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

Tomato, SolanTomato, Solanum lycopersicum L. is one of the most important crops and an important source of nutrients in the world. However, around 25-42% of the yield are lost during postharvest. Rapid softening is one of the main causes reducing the shelf-life of the fruit. Therefore, delaying this process is one of the major targets in fruit breeding programmes. Evidence show that stimulating callose in tomatoes via bruising or heating induce changes in fruit texture. In this project, the impact on fruit softening of cell wall modifications targeting the synthesis/degradation of the beta 1,3 glucan component (named callose) will be investigated. The aim is to determine how changes in callose accumulation at the latest stages of fruit development modify the texture, the structural and mechanical properties of tomato fruit. Introgression and transgenic lines with modified callose metabolism will be generated and cell wall biochemistry and mechanical properties will be characterized combining cross-disciplinary approaches such as immunolocalization, Fourier-transformed infrared, nano and macro indentation and Raman spectroscopy. Moreover, the impact of callose modifications on plant/fruit development and on other processes related to softening (such as water content or pathogen susceptibility) will be determined. The results of our project will provide novel molecular tools to use in the selection and breeding of fruit varieties. As a direct outcome, we expect to obtain plants producing fruits that maintain their firmness for a longer period of time, thus with reduce susceptibility to mechanical damage and pathogen attack during the postharvest period. This achievement will have a positive impact on the European Union economy by optimizing processes such as the frequency of harvesting, the handling and the transport procedures. It will also impact on human health and food security by reducing losses and the spreading of pathogens that thrive in mature soft fruits.

Mots clés : cell wall, firmness, callose, mechanical properties, softening, tomato

Participants :
- University of Leeds (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 212933.76 €
Projet NonequilibriumAnyons (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Topologically protected states of matter have sparked tremendous interest in the recent decades. They require new ways to classify quantum phases and bring abstract concepts defined in mathematics of topology to daylight in the form of integer or fractionally quantized response. Being based on nonlocal quantities, they are extremely robust and constitute promising candidates for the fault-tolerant quantum computation. Fractional quantum Hall (FQH) states –an intrinsically strongly correlated phenomena– prove to be even more exotic with the possibility of harboring nonabelian anyons. Although the initial studies on topology have focused on equilibrium properties, life is a dynamical system and our technology relies on non-equilibrium physics. Meanwhile following Feynman’s revolutionary idea of quantum simulations, ultracold quantum gases have been firmly established as clean and controllable platforms to investigate condensed matter models. Not only several topological systems like the Nobel-cited Haldane model have been observed for the first time in cold atoms, their success has extended beyond equilibrium. Even though the recent studies on out-of-equilibrium topological dynamics reveals new classification schemes and new connections between topological invariants, so far they remain restricted to single-particle physics. At this milestone highlighting the timeliness of this project, we will pioneer theoretical investigations into the uncharted territory of the out-of-equilibrium response of strongly correlated topological systems. Equipped with our expertise in non-equilibrium phenomena in single-particle topology, we will conduct analytical calculations supported by numerics to uncover the many-body analogues. This will include classification of out-of-equilibrium topological invariants and introduction of novel quench techniques into the study of FQH states, all the while bridging the gap with experiments by identifying system specific protocols to observe them.

Mots clés : topologically protected states, optical lattices, fractional quantum hall effect, anyons, out of equilibrium, quantum quenches, integer quantum hall effect

Participants :
- University of Cambridge (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 212933.76 €
Projet SMARTLAW (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Towards a regulatory framework for climate smart agriculture Between now and 2050, there will be a sharp increase in the demand of agricultural products due to an increase of the world’s population, the rise in global calorie intake due to greater affluence, and the production of biofuels. The increase in agricultural production will be accompanied by an increase in the emission of greenhouse gasses. Agriculture is not only a major cause of climate change but in many regions of the world, it is also seriously impacted by climate change. Policy documents, mostly by international institutions, have endorsed climate smart agriculture (CSA) as a means to achieve production growth, while at the same reducing the emission of greenhouse gasses and adapting the agricultural sector to the changing climate. However, it is as yet unclear through what regulatory mechanism CSA can be achieved. The key objective of this project is to identify the main elements of a regulatory framework that enables, facilitates and stimulates the transition of conventional farm practices toward ‘climate friendly’ practices in the EU. Various methodologies will be used, such as an evaluation of the Australian Carbon Farming Initiative Act, to date the world’s only comprehensive regulatory instrument aimed at facilitating climate smart agriculture. The project is aimed to be a stepping stone towards a more ambitious research proposal (to be submitted to the European Research Council (ERC) in 2017) aimed at developing the regulatory instruments needed to make the entire European agricultural sector resilient to the impacts of climate change. MSCA IF enables me to be heavily involved in climate law research for two full years, which will give a boost to my scholarly career and provides me competitiveness under the ERC.

Mots clés : climate law, mitigation, adaptation, agricultural law, regulation

Participants :
- Tilburg University (Pays-Bas) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 177989.4 €
- University of Sydney (Australie) — Partner, organization partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
Projet TraCTUs (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2015)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

TraCTUs aims to investigate the social dynamics of European prehistoric communities between the 4th and the 3rd millennium BC, studying the phenomenon of craft specialization through an integrated approach of theoretical and empirical analyses. The Copper Age represents a crucial period in human history during which the first forms of social complexity begin to develop; for this reason TraCTUs identified a context, as the Rome area (Italy), where numerous prehistoric clues, dated between the 4th and 3rd millennium BC, suggest the existence of social diversifications. These evidence can be reflected in the organization of pottery production, indicating the emergence of specialised artisans as new social identities. In a second step of research, TraCTUs will contextualise the data coming from the Copper Age burials of the Rome area, in a broader European framework in order to highlight patterns of similarities or diversifications in social dynamics and elaborate models related to social complexity of Copper Age communities. So far, several scholars investigated specialisation and elaborated models based on a scale of intensity. However, such assumptions derive only from limited empirical datasets. TraCTUs instead, proposes a further contribute to the discipline, applying a methodological approach integrating social theories, diffused in Anglo-American studies, with a detailed empirical investigation performed through a multi-analytical study of direct and indirect evidences related to the organization of pottery production. The research will be conducted at McDonald Institute for archaeological research in Cambridge University, where the candidate will receive a high level training in archaeological and anthropological theories and statistical data treatment that will allow to improve her skills in the study of human behaviours and develop innovative interpretative models contributing to the understanding of social transformation of European Copper Age communities.

Mots clés : social complexity, pottery, european copper age, social theory, use wear, craft specialisation

Participants :
- University of Cambridge (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 183454.8 €
Projet CONNECT (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Statut du projet : TERMINATED

Traditional masonry buildings constitutes the greatest part of the building stock in Europe, involving constructions with high historical, architectural and cultural value. These buildings are particularly susceptible to horizontal actions, as demonstrated during past many seismic events, thus requiring rehabilitation and strengthening actions in order to improve their structural behaviour. Within this scope, innovative strengthening techniques, such as Textile Reinforced Mortar (TRM) composite materials, have been adopted during the last years. TRMs have shown to be quite effective for retrofitting of masonry, but the effectiveness of this technique depends on several parameters. In particular, a key point to the success of the strengthening is the use of connectors to fix the reinforcing layer and prevent it from debonding or delamination, which would turn the strengthening measure useless. Currently, connectors are used in TRM applications in an empirical way and no commonly accepted guidelines are available regarding the design, practical installation and mechanical performance of the integrated TRM/connector strengthening system. Thus, the role of mechanical anchors in the performance of the TRM system needs to be characterized and to be taken into account for a rational and efficient design of TRM systems, allowing to reduce the uncertainty of its mechanical behaviour and increasing the confidence in the technique. The aim of the project is the development of recommendations to properly design TRM-strengthened interventions by the rational application of connectors for the retrofitting of masonry buildings exposed to seismic actions. This will be achieved by the integration of robust experimental results and advanced numerical modelling of the TRM/connector system, supported on an initial state of the review. The combined experimental-numerical approach is the core of the project, which will be complemented by management and dissemination tasks.

Mots clés : masonry heritage, textile reinforced mortar  trm, mechanical connectors, experimental investigation, numerical modelling, design guidelines, industry

Participants :
- University of Minho (Portugal) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 147815.04 €
Projet NEIGHBOURCHANGE (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2015)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Traditional state-driven top-down revitalisation strategies have resulted in new urban dynamics and tensions, gentrification processes and social exclusion. In the meantime, ethnic concentration in neighbourhoods overlaps with situations of social exclusion and deprivation. The aim of the project is to investigate whether and how area-based programs inspired by an innovative social approach targeting deprived and hyperdiverse neighbourhoods can intervene on increasing socio-spatial inequalities, at the same time promoting institutional learning. Institutional learning is in fact considered as a pre-condition to assure the publicness and sustainability of bottom-up initiatives. The project stands on the assumption that promoting social cohesion in hyperdiverse cities urgently demands a new approach to territorial development. The GF will provide me with new competencies to be transferred in Italy and Europe where the development of coherent contextual strategies for urban revitalization is of utmost importance. The GF envisages: i) an outgoing period to Canada, University of Toronto, where I will be involved in a major research partnership over six Canadian metropolitan areas (NCPR) ii) a return period in Italy at IUAV, based at the SSIIM UNESCO Chair to transfer the skills acquired, develop an additional training to establish a sustainable career iii) a secondment being based at TU Delft, Netherlands, being involved in the ERC Project DEPRIVEDHOODS to develop specific hands-on training activities and strengthen the collaboration among hosting institutions. If funded IUAV will provide me with a full-time research contract to invest in my career development. My profile deeply based on migration studies, policy design and analysis, urban planning and human rights will be reinforced with new inter disciplinary expertise and strengthen skills on community development, urban regeneration, social innovation, segregation studies and neighbourhood research.

Mots clés : diversity, immigration, neighbourhood, urban revitalization, social innovation, territorial, development, urban polarisation, hyperdiversity

Participants :
- Università Iuav di Venezia (Italie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 193355.4 €
- University of Toronto (Canada) — Partner, organization partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
Projet TF-bind Determinants (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2016)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Transcription factors (TFs) read cis-regulatory information encoded in the genome and by doing so, they establish gene expression patterns. However, TFs must compete with structural chromatin proteins such as nucleosomes for access to DNA, and this may partially explain why only a fraction of their sequence motifs in the genome are actually bound. It is unclear what features discriminate used from unused sites with similar motifs, in vivo, though it is likely that sensitivity of TFs to chromatin is critical for normal gene expression. For example, some TFs have reduced chromatin sensitivity, termed pioneer-factors, and are able to drive differentiation; even these bind a minority of cognate motifs in the genome. Such factors may nevertheless modify chromatin and expose motifs for TFs with higher sensitivity. Alternatively, chromatin proteins and modifications may be intrinsically directed by unidentified DNA sequence features. Though little is known about determines of TF-chromatin sensitivity, it is likely a function of DNA affinity and the ability to recruit chromatin-modifying activity. The complexity of chromatin/TF interactions necessitates a reductionist approach. The objectives of this project is to gain mechanistic understanding of chromatin-sensitivity and will use established methods to measure binding of ectopic TFs as a function TF properties and chromatin components. I will express exogenous TFs in mammalian cells and compare in vivo binding to in vitro DNA affinity and analyse their chromatin sensitivity (WP1). This setup enables me to modify and profile chromatin before and after expression, which will test the contribution these factors have on TF binding (WP2). Finally, I will test if manipulating the chromatin-modifying activity of an ectopic TF affects binding (WP3). These results will provide mechanistic insight into TF sensitivity to chromatin and should reveal general principles of binding hierarchies and the logic of cis-regulatory regions.

Mots clés : dna affinity  transcription factor  chromatin sensitivity  chromatin remodeling  nucleosome

Participants :
- Friedrich Miescher Institute (Suisse) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 187419.6 €
Projet BASILA (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Transcriptional gene silencing (TGS) is an ancestral gene regulatory mechanism that operates at the level of chromatin and that involves various histone modifications as well as cytosine DNA methylation. In both plants and animals, DNA methylation transcriptionally silences transposable elements (TEs), repeats, as well as some protein-coding genes that carry TEs/repeats in their vicinity. Whereas DNA methylation has been extensively studied at particular stages of plants and animals development, its dynamics and biological relevance in response to biotic stresses, and particularly during bacterial infections, has just started to be examined and reported. Previous work from the host laboratory has revealed that disease-related genes are negatively regulated by DNA methylation and that DNA demethylation is required to enable proper plant innate immune response. Together, these results suggest that some yet-unknown bacterial virulence factors must have evolved to interfere with TGS to enable disease. The proposed project aims at identifying and characterizing such bacterial effectors as well as their interactants, namely epigenetic factors. To address these questions, the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae and the plant Arabidopsis thaliana will be used as model systems and biochemical, genetic, epigenomic and cell biology approaches combined. The proposed project sets the grounds for further mechanistic analyses of the effector-target complexes that will shed light on the precise mode of action of these epigenetic effectors and their targets. This study will not only unveil novel mechanisms of bacterial pathogenicity but also allow the identification of novel silencing factors and therefore enhance our fundamental knowledge of TGS mechanisms in plants and possibly other eukaryotic organisms.

Mots clés : epigenetics, bacterial effectors, dna methylation, rna silencing, mamp

Participants :
- Centre national de la recherche scientifique (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 173076.0 €
Projet TF3C_EM (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2015)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Transfer RNAs (tRNAs) act as adaptor molecules, decoding messenger RNA and delivering the correct amino acid to the growing peptide chain. Being instrumental in the cellular translation machinery, it is important to understand their synthesis mechanism. In eukaryotes, tRNA gene (tDNA) transcription begins with transcription factor IIIC (TFIIIC) bound to 2 gene-internal promoter elements, A- and B-box. This is followed by the recruitment of transcription factor IIIB and RNA polymerase III to form the transcription pre-initiation complex. In ‘TF3C_EM’, I will focus on the mechanism and molecular architecture of the very first step, i.e., TFIIIC binding to tDNA. TFIIIC is composed of two subcomplexes, τA and τB, that bind respectively to the A- and B-box, and are flexibly linked to accommodate varying lengths between their binding sites. Interestingly, TFIIIC has recently been termed as ‘guardian of the genome’ in light of its extra transcriptional roles, such as chromatin remodelling. This further highlights the importance of exploring its underlying structure. Using recombinantly purified TFIIIC, I will characterise the fully assembled TFIIIC complex and TFIIIC-tDNA interactions in vitro. To this end, an inter-disciplinary approach will be used, spanning complementing biophysical and structural techniques of single molecule FRET, cryo electron microscopy and X-ray crystallography. Thus, in my project ‘TF3C_EM’, I will tackle 3 major objectives: (1) characterisation of the molecular architecture of TFIIIC, (2) understanding the tDNA recognition mechanism by TFIIIC and (3) understanding the dynamics between τA and τB. It will unravel the structure-function correlation of TFIIIC and pave the way for further understanding the transcription initiation by Pol III. At the same time, it will allow me to pursue research in an unparalleled scientific environment and significantly contribute to shape my future career as an independent researcher.

Mots clés : transcription, tfiiic, trna genes, cryo em

Participants :
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (Allemagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 159460.8 €
Projet ACTPD (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2016)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Transition-metal catalysed C-H activation is a powerful tool to functionalise and derivatize organic molecules at seemingly inert sites. The strategy opens new efficient synthetic routes to existing molecules and provides access to novel ones. Our aim is to develop palladium catalysed sp3 C-H activation technology for the synthesis of nitrogen heterocycles and for the derivatization of simple secondary amines to high value molecules. Our proposal will address demand in the pharmaceutical industry for the efficient synthesis of nitrogen-containing molecules to aid medicinal chemistry and accelerate the drug discovery processes.

Mots clés : organic synthesis, amines, c h activation, palladium catalysis

Participants :
- University of Cambridge (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 183454.8 €