Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-actions-marie-curie-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet metaVir-Alp (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2015)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Viruses are a key and yet neglected component of freshwater ecosystems. By impacting bacterial communities they influence evolutionary dynamics, mineralisation processes, energy transfer across trophic levels and greenhouse gas emission. Nonetheless, they are among the least understood organisms. This project proposes a multidisciplinary breakthrough combining metagenomics, microbiology, and advanced computation to characterise the genetic diversity, structure and function of viral and bacterial communities in freshwater sediments along an altitudinal gradient that mimics a natural temperature gradient. As model system I will use the threatened Alpine lakes; the ultimate aim is to develop a model that could predict the response of benthic microbial communities to future climatic changes. Three steps are involved:1)an experimental microbiology approach will describe the viral community structure and evaluate the viral contribution to bacteria mortality and C-cycle; 2)an experimental and computational metagenomics approach will define the genetic structure and diversity of the viral and microbial benthic community and 3)statistical modelling of the effect of temperature and other biochemical factors on viral community structure and genetic diversity, virus-host interactions and benthic C-cycle. To date, no investigations combined microbiological and metagenomics approaches to characterise microbial communities in freshwaters. This project will provide unprecedented insights into the potential effects of global change on threatened Alpine lakes, with important conservation implications across EU Countries. During this multidisciplinary project I will train intensively in bioinformatics, limnology and project management, exchanging knowledge with world leaders in the field of metagenomics and freshwater ecology. This project would allow me to resume my career by developing a novel research line and acquire key skills needed to establish an independent research position.

Mots clés : viriobenthos, lake sediment, metagenomics, lakes, microbiology

Participants :
- University of Trento (Italie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 180277.2 €
Projet PDgate (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Viruses cause epidemics on all major crops of agronomic importance, representing a serious threat to agriculture and global food security. Among plant viruses, those induced by RNA are of particular concern due to their overrepresentation and the lack of effective countermeasures. As obligate intracellular parasites, their control still relies on an excessive application of pesticides against virus vectors and preventive actions consisting mainly in the detection and removal of infected plants. Virus‐resistant crop varieties are a powerful alternative but often confined to narrow germplasm base and takes long periods to introgress the resistance trait. One of the most effective and sustainable ways to avoid virus infection is to use genome editing to expand genetic tools. Therefore, plant virologists are turning their interests toward host factors that play essential roles in infection as novel antiviral targets. Cell-to-cell movement is critical for virus spread, and thus an ideal point for creating resistance. Plant viruses can exploit plasmodesmata (PD) -channels that interconnect every single plant cell- using encoded so-called movement proteins (MPs) which mediate the transport of the viral genomes cell-to-cell. Understanding the intercellular transport of viruses and the components involved offer breeding targets for genome editing to control virus spread and, thus block viral infection. Therefore, we propose here to identity comprehensively the compendium of MP-interacting proteins using high-end proteomics. Additionally, we will apply the state-of-the-art technology genome editing and advanced microscopy to define the role of MP-interacting proteins during virus transport and infection, laying the basis for novel biotech solutions in agriculture.

Mots clés : plant virus, plasmodesmata, cell to cell movement, genome editing, resistance

Participants :
- Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (Allemagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 174806.4 €
Projet SmartSAST (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Visualizing the complexity of living matter non-invasively and with high-resolution represents an indispensable element for progress in science. Unresolved issues as the individuation of early-stage cancers, or the spatial organization of the roots microbiomes, can benefit from advancements in photoacoustic imaging (PAI). This appealing technology combines the benefits of light as input and ultrasounds as output, offering a compelling combination of good resolution, high penetration depth, and non-invasiveness. However, PAI is not suitable to study multicomponent living systems because current strategies operate with simple probe-detector setups. With SmartSAST (Smart Sound-activated Absorption Shifting Tags), I propose to enable modularity and multiplexing through the development of photoacoustic probes based on protein tags that non-covalently bind with photoresponsive organic chromophores named sonogens. The supramolecular nature of SmartSAST ensures great modularity as the sonogens can be easily refreshed or substituted. The change in optical properties of the probes upon assembly guarantees great contrast against the background. Finally, via rationally designing photo-isomerizable sonogens that bind the protein just in a specific isomeric form, SmartSAST imparts an unprecedented level of control in PAI. Upon photo-modulating the supramolecular dynamics of these probes and extracting their kinetic signatures, dynamic contrast and multiplexing will be achieved with high spatial resolution. SmartSAST project aims to develop a fully operative technology based on new fundamentals bases. The project includes the synthesis of sonogens, the engineering of protein tags, the thermokinetic and photochemical characterization of the probes and their application in PAI. This new approach to PAI will unlock the non-invasive study of deeply embedded complex biological targets in real-time. Dissemination and communication activities will secure the great impact of SmartSAST.

Mots clés : photoswitchable tags, protein tags, supramolecular strategies, photoacoustic imaging, dynamic contrast

Participants :
- École normale supérieure PSL (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 184707.84 €
Projet OPTIMAL-D (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Vitamin D has well-recognised actions on the skeleton, but also exerts potent effects on extra-skeletal tissues. Current approaches to measure vitamin D almost exclusively rely on measuring a single, inactive vitamin D metabolite – 25-hydroxyvitamin D. However, vitamin D undergoes complex metabolism that may strongly influence the physiological impact of vitamin D. This is particularly important for extra-skeletal responses to vitamin D, where tissue-specific metabolites appear to be a crucial component of vitamin D activity. Hence, to better understand the broader role of vitamin D in human health there is an urgent need for new analytical methods that more accurately define optimal levels of vitamin D. The current project will develop state-of-the-art mass spectrometry methods for more comprehensive measurement of vitamin D metabolism in blood and solid tissues. Studies during the outgoing phase of the project will establish more comprehensive LC-MS/MS methods for analysis of classical vitamin D metabolism pathways, as well as alternative metabolic pathways. LC-MS/MS methods will also be developed to measure polymorphic variants of the serum vitamin D binding protein, and thereby enable clearer definition of the bioavailability of vitamin D metabolites. These new methods will initially be validated using a large human cohort at the outgoing phase. Finally, novel MALDI mass spectrometry imaging methods will be developed to visualise vitamin D metabolites in solid tissues. Translational application of each new analytical method will be tested on the return phase of the project through studies of large patient cohorts with both serum and tissue samples (placenta and skin tissues). Further enhancement of analytical methods will be achieved through an industrial secondment that will provide access to cutting-edge equipment. The project will establish an entirely new philosophy and methodology for the measurement of vitamin D biomarkers in health and disease.

Mots clés : vitamin d, mass spectrometry, method development, liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry, mass spectrometry imaging, biomarkers, clinical cohort analysis

Participants :
- Anzac health and medical research foundation (Australie) — Partner, organization partner, Autres, subvention : 0.0 €
- University of Birmingham (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 277940.16 €
Projet VoiCED (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

VoiCED is a project in normative democratic theory and its aim is to provide a diversified theory of political obligation for citizens, political parties and elected representatives, by taking into account how these political actors relate to each other. Since the issue of citizen competence has forcefully risen attention not only in scientific debates, but also in the public discourse, a normative analysis is called for to understand what should be expected of citizens in representative democracies. This first step is necessary in order to evaluate, first and normatively, what kind of competence citizens ought to have and, second and empirically, whether actual citizens do have the competence needed for democracy to work properly. In so doing, VoiCED will not only tie together various literatures, such as those on political obligation, democratic legitimacy, partisanship and political representation, which albeit overlapping have been rarely addressed in conjunction, but it will also intercept highly relevant debates in contemporary political science, concerning political behaviour, the rationality of voting and citizens’ competence, as well as in the public discourse, regarding the nature and value of democracy. Furthemore, VoiCED will provide the Experienced Researcher, Chiara Destri, with an unparalleled opportunity to enhance her research and teaching skills and to boost her academic career opportunities in Europe, because she will be hosted by Sciences Po, an internationally acclaimed centre in political and social science, and she will work under the supervision of Prof. Anabelle Lever, a leading expert in democratic theory. Thanks to both factors, she is confident that she will able to publish four scientific articles and to complete a book manuscript during the time of the Fellowship, as well as to set up a website in order to share the resulting theory with the public at large.

Mots clés : democracy, ethics of voting, partisanship, representation, legitimacy, citizenship, obligation

Participants :
- Fondation nationale des sciences politiques (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 184707.84 €
Projet HYPERLIGHT (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Volcanic hazards directly affect more than 10% of the world’s population, and have caused globally significant economic losses as recently as 2010. Accurate eruption frequencies are fundamental to risk management, and well-dated volcanic events can temporally link archaeological sites and palaeoclimatic records across hundreds of kilometres. Yet there are significant, known gaps in records of prehistoric volcanic cycles, and accurate luminescence ages for volcanic features would be of great value in future studies. However, volcanic products are mineralogically complex with some crystals producing inaccurate ages. We propose exploring and developing an innovative luminescence technique (‘spatially resolved luminescence’, ‘SRL’) to date volcanic events. SRL uses an ultra-sensitive camera to image luminescence, so that signals can be easily compared with accompanying experimental data (e.g. mineral type or signal stability measurements). This project utilizes luminescence imaging at multiple wavelengths (‘hyperspectral’) and mineralogical analyses to accurately date volcanic ejecta with mixed mineralogy. It builds on the expertise of the supervisor and experienced researcher (‘ER’) in luminescence dating and imaging as well as statistical data analysis, and enhances the ER’s skill set via training in volcanology, the development of analytical software, and the German language and culture. The ER will draw together an international network of leading scientists in industry (Freiberg Instruments) and academia (Universities of Freiburg, Bern, Oxford), allowing her to substantially enhance her leadership skills. As a subsidiary outcome, this project will also increase the European capacity in multiple connected fields, including composite strain analysis (aerospace) and detection of irradiated foods (food standards authorities).

Mots clés : luminescence dating, scientific imaging, laser ablation icp ms, risk management

Participants :
- University of Freiburg (Allemagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 171460.8 €
Projet CLIMRES (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Vulnerability mapping is a field of increasing importance as we search for an ecologically and economically sustainable climate smart land use system, which is necessary for the development of green infrastructure and agricultuVulnerability mapping is a growing field with an increasing importance in developing an ecologically and economically sustainable climate smart land use system, which may serve the advancement of green infrastructure and agricultural production. The transformation of the climatic regime has an undeniable impact on plant production, but we rarely have long enough data series to scrutinise the unfolding effects of the microregional patterns of global climate-cereal yield relationship. To fill this gap, I will analyse three regions of the Northern Hemisphere under continental climate, which represent key landscapes concerning global food production and security, contributing a multi-way knowledge transfer through training, teaching and different form of communication activities. The relationship between climate indices, maize and wheat yields will be analysed applying high geographical resolution data from Northern China, Hungary and northern states of the US Midwest at a landscape scale by Köppen-Geiger zones using linear, local and spatial regression and bootstrap resampling tests and developed data visualisation techniques. This offers a unique opportunity to comparatively analyse the differences in climate-cereal yield associations by landscape types and regions. The expected results will provide highly supportive factors for planning and managing an ecologically and economically sustainable land use system. The intended publications, lectures and collaborative actions will have a positive impact on domestic and EU research. The planned training and the expected results of the action will further strengthen my career opportunities and put me in a position where I will be considered for a tenured position at a research institution in Hungary.

Mots clés : wheat, maize, northern china, north america, cereal yield stagnation, climate warming, climate sensitivity, food security, grain yield impact, temperature cereal yield association

Participants :
- Aarhus University (Danemark) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 219312.0 €
Projet TRIM (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2016)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Vulnerable trait-combinations in corals and fishes and their management (Traits coRals fIshes Management) Cross-taxon interdependencies govern many key ecosystem services, e.g. pollination, agricultural production and coral reef fisheries. Many of these services are deteriorating; this is especially pressing for coral reefs. Human and climate stress drives declines of global coral reef assets, but the characteristics of the most vulnerable species groups are poorly understood. Synergistic coral-fish relationships underpin key ecosystem functions on coral reefs, and control how coral reef ecosystems respond to climate and human stress. Emerging theory proposes that redistributions of reef species follow trait-based filtering, where species with certain combinations of traits, or functional types, are more vulnerable to stressors. Based on biogeographical transition environments and human use gradients as proxies for change, TRIM aims to examine which trait-combinations impart vulnerability to stress in corals and fishes independently and in coral-fish relationships that underpin reef function. Recognising the crucial role that coral-fish relationships play in shaping reef ecosystems, TRIM will discover which traits and functional types linking the two taxa drive their combined vulnerability. By evaluating the responses of coral and fish communities and their functional types under stress, this project will link this knowledge to potential management objectives and identify actions specific to functional types, where vulnerable organisms are stringently protected and others can still be used. I am trained as a marine conservation scientist with focus on spatial planning. With this fellowship, I aim to expand my knowledge and scientific standing in functional ecology, which I believe is a crucial field to inform new ways of natural resource and biodiversity management.

Mots clés : community ecology, biogeography, coral reef ecology, functional ecology, conservation

Participants :
- University of Leeds (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 195454.8 €
Projet WARFLY (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2015)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

WARFLY is a ‘proof of concept’ study that aims to develop and test an innovative approach to investigating past conflict. This novel study will combine well-established methods from archaeology and Quaternary entomology with the philosophical traditions of forensic sciences to advance an approach capable of producing high-resolution reconstructions of conflict episodes in human history based on material evidence. Insect remains preserved in an archaeological site from southwestern Alaska (Nunalleq), which was the scene of violent actions, will be used as ‘silent witnesses’ to the events that preceded, characterised and followed conflict. Fly, beetle, lice and flea remains will be extracted from sediment samples collected from floor layers, burials and deposits formed or altered as a direct result of conflict, to be identified to the highest taxonomic precision achievable. The results will then form the basis of species distribution maps that will be used to model a series of scenarios for pre-conflict lifeways, the attack on the site and the disposal of victims’ corpses. The plausibility of these scenarios will then be scrutinised in relation to other artefactual and biological evidence available at Nunalleq. This approach, which we have termed ‘forensic archaeoentomology’, will not only produce a holistic narrative of a prehistoric warfare episode founded on material evidence, but will also pave the way for an entirely new field of research in conflict archaeology.

Mots clés : conflict archaeology, quaternary entomology, forensic entomology

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

WELTECH investigates how and why European welfare states have reacted and adapted to technological change, which – next to climate change and demographic change – arguably constitutes one of the biggest challenges societies face today. The ambition is to make an original and pathbreaking contribution to the theorisation of welfare state change more generally. Rethinking and going beyond the dominant concepts of institutional path dependence and power resources theory in the welfare state literature, the project does so by placing macroeconomic concerns at the centre of a novel conceptualisation of welfare state reforms. In other words, the project hypothesises that policy makers, in deciding over different reform trajectories, are guided primarily by concerns over how to maintain and further stimulate economic growth. In order to make sense of welfare state change, it is therefore crucial to understand a given country’s specific Growth Model, i.e. the composition of different drivers of economic growth, as well as the social bloc composed key voters and important producer groups that prop up the national growth model. To this end, the project carries out a comparative case study of three countries with distinct welfare regimes as well as growth models, Germany, Sweden, and the United Kingdom over the years 2000-2020. WELTECH conceptualises welfare state reforms in the social investment framework analysing in particular how technological disruption has led to changes in different stock, flow, and buffer policies.


Participants :
- European University Institute (Italie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 163673.28 €