Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-actions-marie-curie-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet MUST (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The ability to control the magnetisation of magnetic materials by electric fields is highly desirable from both scientific and technological viewpoints. Magnetoelectric materials are materials that link electric fields to magnetic properties via mechanical degrees of freedom. Using such materials, we propose to control ultrafast magnetisation dynamics by GHz electric fields and develop novel hybrid electro-magneto-mechanical devices at the nanoscale. More specifically, we propose magnetoelectric devices that act as transducers between electrical and magnetic domains. MUST will use magnetoelectric composites, consisting of piezoelectric and magnetostrictive bilayers, to generate spin waves or excite ferromagnetic resonance using electric signals via mechanical strain. MUST will investigate geometries exerting in-plane or out-of-plane stress to achieve the highest magnetoelectric coupling and enable the most energy efficient spin wave generation and detection. Moreover, MUST intends to study magnetoelectric composites at the magnetoacoustic resonance, with the promise of a strongly enhanced magnetoelectric coupling. The targeted small lateral scale (500 nm) and high operation frequency (bandwidth above 20 GHz) bring such transducers to the frontier of ultrasound devices. Furthermore, MUST will experimentally demonstrate a novel approach for spin wave excitation by the vibration of a magnetic domain wall induced by mechanical actuation in a magnetoelectric transducer. By an interdisciplinary approach combining magnonics and ultrasound devices, as well as nanofabrication, MUST intends to enhance the understanding of the almost unexplored territory of magnetoelectric phenomena at the nanoscale and at GHz frequencies and establish a versatile magnetoelectric transducer platform that can be used in various magnonic (logic) applications.

Mots clés : magnetoelectrics, magnetostriction, magnonics, spin waves, magnetic domain walls

Participants :
- IMEC (Belgique) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 160800.0 €
Projet SICMA (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The ability to control the movement of charge is at the heart of chemistry. With the birth of intense, ultrashort attosecond laser pulses, electronic wave packets can be created in molecules which induce nuclear motion. As a result, the observation and control of electron motion at the atomic level is becoming feasible, leading to the field of attochemistry. In this project, we will develop and use theoretical tools to investigate the potential of these modern light sources to probe and direct this charge migration induced molecular dynamics in chemically important polyatomic molecules. These elementary aspects of laser-matter interactions are governed by quantum mechanics and therefore we will solve the time-dependent Schrödinger equation using state-of-the-art quantum dynamics simulations to address the phenomenon. This will lead to a complete understanding of the underlying mechanism behind the coupled electron-nuclear motion and through a detailed comparison with other available semi-classical studies, a clear indication of their success or failure to theoretically describe such processes will be obtained. Following this, laser control schemes will be designed to enhance desired product yields from these chemical reactions. The key issues that we will address are: (i) Laser induced ultrafast charge migration in benzene and substituents, (ii) Charge migration in the photoinduced ring opening of cyclohexadiene to hexatriene, (iii) Coherent control of coupled electron-nuclear dynamics with attosecond laser pulses. Benzene is the building block of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and the cyclohexadiene to hexatriene reaction plays an important role in the biosynthesis of vitamin D3 from its provitamin dehydrocholesterol. Thereby, each of these objectives has potential societal value and will increase the understanding of the molecular basis of these chemical/biological processes.

Mots clés : ultrafast phenomena, charge migration, non adiabatic dynamics, coupled electron nuclear motion, laser, control

Participants :
- University of London (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 212933.76 €
Projet LearningDeterminants (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The ability to extract regularities from the environment (statistical learning) is an essential feature of the primate brain. While inter-individual differences exist in statistical learning capacity in humans, little is know as to their origins. The present project proposes to investigate the cognitive and neural determinants of these differences, and to ask what their impact might be on the acquisition of a foundational skill for education, i.e. reading. To this end, we will first assess performance in two statistical learning tasks and various cognitive tests in a large group of adults (N=500). Based on the literature and on preliminary results from the outgoing host lab, we predict a link between learning and attention. We will further test this hypothesis by examining statistical learning in a population with high attentional abilities, namely action video gamers. Second, in an fMRI experiment, we will use state-of-the-art analyses to evaluate the hypothesis of a distinct contribution of the hippocampus and of the fronto-striatal networks to learning across participants. Finally, we will estimate statistical learning ability in pre-readers and longitudinally assess its predictive value on reading skills, as subsequently measured in first grade. Both the project’s core questions and the methods chosen to address them are highly innovative and inter-disciplinary, spanning fields as disparate as cognitive sciences, neuroscience, development and education. The project is expected to have a crucial impact on the applicant’s career, by broadening her experimental skills and scientific horizons, and giving her a chance to run her own study, a first step towards the objective of obtaining an independent position in research. Finally, by strengthening collaborations between partners in and outside Europe, and by taking a grip on timely questions mainly addressed outside of ERA for now, this project is expected to contribute to European research excellence.

Mots clés : learning, individual differences, functional mri, development

Participants :
- University of Geneva (Suisse) — Partner, organization partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- Commissariat à l’énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 261957.6 €
Projet incerta2cortex (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The ability to learn from experience and remember one’s past is one of the most fundamental and fascinating functions of the brain that is also a central element of individual and collective human identity. A mechanistic understanding of memory has implications reaching from treatment of memory disorders to artificial intelligence and efficient hard- and software design. While by now we have a tolerable understanding of how local circuits implement the plastic changes that underlie learning and memory, brain areas do not function in isolation. In fact, it is precisely the extreme degree of neuronal interconnectivity that makes brain research such a fascinating challenge. Therefore, the critical next step in learning and memory research is to dissect how long-range interactions between different brain areas contribute to, and interact with, local plasticity to enable functional circuit plasticity. Neocortical layer 1 (L1) receives diverse long-range excitatory inputs, many of which are known to be important for learning. However, my host lab has recently found that the zona incerta (ZI) – a subthalamic nucleus – sends long-range inhibitory (LRI) projections to L1 of the auditory cortex (ACx). Whether and how LRI contributes to memory encoding mechanisms in neocortical circuits is completely unknown. Here I outline a strategy to dissect how LRI projections from the ZI to L1 ACx contribute to learning and memory, using a combination of cutting-edge in vivo imaging and recording techniques in conjunction with associative fear conditioning, optogenetic manipulations, viral tracing, genetic markers and slice recordings in mice. This multidisciplinary investigation will reveal important insights into how long-range interactions between brain areas contribute to learning and memory. Moreover, successful completion of this project, and rigorous training in other aspects of academic life, will provide the ideal stepping stone for my transition to scientific independence.

Mots clés : zona incerta, long range inhibition, auditory cortex, fear memory, extinction memory, neocortical circuits, behavior, layer 1, interneuron types, dendritic inhibition, genetic markers, plasticity

Participants :
- Max Planck Society (Allemagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 174806.4 €
Projet MICROPLASTINE (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : SIGNED

The abundance of microplastics in the environment, and in water in particular, is a growing concern. Kosuth et al. (2018) showed that they were present in 81% of 159 drinking waters sampled across 14 countries. Both European Commission and EU Parliament have on-going investigations to enforce public policies to reduce the amount of microplastics released in the environment. Nestlé, as one of the many extensive users of plastics to protect and safely deliver goods, has been engaged in decreasing the environmental impact of its plastics and in ensuring that microplastics are absent from its products. In addition to policies tackling microplastic release in the environment, solutions are needed to remove those which are already present. MICROPLASTINE aims at designing low-cost reusable biodegradable gelatine hydrogels to remove microplastics from water. Our water remediation process is based on the ability of charged gelatine hydrogels to flocculate oppositely charged microplastic particles, leading to the formation of aggregates that quickly sediment under gravity and can then be separated from water. As the charge of our hydrogels is pH-sensitive, they can be easily recovered by changing the pH. Using static and dynamic scattering techniques, our detailed examination of hydrogel-microplastic association and of the structure of their aggregates will not only allow us to understand the role played by microstructure and surface chemistry, but also to optimise hydrogel structure and properties; thereby creating rapid aggregation processes. The same techniques will also allow us to investigate the aggregation reversibility, and subsequently design hydrogel regeneration and microplastic recovery processes to ensure the full reusability of our biodegradable flocculant. Model microplastic particles with well-defined shape, size, material and charge will be used, before the optimised flocculants are tested on weathered microplastic particles.

Mots clés : hydrogels, scattering, food science, water remediation, microplastics, soft matter, colloids

Participants :
- Nestlé (Switzerland) (Suisse) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Organismes privés (hors enseignement), subvention : 191149.44 €
Projet HYBLAND (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

The activation as well as the consequences of natural geohazards, such as landslides, are difficult to predict, as they depend on factors characterized by large uncertainties, such as the geological and geotechnical conditions, and the influence of human activities. The proposed study aims at the development of a novel, reliable and comprehensive method for the estimation of the landslide susceptibility and hazard. The individual goals of this study are: a) to investigate the failure mechanism of landslides and their spatio-temporal spread using an approach which combines the Earth Observation technology with the classical geotechnical research, b) to formulate an effective multimodal determinist approach for landslide susceptibility assessment, c) to develop a landslide susceptibility and hazard assessment method based on Machine Learning, d) to combine the two previous methods, effectively creating a novel, highly performing methodological approach. The new method will be able to manage more effectively the uncertainties, giving reliable results even in areas where there is scarcity of landslide records. The testbed area for the development of the new approach will be southwestern Cyprus, a region with very high density of landslide phenomena due its particular geology and relatively high seismicity. The produced hazard maps will allow the identification of areas which are susceptible to landslides and, consequently, the results of this research will help the decision-makers in taking actions towards protecting the built environment from the landslide hazards, thus securing sustainable development. Eventually, after the validation of the new method and produced maps, this process can be applied in other parts of Europe suffering from similar phenomena.

Mots clés : natural hazards, landslides, risk assessment, earth observation, machine learning, susceptibility and, hazard map

Participants :
- Geofem limited (Chypre) — Partner, beneficiary, Organismes privés (hors enseignement), subvention : 0.0 €
- Geoimaging (Cyprus) (Chypre) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Organismes privés (hors enseignement), subvention : 157941.12 €
Projet REBECCA (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : SIGNED

The actual investment gap in the renovation sector is due to the fact that high investments are required up-front, generally characterised by a high degree of risk and long payback times. Sustainable approaches based upon linear economy principle are inadequate to effectively answer to the energy emergency of the existing buildings: a shift towards circular models is urgent. REBECCA aims at demonstrating the attractiveness of circular, concerted and innovative actions capable of unlocking public and private funds, fill the energy efficiency investment gap and ultimately contribute to re-launch the construction and renovation market. To do so, the research looks at the residential building stock and develops renovation strategies and techniques based upon Circular models for Renovation (CiR) and Circular Add-ons (CiA), intended as one (or a set of) volumetric additions – like aside or façade addictions, rooftop extensions or even an entire new building construction - that increase the real estate residual value of the existing buildings thanks to significant energy and architectural transformations. Through a case-study based approach, REBECCA will prove that building renovations can be achieved at zero cost (through self-financing real estate models), zero waste (with virtuous circular waste/material management paths) and zero energy (by reducing the energy consumptions and integrating renewable energy sources). In synthesis, REBECCA is proposing to introduce a new paradigm of circularity in the building renovation practice, which looks at reducing the pay-back time of the interventions, strengthening the key investors’ confidence, increasing quality and attractiveness of the existing buildings’ stock and, finally, reaching a concrete market acceleration towards the target of carbon zero footprint for the European built environment.

Mots clés : energy renovation, energy efficiency, existing buildings, volumetric additions, deep architectural transformation, prefabrication, circular economy, design, recycle, life cycle, technical toolkits

Participants :
- Technical University of Munich (Allemagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 262209.6 €
Projet GHSO (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The adrenal cortex is essential for life; it is the primary site of steroid synthesis, producing glucocorticoids, which affect carbohydrate metabolism and mediate the mammalian stress response and mineralocorticoids, which control blood volume and salt homeostasis. Adrenal insufficiency (AI), which can be life threatening, is cause by a number of adrenal disorders, and lifelong management of these patients with exogenous steroids can be challenging. No drug suitably mimics the diurnal pattern of cortisol noted in healthy individuals, and objective variables to measure hormonal replacement therapy quality are lacking. The ability to generate steroid-producing cells from pluripotent stem cells through cell reprogramming, a process where a specialized cell type is induced to transform into a different cell, offers a new paradigm for functional studies, modelling human disease and drug testing and eventually can be used as a cell source for cellular therapies for patients suffering from adrenal conditions. This proposal aims to develop methodologies to generate adrenal-like organoids from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs), which have not been generated so far, without requiring overexpression of exogenous transcription factors and test them in in vivo models of adrenal insufficiency. Because small molecules provide several distinct advantages in controlling protein functions (e.g., temporally controllable, reversible, tunable and tractable) I will utilize them for a faster, more efficient, and directed cellular reprogramming. CRISPR-Cas9 genome engineered steroid-producing organoids harbouring common mutations found in congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), the most common type of AI, will be generated and used as a disease modelling platform to study CAH. This proposal aims to accelerate the translation of this promising bench research to patients affected by adrenal insufficiency over the next 10 years.

Mots clés : adrenal insufficiency, steroidogenesis, cellular therapy, organoids, reprogramming, crispr, cas9, human embryonic stem cells

Participants :
- TU Dresden (Allemagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 246669.12 €
- Boston Children's Hospital (Etats-Unis) — Partner, organization partner, Recherche, subvention : 0.0 €
Projet NEWBREED (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2016)
Action : Cofund Doctoral programme
Statut du projet : SIGNED

The ageing population is one of Europe’s and the world’s grand challenges for the 21st century. How to cope with populations that are living ever longer and understanding the processes and means of tackling and benefitting from such populations has already been studied in great detail. However, the studies have mostly been independent, in often almost unrelated areas. To look at ageing throughout the whole life-course from many different dimensions, and not just in elderly people, requires a new breed of interdisciplinary research who has been trained to work on the topic within a number of different disciplines within science and the humanities. NEWBREED will address this challenge through an interdisciplinary doctoral programme, developed and coordinated by Örebro University in Sweden, in cooperation with a network of hosting organisations. These organisation nodes will open up a large network of other organisations for secondments – academic, industries, NGOs, public sector etc. NEWBREED seeks to attract 16 ESRs from Europe and the rest of the world to undertake this interdisciplinary research training. We believe that the NEWBREED programme will provide just that new breed of researcher. Örebro University is especially qualified to run NEWBREED. The programme docks in well with one of the university’s new strategic areas, namely Food and Health and that there is an existing local doctoral programme within Successful Ageing, which has acted as a pilot. In addition, the university has been involved in many age-related EU projects. The programme is divided into four themes: Ageing and psychosocial adjustment, Ageing from a societal perspective, Ageing and the fourth industrial revolution, and The biology of ageing. We believe that the graduated doctoral students will have unique possibilities on the job market with their interdisciplinary and intersectoral experience and can provide especially interesting perspectives into this important field of research.

Mots clés : ageing, life course, interdisciplinary, intersectoral, activity, food, nutrition, intergeneration, psychosocial adjustment, big data, health care, retirement

Participants :
- Örebro University (Suède) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 1255680.0 €
Projet FISHODOR (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2016)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The aim of FISHODOR is to establish the identity of neural network components of the recently discovered tilapia reproductive pheromone. It will identify pheromone olfactory receptor(s) and their intracellular transduction pathways thereby increasing our understanding of olfactory perception and signal integration of fish pheromones. The project will determine the neuronal cell type (i.e. ciliated, microvillous or crypt-type olfactory receptor neurons) detecting the pheromone, it will establish the transduction pathways (i.e. AC/cAMP or PLC/IP3) involved in its olfactory detection and will identify the olfactory receptor(s) that binds the pheromone. If enough time is available it will attempt to map the neuronal network involved in the neuroendocrine response. The combination of electrophysiology, transcriptomics and molecular biology will bring high degree of novelty to explain the mechanism of action of olfactory receptor and neuronal signal integration.

Mots clés : olfactory neurons, transduction pathways, transcriptomics, olfactory receptors, reproductive pheromones, fish

Participants :
- University of Algarve (Portugal) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 160635.6 €