Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Incorporation of unnatural fluorinated amino acids to probe the function of the bacterial efflux system Kef in a cellular setting. (FLUOROKEF)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie-Sklodowska-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Individual Fellowships (IF)-Standard European Fellowships
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Panel: Chemistry
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF-EF) (H2020-MSCA-IF-2014, 2014)
Start date: 2015-10-01
End date: 2017-09-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 183454.8
EU funding (EUR): 183454.8
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The potassium efflux system, Kef, protects bacteria against the detrimental effects of electrophilic compounds via acidification of the cytoplasm. Its vital role in maintaining cell homeostasis makes Kef a promising target for antibiotics, but such drugs can be developed only with a molecular understanding of Kef activation. Our work indicates that phenylalanine residue 441 (F441) in Escherichia coli is crucial for the activation of K+ efflux. This mechanism is conserved, and F448 of Shewanella denitrificans Kef (SdKef) has the same function. This work employed X-ray crystallographic studies using a truncated construct of the E. coli Kef soluble C-terminal domain (EcKefCTD) and biophysical studies conducted on the SdKef C-terminal domain (SdKefCTD). While the crystallographic studies have been essential in hypothesis generation, they lack the dynamic aspect that is required to understand the mechanism of Kef activation. Although the use of a truncated construct has allowed development of biophysical assays, we wish to extend our work to focus on the full-length channel. To achieve these aims we will employ whole cell 19F NMR to probe the function of Kef. To determine if 19F NMR can be used to monitor F448 conformation, we will employ amber stop codon technology to replace F448 of SdKef with 4-trifluromethyl-L-phenylalanine (tfmF). We will monitor the dynamics of F448tfmF by 19F NMR upon binding of activators and inhibitors, using our library of SdKef ligands. To gain an understanding of Kef activation in cells, we will quantitatively determine binding affinities of the Kef ligands to SdKef(F448tfmF), in E. coli transformants using in-cell 19F NMR. This direct determination of binding inside the cells will be more physiologically relevant than the in vitro KD data. To assess the antibiotic activity of compounds that show cellular activity against Kef, we will employ the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method to screen for compounds that can kill bacteria.

Keywords: bacterial potassium channels,unnatural amino acids
Non-invasive rapid assessment of chronic liver disease using Magnetic Resonance Imaging with LiverMultiScan (RADIcAL)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Societal Challenges
Programme: Health, demographic change and wellbeing
Theme: Treating and managing disease
Action type: SME instrument
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call: Clinical research for the validation of biomarkers and/or diagnostic medical devices (H2020-SMEINST-2-2015, 2015)
Start date: 2016-07-01
End date: 2020-12-31
Duration (months): 54.0
Total project cost (EUR): 3460486.5
EU funding (EUR): 3460486.5
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Chronic liver diseases are called 'silent killers', as clinical symptoms only surface at late stages of the disease, when it is not treatable. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a condition defined by fat accumulation in the liver, and its sub-type non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) are the major forms of liver disease. Untreated NAFLD/NASH can lead to cirrhosis and to liver failure. 450 million people worldwide suffer from fatty liver disease, which carries several health risks, and causes a huge socio-economic burden. At present, the only way of diagnosing and staging disease is with liver biopsy, which is costly, invasive, and carries some risk. Thus, clinicians are reluctant to use it for people suspected of having NAFLD/NASH. In addition, invasive biopsy is not optimal for serial assessment (e.g. monitoring transplant population for signs of liver rejection). Therefore, there is a lack of an accurate and non-invasive method of assessing liver disease and enabling treatment monitoring. Perspectum Diagnostics Ltd (PD) has developed LiverMultiScan, a novel, non-invasive, quantitative Magnetic Resonance Imaging software tool that displays high diagnostic accuracy for the early assessment of liver disease, and can be used for patient stratification. It has recently obtained regulatory clearance, but it requires additional clinical validation to assure its broad market acceptance and reimbursement. Thus, RADIcAL entails two clinical trials: a) a multi-centre randomised health economic study to validate the cost-effectiveness and added value of LiverMultiScan compared to the standard care pathway for chronic liver disease; and (b) a prospective clinical trial to demonstrate the high sensitivity and specificity of LiverMultiScan as a medical support tool for stratifying patients at high risk of liver transplant rejection.

Keywords: non alcoholic fatty liver disease,non alcoholic steatohepatitis,magnetic resonance imaging and algorithm
A citizen context aware platform to provide mobile public services (MPGS)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Societal Challenges
Programme: Europe in a changing world - inclusive, innovative and reflective societies
Action type: SME instrument
Countries involved: Spain
Call: Innovative mobile e-government applications by SMEs (H2020-SMEINST-1-2015, 2015)
Start date: 2015-07-01
End date: 2015-12-31
Duration (months): 6.0
Total project cost (EUR): 71429.0
EU funding (EUR): 50000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

"This proposal relates to the necessary evolution of public services, leveraging the potential of ICT technologies, towards users’ increasing expectations about ubiquitous access, ease of use, friendliness, efficiency, security, transparency and participation in government decision making. Public services transformation will foster the interaction of citizens and businesses with public administrations.Our overall innovation project consists of a user-centric platform for the creation of user experience enhanced mobile public services, in order to improve the provision of public services and foster their utilization by citizens and businesses. The integration of mobile contextual information network creation platform, SMARTINDOOR, and a gamification platform, GAMILEKU, will contribute to motivate users to utilize public services and participate in government decision making, SMARTLEKU."

Keywords: gamification,mobile context information
Support towards the OAPEN initiative (2018-2019) (ERC-OAPEN-2017)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Low value grant
Action type: ERC actions
Countries involved: Netherlands
Call: Support to the OAPEN initiative (H2020-IBA-ERC-OAPEN-2017, 2017)
Start date: 2018-01-01
End date: 2019-12-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 60000.0
EU funding (EUR): 60000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

This project supports OAPEN to enlarge the quality controlled collection of open access books already hosted by the OAPEN Library, and to develop additional services for publishers, libraries and research funders in the areas of dissemination, quality assurance and digital preservation. The project specifically intends to enlarge the collection of OA books and chapters relating to research funded through ERC grants, by aggregating these publications and enabling publishers and authors to deposit these publications directly into the OAPEN Library. The project will develop new components to increase the visibility and usage of the ERC collection, to improve integration with OpenAIRE, and to increase the understanding of societal and scholarly impact of ERC publications through an Altmetrics service. New components include: - Collection view: a separate website providing a branded view of the ERC collection, thereby improving the overall visibility of the collection; - Research grant information: adding standard information from ERCEA and other sources to provide additional information about the research connected to the publication, improving discoverability and usage of the ERC collection; - Review linking: exploring whether it is possible to link to reviews of publications, to promote these publications and increase usage.

Keywords: open access,long from texts,books,book chapters,deposit
The Smart snap-on insulin tracker able to manage the insulin intake activity data of diabetes patients (Insulog)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Industrial Leadership
Programme: Information and Communication Technologies
Action type: SME instrument
Countries involved: Israel
Call: Open Disruptive Innovation Scheme (H2020-SMEINST-1-2016-2017, 2017)
Start date: 2018-01-01
End date: 2018-04-30
Duration (months): 4.0
Total project cost (EUR): 71429.0
EU funding (EUR): 50000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Many people on insulin report problems of not remembering whether or not they took an injection . Indeed, forgetting to take insulin can happen to the best of us and is one of the most common reasons for missing an insulin dose. Reasons for forgetting to take insulin can be diverse, including being stressed, busy and distracted. Missing insulin injections can lead to a dangerous quandary - do you inject and risk injecting twice, putting yourself at risk of severe hypoglycemia. Or, do you not inject and risk missing out having injected at all, which could lead to high blood glucose levels (hyperglycemia). Hyperglycemia could lead to severe complications, including ketoacidsosis and hyperosmolar hyperglycemic nonketotic syndrome. Insulog is a handy device that improves the day-to-day life of diabetics by automatically tracking insulin intake. Insulog is the only solution consisting of a combination of a “reminder” of the last insulin doses and an “automatic notebook” to store or download insulin data. The Insulog project has wide European and global dimensions. There are about 60 million people with diabetes in Europe (9.1% of the European population) and 415 million globally . Prevalence of diabetes is increasing among all ages, mostly due to increases in obesity, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity. Worldwide, high blood glucose kills about 3.4 million people annually. Moreover, WHO projects diabetes deaths will double between 2005 and 2030.

Keywords: diabetes,tailored medicine,ageing population
MYcenaean SOcial BIOarchaeology: Deciphering the interplay of funerary treatment and social dynamics in the Mycenaean period (MYSOBIO)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie-Sklodowska-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Individual Fellowships (IF)-Standard European Fellowships
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Panel: Social Sciences and Humanities
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call: Individual Fellowships (H2020-MSCA-IF-2016, 2016)
Start date: 2018-01-15
End date: 2020-01-14
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 183454.8
EU funding (EUR): 183454.8
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

MYSOBIO investigates the complex relationship between funerary treatment and wider social dynamics through a novel interpretive model based on the contextual analysis of human skeletal remains and associated mortuary data. The research focusses on the post-mortem treatment of the body in collective mortuary assemblages. The main aim is to reconstruct, to a new level of detail, development in Mycenaean mortuary practice in the Late Bronze Age Aegean (1700-1050 BC). MYSOBIO will unravel the diversity of social responses at death and their mutual relationship with wider socio-political developments, instrumental in the rise and fall of the Mycenaean palaces, one of the first complex societies in Europe. To achieve this, it employs, for the first time, a holistic bioarchaeological approach that integrates up-to-date theoretical reflection in mortuary archaeology with cutting-edge, interdisciplinary scientific advances in the study of collective skeletal assemblages. This methodology brings together traditional archaeology, current mortuary theory, biological anthropology, funerary taphonomy, forensic sciences and archaeo-thanatology, further enhanced by state-of-the-art technological innovations from other scientific fields (social geography, applied mathematics, geomatics and archaeogenetics). The Fellowship will offer to the Experienced Researcher (ER) the opportunity to receive advanced training in these fields and achieve the research objectives, creating a new methodological pathway to the social dimensions of prehistoric mortuary assemblages with world-wide implications for Social Bioarchaeology. At the same time, the ER will attain professional maturity and greatly advance her career perspectives. She will acquire significant transferable skills, establish lasting multidisciplinary research networks, motivate the youth and educate the public on the social significance of archaeological research and the benefits of science.

Keywords: bioarchaeology,human osteology,biological anthropology,archaeothanatology,mycenaean,aegean,funerary taphonomy,burial practices,commingled assemblages,agency,identity,status
Multi-photon probing of complex open quantum systems (MULTIPROB)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie-Sklodowska-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Individual Fellowships (IF)-Standard European Fellowships
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Panel: Physics
Countries involved: Spain
Call: Individual Fellowships (H2020-MSCA-IF-2017, 2017)
Start date: 2019-02-01
End date: 2021-04-18
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 170121.6
EU funding (EUR): 170121.6
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

In this Marie Sklodowska-Curie action we explore the prospects of controlled multi-photon scattering processes as a probe of the nonlinear interactions and the dynamics of complex open quantum systems. The core of the project builds around the development of novel analytical and numerical tools to model complex scattering processes under correlated noise and dissipation. The project is thus mainly theoretical, but it is also interdisciplinary and focuses on problems and setups that admit immediate experimental implementations in a variety of state-of-the-art platforms, such as superconducting qubits coupled to microwave photons in transmission lines or quantum emitters coupled to photonic crystal waveguides. Moreover, the techniques and ideas that we will develop should be essential for the understanding and control of light-matter interactions in the multi-photon regime, as well as for the engineering and modelling of new and robust photon-based quantum technologies.

Keywords: quantum optics,stochastic processes,waveguide qed,nanophotonics,superconducting circuits,quantum simulators,multi photon scattering,quantum information
Enhancing endosymbiotic interaction to increase crops production (EASY-CROPS)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie-Sklodowska-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Individual Fellowships (IF)-Standard European Fellowships
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Panel: Life Sciences
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call: Individual Fellowships (H2020-MSCA-IF-2019, 2019)
Start date: 2020-07-01
End date: 2022-06-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 212933.76
EU funding (EUR): 212933.76
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P) are essential for all aspect of plant growth. As a paradox, they are poorly available in soil, leading to extensive use of fertilisers to fulfil the demand of a growing population. However, this agronomical practice is detrimental to the environment. To exploit N and overcome P starvation, numerous plant families interact with mutualistic root-endosymbionts such as nitrogen-fixing bacteria with legumes, or phosphate-delivering arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) with the 80% of land plants. Despite the benefit of these endosymbioses, P and N fertilizers reduce AM and nitrogen-fixing bacteria endosymbioses. In addition, climate change impact endosymbioses with a decrease in nitrogen-fixing symbiosis at high temperature, in acidic and saline soils. Therefore, it is imperative to develop novel strategies to enhance endosymbioses in crops and optimize N and P nutrition under global warming. The success of root endosymbioses relies on the molecular dialogue between symbionts and plants. One of the core functions of this dialogue is to stimulate the release of calcium by the plant nucleus to switch on the symbiotic program. This calcium release is mastered by the cyclic nucleotide gated channels (CNGC)15. A recent Mtcngc15c-easy allelic variant discovered in the proposed laboratory presents spontaneous calcium release and increase of nodulation and mycorrhization. My objectives are to reveal the effect of CNGC15c-EASY mutation on the channel activity and symbioses, and use this knowledge to translate this system into crops. In addition to discover a novel strategy to improve plant production, this work will give me training in plant biology technics and structural biology. Simultaneously, the project will benefit from my expertise in microbiology. Finally, the work in the proposed destination centre will also provide me a valuable international network and skills for my future career.

Keywords: nitrogen fixing rhizobia,arbuscular mycorrhiza,calcium signalling,cyclic nucleotide gated channel,crop improvement
Structural investigation into functionality of Chikungunya virus nsP2 in replication complex and screening of small molecules for its inhibition (CHIKV-FBDD)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie-Sklodowska-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Individual Fellowships (IF)-Standard European Fellowships
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Panel: Life Sciences
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF-EF) (H2020-MSCA-IF-2015, 2015)
Start date: 2016-06-07
End date: 2018-06-06
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 195454.8
EU funding (EUR): 195454.8
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a medically important pathogen that affected millions of people around the world. CHIKV infection causes high fever, intense joint pain and often leads to chronic virus-induced arthritis, thus there is a clear necessity to develop antiviral compounds capable of eliminating persisting virus. CHIKV is an alphavirus from Togaviridae family with single-stranded positive-sense RNA genome, which replication is carried out by a complex of four viral non-structural (ns) proteins, initially produced in a form of ns-polyprotein precursor and released by proteolytic processing. Because multifunctional nsP2 plays a central role in a replication cycle of CHIKV by exhibiting various enzymatic activities and counteracting cellular defence mechanisms, it represents the most attractive target for drug design and screening. Currently, the structural information regarding CHIKV ns-proteins is limited, whereas the platforms for in vitro testing the potential inhibitors are largely non-existent. Therefore the first aims of this project will be to apply structural biology approaches to elucidate spatial organization of nsP2 and to reveal its contacts with other ns-proteins in the replication complex. The druggability of nsP2 will be then explored by screening recombinant proteins against libraries of chemical fragments and characterizing binding of small molecules using sensitive biophysical techniques and crystallographic analysis. The potential of selected compounds to interfere with enzymatic or interaction properties of nsP2 will be revealed using variety of fluorescence-based assays developed in this project. The newly discovered knowledge about structural features of CHIKV nsP2, identification of novel protein surface pockets and binding molecules, and the development of functional assays for the analysis of their inhibitory potential are expected to create the ground for future elaboration of novel specific inhibitors of CHIKV.

Keywords: chikungunya virus,viral replication,structural biology,protein protein interaction,fragment based drug discovery
DISCOVERING NEW DISEASE PATHWAYS AFFECTING mtDNA METABOLISM (MITOBIOPATH)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie-Sklodowska-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Individual Fellowships (IF)-Reintegration panel
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Panel: Life Sciences
Countries involved: United Kingdom,United Kingdom
Call: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF-EF) (H2020-MSCA-IF-2015, 2015)
Start date: 2016-05-01
End date: 2018-04-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 195454.8
EU funding (EUR): 195454.8
Participants: 2
Project status: CLOSED

Defects of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) metabolism (maintenance, integrity and expression) are the most common cause of multiple mitochondrial respiratory chain (MRC) defects in children. Several new disease genes have been identified in these complex pathways but the functional link between mutant protein and mtDNA metabolism is unknown or poorly understood. Example of the latter is FBXL4 (F-box and leucine-rich repeat protein 4) gene, mutations of which have been recently found in 28 patients with a multisystem complex syndrome, hallmarked by combined MRC defect and reduction of mtDNA copy number in muscle and fibroblasts. Approximately 60% of patients still lack genetic definition of their disease. Objective of MITOBIOPATH proposal is the discovery and characterization of novel mitochondrial biogenetic and maintenance pathways by implementing three specific aims. 1) Gene discovering by whole exome sequencing (WES): unbiased WES screening will be applied to a large cohort of paediatric patients presenting early onset hypotonia, developmental delay, failure to thrive, severe encephalomyopathy and/or liver failure associated with combined MRC defects. 2) Pathogenic pathways revealed by new gene defects: functional studies using cellular and animal models (knock-out zebrafish or mouse models) will be performed to establish the pathogenic mechanism of the mutation(s) and the function of unknown disease-associated protein(s); 3) FBXL4 function in cellular and in vivo models: immortalized cell lines expressing six different FBXL4 mutations will be generated by using CRISP/Cas9 technology and characterized with a combined molecular, biochemical and proteomic approaches. In addition, proteins in the Parkin-proteasome complex were recently identified as potential partners of FBXl4, and they will be further analyzed. Knock-out mouse model of Fbxl4 will be also investigated. Overall results will have impact on both mitochondrial disorders and other neurodegenerative disease.

Keywords: mitochondrial disorders,mitochondrial dna,mtdna depletion,mtdna multiple deletion,transcription,translation,mitochondrial biogenesis,animal models