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

Fungi have major socioeconomic impacts. Recent estimates suggest that invasive human fungal infections kill more than 1.6 million people annually and that 600 million people could be fed each year by halting the spread of fungal diseases in the five most important crops. A range of antifungals/fungicides is currently used to control fungal pathogens in medicine and agriculture, but resistance to those is growing underscoring the urgent need for new molecular targets and treatments. Iron-sulphur (FeS) clusters are inorganic cofactors found in all kingdoms of life and required for several essential cellular processes, such as DNA synthesis, mRNA translation, and respiration. Pathways required for their biogenesis were suggested to represent possible novel antifungal/fungicide targets. The aims of the project are: (1) to identify, via chemical high throughput screening, natural compounds targeting the essential mitochondrial (Arh1-Yah1) and cytoplasmic (Tah18-Dre2) NADPH-dependant electron transfer chains involved in the FeS cluster biogenesis. These compounds could be used in combination with other agents to kill fungal pathogens lowering cost and potential toxicity by reducing doses needed to inhibit fungal growth. (2) To highlight new targets for antifungals/fungicides among the FeS cluster biogenesis and associated pathways. (3) To establish the interaction network of the ferredoxin Yah1 involved in the early steps of the FeS cluster biogenesis knowing that several steps of this process remain poorly understood and new factors may still be discovered. The project will be carried out in the group “Oxidative stress, FeS protein and Cancer” (CNRS-ICSN, Gif-sur-Yvette, France) and will address those objectives by combining my own expertise and that of the host laboratory in microbiology, genetics, biophysics and biochemistry, drug screening and of cutting-edge technologies and approaches such as Förster resonance energy transfer, microfluidics and chemoproteomics.

Mots clés : fungal pathogens, antifungals, fungicides, synergistic combinations, iron sulphur cluster biogenesis, mitochondrial ferredoxin, protein interaction network, redox biology, high throughput screening

Participants :
- Centre national de la recherche scientifique (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 184707.84 €
Projet MycoIndoor (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2016)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Fungi have ubiquitous distribution in natural ecosystems and are also common in the built environment, where people spend major parts of their lifetime. When moisture is present, fungal growth can cause material deterioration and adverse effects on the occupant’s health. Traditional methods for analyzing the indoor mycobiome, such as culturing and microscopy, have severe limitations. In this project we will improve the knowledge about the indoor mycobiome in Northern Europe by combining air sampling with high-throughput DNA sequencing (HTS) and qPCR. We will (i) construct a reference DNA sequence collection for indoor fungi, (ii) analyze the small-scale spatiotemporal variation of the indoor mycobiome within selected buildings, including a complete description of all indoor compartments, and (iii) characterize the geographic variation of the indoor mycobiome on a larger spatial scale (Scandinavia) through an aerobiological study of more than 200 buildings. The project will be conducted at the Oslo Mycology Group (University of Oslo) in close collaboration with the Norwegian consulting firm Mycoteam AS, which possesses 30 years expertise on indoor fungi. The project will improve our basic understanding about the indoor mycobiome, which will help to control fungal outbreaks as well as their adverse effects on building materials and occupants. Results from this study will be a first step towards a streamlined HTS based indoor mycobiome profiling approach with a commercial potential. This intersectoral project involves relevant expertise in fungal biology, building mycology, DNA analyses, and bioinformatics, and will provide a highly professional framework for the Experienced Researcher, as well as an excellent basis for his further development as an independent researcher.

Mots clés : indoor fungi, moulds, building mycology, building ecology, community ecology, aerobiology, material biodeterioration, allergens, dna metabarcoding, high throughput sequencing, quantitative pcr

Participants :
- University of Oslo (Norvège) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 208400.4 €
Projet Living Evidence (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Further efforts to achieve greater efficiency in allocating healthcare resources are needed in order to guarantee the sustainability of public health systems. The exponential production of new evidence is a challenge in achieving this goal. Newly validated innovative technological tools for systematic evidence identification, evaluation, and synthesis may allow for a more efficient production of evidence to inform healthcare decisions. However, it is essential to build capacity among health care professionals to properly use these tools as well as formulate collaborative strategies to implement them. This research proposal aims to evaluate a strategy for capacity building to produce "Living Evidence" syntheses to generate integrative evidence-based products that support decision-making. Consists of three complementary projects aimed at: [WP1] producing Living Overviews of previously selected priority topics in the area of cancer and respiratory diseases integrated into the Epistemonikos-L.OVE project, an innovative initiative and platform in progress that allows to generate systematic evidence synthesis in a rigorous and efficient way, displaying it in a friendly format; [WP2] preparing and disseminating Friendly Summaries of Evidence for highly relevant questions from the prioritized health topics to inform clinicians and decision makers, following validated methods; and [WP3] updating evidence supporting recommendations in clinical practice guidelines (Living Guidelines) related with the same topics, through the development of living overviews in collaboration with two European guideline developers, and following the GRADE approach to rate the quality of evidence and generate summary of findings tables. In addition to the delivery of training, the project proposes a collaborative work strategy with different actors in the health system to carry out these actions. Information will be collected throughout the whole process to assess the efficiency of this strategy.

Mots clés : systematic reviews, evidence based practice, living evidence, information for health policy, knowledge translation

Participants :
- Hospital de Sant Pau (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 172932.48 €
Projet Warming calcifiers (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Future global warming will impact diverse marine ecosystems. Marine calcifiers play important roles as ecosystem engineers and in the carbon cycle. Two major groups of calcifying organisms are coccolithophores and Large Benthic Foraminifera (LBF). Coccolithophores are considered to be the most prominent carbonate producer in the ocean and also contribute about 50% of global primary production. LBF are major calcifiers in reef and other shallow marine environments. This group is usually characterised by algal symbiosis, making them contributors to primary production in tropical to subtropical areas. Understanding the response of these organisms is imperative as their ability to calcify and photosynthesis have major biogeochemical implications. An important mechanism that allows organisms to cope with rapid climate or local environmental changes is physiological plasticity both within ontogenetic development and across generations. Transgenerational plasticity is specifically relevant when trying to understand the possible impacts of climate change since these anthropogenic changes will persist across generations. Hence, one of the main challenges of studying future effects on organisms is evaluating their adaptation potential through short laboratory experiments. To overcome this challenge, we will conduct multigenerational laboratory experiments simulating adaptation under future warming scenarios and estimate predicted changes in calcification and photosynthesis. Then, we will investigate carbonate shells from warm intervals in the geological record as a field experiment of extreme warmth under natural conditions. This will validate or highlight the gaps between experimental results and adaptation under natural conditions. Our results will indicate how adaptation will mitigate the response of coccolithophores and LBF to ocean warming and provide a realistic prediction of the biological effect of the organic pump versus the carbonate counter pump on oceanic pCO2.

Mots clés : ocean warming, adaptation, coccolithophores, large benthic foraminifera, biogeochemical implications

Participants :
- University of Oxford (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 212933.76 €
Projet MIDAS (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2016)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

G protein coupled-receptors (GPCRs) are the most successful class of druggable targets in the human genome with an estimated 30 to 60 % of prescription drugs in European Union. GPCRs biological state can be modulated by small molecule ligands acting on spatially distinct allosteric binding sites (ABSs) that result more selective and less toxic than drugs binding to orthosteric sites. The discovery of lead compounds targeting ABSs is challenging and to date has largely been achieved through cost-intensive and time-consuming high-throughput screening. The recent release of X-ray structures of GPCRs in the complex with allosteric modulators opens new opportunities to develop structure-based computer aided methodologies to identify ABSs. MIDAS will aim to develop a computational methodology for the search of GPCR ABSs that will include cutting-edge enhanced sampling molecular dynamics simulation methods in cosolvent mapping. The action will solve several current limitations in cosolvent mapping: probe non-specific binding, protein denaturation, low probe sampling, and membrane distortion. MIDAS firstly develop the methodology in retrospective studies, aiming to identify ABSs in the M2, CRF1, P2Y and GCGR receptors for whom crystal structures complexed with allosteric modulators are available. The computational procedures will be developed for identification of extracellular and intracellular ABSs and ABSs at the interface between GPCR helices and lipids. Next, MIDAS will explore the developed protocols in prospective studies using the M3, µ-opipid and CCR5 receptors with available X-ray structures and known ligands. The action envisions the collaboration with experts from both academia and industry and is set to expand scientific, transferable and collaborative skills of the Experience Researcher. The outcome of the action will foster the development of novel health technologies for the discovery of safer drugs targeting membrane proteins.

Mots clés : gpcr, molecular dynamics simulations, allosteric sites, probe mapping, cosolvent, drug design

Participants :
- Queen's University Belfast (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 195454.8 €
Projet MCANALSMSCA2015 (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2015)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : TERMINATED

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the largest family of cell surface signal transducing proteins encoded by the human genome. They allow the cell to respond to diverse array of extracellular signals, control most (patho)physiological processes, and are currently the therapeutic target of over 30% of marketed drugs. However, GPCR drug discovery is still characterised by a very high attrition rate, which reflects our inadequate understanding of the complex mechanisms of GPCR signalling and regulation. Up until recently, understanding of GPCR function was obtained from snapshots of receptors at different points in time and a major limitation for the study of GPCRs has been the inability to assess receptor activation and subsequent signalling events with high temporal (duration and frequency) or spatial (location) resolution. However, in the recent years there has been an explosion of biophysical and imaging approaches that will allow greater temporal and spatial resolution of receptor function than ever before. In this project we will measure ligand binding, receptor conformational changes, G protein activation, recruitment of regulatory proteins and receptor trafficking in real time and in live cells. We will therefore obtain detailed mechanistic understanding of the dynamics of GPCR activity in health and in disease that will reveal novel intervention points for future, more effective receptor-based therapies. This proposal combines my expertise in the study of GPCR interacting proteins and their role in receptor signalling and trafficking with the expertise of the Host Institution in the application of state-of-the-art imaging and biophysical approaches to study of this receptor family. As such, this project will not only broaden my research and technical skills in GPCR visualization, but it will also result in the establishment of a unique technological platform for the study of the dynamics of GPCR function within the Host Institution.

Mots clés : pharmacology, membrane receptors, cell biology, molecular biology

Participants :
- University of Nottingham (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 183454.8 €
Projet GLAZE (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2016)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

GLAZE seeks to investigate the suitability of using glazing traditions to reflect the dynamics of interaction between cultures in contact. Cypriot glazed ceramics dating to the 11th and 17th centuries AD, a period when fundamental socio-political changes occurred in the region, will constitute our principal case study. GLAZE has two key research questions: · What are the variations in the glazing traditions that existed in Cyprus during the 11th to 17th centuries AD? · To what extent did the interaction between cultures in contact stimulate the transmission of technological knowledge and practice in glazing traditions? We have devised a cutting-edge cross-disciplinary approach by integrating material science, archaeology, data management and analytics, and anthropological theory. Thin-section petrography, WD-XRF, SEM-EDS, and ICP-MS will be used to reconstruct different aspects of glazing traditions. A database for glazing traditions will be developed to explore the temporal and spatial trends in the development of glazing traditions in the region and their relation to the broader medieval and post-medieval glazing traditions. The cultural transmission of technological change will be applied to interpret the resultant patterns in order to shed light onto the dynamics of interaction between cultures in contact. GLAZE is the first project dedicated to the systematic study of glazing traditions in Cyprus, and indeed in the eastern Mediterranean. Given the ubiquity of glazed wares in the medieval and post-medieval worlds, the results derived from GLAZE will create a new dimension into understanding the complexity of interaction between cultures in contact, especially the ones that are not recorded in written sources. This project will benefit from the applicant’s cross-disciplinary research skills, in combination with the unprecedented access to key materials, availability of synergic projects and expertise at UCY.

Mots clés : glaze, ceramic, byzantine, medieval, ottoman, eastern mediterranean, cyprus, cultural transmission, material culture, sampling, thin section petrography, wd xrf, icp ms, database, statistics

Participants :
- University of Cyprus (Chypre) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 151648.8 €
Projet GROUT (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : SIGNED

GROUT will address the governance challenges posed by mining projects advancing close to urban areas. Europe is making a concerted effort to increase a sustainable supply of minerals from European sources, This project will improve knowledge and expertise on the governance of these urbanising frontiers. This fellowship will be carried out in the Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining (CSRM) at University of Queensland (UQ), Australia, under the supervision of Dr. Jo-Anne Everingham, expert in governance studies. After two years I will return to the Institute of Science and Environmental Technology at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (ICTA-UAB), Spain, under the supervision of Prof. Isabelle Anguelovski, head of the Lab for Urban Environmental Justice and Sustainability. Through the study of a Coal Seam Gas extraction project in the outskirts of Sydney I will innovatively combine qualitative (in-depth interviews and participant observation) and participative (World Cafe) methodologies to analyse the transformations of subjects and institutions through the analysis of power relations and environmental justice. By bringing together the inter-disciplinary fields of political ecology of extractive industries (my own expertise) with resource governance and critical urban studies (training plan) I will advance theory and analysis in the new theoretical field of Resource Urbanisation Governance (RUG). I will place special emphasis in understanding the transformations affecting women (narratives and demands, power imbalances and consequences). My training plan will include training on resource governance (at CSRM), critical urban-studies (at ICTA-UAB and UQ), Environmental Justice (ICTA-UAB and University of Sydney) and transferable skills such as gender research, facilitation, communication, project management. These will be of extreme importance for the communication and dissemination of project results and to achieve the goals of my Career Development Plan.

Mots clés : extractive industries, resource governance, political ecology, critical urban studies, planetary urbanisation, environmental justice, power, gender research, multi stakeholder governance

Participants :
- Autonomous University of Barcelona (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 269939.52 €
- University of Queensland (Australie) — Partner, organization partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
Projet GaiaSpectroSynergy (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Galaxies are complex systems governed by competing physical processes that happen on very different space, time and energy scales, such as mergers, internal secular evolution, gas flows, star formation, supernova feedback, gas cooling etc. The field of Galactic archaeology aims at disentangling these processes, eventually unfolding the detailed formation history of the our Galaxy. Major observational campaigns, such as the astrometric Gaia mission, the asteroseismology missions CoRoT and Kepler, as well as large-scale ground-based spectroscopic surveys, are dedicated to gather kinematic, chemical, and age information for millions of stars. The wealth of new data has recently put the goal of reconstructing the Milky Way's formation history within closer reach. While the Galactic astronomy community is convinced that combining as many observational constraints for as many stars as possible will be the way forward in the field, it is clear that the complexity and richness of the new data is also a major challenge to our state-of-the-art analysis methods. At this moment, the field is in urgent need of more sophisticated comparisons to current models, and clear indications where these models should be improved. However, there is still a lack of publically available software that facilitates complex model-data comparisons for the theoretical as well as for the observational community. We will undertake a major analysis project exploiting the synergies between Gaia and complementary spectroscopic survey data to constrain Galactic models, and to simultaneously provide the community with legacy tools and datasets that will greatly facilitate such studies in the future. The project will produce value-added catalogues with precise astro-spectro-photometric ages, distances and extinctions for more than a million stars, and corresponding mock catalogues of many state-of-the-art Milky-Way models, providing a legacy database for future modeling and analysis efforts.

Mots clés : galactic evolution, spectroscopic stellar surveys, galaxy formation, astrometry, milky way models, asteroseismology, red giant stars, stellar ages, mock observation tools

Participants :
- University of Barcelona (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 158121.6 €
Projet UTERUS (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Gamma delta (gd) T cells constitute a small proportion of blood lymphocytes, but are enriched at barrier sites, where they reside in close contact with epithelial cells. Their location at sites of pathogenic insult and cellular transformation, together with their ability to promptly respond to tissue alterations, places them in a central position in immune protection. We have shown that epithelial molecules direct the development of tissue-specific populations of gd T cells. Indeed, we have identified a role for epithelial-expressed butyrophilin-like (Btnl) proteins in driving the development of epidermal and intraepithelial gd T cells. Importantly, the requirement for Btnls is conserved in intestinal gd T cells in humans. In this project, we will focus on uterine gd T cells, which are arguably one of the least understood populations of gd T cells. These cells bear a specific, invariant T cell receptor, and are thought to become precommitted to an IL-17A-secreting programme during early ontogeny. In other tissues, these cells, termed gd17, can rapidly produce the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-17A following infection, thereby contributing to limiting infection with bacterial and fungal pathogens. In addition, gd17 cells have been shown to play a role in tissue repair, including promotion of fracture repair. However, the inflammatory effects of IL-17A can also lead to exacerbation of tissue damage and to a pro-tumorigenic effect. In this project, we will determine the functional characteristics of uterine gd T cells, and identify novel factors guiding the development and homing of these cells. Understanding the cues driving gd T cell development and activation at specific body niches is not only essential from a basic research standpoint, but may reveal novel drug targets for various clinical conditions, particularly in the face of emerging infections targeting the female reproductive tract and hindering embryonic development.

Mots clés : gamma delta t cells, lymphocyte biology

Participants :
- The Francis Crick Institute (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 183454.8 €