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

Proteolysis Targeting Chimeras (PROTACs) are small molecules that induce the degradation of target proteins of interest and have shown considerable promise as novel therapeutic agents. PROTACs are heterobifunctional compounds containing one moiety that binds to the target protein of interest and one that binds to an E3 ubiquitin ligase. Recruitment of the E3 ligase leads to ubiquitination and subsequent degradation of the target by the proteasome. The design of PROTACs largely remains an empirical process because of an insufficient understanding of the molecular basis for productive recruitment of target and E3 ligase into a ternary complex. Furthermore, there are only a handful of small-molecule ligands for E3 ligases that are amenable for PROTAC conjugation, so expanding the chemical space to PROTAC design is an important direction for the field. Virtual screening and structure-based drug design are powerful approaches for designing of drug-like molecules but their application to PROTAC design is still in its infancy. The structural complexity of the ternary complex central to PROTAC activity, and the chemical complexity of PROTAC molecules, are amongst some of the main challenges to structure-based PROTAC design. The goal of this proposal is to develop novel methodologies to contribute to systematically address these important challenges. The long-term goal of this proposal is to develop structure-based PROTAC design as an efficient, universally applicable platform for prediction, designing, and screening of effective PROTAC degraders of target proteins. The success in this project will pave the way to efficiently degrading “undruggable” targets as a powerful new modality of chemical intervention into biology and disease.

Mots clés : proteolysis targeting chimeras protac, e3 ubiquitin ligase, virtual screening, structure based protac design, target protein of interest

Participants :
- University of Dundee (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 224933.76 €
Projet PREDICT (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Proteolysis Targeting Chimeras (PROTACs), small molecules capable of inducing degradation of a target protein, represent a novel strategy to design advanced chemical probes and therapeutic agents with the potential to target so far “undruggable” proteins. PROTACs are heterobifunctional molecules consisting of binding ligands to an E3 ubiquitin ligase and a protein of interest, covalently connected by a linker. Formation of a ternary complex of target protein, PROTAC and E3 ligase allows ubiquitination of the target protein, leading to its subsequent degradation by the proteasome. Due to the complexity of this ternary system, rational PROTAC design is highly challenging and novel PROTACs are to date commonly derived from trial-and-error approaches, typically using simple linkers to connect the two binding ligands. The potential to significantly stabilize and in doing so bias productive ternary complex formation, through design of functional linkers has not been exploited so far. My goal for this project is to identify and explore novel functional linker motifs which will enhance interactions within the ternary complex, such as PROTAC-ligase, PROTAC-target as well as cross-interactions between the E3 ligase and the target protein. The effects of halogen bonding, metal coordination and restricted conformational flexibility of the PROTAC linker on ternary complex formation and PROTAC degradation activity and efficiency will be systematically studied, benchmarked against related PROTAC degraders with non-functionalized linkers and taken as the basis to derive valuable structure-activity relationships. My long-term vision is to capitalize on this Fellowship to enhance my career by developing a rational-design strategy for novel PROTAC degraders capitalizing on functionalized linkers to efficiently degrade proteins so far considered to be “undruggable”.

Mots clés : proteolysis targeting chimeras  protacs, linker design, targeted protein degradation, structure activity relationships, non covalent interactions, molecular recognition, functional groups

Participants :
- University of Dundee (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 212933.76 €
Projet MagProtoCell (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Protocells are artificial cellular systems exhibiting lifelike properties, which are proposed as a stepping-stone for understanding the origin of life on Earth. Features such as encapsulation, replication, metabolism and selective exchange of chemicals with the environment will enable their use as micromachines in a number of emerging applications (e.g., environment clean-up, clinical diagnosis, drug delivery, remote sensing, bioreactor technology). However, progress in such applications will be enhanced by the synthetic construction of protocells capable of directed movement in fluidic environments in response to external stimuli. To date, motility has been achieved only in a few cases, which involve a response to changes in chemical concentrations (chemotaxis) in the surrounding medium. However, controlling the chemical composition of the local environment is challenging, and thus alternative ways to stimulate motility are needed. In this regard, external magnetic fields (MFs) will enable high levels of control of protocell motility and spatial disposition to be achieved by employing noncontact forces. This is the aim of this proposal: to design and construct synthetic protocells able to sense and respond to external MFs. A key outcome of the work will be the development of a new class of magnetic micromachines based on protocell design and engineering. Such machines will couple MF-directed motility with the temporal and spatial delivery of advanced biomimetic functions. The key factor of the proposed methodology is the inclusion of colloidal magnetic particles at strategic locations in the protocell composition or in the external medium. Thereby, the expertise of the applicant (Dr. Rodríguez Arco) in the field of MF-responsive materials will be applied to the multidisciplinary and cutting-edge field of protocells in which the hosting group at the University of Bristol (under the leadership of Prof. Mann FRS) has made great progress in the last few years.

Mots clés : protocell, magnetic particles, magnetic fields

Participants :
- University of Bristol (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 183454.8 €
Projet Smart Protocells (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2015)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Protocells are micro-compartments able to perform or mimic primitive biological functions of real cells. Because of this, they are proposed as stepping-stones towards the understanding of the origin of life on Earth. These “smart” microcapsules find potential applications in a variety of fields including medicine, pharmacology, energy conversion, and bioengineering. Progress in these fields will be considerably enhanced by gaining control over communication between protocells, as well as engineering collective functions of protocells. An important step towards the achievement of these goals can be made by employing bioorthogonal reactions. Bioorthogonal chemistry is a subclass of click chemistry that includes chemical reactions designed to occur in very complex media like the cell's cytosol. Bioorthogonal reactions are based on exogenous and atoxic reagents that react together quickly, chemoselectively and in quantitative yields. The introduction of bioorthogonal functionalities onto a protocell surface will open new possibilities in protocell engineering. In particular, the creation of bioorthogonally reactive protocells will represent the first step towards the creation of an unprecedented method for artificially controlling protocell communication and the assembly of prototissues with very high spatial and temporal control. The previous expertise of the applicant in the field of bioorthogonal chemistry and chemistry at the interface of materials will be applied to the multidisciplinary and emerging field of protocells in which the hosting group of Professor Stephen Mann FRS at the University of Bristol has been pioneering over the last few years. The key outcome of the combined research efforts of the applicant and the Mann group will lead to the synthesis of bioorthogonally reactive protocells and the investigation of their reactivity for the controlled exchange of biomaterials and the assembly of prototissues.

Mots clés : protocell, bioorthogonal chemistry, click chemistry, polymer chemsitry, prototissue, self assembled monolayers

Participants :
- University of Bristol (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 183454.8 €
Projet SANDS (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Protoplanetary discs behave as astronomical wizards that turn small sand into planets. Although no magic is involved, the process of planet formation remains utterly mysterious. On the one hand, it is known that the process of star formation leads to a very high fraction of binarity. On the other hand, thousands of exoplanets have been detected around single, binary and even multiple stellar systems. Therefore, we have to face it: the process of planet formation is very resilient! Understanding how planets form in multiple systems largely relies in our capacity to comprehend gas and dust dynamics in circumstellar, circumbinary, or even more exotic protoplanetary discs. This is the scientific goal of SANDS. During this fellowship, I plan to study disc dynamics using the state-of-the-art hydrodynamical code PHANTOM coupled to the highly optimised radiative transfer code MCFOST. This combination constitutes the most powerful numerical tool available to model disc dynamics in multiple systems. The work will be done within a large collaborative network of leading experts in both disc observations and theory. This will guarantee the high impact of the deliverables and the worldwide dissemination of the results obtained. The main scope of the SANDS project is to answer the following question: how are the initial conditions for planet formation affected by stellar multiplicity? By doing so, I expect to provide a comprehensive picture of disc dynamics in multiple systems. This will shed light on the fundamental process of planet formation around young stars and inform about the resulting planetary architectures.

Mots clés : protoplanetary discs, planet formation, multiple systems, stellar encounters, stellar binaries, hydrodynamics, numerical methods, radiative transfer, synthetic observations, celestial mechanics

Participants :
- Centre national de la recherche scientifique (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 184707.84 €
Projet Q-SEERA (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Q-SEERA, Queer Herstories of struggle and survival in Romania: From Communist criminalization to contemporary anti-gender movements in SEE spaces, is an interdisciplinary and novel research project which uses cutting-edge methodologies and adds unique knowledge that goes beyond the state of the art regarding queer (LBT+) women’s lives in SEE. By looking at a previously unresearched topic – the intimate and social lives of queer Romanian women under communism and during the ‘transitional 90s’ – and by comparing the results with research from the SEE region, the project explores how Romania stands out from other SEE and EU countries, unpacking differentiated inequalities across the region. It proposes new understandings of the rapid rise in anti-gender politics in Romania and other SEE countries through excavating novel knowledge on marginalized women’s lives, struggles and strategies of survival. This is done by gathering original and unique data from interviewing old(er) women, archival and text analysis through a micro historical approach, combined with a comparative analysis of gender norms related to sexuality in both communist and post communist Romania and the SEE. An innovative theoretical framework is developed in order to successfully deal with European challenges regarding policies and political discourses involving gender and sexual minorities, from a transnational perspective. This is achieved by connecting the ways in which the Romanian state enforced homophobia and sexism during communism and until its admission into the EU, looking at how these state-sanctioned social behaviors trickle until today, and by relating these findings on gender and sexuality with the roots of anti-gender movements in the SEE region. In the current context of rising threats against gender-related studies, academic freedom, minority rights and democracy, this project brings an essential and timely contribution to strengthening transnational and comparative regional studies.

Mots clés : lgbt rights, queer studies, lesbian identities, anti gender movements, gender equality, transnational sexuality studies, contemporary history, south eastern europe  see

Participants :
- University of Stavanger (Norvège) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 214158.72 €
Projet QUSTEC (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Cofund Doctoral programme
Statut du projet : SIGNED

QUSTEC offers interdisciplinary, intersectoral and international doctoral training in the field of quantum science and technologies (QST) to 39 early-stage researchers. The coordinator is the European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC) Eucor – The European Campus that consists of five universities that are located in the Upper Rhine research area, at the border between France, Germany and Switzerland. Within QUSTEC programme, the Eucor Members, University of Basel, University of Freiburg, University of Strasbourg and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology are joined by IBM-Research in Zurich and Walther-Meissner-Institute in Munich. The QUSTEC training programme is in line with the European Charter for Researchers, the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers and the EU Principles for Innovative Doctoral Training. Fellows can choose their research projects among the offer of the partner organisations and will be enrolled in a doctoral programme of one of the partaking universities. They are selected in an open, transparent, merit-based procedure based on international peer review. All early-stage researchers are offered a generous 4-year employment contract with the corresponding social security provisions. An individual training panel in a three-tier training programme will supervise them. With a budget of 9 139 308,48 Euro and an overall duration of 6 years, the QUSTEC programme offers one call and one reserve call for candidates from the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) field. The scientific focus lies on the six areas of quantum electronics, artificial quantum systems, quantum nanodevices, non-equilibrium quantum systems, quantum resources, and quantum simulation. The MSCA COFUND support serves as a nucleus for early-stage research career training, creates synergies among the partner institutions and contributes to Europe’s leadership role in the emerging field of QST.

Mots clés : international, interdisciplinary, intersectoral doctoral training, quantum science and technologies, mobility, quantum simulations and computing, quantum nano devices, quantum electronics

Participants :
- Eucor - the european campus (Allemagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Organismes publics (hors enseignement & recherche), subvention : 4230720.0 €
Projet IACG-QFIIs (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2015)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Qualified Foreign Institutional Investors (QFIIs) potentially import practices of shareholder activism that can improve corporate governance in emerging economies’ stock markets. This proposal will scrutinize this proposition in the context of China. To do this, it explores the impact of QFIIs’ institutional activism, especially European QFIIs, on corporate governance in Chinese listed companies both in theory and in practice using the interdisciplinary methods of an economic analysis of law and quantitative analysis. The first objective is to conduct a theoretical analysis on the motivations behind QFIIs’ investments and their behavior as shareholders, supported by an analysis of data on companies targeted by QFIIs between 2003 and 2015. The aim is to find out whether QFIIs engage in shareholder activism in corporate China, especially following Chinese policy changes in relation to the regulation of QFIIs in 2006 and 2012. The Second objective is to conduct an empirical study by way of event study and multiple regression on the correlation between QFIIs stock-targeting/stockholding and the performance of Chinese listed companies over the same period, in order to identify the effectiveness of QFIIs’ institutional activism in improving corporate governance in Chinese listed companies. The working hypothesis of this proposal is that QFIIs may not engage in activism because of the speculative nature of institutional investors, and therefore that policy changes of 2006 and 2012 may not have enhanced QFIIs’ activism in corporate China. This suggests that further policy changes may be required, both in China and in Europe, if QFIIs are to engage in activism which benefits both China and their end beneficiaries. An appropriate set of policy recommendations will be identified and addressed to policymakers and investors in both China and EU.

Mots clés : qfiis, corporate governance, institutional  investor  activism, chinese listed companies, chinese stock market, emerging economies, free movement of capital and global governance

Participants :
- University of Sheffield (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 183454.8 €
Projet ResQu (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2016)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Quantum Computing has been a subject of huge interest in recent years, from researchers and the general public alike, due to its intriguing potential for applications which will forever be beyond the reach of classical computing. Despite recent progress in both experimental and theoretical techniques, difficulties in communicating the needs and results of these respective camps has resulted in a lack of major implementable applications for near-term technologies. This action aims to change the field multilaterally, from developing novel tools to deal with critical practical issues hindering implementation through to a first resource sensitive theoretical approach to finding applications with technological practicalities at its core.

Mots clés : quantum computing, contextuality, nonlocality, bell inequalities, nonlocal games, quantum foundations, hybrid quantum, classical computing, quantum verification, quantum cloud, quantum technologies

Participants :
- Sorbonne Université (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 173076.0 €
Projet TRICE QFT (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Quantum computers hold the promise to efficiently solve certain computational problems that would be intractable using conventional computers. The latter are not able to efficiently incorporate quantum phenomena arising with superposition of states or entanglement. In order to realize a large-scale quantum computer, it is imperative to have superior control over the efficiency and reliability of already available quantum operations. Trapped ions, being a scalable quantum system, envisage the experimental realization of a large-scale universal quantum computer. The proposed project will demonstrate a novel route to implement a Quantum Fourier Transform (QFT), a crucial component of many quantum algorithms, in a small-scale quantum information processor based on a string of singly charged ytterbium ions confined in a linear Paul trap. In presence of a magnetic field gradient-induced coupling, simultaneous interaction between all pairs of qubits will be exploited for efficient execution of quantum algorithms. Thus, instead of decomposing a given quantum algorithm into its smallest possible elementary constituents (1- and 2-qubit gates), multi-qubit conditional quantum dynamics will be used to implement a QFT. Experiment and theory will collaborate at all stages to streamline the project. New collaborations will be established allowing to combine the tremendous knowledge and expertise already existing in the field. The breakthroughs envisioned in the project are, to explore and implement simultaneous couplings between N ≥ 4 qubits allowing for efficient execution of quantum algorithms, and to implement a Quantum Fourier Transform with N ≥ 4 qubits pointing into the future capability of realizing a large number factorization using a quantum factoring algorithm. In addition, career development plans are proposed to assist the fellow acquire new skills enabling a high level of professional maturity and independence to lead a successful career in academia.

Mots clés : trapped ions, quantum physics, entanglement, quantum computer, quantum information science, quantum fourier transform

Participants :
- University of Siegen (Allemagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 171460.8 €