Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-actions-marie-curie-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet TripIod (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The challenge of achieving high selectivities (chemo/regio/stereoselectivity) in organic transformations is still very high. Selectivities are achieved through either covalent interactions involving metals or non-covalent interactions such as hydrogen bonding, halogen bonding or ion pairing involving organocatalysts or enzyme catalysts. Triptycenes are highly promising structures due to their rigidity, internal free volume, electron rich cavities, three aromatic rings opened for π-stacking interactions and the possibility of atropisomerism. We want to exploit their potential of non-covalent interactions in chemo-, regio- and stereoselective reactions by using triptycene scaffolds for the synthesis of iodine-based reagents. The proposed research will focus in utilization of internal free volume for selectivity in reactions to explore selectivity through π-interaction. This process will open up new directions by focusing on the following objectives: (a) synthesis of different iodotriptycenes; (b) oxidation of iodotriptycene to iodine(III) derivatives including polymer-based reagents; (c) development of chiral triptycene-based iodine(III) derivatives; (d) application of the methodology in the flow synthesis of target molecules and (e) training through research and career development of incoming post-doctoral fellow. The proposed methodology has the capacity to make a sound impact on the scientific community, and to change existing protocols in industry. The MSC Fellowship will provide the post-doctoral fellow to strengthen scientific knowledge and enrich skills, innovative ideas, managing skills and to establish himself as an international scientist.

Mots clés : chemoselectivity, flow chemistry, hypervalent iodine, stacking, polymer chemistry, regioselectivity, triptycene

Participants :
- Cardiff University (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 183454.8 €
Projet DeMol (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The challenge of better knowing the complex relationship between bone's morphology and function has yielded tens of articles since the beginning of the last century and is essential for making positional behavioural inferences on fossil taxa. Despite its relevance, the form-function relationship is still poorly understood. Based on this premise, this project focuses on deciphering the functional loading environment and its influence on skeletal design in the hindlimb of living primates and shedding light on the locomotor evolution of fossil apes and early hominins. The fossil apes included in this project constitute key taxa for understanding the positional behaviour evolution within the Hominoidea (the apes and humans clade), which has important implications for a better knowledge of the evolutionary pathway that led to the specialized locomotor types of extant apes and humans (specialized antipronograde behaviours such as below-branch suspension and human terrestrial bipedalism). To accomplish the aims, this project will rely on diverse, multidisciplinary and innovative techniques, including biomechanical and engineering approaches (e.g., multibody dynamics analysis, computer optimization, machine learning and data science), phylogenetic comparative methods, and collection of experimental data (e.g., recording of live primates kinematics). This project also involves an important component of training for the applicant and several short stays to gain a diversified and unique set of skills and knowledge on the field of paleoprimatology and evolutionary biology. Hence, this project will extend our knowledge on the bone's form-function relationship, as well as the origin, tempo and mode of the hominoids positional behaviour evolution, including key long-lasting questions related to the origins of human bipedalism.

Mots clés : miocene hominoids, primate positional behaviour evolution, form function relationship, hindlimb, computational biomechanics, virtual palaeontology, machine learning, data science

Participants :
- University of Manchester (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 212933.76 €
Projet REVAMP (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Doctoral Networks - Industrial Doctorates
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

The chemical metrology sector has not been able to keep up with the pace of the chemical industry, which introduces ca. 2000 new chemicals in the market every year. Most chemicals in use today remain almost completely unknown regarding persistence and impact on the environment and society. Delayed action on emerging chemical pollutants has resulted in widespread human exposures and risks, and lessons should be learned from this example and not repeated for the newer chemicals entering the market. Thus, the metrology sector is under strong pressure to radically improve and become highly efficient. The REVAMP project aims at supporting this change by providing cutting-edge training to four young researchers fostering enhanced sustainability of the chemical metrology. This will be achieved through the deployment of scalable solutions to rapidly identify, develop, produce and deploy new certified reference materials and methods for the assessment of the huge amount of existing and emerging chemical compounds with toxicity potential. Together, the ESRs will combine academic research and industrial knowledge to overcome specific challenges at the interface of organic and analytical chemistry and toxicology, applied to the chemical metrology cycle. The ESRs will be trained by an innovative network composed of a leading European academic & research institution, and five leading companies/institutes covering key sub-sectors of the chemical metrology value chain, and including an intersectoral approach. The REVAMP ESRs will obtain a doctoral degree and gain strong skills that match the needs from both industry and academia, increasing significantly their employability and career prospects.

Mots clés : certified reference materials, analytical methods and standards, persistent organic pollutants, chlorinated paraffins, pfass, toxicology, analytical chemistry, organic chemistry

Participants :
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (Pays-Bas) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 1062479.52 €
- Chiron (Norway) (Norvège) — Partner, beneficiary, Organismes privés (hors enseignement), subvention : 0.0 €
Projet MECHADIAN (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2016)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The circadian clock is the biological mechanism that directs the physiological ~24 hour oscillations that most living organisms undergo to anticipate the daily pattern of light. In mammals, that rhythmicity results from a highly conserved genetic circuit –based on transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation– that works synchronously at a cellular level and differs among tissues. Around the 10% of the mammalian proteins, including essential components of the cell cycle and differentiation pathways have been categorised as circadian. Thus, a clock dysregulation may have pathological consequences, which is the case in some types of cancer. Although synchronous circadian cells share a common mechanical microenvironment, the contribution of mechanics to the clock maintenance has never been addressed. To fill this gap, the aim of this project is to unravel a) the impact of the mechanical microenvironment on the cellular clock, b) the influence of circadian oscillations on the mechanical behaviour of the cells and c), the interplay between mechanics and the clock during stem cell differentiation. To achieve these goals, we will combine state-of-the-art technologies in cell mechanics, molecular biology, imaging, and computational modelling. As model system we will use entrained MCF-10a and PHK stem cells. By subjecting them to a range of extracellular matrix rigidities, we will measure the influence of mechanics on the circadian expression of core clock, cytoskeleton and differentiation genes. We will then use traction force microscopy to study the rhythmicity of cell mechanics and, through computational tools, we will link gene expression patterns and force oscillatory behaviour in order to elucidate the molecular basis of the ‘biomechanical clock’. This interdisciplinary study will add a new layer of regulation to both cell mechanics and the circadian clock. As such, the results obtained here will potentially impact on the field of chronomedicine.

Mots clés : chronobiology, mechanobiology, cell cycle, epithelial cells, circadian, mechanotransduction, cellular forces, cellular oscillations

Participants :
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 158121.6 €
Projet MecHA-Nano (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : SIGNED

The clinical translation of nanoparticle-based therapies over the last decade has been hampered by issues such as inefficient targeting and limited therapeutic effect. This poor translational outcome calls for deeper understanding of the biomechanics of cell-nanoparticle (cell-NP) interactions. Indeed, targeting mechanosensing-activated cell pathways is suitable for tuning cell fate and readdressing its functions, as mechanosensing components control the expression of genes involved in the cell’s migration, survival and resistance to drugs. Hippo pathway appears to be one of the most promising mechanobiology pathway, as it is involved in pathological diseases and tissue regeneration. This project aims to address the response of this pathway on cells upon interaction with nanoparticles. Indeed, tuning cell mechanosensing with nanoparticles is likely to hold great potentiality to control cell functionalities. The first objective will be the synthesis of nanoparticles of different size, shape and stiffness, using a silica scaffold coated with hyaluronic acid via metal-phenolic network assembly with exceptional physicochemical properties. The second objective consists in the application of Superresolution microscopy for studying cell-NP interactions with unprecedented detail and unveil the interaction/structure/ spatiotemporal localization of mechanosensing components related to the Hippo pathway (i.e. YAP, actin and focal adhesions) at molecular level. The third objective will be the deep analysis of the molecular biology and biochemistry of mechanosensing proteins (i.e. YAP, TAZ, RhoA and Rock), and their downstream effectors (i.e. TEAD and transcriptional factors) involved in the response to cell-NP interaction. The forth objective will pursue the analysis of these interactions using NenoVision technology (LiteScope), for measuring cell stiffness at the boundary of cell-NP contact with unique resolution.

Mots clés : nanoparticles, mechanobiology, bio nano interactions

Participants :
- St. Anne´s University Hospital (Rép. Tchèque) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 243963.6 €
- University of Melbourne (Australie) — Partner, organization partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
Projet Cohesin loading (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2015)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : TERMINATED

The cohesin-complex mediates sister chromatid cohesion from S-phase until mitosis and is involved in the formation of higher-order chromatin structure. To fulfill these vital functions, cohesin is loaded and positioned in the genome by mechanisms that are only poorly understood. In vitro, loading of cohesin on DNA only requires ATP and a loading-complex formed by Scc2-Scc4, while loading in vivo on chromatin is regulated by additional factors. For example, in Xenopus laevis oocytes, cohesin loading strictly depends on pre-replication complexes (pre-RCs), which are formed in telophase/G1. Mechanistic studies are required to understand how cohesin-loading occurs at the molecular level. I will first determine the mechanism by which Scc2-Scc4 loads cohesin on DNA. Using single-molecule FRET and optical tweezers, I will monitor the effect of Scc2-Scc4 on conformational changes of cohesin as it is loaded on a DNA template. After characterizing this minimal loading reaction, I will reconstitute cohesin-loading during telophase/G1 using a purified system. With these experiments I will address why and how loading of cohesin is regulated by the formation of pre-RCs.

Mots clés : cohesin, sister chromatid cohesion, chromatin, cohesin loading

Participants :
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (Autriche) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Organismes privés (hors enseignement), subvention : 166156.8 €
Projet Cyanide Evolution (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The colourful and toxic Heliconius butterflies are well-established models to study evolution of aposematims and mimicry, yet the genetic basis of their toxicity and how this varies in different populations remains unknown. Heliconius are toxic butterflies because they contain cyanide-releasing compounds called cyanogenic glucosides, which they can both biosynthesize or uptake from Passiflora plants, their co-evolutionary partner, during larval feeding. This multidisciplinary project brings together ecology, genetics, biochemistry and evolutionary biology to investigate how toxicity and interactions with Passiflora plants has shaped the evolution of these butterflies. Thus, I will combine the gene-editing technology CRISPR-Cas with different OMICs approaches (metabolomics, transcriptomics and phenomics) to (1) decipher the genetic and phenotipic bases of cyanogenesis in Heliconius butterflies and (2) unravel the evolutionary trajectory of this defence system in the Heliconiine tribe. Moreover, I will also (3) establish how cyanogenesis vary within and between tropical and subtropical heliconiine-Passiflora communities of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, a biodiversity hotspot endangered by extreme deforestation. This project will give me the unique opportunity to expand my knowledge and skills repertoire on genetics, ecology, evolutionary biology and bioinformatics. I will be trained in advanced techniques such CRISPR-Cas, gene expression analysis, R programing, statistical methods applied to community ecology and matabolomics, etc. Also, during this fellowship I will excel my teaching/supervision, project management and communication abilities. All these expertise will be extremely valuable for the execution of the project and will bring great progress to my career development, increasing my chance of of reaching a long-term position in academia.

Mots clés : crispr cas, heliconius butterflies, cyanogenesis, coevolution, passiflora

Participants :
- University of Cambridge (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 224933.76 €
Projet BNNmetrics (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The complexity and volume of financial data in modern financial markets have been exponentially growing during the last decades. Machine learning (ML) methods such as Deep learning (DL) have been widely utilized for several classification and prediction problems, given their intrinsic flexibility, appropriateness for large multidimensional problems, and ability to discover and adapt to non-linear patterns. However, the enormous number of parameters, their difficult interpretation and inability do deal with uncertainties represent DL’s main shortcomings. On the other hand, classic econometrics methods, of limited variables, great interpretability and with excellent probabilistic properties, have failed to prove appropriate for the analysis of modern high-frequency data. The application in financial econometrics of a DL sub-class of algorithms known as Bayesian neural networks (BNNs) is expected to revolutionize the process of modeling, analyzing, and understanding trading behavior in real markets. BNNs’ attractive properties have the potential of bridging the gap between classic econometrics and ML. This research will show measurable improvements over the current state of the art, both from the financial econometrics and the ML sides, in three problems defined on high-frequency financial data: volatility modeling, stock mid-price movement prediction, and interdependence analysis between stock prices.

Mots clés : networks bayesian learning bigdata econometrics finance

Participants :
- Aarhus University (Danemark) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 207312.0 €
Projet CHOCOLATE (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere depends on carbon cycle processes, i.e. sources and sinks of carbon. The future evolution of the carbon sinks is not well known, which inhibits robust quantification of future atmospheric CO2 concentration and the resulting climate change. Understanding warm past periods is essential to constrain climate models and accurately predict future changes. During the last million years, warmer periods, called interglacials, happened every ~100,000 years. CO2 levels measured in interglacials before the mid-Bruhnes event (MBE), a large climate shift taking place ~430,000 years ago, are lower than the CO2 in interglacials after the MBE. The cause for this drastic evolution is still unexplained, resulting in uncertainty in the carbon cycle response to global warming. To resolve that issue, we propose to combine data and model simulations including new key processes. We suggest that a major mechanism was a slower circulation during interglacials before the MBE, resulting in more ocean carbon storage and lower atmospheric CO2. We also hypothesize that sea-level changes played a considerable role by altering carbon sinks from land vegetation and shallowing ocean carbonate sedimentation. We will include these mechanisms in a state-of-the-art climate model applicable to long timescales, and compare its modified behaviour with paleoclimate data and more complex models used for projections. This will provide a step change in our understanding of the impact of ocean circulation and sea-level changes on the carbon cycle. It will benefit the European and international scientific community by shedding new light on these processes, and by setting the basis to include these new mechanisms in climate models used for projections. The excellence of the experienced researcher in carbon cycle modelling combined with the expertise in ocean modelling and paleoclimate data from the host institution will ensure the success of this project.


Participants :
- Université de Bordeaux (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 185076.0 €
Projet PresentingParliament (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The concept of a ‘personalization of politics’ suggests that media attention has increasingly focussed on personalities such as ministers at the cost of institutions, yet paradoxically parliaments have maintained media visibility. While researchers have studied the relation between media and executive leaders or political parties, there is little scholarship on how parliaments as collectives have communicated to the public. However, democracy fails if citizens cannot see the functioning of their representative body, so parliaments have sought to show their work publicly. This project investigates how they tried to do so, and will thereby demonstrate the important role that parliaments played in the ‘mediatization of politics’. Specifically, it investigates: (1) which arguments parliamentarians voiced against parliament’s use of new means of communication; (2) how and why parliamentarians wanted to use new media to communicate parliament to the public; and (3) how parliamentarians envisioned the role of parliament within a (mass) mediated democracy. The method is a longitudinal and comparative analysis of parliamentary debates on parliament’s engagements with new media – the mass press, radio, television and internet – in Britain, Belgium, and the Netherlands between 1844 and 1995. Debates are found with OCR in the hitherto undigitized parliamentary proceedings of these countries, and are analyzed using the novel topic modelling method. Relevant topics are then selected for qualitative analysis. Dissemination occurs through three articles on the sub questions submitted to journals, seminar and conference presentations, and teaching. The host institution provides international expertise and resources on the history of media-political systems, and the secondments offer additional perspectives, archives, and research networks related to parliamentary history. Overall, the project management experience and teacher certification enable me to become an autonomous academic.

Mots clés : mediatization, personalization of politics, parliament, media, press, journalism, radio, television, photography, internet, democracy, transparency, publicity, attention economy, political visibility

Participants :
- Lund University (Suède) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 203852.16 €
Projet PtoACons (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2015)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The concept of visual consciousness is notoriously hard to define. According to Block (1996),visual consciousness, rather than being unitary, is an hybrid theoretical construct that includes at least two discernible concepts: Phenomenal or P-consciousness, which represents the experiential properties of our perceptions, and Access or A-consciousness, which refers to the availability of part of the visual information for use in reasoning and rationally driven action. Intriguingly, according to Lamme (2003), the two types of consciousness can be linked to different stages of visual information processing. Specifically, P-consciousness is related to the iconic memory content of the original visual experience, while A-consciousness is associated with the working memory content of a “survived” piece of the original experience, after different processing stages. The route from P- to A- consciousness (PtoACons) involves several cognitive processes, such as attention, memory, decision-making and metacognition, which are intermingled and spatiotemporally overlaped. This route emerges from the activity of multiple neurons interconnected by local visual and global fronto-parietal brain networks. Despite that in the last years has been done a significant progress on the knowledge of the brain circuits of visual consciousness, its precise functional organization and neural dynamics are still largely unknown. The present project aims to scan the spatiotemporal evolution of visual consciousness, by combining psychophysical measures, MEG recordings and patients’ studies. More concretely, it attempts to dissociate the behavioural responses and neuro-functional correlates of P- and A-consciousness and to elucidate how several attentional mechanisms and memory processes are involved in the development of the conscious content.

Mots clés : visual consciousness, attention, neglect patients, working memory, metacognition, frontal patients

Participants :
- Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 173076.0 €