Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-actions-marie-curie-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet SUBPRIVACY (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : SIGNED

During the early modern period, the Spanish monarchy treated its religious minorities mercilessly. From 1492 onwards, the Crown officially banned Judaism and Islam from its territory and offered their followers the possibility to convert to Catholicism and remain in the Iberian Peninsula. Many members of these communities accepted baptism, but a significant number of these new Christians limited their conversion to the official and public sphere. Privately, they continued to practice their pre-conversion beliefs, customs, and traditions. The high level of exposure in everyday life meant that many of them were exposed and suspicions of being false Christians spread throughout the kingdom. Society soon began to label converts as heretics and traitors, discriminating against them, and officially excluding them from public life based on their religious background and ethnicity. Faced with social stigma and the fear of being accused before the Inquisition, the descendants of these minorities began to eradicate all traces that identified them as converts—keeping their true identity and all links with their ancestors in the strictest secrecy. In this scenario of intolerance, hatred, and religious fanaticism, the project “Subaltern Privacy: Echoes of The Resistance in the Hispanic World” (SUBPRIVACY) will focus on the resistance practiced by subaltern groups in Spain (Jew converts, Moorish, crypto-Jews, and crypto-Muslims) against the assimilation, surveillance, and punishment policies of the Hispanic establishment. Its main objective will be to examine the resistance actions of these groups designed to preserve their ancient faith, culture, and collective memory underground, using the historical notions of privacy as an analytical lens.

Mots clés : historical notions of privacy, privacy and secrecy, historical resistance, subaltern studies, hispanic religious minorities, cultural preservation, surveillance and punishment, ethnic discrimination

Participants :
- Université de Copenhague (Danemark) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 263393.28 €
Projet PlaTechMedi (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2021)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Medical device-related infections contribute to an increase in mortality, prolongation of hospitalization and present a substantial financial burden to patients and society. Catheter-related infections are among the most common causes of healthcare-associated infections worldwide. The possibilities of low temperature plasma technologies for direct (plasma) and indirect (plasma activated water) disinfection of polymer materials will be studied. The proposed project is focused on gaining detailed insight into the plasma processing of polymer medical tubes (catheters) using Surface Dielectric Barrier Discharge with liquid electrodes. This will include the investigation of plasma-induced physical and chemical changes not only on the surface of the processed material, but also the analysis of the surrounding gas, and especially the used liquid. Examination of the discharge under specific conditions is beneficial for the understanding of the undergoing chemical and physical processes. The decontamination effect of the plasma treatment of bacteria and biofilms present on the catheter surface and in liquids will be the key objective of the project. This will be done by detailed studies of the bacterial response to reactive oxygen and nitrogen species in liquid and the biofilm growth inhibition on the polymer after the plasma treatment. The development of the plasma technology capable of polymer treatment in continuous regime and application of such plasma systems for catheters treatment will allow for a larger impact of plasma processing expanding to a wide range of new industrial applications. The obtained results will increase the quality of medical treatment, reduce the costs of specific medical care, and prolong the time between the required doctor visits for patients using different catheters. Plasma applications in medicine are leaping to become the medicine of the future, and this is my chance to contribute to its development.

Mots clés : low temperature plasma, plasma liquid interactions, plasma medicine, polymer, reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, biofilm, catheters

Participants :
- Université nationale et capodistrienne d'Athènes (Grèce) — Partner, associated partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- Université Comenius de Bratislava (Slovaquie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 165059.52 €
- Université de Padoue (Italie) — Partner, associated partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
Projet GeSuperQuant (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : SIGNED

A great scientific and technical challenges of our time is to engineer a scalable quantum computer, and proximity-induced superconductivity is one of the most important ingredients in many quantum devices. Proximitized III-V semiconductors can host a hard superconducting gap and have been vastly studied in super-semi quantum devices. Nevertheless, these material compounds are not suitable for spin-based qubits due to their large hyperfine interaction and are hence not ideal for use in hybrid devices. One of the most promising, but so far unexplored researched materials to use in such hybrid quantum devices is germanium: it is a potentially ideal host for proximity-induced superconductivity, and exhibits a hard superconducting gap, but can also be used for spin-based qubits since it has suppressed hyperfine interaction and can be isotope purified to be nearly nuclear-spin free. Additionally, it has an exceptionally large hole mobility, strong intrinsic spin-orbit coupling, as well as tunable g-factors, making it an ideal material to use in quantum devices. However, the mechanism for the superconducting proximity effect in germanium is still unknown. In this project I will develop band models based on atomistic orbitals (kp theory), and combine them with T-matrix methods from Greens function theory, to show what mechanisms are responsible for proximity induced superconductivity in the hole bands of germanium. I will apply the results to g-factor dependent Andreev spin qubits and phase- and gate-tunable long-range spin-qubit couplers. I will predict effective spin-orbit coupling and g-factors in these superconducting quantum devices, using effective low-energy models (discretized on a lattice) to predict outcomes of future experiments on germanium-based quantum information devices. This will open up a new avenue of research, through the development of a new type of qubit.

Mots clés : germanium, quantum devices, qubits, spin, proximity induced superconductivity, electronic structure, andreev qubits, spin qubits

Participants :
- Université de Copenhague (Danemark) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 263393.28 €
Projet PROSE (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : SIGNED

International law has often been criticised for its limited influence on state behaviour. However, recent conflicts, notably the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the Gaza conflict, reveal a shift in how states and other actors engage with international legal norms. Rather than being sidelined by geopolitics, international adjudication is increasingly leveraged as a tool in high-stakes political conflicts. PROSE investigates this shift, focusing on how states and actors strategically use judicial processes at the International Criminal Court (ICC) and International Court of Justice (ICJ) to advance their objectives.  Through a combination of socio-legal methods and legal analysis, PROSE aims to explore how legal submissions, judicial decisions, and stakeholder motivations influence international legal processes. By examining ICC and ICJ proceedings, particularly in the Ukraine and Gaza contexts, the project will uncover how actors use international law to shape outcomes during active conflicts. PROSE will also conduct interviews with key stakeholders to assess the broader implications of these legal engagements on international law’s evolution.  The project has three main objectives: (1) to analyse how various actors—including states, international organisations, and NGOs—utilise international legal proceedings to shape arguments in conflicts; (2) to investigate the rationale behind the choice of legal strategies and venues; and (3) to evaluate the broader impact of these engagements on international law and its enforcement.  Undertaking this research at UCPH, particularly at iCourts, will significantly benefit my academic development by integrating sociological and legal perspectives, positioning me to contribute to interdisciplinary studies of international law.

Mots clés : international law, international criminal law, dispute resolution, legal sociology, international adjudication

Participants :
- Université de Copenhague (Danemark) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 247553.28 €
Projet ProPGen (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

The study of ancient biomolecules is a captivating field that allows us to delve directly into the past and unravel the demographic history of human populations and their evolution. Through the study of ancient biomolecules such as proteins and DNA, researchers have unearthed new hominin species and the geographical distribution of humans and their relatives in the distant past. However, the recovery of ancient DNA is often limited by environmental factors that lead to its degradation. In contrast, skeletal proteins have been shown to endure for longer periods than DNA and in a wider range of environmental conditions. This has led to recent breakthroughs in the analysis of ancient proteomes(palaeoproteomics) through protein mass spectrometry methods, enabling us to address phylogenetic questions in human evolution based on ancient protein evidence. Such studies have been largely restricted to phylogenetic hypothesis testing so far. In contrast, ProPGen aims to evaluate the feasibility of population genetic analyses based on palaeoproteomic data. I will use existing human and archaic hominin genome data to create a reference panel of proteome sequence variation among globally distributed human populations and interrogate this dataset to explore whether population genetic analysis with proteomics information reveals known patterns of population genetic relationships. Next, I will leverage this dataset in the context of recent (Mediaeval humans from the Netherlands) and Pleistocene European human proteomes, testing existing hypotheses on the population genetic relationships of the studied individuals. The anticipated outcome is a reference panel of proteomic information from bone and teeth, and the assessment of population genetic analyses using proteomic data. This will enable the assignment of a putative population ancestry to each ancient individual analyzed through their proteome, providing unprecedented insights into their population and demographic history.

Mots clés : human evolution, palaeoanthropology, palaeoproteomics, archaeological science

Participants :
- Université de Copenhague (Danemark) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 247553.28 €
Projet BRAINCIP (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2021)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : SIGNED

The brain is an adaptive system that efficiently performs unique functions in complex and continuously changing environments. Nearly two decades of empirical observations suggest that the brain self-organizes to operate near criticality, a state located at the border between order and disorder, characterized by peculiar features such as long-range correlations and scale invariance of activity, maximal variability of spatio-temporal patterns, and wide response range to perturbations. Theoretical arguments and numerical models indicate that criticality could support optimal computational capabilities by providing a favorable trade-off between reliability and flexibility needed to achieve collective neural behaviors that underlie complex brain functions. Despite signatures of criticality in brain dynamics across spatial scales and systems, the alleged functional role of criticality in brain functions currently lacks direct in vivo empirical confirmation. In this project we aim to investigate in vivo functional advantages of brain criticality, elucidating the relation between emergent brain-wide critical dynamics and brain functions in Zebrafish larvae. Due to their small size and transparency, Zebrafish remain the only vertebrates permitting whole- brain imaging of neural activity with cellular resolution during behavioral study. To probe the functional role of brain-wide criticality in vivo, we will develop a combined theoretical-experimental approach to follow and perturb in near-real time collective neural dynamics during processing of sensory stimuli—and associated behavioral response—, learning, and memory retrieval, while quantifying function, identifying signatures of criticality, and evaluate the relation with information processing. This will consist of a criticality estimator for the online decoding of neural activity, and a finely tunable closed-loop optogenetic stimulation strategy to drive the system away from criticality and assess its functional role.

Mots clés : criticality, avalanches, scaling laws, brain, information processing, whole brain imaging, larval zebrafish, single cell resolution, behavior

Participants :
- Université de Padoue (Italie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 172750.08 €
Projet VIOLLAB (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2022)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : SIGNED

A 2010 report by the European Agency for Health and Safety at Work (EU-OSHA) notes that work-related violence is a ‘serious issue’ facing workers today. It also results in ‘substantial’ economic losses, through workers’ demoralized absenteeism and reduced productivity. Work-related violence, however, is not a new phenomenon; it has a history. VIOLLAB seeks to provide the first analysis of the causes and consequences of one type of work- related violence in Britain, c. 1550-1800: disciplinary violence. It defines ‘disciplinary violence’ as fatal and non-fatal physical violence (e.g., beatings) that employers or managers used to correct workers’ infractions and to instil a sense of discipline in them. Combining methods from social, economic, and labour history with analytical insights from the sociology of work, VIOLLAB uses a range of sources to shed new light on how disciplinary violence influenced contemporary practices and theories of labour management; (gendered and aged-based) experiences of work; and the legal system's mediation of worker-employer relations. By analyzing the causes and consequences of disciplinary violence across different sectors of the British economy as it was transitioning to agrarian and industrial capitalism and becoming increasingly reliant on unfree labour for the production of colonial commodities, VIOLLAB aims to make transformative contributions to scholarship on work, labour relations/discipline, and the law in a period before the existence of modern labour protection laws and workers’ organizations, and to raise public awareness about problems of work in the 21st century.

Mots clés : early modern history labour history labour relations legal institutions work

Participants :
- Université de Padoue (Italie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 172750.08 €
Projet ELSa (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Parkinson's disease (PD) affects 10 million people worldwide and is characterized by the abnormal accumulation of protein aggregates in neuronal cells. Such aggregates are mainly composed of an intrinsically disordered protein called alpha-synuclein (α-syn). Recent evidence suggests that the nucleation event driving α-syn aggregation might be initiated by liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS). Due to a lack of techniques able to look at the early-stage LLPS the link between α-syn aggregation and LLPS is missing. Current strategies mainly focus on temporal scales where LLPS is already in place (seconds, minutes, hours) and hence there is the need to access the temporal scale of sub-second to shed light on this mechanism. The goal of Elsα (Early-stage LLPS of α-syn) is to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying α-syn LLPS and disentangle the contributions at play. To this purpose, I will use an innovative multi-disciplinary approach that combines a cutting-edge time-resolved small-angle X-ray scattering technique with computer simulations. The first enables real-time investigation of LLPS formation with an unprecedented temporal resolution of up to milliseconds. The second will complement the experimental outcomes with a molecular view of the phenomena. By integrating experimental and computational methods, I will identify key factors initiating α-syn LLPS, disentangle their contributions, construct comprehensive phase diagrams for α-syn under various conditions, and eventually unravel the early-stage molecular events in LLPS formation. This research promises to significantly advance our understanding of PD pathogenesis, potentially leading to novel early-phase screening methods and more effective therapeutic strategies for PD neurodegenerative disorder. Further, It will lead to high-impact publications that will increase my visibility in the scientific community boosting my career on the path to becoming a young group leader.

Mots clés : proteins, molecular simulations, small angle x ray scattering, microfluidic, coarse grained models

Participants :
- Université de Copenhague (Danemark) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 263393.28 €
Projet FibroBiomeCrosstalk (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

The microbiome plays an essential role in intestinal immune development, homeostasis and inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), however, our understanding of the underlying mechanisms by which it regulates these processes remains incomplete. Intestinal fibroblasts (iFB) are a heterogeneous population of tissue-resident cells increasingly recognized for their role in immune regulation. In preliminary studies, the host group and a collaborator found that human and mouse iFB express distinct arrays of microbial sensors and immune mediators and that iFB transcription is altered in germ-free mice. In my proposed project, I will combine state-of-the-art high dimensional flow cytometry, single cell (sc)RNA-seq, CITE-seq, spatial transcriptomics and bioinformatics analysis with animal models and analysis of human intestinal datasets to test the hypothesis that microbiome-iFB crosstalk plays a key role in intestinal immune system development, homeostasis and inflammation. Microbiome impact on iFB and intestinal immune system development will be assessed throughout the weaning period by treating mice with broad-spectrum antibiotics and/or antifungals. The importance of direct iFB-microbiome sensing for immune homeostasis and inflammation will be assessed as above as well as in dextran sulphate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis model in mice whose FB are deficient in either the Toll-like receptor signaling adaptor Myd88 or the C-type lectin receptor-Syk mediated antifungal response adaptor CARD9. Finally, translational aspects will be assessed through extensive bioinformatics analysis of iFB scRNA-seq datasets to map microbial sensor expression in human iFB subsets, evidence of downstream signaling through such sensors and their alterations in IBD. Collectively, this project uses a multi-systems approach to obtain novel insights into the importance of microbiome-iFB interactions in intestinal immune system homeostasis and disease with potential relevance for IBD management.

Mots clés : gut microbiome fungi immune system development connective tissue inflammatory bowel diseases gene expression

Participants :
- Université de Copenhague (Danemark) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 247553.28 €
Projet ENHANCER (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2021)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : CLOSED

An escalated demand and subsequent high consumption of energy in the coming decades directed toward the development of a suitable energy storage device. Supercapacitor, also known as Electrochemical capacitor, technology steps forward as a promising solution to unlock the capacity of renewable energy exploration. However, the major drawback of supercapacitors is the limited energy density which necessitates further research and development. The performances and potential of supercapacitor technology strongly lies in the construction of novel electrode materials and its physico-chemical properties. Hence, the focus of current project titled ENHANCER is committed towards ENgineering a Hybrid nANostructures for aqueous asymmetric electroChEmical capacitoR, addressing a key question in today’s energy technology: How quickly can we leapfrog in the supercapacitor technology so as to replace the current battery technology? ENHANCER aims to - (i) develop an adaptable strategy for designing a metal nitrides/carbon-atomic wires in a single run by a single-deposition unit, (ii) establish structure-property-performance relationship, and (ii) fabricate aqueous-based solid-state asymmetric supercapacitor device with energy density and power density higher than the existing technology. The novel strategy makes ENHANCER multidisciplinary involving a strong combination of materials science, plasma physics, electrochemistry and energy technology. This proposal includes two-way transfer of knowledge between candidate and host. Results have the potential to increase the competitiveness of energy storage technologies and provide huge scope for the fundamental insights on the nanomaterials based research. The outcome of the research during the fellowship will pave the way to open new perspectives of newly designed electrode materials for catalysis, optoelectronic and other energy applications. The project is in line with the sustainable development goal of European union.

Mots clés : nanocarbon, metal nitrides, nanostructures, plasma, doping, supercapacitor, energy storage

Participants :
- École polytechnique de Milan (Italie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 188590.08 €