Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Intraspecific Variability in How Herbivores Cope with Induced Plant Defences (INTRAMITE)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Intra-European Fellowships
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: Netherlands
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2007-2-1-IEF, 2007)
Start date: 2008-04-01
End date: 2010-07-31
Duration (months): 28.0
Total project cost (EUR): 159434.23
EU funding (EUR): 159434.23
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Herbivore feeding induces massive metabolic reconfigurations in plants under attack. Such changes mediate tissue repair, resource allocation and defence. Induced plant-defences are studied intensively since they are plant-own and thus might lead to novel and environment-friendly ways of crop protection. Induced plant-defences come in two forms: the first are the induced direct defences which involve plant-produced toxins. The second are the indirect defences which augment direct defences and are established by de novo production of herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPV) that attract natural enemies of herbivores. Both types of defence decrease herbivore fecundity and survival. Thus, plant defences must impose selection pressure on herbivores and natural selection theory predicts that species will undergo adaptive changes towards increased resistance, provided there is sufficient genetic variation. Recently, such intraspecific variability was described for the first time in a herbivorous pest, the spider mite Tetranychus urticae. It was found that different individuals can induce or suppress direct defences and, importantly, differentially induce the emission of HIPV. Therefore mites may not only adapt to become resistant to plant defences, but also to not induce them and to not induce the attraction of natural enemies. I propose to characterize T. urticae selection-lines that differ in the extent to which they induce direct and indirect defences, and (1) to elucidate mechanisms whereby they hinder direct and indirect defences; (2) to map the inheritance of traits that enable mites to hinder defences, and (3) to investigate the implication of such traits for the stability and persistence of predator-prey meta-populations. Meeting these objectives will shed new light on the mechanisms by which interactions between individual traits explain the macroscopic patterns in population dynamics and show new ways for sustainable pest-management.

Keywords: crop protection,ecological genetics,population biology,arthropod pathogens of plants,secondary metabolites (plant physiology),animal ecology
Active Organic Surface Plasmon Enhanced Nanophotonic Devices (ACTOSPED)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: International Outgoing Fellowships
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: France
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2007-4-1-IOF, 2007)
Start date: 2008-06-09
End date: 2010-12-08
Duration (months): 30.0
Total project cost (EUR): 200423.4
EU funding (EUR): 200423.4
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

In this project, surface plasmon enhancement of emission from discrete active organic 1-D photonic nanostructures will be investigated as a means to enhancing the performance and electrical integration potential of miniaturized organic emissive devices. To this end, nobel metal (e.g., silver or gold) nanoparticles (NPs) which can support surface plasmons will be brought into close proximity (5 - 20 nm) to a light emitting conjugated polymer nanowire. The distance between the nanoparticle and the nanowire will be controlled using a dielectric spacer layer. Rational techniques for optically exciting and detecting plasmon resonances and surface plasmon meditated luminescence in the polymer nanostructures will also be developed. Enhancement of radiative and non-radiative decay rates in the emissive conjugated polymer as a function of metal-emitter separation distance will be studied. In addition, the emission intensity enhancement factor will be studied as a function of dipole orientation (i.e., molecular alignment) within the polymer nanowire. In addition, finite-difference time domain (FDTD) simulations of the electric field intensity generated by plane wave illumination will be used to obtain maps of the radiative decay rate enhancement of an organic nanowire near a small metal nanoparticle. The project will draw on core expertise of the researcher in organic active nanowire photonic devices and combine this expertise with the vast experience of the host groups at Caltech and University Louis Pasteur – Strasbourg in passive and active plasmonic devices. The organic plasmon enhanced photonic devices are likely to exhibit comparable performance, be of lower cost and be simpler to manufacture than their inorganic counterparts.

Keywords: nanodevices,photonic components,optoelectronics,future technology,polymer technology,optical and dielectric properties,optics,organic chemistry
Multifunctional Photothermal Gold Nanoarrays for Cellular Manipulation (MULTI-PGNAS)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Intra-European Fellowships
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: Germany
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2007-2-1-IEF, 2007)
Start date: 2008-07-15
End date: 2010-07-14
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 162096.91
EU funding (EUR): 162096.91
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Transporting, organizing, attaching, guiding, releasing entities of various dimensions over different scales remain central to the development of high throughput biological devices able to conduct millions of tests in a short period of time. The proposed project intends to develop a new generation of substrates for cell manipulation based on photothermal processes. Specifically, it focuses on realizing standard and new functions related to tissue engineering and cell transportation by designing a single type of platform. This project aims to implement photothermal gold nanoparticle arrays (PGNAs) to physically manipulate various types of entities, like living cells. Each gold nanodot will play the role of an adhesive spot exposing the RGD peptide, which are separated by nonadhesive regions functionalized with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), so that cell-binding sites will exclusively interface the nanoparticle. By irradiating well-defined areas of the PGNAs with a focused laser beam, the fellow hopes to take advantage of the local heating generated by the nanoparticles to prevent cell attachment in these hot areas. This way, it is possible to study and integrate multiple functions in order to deliver one unique dynamic platform able to precisely control both cell adhesion (releasing, patterning, guiding) and cell transportation (via optofluidics) at the PGNA interface. The “Multi-PGNAs” project may permit to integrate the same nanotechnology for the development of modern applications, while providing innovative methodologies for designing new experiments in cell biology and nanophysics.

Keywords: physical sciences,natural sciences,nanotechnology,photothermal processes,tissue engineering,optofluidics,gold nanoarrays,bioengineering and microsystems development
Double infection by HSV-2 and HIV: how does HSV-2 infection facilitate for HIV infection? (APO-HSV-2/HIV)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Intra-European Fellowships
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: Sweden
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2007-2-1-IEF, 2007)
Start date: 2008-08-01
End date: 2010-07-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 232646.6
EU funding (EUR): 232646.6
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Globally, more than 40 million people are currently infected with HIV-1, with the vast majority of infections initiated at mucosal surfaces and approximately half of the world people now living with HIV are women. Herpes simplex type 2 (HSV-2) is one of the most common sexually transmitted viral diseases (STD) with an estimated prevalence of up to 50% among the female population worldwide giving rise to genital lesions and ulcers. Genital tract inflammation due to STD, such as HSV-2, increases expression of HIV receptors and co-receptors on all the resident target cells in genital mucosa. Apoptosis and apoptotic proteins, such as Fas have been showed to participate in homeostatic maintenance of vaginal epithelium. Considering the fact that disruption of the integrity of the vaginal mucosa resulting from HSV-2 heightens the risk of HIV transmission and may involve exacerbation of apoptosis mechanisms it is necessary to test how apoptosis during HSV-2 infection may add to disruption of vagina epithelium integrity and therefore, how it influences the outcome of double HIV-1/HSV-2 infection. To gain knowledge on this pathogenic scenario I will (i) identify the influence of HSV-2 on apoptosis and disruption of the vaginal mucosa using a mouse model of HSV-2 infection, (ii) examine the contribution of Fas and other receptors of the TNF family to vaginal epithelium lesions during HSV-2 infection (iii) analyze how HSV-2 infection can add to HIV-1 infection using double infection model of mice infected with HSV-2 and HIV-1/murine leukaemia A4070 pseudotype virus. Whenever applicable the relevance of the results obtained in the animal models will be verified in biopsy material from HSV-2 infected women. I expect that disclosure of the mechanisms responsible for increased susceptibility to HIV infection in HSV-2 infected women at the level of vaginal epithelial function will provide knowledge and opportunity to develop effective, affordable anti-HIV prophylactic therapy

Keywords: immunology,infections,cell biology,virology,hiv,hsv-2
Genetical genomics of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular phenotypes in experimental systems (IRGENOMICS)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Intra-European Fellowships
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2007-2-1-IEF, 2007)
Start date: 2009-01-01
End date: 2010-12-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 178307.05
EU funding (EUR): 178307.05
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The objectives of this proposal are to establish causal relationships between altered gene expression regulation and diabetes metabolic changes in a rat model of spontaneous insulin resistance, the Goto-Kakizaki (GK) strain, and define disease-associated biomarkers. This multidisciplinary research addresses fundamental questions concerning the impact of naturally-occurring genetic variants on metabolic regulations contributing to diabetes and obesity, which have become dominant causes of reduced life expectancy in westernized societies. The proposed research builds on knowledge of genetic loci linked to variables relevant to insulin resistance and quantitative changes in metabolites derived by metabonomics, as well as advances in functional genomic technologies and expanding rat genomic resources (genome sequence, single nucleotide polymorphism - SNP). This research takes advantage of the availability of congenic strains of the GK rat, which are powerful tools for validating results from genetic and genetical genomic experiments and testing hypotheses regarding the involvement of SNPs in disease features. In this programme gene transcription profiling, bioinformatic tools and metabolic and biochemical studies will be applied in existing congenic strains of the GK rat carrying chromosomal regions of a locus associated with insulin resistance, transferred onto the genetic background of a control strain. Gene pathways and networks associated with altered metabolic variables will be correlated with SNP-derived haplotypes of the parental strains across the congenic intervals in order to fine map the causative genetic variant(s). This strategy, which integrates different mechanistic levels of gene expression (transcriptome and metabonome), will define biomarkers associated with or predicting disease onset and progression and provide key information for identifying the underlying genes. Results will provide improved knowledge for therapeutic targets and disease prevention.

Keywords: functional genomics,genetics,multifactorial diseases,insulin resistance,congenic strains,quantitative trait locus,type 2 diabetes
Catalytic Asymmetric Reductive Amination of Ketones (ASYMREDAMIN)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Intra-European Fellowships
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: France
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2007-2-1-IEF, 2007)
Start date: 2008-10-01
End date: 2010-07-31
Duration (months): 22.0
Total project cost (EUR): 157064.58
EU funding (EUR): 157064.58
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The need for direct catalytic transformations with economy of matter, solvent and catalyst is a challenge for modern chemistry towards clean and environmentally friendly processes. The objective of this project is to perform the enantioselective reductive amination of ketones in one pot without isolation of intermediates by using multi-functional catalysts, which should be able to promote condensation of an amine with a ketone, and catalyse the enantioselective reduction (hydrogenation) of prochiral unsaturated intermediates to give optically pure amines. This type of compounds would find immediate applications as ligands for other catalysed reactions, and as intermediates for fine chemistry. R1R2C=O + H2NR3 + H2 ________________> R1R2C*H-NHR3 + H2O This innovative procedure presents tremendous advantages over the strategy, which is most often used at the moment and involves at least three independent steps (ketone transformation into enamine derivative, enantioselective hydrogenation, deprotection). This will be attempted by using transition metal catalysts (Ru, Rh, Ir) associated to optically pure ligands and eventually additives. Metal complexes containing bidentate ligands should be tested under specific conditions. The innovation will be in the design and preparation of new precursors of catalysts bearing less traditional ligands and specially monodentate phosphorus ligands such as phosphites, phosphoramidites, diaminophosphites. The expertise in molecular catalysis including asymmetric catalysis and the equipment in the host laboratory, that is participant in a European NoE, provide all the favourable conditions for the achievement of this goal, and good training of the Marie Curie fellow.

Keywords: chemistry,organometallic chemistry,homogeneous catalysis,molecular chemistry,asymmetric catalysis,agronomics,chemical technology,medicine
Interaction between major pathways for platelet activation in mouse models of arterial thrombosis (IN VIVO THROMBOSIS)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: International Outgoing Fellowships
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: Italy
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2007-4-1-IOF, 2007)
Start date: 2008-10-01
End date: 2011-04-30
Duration (months): 31.0
Total project cost (EUR): 155767.37
EU funding (EUR): 155767.37
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Platelets play a central role in arterial thrombosis, causing life-threatening and disabling diseases like myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke. Despite antiplatelet therapies have been proven efficacious for primary and secondary prevention of cardio- and cerebrovascular diseases, arterial thrombosis remains a major healthy problem. A better understanding of the multiple mechanisms by which platelets can be activated is the basis for the rationale development of new antithrombotic drugs. The “outgoing” host institution involved in this project has previously demonstrated that protease-activated receptor (PAR) signaling in platelets is necessary for platelet activation by thrombin and important for hemostasis and thrombosis in mouse models. These results have greatly contributed to the development of a PAR1 antagonist, that has been recently used as antithrombotic drug in a phase II trial . The objectives of this proposal are to better define the role of thrombin signaling in vivo and to explore how the thrombin-PARs pathway relates to other effectors of hemostasis and thrombosis. This study will make use of mouse models of hemostasis and thrombosis. In the partner institution the generation of knockout mice for multiple platelet receptors (glycoprotein VI, FcγR, P2Y12 ) and other relevant molecules for hemostasis and thrombosis (vonWillebrand factor, FIX, FXI, fibrinogen) is ongoing. On those mice the following endpoints will be evaluated 1) hemostasis (bleeding time, neonatal hemorrhage, placentation, maternal hemorrhage, anemia) 2) thrombosis (by using a ferric chloride injury to induce carotid or mesenteric thrombosis). This project will allow the researcher to gain knowledge and experience on the in vivo models of hemostasis and thrombosis. This will be relevant for the fellowship program since the in vivo models will be set up during the return phase in the host institution.

Keywords: health sciences,medical sciences,cardiology,haemostasis,thrombosis
Computer Assisted Renewal of Classical Cartoon Animations (CARTOON)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Intra-European Fellowships
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: Ireland
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2007-2-1-IEF, 2007)
Start date: 2008-07-03
End date: 2010-07-02
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 184035.22
EU funding (EUR): 184035.22
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The aim of CARToon project is to attract young audience to classical works. The project will develop new techniques to enhance and synthesise classical cartoon animations from original archival footage in such a way that they could compete with modern visually attractive cinematic production. The key feature of algorithms being developed will be the ability to recover implicit structural and semantic information hidden in cartoon images. Such information later allows to enhance original footage and synthesise new animations consistent with the original drawing style and with human's perception of the scene structure. Besides research objectives the CARToon project also proposes complementary training activities to develop applicant's independent research career. They include namely hands-on training on advanced technology, aim to improve writing and publishing skills, ability to lead successful research group and preparation of master degree course in English language.

Keywords: image enhancement,example-based synthesis,cartoon animation
metal-carbene complexes for the synthesis of molecular switches and devices (ORGANOMETALLICSWITCH)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Intra-European Fellowships
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: Switzerland
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2007-2-1-IEF, 2007)
Start date: 2009-02-01
End date: 2011-01-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 178163.71
EU funding (EUR): 178163.71
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Considerable effort is currently being devoted to the miniaturization of electronic devices to the nanometer scale, ideally affording systems that operate on a molecular level. Chemist’s contribution to this research area has thus far concentrated on the preparation of organic OR inorganic materials. For example, purely metallic GaAs and GaP nanowires have been constructed for semiconductor applications. While these materials show excellent electron mobility properties, their tuning potential is rather low. In contrast, organic semiconductors such as conjugated oligomers or polymers display promising properties, though their electron carrier properties are intrinsically lower than that of metallic materials. Organometallic species comprising tunable organic ligand moieties and transition metal centers featuring an enhanced electron mobility may combine the advantages of purely inorganic and organic materials and are therefore expected to be particularly useful as molecular units for the fabrication of new electronic devices. The proposed research aims at identifying molecular switches based on mono- and multimetallic complexes and at their implementation in electronically active devices, thus creating intelligent materials. While organometallic chemistry dominates the highly synthetic first part of the project, the characterization and application of self-assemblies in molecular electronics clearly requires an interdisciplinary approach.

Keywords: carbene complexes,molecular switches,molecular electronics,self-assembled monolayers
Epigenetics and DNA repair. Is a chromatin remodeling process involved in the higher UV sensitivity of nucleotide excision repair defective cells? (EPINER2007)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: International Incoming Fellowships
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: Italy
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2007-4-2-IIF, 2007)
Start date: 2008-05-14
End date: 2010-05-13
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 233872.25
EU funding (EUR): 233872.25
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The knowledge on regulatory roles of epigenetic mechanisms (heritable changes in the genome function without a change in the DNA sequence) has grown very fast during the last decade since they can be the target for treating several pathologies related to cancer and neurodegeneration. In the base of these diseases have also been found deficiencies in DNA repair mechanisms. In this respect, two human syndromes (Xeroderma Pigmentosum and Cockayne’s Syndrome) affecting one of the major DNA repair systems in human cells called nucleotide excision repair, characterized by sensitivity to UV irradiation, become an interesting model to contribute to unravel the link between chromatin remodeling processes and DNA repair. Expected results on the possible influence of chromatin remodeling processes to the higher sensitivity to UV radiation of Cockayne’s Syndrome cells will lead to perform further investigations to understand how these mechanisms are involved in the development of cancer and/or neurodegeneration found in these patients. Since the proposed investigation require a multidisciplinary study (cytogenetics, molecular biology and immunocytochemestry), it will become of the utmost importance not only for the research activity planned to carry out at the Laboratory of Prof. Palitti, since this line of research fits very well with the purposes already established by the Network of Excellence (NoE – Epigenetic Network created by several laboratories from Europe) supported by the FP6 program from the European Community; but also for having the possibility to incorporate new methodologies and strategies to continue with the study of possible links between epigenetic and DNA repair in our laboratory in Uruguay with the aim to initiate studies on epigenetic therapy mainly applied to facilitate chemotherapy treatment of cancer diseases.

Keywords: molecular genetics,uv-c,chromatin remodelling,cockayne,dna and chromosome damage,apoptosis