Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-actions-marie-curie-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet MutANTs (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Germline mutation rate (GMR) is a key concept in all disciplines of biology, and particularly in evolutionary biology and the biomedical sciences. GMR varies both across and within species, but what drives this variation is unclear. Theories predict that GMR variation is shaped by environmental selection pressures, by effective population sizes, and by prevailing life-history traits (across species) and parental age at reproduction (within species). However, our understanding is extremely limited because within-species GMR variation has been investigated only to some extent in humans, and larger comparative genome-level datasets in other clades have not yet been pursued. I propose to start filling this gap by studying GMR in attine fungus-growing ants and a set of outgroup. non-attine ants. The attine ants, a ca. 55 MY old monophyletic lineage, are ideal for understanding GMR variation across and within species because their basic ecology is similar (obligate dependence of farmed fungi for food) but their life-histories diversified enormously from the base to the crown of their phylogenetic tree, which presently has 15 recognized genus-level branches and >230 species. Against a background dataset of ~20 high quality genomes, I propose to obtain genome-wide GMR estimates for 12 attine ants and 7 non-attine ants while controlling for confounders of phylogeny, colony size, life-span and effective population size. In addition, I will do an in-depth analysis of a single leafcutter ant species with long-lived queens and stored sperm of the same age, where I can also control for parental age. I will implement the MutANTs project at the Centre for Social Evolution in Copenhagen, an internationally renowned research hub for interdisciplinary omics research on ants, with Professors Guojie Zhang and Jacobus Jan Boomsma as joint hosts. I expect that in the two years available MutANTs will yield the first comparative data to predict GMRs across and within species.

Mots clés : mutation rate, ants, macro evolution, pedigree based resequencing, life history, ecology

Participants :
- University of Copenhagen (Danemark) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 219312.0 €
Projet AGEISM (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Given the ageing population in Europe, it is critical to understand the mechanisms involved in growing old. Our ability to reduce the impact of ageing in humans might be best studied in equally long-lived animals. Predicting future changes in longevity patterns might depend on our ability to develop indicators of how old we really are and how many healthy years we have ahead of us, and how those indicators depend on our health history across decades. My study will be the first linking lifelong disease history with physiological and molecular measures of ageing in a mammal as long-lived as humans. I will examine how different molecular ageing markers (telomere dynamics, oxidative stress and telomerase activity) interact with lifelong disease and reproductive history, and current endocrinological measures of stress and reproduction. This helps to better grasp both the mechanisms of ageing and their consequences on senescence rates, thus providing exceptional opportunities to identify the exact role of these markers in evolutionary processes and how they determine ageing rates and individual variation in senescence rates. It would also help us to establish which molecular markers best represent individual health history and to understand how health history can predict ageing rates. To do so, I will combine the world's most comprehensive demographic data on Asian elephants with bi-monthly health and disease records across life and with molecular ageing markers and hormonal correlates of stress and reproduction (N~240). I will determine: Q1.How does health decline with age? Q2.How does lifelong disease exposure and current health link with ageing markers? Q3.How does reproduction affect age-specific declines in health and current ageing markers? Q4.How does early stress affect age-specific declines in health and current ageing markers?

Mots clés : health history, ageing mechanisms, senescence, lifespan evolution, long lived mammals

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

Given the growth and aging of the world population, innovative solutions for sustainable energy and health are needed. Novel technologies play an enabling role in the realization of such solutions. Better devices for the detection of annihilation quanta resulting from positron annihilation are an example. In material science these detectors are needed for research on renewable energies and innovative energy storage using Positron Annihilation Lifetime Spectroscopy (PALS). In medicine they are required for diagnosis, staging, and treatment monitoring of diseases using Time-of-Flight Positron Emission Tomography (TOF-PET). In both fields time resolution is a key parameter. Sub-100 picosecond resolution is needed but not yet available. Improvement of time resolution, however, must not deteriorate other performance parameters. This project aims to overcome present physical limits. Monolithic scintillation crystals will be read out with digital photon counter (DPC) arrays coupled to each of its surfaces. Innovative data processing methods will be developed to eliminate the influence of scintillation photon propagation, currently the major bottleneck in large scintillation crystals that are nevertheless needed for high detection efficiency. We aim at coincidence resolving times (CRT) < 100ps FWHM, 10% energy resolution, 1 mm isotropic spatial resolution, and 90% detection efficiency. The detector will be incorporated in a PALS setup. After the performance has been characterized, it will be used for TU Delft’s materials research on renewable energy. The detector characterization will also serve as a proof-of-concept for application in clinical TOF-PET devices. The results are furthermore expected to be of relevance to fields such as high-energy physics. To investigate options for further improvement of the already unprecedented time resolution, studies will be done towards exploiting the Cherenkov-effect in a detector based on a hybrid Cherenkov/scintillation material.

Mots clés : ultrafast gamma quantum detection, digital photon counting, positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy

Participants :
- Delft University of Technology (Pays-Bas) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 165598.8 €
Projet TEG AGS (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Glass and glazing tends to be regarded as a passive material that has little use other than lighting and appearance, however, it has been established that properly formulated glazing components can have a dramatic impact on the overall energy use in buildings. The development of sound theoretical models and the demonstration of the Thermoelectric Generator (TEG) suggest that the next energy breakthrough in glazing and windows will be to convert sunlight falling on the glazing (which results in a temperature gradient within/across the glazing) into significant amounts of electricity for use in that building or for re-circulation to the grid. Therefore, complex and interlocking issues that need to be solved include: • A continued improvement in glazing that will maximize thermal gradient across the integrated TEG but maintain the primary function as light providers. • The need for new TEG materials that can maximise the conversion of full spectrum incident sunlight into usable current. • The 'extraction' and use of the power generated and the technical issues associated with returning it to the grid. • The public policy and new business models required to turn a successful technical prototype into a commercial reality. My research programme based on training at Lawrence Berkeley Lab, USA, Dublin Institute of Technology, Ireland and Coventry University, UK will directly address each of these problems in an integrated and holistic fashion.

Mots clés : thermoelectric generator, advanced glazing, vacuum glazing, electrochromic vacuum glazing, triple vacuum glazing, communication control module

Participants :
- Coventry University (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 289732.8 €
- University of California System (Etats-Unis) — Partner, organization partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
Projet GlassX (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Glasses are ubiquitous in our daily lives, yet the current understanding of them is very limited. Despite decades of research, the structure and dynamics of glasses and the nature of the glass transition remain open problems in condensed matter physics. To a large extent, this is due to the intrinsic properties of glasses: they lack long-range order, which makes it difficult to fully characterise their microscopic structures; they are out-of-equilibrium by nature, which leads to temporally evolving and spatially heterogeneous dynamics. With the advent of a new generation of X-ray sources and the development of novel X-ray technologies, these challenges can now be addressed. The GlassX action thus aims at exploiting these new opportunities to significantly better our understanding of glasses. The action is divided into four parts, each addressing an important open question in glass physics. Parts 1 and 2 focus on structural properties of vapor-deposited metallic glasses, including the degree of local anisotropy and the relation between their structure and stability. Parts 3 and 4 concentrate on the dynamics of glasses, including the wave-vector dependence and the existence of dynamic heterogeneities. These projects will make use of X-ray nano-diffraction and X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy techniques, both of which will see significant improvements with the newly available fourth-generation X-ray sources, making it possible to reach previously unexplored length and time scales. The knowledge generated by the action will contribute substantially to the field of glasses, both from the aspect of basic science and in terms of possible applications. Dissemination of the results will also be an integral part of the action, with the goal to effectively communicate the research outcome and its relevance to audiences both within and outside academia.

Mots clés : metallic glasses, physical vapor deposition, x ray nano diffraction, x ray photon correlation spectroscopy, x ray free electron laser

Participants :
- University of Padua (Italie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 171473.28 €
Projet ENCOGLAP (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2016)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Glaucoma is a common eye pathology that can lead to blindness. As it is a progressive disease, longer-term treatment is required for its control, based mainly on the regular use of topical eye drops. Adherence to the treatment is the degree to which a patient’s behaviour in taking medication corresponds with agreed recommendations from their doctor. Various risk factors for non-adherence to the glaucoma treatment have been identified, but the role played by an individual’s ocular surface characteristics and the influence of different environmental conditions are not well understood. The objectives of ENCOGLAP (ENvironmental COnditions in GLAucoma Patients) are to determine which ocular surface characteristics and environmental conditions will influence non-adherence to treatment. The influence of preservatives in eye drops will also be investigated. The overarching aim is to provide a guide of “risk factors of non-adherence” that could be used in the clinical practice. Dr. García-Porta (ER) will work with Professor Pardhan (supervisor) within a multidisciplinary team. Patients have been identified through various hospitals and eye clinics. The experiments will be carried out using a Controlled Environmental Chamber (CEC) based in the Vision and Eye Research Unit (VERU) at Anglia Ruskin University. VER,U rated as ‘world class’ and ‘internationally excellent’ in the last UK's Research Excellence Framework, is one of the leading multi-disciplinary Eye Research Centres in Europe. A strong plan to maximise the transfer of knowledge between the ER and VERU will be implemented. This will include direct research and educational training that the ER will receive. The outreach and dissemination, crucial aspects of this project, will be implemented via prestigious conferences and peer-reviewed papers submitted to high impact journals. Various social media avenues will be employed to maximise the visibility of ENCOGLAP to the general public

Mots clés : glaucoma, glaucoma treatment, environmental conditions, drug compliance

Participants :
- Anglia Ruskin University (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 195454.8 €
Projet SUBTOL (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Global food security is threatened by climate change, particularly increased incidences of flooding and drought. Flooding has catastrophic impact on agricultural productivity, as most agricultural crops are sensitive to waterlogging and submergence. Flooding is a complex, multi-factorial stress involving lack of oxygen, followed by oxidative stress as the flood subsides and sometimes accompanied by changes in salinity. The molecular strategies land plants use to respond to submergence vary widely between species and are not fully understood due to lack of model organisms naturally adapted to such multiple stresses. SUBTOL takes a completely new approach to improving plant submergence tolerance: harnessing genetic mechanisms from green seaweeds, a group of organisms naturally adapted to both submergence and desiccation, for which there is no equivalent terrestrial counterpart. SUBTOL will use the emerging model green seaweed Ulva to understand the changes in gene regulation that occur during seaweed submergence and exposure. Ulva shares a common ancestor with land plants and is uniquely adapted to natural periodic submergence/exposure cycles arising from tides. SUBTOL sets a new research paradigm and will define for the first time the molecular mechanisms regulating both submergence and post-submergence stress in a seaweed. This data will then be used to manipulate relevant genes in land plants, to modify their submergence tolerance via a synthetic biology approach. SUBTOL will thus generate knowledge benefiting both academia and industry. SUBTOL (i) initiates a step-change in the societal value of seaweeds by using them as models to understand adaptive processes largely absent from land plants, (ii) greatly improves understanding of both seaweed physiology and plant stress tolerance, (iii) will lead to novel routes for manipulating flood tolerance in land plant crops for agricultural benefit and (iv) enables new understanding of plant evolution.

Mots clés : algae, plants, flooding

Participants :
- University of Birmingham (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 195454.8 €
Projet NatureSToll (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Global pharmaceutical consumption is rising with growing and ageing human population and more intensive food production. Recent studies have revealed pharmaceutical residues in aquatic ecosystems and organisms. Among pharmaceuticals, antibiotics, which are natural, synthetic or semi-synthetic compounds, able to kill and inhibit growth or metabolic activity of microorganism, are one of the most widely used categories. Environmental concentrations of antibiotics are often low, but their continuous discharge in the environment, exposes aquatic organisms during their entire life cycle. There is currently little data on the non-therapeutic effects of antibiotics. The microbiota represents the trillions of microorganisms inhabiting a host. Gut microbiota contributes to the development of an immune response, to metabolic processes and it influences the host behaviour. Gut microbiota is very plastic and recent insights have suggested that most diseases could be linked in some way to an alteration of the gut microbiota (i.e. a dysbiosis). However, no studies so far have investigated the impact of antibiotic residues on wildlife’s gut microbiota composition and its effect on disease occurrence. Top predators of aquatic ecosystems such as mustelids are exposed to high levels of pollutants and are considered as keystone sentinel species for the study of pollutant effects on wildlife. Mustelids are also a reservoir species to zoonotic disease, as they are exposed to diverse types of viruses that can be passed from and to domestic animals and humans. The aims of this research action are to 1) determine the ‘natural’ variation of gut microbiota composition according to biological factors, 2) investigate a threshold effect level for which pharmaceuticals could lead to health effects, 3) test if the individuals with high concentrations of pharmaceuticals are more likely to develop infectious diseases. I will investigate these questions in the American mink Neovison vison.

Mots clés : ecophysiology, gut microbiota, emerging contaminants, pharmaceuticals, mustelids, zoonotic disease

Participants :
- University of Liège (Belgique) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 178320.0 €
Projet HYSOTIB (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Global water challenges call urgently today for additional and deeper research by social scientists in order to achieve sustainability. By combining methods of geo-morphology and anthropology, HYSOTIB will provide an in-depth ethnographic study of one of the globe’s key river heritage landscapes – the China’s Qinghai Headwaters including the sources of the Yellow, Yangtze and Mekong rivers. The on-going transformation of the the Qinghai headwaters into a national park hinges on a profound socio-ecological paradox, where the locals (97% ethnic Tibetan) are considered by Chinese authorities as both drivers of environmental impact as well as central to local natural and cultural heritage preservation practices. HYSOTIB will disentagle the underlying dynamics of this phenomenon by investigating socio-cultural and environmental issues, thus bridging the still huge scientific gap between heritage- and water/river studies. The primary fieldwork will take place at the upper reaches of the Yangtze river in the Yushu Tibetan Prefecture (Qinghai Province). Selected case-study areas from the Three-River Source National Nature Reserve will be examined as hydro-social contexts of global encounters arising within defined ecological, ethnic and territorial boundaries. Thanks to the researcher’s knowledge in Tibetan and Chinese language, and her previous fieldwork experience in Tibetan areas of China, HYSOTIB will provide a timely and improved understanding of the global context. Urgent environmental and anthropic risks, currently at the core of the EU-China 2020 Strategic Cooperation Agenda, will be addressed. The training in river science and heritage studies at the universities of Auckland (NZ) and Ca’ Foscari in Venice (IT) will significantly cement the candidate’s status as a leading geo-social scientist.

Mots clés : china, preservation of qinghai headwaters, river geomorphology, river management, natural, cultural heritage, tibetan ethnic areas, post disaster reconstruction, sustainable development

Participants :
- Ca' Foscari University of Venice (Italie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 251353.92 €
- University of Auckland (Nouvelle-Zélande) — Partner, organization partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
Projet FOODWASTE (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Globally, a startling amount of food is being wasted. This is costly in financial and environmental terms. Much of this wasting occurs in the trajectory from farm to shelf. However consumers, especially those living in wealthier regions of the world, also throw away considerable amounts of food. Based on the alarming numbers reported in statistical research on food waste, campaigns and public policy is being developed to change consumer behaviour. However, much of current food waste research, campaigning and policy is not based on any actual knowledge of what consumers do. How do ‘ordinary consumers’ actually go about buying and then using and/or wasting food? Which daily life tinkering techniques have they invented? And how do societal and technological infrastructures enable or disable food waste avoidance? The present research project will study how consumers handle their food. Mixed methods will be used to comparatively study online anti-wasting campaigns/communities and household practices in two Danish and two Swedish cities. In the process current understandings of food waste will be challenged by: (1) combining a focus on wasting practices and 2) understanding the perishable nature of food; (3) highlighting the techniques that consumers use to avoid wasting by caring for it; and (4) exploring how people balance sustainable food care with other hopes and daily life demands. By fleshing out the concepts of timing, caring and negotiating the project will develop an original theoretical repertoire for understanding food wasting. The results of the action will allow me to contribute to further strengthening already existing food research at the SAXO Institute, University of Copenhagen (UCPH). It will also enrich our knowledge and be valuable for (a) further development of sustainable policies and actions directed against food wasting within the EU; (b) retailers, consumers and others who handle foof;and (c) other academics researching food and/or wasting.

Mots clés : foodwaste, consumption, households, qualitative methods, sustainability

Participants :
- University of Copenhagen (Danemark) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 212194.8 €