Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-actions-marie-curie-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet PiCOGAMBAS (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Over the last 15 years, observations of the Cosmic Microwave Background, together with galaxy surveys, have established with great precision the pillars of the current concordance ΛCDM model of cosmology. This model requires a very early epoch of accelerated expansion referred to as inflation, during which quantum mechanical density fluctuations generated the seeds for the evolution of the large scale structures (LSS) we observe today. These grew under gravitational instability induced by the presence of dark matter, an hypothetical type of matter which has mass but interacts only gravitationally with standard matter. This process converted the primordial inflationary perturbations into clumpy million light-year sized clusters and galaxies. A few billion years ago, however, we entered a new era of accelerated expansion driven by yet another component permeating the universe: the dark energy. The dark matter, dark energy and inflation concepts parametrize, and they do so remarkably well, our lack of knowledge about the universe, without affecting our capability of making observable prediction on cosmological scales. Nevertheless, from the point of view of fundamental physics, they represent one of the biggest unknowns to pin down. The Standard Model (SM) of particle physics cannot easily accommodate the existence of the dark components or explain the inflationary mechanism, which occurred at energy scales well above the ones that can ever be tested in a laboratory. The goal of this project is to provide new insight into our understanding of the universe using observations of the reconstructed matter distribution in the universe in different wavelengths and analyze these data jointly to tackle few of the fundamental open questions in cosmology: the determination of the physics of the inflationary mechanism, the measurement of neutrino masses, the nature of dark matter, the nature and properties of dark energy, and the nature of the gravitational force.

Mots clés : data analysis, euclid, simons observatory, numerical simulations

Participants :
- Simons Foundation (Etats-Unis) — Partner, organization partner, Recherche, subvention : 0.0 €
- Cardiff University (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 271732.8 €
Projet PULSATES (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2016)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : TERMINATED

Over the last 50 years the study of pulsars has advanced our scientific knowledge over an incredibly broad range of topics, from particle physics, where they provide the only means of experimentally testing theories that describe the behaviour of matter at densities greater than those in an atomic nucleus, to enabling exquisitely precise tests of gravity. Since their initial discovery, over 2000 pulsars have been found in surveys worldwide, and observed from 100 MHz up to TeV gamma-ray energies, however ten times more than this are expected to be observable in our Galaxy. Over the course of this fellowship I will develop, and implement, an advanced survey strategy that, for the first time, will incorporate simultaneous observations from across the electromagnetic spectrum to exploit the truly broadband nature of the pulsar emission mechanism. Additionally, I will design innovative analysis techniques to extract the maximum scientific information both from the survey data, and the subsequent long-term observations. This fellowship will extend my existing knowledge of pulsar timing, from which the precision science is extracted, to include the other core aspect of pulsar astronomy, that of pulsar searching, bringing me into close contact with observational astronomy using both the current, and next, generation of radio telescopes. I will transfer my unique expertise in statistical analysis and precision pulsar timing to the host, where it will be applied to a wide range of projects, including international efforts to detect gravitational waves, and the ERC Synergy Grant “BlackHoleCam”, which involves the discovery and analysis of a pulsar orbiting the central supermassive black hole in our Galaxy. Further, I will gain critical skills from the group, both within astrophysics, and beyond, in writing observing proposals, project management, and disseminating my research to the general public, all of which will be vital as I pursue a career in astrophysics in Europe.

Mots clés : pulsars, surveys, analysis methods, pulsar timing

Participants :
- Max Planck Society (Allemagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 159460.8 €
Projet RoSTBiDFramework (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2015)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Over the last decades, the amount of data has increased in an unprecedented rate, leading to a new terminology: "Big Data". Big data are specified by their Volume, Variety, Velocity and by their Veracity/Imprecision. Based on these 4V specificities, it has become difficult to quickly acquire the most useful information from the huge amount of data at hand. Thus, it is necessary to perform data (pre-)processing as a first step. In spite of the existence of many techniques for this task, most of the state-of-the-art methods require additional information for thresholding and are neither able to deal with the big data veracity aspect nor with their computational requirements. This project's overarching aim is to fill these major research gaps with an optimised framework for big data pre-processing in certain and imprecise contexts. Our approach is based on Rough Set Theory (RST) for data pre-processing and Randomised Search Heuristics for optimisation and will be implemented under the Spark MapReduce model. The project combines the expertise of the experienced researcher Dr Zaineb Chelly Dagdia in machine learning, rough set theory and information extraction with the knowledge in optimisation and randomised search heuristics of the supervisor Dr Christine Zarges at the University of Birmingham (UoB). Further expertise is provided by internal and external collaborators from academic and non-academic institutions, namely Prof Tino (UoB), Prof Merelo (University of Granada), Prof Lebbah (University of Paris 13) and Philippe Barra (Arrow Group). The involvement of Arrow Group, an SME based in France specialised in Big data, Banking, Finance & Insurance is of particular importance to ensure that real-world requirements are met throughout the development of the framework.

Mots clés : big data, rough set theory, optimization, information extraction, missing values

Participants :
- Aberystwyth University (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 183454.8 €
- University of Birmingham (Royaume-Uni) — Partner, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
Projet LySyT (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Over the last few decades, neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) became one of the top 10 global causes of death. The accumulation of misfolded protein aggregates in affected brain regions is a common hallmark shared by several NDs. Misfolded alpha-synuclein (α-syn) accumulates in Parkinson’s disease (PD), the second most common ND, and recently a “prion-like” mechanism linked to the spreading of α-syn has been suggested for the pathology progression. The Zurzolo group demonstrated that α-syn fibrils spread between neuronal cells inside lysosomes through tunneling nanotubes (TNTs), thin actin-based membrane protrusions mediating intercellular transport of various cargos. As known, lysosomes move along microtubules therefore this research aims to understand how lysosomes can move inside and through actin-based TNTs. The host lab also showed that the transferred α-syn fibrils induce the aggregation of soluble cytosolic α-syn in receiving cells and this project will unravel the mechanism by which α-syn fibrils escape from lysosomes to induce the aggregation of monomers in acceptor cells. In addition, since lysosomal dysfunction is a common feature of NDs, this research will shed light on the functionality and fate of α-syn-loaded lysosomes. Lysosomal dysfunction is also a trait of Lysosomal Storage Diseases (LSDs), a group of about 50 rare inherited metabolic disorders generally caused by the defective function of a specific lysosomal enzyme leading to the lysosomal accumulation of non-degraded materials and neurodegeneration in the forms most severe. This project will investigate the correlation between LSDs and NDs and the possible implications of TNTs in LSDs that represent a new perspective for LSDs etiopathogenesis. By combining my skills in lysosome physiopathology and the host lab expertise in TNTs and PD pathogenesis, this project will provide a deep understanding of the role of lysosomes in NDs pathogenesis and valuable insights to combat these incurable diseases.

Mots clés : lysosome, tunneling nanotubes, alpha synuclein, cell cell communication, lysosomal dysfunction, lysosomal storage diseases

Participants :
- Institut Pasteur (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 184707.84 €
Projet QuLeeYang (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Over the last years, investigations of Lee-Yang zeros – complex zeros of the partition function for systems of finite size – have become an indispensable theoretical tool in equilibrium statistical physics with diverse applications, ranging from protein folding and percolation to complex networks and magnetism. In the thermodynamic limit, the Lee-Yang zeros approach the real value of the control parameter for which a phase transition occurs. Despite these developments, surprisingly little attention has so far been devoted to applications of Lee-Yang theory beyond classical equilibrium systems. One reason may be that Lee-Yang zeros (being complex values of physical quantities) for years were seen as a purely theoretical concept with little relevance to experiments. However, this view has recently been contested by several experiments, in which Lee-Yang zeros have been determined. A novel cumulant method allows for the determination of Lee-Yang zeros from measurements of fluctuating observables, thus offering a completely new perspective on phase transitions in interacting many-body systems. Here, building on this cumulant method, I propose to formulate a unifying theory of phase transitions in interacting quantum many-body systems, including space-time, dynamical, and quantum phase transitions, from the perspective of Lee-Yang zeros. I will connect this theoretical framework to large-deviation statistics, fluctuation relations, and many-body entanglement in non-classical systems. Furthermore, I will devise experimental schemes to test my predictions and, in particular, investigate quantum phase transitions in engineered quantum devices. Fulfilling these objectives will expand the field far beyond its current state-of-the-art and potentially result in major scientific breakthroughs with important implications for other research fields, such as quantum information processing and quantum thermodynamics.

Mots clés : lee yang zeros, non equilibrium phase transitions, quantum phase transitions, large deviation statistics

Participants :
- Aalto University (Finlande) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 190680.96 €
Projet Iso-Proline CTD (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Prolines are unique amongst aminoacids given that they naturally exist in two isomeric states: CIS and TRANS. The transition between these states is slow but can be catalyzed by the activity of proline isomerases such as PIN1. Recent in vitro work suggests that PIN1 can alter the phosphorylation dynamics of the C-terminal domain (CTD) of RNA polymerase II (Pol II) by inhibiting phosphatase recognition. Given Pol II is solely responsible for transcribing all protein-coding genes and that CTD phosphorylation dictates the timing of RNA co-transcriptional processes, these observations suggest a crucial role for CTD proline isomerization in gene expression. Importantly, mutations in PIN1 are associated with cancer progression but a direct role for proline isomerization has remained understudied given the technical limitations imposed by its complex enzymology, such as the inability of differentiating CIS and TRANS isomers using Mass Spectrometry. In this project, I aim to functionally dissect the role of proline isomerization during Pol II transcription using rigorous biochemical, cellular and genomic techniques. Specifically, I will exploit new technological advances in peptide synthesis to permanently “lock” prolines in CIS or TRANS and identify novel isomer-specific interacting factors. I will systematically examine the consequences of CTD proline mutations and of rapid depletion of PIN1 in human cells, focusing on CTD-dependent co-transcriptional RNA processes such as splicing and poly-A–dependent 3’ termination. At the basic research level, my results will provide unprecedented resolution to the dynamics of Pol II phosphorylation, which underlies regulation of gene expression in multicellular organisms. Translationally, given that various cancers hijack the transcriptional programmes of the cell, this mechanistic understanding of CTD proline isomerization will better equip future clinical studies interested in the yet-to-be-characterized role of PIN1 in oncogenesis.

Mots clés : rnapii, pol ii, gene expression, proline isomerization, ctd phosphorylation, genomics, pin1, mechanistic analysis, nascent rna transcriptomics, silac, proteomics, immunoprecipitation, degron

Participants :
- University of Copenhagen (Danemark) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 219312.0 €
Projet SORT1LIG (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Protein trafficking is crucial to maintain organelle function and cellular homeostasis, and is regulated by sorting receptors. Sortilin is a membrane receptor that sorts proteins to the predisposed cellular compartments through both secretory and endocytic routes. To accomplish this function Sortilin is endowed with an ectodomain that binds a great variety of cargo proteins, and a cytosolic domain that recruits adaptor proteins to direct the receptor trafficking activities. In the last 15 years more than 20 cargo proteins of Sortilin have been identified leading to the discovery of key Sortilin functions related to lipoprotein metabolism, neurotrophic factor signaling and lysosomal trafficking. However, little is known about the specific mechanisms that regulate Sortilin intracellular trafficking and function, since few cytosolic adaptors, shared with other sorting receptors, have been identified. Based on this, the aim of the present project is to identify and characterize new cytosolic adaptors of Sortilin and shed light on these fundamental aspects. In particular, I will isolate, validate and characterize new adaptors and their binding sites, starting from the outcome of a large-scale analysis of candidate Sortilin adaptors performed by the host research group. To this aim I will use multiple techniques developed for the study of protein-protein interaction and cell biology. The results of this study will provide new knowledge about the Sortilin binding ability, intracellular trafficking and function. Importantly, elucidating the machinery and the molecular/regulatory mechanisms of protein trafficking is crucial to understand cellular physiology and pathology. In addition, since Sortilin is emerging as a major disease gene in cardiovascular, neurological, and neurodegenerative disorders, the results from the present project will provide new knowledge about the etiology of these complex diseases and propose novel therapeutic perspectives for their treatment.

Mots clés : sort1

Participants :
- Aarhus University (Danemark) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 212194.8 €
Projet MSPrad (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Proton therapy is a new radiotherapy modality which aims to maximize dose deposition in tumors, while sparing surrounding healthy tissues. It is uniquely suited for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer, a deadly cancer of current unmet needs. Improving the prognosis of non-small cell lung cancer is an important health and wellbeing milestone, which was identified as one of Europe’s societal challenge in the Horizon 2020 programme. However, the expected benefits of proton therapy are largely impaired by patient motion (breathing) during treatment. A potential solution is to adapt the treatment in real-time by following the location of the tumour with imaging. The overreaching goal of this action is to enable real-time tumor tracking for accurate lung tumor treatment in proton radiotherapy. To do so, a radiographic device, developed by the prospective group, will use the proton treatment source to generate quasi real-time images (proton radiographs) to mitigate the impact of breathing on treatment quality. However, due to the poor image quality of current radiographs, rapid image quality optimization algorithms are mandatory to allow real-time adaptation. This action focuses on producing the necessary algorithms and validation to use proton radiographs in real time. The three main objectives are to (1) develop a proton radiography image quality enhancement (resolution and noise) algorithm based on deconvolution, (2) implement a tumor position tracking algorithm from high-quality proton radiographies, and (3) perform a full experimental validation on the integrated image-guided proton therapy unit. This work will be carried out at University College London (UCL) and its affiliated hospital (UCLH), under the supervision of Prof. Gary Royle and co-supervision of Dr. Charles-Antoine Collins Fekete. It will be a synergistic combination of the applicant’s experience in image reconstruction/analysis and UCL’s expertise on proton physics and therapy.

Mots clés : image guided radiation therapy, image reconstruction, algorithmic development

Participants :
- University of London (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 224933.76 €
Projet GAII (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Public employment services (PES) are undergoing major reform in Ireland. Mandatory job search and other forms of conditionality are being extended to more and more people while the delivery of programmes targeted at the long-term unemployed are being privatised. These reforms have been actively promoted by the OECD and form a core plank of the Irish government’s strategy to achieve its employment targets under the Europe 2020 Strategy. Yet their impact on the labour market reintegration of long-term unemployed remains unclear due to the total absence of independent research on the contracting-out of activation services in Ireland. I am an experienced Irish researcher currently based within a high-profile research team at the University of Melbourne that has been studying the contracting-out of PES for nearly 20 years. This fellowship will enable me to return to Ireland to undertake the first sustained comparative study of PES contracting in Ireland, under the supervision of Dr Mary Murphy, one of the leading contributors to national debate on welfare reform in Ireland. It will be undertaken at Maynooth University (National University of Ireland) and include cross-sectoral secondments – with Department for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, the Irish Local Development Organisation (which represents Local Employment Services), and the Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed - designed to maximise the project’s impact through rapidly integrating me into policy networks, advocacy and practitioner communities. In providing the first comparative study of contracted-out PES provision in Ireland, and the impact of marketization on the labour market re-integration of disadvantaged social groups, the fellowship will build understanding of how recent welfare reforms have contributed to the attainment of key National Strategic Policy objectives and wider European and UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Mots clés : new public management, market governance of activation

Participants :
- National University of Ireland (Irlande) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 196590.72 €
Projet MS4Drug (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) is a life-threatening condition; even if treated, patients only have a 5-year survival rate of less than 60%. For the treatment of PAH, Chiesi Pharmaceuticals develops Rho-associated, coiled-coil-containing protein kinase (ROCK) inhibitors. The aim of this project is to elucidate conformational changes in ROCK in vitro as well as in the cellular environment that are induced by anti-PAH drug candidates, which are currently being tested in preclinical trials at Chiesi Pharmaceuticals. The ROCK interactome will be mapped to gain detailed insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the signaling pathways of ROCK. We will decipher the effect of anti-PAH drug candidates on the ROCK interactome and elucidate drug-induced conformational changes in ROCK. Identifying novel pharmacological targets modulating specific ROCK/protein interactions will eventually lead to novel drugs for an improved treatment of PAH. This project will integrate, for the first time, in cell cross-lining mass spectrometry (XLMS), in conjunction with hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDX-MS), in the drug discovery pipeline of a pharma company. It will be the first application of the XLMS approach in the field of structural biology in Italy. The conformations and interactions of ROCK, derived by in cell XLMS, will allow a systematic validation of in vitro biochemical studies. This project aims to advance the in cell XLMS approach into a routine method for drug discovery on the system-wide level that complements HDX-MS studies using isolated proteins. Novel cross-linking reagent will be developed to bring the XLMS approach to a new level of time-resolved protein interaction studies. As such, the integrated approach described herein opens unmatched and novel perspectives for biotechnological and pharmaceutical companies. The outcome of this project is expected to have a large impact on structural biology and drug discovery in general.

Mots clés : structural biology, drug discovery, pharmacology, cross linking mass spectrometry, hydrogen, deuterium exchange mass spectrometry, pulmonary arterial hypertension, structural proteomics

Participants :
- Chiesi (Italy) (Italie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Organismes privés (hors enseignement), subvention : 171473.28 €