Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Detection and Characterization of Individual Micro- and Nanoparticles (DECIMA)

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-2011-IIF, 2011)
Start date: 2012-10-17
End date: 2014-10-16
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 278807.4
EU funding (EUR): 278807.4
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The Project aims to develop novel approaches for detection and characterization of particles in the critical nanometer – micrometer size range. An improved knowledge of the make-up and origin of such particles that are present in the atmosphere and working environments is crucial for understanding their role in atmospheric pollution and human health. The role of atmospheric particles in influencing climate behavior is also poorly understood and requires more sophisticated analysis techniques. The detection of neutral isolated nanoparticles is an extremely challenging problem. The compositions and structures of particles present in the atmosphere are largely unknown owing to limited measurement capabilities. Recently it has been shown that femtosecond laser ablation is a promising technique for nanoscale depth-resolved chemical analysis while graphene nanoresonators offer much promise as ultrasensitive mass detectors. This multidisciplinary Project includes two key areas that could revolutionize particle monitoring: (1) depth-resolution analysis of micro- and nanoparticles using fs laser ablation mass spectrometry and (2) the combination of nanoelectromechanical mass sensing and fs laser ablation mass spectrometry for the detection and elemental analysis of neutral nanoparticles. A dual time-of-flight mass spectrometer will be constructed for analysis of individual aerosol particles. The potential of fs-laser ablation mass spectrometry for providing a particle depth profile will be explored and tested on well-defined core-shell micro-/nanoparticles. In addition, the elemental analysis potential of fs laser ablation mass spectrometry will be coupled with sensitive neutral particle detection, using a graphene-based mass sensor that will be developed in the host group. The outcome of the Project will be in making an important step from fundamental concepts of particle detection and characterization to laboratory proof-of-principle studies and prototype development.

Keywords: individual particle detection,nano and micropaticles,aerosols,depth-resolution analysis,femtosecond laser ablation,mass spectrometry,graphene nanoelectromechanical systems
Insights into the ecophysiological and molecular significance of xylem hydraulic capacitance in Populus under drought stress. (TREE CAPACITANCE)

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: 2012-04-16
End date: 2014-04-15
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 193594.8
EU funding (EUR): 193594.8
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Global change is expected to amplify the frequency and the severity of heatwaves and drought events especially in Western Europe. These droughts jeopardize tree health and integrity of European temperate forests and tied ecosystems. There is a need to identify the processes that may allow trees to overcome severe water scarcities. Tolerance to xylem embolism is an intrinsic and operational trait related to tree drought resistance. Moreover, ecophysiological studies have pointed to the existence of hydraulic capacitance connected to embolism as a preventive way out against moderate desiccation avoidances and buffering water potential fluctuations. This capacitance influence is expected to be ensured by living xylem elements (capacitors). However, capacitance is paradoxically a rare physiological event underlined, as the physical and genetic basis of capacitance remain totally unresolved. Here the aim of the project is to define the “hydraulic capacity” of xylem capacitor elements under quantified changes in xylem water tension state, and to identify a class of genes placed alongside physiological and biochemical measurements that will highlight the functioning of these capacitors. To achieve this task, our strategy will be first to identify the key ecophysiological features of xylem capacitance and secondly, we will undertake a molecular study to correlate the potential involvement of genes (WAK and MIP) coding for this process. Lastly, we will perform the functional validation of related proteins of interest by biochemical and bioinformatic approaches. This tree hydraulic capacitance project fits perfectly into the framework of Marie Curie Actions, spanning the “Environmental and Geo-Sciences” and “Life Sciences” themes. As the underlying nature involving drought adaptive responses using cell water capacitance may be common to all living organisms, this project can expect to contribute to this growing pool of knowledge and skilled researchers in the ERA.

Keywords: forest management,climate change,drought stress,plant water relations,embolism,hydraulic capacitance,aquaporins,wall-associated kinases,plant genetics,proteomics,poplar
A Powerful Enantioselective Organocatalytic Approach to the Total Synthesis of Madangamine Alkaloids (POWORMAD)

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: 2012-03-01
End date: 2014-02-28
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 200371.8
EU funding (EUR): 200371.8
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The projet concerns the development of a powerful first total synthesis of the Madagamine alkaloids. The route starts with an organocatalytic enantioselective and diastereoselective Michael addition of cyanoacetate pronucleophiles to a nitrocyclohexene derivative, as a key step to the formation of the ABC core. When the product of this reaction is subjected to a nitro-Mannich, Mannich reaction cascade this should allow us to construct the core of the madangamine alkaloids rapidly, selectively and on scale. The overall synthetic strategy has two parts. The first concerns a fast and enantioselective assembly of diazatricyclic core common to all madangamines (ABC rings). The second concerns easy and efficient ways to build the two macrocyclic rings (D and E rings), which play a fundamental role in their biological activity. The project combines, catalysis, total synthesis, structure elucidation and evaluation of biological properties.

Keywords: phisical sciences,organic chemistry,enantioselective organocatalysis,addition reactions,total synthesis,bioactive natural products,natural sciences,physical sciences
The study of Initial limiting steps for fimbrae assembly in E.coli (INFIMAS)

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: 2013-01-01
End date: 2014-12-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 256364.2
EU funding (EUR): 256364.2
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Currently, the control of infectious diseases caused by pathogenic organelles displayed on bacteria is challenging for alternatives to antibiotic treatments. In this regard, the OMS report of 2010 alerted of the raising of antibiotic resistance for the control of human infections. Many of these pathogenic organelles, also known as pili or fimbriae, are assembled by a specific secretory machinery called the chaperone-usher pathway (CU). The aim of this proposal is the study of the initial steps required for the fimbriae assembly by the CU pathway (objectibe 1 and objective 3) and the identification of sequences involved in these steps (objective 2), using the E.coli Type 1 fimbriae prototype as the research model. The ultimate goal of INFIMAS project is the design of inhibitory peptides repertoires based on results obtained by the achievement of previous objectives, that will potentially overcome the bacterial resistance to the current antibiotics used for the treatment infectious diseases in EU and other countries. In addition, the results derived from INFIMAS project will have an additional impact on the general scientific knowledge of the European scientific community, in particular, on the study of pathogenic bacteria organelles. With regard to the fellow, the Marie Curie Fellowship will offer her the opportunity to achieve high impact publications, to be trained in complementary skills and obtain the international research experience required to reach a maturity position after the completion of the proposal, as INFIMAS project will be developed in a high reputed institution, such as The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, and be supervised and advice by Prof Glockshuber, a well known expert in the field of pathogenic organelles using Type 1 fimbriae of E.coli as the research model.

Keywords: natural sciences,biological sciences,biology,urology,health sciences,veterinary medicine,genetic selection,genetic engineering,applied biology
Screening of candidate targets for astrocytic toxicity in motor neurone disease (TOXICITY IN MND)

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: 2012-08-01
End date: 2015-07-31
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 271943.7
EU funding (EUR): 271943.7
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Motor neurone disease (MND) is a neurodegenerative disease, characterized by progressive loss of motor neurons (MN), leading to muscle atrophy and death. Approximately 10% of cases are familial, and 20% of these have been linked to dominant mutations in Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1). Transgenic mice carrying mutant SOD1 develop a neuromuscular disease similar to human MND. For nearly a decade MND has been considered a disease selectively affecting the MN, but strong evidence has accumulated over recent years indicating that non-neuronal (glial) cells are significantly involved in the pathogenesis of MND. In the outgoing host laboratory, neural progenitor cells (NPCs) have been successfully isolated from human post-mortem spinal cord and differentiated into astrocytes. It was shown that NPC-derived astrocytes from both sporadic and familial MND cases share a common non-cell autonomous toxicity, selectively killing MN in a co-culture model system. Therefore, these cells can be successfully used to screen the toxic pathways involved in the disease and co-cultures with GFP positive MN produce a reliable readout for this toxicity, providing the only in vitro screening tool for sporadic MND derived from human neuronal tissue. In the present proposal, short hairpin RNA (shRNA) will be used to silence the expression of targeted candidate genes selected from a previous microarray study in order to investigate the factors involved in astrocyte toxicity in MND. The best hits from the in vitro screening will be tested in vivo in the mutant SOD1 mouse model of the disease using adeno-associated virus 9 (AAV9). AAV9 have been shown to have a preferential tropism for adult astrocytes within the central nervous system, which makes them the most appropriate tool to specifically target astrocytes in vivo. During the return phase, the NPC derived astrocytes will be used to screen compounds from a drug library and the new technology will be set up in the host laboratory

Keywords: neurobiology,degenerative diseases,gene therapy,neural progenitor cells,astrocytes,drug screening,in vitro model,motor neurone disease
Proteomic approaches to assess the oceanic nitrogen biogeochemistry (PROTEON)

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-2011-IOF, 2011)
Start date: 2012-07-01
End date: 2015-06-30
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 255453.0
EU funding (EUR): 255453.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The project “Proteomic approaches to assess the oceanic Nitrogen biogeochemistry – ProteoN” has 3 major research objectives. In summary, these are the development of a novel, high-throughput proteomic approach by combining state-of-the-art mass spectrometric and molecular biological techniques. This unique approach links the metabolic activity of organisms to their identity by assessing the proteins in a given sample. The developed approach will be established using a characterized model system. The novel approach will then be applied to a contemporary research issue of international interest. Specifically, this objective will compare the nitrogen (N) biogeochemistry of two ocean basins and aims at evidence for or against the hypothesis (published in 2007 by peer scientists) that the Pacific is a site of high N2 fixation with higher rates than in the Atlantic Ocean. N2 fixation is the main source of fixed N in the open ocean and is a crucial player in primary production and hence the air-sea exchange of atmospheric CO2. The skills and knowledge acquired at a prestigious research institution in the U.S.A. will be transferred to an excellent research institution in the ERA (MPI Bremen) and implemented into a study on the short-term effect of dust deposition in the North Atlantic Ocean. Atmospheric dust is the main source of iron to the open ocean, a limiting nutrient for N2 fixation. Dust deposition is subject to global change through increased desertification and changing land use and thus of international research interest. Through the combination of research in a third country with the transfer of skills and knowledge to the ERA, present-day, globally-relevant issues can be assessed at the international level in addition to strengthening the individual as well as the institutional network. The implementation of novel, state-of-the-art assessments of the environment will enhance the European research excellence and increase the competitiveness of European research.

Keywords: marine ecosystems and processes,biogeochemistry (climate change)
Glycosylation of angiogenic factors by the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway (HBP), a nutrient sensor with a novel metabolic-signaling role in angiogenesis?” (ANGIOGENESIS AND HBP)

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: Belgium
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2011-IEF, 2011)
Start date: 2012-05-01
End date: 2014-04-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 177000.0
EU funding (EUR): 177000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels, is vital for tumour malignancy. Attempts to inhibit it by blocking VEGF has had limited success in the clinic with many patients innately resistant or acquiring resistance over time. Therefore, novel anti-angiogenic therapeutic strategies are required to improve overall efficacy and reduce resistance. Novel work in the Carmeliet lab has highlighted the importance of the metabolic pathway in regulating the switch from a quiescent endothelial cell to a proliferative one. Little is known about how this angiogenic switch is regulated by metabolism and which metabolic pathways are even involved. One such pathway, the hexoasmine biosynthetic pathway (HBP) generates UDP-GlcNAc, necessary for post-translational modification of proteins via glycosylation. N-linked glycosylation can regulate growth factor receptor exposure on the surface and signaling, while O-linked glycosylation can rapidly alter the function and activity of nuclear and cytosolic proteins, alike phosphorylation. Despite the important roles these modifications have, minimal research has been done into the role of glycosylation in angiogenesis. The proposal of this project is to investigate whether the HBP regulates angiogenesis via a specific “glycosylation switch”. In particular, using multi-disciplinary gene-discovery, pharmacological and genetic approaches in various animal models (zebrafish; mouse), I propose to investigate whether changes in nutrient supply regulate EC responses (quiescence versus proliferation) through selective HBP-mediated glycosylation of Flk1 or Notch and p53, and to explore the role and relevance of the HBP and key glycosylation pathways in EC quiescence / proliferation in vitro and (pathological) angiogenesis in vivo. The combination of genetic and translational studies might also open novel avenues to develop novel anti-angiogenic therapeutic strategies.

Keywords: angiogenesis,hexosamine biosynthetic pathway,glycosylation,anti-angiogenic therapy,metabolism,growth factor receptors
Information transmission in language: do infants perceive communicative intent? (COMINTENT)

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: 2012-03-01
End date: 2014-02-28
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 226548.4
EU funding (EUR): 226548.4
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

According to all treatments of human communication, humans do not only transmit information about facts, but also about their intention to transmit information. That is, when being addressed with a sentence, we do not only grasp the message carried by the sentence, but also that the speaker intended to address this message to us. While there is little doubt that adults understand the communicative intent of speakers, it is unclear whether this is also the case in infancy, or whether infants just understand that humans happen to be useful information sources, but not that speakers intend to transmit information. Here we start exploring whether and when young infants perceive linguistic utterances as intentional acts of communication from two directions. First, testing bilingual infants, we ask whether infants expect speakers and listeners to share a common code for successful communication. We first test whether bilingual infants know that they learn two distinct languages. Then, we ask whether they expect agents to share a language when they speak to each other; further we ask whether this expectation is specific to linguistic sounds, or whether any human-made sound would work as well, and whether familiarity with the speakers’ languages is required for this expectation to emerge. Second, we ask whether monolingual infants expect agents to produce utterances that are communicatively relevant to listeners. We explore whether they expect speakers to transmit information that is relevant to the listeners’ goals; further, we test whether infants perceive the speakers’ verbal behaviour as under the control of the speakers’ goals, or whether they expect speakers to reflexively “leak” relevant information. Taken together, these experiments are among the first to target the perception of speaker and listener intentions in verbal behaviour in young infants, exploring the emergence of a crucial facet of linguistic communication that might well be unique in the animal kingdom.

Keywords: social sciences,language acquisition
Assessment of soil carbon security using emerging techniques in hyperspectral imaging, X-ray florescence and pedometrics (CSECURE)

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: Ireland
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2011-IOF, 2011)
Start date: 2013-01-01
End date: 2015-12-31
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 278570.1
EU funding (EUR): 278570.1
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Soil organic carbon is acknowledged as a biosphere sink within article 3.3 and 3.4 of the Kyoto Protocol Framework / Marrakech Accords, provided the sink can be maintained and demonstrated to be human induced. Knowledge exists on the restorative land use and recommended management practices required to return carbon to depleted soils. Soil carbon security needs to be addressed before soil carbon sequestration programmes can be advanced and deployed with confidence in schemes to ensure increase in national soil carbon stocks are secure. The scientific objective of this research is to understand the role of small-scale spatial organisation of soil organic carbon within topsoil with respect to the long-term security of the abiotic carbon store. The project will use a combination of hyperspectral imaging, chemometrics, X-ray fluorescence technology and pedometrics to build a new scientific understanding of soil carbon security. The training objectives of this research are to develop an advanced understanding of multivariate statistical techniques, developed at the University of Sydney, for spectroscopic analysis, pedotransfer and geospatial analysis that are necessary for data analysis. It is envisaged that this research work will transfer knowledge of pedometrics to the UCD Bioresources Research Centre, which is a centre of excellence in soil hyperspectral imaging at University College Dublin and will provide a protocol for the assessment of soil carbon security that will have potential for improving national scale carbon reporting and have potential for spin-out for commercial development.

Keywords: soil organic carbon,soil carbon security,pedometrics,geospatial statistics,pedotransfer functions,hyperspectral imaging,near infrared spectroscopy,x-ray fluorescence