Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-actions-marie-curie-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet IMAGUS (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Advanced imaging technologies are currently transforming operating rooms into sophisticated augmented reality studios that explore recent developments in computer visualization, navigation applications, and robotic systems. The new imaging methods promise to increase precision and improve health outcomes. However, as medical diagnosis and therapy grow more dependent on images, the status and roles of these images become increasingly controversial. Image-guided applications reshape clinical practices, impact medical decisions, and transform the relationship between physician and patient. The objective of the project is to develop a new framework that accounts for the active role of images in surgical contexts, providing a systematic basis for handling the impact of these images and assessing their controversial aspects. The project pursues its goal through a collaborative and interdisciplinary effort that involves medical practitioners. It articulates the visual knowledge of medical practitioners by undertaking in-depth operational analyses of three image-guided technologies in current use: the 3D Slicer software application, the da Vinci surgical system, and the CyberKnife robotic radiosurgery system. The analyses introduce the notion of styles of objectivity, which accounts for the key features of these applications, including agency, alignment, and automation, while acknowledging that images have a certain agency and that there is an inner connection between aesthetic and epistemic factors. A second objective of the project is to contribute to conceptual and methodological innovation through a two-way transfer of visual literacies across medicine and humanities/social science domains, by operationalising the visual knowledge of surgical practitioners so that it can be fed into visual/media/science studies, and vice versa. This includes developing concepts for new ways of teaching the visual knowledge of medicine.

Mots clés : visual studies, scientific images, science studies, medical imaging, image theory, visualisation, image guided interventions, philosophy of technology, medical humanities, relational ontology

Participants :
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (Allemagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 171460.8 €
Projet UPDWMI (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Advances in nanotechnology have made it possible to implant ultra-small electronic sensors in the human body. Interfacing with organs and nervous system, these devices will be a key part of future healthcare technologies. One of the most important components in such a device is the electronic integrated circuit (IC) located right at the signal source. This determines the overall power consumption and size of an implant. However, due to the need for sensitive analog circuits and toxicity concerns, very advanced silicon technology nodes (as in consumer electronics) cannot be used in such ICs. Hence, the power & area consumption is of significant concern. The primary aim of the project is to develop custom, novel ultra-low power digital cells for efficient signal processing and communication circuits for miniature wireless medical implants. This goal fits ideally with the ongoing IMPACT project (in the same group) that aims to develop rice-grain size bio-electronic sensor to monitor cancer tumors. This project will be able to use custom digital cells to optimize this tradeoff between data compression and transmission bandwidth in such a device. The researcher will interact with a multidisciplinary team working on the IMPACT project, including IC designers, physicist, biochemist and clinicians. The highly interdisciplinary work will consider the limitations of such an implant in terms of its sensor functionality and physiological acceptance before deriving the electrical specifications. The researcher will bring her extensive experience in designing low-power CMOS arithmetic and memory circuits to this project. This will complement the existing knowhow in bio-sensors and high-performance sensor interfaces already being developed at the host group. She will receive training in multiple aspects of mixed-signal IC design, full-chip characterization and bio-electronic systems. The host organization will also benefit from her teaching and mentoring experiences.

Mots clés : wireless sensor node, low power electronics, custom digital cells

Participants :
- University of Edinburgh (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 195454.8 €
Projet SUPERBRAIN (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Advances in neurosurgery, radio-chemotherapy resulting in improved survival/cure rates for children with brain tumors. Nevertheless, after domestic accidents, cancer remains the second leading cause of death in children with the overall 5-year survival statistic of 15-35%. Central nervous system (CNS) tumors are the second most diagnosed cancer in pediatric oncology. Radio-chemotherapy protocols for CNS cancers limiting therapeutic potential due to long-term concerns of radiation exposure and late adverse effects of chemotherapy in developing children. The battle against pediatric cancer is potentially much more effectively fought if the therapy is concurrent with diagnosis and monitoring modalities. SUPERBRAIN develops a multifunctional nanocomposite termed as nanocapsule that enables a simultaneous diagnosis, therapy and treatment monitoring (theranostics). It introduces a new paradigm of theranostics combines tumor targeting biomolecule (aptamer), chemotherapeutic cargo, Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) coupled with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and photothermal therapy to combat pediatric CNS cancer. We elaborate multimodality in one nanocapsule by decorating magnetic nanoparticles with plasmonic shell functionalized with chemotherapeutic drugs and CNS cancer cell targeting aptamer and magnetically guided nanocapsules in vivo delivery. Furthermore, non-destructive SERS together with Raman microscopic techniques is introduced here for rapid identification of a cancer cells ‘molecular fingerprint’ allowing visualization of brain tumor margins. Additionally, application of MRI for visualizing 3D brain anatomy is providing opportunity of therapy monitoring. These bioengineered nanocapsules can then be stimulated by near infrared (NIR) light for minimally invasive photonic excitation (photothermal therapy). Finally, we will demonstrate >99% killing of CNS brain tumor tissues (in vitro and in vivo) with this new paradigm as a gold standard theranostics.

Mots clés : biomedical nanotechnology, magnetic nanoparticles, photothermal effect, raman spectroscopy, imaging, cancer therapy

Participants :
- University of Oxford (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 224933.76 €
Projet AngioCAR (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Advances of adoptive cellular therapy and monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have resulted in unprecedented responses in patients with malignant tumors. Due to the fact that tumor growth and metastasis depend on the formation of new blood vessels, termed angiogenesis, direct targeting of the tumor vasculature provides a universal point of engagement in the battle against cancer. The main objective of this project is the development of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell approaches to target the tumor vasculature. Although extremely effective in hematological malignancies, success of CAR T cell strategies against solid tumors is lagging behind. It is hypothesized that aiming CAR T cells towards the tumor vasculature will be effective, as (i) the target is readily accessible via the blood stream and (ii) the engineered T cells do not need to enter the immunosuppressive environment of the tumor. Vimentin, which is known as a cytoskeletal protein, was found to massively externalize from tumor endothelial cells and to become deposited in the surrounding matrix, while expression in all other cells is exclusively intracellular. Therapeutic targeting of this extracellular vimentin (eVim) with antibodies – or through vaccination – resulted in pronounced inhibition of tumor growth, in absence of toxicity. AngioCAR is a multidisciplinary project, aimed to develop CAR T cells against eVim for targeting of solid tumors. Newly developed antibodies against eVim will be expressed as the CAR to redirect T cells to the tumor vasculature. This will not only result in direct endothelial cell killing, but will also increase local inflammation and reduce immune suppression. The project also aims for testing the possible synergistic combination with checkpoint inhibitors as well. AngioCAR results have the potential capacity to open new avenues in cancer treatment in terms of enhancing specificity and efficiency.

Mots clés : car t cells, vascular targeting, immunotherapy, cancer

Participants :
- Amsterdam University Medical Centers (Pays-Bas) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 175572.48 €
Projet ASF_SwineResistance (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

African Swine Fever is a notifiable devastating hemorrhagic fever with high mortality rates in pigs. It affects all members of the Suidae family and is one of the most important pig diseases due to its severe socio-economic consequences for affected countries, the difficulty of preventing spread across country boundaries, and the lack of vaccine and therapeutic control measures. We will use genome-wide DNA technologies to understand the Sus scrofa genomic response to the infection. Specifically, we will compare data on both healthy and infected individuals to (1) identify the possible presence of regions under selection. We will also assess (2) the hybridization rate and (3) the interaction strategies between the domestic pig and the wild boar to (4) identify the possible transmission routes in pig diseases.

Mots clés : sus scrofa, african swine fever, hybridization, selection

Participants :
- Aalborg University (Danemark) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 200194.8 €
Projet TRYPTISSUE (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

African trypanosomes (Trypanosoma brucei, T. congolense, and T. vivax) are extracellular parasites responsible for animal African trypanosomiasis, a livestock disease in Africa and South America that results in frequent epidemics, substantial animal mortality and economic loss. Parasites evade the host immune system through the sequential replacement of their surface coat of variant surface glycoproteins (VSGs). In T. congolense, the VSG super-family is divided into 15 phylotypes, which may have new functions beyond immune evasion. In this fellowship, we propose that VSGs may be important in tissue tropism. Despite being considered blood parasites, African trypanosomes colonise other tissues. The extent of extravascular colonisation and its impact in parasite development remain poorly understood, even though tissue distribution is linked to disease severity and may contribute to the large phenotypic variability observed in clinical cases. In this fellowship, I aim to study antigenic expression in distinct tissue reservoirs. First, I will characterise tissue tropism of T. congolense and T. vivax by comparing gene expression patterns of their extravascular populations. Subsequently, I will investigate the role of individual T. congolense VSG phylotypes in tissue colonisation and disease progression. To achieve this, I will establish Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-associated gene 9 (Cas9) genome editing technology for the first time in T. congolense. I propose a multi-disciplinary approach combining computational, cell, and molecular biology to reveal species-specific adaptions to tissues and the impact that particular VSG phylotypes may have in establishing or maintaining those niches. I will show that VSGs, well known proteins in trypanosomes, play important roles in disease that go beyond the classical antigenic variation dogma.

Mots clés : trypanosoma congolense, trypanosoma vivax, antigenic variation, antigenic diversity, tissue tropism, veterinary tropical diseases

Participants :
- University of Lisbon (Portugal) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 159815.04 €
Projet INFANT MICROBIOTA (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

After birth we are colonized by a consortium of bacteria that are critical for health. Bifidobacteria represent pioneer members, and reach high levels within the gut microbiota of breast-fed infants. These bacteria are proposed to be critical for establishing ‘healthy’ microbiota development and immune defense; however the mechanisms remain unknown. We hypothesize that breast-milk metabolism by Bifidobacteria provides microbial-derived metabolic products key to promoting stable colonisation of other members in the microbiota, suggesting a mechanism as to why formula-fed infants have an altered microbiota and associated increased risk to a variety of diseases. This MCSA seeks to elucidate the function of Bifidobacteria with host diet, by developing a model colon ecosystem colonised with defined infant bacterial isolates to identify key bifidobacterial-derived metabolic byproducts that differ between breast milk and formula metabolism using cutting-edge metabolic tracer experiments and [13C]-Bifidobacteria pseudocatenulatum. Aim 2 will determine the genomic and regulatory elements in B. pseudocatenulatum required for adaption/metabolism of breast-milk or infant formula in the model colon via construction of a genome-wide mutant library generated by high through-put transposon mutagenesis. Metabolites identified in aim 1 will be linked to specific bifidobacterial gene function, based on the identity of essential mutants unable to grow in the presence of breast-milk (aim 2). We will also determine how host diet impacts microbiota composition in the model ecosystem, by monitoring microbial diversity by 16S rRNA analysis. Finally, to promote a ‘healthy’ microbiota, identified breast-milk metabolites will be used to supplement the formula fed model. This research will provide critical insight into the function and mechanism of how infant diet impacts bifidobacteria colonisation, with the potential to identify key bifidobacterial-metabolites that promote life-long health.

Mots clés : bifidobacteria, breast milk, infant diet

Participants :
- University of East Anglia (Royaume-Uni) — Partner, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 30575.8 €
- UK Research and Innovation (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 152879.0 €
Projet NIBSAD (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Ageing of the European population is increasing prevalence of age-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD). AD is considered a public health priority due to socio-economic costs and limited efficacy of current pharmacological treatments. Co-registration of electroencephalogram (EEG) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a novelty, non-expensive and non-invasive approach to obtain surrogate markers of cognitive decline. Moreover, repetitive TMS (rTMS) is considered a promising tool to induce neuroplasticity and improve cognitive functions. The main objective of this research is providing markers of brain activity, reactivity, connectivity and plasticity related with healthy and pathological ageing (i.e., early AD). Thus, samples of healthy young, healthy elderly and AD patients will perform a behavioural task (to study visuospatial attention and cognitive control processes) while carrying out EEG recording and online EEG/TMS co-registration. Correlates of brain activity (event-related brain potentials), reactivity (amplitude of TMS evoked potential -TEP) and connectivity (TEP topography, coherence, synchronization, and graph theoretical analysis of complex networks) will be obtained before and after of delivering offline rTMS. It will allow studying differences in cortical responses induced by rTMS on each group of participants, which will provide correlates and biomarkers of brain plasticity related with age and AD. These biomarkers will allow the identification of individuals at early stages of AD and evaluating efficacy of novel TMS treatments. Importantly, identification of rTMS parameters responsible to induce neural plasticity and improve cognitive functions will contribute to develop rehabilitation protocols for AD patients.

Mots clés : ageing, alzheimer disease  ad, non invasive brain stimulation  nibs, transcranial magnetic stimulation  tms, electroencephaologram  eeg, event related potentials  erp

Participants :
- Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (Italie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 180277.2 €
Projet DECEYEDE (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Aging involves a series of changes affecting both our cognitive abilities and our motor performance. As any other action, the control we exert over our eye movements changes due to aging. For example, the older we are, the less accurately we pursue moving targets. Even though vision -assisted by eye movements- is the main sensory source of information we use to make most of our decisions (and especially those related to actions), the effect that changes in the oculomotor behavior have on our perceptual and motor decisions remains unknown. The aim of DECEYEDE is to define how oculomotor control evolves with age, and how these changes accompany changes in perceptual and motor decisions. To do so, we will first assess how adults of different ages look at targets in dynamic scenarios about which they have to make a decision. Several parameters such as saccade latencies, number of saccades or pursuit gain will be evaluated, and a relation between such parameters and the performance in perceptual and motor decisions tasks will be established. Second, we will apply parameter based-feedback to explore if we can train eye movements in order to improve performance. We will do so by providing feedback to participants about specific parameters of their oculomotor performance. Such feedback will try to steer eye movements towards parameters similar to those that lead to better perceptual and motor performance. DECEYEDE will advance knowledge on the effects of aging on how we sample visual information from the world around us, and will allow further understanding of the mechanisms behind the decline in perceptual and motor tasks with aging. Furthermore, a successful method to train eye movements based on parameter feedback would represent a breakthrough that would set foundational principles for new ways of sensorimotor learning that will likely impact on the industry developing serious games or training and rehabilitation programs.

Mots clés : eye movements, active vision, aging, decision making, learning

Participants :
- University of Barcelona (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 160932.48 €
Projet BACTEPEA (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Agriculture is currently confronting (i) an increasing human population and (ii) limitations of soil use due to, among other reasons, pollution levels above food safety threshold values. Some agricultural practices increase the heavy metal content (HM) of agricultural soil, representing an important threat for the European agricultural development. The use of microorganisms as plant growth promoters has been increasingly studied for a number of years, but it has only recently been proposed to improve plant metal tolerance. Regrettably, plant-microorganism-pollutant interactions are still poorly understood and the molecular underlying mechanisms are mostly unknown. The abovementioned challenges for agricultural production require the study of these mechanisms to better promote a more efficient and sustainable agriculture. This project will venture into new unchartered territory by focusing on the molecular interactions between a probiotic actinobacterium (Micromonospora cremea) and its host, Pisum sativum (garden pea), in the presence of HMs. We will evaluate the capacity of M. cremea CR30 to improve plant tolerance to HM polluted soils, in addition to unraveling the molecular dialogue during the first and late steps of their interaction. Early step interactions are crucial in plant promotion and protection against external stresses, like pollution by HM. Here, we propose the use of new -omic technologies to study these molecular interactions between plants and microorganisms under metal stress, providing a new pathway for an improved soil management. This project addresses a crucial objective in food security, the development of sustainable agricultural practices to control potentially adverse HM effects on plant health.

Mots clés : plant microorganism interactions, actinobacteria, heavy metals, pisum

Participants :
- Tecnalia (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Organismes privés (hors enseignement), subvention : 172932.48 €