Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Composition and Management of Polymorphic Services (COMPOSER)

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-2011-IEF, 2011)
Start date: 2012-07-01
End date: 2013-12-31
Duration (months): 18.0
Total project cost (EUR): 209105.55
EU funding (EUR): 209105.55
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

To achieve flexible service provision software services can be endowed with self-* capabilities, such as self-adaptation and self-organisation, and service composition and management can take place autonomically. Such services are termed “polymorphic” since their functionality and structure vary dynamically. The view in the proposed project is that the autonomic behaviour of polymorphic services can be effectively supported by an agent architecture realising bio-inspired self-organisation and decentralised control models that are driven by user and business value criteria. The proposed research aims to contribute towards a framework for autonomic adaptation and composition of polymorphic services. The main objectives are: - Investigation of modelling principles and notations for representing polymorphic service adaptation and composition. - Development of an agent-based reference architecture implementing mechanisms for polymorphic service composition and management based on bio-inspired self-organisation and decentralised control models driven by user and business value criteria. - Integration of the above architecture in a cloud-based large-scale experimentation infrastructure and tuning of key framework parameters through experimentation. - Evaluation of the proposed approach (how well the polymorphic services approach satisfies the requirements of specific case studies) both quantitatively using simulations and qualitatively using opinions gathered with semi-structured interviews. The problem to be examined falls within the scope of the wider autonomic service composition problem currently tackled in large EU projects and the proposed approach significantly extends existing work in autonomic service composition and management by considering user and business value criteria, instead of only system infrastructure and performance ones, to drive autonomic service behaviours in polymorphic service composition and management.

Keywords: software technology,service engineering,service composition and management,autonomic computing,self-* properties,bio-inspired algorithms,polymorphic services,intelligent agents,middleware
The study of Hsp90 through the use of nuclear magnetic resonance, small angle scattering and calorimetry. (HSP90NMR)

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: Germany
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2011-IIF, 2011)
Start date: 2013-02-01
End date: 2015-01-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 167390.4
EU funding (EUR): 167390.4
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Proper protein folding is essential for cellular homeostasis. Cells employ a large array of chaperones to ensure protein adopt the proper conformation. Hsp90 is an important chaperone and comprises of 1-2% of all protein is eukaryotic cells. Additionally, Hsp90 is upregulated in cancerous cells to facilitate fast proliferation. There are several X-ray crystal structures available for Hsp90 free in solution and interacting with its target proteins. This combined with small angle x-ray/neutron scattering (SAXS/SANS) and Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) data, demonstrate that HSP90 is a 90 kDa dimeric protein and undergoes large conformational changes throughout its function. However, these crystal structures only provide a static picture of Hsp90 function so the molecular and dynamic details of these rearrangements are not well understood. We will employ nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) as a method to further probe these changes. NMR can provide atomically resolved real time information of Hsp90 in solution either free or interacting with its targets. Hsp90 contains three distinct domains, and we have individually isotopically label each domain. This will allow each domain to be studied either independently or and in tandem with neighbouring domains. Also a target protein, the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) protein, will be introduced to observe how the behaviour of each domain changes upon binding a client protein. Through observing the changes in chemical shifts and relaxation rates we will be able to identify specific regions in Hsp90 which are involved in the binding of client proteins. We will also employ SAXS/SANS experiments to observe changes in orientation of the domains when interacting with the GR protein, and use isothermal titration calorimetry to determine the thermodynamic parameters of Hsp90 binding the GR protein. Through combining all of these techniques we hope to gain a broader understanding of Hsp90 function.

Keywords: enzimology,molecular biophysics,structural biology,hsp90,nuclear magnetic resonance,isothermal titration calorimetry,sans/saxs,biochemistry
Pulsatile Viscous and Viscoelastic Microfluidics (MICROPULSATILE)

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: Spain
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2011-IIF, 2011)
Start date: 2012-09-03
End date: 2015-08-13
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 226548.4
EU funding (EUR): 226548.4
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The project aims at enhancing our theoretical understanding on how periodic forcing affects viscoelastic flow in one and two fluid phases at microscales and to apply such understanding to problems of biological and technological importance. The ‘state of the art’ regarding the understanding of the dynamics of one viscoelastic fluid phase at microscales, allow us to study fluids confined in complex geometries. For two fluid phases, more fundament research is needed since the effect of pulsed pressure gradients on the stability of interfaces is still to be explored in simple geometries. The project is therefore divided into two lines. Project line 1 tackles the problem of blood flow in tumor vasculature with the purpose of developing a methodology capable of predicting whether a tumor vascular network needs immediate attention or not by relating structure with hemodynamics. In particular we will study the effect of anastomosis, because it is most relevant around cancer tumors and its function has not been clearly established. Project line 2 concerns the study of the stability of interfaces in microfluidics forced by pulsed pressure gradients. We will develop fundamental knowledge to elucidate the role that play, on the interface instabilities, surface tension, confinement, dynamic wetting and degree of viscoelasticity. Results of this research are important from a scientific perspective and might lead to innumerable applications in microfluidic LAB-ON-A-CHIP devices.

Keywords: physical sciences: microfluidics,viscoelastic fluids,biophysics. health sciences: vascular networks,hemodynamics,anastomosis.
Non-linear effects and backreaction in classical and quantum cosmology. (NEBRIC)

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-2011-IEF, 2011)
Start date: 2012-09-01
End date: 2015-08-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 248451.4
EU funding (EUR): 248451.4
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Cosmology has gone through an amazing revolution during the last decade owing to the large amount of new precise observational data. These data strongly indicate the existence of two periods of accelerated expansion in the history of the Universe. One in the primordial universe, the so-called inflationary phase, and one at the present era. The link between data and models is made mostly by linear perturbation theory on a spatially homogeneous and isotropic Friedmann Universe. But beyond linear order many interesting effects appear, such as the non-Gaussianity, that should be present in the CMB, and backreaction (BR) effects. In particular, quantum BR of primordial fluctuations can significantly modify the dynamics of the early universe and its observational signatures, while classical BR of large scale structure (LSS) might contribute to the observed late time acceleration. The goal of my project is to quantify these non-linear effects more precisely. First, I want to connect the BR of the LSS to observations using a light-cone averaging prescription. Then, I want to evaluate BR effects from magnetic fields generated during inflation in a consistent way both using the effective equation for the cosmological backreaction and the data inside the backward light-cone of a physical observer. I also plan to obtain observational bounds on BR from the study of the effective equation of state it induces and from its effect on early phases of expansion, from preheating to CMB decoupling passing through the relativistic era that takes place before the Big-bang nucleosynthesis. Also an alternative approach compared to the BR of the LSS will be then considered, I will investigate how a smooth expand Universe can be obtained from small, static inhomogeneous cells that are glued together. This possibility is more challenging and almost unexplored. Finally, I want to investigate how non-Gaussianity (and other observables) can change as consequences of the loop corrections.

Keywords: cosmology,gravitation,quantum field theory in cuved space-time,inhomogeneous universe,classical/quantum backreaction,dark energy,inflation,magnetic fields,loop corrections,non-gaussianity
Monitoring Arctic Glaciers and IceCaps from Space (MAGICS)

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: United Kingdom
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2011-IOF, 2011)
Start date: 2012-10-01
End date: 2015-09-30
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 283568.1
EU funding (EUR): 283568.1
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Sea level change is one of the major challenges for the next century. Historically, ice loss from mountain glaciers and ice caps has been the single largest contributor to the ~2 mm/yr sea level rise over the last century and 50% of this contribution has come from the Arctic. Recent studies show that they will continue to be one of the major contributors to sea level rise in the 21st century. There is, however, a large uncertainty associated with these estimates. Direct observations are sparse and some areas, such as the Russian Arctic, have been not surveyed at all. This project aims to combine GRACE gravimetry observations, ICESat and Cryosat-2 altimetry measurements, surface mass balance information from models and glacier discharge estimates in a joint statistical assimilation. The combination of these data will provide consistent, robust and adequately constrained time series of the mass budget of the Arctic region in the first decennia of the 21st century, at a quality which cannot be obtained from the individual data sets. It will yield a model-independent glacial isostatic adjustment solution and a rigorous treatment of uncertainties. This will greatly improve our insights of the response of Arctic glaciers to climate changes, their contribution to sea level rise and serve as a validation tool for the development of glacier components which are poorly represented in globally coupled climate models. During the first 2 years of the project, the applicant will be hosted by John Wahr at CIRES in Boulder, Co. The final year of the project will be spend at the Bristol Glaciology Center with Jonathan Bamber. Their unique experience with remote sensing of the cryosphere and the extensive knowledge of glaciology and other geophysical processes at the institutes and the background of the applicant guarantee a successful project, which will establish him as a matured, well rounded researcher and leave him with a strong network and excellent career opportunities.

Keywords: geodesy,observation systems (climate change),remote sensing (climate change),climate variability (climate change),environmental physics
Modelling glacier response after Larsen B ice shelf collapse (MODISC)

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-2011-IEF, 2011)
Start date: 2013-03-01
End date: 2015-08-28
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 200371.8
EU funding (EUR): 200371.8
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

This project aims to improve our understanding of glacier and ice sheet dynamics in a warming climate, leading to a better forecast reliability for future sea level rise. The main objective is to provide more accurate estimates for the loss of grounded ice in the Antarctic Peninsula, caused by the melting and collapse of its ice shelves over the last decades. Increased losses of grounded ice have been observed at several places, in particular for the Larsen B Embayment glaciers which sped up and thinned after the collapse of the Larsen B ice shelf in 2002. In order to reduce the present uncertainty in Antarctic contribution to sea level rise, it is of the utmost importance to better understand the dynamics of such coupled glacier/ice shelf systems. This project will investigate this dynamics using a combination of improved datasets and improved numerical modelling techniques, available at the British Antarctic Survey. It will be the first ever attempt to simulate glacier response to ice shelf collapse beyond the flow-line approximation, providing a significant structural improvement towards more realistic simulations of such events. A comprehensive study of the Larsen B Embayment will be used to test the model, and numerical experiments will be performed to simulate similar events in the future. A prime study area will be the Flask and Leppard glaciers on the Antarctic Peninsula, which feed the vulnerable Scar Inlet, and which are closely monitored by the British Antarctic Survey.

Keywords: cryosphere,climate change,numerical modelling,ice shelve collapse,antarctica
In vitro and in vivo examination of the spatial and temporal distribution of synaptic inputs and synaptic integration in layer 2/3 visual cortical neurons (VISUALDENDRITE)

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-2011-IEF, 2011)
Start date: 2013-05-22
End date: 2015-05-21
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 193594.8
EU funding (EUR): 193594.8
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

A particularity of neurons in sensory cortex is to be tuned to specific stimulation features ; for example, in the primary visual cortex, some neurons are selective for the orientation of the stimulus. The large dendritic trees of pyramidal cortical neurons extend over hundreds of microns, allowing neurons to receive thousands of synaptic inputs. Neurons integrate and compute these inputs to produce an action potential output that will excite target cells. The dendritic tree likely serves as a substrate for these computations, through the interaction between synaptic inputs, the tree topology, and the distributions of intrinsic channels in dendrites. Elucidating the mechanisms by which dendrites implement these computations in response to functional stimuli is crucial to the understanding of how stimulus-specificity is performed in sensory neurons. Thin dendrites are not accessible to patch-clamp, but two-photon microscopy allows the measurement of [Ca2+] and voltage fluctuations using fluorescent reporters. We will investigate these questions in rat visual cortical neurons in vitro (in response to photoactivation of group of synapses), and in vivo (in response to visual stimulation), by measuring optically the dynamics of voltage and Ca2+ in single dendrites, in combination with somatic electrophysiological recordings and mathematical modeling of dendritic computations.

Keywords: neurophysiology,neurobiology,neuroinformatics,laboratory animal science,two-photon imaging,synaptic integration,dendrite,voltage-imaging,computation
Glycosylation of peptide hormones and extensins from the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana and in-vitro synthesis of glycosylated peptides. (EXHOMO)

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-2011-IEF, 2011)
Start date: 2012-05-01
End date: 2014-09-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 228082.2
EU funding (EUR): 228082.2
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

As global food prices mount, the imperative for novel approaches to crop growth becomes evident. A recently discovered group of glycosylated peptides with hormonal characteristics has a similar impact on plant growth and environmental response as the classical phytohormones that were pivotal in the first green revolution. We aim to develop methods for the in-vitro synthesis of these hormones. Glycosylation is essential for peptide function. Identification of glycosyl transferases (GTs) acting on these peptides is a prerequisite for in-vitro synthesis. I will identify potential GTs by combining existing bioinformatic techniques and genomic data available at the host institution with proteomic data that I bring with me from my previous post-doctoral position in the US. I will also search for the last unidentified GT initiating glycosylation in a related, non-hormonal group of secreted peptides. Working with molecular biologists at the host institution, I will develop my molecular skills constructing tagged synthetic peptides and expressing these in putative GT mutants selected from the proteomic and genomic data. Working with mass spectrometry specialists I will analyse glycosylation signatures on peptides retrieved from wild type and mutant plants. Simultaneously, the fate of synthetic peptides progressing through the secretory system will be followed using protocols I developed during my time in the US and equipment that I bring with me. This will establish the distribution of GTs throughout the secretory system and act as a proof of concept for this technique in analysing modifications on other secreted proteins. Putative GTs expressed in heterologous systems with specific donor and acceptor substrates will confirm GT identity and demonstrate in-vitro synthetic capacity, a move towards developing novel agricultural tools. This project will develop state-of-the-art methods with multiple applications and mark a EU contribution to an exciting new field.

Keywords: natural sciences,plant,arabidopsis,glycosylation,peptide hormone,extensin,mass spectrometry,bioinformatics,cell wall,free flow electrophoresis
Identification of important regulators of metastasis in pancreatic cancer (CANCER METASTASIS)

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-2011-IEF, 2011)
Start date: 2012-07-01
End date: 2014-06-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 200371.8
EU funding (EUR): 200371.8
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Pancreatic cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-associated mortality. One of the primary contributing factors is late diagnosis of the disease, resulting in established metastatic cancer before symptoms emerge. This form of cancer is characterised by a number of well-defined genetic alterations including oncogenic mutation of K-Ras and inactivating mutation of p53, SMAD4 and CDKN2A. Concurrent deregulation of K-ras and these tumor suppressors facilitates uncontrolled proliferation of early stage pancreatic cancer cells and subsequent progression into more advanced adenocarcinomas. However, as many patients present with a metastatic form of pancreatic cancer, treatment of the primary tumor is often insufficient to achieve regression of this disease. Thus, a greater understanding of pancreatic cancer metastasis is needed to identify mechanisms to effectively treat this form of cancer. We wish to perform an in vivo shRNA screen to identify genes that promote or inhibit metastasis of oncogenic K-Ras positive pancreatic cancer cells. We will then investigate the mechanism through which these genes regulate the metastatic process. Finally, we will explore methods to modulate these genes and/or their function for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

Keywords: health sciences,oncology,anticancer therapy,biological sciences,cell biology,laboratory animal science,cancer,pancreatic cancer,metastasis,ras.