Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-actions-marie-curie-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet PINGED (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2022)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Tracking of individual progression trajectory of neurodegenerative brain disease such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) can enable targeted interventions to prolong active living with increased quality of life and substantially reduce the socioeconomic burden. Approaches based on mechanistic modeling have the capacity to integrate heterogeneous data and capture the inter-individual variability, but their application in the case of AD is challenging due to non-idetifiability of relevant parameters from spontaneous brain activity. This project will use the recently developed technology for noninvasive brain stimulation - the temporal interference - to address the key question: is the response to stimulation sufficiently informative to allow estimation of the model parameters reflecting the position of an individual along the AD progression trajectory. The main objective of this project is to develop and validate a proof-of-concept of a brain health status estimation workflow informed by both the response to targeted non-invasive stimulation (TI) and the resting state dynamics (fMRI), while leveraging the personalized model-based inference. The project will advance along following main axes: systematic analysis of parameter identifiability using both stimulation and resting state paradigms, development of a personalization workflow combining structural data, resting state fMRI and the TI, and evaluation of model inversion performance using response to different stimulation targets. The results of the project have the potential to pioneer personalized mechanistic model inversion in the context of AD, and to pave the way for further development of the AD monitoring workflows which can be adapted in routine health screening practices.

Mots clés : noninvasive brain stimulation, neurodegenrative disease, virtual brain modeling, disease trajectory, alzheimer s disease

Participants :
- Université Masaryk (Rép. Tchèque) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 166278.72 €
Projet TASTE (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) has an estimated mortality rate of up to 40%, and although transmission is primarily associated with tick bites, a secondary route is that of alimentary transmission. Alimentary transmission occurs through the ingestion of contaminated ‘raw’ dairy products. Since its discovery in the early 1950’s the incidence of TBEV due to this infection method has continuously increased, currently accounting for ~1% of all TBEV cases. Despite this, the alimentary route of infection is severely understudied, and there are no defined mechanisms by which TBEV breaches the intestinal epithelial barrier and disseminates to secondary tissues. To address this gap in knowledge, the TASTE (Targeting Alimentary Systems in TBEV Experimentation) project aims to elucidate the key molecular interactions (both extra- and intracellular) and examine these factors in a cellular and tissue context to establish a model for TBEV alimentary infection. A novel crosslinking immunoprecipitation pipeline will be developed, utilising the incorporation of photosensitive unnatural amino acids into the TBEV genome, to identify the host receptors responsible for virus binding and internalisation. RNA interactome capture and immunoprecipitation will be used to isolate the intracellular factors responsible for viral replication. Following this, the importance of these components and the influence of additional environmental factors will be examined in both cell culture and tissue models. The output of this project will not only be informative to the mechanisms of alimentary infection but will serve as a foundation for future research into therapeutics and patient treatment. I chose to pursue this project within the Ruzek lab at MUNI, as this lab excels in TBEV research and has all the resources necessary to achieve this work. By adding my expertise in molecular virology, we aim to develop novel angles in TBEV research from which future projects can be developed.

Mots clés : tick borne encephalitis, alimentary transmission, molecular virology, host virus interactions, intestinal epithelial barrier model, viral kinetics, host receptors, immunoprecipitation, rna interactome

Participants :
- Université Masaryk (Rép. Tchèque) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 191918.16 €
Projet EduClimate (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : SIGNED

EduClimate aims to address the critical and underexplored issue of how rising temperatures, a consequence of climate change, impact educational outcomes in Europe. The primary objective is to quantitatively evaluate the effects of increasing temperatures on student performance across various educational systems, utilizing large-scale datasets from international assessments such as PISA, TIMSS, and PIRLS, integrated with high-resolution climate data from the ERA-5 reanalysis. The secondary objective is to explore and prioritize Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) as sustainable strategies to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change on educational environments. By employing advanced methodologies, including machine learning, GIS technology, and IoT sensors, EduClimate will model the relationship between temperature anomalies and educational outcomes, and assess the efficacy of NBS interventions. The project is highly relevant to the Horizon Europe work programme as it addresses the intersection of climate resilience and educational sustainability, offering actionable insights for policymakers, educators, and urban planners. EduClimate will fill a significant gap in current research, providing robust data-driven strategies to enhance the resilience of educational systems to climate change, ultimately contributing to the development of more equitable and sustainable societies.

Mots clés : climate change and education, environmental education, educational sustainability, human development, nature based solutions

Participants :
- Université Masaryk (Rép. Tchèque) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 207758.16 €
Projet THEAM (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2023)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Concepts of medicine, health, and healing are now at the core of the global agenda due to the recent pandemic. In this context, a better understanding of the intangible cultural heritage of ancient and indigenous medical cultures is crucial. It is often assumed that contemporary European culture derives from the Ancient Greco-Roman one, but if we turn to core values such as health and healing we find out that in Greco-Roman antiquity they are much more comparable to many contemporary non-Occidental cultures than to the Western bio-medical paradigm . Dreams and visions were strongly connected to these concepts as they were used in the ritual of incubation, which brought devotees into visionary contact with the invisible to obtain healing or prophecies. Incubation was the distinctive feature of the cult of Asklepios, the Greek god of medicine. THEAM explores the relationship among dramatic performance, healing, and epiphany by contextualising such practices within the cultures of ancient Mediterranean. How did ritually-induced epiphanies spread in the Mediterranean as a tool for healing? What agency did thousands of unknown worshippers have in the dissemination of these ritual gestures? How are these ritual practices embedded in the design of sanctuaries and theatres? What was the role of islands in this historical phenomenon? How do this ancient practices relate to nowadays concepts of healing and health? The case studies are the island sanctuaries of Asklepios in Sicily, the Cyclades, and Crete. Ultimately, THEAM represents a valuable contribution to our understanding of ancient religious practices, their evolution, and their socio-economic implications. It offers a platform for innovative medical approaches that harness the power of performance as a therapeutic tool, such as psychodrama and psychotheatre, further enriching our comprehension of the intersections between ancient religion, medicine, and society.

Mots clés : healing ancient religion theatre archaeology of cult practices ancient economy

Participants :
- Fondation nationale de la recherche scientifique (Grèce) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 153486.72 €
Projet D1-Glia (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2022)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Major depressive disorders (MDD) represent a global challenge. Although many recent initiatives have resulted in new antipsychotic drugs, their efficacy is not optimal. One possible reason for this is that the prevailing paradigm for drug development is based on the neuron-centric view of how the central nervous system (CNS) copes with diseases. In the fellowship, I will study neuroglia, the nonneuronal cells responsible mainly for maintaining homeostasis in the CNS. Failure in the function of these cells can set the course for neurological conditions, including psychiatric diseases and MDD. Thus, targeting neuroglia has recently been viewed as a new translational ground for drug development. The present proposal is therefore based on our understanding of the potential role of neuroglia in brain disease. One of the major neurotransmitters, dopamine, is known to play an important role in MDD. I will examine the regulation of astrocytes, a major type of neuroglia, by dopamine. Based on the state of the art, I hypothesise that astrocytic dopamine D1 receptor signalling may be involved in the pathophysiology of MDD. Through innovative methodological approaches I will study the regulation of astrocytic D1 receptor signalling at the cellular level in an experimental model of MDD. Moreover, this project will explore D1 signalling in vivo to validate the results obtained on isolated cells. The proposed research will provide a new framework that includes astrocytes and the mechanisms underlying the dopaminergic modulation in depression. This will afford novel cellular targets for treatment of MDD associated with dopamine D1 receptor signalling. In addition, a comprehensive two-way transfer of knowledge is envisioned to bring together competences and experiences necessary for the proposed research. The fellowship will facilitate my career development and enable me to get established in the field.

Mots clés : astrocytes, neuroglia cells, dopamine, dopamine, dopamine receptor, dopamine signaling, dopamine d1 signaling, cell culture, fret, electrophysiology study, drug addiction, major depressive disorder

Participants :
- Université de Ljubljana (Slovénie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 171399.36 €
Projet PHAGE_ATTACH (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Bacteriophages are found in over two-thirds of sequenced bacterial genomes, with phage DNA making up an estimated 10% of these genomes. Recent studies suggest that phage DNA integration, during so called lysogeny, can lead to interactions with bacterial hosts that are more complex than once thought. There are phages which very specifically and reversibly integrate into host genes, modulating host development. Altering bacterial behaviours can have detrimental consequences in microbial communities, such as those found in the human gut. However, it is unclear how specific phage integration mechanisms evolve, or if integration specificity influences regulation during lysogeny. I hypothesise that phage integration components are a key factor in phage-host interactions, with attachment sites (att) and phage integrases under strong evolutionary pressure. This project's goal is to examine the consequences of specific phage integration for the host and for the phage and to understand how integration components are directed by evolution. This will be fulfilled via three research objectives: 1) bioinformatics analysis of phage integration components, capitalizing on newly built prophage database and focusing on conservation of host att genes and phage integrases; 2) investigation of the effects of integrase specificity on phage-host interactions and fitness via combining engineered phages and trackable host with high-throughput imaging and RNA sequencing. 3) testing the long-term effect of specific att sites on host genome evolution in ecological context to Bacillus subtilis was selected as the model host due to its tractability, biotechnological importance, and susceptibility to phages with highly specific integrases. Understanding the impacts of phage integration specificity and its evolution will reveal new phage roles in host genome editing and gene transfer, improve our knowledge of phage-bacteria coevolution and it will pave new ways to engineering of bacterial genomes.

Mots clés : phage attachment, integrase, integrase elements, bacillus, bacillus phage, lysogeny, phage host co evolution

Participants :
- Université de Ljubljana (Slovénie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 182717.52 €
Projet PuDeRegels (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2022)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : SIGNED

In this project, I will investigate and develop nanogels incorporated into microgels containing encapsulated anticancer drugs. These nanogels will be delivered via the respiratory system to the lung, selectively swell and deliberate the therapeutic. Importance will be given to targeting moieties, stealth moieties, and biocompatibility. The delivery of drugs for lung cancer is limited but is under investigation and on the rise of inquiry. Some of the challenges this type of technology faces are the efficient encapsulation of the bioactive compound inside a nanocarrier, the targeted delivery, the release of the drug, the biocompatibility with the lung, and the avoidance of the macrophages. New methodologies for better delivery of therapeutics are of great importance at the National and International levels. New materials and technologies are emerging every year. The delivery of therapeutics for lung cancer is based mainly on intravenous therapies. Another way of introducing drugs into the area of importance in the lung could be pulmonary drug delivery as a good alternative. Pulmonary delivery is not a new technology but is strictly limited to specific conditions/illnesses. The research capitalizes on the existing strengths of the experienced researcher (ER) in polymer science and the expertise of the host institute in chemical biology in health, drug research, and biotechnology. It will lead to several publications in high-impact factor journals, transfer of knowledge and expertise that could be capitalized at an industrial level, thus contributing to the research output, distinctness, and economy of Europe. Overall, the fellowship will allow the ER to reintegrate into a long-term academic position after many years of fruitful research career in the academic sector in Spain. After this project, the ER will obtain new knowledge and training that will help him to establish a solid point for a better opportunity both in Academy and in Industry.

Mots clés : polymers nanogels targetability stealth ability responsiveness biomaterials nanomaterials anticancer drug natural polymers

Participants :
- Fondation nationale de la recherche scientifique (Grèce) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 169326.72 €
Projet EcoDLT (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2023)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Reusing salvaged timber in new applications can make an important contribution to circular economy. However, currently the reuse of such materials is limited, especially in structural applications. One reason is the lack of demands from the wood sector due to the absence of standard grading procedures and other issues related to e.g., shape irregularities, service damages, dimensions limitation, and degraded properties, which will require costly, significant processing that makes salvaged timber less profitable. This project will demonstrate how a fit-for-purpose approach can be implemented in a practical manner to reuse salvaged timber in structural applications. The target application is in dowel-laminated timber (here: EcoDLT) floor panels. In EcoDLT, salvaged timber will be reused in combination with new (raw) timber using a new fabrication method that will not require significant processing or gluing. This can reduce the processing costs, which can make salvaged timber more profitable and more attractive for the wood sector. The project will first evaluate the current state of salvaged timber resources in Slovenia using resource inventory. A resource classification method will be then established using which the reusability and profitability of reusing each resource can be determined (objective 1). In the next stage, the concept and fabrication method of EcoDLT will be developed experimentally and its structural properties will be examined (objective 2). Analytical models will then be developed for predicting the structural properties of EcoDLT using a new ‘well-known weak points’ concept, which will consider certain strength-reducing features of salvaged timber that are not represented in the existing models (objective 3). The project will contribute substantially to the EU’s circular economy goals and will lead to breakthrough innovation in wood cascading and analytical analysis of mass laminated timber elements with complex configurations.

Mots clés : salvaged timber, reuse, dowel laminated timber, low cost manufacturing, pre stressing, wooden connectors, circular economy, mechanical testing, analytical analysis

Participants :
- Université du Littoral (Slovénie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 155559.36 €
Projet MINCOOP (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2023)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : SIGNED

MINCOOP is an interdisciplinary and intersectoral project that focuses on the conceptualization and operationalization of minorities under universal international law, with the ultimate purpose to improve the legal protection of traditional (national, ethnic, religious, linguistic) minorities and persons belonging to them. The project contributes to a growing area of minority studies, setting out from the recognition that international law routinely operates with the concept of minority when providing standards for the recognition of group-specific rights or protection from discrimination, without actually offering definitions on the protected groups (conceptualization) or membership criteria therein (operationalization). This in not merely an unresolved theoretical issue, but a practical deficiency with crucial importance for the protection of minorities. Namely, ambiguity in the relevant terms hampers the achievement of policy goals, and the potential for abuse easily leads to further discrimination and marginalization. In order to give definite answers to the problems of conceptualization and operationalization, the project proposes to carry out an up-to-date, systematic and comparative analysis of the monitoring materials of the ten UN human rights treaty bodies – thus filling an important gap in scholarship. The project follows a mixed-method research design including quantitative, computer-assisted content analysis and qualitative legal analysis, as well as case studies and field research (interviews) conducted in Slovenia. The research project will not only inform the theoretical debate on minority rights and provide recommendations for policy-making, but also intends to raise awareness of the pressing issues of traditional minorities among the general public, promoting more tolerant, inclusive societies.

Mots clés : un human rights treaty bodies minorities minority rights conceptualization operationalization

Participants :
- Institute for Ethnic Studies (Slovénie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 171399.36 €
Projet EC-InterCom (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2022)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

It sounds simple: A cell cannot divide without nucleotides. Indeed, the disruption of pyrimidine de novo synthesis (PDNS) efficiently blocks proliferation of cancer cells. Yet still today, PDNS-directed anticancer treatment has not entered clinics due to the lack of efficacy. Why? Cancer cells gain pyrimidines via PDNS or from salvage pathways, and PDNS inhibition in cancer cells can likely be bypassed by pyrimidines produced in the tumor environment or gained from the systemic circulation. Can we target this microenvironmental interaction to improve treatment efficacy? A crucial component of tumor environment are blood vessels. Tumors stimulate their growth, angiogenesis, to gain oxygen and nutrients. Metabolism of endothelial cells (ECs), the inner vessel lining, is rewired in tumors, and tumor ECs upregulate PDNS. However, whether and how elevated PDNS in ECs supports tumorigenesis is unknown. I hypothesize that PDNS in ECs affects tumor environment either directly by providing pyrimidines to cancer cells or indirectly by stimulating angiogenesis, making systemic resources more accessible to cancer cells. The central goals of this project are (i) to identify the metabolic communication of ECs with other cell types in tumors, (ii) asses if endothelial PDNS promotes angiogenesis, and (iii) to seek novel metabolic targets in ECs, whose inhibition improves efficacy of PDNS inhibitors in vivo. To reach these goals, I will use an inducible mouse model to selectively disable PDNS in the endothelium. With this unique tool available at my host institute, I will integrate a state-of-the-art multi-omics and my expertise in metabolism to disentangle the network of metabolic communication using a powerful combination of spatially resolved single cell transcriptomics, metabolomics and functional genomics. My innovative approach will open a way for understanding the EC contribution to metabolic balance in tumors with a potential to identify new metabolic anti-cancer strategies.

Mots clés : endothelial cells metabolism cancer multi omics nucleotides

Participants :
- Institute of Biotechnology (Rép. Tchèque) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Autres, subvention : 166278.72 €