Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-actions-marie-curie-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet UP-GRAD (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Food waste (FW) and plastic pollution represent two of the most relevant environmental, economic and societal problems in this XXI century. Anaerobic digestion (AD) of FW linked with biogas bioconversion into biopolymers constitute a sustainable route to valorise the enormous untapped potential of FW. However, the full-scale implementation of FW-AD biogas based biorefineries is still limited by the need to enhance stability and prevent inhibition during FW-AD and to overcome the CH4 mass transfer and biological limitations encountered in methanotrophic processes. UP-GRAD aims at upgrading the performance and stability of FW-AD by engineering a novel 2-stage lactate-based AD process coupled with the development of innovative cost-competitive strategies for improving biogas valorisation as a feedstock for the synthesis of tailor-made, high-quality, marketable biopolymers. In this context, UP-GRAD will focus on the enrichment of both industrially robust hydrolytic-acidogenic lactate fermenting inocula and mixed biopolymer-accumulating methanotrophic consortia, and on the optimisation of integrated AD processes and novel high mass transfer nanobubble bioreactors. State-of-art molecular assays devoted to bringing a deeper understanding of the ecological factors tuning metabolic pathways and performance, and of the structure and functionality of the communities involved in the hydrolytic-acidogenic, methanogenic and methanotrophic stages will be conducted during an academic secondment. In addition, a techno-economic analysis and technology-uptake roadmap will be performed during a secondment in an international FW management company. UP-GRAD will apply a cross-disciplinary approach, involving environmental engineering, biochemistry, microbiology, ecogenomics, transcriptomics, bioinformatics and economics, allowing the candidate to create, disseminate and apply a new knowledge that will foster practical solutions for next-generation AD and flexible biogas biorefineries.

Mots clés : acidogenesis, biogas, biogas based biorefinery, bioplastics, ecogenomics, food waste, high mass transfer bioreactor, lactate fermentation, mixed methanotrophic culture, polyhydroxyalkanoates

Participants :
- University of Valladolid (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 160932.48 €
Projet EpiTarget (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2015)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

For > 70% of cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) patients, no curative treatment is available at time of diagnosis and they proceed directly to palliative chemotherapy with virtually 0% surviving at 5 years. Breaking overall cancer trends, CCA mortality rates are escalating among both sexes in the EU, exacerbating this clinical demographic of intractable patients. Recently, a deluge of deep sequencing studies have identified recurrent mutations in epigenetic enzymes in CCA, prompting a turning point in our view of the molecular architecture of this devastating malignancy. Unlike traditional mutations, epigenetic lesions or ‘epimutations’ are intrinsically reversible and, therefore, may comprise an optimal Achilles heel to target for therapeutic benefit. However, to streamline epigenome-driven therapy to the clinic, we first need to clarify molecular and cellular responses to epigenetic manipulation in different CCA models. Accordingly, I have 3 specific objectives of this proposal: i) I plan to carry out a comprehensive in vitro epi-drug screen to determine which enzymatic targets have the greatest anti-neoplastic activity; from this, ii) I will characterize the epigenomic changes that underpin such phenotypic rescue; finally, iii) I will compare the therapeutic effects of the top global-acting epi-drug versus target-specific epigenetic editing (Epi-CRISPR) of the most recurrent epimutation in vivo. Accomplishment of these objectives will improve our understanding of cholangiocarcinogenesis and also address the unmet clinical need for novel therapeutic targets in this cancer demographic with abysmal prognosis. The project will be supervised by Dr. Jesper Andersen, a world-leading expert in hepatobiliary cancer genomics, and will draw extensively on his expansive patient bio- and data-bank. Through this work, I aim to broaden my scientific expertise (including technical and transferable skills) and to establish myself as an independent researcher in translational epigenomics.

Mots clés : hepatobiliary cancer, translational epigenomics, epigenetic therapy

Participants :
- University of Copenhagen (Danemark) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 200194.8 €
Projet SPIN3 (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : CLOSED

For a long time, the coexistence of conventional superconductivity and ferromagnetism was believed to be impossible. Cooper pairs in normal superconductors are formed by two electrons with antiparallel spins in a singlet configuration while ferromagnets favour parallel alignment of electron spins. In 2001 it was theoretically predicted that under certain conditions both phases could coexist in hybrid structures, giving rise to a race for the discovery of an entirely new kind of superconducting electron pairing state in which the electrons are in the triplet state. The novel hypothesis of this Action relies on the fact that triplet pairs can be formed combining ferromagnets, normal metals and superconductors into hybrid Josephson junctions, and are stable enough to be used to carry spin information in addition to dissipationless charge transfer, which will represent an enormous improvement in comparison to the presently established spin-singlet-based devices. This Action consists of two supplementary stages starting from the maximization of spin-triplet current densities in hybrid ferromagnet junctions (materials science) to the understanding of the basic mechanisms of the spin triplet pairs and the nanofabrication of hybrid Josephson junctions in which the spin triplet supercurrent will be controlled (condensed matter physics). Once the objectives of this Action will be achieved, besides its inherent immediate impact on spintronics and condensed matter, the generation of a radically new technology will emerge. This new technological paradigm, the superconducting spintronics , will take advantage of the unique properties of the two macroscopic phases that were believed to be incompatible and has the potential to overcome significant limitations of logic circuits based separately on superconductivity and spintronics. This experimental action has been built around a multidisciplinary research and innovation project which will be hold at the University of Cambridge.

Mots clés : ferromagnets, superconductors, josephson coupling, spin triplets

Participants :
- University of Cambridge (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 195454.8 €
Projet CraNOC (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2015)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

For animals and humans to be successful in their environments, their motor and cognitive behavior must be adjusted to the constantly changing reality at a millisecond-timescale. For example, it is fairly simple for a brain to determine which muscles need to be activated to catch a falling object, but much harder to determine when and for how long. Without correct timing of the executive brain functions, as happens in some neurological disorders, the individual is unable to produce smooth and accurate movements and will also have difficulties with a range of cognitive functions requiring orchestration of distinct mental operations. The tripartite olivo-cerebellar system (OCS), which is formed by the inferior olive (IO), cerebellar cortex (CCTX) and cerebellar nuclei (CN), is considered critical for generating proper timing for many motor and cognitive operations. Interestingly, all three areas, IO, CTX and CN, have intrinsic oscillatory properties and together they constitute a reverberating microcircuit, beating with well-timed responses to requests from the sensorimotor system. The ultimate timing of the output of this system, by which it imposes its effects upon the rest of the brain, is mediated by the CN. Indeed, decades of research on the OCS has resulted in detailed concepts as to how it may generate and control computations with high temporal complexity. However, due to methodological difficulties the function of the nucleo-olivary (NO) pathway, which links the CN with the IO, has been neglected, hindering completion of the cerebellar theory. To crack the relevant temporal codes of this loop I have developed specific viral optogenetic tools that allow for targeted control of the NO pathway. Using them I will define the NO interactions that take place during behavior and learning, and examine how these interactions are perturbed in neurological disorders.

Mots clés : brain, behavior, motor function, cerebellum, autism, optogenetics, timing

Participants :
- Erasmus MC (Pays-Bas) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 165598.8 €
Projet SMSC (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2016)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

For division of each of our cells, 2 meters of DNA should be replicated, compacted into a few-micrometer size chromosomes that are segregated and distributed via mitosis, so that each daughter cell gets exactly one copy. How this large DNA genome is well organized into such a small volume is one of the hottest issues for the understanding of chromosomes. Condensin, a ring-like structure formed by SMC dimers, kleisin, and two heat domains, embraces DNA and condenses the DNA using ATP hydrolysis. However, the molecular mechanism on how conformational changes of condensin compact DNA is still unknown. Here, the applicant Dr. Je-Kyung Ryu proposes to use two orthogonal single-molecule approaches, “high-speed AFM (HS AFM)” and “single-molecule fluorescent magnetic tweezers” to reveal the molecular mechanism of condensin. HS AFM imaging is a unique technique to record video-rate real-time images for entire structure of a protein in physiological condition with high spatiotemporal resolution (~1nm, ~50ms). In addition, using single-molecule fluorescence microscopy combined with magnetic tweezers, the applicant can understand how the cooperative binding of condensin to DNA correlate with DNA condensation. These two approaches will not only provide most important clues to understand the mechanism of condensin how DNA enters and exits the condensin ring and how condensin shapes chromosome but also include technical advances in single-molecule techniques. This work will be carried out in the laboratory of Prof. Cees Dekker, who is a world leader in HS AFM and single-molecule biophysics of DNA-protein interactions. The applicant’s experts in single-molecule biophysics, fluorescence microscopy, and biochemistry will make synergetic effects with the resources of the Dekker lab to collectively meet the interdisciplinary demands of the innovative effort.

Mots clés : condensin, hs afm, single molecule fluorescence, magnetic tweezers, dna condensation

Participants :
- Delft University of Technology (Pays-Bas) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 177598.8 €
Projet BURIAL (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

For the most parts of the Southeast Europe the awareness of the group identification is to the present day strongly connected with the dominant collective identity of ethnic group as a persistent and impenetrable community with cultural and biological continuity within certain territory. This, for obvious reasons, hazardous concept was consequently adopted also for the non-written societies in the past by using their material culture, foremost burials and specific grave belongings (jewellery, weapons), as a prime source of the distinction. In contrast to this unilateral and static model of ancient societies, the archaeological remains from the new investigated cemetery Dolina in Croatia as well as from neighbouring sites in Bosnia are providing different and innovative approach to the questions of identity. Large diversity of the burial customs and funeral objects are indicating that group identification needs rather to be understood as overlapping, multifaceted and dynamic construct. Within the scope of the proposed programme the detailed analysis and interpretation of the archaeological features will be supplemented with the input from cultural anthropology and natural science methods (geomagnetic, radiocarbon dating, petrography and chemical analysis of pottery and bronze objects). The multidisciplinary approach as well as collaboration with the experts of the host institute OREA in Vienna will provide optimal evaluation of data and gain a unique insight into the structure of the ancient communities, their identity expression and group identification in general.


Participants :
- Austrian Academy of Sciences (Autriche) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 178156.8 €
Projet NERHYMUS (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

For the past 30 years, the use of neuroimaging in cognitive neuroscience has challenged the traditional modular view of the human brain and has highlighted the necessity for cross-domain research. Seemingly unrelated cognitive functions such as speech and music perception are being viewed under a new prism. Currently there are strong theoretical accounts that assume common ground between the music and the language faculties of the human brain. The gap, however, lies into defining which aspects of speech and music processing are shared and which are domain-specific. Rhythm perception has been highlighted as a shared mechanism for both music and speech processing, as it relies on the same acoustic features (e.g. waveform periodicity, amplitude envelope), and it takes place in anatomically overlapping brain structures. Previous research has remarked the supplementary motor area (SMA) as a crucial brain region involved in the temporal processing of speech, included in the “extended network” for beat perception in regular rhythms. This project proposes to investigate whether musical rhythm expertise affects the processing of rhythm in speech comprehension. To this end, the effects of musical rhythm expertise on speech rhythm perception will be quantified by comparing behavioral and brain responses of musicians with non-musicians. In specific, cortical oscillations will be measured with electroencephalography (EEG) and pre-SMA engagement will be measured with functional neuroimaging (fMRI) while the participants will be listening to speech. Additionally, this project will employ transcranial brain stimulation (TMS) to disrupt pre-SMA involvement in rhythm perception in order to examine whether this region is really necessary when processing speech rhythm. The results of the proposed project can develop theoretical accounts of rhythm perception and inspire experts to use targeted rhythm-based therapies to treat stroke-induced or developmental language deficiencies.

Mots clés : speech comprehension, rhythm perception, musical expertise, fmri

Participants :
- Maastricht University (Pays-Bas) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 165598.8 €
Projet NEWDIA4Planet (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2016)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

For the past few decades, diamond anvil cell (DAC) has been the most commonly used static high-pressure device to reproduce simultaneous high pressure (P) and temperature (T) conditions of deep planetary interiors. Laser-heated DAC achieved P-T conditions corresponding to the centre of the Earth. However, the laser heating system causes large temperature uncertainties (±10%), which is critical when one tries to understand planetary interiors based on phase relations of the candidate materials. The major objective of this proposal is therefore, to develop a new heating system for the DAC which enables us to heat the sample stably and homogeneously. The new design will be based on so-called internally-heated DAC (IHDAC). In an existing IHDAC, a thin metallic heater which is the sample at the same time, provides homogeneous high temperature. One of the limitations of the existing system is that it is applicable only to the metallic sample. Therefore, (1) we aim to develop a micro-heater configuration which can heat any type of materials, e.g., silicate, oxide, and H2O. We plan to achieve the P-T condition of P = 200 GPa and T = 4000 K. Then (2) we will conduct high-pressure melting experiments on H2O ice. The melting temperature of H2O ice under pressure places important constraints on the structure of Ice Giants such as Uranus and Neptune. Previously reported melting temperatures of H2O show large discrepancies, one of the major reasons for which is that most of those studies were based on the laser heating with large temperature uncertainties. Our new IHDAC will offer incontrovertible melting data from homogeneous and stable heating, and therefore it has a great potential to solve the long-standing controversy of the existing melting temperatures. Our new IHDAC will be a conventional technique for the researches on the planetary interior for the next decade.

Mots clés : high pressure, diamond anvil cell, resistive heating, h2o ice, planetary interior

Participants :
- University of Edinburgh (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 195454.8 €
Projet Philosophy Forcing (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2016)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Forcing is one of the defining techniques of modern set theory. As of late its extensive and deep mathematical results and related foundational questions gained wider attention in the international debate in the philosophy of mathematics. This can be witnessed by the recent development of different research programs in the philosophy of set theory like the Multiverse or Hyperuniverse Program and the formation of new platforms for discussion like the newly founded Set Theoretic Pluralism network. This project aims to provide a philosophical and mathematical contribution to the ongoing debate by delivering a systematic study of forcing and its philosophical implications. It starts from the new observation that not only the results of forcing but also the way these results are obtained is of vital importance for the philosophical implications of the mathematical work. Our claim is that the method of forcing is not philosophically neutral; i.e. the different ways forcing is used by set theorists is one of the differentiating factors responsible for the philosophical conclusions drawn in the recent research programs. In the first part of the project we will systematically examine the forcing technique, its mathematical uses and the influence forcing has on philosophical debates such as the multiverse versus universe view and ultimately the question of the search for new axioms. We will investigate how the different uses of forcing inform (or even determine) the philosophical upshot of the set-theoretical programs under consideration. Our aim is to shed new light on the ongoing debate. The second part is dedicated to introducing new types of forcing (class-forcing, forcing over non-ZFC models) into the current philosophical debate in order to strengthen our case that the uses of forcing inform philosophical conclusions; further, these new types of forcing are put to use to counter and limit crucial generality claims on which some positions in the current debate rest.

Mots clés : philosophy of science, philosophy of mathematics, set theory, forcing

Participants :
- University of Konstanz (Allemagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 171460.8 €
Projet 3D-FOGROD (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Forest ecosystems are an essential terrestrial carbon sink, and deforestation and forest degradation account for about 12% of global anthropogenic carbon emissions. However, estimates of the global distribution of terrestrial carbon sinks and sources are highly uncertain. Constraining the inaccuracy of carbon estimates is essential to support effective forest management and future climate mitigation. A better understanding of forest growth dynamics will improve our understanding of the carbon cycle and mechanisms responsible for terrestrial carbon sources and sinks, reducing uncertainties on their magnitude and distribution. In the 3D-FOGROD project, I aim to improve our understanding of forest growth dynamics and evaluate the role of elevated CO2 levels on forest growth. I will achieve this by using novel 3D laser scanning (LiDAR) techniques, unique datasets and state-of-the-art modelling approaches to (1) accurately quantify forest growth using terrestrial LiDAR data in a free-air CO2 enrichment experiment; (2) improve historical and future simulated forest growth dynamics using LiDAR derived forest structure for a range of forest ecosystems; and (3) develop and disseminate recommendations for climate mitigation actions to policy makers based on new insights in forest growth dynamics and carbon cycling. The proposed scientific innovation and applicability will benefit the EU not only by generating new knowledge and publications in high-profile scientific journals, which will contribute to the enhancement of EU scientific excellence, but also by contributing to EU commitments to the Paris climate conference (COP 21) agreement that aims to limit the increase in global temperature to 1.5°C. The science excellence and training through 3D-FOGROD will enable me to apply for senior research positions or an ERC starting grant in the future, which would allow me to establish my own research group focused on 3D terrestrial ecology.

Mots clés : forest growth, lidar, terrestrial laser scanning, vegetation modelling, co2 enrichment experiment, climate change, science policy, carbon cycling, 3d structure, above ground biomass

Participants :
- Ghent University (Belgique) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 178320.0 €