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

Nanoparticles (NPs) of different sizes, shapes, materials, and surface chemistry have been increasingly incorporated in modern formulations. In these applications, it is ubiquitous that NPs are exposed to biological media and come into intimate contact with cells. There is currently an urgent need to bridge the gap in our knowledge of NP toxicity in order to fulfil the potential of nanomaterial application. Such an understanding is also critical to the public perception of the safety of nanomaterials. Gaining cellular entry is a major route for NPs to impart toxicity. Studies using cell viability assays provide useful phenomenological information on the toxicity of specific NPs against specific cells under specific conditions, which however gives limited mechanistic insights into how NP physical properties are correlated with their cellular entrance and consequent toxicity. Physicochemical experiments using quantitative methods to probe the fundamental process of NP cellular entrance are lacking. A directly relevant fundamental area on the mechanisms of NP cellular entrance but remains largely unexplored is how NPs would affect the mechanism of membrane fusion - specifically, how the presence of NPs may lower the energetic barrier in the membrane fusion process. The scientific innovation of this project is to directly measure, using the surface force apparatus (SFA), in situ and in real time, interactions and fusion between model membranes (i.e. supported lipid bilayers) in the presence of NPs and as a function of lipid compositions and physicochemical properties of NPs. Direct visualisation of membrane contact in the SFA allows the role of NPs in the spatiotemporal structural evolution of membrane fusion, as the membranes engage in contact, compression, adhesion and fusion. These measurements will lead to unprecedented results, shedding light on the fundamentals of NP-mediated membrane fusion, relevant to our understanding of how NP gain cellular entry.

Mots clés : surface force apparatus, nanopraticles, model bilayers, membrane fusion, nanotoxicity

Participants :
- University of Bristol (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 224933.76 €
Projet CoronaTag (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2015)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Nanoparticles (from 1 to 1000 nM in diameter) are widely used in point-of-care diagnostics due to their large surface area and versatile biofunctionalization. However, when used in matrices such as blood plasma and other complex biological fluids, nanoparticles are known to attract proteins that form coronas around the nanoparticles. These coronas block binding sites, cause non-specific interactions, and cause aggregation among the nanoparticles, resulting in lower signals, higher background, and large variabilities in the assays. Proteomics studies have analyzed the overall protein corona composition on different nanoparticles, depending on size, surface chemistry etc. Microscopic studies have been used to monitor the kinetics of corona formation on nanoparticles in simplified systems. However, protein-protein interactions and cooperative effects in corona formation, and their interference in diagnostic assays involving affinity reagents, have not been studied yet in a comprehensive way. In this proposal, I will adress those questions using DNA-assisted protein technology, where proteins are labeled with DNA barcode tags. The ligation of proximal barcodes will reveal protein-protein co-localizations within coronas and their interactions with affinity reagents such as antibodies. The analysis will give unique insight in the internal structure of coronas and will shed light on the origin of corona-induced nanoparticle-nanoparticle aggregation processes and nanoparticle-surface interactions, which is very important for nanoparticle-based point-of-care diagnostics.

Mots clés : nanoparticles, point of care diagnostics, protein corona, dna assisted protein technology, affinity reagents, qpcr, next generation sequencing, conjugation, colocalization

Participants :
- Eindhoven University of Technology (Pays-Bas) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 165598.8 €
Projet NanoEAscopy (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2016)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Nanostructured electronic materials e.g. organic semiconductors (OSCs) and 2D semiconductors offer great promise for applications in optoelectronic (OE) devices, such as photovoltaics (PVs), light emitting diodes (LEDs) and photodetectors. The primary photoexcitations in both OSCs and 2D semiconductors are strongly bound excitons, quasiparticles of electrons and hole bound by the Coulomb interaction. Three aspects of these materials stand out when attempting to study photophysics of these materials. (1) Many of the crucial OE process in these systems occur at heterojunctions between p- and n-type materials, where charges recombine to form excitons and excitons dissociate to form charges. (2) The timescale for many such process is sub-ps, and charge transfer and charge separation (CS) can occur on sub-100fs timescales. (3) thin films made of these materials possess spatial inhomogeneity on µm and sub-µm length scales, due to variations in molecular packing, crystallinity and phase segregation in OSCs and due to lattice defects and variation in surface passivation and strain in 2D materials. No currently available technique has the ability to spatially correlate transient spectroscopic data with local molecular structure and composition. In order to do this, we will develop a new platform to directly image CS with sub-10fs time-resolution with sub-µm spatial resolution. Recent advances in pump-probe microscopy and ultrafast Electro-Absorption (EA) spectroscopy in the host’s group will be combined with the applicant’s expertise with optical microscopes and advanced data analysis methods to detect and quantify inhomogeneity. Novel analysis methods combined with an ultrafast EA pump-probe microscopy will allow for correlation of transient spectroscopic data with local molecular structure and composition. This will lead us to elucidate how CS is controlled by local properties such as molecular packing and crystallinity in OSCs and defect sites etc. in 2D semiconductors.


Participants :
- University of Cambridge (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 183454.8 €
Projet NanoQSAR (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Nanotechnology is one of the fastest growing and most promising technologies in our society (Forster et al. 2011), promoting the development a new generation of smart and innovative products and processes that have created tremendous growth potential for a large number of industry sectors such as composites, colouring, ceramics, electronics, nutrition, cosmetics, energy, optics, automotive, as well as numerous other industrial sectors. Currently, there is a need of ensuring a safe and sustainable development of the nanotechnology, which implies a better understanding of the potential harmful effects that ENMs may have on human´s health or the environment. New paradigms are necessary to identify high concern ENMs and predict relevant endpoints for risk assessment, reducing the cost and timescale derived from the use of in vivo or in vitro assays. QSAR approaches have only recently been used to predict biological effects of ENMs, with only few Quantitative Nano- Structure Activity Relationships models described in the literature. The lack of available data explains why there is almost no literature reporting the use of computational modelling techniques applied to ENMs, especially in the area of nanotoxicology. On the other hand, current toxicological regulation, such as the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH), strongly promotes the use of these predictive modelling. On the basis of the concept of the project, the main objective of the Nano-QSAR project is to develop new scientifically validated QSARs models to predict REACH relevant toxicological, ecotoxicological and environmental endpoints of a priority list of ENMs such as Metal Oxide Nanoparticles (MOx) and Quantum Dots (QD) on the basis of available literature and own experimental data.

Mots clés : nanomaterials, quantitative structure activity relationships  qsar, computational chemistry, toxicology, numerical descriptors, reach

Participants :
- Protoqsar 2000 sl (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Organismes privés (hors enseignement), subvention : 172932.48 €
Projet NEXTNANOCELLS (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Nanowire solar cells are an innovative and promising way to further reduce the cost of photovoltaic electricity for terrestrial applications. Accordingly, the ultimately goal of this project is to develop a multi-junction solar cell composed of an array of III-V nanowire subcells, electrically connected to a state-of-the-art Si solar cell. In order to do so, two different epitaxial techniques will be used to accomplish the epitaxial growth of the nanowires: standard MOVPE growth and the ground-breaking technology of Aerotaxy. Then, the nanowires will be embedded in a polymer and transferred to a Si substrate. The project will be undertaken at Lund University, a world renowned and leading research center in nanoscience and nanotechnology. The project includes not only the development of cutting-edge nanotechnology applied to photovoltaics, but also a comprehensive training program in transferable skills. A secondment in Sol Voltaics AB is also scheduled to assure the inter-sectoral transfer of knowledge, which in turn contributes to the establishment of a knowledge-based European economy. Therefore, the project represents in several ways a valuable opportunity to the researcher and to Lund University.

Mots clés : photovoltaics, multi junction solar cells, nanowire solar cells

Participants :
- Lund University (Suède) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 173857.2 €
Projet C-Xaq (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Natural Products (NPs) are key to medicine, yet the generation of analogues of these important compounds can often be challenging. I propose to investigate an exciting new approach to NP analogues pioneered by the Goss lab. By developing new, mild, aqueous and selective cross-coupling chemistries I will enable the selective diversification of organic molecules, and in particular NPs, containing carbon-halogen bonds. With my expertise in organometallic chemistry and computational chemistry and in collaboration with the Goss lab, we are poised to bring significant advance to this new field of research. Over 5000 halogenated NPs have been isolated and identified to date, presenting a series of attractive test-beds for this proposed research. Additionally, with the advent of synthetic biology, it has recently been possible for the Goss group and others to engineer new to nature NPs containing halogen handles. The Goss group demonstrated selective functionalization of these NPs developing and using mild and aqueous Suzuki Miyaura cross-coupling conditions. Building upon this success, I will develop methodology to enable, under mild aqueous conditions, a greater diversity of cross-coupling reactions of aryl halide containing small molecules and then NPs to be employed. I will then embrace the challenge of the selective functionalization of the less reactive vinyl and alkyl halides, first in the presence of small molecules and then in the context of NPs. My reaction design, in this challenging area, will be informed by recent literature precedent, and my own DFT calculations. Success will both enable access to libraries of previously inaccessible NP analogues and provide the first steps toward being able to carry out these chemical reactions in tissues and perhaps even in live organisms in a bioorthogonal manner.

Mots clés : natural product analogue generation through developing and utilizing cross coupling chemistry, underpinned by dft and pca

Participants :
- University of St Andrews (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 183454.8 €
Projet THERMOPLAST (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Natural populations are continually exposed to environmental change and respond in the short-term via plastic mechanisms and over longer time periods by genetic adaptation. Both plastic and genetic responses to changes in the mean environment are well understood. However, less is known about the responses to changes in the variability and stochasticity of environmental parameters. Optimal phenotypes are known to depend on levels of environmental variability. This means that if levels of variability are predictable, plastic and/or genetic adaptations can be expected. However, both the levels of variability as well as their predictability may change over time and space. Understanding adaptive responses to such changes in the pattern of environmental variability (rather than mean values) represents a major frontier in ecology and evolution and is the main focus of this proposal.

Mots clés : plasticity, physiology, development, thermal tolerance, environmental change

Participants :
- Norwegian University of Science and Technology (Norvège) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 208400.4 €
Projet SuprAlloCat (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Natural systems represent a source of inspiration when it comes to the processing of energy and matter. Metalloporphyrins are at the core of many of these processes, harvesting solar energy and catalyzing relevant chemical processes. In contrast to most artificial nanostructured catalysts based on porphyrins, in which the main assembly driving force is π-π stacking or metal-ligand coordination, enzymes teach us that the catalytic sites around the porphyrin metal centers must remain accessible to the relevant substrates (to optimize catalytic performance), embedded in a well-defined compartment (to enhance selectivity), and connected through the protein backbone (to allow for allosteric regulation). In SuprAlloCat we plan to apply some of the lessons learned from nature to target the self-assembly of nanostructured supramolecular polymers with catalytic performance that would combine the broad catalytic scope of homogeneous catalysts, and the allosteric control, selectivity and activity under mild conditions of enzymes. The key to achieve such goal relies on the development of a self-assembly strategy that will allow us to cofacially arrange metalloporphyrins at tailored interstitial distances along a single dimension, thus creating a periodic array of connected nanoreactors with well-defined, accessible catalytic compartments. The MSC candidate, Dr. Alberto de Juan, will focus on the synthesis of porphyrin and ligand molecules equipped with complementary H-bonding units, and will proceed to study their combined assembly into 1D polymers. We will then focus on evaluating unique functions in these supramolecular materials, such as host-guest binding, chiral induction, allosteric regulation and, finally, Lewis-acid catalysis. SuprAlloCat introduces fundamental challenges and unprecedented approaches in chemical self-assembly and constitutes the best research scenario for the candidate to learn from different fields and further develop his scientific career.

Mots clés : self assembly, porphyrin chemistry, noncovalent functional molecular systems

Participants :
- Autonomous University of Madrid (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 160932.48 €
Projet NICHE (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Navigating and Innovating Connected Health Ecosystems (NICHE) How can technology firms beneficially influence healthcare provision? Technology is vital for future well-being given economic and demographic strain on healthcare systems but market innovation has proven difficult to implement. Conventional marketing is based on linear diffusion models created for consumer or investment goods markets. In healthcare however, innovating firms face diverse stakeholders: healthcare practitioners, buyers, consumers, regulators, politicians, the media and the public at large. Innovation in such ecosystems requires interactive and iterative processes of R&D, market sensing, networking, coalition building, and deep understanding of healthcare and regulatory practices. This project will assist healthtech companies to navigate, influence and gain traction for their innovations in complex healthcare ecosystems by designing and testing a healthcare market engagement roadmap: 1) a user-centric assessment tool to identify stakeholders, stakeholder practices and incumbent technologies with which an innovative health technology interacts 2) a strategic engagement model for complex ecosystems 3) a competency framework for ecosystem-shaping skills. A multimethod approach combines ethnography, social network analysis and organizational action research. Training will be sought in healthtech development and commercialization through UC Berkeley’s Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society (CITRIS), in sociology of healthcare and innovation through UC Berkeley’s Center for Science, Technology, Medicine and Society (CSTMS) and secondment at the Centre de Sociologie de l'Innovation, Ecole des Mines ParisTech (CSI), in social network analysis through UCD’s Insight Centre for Data Analytics, in policy/regulatory interactions at UCD’s Applied Research for Connected Health Technology Centre (ARCH) and in research translation on secondment at multinational company, S3.

Mots clés : business research, connected health, marketing, healthcare innovation, sociology of markets

Participants :
- National University of Ireland (Irlande) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 201514.5 €
- University of California System (Etats-Unis) — Partner, organization partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
Projet SIMCOFAT (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Nearly all engineering structures are exposed to harmful environments and alternating mechanical loads during their service life. The combination of these two factors, corrosion and fatigue, accelerates damage and frequently leads to catastrophic failures much before the expected lifespan of the component. Understanding and predicting corrosion fatigue is considered the ultimate challenge in mechanics of materials, due to its complex multi-disciplinary and multi-scale nature. This proposal aims at achieving a breakthrough by developing new ultra-efficient computational tools that will enable resolving the microstructural character of the problem. Advanced multi-physics and damage (phase field) models will be combined with a new class of algorithms, so-called Fast Fourier Transforms (FFT), that can reduce the computational cost of resolving the microstructural behaviour of materials by several orders of magnitude. The predictions from this new generation of physically-based models will be compared with the outcome of a complementary experimental campaign and ultimately used to predict corrosion fatigue in an industrial context. The feasibility of this Action is strengthened by the applicant's pioneering work in fatigue FFT modelling and the complementary expertise of the host group in environmentally assisted damage, phase field modelling and experimental characterisation.

Mots clés : multiphysics modelling, corrosion, fatigue

Participants :
- Imperial College London (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 212933.76 €
Projet CoVes (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Networks constituted from single components able to communicate with each other in a controlled manner are at the basis of every phenomenon occurring in the world around us. Understanding and controlling information transmission processes represents one of the greatest challenges for modern scientists. I propose to develop an understanding of the working principles of complex information processing networks by using an artificial system that resembles Nature’s cell-based communication systems. Inspired by the cascade processes occurring in Nature such as the second messenger system and extracellular messenger release, “CoVes” will be based on responsive Vesicles able to Communicate in a specific and targeted manner due to different input signals. Vesicles will be equipped with a series of synthetic transducers that respond to orthogonal external chemical stimuli. Transmembrane signalling will be coupled with internal chemical messenger release leading to communication between vesicles in an information network. The working principles of the novel multi-component ensembles will be investigated leading to systems capable of transmitting information under different diffusion conditions and paving the way for novel communication mechanisms. The accurate and reliable prediction of communication processes will lead to vesicle ensembles able to store and transfer information using orthogonal stimuli which will be crucial for the development of bio-inspired nanotechnology, such as interfaces for communication with cellular systems. The accomplishments achieved through CoVes will make chemistry not only the science of matter transformation, but also the science of information storage, elaboration and transfer.

Mots clés : dynamic covalent chemistry, molecular recognition

Participants :
- University of Cambridge (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 212933.76 €