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

Flower development plays a critical role in the life cycle of seed plants. Interconnected pathways as vernalization or photoperiod control the transition from vegetative to reproductive growth. On the contrary, flower senescence is considered the final event of flower development in annual plants, because it ultimately leads to the death of the flower. Although, both processes have been extensively studied, the connection between flowering signal and senescence is not yet fully understood. The precise timing of the floral transition is a key decision for a plant that is influenced by internal and external cues. In this sense, the photoperiod pathway regulates the response of the plant to the length of the day and to changes in light-driven circadian rhythms. In Arabidopsis thaliana, the gene CONSTANS (CO) represents a central hub that controls photoperiodic flowering induction. Although poorly understood, it is interesting that CO expression remains at high levels in the shoot apical meristem and floral organs. Why is CO expression maintained in these organs even when the flower developmental program has already been activated? Does it have a second role in flower senescence? The aim of LONGFLOW project is to determine CO expression patterns in flowers, discover its role in autophagy and flower senescence, and modify flower longevity by alteration of CO expression. The hypothesis is that CO, besides inducing flowering, could also induce autophagy and flower senescence through the activation of senescence (SAGs) and autophagy (ATGs) associated genes, as well as a possible role for Jasmonic acid signalling. Thus, by decreasing CO levels specifically in flowers, it could delay autophagy and senescence processes and obtain longer-lived flowers, an interesting applied output of the research activity.

Mots clés : flower longevity, constans, autophagy, senescence

Participants :
- Spanish National Research Council (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 172932.48 €
Projet FEDMFC (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Flowing electrolyte-direct methanol fuel cell (FE-DMFC) is a novel energy technology in which the performance of the conventional DMFC is increased by eliminating the methanol crossover problem. There are some studies found in the literature to predict the performance of this fuel cell using one and two-dimensional single phase models. The validation of these models was done using the experimental test results for the membrane electrode assemblies (MEA) built with conventional materials. In this project, the main objective is to develop a high performance FE-DMFC stack through modeling and experimental studies. For this purpose, a three-dimensional and two-phase multiphysics model, which includes all the transport phenomena in all the layers, will be developed to predict the performance of the FE-DMFC stack accurately. To validate this model, a FE-DMFC stack based on alternative MEA materials (i.e. materials having lower cost, and higher stability and reaction kinetics) will be manufactured in-house in cooperation with the partner organization in Europe. After validating this model, the effect of significant design and operating parameters of the stack on the output parameters will be investigated; thus the parameters that increase the performance of this fuel cell mostly will be determined. This project will have have a very positive impact in Dr. Colpan's career as it will help him to develop lasting integration with his institution and increase his network in Europe. The knowledge and results gained as a result of the research conducted during this project will be shared with other researchers, scientists, and general public through several activities (e.g. conference, seminar, and papers in the journals, webpage, and visiting schools). It is expected that the results of this project will make a significant progress toward commercialization of the FE-DMFC, which in turn contributes to the economy and social prosperity of European society.

Mots clés : dmfc, direct methanol fuel cell, flowing electrolyte, modeling, simulation, transport phenomena, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, comsol, stack

Participants :
- Dokuz Eylül University (Turquie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 145845.6 €
Projet FluoroCAT (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Fluorinated organic molecules play a pivotal role in chemical manufacture. For example, it has been estimated that approximately 20-40% of pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals contain at least one fluorine atom. Despite the fact that perfluoroarenes - aromatic hydrocarbons in which every hydrogen atom is replaced with a fluorine atom - are an inexpensive abundant chemical feedstock they are rarely used in chemical manufacture. The strong carbon–fluorine bond provides an impasse to further chemical reactions. Here we propose to develop a new catalytic method to transform inert carbon–fluorine bonds in perfluoroarenes to reactive carbon–aluminium bonds. We will transform the aluminium-containing reactive intermediates into useful products through carbon–carbon and carbon–heteroatom bond forming reactions. The overall process represents an original underpinning technology to transform inert and chemically persistent fluorinated molecules into building blocks that can be used in chemical manufacture. The ultimate goal of this work is to create a fresh paradigm for using perfluoroarenes in pharmaceutical and agrochemical programmes. The proposed programme will provide world-class training in the areas of organometallic chemistry, homogeneous catalysis and mechanistic analysis. The long-term benefits will be felt in the areas of health and food sustainability.

Mots clés : carbon fluorine bond activation, organometallic chemistry, main group chemistry

Participants :
- Imperial College London (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 183454.8 €
Projet FluoroCosm (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

FluoroCosm is a multidisciplinary project that combines advanced environmental analytical chemistry with innovative 3D human tissue culture techniques to study the dermal absorption of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from Cosmetic products. Recent studies detected PFAS compounds in various cosmetic products on the European market at high levels (up to 470 μg/g). The main hypothesis that FluoroCosm tests is that PFAS can be metabolized and absorbed through human skin, suggesting frequent contact with PFAS-containing cosmetics can lead to significant body burdens and thus adverse health effects. While dermal contact with consumer products has been highlighted as a major pathway of human exposure to brominated flame retardants and was correlated with their levels in serum, no information are currently available on the dermal metabolism/absorption of PFAS, which hinders accurate risk assessment of these chemicals. Therefore, FluoroCosm aims to fill this major research gap by assessing human dermal metabolism/absorption of various PFAS present in Cosmetics, through real-life exposure scenarios. This will be achieved using innovative in vitro 3D human skin equivalent cultures as alternatives to animal/human tissues. The results will be applied to develop an advanced pharmacokinetic model to evaluate the contribution of the dermal pathway to PFAS human body burdens and the potential toxic implications for such exposure. Our vision is that improved understanding of various aspects of human dermal exposure to PFAS will provide for more accurate risk assessment studies. This will benefit public health and regulators by providing the necessary knowledge base to inform policies on correct measurements to limit human exposure to PFAS. FluoroCosm will also benefit scientists by delivering sustainable effective approaches to assessing human dermal exposure to current-use hazardous chemicals.

Mots clés : pfas, dermal bioavailability, dermal metabolism, human exposure, pharmacokinetic modelling, risk assessment, cosmetics

Participants :
- University of Birmingham (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 224933.76 €
Projet CODICES (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) is a rare, genetic, non-syndromic developmental malformation of the cerebral cortex that accounts for 5-10% of patients with focal epilepsy. FCD represents the main cause of pharmacologically intractable epilepsy, the only treatment available consisting of invasive surgical resection of the epileptogenic zone, which results effective in only 62% of patients. Thus, a better understanding of this disorder is necessary to develop more effective and less invasive treatments. FCD type 2 (FCD2) is an mTORopathy caused by genetic mutations that cause hyperactivation of the mTOR pathway, leading to abnormal cell size (cytomegalic dysmorphic neurons and balloon cells) and disruption of the structure of the cortex. Recently, the supervisor S. Baulac and others have partially explained the focal nature of the disorder by identifying post-zygotic somatic (mosaic) mutations in a percentage of cells that correlates with the size of the lesion. Despite this, the underling genetics remains unknown for ~40% of FCD2 patients. My first objective is to perform deep whole-exome sequencing of a cohort of 60 unsolved FCD2 cases to explore alternative pathways and find possibly pathogenic variants, focusing on those with an established link with mTOR pathway and/or neurodevelopment. Abnormal cells found in FCD2 lesions have been hypothesized as the source of the epileptogenic activity. However, the developmental origins of these cells are still unclear, and there is a need to find clear biomarkers that can clarify the link between mTOR hyperactivation and neuronal hyperexcitability. This project aims to clarify these aspects by applying my expertise in single cell genomics and S. Baulac’s expertise in functional studies and disease modelling in human brain organoids. The MSCA IF will allow me to reintegrate in Europe after a 4-years+ postdoc in the US and complete my training with the objective of applying to set up my own lab at the end of the two years.

Mots clés : epilepsy, focal cortical dysplasia, genetic diseases, brain somatic mosaicism, biomarkers, single cell genomics, transcriptomics, brain development, ipscs, brain organoids, pathophysiology

Participants :
- Institut du cerveau (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 196707.84 €
Projet OxyBaby (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Following 4.5 years abroad I hope to work as a MSCA Fellow to tackle the issue of deleterious neuroinflammation following hypoxic injury in newborns. Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE) describes brain injury that occurs when an infant’s brain does not receive enough oxygen & blood. Approximately 15-25% of patients die, 1 in 4 develop severe and permanent neurological disorders including, Cerebral Palsy & later-life Epilepsy. There are currently no successful treatment options & HIE has withstood attempts to improve outcome. A critical immune complex, the inflammasome was discovered in 2002 that senses ‘danger’ & processes potent inflammatory cytokines to bioactive forms. I have generated novel data demonstrating a role for the inflammasome & specifically targeting it for treatment of hypoxic brain injury. This study advances this by assessing the exact contribution of its activity on a cellular level & temporally targeting the complex as a novel treatment. I will employ established preclinical models of hypoxic brain injury, advanced imaging techniques (2- photon) & novel small molecule inhibitors of the complex. I will work at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) with supervisor Prof David Henshall, Director of the FutureNeuro Centre, a multi-institutional national centre for chronic & rare neurological disease research. Ultimately, our proposal will aid design & improvement of current clinical care strategies for infant patients with HIE. I will work with top neuroscientists within FutureNeuro & Europe (Prof Mallard, Sweden), the leading inflammasome company, Inflazome & its CSO Prof O’ Neill and Neonatologists including Prof Murray (Cork, Ireland). My collaboration with these leaders across multiple sectors will expand my competencies/transferable skills & allow advanced multidisciplinary training from experts. All of these will combine to leave me well-placed to provide meaningful contributions to Europe’s competitiveness and growth in the future.

Mots clés : inflammasome, innate immunity, hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy  hie, small molecule inhibitors

Participants :
- Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (Irlande) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 184590.72 €
Projet NovelKnees (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Following nine years abroad I hope to work as a MSCA Fellow on post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA), which is a sub-set of OA. OA is the most common skeletal disorder in the EU, affecting 40 million people. PTOA comprises about 12%, and this is expected to double by 2030, costing equivalent to 1% GDP. Thus novel breakthroughs will have dramatic socio-economic impacts. PTOA occurs after an acute injury such as Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) rupture of the knee. After injury, direct cartilage damage is rarely present, but in 80% of cases Bone Marrow Lesions (BMLs) are detected by MRI. These may be linked with microdamage in subchondral bone (region under the joint) – but this is uncertain. My aim is to develop a new therapy, delivered by injectable microparticles, to target subchondral bone microdamage and prevent PTOA. The project has three objectives: (1) Determine relationship between BMLs & microdamage (2) Determine role of bone remodeling during repair (3) Develop injectable alginate-microparticles loaded with bisphosphonate (bone targeting agents), to prevent PTOA. I will work at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), with my supervisor Prof. Fergal O’Brien, who is a world leader in biomaterials and drug-delivery. He leads the Tissue Engineering Research Group (TERG), and is senior PI at the Trinity Center for Bioengineering (TCBE) and the Advanced Materials and Bioengineering Research (AMBER) group. As European leaders in our field, my collaboration with them will expand my competencies/transferable skills and allow advanced multi-disciplinary training from experts. My expertise will also feedback and provide knowledge in mechanobiology and a new network of international collaborators. I will also develop skills in leadership, reporting, financials, dissemination/public awareness, patents and commercialization. All of these will combine to leave me well-placed to provide meaningful contributions to Europe’s competitiveness and growth in the future.

Mots clés : subchondral bone, microdamage, bone cartilage crosstalk, remodeling, microparticles, intra articular, drug delivery

Participants :
- Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (Irlande) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 187866.0 €
Projet CULTRAMACY (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Following the theoretical framework of cultural trauma, this project's aim is to analyze the impact of trauma on collective memory of wars in Austria and Croatia, as well as the social processes through which such memory is produced, performed and maintained. More specifically, a dynamics of two corresponding forces are explained: cultural trauma representing a response to a tear in social fabric and collective memory acting as a cohesive element for group identity. The CULTRAMACY project draws on methods of both quantitative and qualitative analysis and uses the methodological tool of frame analysis. In order to analyze the impact of trauma on collective memories, this comparative study addresses the following specific objectives: 1) repercussions of trauma on collective and individual, as well as cultural and public memories, 2) traveling of memory through time and space - generational and transcultural transmission of memory, 3) analysis of patterns of European memory. This research is situated on the intercept of the scientific fields of memory studies, social theory and political science. It aims to contribute to academic research on three different levels. First, it contributes to the theoretical debates in memory studies by approaching collective memory from the perspective of cultural trauma. Second, it offers a truly comparative perspective outside of the methodological regionalism, while still acknowledging the nation as one important framework or "scale" of collective remembrance. Finally, this research tracks the travels of memory across borders and generations in order to give some innovative insights for similar phenomena in ever-more globalised world experiencing migration flows. Hence, the CULTRAMACY project aims to map a critical engagement with negative heritage, cross boundaries of national memories and verify the basis of the transcultural sphere of European memory.

Mots clés : cultural trauma, transcultural memory, collective identity, central and southeastern europe

Participants :
- University of Graz (Autriche) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 178156.8 €
Projet SUPERTEFF (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Food security is one of the prime concerns of the world as the production is affected by increase in demand for cereal crops as food and bioenergy resources. In order to maximize productivity, one strategy is to identify and improve indigenous crops (orphan crops) which are often ignored. Orphan crops (e.g. teff, millet) possess better nutritional and adaptive traits than other cereal crops (e.g. rice, wheat). Teff, Ethiopia’s most important indigenous cereal crop is recently gaining attention among farmers and consumers over other cereals due to its natural gluten-free nature and its adaptation to tough environmental conditions. The high market price for its grains and straw make it a valuable cash crop but has received less attention on research and funding. The main objective of “SUPERTEFF” is to apply omics and gene editing strategies for the improvement of teff. The key objectives of the study are (1) characterization of disparate teff germplasm for agronomically important traits using image-based phenomics (2) to explore the nutrient diversity in teff cultivars using high-throughput metabolomics (3) metabolite-genome-wide association studies (m-GWAS) to understand the genotype to phenotype relation (4) to develop a CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing platform in teff with prime focus to lodging. The proposed study will provide a new paradigm in linking metabolic status to gene expression and will provide valid targets for CRISPR gene editing strategies in teff to convert it from an orphan crop to a super crop which will bare comparison to other established cereal crops. The outputs of this project will result in bridging the gap between orphan crops and other cereal crops in terms of sustainable yield and resilience to environmental conditions, whereby addressing the growing concerns of farmers and consumers across the globe. This project aims to strengthen the EU economy, by placing it in the fore-front of global food security and sustainable agriculture.

Mots clés : cereals, teff, agronomic traits, metabolite gwas, genome editing, crsipr, lodging

Participants :
- Aberystwyth University (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 224933.76 €
Projet SMI REP (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

For cells to reproduce, an accurate duplicate of the genome must be created. This is no small task. The genetic information stored in each cell consists of ~6 billion pairs of nucleobases (base pairs, bp) assembled as a polymer 2 metres long and 2 nanometres in diameter, with the structural form of a double helix. For a mammalian cell to divide, this deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) must be copied in a time frame on the order of 1 day, or ~70,000bp a second. DNA replication is common to all 3 domains of life, bacteria, archaea and eukarya and is accomplished by a complex of proteins. This proposal brings together a researcher of great proficiency in single molecule methods and multidisciplinary research with the Single Molecule Imaging group at the London Research Institute, one of the world leading centres in DNA replication. Combined, we will build unique instruments and develop single molecule assays to understand the molecular gymnastics of DNA replication in eukaryotes. We will elucidate rates of DNA unwinding by eukaryotic helicases and establish enhancements by association with other proteins. We will also study replisome dynamics by observing synthesis of DNA on custom templates in real time. This will allow detection of replication loops and stalling that may occur. We will also examine the mechanism of lesion bypass. The insight gained is impossible with classical biochemical techniques, as individual replisomes are observed in real time rather than measuring an average of a population. Our methods will reveal heterogeneities and obtain precise quantitative details of the dynamics. Features such as pauses and back slips will enable the study of intermediate states and conformational changes linked to replisome dynamics. This proposal will satisfy academic curiosity of understanding life at the most fundamental level but will also increase our knowledge of the how the cell works and thus becomes the building blocks for disease treatment and cures of the future.

Mots clés : single molecule studies of dna replication in eukaryotes

Participants :
- Cancer Research UK (Royaume-Uni) — Partner, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 0.0 €
- The Francis Crick Institute (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 195454.8 €