Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Vesicle formation driven by ESCRT (endosomal sorting complex required for transport) (VESICLE ESCORT)

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: Germany
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-IOF-2008, 2008)
Start date: 2009-10-15
End date: 2012-10-14
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 228642.37
EU funding (EUR): 228642.37
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) is a multi-protein complex, which facilitates many processes in biological cells. In particular, it is central to trafficking of membrane proteins and budding of certain enveloped viruses such as HIV. Recent experimental data show that certain ESCRT proteins that associate with lipid membranes assemble into polymer-like structures. These protein aggregates, or polymers, act to buckle the membrane locally and, in this way, drive the formation of vesicles. However, the mechanism how they do that remains very much unclear. The objective of our project is to explore theoretical models, which could shed light on this important and complicated process. To start the project, we are going to combine continuum and molecular models for lipid membranes and calculate the energy required for membrane budding and vesicle formation. The later energy should be next compared with the energy of binding of the ESCRT proteins to the lipid membranes. The binding energy can be estimated from the detailed structure analysis of ESCRT components. Comparison of the two energy scales should rule out some of the possible mechanisms of vesicle formation driven by ESCRT. In next stages of the project we want to study the energetically possible processes of vesicle formation by simulating the ESCRT components that act to deform the lipid membranes. Since the ESCRT protein aggregates are of a mesoscopic size, their activity and interactions with the membranes will require multi-scale analysis and leave room form methods development. As the ESCRT still is not a well-studied complex, and a lot of new experimental data on its structure and functions are coming out currently, we believe that the outcome of our project will substantially contribute to the understanding of this 'molecular machinery'.

Keywords: molecular biophysics,computer simulations,biological membranes,protein-membrane interactions,membrane budding,vesicle formation,endosomes,escrt
Assessing the role of parasitism in the regulation of picophytoplankton communities in open ocean environments (PICOPAR)

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-IEF-2008, 2008)
Start date: 2009-11-01
End date: 2011-10-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 170733.61
EU funding (EUR): 170733.61
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The oceans play a major role in determining world climate. In part this is due to the production of oxygen and the consumption of carbon dioxide (CO2) by very small, single celled photosynthetic organisms, the picophytoplankton. Picophytoplankton biomass is dominated by eukaryotes comprising cells &amp;lt;5 micrometres in size. These small photosynthetic eukaryotes (PPEs) hence play a critical role in global CO2 fixation but also in carbon cycling. Work to date has focused on the genetic characterisation of this PPE community which is identifying the major players involved, but there is a real dearth of information on the factors controlling PPE community structure. Given their major ecological role it is critical that we begin to understand and identify the factors controlling their diversity and distribution. While the most common consumer strategy, namely parasitism, is usually left out of aquatic trophic food web functioning, recent results highlight the potential importance of this process in ocean systems. The approaches to be developed for this research goal will couple lab-based and environmental analyses using state-of-the-art molecular ecological techniques. We will determine specific associations between parasites and their photosynthetic eukaryotic hosts using the powerful technology of flow cytometric sorting, coupled with clone library construction and fluorescent in situ hybridisation (FISH). We will also compare the effects of a more traditional loss factor, viral lysis, with that of parasitism, using electron microscopy of thin sections to assess viral presence and burst-size. Finally, we will link potential changes in parasite diversity and host specificity with environmental.Hence this project will provide essential new information on the diversity and ecological role of parasites in natural marine systems, which should allow a much greater understanding of carbon and energy flow in marine ecosystems.

Keywords: eukaryotic picophytoplankton,parasites,biodiversity,regulatory factors,marine ecosystems.
Preparing Complex Nanostructures by Atomic Layer Deposition (COMPNANOALD)

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: Finland
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-IEF-2008, 2008)
Start date: 2010-02-15
End date: 2012-02-14
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 184759.18
EU funding (EUR): 184759.18
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

During the fellowship, novel, beyond the-state-of-the-art complex nanostructures will be prepared by atomic layer deposition (ALD). ALD is based on successive, alternating surface controlled reactions from the gas phase to produce thin films in the nanometer range with perfect conformality, process controllability and precise control of film thickness. In this project, four complex nanocomposites and nanoreplicas will be prepared: (1) Semiconductor oxide core-shell structures (WO3 nanotube core with TiO2 oute shell) will be prepared for photocatalysis. It will be investigated, how the photocatalytic activity can be tuned by the thickness of the outer TiO2 layer. (2) Carbon nanotube (CNT) – multilayer semiconductor oxide (SnO2, In2O3, TiO2) core-shell structures will be prepaped for selective gas sensing at room temperature. The effect of composition and thickness of semiconductor oxide outer shells on gas sensing will be explored. (3) 2D and 3D Al2O3 nanotubes will be prepared by using a template with 2D and 3D nanoholes. After removing the template, the 2D and 3D nanotubes will be set free. (4) The TiO2replica of biological structures (lotus leaf) with a complex nanostructured surface will be prepared. The hydropobic and photocatalytic features of the as-produced multifunctional material will be tuned by its thickness. The new nanomaterials and new preparation approaches have a high potential to lead to new products and technologies. The training objective of the fellowship is to provide the fellow the neccessary skills to start a new ALD research group. A thourough theoretical and practical training on ALD will be obtained (planning and conducting ALD experiments, analytical tools for characterizing ALD films, listening to courses on ALD and nanotechnology). Supplementary skills will be also provided (managing an ALD laboratory, conference organizing, supervising BSc and MSc students, oral and written presentation, knowledge of Finnish language).

Keywords: natural sciences,nanotechnology,atomic layer deposition,core-shell structure,carbon nanotube,semiconductor oxide,photocatalysis,gas sensing,bionano,multidimensional nanotube
Small Artery Remodelling (SMART)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Initial Training Networks
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: Sweden,Germany,Germany,Denmark,Netherlands,Hungary,Germany,United Kingdom,Switzerland,Denmark
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-ITN-2008, 2008)
Start date: 2009-10-01
End date: 2013-09-30
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 3096503.0
EU funding (EUR): 3096503.0
Participants: 11
Project status: CLOSED

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death and disability in the European population and represent a great burden of suffering and costs. Their complex etiology originates from different pathological stimuli and involves different cell types, resident in the vascular wall or infiltrating from the blood. The adaptation of the vasculature to physiological and pathophysiological forces depends on both the communication between its cellular components and their interaction with the extracellular matrix (ECM). When subjected to enhanced stretch, cyclic mechanical strain, or shear stress, blood vessels undergo typical transformations in wall shape that are always associated with alterations of the ECM and cellular composition, collectively described as vascular remodelling. Remodelling processes occur specifically in small arteries and arterioles, which show extreme changes in their size and function (microvascular remodelling). This is especially the case in hypertensive or diabetic patients, and contributes to a vicious cycle resulting in organ dysfunction and progression of vascular disease. A multidisciplinary approach is required to better understand vascular remodelling processes. We propose an interdisciplinary ITN to promote excellence in vascular biology, with focus on small vessels/arteries and their ECM. This will enhance the interaction between 8 academic groups and one SME in 7 European countries, specialized in physiology, signalling mechanisms, cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions in vascular endothelium and smooth muscle, as well as in drug discovery and development. The ITN will provide a specialized training ground by connecting investigations of the biology of vascular cells and their surrounding ECM in an innovative manner. It will therefore promote the careers of young investigators by specialising them in a field of vascular biology with a great potential for the future.

Keywords: cardiology,chronic diseases,physiology,hypertension,pressure,flow,endothelium,smooth muscle,matrix,stem cells integrin,laminin,cytoskeleton,calcium,potassium,ion channels
Automatic Analysis of Group Conversations via Visual Cues in Non-Verbal Communication (NOVICOM)

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-IEF-2008, 2008)
Start date: 2009-06-01
End date: 2011-10-14
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 183266.35
EU funding (EUR): 183266.35
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Computational analysis of social interaction is an emerging field of research in several communities such as human computer interaction, machine learning, speech and language processing, and computer vision. Social psychologists have researched the dimensions of social interaction for decades, finding out that nonverbal cues strongly determine human behavior and communication. One of the ultimate aims in computational analysis is to develop computational systems that can automatically recognize, discover, or predict human behavior via sensing devices such as cameras and microphones. The scientific objective of this proposal is to develop new and principled computational methods to detect and analyze visual nonverbal cues for the automatic analysis of social interaction in small group face-to-face conversations. Specifically, we will concentrate on hand gestures, head gestures and body posture. As nonverbal communication in social interactions does not only include visual cues but also the aural ones, the automatic analysis of interactions requires the use of both cues in modeling and recognition. Hence, our specific objectives are (1) the automatic detection and analysis of visual nonverbal communication cues, and (2) the multimodal integration of audio and visual nonverbal cues. We will concentrate on a selected number of key research tasks in social interaction analysis including, among others, the automatic estimation of dominance in a group conversation, and the level of interest of the members of the group during their interaction.

Keywords: computer vision,image processing,social interaction analysis,multimodal fusion,machine learninig
Unifying Ecological and Evolutionary Networks (METAWEBS)

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: Spain
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-IOF-2008, 2008)
Start date: 2009-05-01
End date: 2012-04-30
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 225036.19
EU funding (EUR): 225036.19
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The spatial distribution of genetic variation within species (i.e., genetic landscapes) is a consequence of the ecological and evolutionary processes that determine, ultimately, species distribution patterns. How these interacting processes shape the genetic and ecological diversity remains a key question of evolutionary ecology. In the last years, a huge amount of data at molecular and ecological level has emerged. But we still lack a theoretical framework to shed light on the role that ecological interactions among species play in determining genetic discontinuities and population structure. Specifically, no study has yet explored the role of the structure and dynamics of networks of interacting species in determining the topology of the genetic landscapes of species across spatial scales. In this proposal I will first characterize, using the complex network framework, the spatial distribution of intraspecific genetic variation by generating genetic landscapes for single species from data published in the literature. Second, I will explore, using a metacommunity approach, to what extent the well-known structure and dynamics of food webs and plant-animal mutualistic networks contribute to determine the topological patterns of the genetic landscapes described previously. This will be undoubtedly, the first step towards an understanding of the spatial distribution of genetic and ecological diversity in species-rich communities.

Keywords: biodiversity,complex networks,community ecology,ecological genetics,conservation biology,evolutionary biology,metacommunities,population genetics,spatial ecology
Chemistry in Protoplanetary Disks (CIPDISKS)

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-IEF-2008, 2008)
Start date: 2009-09-01
End date: 2011-08-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 157279.59
EU funding (EUR): 157279.59
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The study of the chemistry in protoplanetary disks is one of the current hot topics in astrophysics. The interest in studying these systems is that it permits to get insight into the chemical composition of protosolar-like nebulae at the moment when planets form. The faint emission of such systems and the small angular sizes they subtend in the sky have prevented for many years an extensive observational study, which is nowadays possible and is starting to be developed since the last ten years. This project aims at developing our current knowledge of the chemistry in protoplanetary disks from both a theoretical and an observational point of view. Specifically we propose to develop a computational code able to compute the evolution of the chemical composition in the various regions of disks treating in a detailed way the various chemical and physical processes which dominate the chemistry of these objects. We also propose to perform multiwavelength observations with current telescope facilities such as the IRAM 30-meter telescope and Plateau de Bure interferometer, the Very Large Telescope, and the Herschel Space Observatory, in order to detect new molecules and indentify good tracers of the various chemical and physical properties in the various regions of disks, such as the kinetic temperature, isotopic fractionation, the ionization degree, or the level of molecular depletion on grains. This research appears to be absolutely necessary now as it is expected that the large angular resolution of incoming telescopes facilities such as the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) will revolutionize our current knowledge on the chemistry of protoplanetary disks. Such wealth of observational information will certainly need of a parallel development in the theoretical models in order to guarantee a proper interpretation of the observational data.

Keywords: physical sciences,astronomy,astrophysics,molecular universe,protoplanetary disks,ism chemistry,alma
SPATIAL ECOLOGY OF WHITE GRUBS IN AGRICULTURAL LANDSCAPES DOMINATED BY SUGARCANE: IMPLICATIONS FOR AREAWIDE PEST MANAGEMENT (ECOGRUBS)

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-IOF-2008, 2008)
Start date: 2009-05-01
End date: 2012-12-15
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 332715.07
EU funding (EUR): 332715.07
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The research project addresses two major critical issues: the management of a group of major insect pests through better understanding of ecological processes involved in agrosystem-insect pest interactions, and the security of the world’s food and energy. The scientific purpose of the project is to assess the effect of landscape structure upon patterns of abundance and mobility of the Australian greyback canegrub Dermolepida albohirtum, the most devastating pest of the sugarcane ecosystems, to improve its control. It is particularly intended to examine how the pest uses a variety of landscape elements in relation to their availability. The research methodology will be based on 3 specific objectives: Quantifying landscape context in pilot sites; monitoring and mapping beetles movements and damage; data analysis and population modelling. To achieve these objective I will integrate the Australian private partner BSES that develop and use original research methods. The project will also offer me a unique opportunity to be trained in ecology and geostatitistics but also to better understand how a technology can be transferred to stakeholders. New tools such as radiotelemetry, Geographic Information Systems and simulation models will be combined to unravel the spatial ecology of D. albohirtum and to implement an areawide pest management initiative. The global aim of this fellowship is to reinforce the international dimension of my scientific career by consolidating my expertise in the field of spatial ecology of insects and to acquire new complementary skills to set up future projects with European and international institutions and industries. This fellowship has the potential to reinforce the expertise of Europe in pest risk analysis, this region being particularly exposed to new invading pests due to global warming. The new research expertise gained in Australia will be valorised in Europe through my reintegration phase at CIRAD (France).

Keywords: natural sciences,crop protection,spatial ecology,white grubs,sugarcane ecosystems,gis,telemetry,modelling
Rhizospheric biofilms at root-microbe-mineral interfaces: A key to improve productivity, sustainability and CO2 balance in forests (RHIZO)

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: Denmark
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-IEF-2008, 2008)
Start date: 2010-07-01
End date: 2012-06-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 218119.79
EU funding (EUR): 218119.79
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

In the past decades, forest productivity was maximized by the use of large quantities of fertilizers and pesticides. These chemicals are produced by complex processes, which consume high levels of energy from fossil fuels and emit large amounts of CO2. The secondary effects of the chemicals include increased ground and surface water pollution and soil degradation in all forested ecosystems in Europe and other parts of the world. Part of the problem is a lack of fundamental understanding about mineral-derived nutrient dynamics in forests, their weathering release, storage and transport in soils and roots to maintain high, but sustainable, production of high quality wood products. If practices could be developed to enhance natural processes for nutrient acquisition and transport, pesticide and fertilizer use could be reduced, energy could be saved, CO2 emission decreased, and environmental sustainability insured. Root-microbe-mineral interactions in the rhizosphere regulate mineral-derived nutrient acquisition and transport to plant roots. I will investigate these interactions to improve understanding of rhizospheric biofilms formed in symbiotic associations. My research sofar shows that these biofilms enhance silicates mineral weathering, sequester atmospheric CO2 in the hydrosphere, and decrease the loss of mineral-derived nutrients to ground and surface water. To expand on this, I will examine the chemical and physical structure of the root-microbe-mineral interface, using stat-of-the-art nano-scale techniques combined with microbiological and biogeochemical approaches under natural and controlled growth conditions. I will also characterize the biofilms under elevated CO2 levels. The science and technology results gained from this project will contribute directly the the scientific community and to the society through improvements in commercial tree production, forest health and sustainability under the increased CO2 levels.

Keywords: rhizosphere,biofilm,weathering,minerals,fungi,interface,nutrient-cycling,ecosystem-sustainability,energy,co2,nano-scale techniques