Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-actions-marie-curie-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet TentaclesOfVenom (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Evolution of venom, nature’s most complex cocktail, has underpinned the predatory success of venomous animals. Till date, research on venom has mainly focused on how genes encoding them evolve, and our knowledge regarding the evolutionary origin of venom-secreting cells (VSCs) and their secretions, has been limited. Understanding how venom and VSCs evolve in cnidarians - one of the simplest and probably the first venomous animals, such as sea anemones is not only fascinating as it sheds light on the evolution of their ancient venom-system, but may also be instrumental in the development of efficient nematocyte (stinging-cells) based drug-delivery tools. Identifying variation in venom-composition and sites of expression across various developmental stages and between the sexes (gender-specific expression) is also an understudied topic. The former is particularly intriguing in sea anemones, as their larval stages do not feed and yet synthesize toxins. Hence, in this project I propose to: trace the evolutionary origin of known VSCs (nematocytes and gland cells) in the starlet anemone, Nematostella vectensis, by constructing transgenic reporter lines; characterize venom-secretomes of VSCs using Fluorescence Assisted Cell Sorting (FACS) to determine the contribution of each VSC towards the venom arsenal; examine variation in venom-profiles and expression sites across the developmental stages and between the sexes using ‘omics’ technologies, in situ hybridization and immunostaining; test the biochemical activities (pharmacological assays) of the major and novel toxins identified; and examine the phylogenetic histories and the molecular evolutionary regimes of the major sea anemone toxins to understand the recruitment of genes into the envenoming function in one of the first venomous animals.

Mots clés : venom secreting cells, evolution, cell differentiation, sea anemones, animal venoms

Participants :
- Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Israël) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 182509.2 €
Projet DeMoMet (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Excellent mechanical properties make metal matrix composites (MMCs) an attractive and desirable material in many industries. However, manufacturing costs of MMCs are currently very high mainly due to lack of material design database and limited knowledge related to their behavior in various working conditions. This proposed research aims to improve understanding of the relation between MMCs production parameters and their properties. The proposed research plan has two main assignments: firstly, to experimentally obtain optimal processing parameters for producing highly conductive, strengthened copper matrix composites with uniform dispersion of submicron and nano-sized reinforcements; secondly, to create a computational model for mechanical alloying process and for predicting the behaviour of MMCs. Powder metallurgy will be used for MMCs production. It is expected that with increasing mechanical alloying time the distribution of reinforcements (in-situ formed during densification process) in metal matrix become more uniform which is a requirement for excellent mechanical properties. Investigating the influence of size and volume fraction of in-situ formed reinforcing nanoparticles on its microstructural, mechanical and physical properties will be the overall objective of the experimental work. Proposed techniques, data collection, and analysis will identify the relationship between process parameters and material behaviour, which will contribute to the establishment of process parameters for fabrication of MMCs. Obtained results will present a good database which can accelerate further research, development and possible implementation of MMCs. Moreover, creating computational models for control of microstructure and process design of MMCs will contribute to a better understanding and predicting the behaviour of a wide variety of MMCs. It will provide a cost effective solution in the manufacturing of MMCs which will expand possibilities in the design of new products.

Mots clés : metal matrix composites, integrated computational materials engineering, powder metallurgy, microstructural characterization, mechanical alloying, mechanical properties

Participants :
- Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (Bulgarie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 105745.5 €
Projet IMPACT-HEALTH (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Excess of plasma glucagon is frequently reported in diabetic patients, a misregulation that exacerbates hyperglycemia, a major complication of diabetes. This has spurred research into alpha-cell function and glucagon regulation, to find potential treatments, independent from insulin, for diabetes. To normalize glucagon secretion as a therapeutic strategy, it is crucial to have a better understanding of its regulatory mechanisms and the expression of specific genes regulating those mechanisms. Unfortunately, there is no consensus model explaining the regulation of glucagon secretion from pancreatic alpha-cells. However, calcium is known to be required for glucagon secretion, but its role is not completely understood. We propose to evaluate the role of free calcium activity across islet α-cells in the regulation of glucagon secretion from mice, using a custom built light-sheet fluorescence microscope, allowing fast three-dimensional imaging for an extended amount of time. The interest will be focused on the heterogeneity of the response, which forms subpopulations of α-cells. After, the attention will be addressed in discovering cellular expression patterns of transcription factors known to be relevant in alpha-cells through immunofluorescence, and to determine how these regulate their target genes using single molecule Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (smFISH). Particular attention will be focused on correlating the heterogeneities of calcium activity in subpopulations of alpha-cells with their differential gene expression. By finding this differential expression, it will be possible to target specific genes in order to trigger various single-cells behaviors and discover novel therapeutic targets.

Mots clés : light sheet, calcium imagng, glucagon, in situ hybridization, transcription factors, heterogeneity

Participants :
- Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (Italie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Organismes privés (hors enseignement), subvention : 168277.2 €
Projet Health1UP2 (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2016)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Exposure to particulate matter (PM) has been linked to negative health effects. Traditionally attributed to PM<10µm and<2.5µm, negative health effects may be enhanced with decreasing particle size, suggesting that ultrafine particles (UFP, PM<0.1µm) might be responsible for what has previously been attributed to larger size fractions of PM. According to their origin, UFP can be primary (directly emitted to the atmosphere) or secondary (formed in the atmosphere from precursor gaseous pollutants). In central European cities, UFP particle concentrations (N) are mainly affected by road traffic emissions, as evidenced by the parallel variation of N and Black Carbon (BC, traffic tracer) concentrations. However, in European regions with high insolation, the maximum N is observed at midday (when BC is low) due to photochemical nucleation. A methodology developed by Rodriguez et al. (2007) allows the quantification of the primary (N1) and the secondary (N2) contribution to total N. Depending on origin and size, UFP may differently affect human health but no study has yet tackled this key issue. Moreover, there are currently no legal ambient standards for UFP. The main objectives of Health1UP2 (Differentiated health impacts of primary and secondary ultrafine particles) are (i) to uncover the differences in N1 and N2 in the cities of London (UK), Barcelona (Spain), Zurich (Switzerland) and Helsinki (Finland), based on long time-series of size-segregated UFP and BC data, and (ii) to determine the health impacts (mortality and hospital admissions as outcomes) of the exposure to differentiated N1 and N2 in different size-ranges in these cities.This research requires an international collaboration, since different meteorological conditions, pollutant emissions and other parameters influence divergently on N1 and N2. The results of this work will serve as indication to the corresponding authorities of which pollutants should be included in future EU legislation about air quality.

Mots clés : ultrafine particles, primary particles, secondary particles, time series study, black carbon, particulate matter, environmental epidemiology, hospital admissions, mortalily

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

FIBRANET will shed light to questions on the types of fibres used in ancient Europe, provide data to enhance future identification studies, and open up new paths of possibilities when considering probable answers to fibre identification inquiries. It will bring together conservation, science and archaeology to provide a new interdisciplinary methodology and new interdisciplinary evidence. My objectives are: 1 To produce new knowledge and get training. 2 To answer the research questions: What types of fibres were used in ancient Europe? How should fibre samples be collected? How can fibre deterioration be assimilated? What is the most appropriate analytical methodology? Test the hypotheses: Even similar fibres can be differentiated; Different deterioration mechanisms affect different fibres in specific ways. 3 To ensure sustainability of my results. In collaboration with CTR philologists I will identify fibre references in ancient texts. I will compile data and samples from plants and animals, measure and document fibre properties and morphology as extracted and processed. A unique feature is that the fibres will be treated to assimilate deterioration. Most important, I will create Fibranet, an online database, to make my results available to conservators, archaeologists, biologists, forensic scientists, artists, craftspeople. Fibre identification is the key element in ancient textile studies but surprisingly enough, insufficiently explored. Prolific work has been done in the past, often with inconclusive results mainly due to the rarity and poor condition of the finds, and the immense variety of fibres used locally since antiquity. As a textile conservator trained to detect and understand fibre degradation, I can carry out this highly specialised task. For the analyses, I will use optical and Scanning Electron microscopies, so that my methodology is reproducible. The demand to address these issues is compelling and my project is the only means to achieve that.

Mots clés : ancient textile fibres, plants, conservation, fibre identification, archaeometry

Participants :
- University of Copenhagen (Danemark) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 212194.8 €
Projet FLARe (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Mathematics
Statut du projet : CLOSED

FLARe falls into the fields of fractional nonlinear spatio-temporal evolution equations, their dynamical analysis and bifurcation structure, from a theoretical and numerical point of view. The fractional Laplacian well describes nonlocal super diffusion phenomena which naturally appear in many applications in physics, biology and economy, characterized by long-range interactions. In the theory of nonlocal operators it constitutes the counterpart of the standard Laplacian in the classical theory of partial differential equations. Despite their differences, most of the relevant questions associated to the Laplacian have an equivalent for the fractional Laplacian. The novel challenge of FLARe is to also extend the analytical and numerical tools coming from a dynamical system approach for standard diffusion equations, to treat fractional diffusion equations (e.g. amplitude equations, continuation softwares etc.). This will be done thanks to an innovative interaction between the theoretical results on fractional operators, established theory on PDEs dynamics, stability and bifurcations, new and efficient discretization techniques and the continuation software pde2path. Taken together, they are going to constitute a solid methodology to investigate the dynamical properties of nonlinear fractional diffusion equations. These aspects also constitute the long term impact of the action: a well established link of three research fields, namely fractional diffusion theory, the dynamical system approach to PDEs and continuation software available for standard diffusion equation, which are not so well connected at the moment. The new link between different communities, the important results achieved during the action, the new capabilities of the continuation software, the supervisor expertise and clear guidance, the training and the outstanding research environment provided by the host institution are going to be the springboard for the researcher to a future career in academia.

Mots clés : fractional laplacian, bifurcations, numerical continuation, lyapunov schmidt, center manifold, amplitude equations, pde2path, stability, dynamics

Participants :
- Technical University of Munich (Allemagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 162806.4 €
Projet FP-DYNAMO-PARIS (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Cofund Postdoctoral programme
Statut du projet : SIGNED

FP-DYNAMO-PARIS will tackle fundamental scientific questions in the field of energy conversion using interdisciplinary approaches. Over the decades, this field has encompassed increasingly large applications from agronomy to medical research and now climate impacts on the biosphere. These new research themes bring new challenges of increasing urgency, requiring the training of a new generation of researchers capable of leading scientific progress in such complex and interdisciplinary fields. The DYNAMO consortium is structured to answer this challenge by providing young researchers with a human environment that will foster their growth as future leaders. This will be done through an almost century-long interdisciplinary tradition, combined with strong links to international and non-academic partners. FP-DYNAMO-PARIS goal is to bring new conceptual advances in environmental and health sciences, by recruiting promising experienced researchers (ERs) with a selection process combining excellence and inclusivity; by providing them with a professional opportunity to further their scientific projects, personal skill development and networking opportunities to reinforce their profiles; and by allowing them to face the challenges and requirements of their future career positions when they have research teams of their own. To achieve this, their research activity will be accompanied by opportunities to expand their skillset with outreach programmes and dedicated training, including a retreat at the University of Padova, courses on entrepreneurship and technology transfer, as well as mentoring on gender balance issues and leadership. From gene expression and genome organization to the final assembly of the macromolecular photosynthetic complex, ERs will explore the energy conversion machinery developed by microorganisms across evolution and will be trained in state-of-the-art techniques to become experts in a broad variety of disciplines needed for successful careers.

Mots clés : life science, microbiology, structural biology, photosynthesys, bioenergetics, membrane transport, gene expression, genome organisation, mitochondrial dynamic, biotechnology, renewable energy

Participants :
- Centre national de la recherche scientifique (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 1397640.0 €
Projet Egg-Juvenate (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Faithful transfer of genetic material is critical for the success of all cell divisions. Yet, as the organism ages this process becomes more error-prone, leading to aneuploidic daughter cells due to mis-segregation of chromosomes. This can lead to cancer in mitotic cells, and in the female germline it leads to reduced fertility and exponential increase in miscarriages and birth defects already at the third decade of life. In humans, all the oocytes begin their development in-utero but arrest for decades in the middle of this process leading to the rapid increase in meiotic divisions failure. The oocytes arrest while undergoing dramatic structural changes, termed chromosome remodelling. Very little is known about what drives this critical phase in germline development, yet it is assumed to involve chromatin modifiers and DNA binding complexes. I propose to identify chromatin-modifying complexes that act in chromosome remodelling and find their mechanism of operation. This will be achieved by utilizing my recently developed technologies and RNAi screen results, which gives me unique tools and approaches to study this complex process. This research will open the window into the connection between chromatin modifiers that facilitate chromosome restructuring and germline aging. The research is aimed to find the major players in this processes and their mode of operation. In an age where maternal age is rising in the western world, translational implementation of this research would have a dramatic impact on our scientific understanding of fertility.

Mots clés : fertility, meiosis, germline, chromosome dynamics

Participants :
- Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Israël) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 182509.2 €
Projet News in groups (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Fake news are shared widely among humans, particularly in modern social media. Although mechanisms such as novelty seeking, alert for potential dangers or the need to belong have been suggested as potential target points to trigger news propagation, the underlying psychological and neurocognitive processes are not yet fully understood. In this project, we aim at combining the knowledge of the experienced researcher in neuroscience, brain imaging and neuropsychology with the host’s expertise in cognitive psychology and learning science to study social group interactions of information sharing. Using neurocognitive methods of brain imaging as well as behavioural measures supported by digital group awareness tools, we will investigate how news are evaluated by the brain, how news evaluation is influenced by the group and which measures could be taken to prevent fake news from spreading. Findings of the experimental studies will be transferred to classroom teaching, with developing a teaching concept to increase students’ knowledge on verifying information, recognizing fake news and developing strategies to stop them. Providing the unique combination of neuroscience, psychology, computer science and education the project will contribute to deepening and diversifying the candidate’s cognitive neuroscience expertise, gaining new competencies and strengthening networking of the involved scientists in order to catalyze the candidate’s scientific career as an independent researcher. The project makes a significant novel contribution in combining sciences and humanities in an interdisciplinary manner to help understand the neural mechanisms of naturalistic social group interaction on information sharing. Furthermore, this project will show a societal impact in 1) revealing neuronal and behavioural correlates of information sharing, 2) develop strategies to make knowledge exchange more efficient 3) prevent fake news from spreading and 4) educate students on critical thinking.

Mots clés : information evaluation, social group behaviour, information sharing, functional magnetic critical thinking, social media, functional magnetic resonance imaging, group awareness, group awareness tools

Participants :
- University of Duisburg-Essen (Allemagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 262209.6 €
Projet FARMACCOUNTA (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Farm accountancy data are used nowadays in the EU for fine-grained analysis of policy impact, but the history of farm accountancy data begins at the end of the 19th century, when agricultural associations promoted the spread of accounting techniques among farmers of different European countries. In the 1920s, agricultural associations and the International Institute of Agriculture, the predecessor of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization launched an ambitious and unprecedented attempt at international standardization of accounting rules in order to collect comparable accountancy data. For this two-years projects I intend to study farm accountancy data collected by the International Institute of Agriculture during the Interwar in order to assess the usefulness of farm accountancy data for the analysis of global trends in agriculture around the Great Depression and prepare the creation of a database of historical farm accountancy data in the future. I will analyse the Farm Accountancy Statistics series published by the International Institute of Agriculture concerning the evolution of agriculture in different countries for the period 1928-1938, by examining: 1. The theoretical underpinnings of farm accountancy data; 2. The actors involved in the production of data at national and international level, including economists, agricultural associations and international organizations; 3. The data expected influence on policy; 4. The picture of European agriculture that emerges from the data. As a result, the project will contribute to our understanding of the impact of protectionism, transnational networks and international organisations during the interwar period, a time of international economic tensions that increasingly resembles our own.

Mots clés : history of economic thought, history of accounting, history of agriculture, great depression

Participants :
- Ca' Foscari University of Venice (Italie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 171473.28 €