Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-actions-marie-curie-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet Sim3D-DynaShield (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding is the mitigation of unwanted electromagnetic (EM) radiation, which hinders the smooth operation of electronic systems. Over time, EMI shielding research has advanced from static to smart shielding, where the shields dynamically respond to external stimuli (pressure, temperature, etc), providing real-time protection. However, existing research on smart/dynamic EMI shielding materials faces challenges in precision, sustainability, and integration, limiting their real-world applications. Current solutions often rely on porous petroleum-based materials such as polyurethane polymers, which lack microstructure control and require constant exposure to stimuli to maintain the ON/OFF state. Further, the high resource requirements and lack of pre-fabrication optimization in current research demand innovation. This proposal aims to address these challenges by leveraging simulation-integrated 3D printing techniques to design and develop various microlattice mesh structures based on sustainable polycaprolactone shape memory polymer integrated with conducting and magnetic nanoparticles for enhanced smart shielding ability. This pioneering and innovative approach of combining mechanical, thermal and EM simulation with 3D printing allows visualization, designing and meticulous analysis before fabrication, enabling real-time assessment of material responses under various stimuli and the creation of complex geometries with precision. In this proposal, a smart shield integrated prototype system for real world applications will be developed, addressing the crucial research gap associated with realizing device-integrable smart shields in a resource-efficient and sustainable manner. My experience in EM simulation-oriented investigations for developing rigid to flexible EMI shielding structures and substantial knowledge on microwave materials, that I gained during my PhD, will significantly aid in producing tangible outcomes from this proposal.

Mots clés : emi shielding, dynamic emi shielding, smart shields, 3d printing, electromagnetic simulation, mechanical and thermal simulation, shape memory polymer, microlattice structures, microstructure control

Participants :
- KU Leuven (Belgique) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 216240.0 €
Projet WalkEnergy (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : TERMINATED

Metabolic energy consumption during walking increases considerably with disease, injury and age. We poorly understand why, because experimental estimates of energetic cost are limited to average whole-body measures. This lack of knowledge hinders the design of interventions that target walking energetics. Model-based computer simulations have the potential to predict energetics of individual muscles over time, and can be used to elucidate causal relationships between musculoskeletal properties and walking energetics. But current simulations vastly underestimate changes in energetic cost across walking conditions. I hypothesize that errors in predicting the energetic cost of walking are due to using Hill-type models and energetics models, which employ phenomenological relations derived from controlled experiments that do not capture muscle operating conditions during walking. In contrast, biophysical muscle models capture the mechanisms underlying muscle mechanics and energetics, but have not been used in simulations of walking. This project aims to gain fundamental insight into walking energetics through incorporating biophysical muscle models into simulations of walking, revealing contributions of individual muscles and gait phases to overall energetic cost, and predicting the energy savings enabled by assistive devices. This approach is feasible given my expertise with biophysical models and the host’s advancements in simulations, enabling the use of more complex muscle models. I will first develop a biophysical model that – when integrated in musculoskeletal simulations – captures whole-body energetics. I will then use the developed simulations to study muscle energetics across a range of walking conditions, and test the ability of the framework to predict exoskeleton assistance that maximizes energy savings. The developed (open-source) simulations may serve as a go-to tool to design interventions to improve mobility of individuals with increased energetic cost.

Mots clés : musculoskeletal simulation, muscle force development, metabolic energy expenditure, biomechanics, cost of transport, crossbridge cycling, hill type models, huxley type models, muscle tendon dynamics

Participants :
- KU Leuven (Belgique) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 200400.0 €
Projet BACPRO (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

The gut hosts a complex community of bacteria, archaea, and viruses, which together play a key role in shaping human health. The microbiome has featured in extensive metagenomic studies, uncovering tremendous diversity. However, there is remarkably little research on the cell biology of the microbiome’s constituent members. Among the most influential members of the gut microbiome is the genus Bacteroides, which has been implicated in digesting complex carbohydrates, maturation and regulation of the immune system, and regulating intestinal neurotransmitters. There is also significant interest in engineering Bacteroides spp. as promising candidates for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Despite their clear relevance for human health, we lack knowledge on fundamental aspects of Bacteroides proliferation (i.e., their cellular organisation, mechanisms underlying their growth, cell division, DNA replication, or their growth preferences). Such information is essential and represents previously unexplored bacterial cell biology, given Bacteroides must adapt to an incredibly transient environment that shifts rapidly from feast to famine while contending with a constant stream of variable stressors. This project seeks to advance our knowledge of Bacteroides spp. by examining intraspecific diversity, utilising tractable Bacteroides strains, and leveraging the Gover’s lab high-throughput single cell phenomics (HTSCP) methodology. I hypothesise that Bacteroides spp. utilise simple rules of cell cycle control, similar to those recently identified in Escherichia coli by Govers et al., to ensure robust cellular replication across many conditions. Such unifying principles integrate cell cycle and growth rate with cell size, while enabling plasticity, allowing cells to respond to their environments. Understanding these rules and identifying their underlying mechanisms will provide indispensable information for furthering studies of the Bacteroides and developing their utility.

Mots clés : anaerobic bacteria, cell cycle dynamics, high throughput single cell phenotyping

Participants :
- KU Leuven (Belgique) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 200400.0 €
Projet InfPathMapper (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Pathogens like Yersinia pseudotuberculosis must rapidly adapt to environmental cues to progress through infection, manipulating host responses to survive and replicate. Understanding these adaptive host-pathogen interactions is key to developing targeted therapies, combating antibiotic resistance, and preventing chronic infections. However, current methods miss rare, transient infection stages, limiting our understanding of infection pathways. My project aims to address this by developing InfPathMapper, a data-driven super-resolution microscopy (SRM) platform to map infection pathways in living cells at molecular resolution. While advances in fluorescence microscopy provide detailed molecular insights, they often struggle with phototoxicity, limited spatiotemporal resolution, and reliance on fixed samples, missing dynamic information of infection processes. My approach will extend a data-driven microscopy platform by integrating adaptive SRM modalities for live-cell imaging of Y. pseudotuberculosis infection, a pathogen with virulence mechanisms conserved across many bacteria. This system will be able to map pathways of individual infection events at super-resolution level in a live-cell fluorescence-based infection assay supported by machine learning to classify pathogen invasion stages and host cell response patterns. Live-to-fix super-resolution mapping of the molecular architecture of critical infection stages will provide new insights into how Yersinia adapts to niche-specific environments and host-induced stress. By combining cutting-edge microscopy with infection biology, the project will not only set me on an excellent pathway toward achieving research independence, it is also expected to contribute valuable knowledge and tools for the broader research community, fostering innovation in the study of other pathogens and dynamic intracellular processes and the fight against infectious diseases.

Mots clés : super resolution microscopy, single molecule localization, radial fluctuations, yersinia, infection cycle, live cell, smart microscopy, adaptive imaging

Participants :
- Université de Lund (Suède) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 236340.0 €
Projet MRGS-Nano-Spec. (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2022)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : SIGNED

The nanoarchitecture of 2D materials is of great interest in the scientific community and is recently exploited widely to tailor its electrical, chemical, optical, and mechanical properties. Chemical and photochemical reactions are the two promising methods to anchor the functional groups on 2D materials, in which the former reaction induces large-scale modification while the latter introduces spatially localized defects (sub-micron precision). Indeed, the precise control over the covalent functionalization of 2D materials at the molecular level still remains a challenging task due to the lack of molecular identity, spatial distribution, and density at the molecular level. In this proposal, a novel multicomponent reversible graphene superlattice consisting of both covalent and non-covalent bound moieties will be constructed with the aid of nano spectroscopy techniques such as TERS and nanoIR. The customized modulation of electrical and optical properties of the superlattice by exploiting the molecular switching events through external stimuli will enable the fabrication of multifunctional graphene substrates. The nano-spectroscopy techniques together with state-of-the-art surface analyzing techniques (AFM, STM, KPFM) permit real-time nanoscale chemical mapping and molecular visualization on the graphene layer. Furthermore, the synergy between STM/AFM imaging and time-resolved optical spectroscopy will be employed in this project in order to resolve the real-time ensembled dynamics of photoisomerization and the associated self-assembly of the photochromic molecules on the graphene layer. The sub-nanoscale molecular information will facilitate precise Fermi-level engineering. Finally, the feasibility of devising new flexible and transparent field-effect transistors (FET) devices using the newly architect graphene superlattices will be scrutinized.

Mots clés : graphene superlattices, covalent functionalization, van der waal interaction, selfassembly, nanospectroscopy, time resolved spectroscopy, photochromic molecules

Participants :
- KU Leuven (Belgique) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 191760.0 €
Projet EXCELLGEN (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2022)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC) are one of the greatest challenges for the healthcare system, with a frightening prognosis for the future. Despite being heavily studied in recent years, no unifying principle explaining their success has been identified. Only limited attention has been paid to the additional genomic properties of ExPEC strains that are not virulence factors or antimicrobial resistance genes. I aim to demonstrate that these additional genomic features lead to alterations in cellular features (related to physiology, growth ability and metabolism) that contribute to ExPEC (pathogenic) success. To do so, I will first setup a database of ExPEC specific regions and use this to perform an unbiased large-scale screen comparing them to publicly available E. coli genomes. This analysis will yield specific genomic regions that can be confidently assigned to ExPEC or ExPEC subgroups. To further demonstrate the biological significance of these regions, high-throughput single-cell phenomics will be employed to quantitatively examine specific strains of interest across different growth conditions and identify the genes or groups of genes present in the ExPEC specific regions associated with specific phenotypic alterations. Finally, the identified genomic regions will be further characterized using a deep mutational scanning approach to uncover the exact molecular mechanisms that underlie phenotypic alterations of pathogenic strains in comparison to their non-pathogenic counterparts. I expect this project to bring much-needed insights into ExPEC physiology, linking it with its specific genomic background. Such fundamental knowledge will contribute to managing ExPEC more effectively in the future.

Mots clés : extraintestinal pathogenic e coli, high throughput single cell phenomics, metabolism expec physiology

Participants :
- KU Leuven (Belgique) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 191078.0 €
Projet STRATA-ALZ (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2022)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) heterogeneity is associated with distinct risk factors, clinical manifestations, rates of cognitive decline, and comorbidities. However, this population variance is not properly incorporated in clinical trial design, directly hampering successful development of treatments. As the field is shifting towards (early) secondary or event primary intervention, the overall objective of the current project is to optimize clinical trial design of an early AD population, by providing data-driven guidelines for sample stratification and outcome measures. To this end, I will assess neurobiological heterogeneity in ~2000 cognitively unimpaired (CU) and ~900 mildly impaired (MCI) subjects enrolled in the BioFINDER study from Lund University (host institution). Using their unique data-set, I aim to identify subtypes of amyloid-β (Aβ)-vascular interplay, the two most common co-occurring and interacting pathologies in the aging brain. Next, the role of neuronal function, microglial activation, and novel targets through proteomics analyses based on CSF/plasma biomarkers on disease progression within these subgroups will be determined. Finally, resulting tau-PET accumulation patterns and cognitive decline across domains across will be assessed. A main innovative aspect and strength of this project is the utilization of regional information available from the imaging modalities, an aspect of analyses which I have specialized in. In turn, the expertise of the host institution regarding fluid biomarkers and tau-PET imaging is paramount to support this multi-modal project. Finally, our respective experience with longitudinal study design will support a critical aspect of the project, which is lacking even in the most comprehensive studies to date. Unravelling heterogeneity in disease trajectories is paramount to optimize trial population selection and stratification, directly increasing the changes of positive trial outcomes.

Mots clés : alzheimer s disease biomarkers clinical trials neuroimaging vascular disease stratification disease heterogeneity

Participants :
- Université de Lund (Suède) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 206887.68 €
Projet PSP (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2021)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

To understand the propagation of prejudice, we need to understand the linguistic devices through which it is expressed. Prejudicial attitudes can be expressed through generic generalisations (or simply generics) like ‘Women are illogical’, which ascribe properties (e.g. being illogical) to groups (e.g. women). The standard analysis takes generics to express claims about the world. This project will develop a novel alternative analysis on which generic generalisations are analogous to exclamations like ‘Ouch!’, in that they function primarily express the speaker’s mental states rather than describing the world. In addition to advancing our understanding of the propagation of prejudice, this project will experimentally assess the novel Generic Bootstrapping Hypothesis, according to which prejudice has a source in our disposition to store evidence in generic form.  Main Research Objectives: 1. Specify the expressivst view of generics and show how expressivism avoids problems that arise for the standard view. 3. Explain the harm caused by discriminatory generics.  Research output: 1. Two research papers 2. A paper communicating research findings to the non-academic public 3. An experiment assessing the impact of generics about social kinds 4. A conference on issues related to the project 5. A special issue of a journal based on the workshop  Training Objectives: 1. Train the researcher in experimental techniques 2. Extend the researcher's competencies to experimental philosophy and cognitive science 3. Transfer the researcher’s knowledge of context and underdetermination to the host 4. Increase collaboration and research opportunities for the host and researcher by bringing members of the researcher's network to host 5. Increase public awareness of debates and research concerning generics

Mots clés : prejudice, generic generalisations, expressivism, philosophy of language

Participants :
- Université de Lund (Suède) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 206887.68 €
Projet InfoInn (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2021)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Economic Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Innovation is considered to be the engine of economic development for any nation. This is why studies on innovation have gained immense scholarly attention from different disciplines giving various insights. However, one major limitation of the studies on innovation has been their emphasis on the formal structures of the economy like R&D institutes, firms and industries. There is very scant literature that focuses on the innovations which emerge in informal environments. In academic literature, there have been no agreed frameworks that are targeted towards the innovations generated within the informal contexts. The limited amount of attention it received revolves around the concepts such as frugal innovations, grassroots innovations or jugaad. Moreover, policy thinking has been to suppress the informality and transfer it into the rigid formal sector. In view of the limited focus on innovations within the informal settings in India, this project proposes to study innovations developed in informal settings. Such study will offer rich insights into the innovative activities, local resources, knowledge and collaborations that contribute to innovations. The project proposes to take two sites showcasing the rich prevalence of informal innovations. The first site will be of a ‘traditional’ artisan cluster. Whereas, the second site, will focus on a more ‘modern’ case of informal innovations, represented by the makerspaces. This study will be useful to understand and compare the innovation characteristics in two different settings both representing some form of informality. My project InfoInn aims to:1) study the networks, collaborations, and modes of learning among the different actors which facilitate innovations within the informal structure and 2) theoretically advance the literature on innovations by studying the informal contexts that will pave the way to open new perspectives on how to methodologically study and measure innovations in such contexts.

Mots clés : innovation studies, science policy, science technology and innovation policy, innovation and development

Participants :
- Université de Lund (Suède) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 209087.68 €
Projet QuTUR (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2022)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Recently thermodynamic uncertainty relations (TURs) were discovered in the field of stochastic thermodynamics, which fundamentally connect the efficiency, power output and reliability of any classical heat engine. Roughly speaking, these TURs imply that any efficient heat engine operating at finite power output must suffer from diverging fluctuations in the power output, making the engine unreliable. Surprisingly, these TURs can be broken in quantum heat engines allowing them to achieve a quantum thermodynamic advantage regarding their output precision with obvious implications for nano-scale applications. The proposal research aims to theoretically analyze TURs in quantum dot heat engines and establish a clear understanding for which conditions and specific setups TURs can be broken. Unlike previous and most ongoing work this proposal directly attacks the theoretically complicated but experimentally realistic parameter regime of both strong tunnel-coupling and strong Coulomb interaction. This advance is made possible by a new thermodynamic renormalization group method recently developed by the fellow. Besides analyzing TURs in non-equilibrium steady-states, we will also analyze more challenging transient phenomena relevant for the control of device operations and derive generalized quantum TURs using a recently discovered non-perturbative fermionic duality mapping. The fellow will be integrated in the group of M. Leijnse at Lund University, whose experience in quantum thermodynamics and transport is essential for the action, in particular for the planned close collaboration with the experimental groups at the host institute who recently achieved to measure current flucuations of quantum dot heat engines, a key step towards the first verification of quantum violations of TURs. Supporting collaborations are set up with the external experts P. Potts (University of Basel, Switzerland) and J. Splettstößer (Chalmers University, Sweden).

Mots clés : quantum thermodynamics, open quantum systems, quantum dot heat engines

Participants :
- Université de Lund (Suède) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 222727.68 €