Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Submarine Canyons: Applying Geomorphometry to understand their Evolution (CAGE)

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: Spain
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2009-IEF, 2009)
Start date: 2010-10-21
End date: 2012-10-20
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 153917.0
EU funding (EUR): 153917.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Submarine canyons are deep, steep-sided valleys incised in the seafloor. They are major geomorphological features that dissect most of the world&apos;s ocean margins. Submarine canyons serve as temporary sinks and conduits for sediment, nutrients, organic carbon and associated pollutants, and they host a large quantity and diversity of habitats and biological communities. In spite of their relevance and widespread distribution, submarine canyons are still poorly known environments, and their formation is still subject to considerable debate. Most research has focused on basic mapping of canyon systems, and recent studies have mainly comprised qualitative descriptions of canyon morphology. We propose a geomorphometric analysis of bathymetric data from submarine canyons in the Catalan and Patagonian margins to improve our understanding of the geological processes responsible for canyon formation. This approach will allow us to characterise the large and small scale morphology of canyon systems in unprecedented detail, and to systematically investigate the link between morphology and individual sedimentary processes. The results will also be integrated with side-scan sonar imagery, seismic reflection data, and geotechnical and sedimentological data from sediment cores to isolate the fundamental processes responsible for canyon initiation and development, understand the nature and role of these processes, and reconstruct the evolution of canyon morphology. The objectives of CAGE are: (1)To establish a comparison between the morphometry of known canyon networks and identify the principal geomorphological processes and geological controls on their development; (2)To determine the nature of submarine mass movements on canyon walls and heads, and their influence on the morphological evolution of submarine canyons; (3)To develop a numerical model based on the results from Objectives (1) and (2) for the reconstruction of canyon morphological initiation and evolution.

Keywords: canyons,geomorphometry,bathymetry,erosion,landslides
Investigation of low-energy electron collisions with molecules in cluster and surface environments (EMOL)

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: United Kingdom
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2009-IIF, 2009)
Start date: 2010-06-16
End date: 2012-06-15
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 233089.6
EU funding (EUR): 233089.6
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

In the past decade, it has become increasingly apparent that low-energy electrons (LEE) play a critical role in a large number of fundamental and applied fields. Electrons with energies in the range 0-10 eV can induce specific chemical reactions which are relevant to nanolithography, dielectric aging, radiation waste management, radiation processing, astrochemistry, planetary and atmospheric chemistry, surface photochemistry, radiobiology, and radiotherapy. In the last decade researchers in the European Union have been at the forefront of such research and, through a number of EU supported networking activities (co-ordinated by the host), have led the international research community in the development of experimental studies of LEE interactions with molecules in the gaseous phase and at the surface of molecular and biomolecular solids pioneering a new field of ‘electron induced chemistry’. However, a comprehensive theory capable of predicting the dissociation dynamics of such electron molecule interactions - the precursor to the subsequent electron driven chemistry – has remained elusive. The applicant, Professor Ilya Fabrikant, has been at the forefront of such theoretical studies for more than 30 years. The purpose of the proposed IIF is to allow Professor Fabrikant to transfer his expertise to the emerging younger theoretical research community within the European Union. Based at the host institution, chosen because of its unique combination of experiment and theoretical research and recognised leadership in the field of electron induced chemistry, Professor Fabrikant will pursue a novel research program investigating electron attachment, and particularly dissociative electron attachment (DEA) with polyatomic molecules across a range of media including gaseous, clusters, surface and bulk matter, exploring how this basic chemical precursor process is influenced by such different environments.

Keywords: physical sciences,chemistry,molecular chemistry,chemical physics
Development of a unified speech processing strategy for combined electric and acoustic auditory stimulation (BSPS)

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: Belgium
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2009-IOF, 2009)
Start date: 2010-11-01
End date: 2013-04-30
Duration (months): 30.0
Total project cost (EUR): 213380.9
EU funding (EUR): 213380.9
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Cochlear implants (CIs) can restore speech perception of deaf subjects by electrical stimulation of the auditory nerve. Because CI users sometimes perform better than severely hearing impaired subjects with a hearing aid (HA), implantation criteria are changing, leading to a steeply growing population of patients with a CI in one ear and residual hearing, used with a HA, in the other. This is called bimodal stimulation. Currently more than half of all newly implanted patients have residual hearing. Nevertheless, the CI and HA are fitted individually and their signal processors function independently. In this project, the fellow will develop a unified bimodal speech processing strategy. Its use can lead to improved sound quality, pitch perception, speech perception in noise, and sound source localization by combining existing techniques that enhance pitch perception in CIs with contralateral acoustic stimulation. The project is strongly multidisciplinary and balances on the edge between signal processing (engineering) and audiology (medical science). As the applicant has an engineering background and holds a PhD in the field of biomedical sciences, the project is a perfect match for his profile. Worldwide, research into bimodal hearing is concentrated in Australia and the US. There are no European labs that research it on a large scale. During the applicant&apos;s PhD, he started up bimodal research at ExpORL, KULeuven. Transfer of knowledge from Melbourne to ExpORL will allow him to further extend this line of research. He will set up collaborations with the Bionic Ear Institute, the University of Melbourne, Cochlear Melbourne and NAL. By gaining international experience, increasing his network and learning new research tools, after the fellowship, the researcher will fulfill all requirements to apply for a tenure track position at KULeuven and he will have all skills necessary for a career as an independent researcher.

Keywords: audiology,electronic engineering,cochlear implant,hearing aid,bimodal stimulation,pitch perception,speech perception,sound source localization
Novelties and phylogeny in the evolutionary radiation of modern sharks and rays (SHARKEVOL)

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-2009-IEF, 2009)
Start date: 2010-07-01
End date: 2012-06-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 172240.8
EU funding (EUR): 172240.8
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Evolutionary radiations are key components of the great tree of life, marking points when groups of organisms expand dramatically, and yet the reasons for such expansions are debated: are they driven by new ‘key’ adaptations that make their possessors more successful than their contemporaries, or do they result from major environmental changes that provide new opportunities? Sharks, skates and rays (Neoselachii) are highly successful and have been characterized as perfectly adapted killing machines. They are common in modern oceans, occupying on- and offshore locations as top predators and so maintain the balance and stability of ocean ecosystems and contribute to the regulation of food webs. They have a long evolutionary history (250 Ma) and it seems they replaced precursor shark groups rather rapidly. How did this happen and what were their key adaptations? Although the reasons for their success remain largely unknown, their key novelties include modifications of jaws, sensory systems, physiology and body shape. New numerical comparative phylogenetic methods allow biologists and palaeobiologists to probe questions about the timing of the origins of key evolutionary novelties and to track morphospace evolution. Comparisons of apparent competitors occupying similar ecological niches and food web positions will be made in terms of rates of change in diversity and disparity. The basis for these analyses will be a new inclusive phylogeny of Neoselachii including living and fossil forms for the first time and accordingly will be an important aspect. New numerical techniques will provide key insights into links between diversity and disparity enabling testing of which characters were crucial in driving the initial radiation, the relative importance of different morphological adaptations in their success and the evolutionary steps building towards the perfect predator we see today, but also whether different cartilaginous fish groups might have competed with each other.

Keywords: biodiversity indicators,biodiversity inventory: systematics phylogeny taxonomy,biodiversity status and trends,causes and mechanisms of loss,animal morphology,evolution,key novelties,adaptation
Biofunctionalized surfaces: a multiscale modeling approach (BIOFUS)

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-2009-IEF, 2009)
Start date: 2011-02-10
End date: 2012-03-09
Duration (months): 13.0
Total project cost (EUR): 162161.0
EU funding (EUR): 162161.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The proposed research project will deal with biofunctionalized materials, specifically surfaces on which biomolecules have been attached. These novel biomaterials have recently attracted attention, as they are believed to potentially give rise to a variety of innovative biotechnological applications, ranging from bio-electronics and bio-sensors to templates for programmable self-assembly. From a more fundamental point of view, the complex behavior of biopolymers at interfaces is not yet fully understood and poses a challenging theoretical and experimental problem. The effect of various factors will be investigated, like the the deformations (mechanical or thermal) occurring on the biomolecule or the surface and the effect of the surrounding fluid solvent (pH and fluid flow). The different surfaces that will be used are metallic (gold) as well as non-metallic (carbon-based and silicon). On these surfaces, biomolecules will be grafted at various orientations. These biomolecules will range from a single nucleotide to a short sequence of double-stranded and single-stranded DNA, and small peptides. The current research will be conducted using purely computational and theoretical tools. Simulation techniques based on different methodologies will be used, the choice of which will be based on the type of properties under study and the desired accuracy. This will probe the scanning of different spatial and temporal scales, and thus lead to an in depth understanding of the structure and properties of biofunctionalized surfaces and a guide to experiments for potential biotechnological applications.

Keywords: physical sciences,biomolecules,surfaces,solvent,simulation,multiscale,functionalizationbiomolecules,functionalization
Identification of molecular mechanisms of seed longevity in the model legume Medicago truncatula (IDOMMSEED)

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-2009-IEF, 2009)
Start date: 2011-01-01
End date: 2012-04-30
Duration (months): 16.0
Total project cost (EUR): 166145.6
EU funding (EUR): 166145.6
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The aim of the proposed project is to enhance the global understanding of seed longevity. The survival of organisms in the dry state is intriguing researchers since van Leuvenhoek first observed this behaviour in rotifers in the 17th century. Many plant seeds and pollen also possess this ability. Desiccation-tolerant seeds can survive in the dry state for longer time spans ranging from years to decades or even centuries. Seed longevity is an important economical and ecological factor. So far, several molecules have been identified that play a role in seed longevity. These are mainly related to protection against oxidative stress. The main aim of the proposed project is gain a global overview about the genes involved in seed longevity through transcript profiling. Two genotypes of the model legume Medicago truncatula with contrasting seed longevities will be used for this purpose. No similar approach has been published yet; therefore this research will help to get detailed information about the variety of mechanisms that are important for the longevity of seeds. This basic understanding can be of interest for seed bank programs (like the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway), which aim at conserving genetic variability of plants for future generations, to improve the shelf-life of stored seeds. The second part of the project focuses on the finding of robust indicators for seed longevity. In a large population of Medicago varieties, single nucleotide changes in candidate genes (from the transcript profiling approach) will be analyzed for their possible impact on seed longevity. EcoTILLING, a modern approach to detect these changes, will be used for this purpose. It will give evidence if the candidate genes have an influence on the seed longevity in different Medicago varieties. In the future, the information could be used to develop molecular markers for seed longevity, which will be useful for breeding purposes, especially in closely related legume crops like soya.

Keywords: medicago,anhydrobiosis,seed longevity,priming,transcript profiling,ecotilling
protein archeology : reconstructed ancestors for protein engineering and crystallography (PROTEINARCHEOLOGY)

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: Israel
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2009-IEF, 2009)
Start date: 2010-10-01
End date: 2012-09-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 174653.0
EU funding (EUR): 174653.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Advances in molecular evolution led to the novel concept of ancestral resurrections, or reconstructions. These allow the exploration of the mechanisms by which new protein families diverged. Reconstructed ancestors are also inherently more prone to functional divergence, and exhibit higher thermal stability, making them more tolerant to mutations, and potentially more evolvable. However, to date, very few ancestors have been resurrected, and the experimental methodologies are still lacking. I aim to develop and apply ancestor resurrections techniques. My first model will be the serum paraoxonase (PON) family. Widespread in vertebrates and bacteria, PONs’ physiological roles span from preventing atherosclerosis to bacterial quorum quenching. Going backwards into PON’s history, we will reconstruct PON’s last common vertebrate ancestor, and acquire insights regarding the divergence of various PON families. The ancestor’s properties (enzymatic and structural) may inform us, for example, how vertebrate PONs emerged from bacterial PONs that acted in quorum quenching. The ancestor, stable and soluble, would also provide an ideal starting point for directed evolution and structural determination. Once the methodologies are developed, other proteins will be subjected to a similar study with the aim of turning ancestor resurrections into a general and powerful tool for protein engineering and structural determination.

Keywords: molecular design,de novo design,phylogeny,structural biology,biological engineering,molecular evolution
Sustainable European Community Biofuel Industries and Systems (SECURE) (SECURE)

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: European organisations area
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2009-IEF, 2009)
Start date: 2010-10-01
End date: 2012-09-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 172939.4
EU funding (EUR): 172939.4
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The uncertainty of food and fuel supplies providing a lower carbon future presents an absolute requirement for humankind to develop efficient and sustainable agricultural production systems. However, research has suggested that current European biofuel development and agricultural sustainability criteria may increase both greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and indirect global land use impacts. These concerns have resulted in cautious development of biofuel crops. The Applicant for the SECURE project and the host scientists have also published high-profile responses to critics of biofuels focussing on second generation technologies and whole farm management criteria. The critics of biofuel development rarely consider the flexibility of agricultural planning, the impact of sustainable farming methods and the diversity of products from biofuel feedstocks. The research proposed by SECURE will develop robust models that relate directly to farm practice that can assess the impact of producing biofuel and industrial crops in the European Union. This will be achieved using whole farm GIS and field based data. SECURE will develop (1) scenarios that will forecast the impact of lead market biofuel feedstock production and the implementation of technologies that will enable the development of biorefineries and the use of lignocellulosic feedstocks for biofuel production, (2) utilise existing crop yield and whole farm management models to simulate of the value of agricultural residues to ligno-cellulosic biofuel and biorefinery supply chains, and, (3) develop life cycle methodologies for land use that will determine the flexibility of agricultural land use in Europe within a global context of land use. These deliverables will provide a whole farm agricultural practice model that will be of significant value to the establishment of the sustainability criteria on farms that European agricultural and biofuel policy describes.

Keywords: biofuels,land use,sustainability,gis,ems,biotechnology,remote sensing,food security,fuel security,supply chains,crops,agriculture,common agricultural policy,natural sciences
Enzyme Design of Medical Interest (MEDENZYMEDESIGN)

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-2009-IOF, 2009)
Start date: 2010-10-01
End date: 2013-09-30
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 223537.9
EU funding (EUR): 223537.9
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Enzymes are the most efficient, specific and selective catalysts known up to date. Despite the enzyme advantages, not all synthetic processes present a natural enzyme to catalyze and accelerate the reactions. Hence, the design of new stable enzymes for those processes where no biocatalyst is known represents a major challenge for protein engineering and a stringent test to understand how natural enzymes work. In addition to that, the ability of designing specific active enzymes is of great interest due to the potential applications in biotechnology, biomedicine and industrial processes. In this proposal, the design of three enzymes of biological/medical interest will be fulfilled. First, an enzyme to reverse the formation of Advanced Glycation End-Products (AGEs), mainly associated to diabetes-related disorders, but also to Alzheimer’s disease will be designed. Second, the design of an enzyme presenting Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6PD) activity will be pursued. The latter might avoid the oxidative stress induced by many drugs in G6PD-deficient persons. Finally, the third objective of this proposal is the design of an enzyme with superoxide dismutase activity to avoid the oxidative stress produced in most of neurodegenerative diseases (i.e. Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s disorders). All designs will be performed following the research methodology developed by the Prof. Houk group which was already successfully applied for the design of active Kemp elimination and retro-aldolase enzymes. However, new QM/MM-MD strategies and DFT functionals developed at the return host organization (IQC) will be introduced to improve some parts of the design process. The fellow researcher will have the chance to work on this pioneer project in a world leading research group and to transfer this knowledge to one of the best EU research institutes.

Keywords: reaction mechanisms ands dynamics,computational chemistry,computational biology