes are seen as a potential next step to de-fossilise the industrial chemical industry. Purple phototrophic bacteria (PPB) can produce a host of value-add compounds while fixing inorganic wastes (e.g., CO2), gaining interest as a microbial tool for next-generation biorefineries. As such, the HALO project seeks to use halophilic PPB to convert syngas, CO2/CO/H2, into a host of valuable chemicals (medical, pharmaceutical products). The host of target compounds, the osmolytes ectoine and hydroxyectoine, the amino acid proline, the enzyme ubiquinone, and carotenoids (β-carotene, lycopene, spheroidene, spirilloxanthin) have high market value, with lycopene reported at 5500€/kg. In order to develop PPB syngas valorisation technology, specific PPB's ability to fix CO2 and CO must be determined and new high mass transfer bioreactors designed. HALO is a multi- and inter-disciplinary research project which aims to help achieve the EU's Green Deal goal of continental carbon net-zero by 2050 while creating green, competitive, and sustainable bioindustries and economies. On a global scale, HALO will help fulfil the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals 13, 11, and 12 (Climate Action, Sustainable Cities and Communities, Responsible Consumption and Production, respectively). Additionally, this project will allow the researcher's current abilities to flourish, while learning new techniques and methods from pioneering researchers outside of his immediate field of expertise.

Mots clés : purple phototrophic bacteria ppb climate change mitigation dual co2 and co treatment ghg bioconversion extremophile halophile carotenoids pigments ectoines production pharmaceuticals

Participants :
- Université de Valladolid (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 165312.96 €
- Institut national de recherche pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (France) — Partner, associated partner, Recherche, subvention : 0.0 €