Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-actions-marie-curie-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet PRESSURE (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Latest research suggests a link between air pollution (AP) and psychological health, including depression and impaired neurodevelopment. In pregnant women, besides mother’s own well-being, antenatal anxiety or depression may result in an abnormal brain development of the offspring generation. However, little evidence is yet available on these fields. Traditionally, epidemiological studies have used modelled ambient AP estimates at home, with biases arising from this simplification. Personal measurements of AP permit the determination of accurate exposure and dose, by considering different environments and physical activity intensities. Moreover, previous studies lack the assessment of possible confounding by noise on the effects of AP. The aims of the PRESSURE Project are to assess the effect of air pollution and noise in mother’s antenatal depression and anxiety and to evaluate the mediation role of mother’s depression/anxiety in the link between AP and the development of brain structures in the foetus. To achieve this aim, (i) I will develop a modelling framework to accurately quantify the exposure and dose of the population to PM2.5, Black Carbon (BC), and NO2 in different time-windows of the pregnancy period by using data from personal measurements in a large cohort of pregnant women (n=1,300); (ii) I will assess the effect of AP and noise exposure/dose on antenatal depression and anxiety (evaluated through questionnaires); and (iii) I will evaluate the mediation role of antenatal anxiety/depression in the association between maternal exposure to AP and structural changes in the growing brain of the foetuses and new-borns through neuroimaging (transvaginal neurosonography and neonatal MRI). This multidisciplinary project may add insight in the fields of exposure assessment and AP effects on mental health and brain development, and may lead to public health actions to improve air quality and reduce the burden of disease associated with air pollution in Europe.

Mots clés : cohort, pregnant women, air pollution, anxiety, depression, brain development

Participants :
- CERCA Institution (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 172932.48 €
Projet RADICEL (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Lead (Pb) based perovskite solar cells (PSCs) demonstrate a remarkable power conversion efficiency (PCE of 25.2%). Their toxicity, however, raises environmental concerns and might hinder their commercial deployment. Quest for non-toxic PSCs is still at its infancy: The PCE in Pb-free PSCs is merely around 12%, which is about one third of their radiative limit. An analysis of recent literature on the Pb-free PSCs suggests a high non-radiative recombination in them, as evidenced by their high voltage loss and a low fill factor. These non-radiative recombination losses occur due to defects in the perovskite bulk and at the perovskite/charge extraction layers (CTLs) interfaces. Significant research is being carried out to suppress bulk defects, however, systematic investigations of the photophysical and photochemical properties of perovskite/CTLs interfaces remained relatively ignored. For instance, there is no quantitative data to decouple losses in Pb-free PSCs due to bulk and interfacial defects. There is also little information on the chemical and electronic properties of the interface between Pb-free perovskites and different CTLs. This project aims to systematically investigate energetic alignment, charge transfer rates, recombination, trap density and trap depth etc. at the interfaces between Pb-free perovskites and a range of CTLs (organic, inorganic). Measuring quasi-Fermi level splitting and its correlation with open-circuit voltage will help in quantifying losses due to the different interfaces. Based on the insights gained from these investigations, the interfacial properties will be tuned via doping the CTLs or via surface passivation schemes to improve charge transfer/extraction rate. The experimental findings together with insights gained from device simulations will help us to propose an elaborated picture of the loss mechanisms in Pb-free PSCs and to design device architectures to systematically alleviate device performance.

Mots clés : perovskite solar cells, energy conversion, interfaces, charge transfer, open circuit voltage, interfacial recombination, charge extraction, photophysics of solar cells

Participants :
- University of Konstanz (Allemagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 174806.4 €
Projet MOVES (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Leaf Area Index (LAI), Fraction of green Vegetation Cover (FCOVER) and Fraction of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation (FAPAR) are key biophysical variables representing the status and functioning of vegetation. High spatiotemporal resolution LAI/FAPAR/FCOVER products are urgently needed in many terrestrial applications including crop and forest management. However, the trade-off in traditional remote sensing sensors between temporal and spatial resolutions hinders the generation of such products. The launch of Sentinel-2 satellites, with spatial resolution of 10-20 m and 5-day temporal sampling (in tandem), opens a new paradigm in satellite vegetation monitoring. The proposed project “MOVES” will develop an operational algorithm for retrieving LAI/FAPAR/FCOVER from Sentinel-2 data. An easily-invertible radiative transfer model (RTM) will be firstly developed, which will apply a universal model framework for all vegetation types (continuous vs discrete) and terrains (horizontal vs sloping). In this project, the hybrid training and domain adaption paradigms will be introduced into the retrieval of LAI/FAPAR/FCOVER, to enhance the transferability of the retrieval algorithm and achieve spatiotemporally consistent retrieval. The Copernicus ground-based observations (GBOC) and FLUXNET sites will be used to validate the proposed algorithm and assess its potential in the monitoring of vegetation status and functioning. The project is conceived to combine the prominent expertise of the hosting institute in biophysical variable retrieval and remote sensing ecological application, with my well-demonstrated RTM development skills. Overall, MOVES will facilitate the delivery of Sentinel-2 LAI/FAPAR/FCOVER products of physical consistence and high accuracy, and underpin new avenues for the development of high spatiotemporal frequency vegetation monitoring systems.

Mots clés : biophysical variables, sentinel 2, vegetation monitoring, radiative transfer inversion, machine leaning

Participants :
- CERCA Institution (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 172932.48 €
Projet SHAPED (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Learning a language involves recognizing the acoustic properties of speech sounds that have a functional role. The abilities of perceiving and processing speech sounds are first constrained by basic hearing abilities. The auditory system extracts and processes the acoustic properties from the input language and thus, fully contributes to the development of phonetic categories. Surprisingly, information concerning the interaction between basic auditory capacities and early development of speech processing is still lacking. The present project seeks to combine two approaches to explore this interaction: developmental psycholinguistics, studying the acquisition of a language, and psychoacoustics, describing the auditory mechanisms linked to the perception of speech sounds. First, this project aims to investigate when and how auditory and speech processes interact. The perception of the speech acoustic information (such as spectro-temporal modulations described by psychoacoustic studies) will be assess in adults and infants from different language environments. Second, this project aims to explore further this interaction by investigating the effect of impaired auditory processes on speech perception development. The perception of speech acoustic information will be assessed in hearing-impaired children having access to the hearing world through hearing aids. This research project highlights an innovative multidisciplinary perspective within the speech perception development field. This project will have significant impacts on 1) general health (i.e., auditory rehabilitation for hearing-impaired children) and 2) language education (i.e., perception of foreign languages during development).

Mots clés : speech perception, auditory perception, spectro temporal modulations, infants, children, adults, hearing impairments

Participants :
- University of London (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 183454.8 €
Projet TIME COURSE (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2015)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : TERMINATED

Learning to read is a great challenge for deaf children due to their limited access to the sounds andlimited knowledge of the language they learn to read. Deaf adults’illiteracy levels aremuch higher than that of their hearing peers, but some deaf individuals can and do become skilled readers, though in a qualitatively different way than typically observed in hearing readers. New evidence shows that relative to skilled hearing readers (SKH), deaf readers do not activate phonological codes, but activate orthographic codes and show greater use of semantic informationduring word reading. Eye movement data shows that skilled deaf readers (SKD) skip words more often, and refixate words less often than SKHreaders do. In other words, SKDreaders are more efficient at processing words accurately within a single fixation than SKHreaders are, and this may be in part explained by 1) faster processing of visual information, 2) more direct connections between orthography and semantics, or 3) a combination of these two factors. This has been termed the word processing efficiency (WPE) hypothesis and the hypothesis predicts that SKD readers will show earlier activation of orthographic codes, no phonological activation, and thus faster access to semantic codes compared to SKH readers. I will test this hypothesis by investigating and comparing the time-course of word processing in SKDand SKHreaders, by 1) observing participants’ eye movements during reading to determine the earliest point of activation of parafoveal visual, orthographic, phonological, and semantic codes, and 2)assessing the neural underpinnings of the WPE hypothesis with respect to the timing and types of codes with ERP measures. The results will lead to empirically tested solutions for the reading development of deaf children that are not based on how reading develops in children who can hear and will lead to more effective reading instruction for deaf children to increase their functional literacy.

Mots clés : deafness, reading skill, word recognition, eye movements

Participants :
- Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 158121.6 €
Projet transLEISHion (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Leishmaniases are among the world's most neglected diseases. It´s causative agent - Leishmania - is transmitted by the bite of a sand fly. In the host, the parasite is taken up by macrophages and proliferates in the harsh conditions of the host phagolysosome. Currently available drugs for treatment present major drawbacks, urging the need for more effective, safer, and cheaper drugs. The molecular and cellular mechanisms that enable Leishmania to subvert macrophage defence mechanisms and cause disease remain largely unclear. Thanks to modern comparative transcriptomic analysis, the identification of hundreds of genes overexpressed in intracellular amastigote forms was possible for the first time and identified cell surface proteins, transporters, peptidases and many uncharacterized genes with possible roles in host-pathogen interactions. Only recently, a high-throughput gene editing method based on CRISPR-Cas9 allowed for the first time easy manipulation of Leishmanias´ complex genome and rapid functional analysis of genes. For over 50 years membrane transporters have been extensively studied in kinetoplastida, due to their role in the intrinsic parasite nutrient needs, defence from host immune attack and uptake of drug formulations. Despite these efforts a large number of such transporters expressed in amastigotes remain uncharacterized. The present project proposes (1) the generation of a library of 48 L. mexicana mutants by systematic CRISPR-Cas9 mediated knockout of amastigote-upregulated genes encoding membrane transporters, (2) Identification of membrane transporters required for viability of the promastigote parasite form and the (3) Identification of membrane transporters required for differentiation into amastigotes, macrophage infection, intracellular survival. The results of this project are expected to provide new insight into functions of hitherto unexplored aspects of amastigote biology and identify potential new targets for anti-parasitic drugs.

Mots clés : crispr, cas9, transporters, leishmania, amastigotes, infectivity

Participants :
- University of Oxford (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 195454.8 €
Projet ARTIST (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Li-ion batteries (LIBs) have enabled the portable device revolution of the last two decades, and have undoubtedly had a dramatic societal impact, with rechargeable electronic devices now ubiquitous. The light Li-containing electrodes, and high working cell voltages (typically >3.5 V) make LIBs the most practical solution for many portable applications. However, when significantly larger storage capacity is demanded, such as in transportation or grid-based energy storage, the limited availability, and consequently elevated cost, of Li becomes prohibitive. This research project will investigate alternative battery technologies that use more earth-abundant ions for charge transport, namely Mg, to enable the next generation of energy storage devices. The atomic-scale mechanisms of Mg-ion insertion/extraction at electrode-electrolyte interfaces and how these interfaces evolve during charging/discharging will be investigated. Complementary in situ techniques will be used to investigate the evolution of electrode structure and chemical state using carefully designed model electrodes. The study of scaled-up electrodes integrated into complete batteries will extend this understanding to more realistic battery cycling conditions. This will provide important insights to help overcome the limitations of the materials currently used in Mg-ion batteries (MIBs). The ground-breaking nature of this proposal lies in the level of fundamental understanding we aspire to achieve based on in situ metrology. We thereby envision the rational design and optimisation of the next generation of rechargeable batteries, guided by more than just the existing empirical approach.

Mots clés : magnesium ion battery, in situ, electrode electrolyte interface, ion insertion

Participants :
- University of Cambridge (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 211825.2 €
- University of California System (Etats-Unis) — Partner, organization partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
Projet Tropical lichens (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2015)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Lichen symbioses are stable mutualistic associations in which photoautotrophic algae and/or cyanobacteria provide carbohydrates for heterotrophic fungi. Lichens represent a highly successful nutritional strategy, which allows the symbiotic organisms to greatly expand their ecological range. In contrast to the macrolichens of boreal and temperate regions, tropical lichens are still fairly poorly known, and the application of molecular biology methods has recently revealed unprecedented diversity in Neotropical lichens. In Africa, however, even the basic descriptive work is just beginning. With this proposal we wish to initiate a major new research collaboration focusing on the lichens in East African mountains. In addition to biodiversity, in this proposal we concentrate in the effects of ecosystem disturbance to the symbiotic organisms. By using state-of-the-art molecular methods and comprehensive data analysis we aim to give a major contribution to a previously practically untouched field. This is done in the unique environmental setting in montane East Africa with expected high biodiversity and various ecosystems with established study plots in known conditions. The approach enables the unravelling of possible correlations between the environmental variables and the complex symbiotic associations, revealing the effects of ecosystem disturbance to lichen diversity and symbiotic associations, an issue of growing importance in the world of constantly diminishing natural habitats and global climate change. The results will greatly contribute to the known biodiversity, especially in Africa but even globally, since it is concentrated in the yet vastly understudied tropical lichens. The results are expected to be widely applicable also to other tropical montane forest ecosystems and advance our current understanding of the lichen symbiosis as a whole.

Mots clés : symbiosis, fungi, green algae, cyanobacteria, mycobiont, photobiont, lichen guilds, ecosystem disturbance, east africa, mt  kilimanjaro, taita hills

Participants :
- National Museums of Kenya (Kenya) — Partner, organization partner, Recherche, subvention : 0.0 €
- University of Helsinki (Finlande) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 169842.6 €
Projet SUITCASES (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Lichens – are complex and dynamic symbiotic entities formed by fungi living together with algal photobionts. They are key organisms for alpine, tundra and taiga biomes. They are famous for their tremendous adaptive ability to a wide range of environments and also to the harshest conditions such as intense UV light, gamma radiation and even Mars-like settings. But lichens Achilles’ heel is the pollution and for many taxa exposure to pollutants is fatal. And yet, some lichens are effective colonisers of heavily polluted sites. However, the underlying mechanism of the lichen adaptation conundrum remains largely unknown. By specifically aiming to understand at the genetic level how lichen photobionts responds to different environmental conditions and to shed light on the photobiont life cycle, I will bring a significant step forward in addressing this key gap in lichen biology. The project builds on my conceptual model - the ‘Suitcase hypothesis’ proposing that the photobiont community assemblage dynamics serve as an adaptive strategy in lichens. Cutting-edge methods, combining molecular ecology, bioinformatics, phylogenetics and metabarcoding, will be employed for the successful outcome of the project. Two successful researchers, from two Nordic Universities will host the project and contribute key knowledge in a two-way exchange. Through its scientific impact, the use of cutting-edge methodologies, the excellent mentorship, the courses curriculum, the outreach activities, and the teaching experience - SUITCASES will set my path towards a successful career at the forefront of lichen research. Through this project, I will address the UN Sustainable Development Goal 15: Life on Land, as well as the Directive 2004/107/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, which recommends the use of living organisms to complement data and to assess spatial deposition of pollutants.

Mots clés : lichens, phototrophs, photobionts, adaptation, symbiosis, communities, fungi

Participants :
- University of Oslo (Norvège) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 214158.72 €
Projet UNREDE (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2016)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Life on Earth relies on photosynthesis that converts water and carbon dioxide into organic molecules using absorbed light by chlorophylls bound to light harvesting complexes (LHC). During evolution, LHC have maximized the capability to capture light energy, allowing organisms to grow even in very low light environments. However, during nutrient deprivation or under high light conditions, when light absorption exceeds the capacity for carbon dioxide fixation, the excess absorbed energy can elicit the generation of reactive oxygen species that cause severe oxidative damage. Photosynthetic organisms have developed mechanisms of non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) that alleviate this photo-oxidative stress in the timescale of seconds to minutes. This NPQ is critical to protect the integrity of the photosynthetic apparatus, allowing the organisms to survive in a dynamic light and nutrient environment. In algae, LHCSR (LHC Stress Related) proteins catalyze NPQ, but their specific role and regulation are poorly understood. For this project, I will use the model organism Chlamydomonas reinhardtii in which two LHCSR proteins have been identified. My main goals will be (1) to characterize components involved in NPQ under conditions experienced in nature, where light intensities vary and nutrient conditions (C, N and S) are suboptimal, and (2) to explore regulatory circuits and signaling molecules that impact NPQ. The experimental approaches involve characterization of novel mutant strains unable to properly trigger NPQ, transcriptomic analysis to elucidate the effect of NPQ deficit on global gene expression and pharmacological approaches to explore the impact of different signaling molecules in NPQ. Understanding NPQ is essential to predict how photosynthetic organisms will behave with changes in atmospheric dioxide fixation levels, temperature and nutrient availability, but will also impact strategies for improving photosynthetic efficiency and tolerance to harsh conditions.

Mots clés : photosynthesis, non photochemical quenching, signaling, nutrient deprivation, reactive species, transcriptional regulation, postranslational regulation

Participants :
- University of Córdoba (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 257191.2 €
- Carnegie Institution for Science (Etats-Unis) — Partner, organization partner, Recherche, subvention : 0.0 €