Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-actions-marie-curie-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet PIP-AID (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2021)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Lipids are essential components of cell membranes. Every organelle membrane is constituted of a unique composition of different lipid species. This distinctive lipid distribution along organelle membranes is important to maintain the identity and functions of the different organelles. In this research project, I aim to understand how the lipid species phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate (PI4P) is regulated and how this affects lipid homeostasis and cellular functioning. The PI4P distribution is important for intracellular signalling, lipid and protein trafficking. Alterations in PI4P levels may contribute to the progression of other neurodegenerative disorders, e.g. Alzheimer's disease. In this project, I will study the PI4P phosphatase Sac1. Sac1 consumes PI4P in the endoplasmic reticulum or Golgi apparatus. This locally lowers PI4P levels, therefore maintaining the asymmetric distribution of PI4P in the cell. The PI4P gradient is important for the transport of lipids and proteins. In cell models, Sac1 knockdown or knockout severely compromises cell viability, whereas Sac1 knockout mouse or drosophila are embryonically lethal. This highlights the importance of Sac1, however, making it difficult to examine the physiological functions of Sac1. In this project, I will use an auxin-inducible degradation (AID) system to induce the degradation of Sac1 within one hour. This allows me to assess the acute effects of Sac1 depletion. Using this model, I will address the following key objectives: 1) Examine the role of Sac1 in lipid homeostasis. 2) Investigate the regulatory mechanism of Sac1 in Golgi morphology and kinetics, and 3) Characterize a inducible degradation system in zebrafish. By employing the AID system in a zebrafish model, I aim to provide a new means to study the role of Sac1 in development. Taken together, this project will contribute to deeper insights into the regulatory function of Sac1 in lipid homeostasis and selective protein secretion.

Mots clés : non vesicular lipid transfer, membrane contact sites, cholesterol metabolism, phosphoinositide homeostasis, pi4p, sac1

Participants :
- Université d'Helsinki (Finlande) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 218651.92 €
Projet BioAlgae (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2023)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Modern pig production hugely depends on in-feed antibiotics to control postweaning diarrhea (PWD) and improve pig gut health during weaning. However, the use of in-feed antibiotics and zinc oxide (ZnO) has already been banned in Europe prompting an urgent need for alternative solutions. Currently, there is emerging interest in various bioactive compounds from brown macroalgae such as the polyphenolic compound phlorotannin (Pt) as a potential alternative due to their diverse biological activities. Weaning in pig compromises not only short-term gut health or reduces energy status, or alters gut microbiota (GM), but also disrupts mucosal integrity increasing susceptibility to infection and negatively influencing long-term health. Therefore, it can be hypothesized that improving immune status, enhancing intestinal barrier functions, and inhibiting specific harmful microbes using Pt can lead to both short-term favorable GM profile and long-term beneficial impacts on immunity and resistance against infection. Therefore, the objectives of this study are to investigate the effects of Pt on the enteric pathogen such as E. coli, GM, mucosal immunity and intestinal barrier function, and how these effects can be utilized to mitigate PWD in weaned pigs. Given my background and my supervisors’ track record in the gut health as well as the use of macroalgae in livestock as alternative to antibiotics, I have firm conviction in the successful achievement of the objectives of this project. The effects of Pt are expected to be reflected in improved pig gut health, reduced mortality and enhanced productivity in weaned pigs. This has huge implications in Europe to fill the vacuum created by the banning of in-feed antibiotics and ZnO. Moreover, this research project can complement the skills gained from my PhD project by filling some of the skill gaps which are important to develop my envisioned career by strengthening my hands-on lab and overall research skills in pig gut health.

Mots clés : pig, gut health, weaning, post weaning diarrhea, brown macroalgae, phlorotannin

Participants :
- KU Leuven (Belgique) — Partner, associated partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- Université de Bodø (Norvège) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 226751.04 €
Projet SNOWGIANTS (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Climate change is transforming polar and alpine ecosystems, significantly affecting snow and ice surfaces through microbial activities like algal blooms. Snow algal blooms not only alter surface reflectivity but also play a crucial role in nutrient cycling and microbial community dynamics. However, the role of viruses, particularly giant viruses, in these ecosystems remains poorly understood. This project aims to bridge this knowledge gap by investigating the diversity, ecology, and metabolic potential of giant viruses associated with snow algal blooms in Arctic environments. The primary objectives of this project are to (1) uncover novel giant virus genomes through high-throughput metagenomic and metatranscriptomic analyses, (2) characterize virus-host interactions and their role in biogeochemical processes, and (3) identify cold-adapted viral enzymes with potential biotechnological applications. This will be achieved through a combination of field sampling, next-generation sequencing, advanced bioinformatics pipelines, and laboratory-based enzyme characterization techniques. The expected outcomes include the discovery of at least 50 novel giant virus genomes and the characterization of 10 novel enzymes with industrial potential. These findings will advance our understanding of viral roles in polar microbial ecosystems and unlock new possibilities for biotechnological innovations. This Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowship at Nord University will be instrumental in my development as an independent researcher in environmental virology and biotechnology. It will enhance my skills in cryosphere microbiology, advanced genomics, and enzyme characterization, while fostering my abilities in project management, interdisciplinary collaboration, and science communication. The project's unique blend of basic and applied research will position me at the forefront of an emerging field with significant scientific and societal implications.

Mots clés : snow algal blooms, giant viruses, next generation sequencing, metagenomics analysis, cold adaptive enzymes

Participants :
- Université de Bodø (Norvège) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 267418.56 €
Projet LARGE BERGMAN (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2022)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Mathematics
Statut du projet : CLOSED

We consider operator theory in Bergman spaces consisting of analytic functions on complex domains. The aim is to extend known, central results of standard Bergman spaces to the case of large spaces, which are naturally defined by using rapidly decaying, non-doubling weights. The need of weighted estimates is as apparent as anywhere in harmonic analysis and applications. In the context of Bergman spaces, the case of non-doubling weights is still partially open due to the fact that such weights are not so naturally related with the hyperbolic metric of the underlying domain. In this context we plan to consider questions of boundedness of the Bergman projection in weighted L^p-norms in relation to the boundedness of Toeplitz and also little Hankel operators. In the case of standard weighted Bergman spaces there is a well-known connection of the theory to the deformation quantization. Another topic of recent interest is formed by the so called localized operator classes. We aim to extend these studies to the case of large Bergman spaces. The methodology comes from the earlier joint works of the researcher and a number of well known experts in the area, on the topic of pointwise estimates of the Bergman kernel among others, and from the techniques of the supervisor and W.Lusky, as well as Fock-space methods, which are naturally related to nondoubling measures.

Mots clés : bergman space, non doubling weight, bergman kernel, toeplitz operator, little hankel operator, atomic decomposition, deformation quantization, boundedness, compactness

Participants :
- Université de Reading (Royaume-Uni) — Partner, associated partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- Université d'Helsinki (Finlande) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 215534.4 €
Projet RhizoEvo (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2022)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Microbe-mediated plant pathogen biocontrol has been suggested as an environmentally friendly alternative for agrochemicals to increase global food production. While biocontrol bacteria have been shown to suppress the growth of plant pathogenic bacteria via the production of antimicrobials, it remains unclear whether pathogens can escape this by evolving resistance. The main aim of this proposal is to experimentally test whether plant pathogenic Ralstonia solanacearum bacterium can evolve resistant to Pseudomonas protegens biocontrol bacterium in the tomato plant rhizosphere. I will also test if pathogen resistance evolution results in co-evolution and increased antimicrobial activity of the biocontrol bacterium, and if microbial adaptations will affect how both bacteria interact with the tomato plant, potentially shifting plant-microbe interactions along the parasitism-mutualism continuum (virulence vs. plant growth-promotion). To achieve this, I will learn to use a novel experimental-evolution system that allows direct tracking of bacterial adaptation in the rhizosphere of tomatoes over successive plant generations. Training will also be provided to quantify bacterial adaptation using a combination of microbiological assays, genomics, metabolomics and plant assays. The proposed work will help to assess the potential risks of plant pathogen resistance evolution for the long-term efficiency of microbe-mediated biocontrol. It will also improve fundamental understanding of the rapid microbial evolution in an agriculturally relevant model system and help identify potentially novel antimicrobial compounds for future crop protection.

Mots clés : experimental evolution, plant microbe interactions, microbial biocontrol, plant bacterial pathogen, crop health

Participants :
- Université d'Helsinki (Finlande) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 215534.4 €
Projet 3-D Cardioid (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2021)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The early steps of heart formation during embryogenesis require precise spatiotemporal coordination between different heart progenitors to join together to form a beating heart tube. This complex biological process is regulated through an evolutionary conserved gene regulatory network (GRN) of transcription factors and cis-regulatory elements that integrate inductive signals from surrounding tissues to ensure correct heart development. Yet, how this process is controlled during heart development, and how mutations impacting the cardiac GRN leads to cardiomyopathies, remains unclear. There is currently little or no information about human heart enhancers during these early stages of heart development. Here, we will first determine the dynamic changes in the usage of regulatory elements and gene expression that accompanies human heart development using heart organoids (cardioids) derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells. To uncover the underlying GRN, we will apply scRNA-seq and scATAC-seq to 3-D cardioids at different stages of development, which will allow us to map enhancer usage during cell fate transitions in human heart development for the first time in vitro. Moreover, we will study how developmental trajectories are altered in disease-relevant mutant 3-D cardioids models. Last, we will study how perturbations of transcription factors influence enhancer function and gene expression by fine-tuning the nuclear level of key regulators using an optogenetic tool developed by the Furlong lab, which is extremely dynamic providing very precise temporal resolution, in the order of minutes. The functional impact of these perturbations will be assessed by scRNA-seq and scATAC-seq to identify the transcription factors’ regulatory mechanisms. Together, these findings will advance our understanding of gene regulation during cardiogenesis by identifying fundamental principles of enhancer usage and transcriptional changes during normal and diseased heart development.

Mots clés : 3 d heart organoid, optogenetic, enhancers, transcription factors, cardiogenesis

Participants :
- Laboratoire européen de biologie moléculaire (Allemagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 189687.36 €
Projet TherACCage (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2021)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Cancer is still a major societal challenge, as reflected by the Horizon's Europe mission on cancer and the Europe's Beating Cancer Plan. In particular, despite great advances in cancer treatment in recent decades, glioblastoma multiform (GBM) - the most common malignant brain tumor - stills remains without an effective cure and patients die in a few months. Around 220000 people die annually worldwide from GBM and its incidence is expected to increase in Europe due to its aging population. The standard treatment relies on the systemic administration of chemotherapeutics, which has limited efficacy and causes side effects. To overcome current limitations, TherACCage will develop artificial cells based on drug-loaded molecular cages as advanced nanosystems to tackle GBM. Such artificial cells will be equipped with processing machinery resulting in advanced biocompatible nanosystems with the ability to recognize biomarkers of the GBM microenvironment and induce responsive drug delivery in situ. The project combines unique expertise of the main host lab (molecular cages: cage-like molecular architectures with an internal cavity), the candidate (nanotechnology and artificial cells) and a secondary lab (evaluation of novel anticancer therapies) to ensure fulfillment of objectives. In a first stage, the fellow will be trained in advanced organic chemistry for the synthesis of degradable drug-loaded molecular cages. In a second stage, the assembly of artificial cells with molecular cages and their in vitro evaluation will be carried out. Finally, the fellow will carry out a secondment in a biological lab for the pre-clinical evaluation of the developed nanosystems. Importantly, the project will also allow the fellow to gain experience in patenting and tech transfer. Altogether, TheACCage will develop a new therapeutic technology and provide the fellow with complementary scientific and transferable skills with a significant impact toward an independent research career.

Mots clés : molecular cages, liposomes, artificial cells, nanosystems, nanomedicine, anti tumour effect, glioblastoma

Participants :
- Université polytechnique de Valence (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 181152.96 €
- Príncipe Felipe Research Center (Espagne) — Partner, associated partner, Recherche, subvention : 0.0 €
Projet REXGEN (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : SIGNED

The Translocal Far Right in Europe: Exploring the Mobilization Against 'Gender' (REXGEN) explores pressing issues in the study of the extreme right, gender equality, and sexual diversity in contemporary Europe. Emphasizing the role of protest and the different scales of far-right mobilization, the project’s core questions are (1) how the far right conceptualizes gender and sexuality in the context of anti-gender politics, (2) how the interplay between the local and (trans)national levels of far-right politics shape anti-gender mobilization, and (3) how far-right actors and ideas are mainstreamed in the context of local anti-gender protest. REXGEN relies on a comparative analytical framework, studying far-right mobilization against sexual diversity in the center-east (Poland), center-west (Germany), west (France), and south (Portugal) of Europe. It employs a mixed-methods research design drawing from both established and new approaches to qualitative data collection and analysis in the study of the far right, including protest event analysis, (digital) ethnography, and frame analysis. REXGEN pursues three innovation objectives: First, it builds new, interdisciplinary theory by asking different questions and using novel concepts such as 'translocalism' to study the far right. Second, it develops an innovative research design and methodology by applying a comparative approach and using some of the most recent approaches to data collection and analysis, namely video-enhanced protest event analysis. Third, it generates original data by focusing on a recent form of far-right mobilization: protest against the public display of queerness such as in pride parades and 'drag queen story hour'. While extreme-right actors fight a self-declared ‘culture war’ against what they denounce as ‘gender ideology’, the project’s unprecedented empirical findings will be of immeasurable value for the social sciences, European democratic institutions, and civil society.

Mots clés : far right protest gender equality sexual diversity localism mainstreaming transnationalism europe

Participants :
- Université d'Helsinki (Finlande) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 226276.8 €
Projet SERAAQ (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Seraaq, the project acronym, means ‘forest’ in the Indigenous Semai language, connoting the sentience and sacredness of forests, and the moral calling to forest stewardship. The project highlights the importance of Semai (agri)cultural heritage in forest conservation, and the need for a blueprint to achieve, at minimum, alternative sovereignty: could the UNESCO World Heritage Cultural Landscape serve as a tool of empowerment for the minority Semai people of Peninsular Malaysia? SERAAQ’s originality lies in linking cultural heritage protection to securing Indigenous rights to forests and resources, and by identifying ways to support Indigenous forest livelihoods as a purposeful community development option within and in spite of prohibitory state structures. SERAAQ also demonstrates that Indigenous heritage resources are real, functioning parts of Indigenous social-ecological systems rather than free-standing, unidimensional cultural heritage elements. I will assess the potentialities of the WHCL mechanism, and gather documentation of contemporary Semai forest reliance and ‘living’ heritage, by using political economy analyses and field-based survey, PhotoVoice and scenarios planning approaches. This will produce quantifiable, evidence-based data, to persuade and effect change at the decision-making/governance levels. This evidence will take into account Semai articulations of their own self-determined ‘life projects’ or forest-based futures, ideas of forest protection and community empowerment outcomes, e.g, inclusion in forest governance processes; public recognition of the Semai homeland; and legal rights to their customary forestland. An MSCA fellowship will help me innovate my oral tradition research background, to work expertly on political/socioeconomic topics in the heritage and forest conservation fields, especially in regard to the exigencies of Indigenous poverty and disadvantage.

Mots clés : indigenous peoples, forests, development as freedom, justice, cultural landscapes, tangible intangible heritage, social ecological systems, action research, malaysia

Participants :
- Université d'Helsinki (Finlande) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 226276.8 €
Projet SHE-SHE (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : SIGNED

This research examines the ways in which creativity can be expanded through spirituality in women’s contributions to popular music. Women’s spiritual explorations bring together some of the most important political and religious dimensions of contemporary life, but their research treatment remains confined to the status of sexualized Other. This research focuses on the unvetted artistic languages women use to express spirituality to yield a new understanding of the role of spirituality on creativity and the contributions of women as creative agents, analyzing metal and hip-hop music to understand: 1) the interrelation of spirituality with women’s identity, 2) how spirituality affects their perceptions of the music as a dialectical language, and 3) the influence that spirituality has on their creativity and production processes. The researcher will implement an interdisciplinary methodology to analyze 10 case studies and carry out 10 interviews with musicians. These techniques will be leveraged by theoretical considerations for studying religions, including Critical Discursive Study of Religion -developed by Prof. Hjelm- to guide a discursive analysis of lyrics and performances. The study will contribute to making women’s artistic spiritual practice visible, expanding understanding of the articulation between spirituality, identity, and creativity in popular music through a comprehensive analytical perspective that includes the musical process as a whole. To ensure the successful implementation of this project, the researcher will conduct the study at the University of Helsinki with the guidance of Prof. Hjelm, a leading scholar in the field of religious studies. The MSCA Fellowship will prepare the researcher to be competitive at the international level for advanced funding, strengthening her academic profile, and allow her to conduct subsequent follow-up studies in art education based on her findings.

Mots clés : women s spirituality, sociology of religion, popular music, creativity, identity, gender equality, inclusivity, democratic values, performing arts, music production

Participants :
- Université d'Helsinki (Finlande) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 226276.8 €