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

Transport coefficients govern the irreversible flow of extensive, conserved quantities, like mass, momentum, charge and energy. They are fundamental in both science and technology, governing from battery- and fuel-cell-efficiency to the lifecycle of planets. During the last decades, transport coefficients have been successfully extracted from equilibrium molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, according to the Green-Kubo theory of linear response. The theory has been also recently reformulated in ab-initio framework, thanks to the widespread use of density functional theory and new theoretical advancements, like the so-called gauge-invariance principle or novel data-analysis techniques. Despite these great advancements, when light nuclei are present, nuclear quantum effects can arise -like quantum tunnelling and zero-point energy effects-, which are not considered with standard molecular dynamics simulations with classical, point-like nuclei, and may strongly affect transport coefficients. In TRANQUIL we shall employ imaginary-time path integral molecular dynamics techniques to include NQEs in the transport properties of complex ionic liquids, relevant in energy-management technology and planetary science. Machine learning models will be exploited to construct ab-initio accurate force fields for faster MD simulations, as well as to define the atomic properties that are necessary to obtain well-defined microscopic fluxes needed in GK theory, like the dynamical charge or the local energy of each atom. TRANQUIL will also develop new, highly-scalable, and open-source software platform to manage the massively parallel MD simulations required, through the deployment of a targeted secondment. Within TRANQUIL, the experienced researcher will extend his scientific network of collaborations, and learn new leadership skills to boost his career as EU scientist in Condensed Matter theory and reach a full scientific independence.

Mots clés : nuclear quantum effects, liquid insulators, path integral molecular dynamics, ring polymer, molecular dynamics, machine learning models, green kubo theory, statistical analysis of time series

Participants :
- Board of the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology (Suisse) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 203149.44 €
Projet FLOWLASER (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Travelling at high speeds entails overcoming adverse effects, such as regions of high heat transfer and surface pressures, unsteady shock waves, fluid-structure interactions, together with the requirement of drag reduction. One method of flow and flight control is energy addition. It is the objective of the proposed study to utilise this technique for the development of: 1) mitigation schemes for the avoidance or modification of localised regions of high heat transfer and surface pressure of high-speed vehicles. 2) methods for controlling local flowfield characteristics and the location of shocks e.g., in engine inlets, and wing-fuselage junctions. The research program combines both branches of research, namely, experimental and numerical. It aims to advance the frontiers of supersonic and hypersonic aerothermodynamics and propulsion and it will firmly establish a UK/European lead in research on laser energy systems for flight and flow control of high-speed vehicles. This programme will be supported by the excellent research environment provided by the host, Prof Kontis, University of Glasgow UK, with state-of-the-art facilities for research development, testing and training. This programme also will benefit from the strong links between the host group and leading UK and international research groups.

Mots clés : laser energy deposition, flow and flight control, flow diagnostics, high speed flow

Participants :
- University of Glasgow (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 195454.8 €
Projet EXTRIDIM (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Triterpenes are one of the most diverse groups of plant natural products, with important roles in plant defense and wide use in medicine, food, and cosmetics. So far, studies on triterpene biosynthesis have largely focused on eudicot plants, while little is known about triterpene biosynthesis in monocots. Here, we seek to expand current knowledge of triterpene chemistry and biochemistry in monocots and to investigate mechanisms of metabolic diversification in this group of plants, and specifically in the cereals group, which together provides more than half of the global human caloric intake. Monocot genomes will be mined for identification of new triterpene-related genes and biosynthetic gene clusters. These will be utilized for biosynthesis of novel triterpene compounds via combinatorial recombinant expression in yeast and plant systems. Entire triterpene metabolic pathways will ultimately be introduced into the monocot model plant Brachypodium distachyon, and pathogen-tolerance of the engineered plants will be evaluated. This will serve as an important proof-of-concept for the possibility of introducing these pathways into agriculturally-important cereals and grasses. The recent publication of the common wheat genome, coupled with fears for re-emergence of devastating fungal wheat pathogens in Europe, indicate the timeliness and relevance of the proposed action. EXTRIDIM is a highly interdisciplinary project that will draw upon the synergistic combination of the expertise and well-established scientific approach of the host lab, together with the background and complementary skills of the researcher in plant molecular biology and metabolic engineering. The proposed research will greatly contribute to the researcher’s career development and strengthen the host lab, will advance our understanding of triterpene biosynthesis in the agriculturally-important cereal crops, and will potentially lead to new applications in plant protection and drug discovery.

Mots clés : plant metabolism, secondary metabolites, natural products, phytochemistry, terpenes, biosynthetic pathways

Participants :
- UK Research and Innovation (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 224933.76 €
Projet RoseTriComm (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Tritrophic communities of plants, insect herbivores and associated parasitoid natural enemies together comprise more than 50% of all described species, including both beneficial ecosystem service providers and major economic pests. A key aim in ecology is to understand the processes that form this spectacular diversity and its complex interactions. This project (RoseTriComm) aims to answer two key questions: (a) Do plant traits also influence the diversification and assemblage structure of natural enemies? (b) Do natural enemies exert their own ‘top-down’ effects on herbivore diversification and assemblage structure? Our approach will assess the support for these alternative paradigms using an unparalleled dataset that combines trophic interaction, trait and phylogenomic data for plants (roses, 80 species), herbivores (rose gall wasps, 50 species), and parasitoids (ca. 100 species) from North America and Europe. This innovative research is the first application of the co-phylogeny framework to a large scale tritrophic system, examining the role of traits in structuring interactions in a multicontinental context. Furthermore, RoseTriComm will allow us to develop an analytical framework that can be applied to understanding any tritrophic system’s diversity and assemblage structure. The ability to anticipate the cascading impacts of species gains or losses, is more important than ever when biodiversity is increasingly vulnerable to threats such as climatic change. Finally, RoseTriComm will contribute to train and strengthen the fellow’s research skills in project management and grant writing, expand his network of collaborators, produce high-impact publications, and enable research dissemination via conference communications and public outreach.

Mots clés : evolution of tritrophic interactions, insect plant interactions, macroecology, evolution of extended, phenotypes

Participants :
- University of Edinburgh (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 212933.76 €
Projet IDEA (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Economic Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Trust plays a very important role in economic and social interactions. It reduces transaction costs, promotes efficiency in markets, improves cooperation, and increases the ability of people, organizations and countries to adapt to complexity and change. Trust is also very fragile and can be easily break with extremely detrimental consequences for society. This highly interdisciplinary research project aims to develop a pioneer analysis of what is considered one of the most fundamental threats of trust, and, a major concern of modern society: dishonesty. The central objective of “IDEA” is to provide a better understanding of the determinants of dishonest behaviour by incorporates psychological, emotional and social factors that have been only recently brought into economics. Within this framework, “IDEA” intends to develop and test new mechanisms to fight against dishonesty which entail a lower cost for society, and preserve the freedom of citizen. More specifically, “IDEA” will investigate what individual characteristics are more/less likely to be associated with dishonest behaviour to provide a better understanding of deceptive behaviour, and obtain an identikit of a dishonest individual. It will examine the nexus between dishonesty and competition, in order to determine why competitive pressures induce more cheating, and which features of the competitive environment are linked to more dishonesty. By exploring the deterrence effect of information disclosure on audits and sanctions, “IDEA” will help to develop an optimal system of sanctions which discourage dishonesty, and minimize the monetary costs of the enforcement authority and the psychological costs of the citizens.

Mots clés : dishonesty, trust, fraud, economic lies, competition, experiment, emotions

Participants :
- Université Claude Bernard - Lyon 1 (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 185076.0 €
Projet BLMs 4 TB (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2016)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Tuberculosis (TB) is the most deadly infectious disease worldwide. TB therapy takes 6 months with unpleasant side effects that leads to poor adherence and the development of drug resistance. Patients infected with multi (MDR) or extensively (XDR) drug resistant strains must undergo longer treatments (up to 24 months) associated with even severe side effects and only 30-50% positive treatment outcomes. New treatments are urgently needed. Beta-lactams (BLMs) are the safest antibiotics in the market with a long track record of clinical use to treat bacterial infections. They were, however, traditionally regarded as ineffective for TB therapy to the point that research was virtually discontinued for the last three decades. A renewed interest recently arose after a report of Phase IIa clinical trial validated the potential of meropenem (a carbapenem). This study was led by Dr. Barros, Head TB unit GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) (the beneficiary of this proposal). In addition, Dr. Ramón-García (the applicant) just identified first-generation cephalosporins (cephems), a subset of the BLM family never pursued for TB therapy, as potential anti-TB agents. Promoting BLM development is the best immediate hope for TB patients that currently have very dim life prospects. Carbapenems and cephems have different anti-bacterial killing properties, pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) parameters. These specificities affect therapy design for an optimal clinical outcome. Although promising, it is still unclear how BLMs should be included in new combo therapies (i.e. dosage, duration and frequency of administration) to shorten the duration of TB therapy, prevent relapse and treat M(X)DR-TB. To answer these questions, I will use time-lapse microscopy linked to mathematical PK/PD modeling, transcriptomic and proteomic studies and clinical microbiology techniques to provide high quality molecular and PK/PD pre-clinical data to inform the design of future BLM TB clinical trials.

Mots clés : tuberculosis, pd modelling, beta lactams, drug repurposing, preclinical development, time lapse microscopy, synergy, transcriptomics, proteomics, in vivo models of infection

Participants :
- Fundacion Agencia Aragonesa para la Investigacion y el Desarrollo (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Autres, subvention : 170121.6 €
Projet iCHEMGENODRUGS_TB (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Tuberculosis is one of the most worrying Global and Public Health problems in the present day and causes a major economic and social burden, which can significantly drain a society’s resources. In 2015, 10.4 million people fell ill with tuberculosis and 1.8 million died from the disease. In addition, an estimated 480000 people developed multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. The development of new drugs and new therapeutic regimens effective against drug susceptible and drug resistant tuberculosis is one of the greatest challenges in the way of tuberculosis control. Conventional drug discovery strategies are usually costly and time-consuming and, frequently, with low rates of success. This project aims to develop a new paradigm for tuberculosis drug development, using the drug repurposing strategy (to find new uses for already approved drugs) coupled with an in silico chemogenomics method. The focus will be targeting energy metabolism, particularly the oxidative phosphorylation, a novel target pathway in tuberculosis drug discovery. This research project has the potential to greatly benefit tuberculosis drug discovery by finding new drugs for a largely unexplored pathway and by introducing a new approach that can increase the probability of identifying effective drugs and decrease the bottlenecks of the conventional drug discovery approach, saving both time and money. Since tuberculosis has a high social and economic impact, this project aims not only to contribute to scientific and academic knowledge in this field, but also to increase public awareness on tuberculosis drug resistance and the need for new drugs by using several outreach activities. Finally, searching for new effective drugs that can tackle the problem of drug resistance and reduce the costs of drug treatment contributes to the decrease of social impact and economic burden of this disease and is in line with the goals of the World Health Organization “End TB” strategy.

Mots clés : tuberculosis, multidrug resistant tuberculosis, comparative chemogenomics, drug repurposing

Participants :
- Universidade Nova de Lisboa (Portugal) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 148635.6 €
Projet ONCOSYSTEMS (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2016)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Tumors are not isolated entities, but complex systemic networks involving cell-cell communication between transformed and non-transformed cells. The milieu created by tumor-associated cells may either support or halt tumor progression. Non-tumor cells also play a role at distant sites, preparing future metastatic sites to support engraftment and survival of metastatic cells. In addition to cell-cell contact, cells communicate through secreted factors via a highly complex system involving characteristics such as ligand concentration, receptor expression and integration of diverse signaling pathways. Of these, extracellular vesicles such as exosomes are emerging as novel cell-cell communication players in physiological and pathological scenarios. We recently described that exosomes produced by highly metastatic pancreatic cancers (PC) induce Liver Pre-Metastatic Niches (LPMN) supportive of hepatic metastasis. Although we defined how LPMN are induced by PC-derived exosomes, the specific mechanism of how the LPMN support the formation and progression of liver metastatic lesions is still unknown. In addition, while we have been showing that pre-metastatic niches support metastatic spreading, we still do not have appropriate means to detect the formation of these niches by non-invasive methods in clinical settings. Thus we propose to: 1)Characterize the composition of liver-derived exosomes populations in physiologic and LPMN-associated settings by applying state-of-the-art flow cytometry tailored to nanoparticles analysys at a single-exosome level; 2)Test whether liver-derived exosomes interact with metastatic PC cells and play a role in supporting the progression of PC metastatic lesions in the liver. This project has the potential to offer not only a non-invasive alternative to detect and characterize tumor-associated microenvironments, such as LPMN, but also opportunities for novel therapeutic approaches to target pro-tumorigenic cell-cell communication.

Mots clés : cancer, metastasis, pre metastatic niche, cell cell communication, extracellular vesicles

Participants :
- Champalimaud Foundation (Portugal) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 160635.6 €
Projet SCALTIE (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2016)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Tumours evolve to evade immune surveillance through a series of immune suppression mechanisms. In line with this, cancer immunotherapies, in which the immune system is turned on against tumours, are currently revolutionizing cancer treatment. Unfortunately, still many cancer patients do not respond to immunotherapies. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop new tools for effective immunotherapy in order to increase treatment response rate. However, current methods that investigate bulk populations of cells lack the resolution to identify and analyse the diverse subpopulations of cells and the unique pathways and checkpoints they activate within the tumour ecosystem. I therefore aim to use advanced single cell genomic techniques for unbiased and high-resolution characterization of the different malignant, stromal and immune cell populations within the microenvironment of lung tumour, which is the biggest cancer killer in Europe. In combination with modelling approaches and advanced functional assays, I will identify subpopulations of cells specific to tumours, known and novel pathways mutated in tumour cells and cell-cell interactions that all together play crucial roles in the tumours pathogenicity. A comprehensive understanding of these processes provides the basis for understanding why existing cancer immunotherapies do not always succeed and provides new potential targets for the development of precise medicine tailored to individual patient. Complementary to my skills in molecular and cellular biology, I will acquire scientific skills in single cell genomics and bioinformatics, and soft skills in project management, mentoring, communicating, etc in this project. Those skills will enable me to establish my own research group in the near future to investigate the interface between the immune system and tissues under health and diseases with holistic approaches, which is my long-term career goal.

Mots clés : single cell rna seq, cancer immunotherapy, cancer immunology

Participants :
- Weizmann Institute of Science (Israël) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 170509.2 €
Projet AgeCogCity (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2016)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Two mega-trends – the rapid urbanisation of the world’s population and the ageing of that same population – will soon collide. Adapting to the challenges of elderly citizens (many of whom no longer drive), urban designers need appropriate tools to support planning for walking, the most environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable transport mode. Cities’ walkability depends not only on physical settings, but also on processes of human spatial cognition, in particular visual perception. However, current state of art methods in modelling and forecasting urban systems are based mainly on economic and transportation demands and ignore pedestrians’ spatial cognition. This research discovers how visuo-spatial cognition contributes to the generation of new urban uses and activities based on the age profile of the user population. It constructs a novel urban-behavioural paradigm that links built environment and the way people use it, by addressing three fundamental questions: (1) What are the most important visuo-spatial properties influencing pedestrian cognition? (2) How urban visibility could be encoded and analysed as an abstracted spatial representation (visibility network)? (3) What mechanisms allow cities to be generated through feedback reflected in pedestrian movement and urban visibility? These questions are answered using an interdisciplinary approach: It combines quantitative techniques for spatial modelling with qualitative strategies for tracing of pedestrian behaviour in Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR). The research findings will set a framework for the evidence-based tool to assist planners, architects and stakeholders in the design and evaluation of urban projects in view of the changing needs of urban population.

Mots clés : spatial cognition, ageing, pedestrians, sustainable planning and design, smart cities, activity location, visibility graph, spatial networks, virtual reality, agent based simulation

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