Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Membrane activity of amyloid fibrils: unravelling cell killing mechanism (AMYLOID)

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-2010-IEF, 2010)
Start date: 2011-11-01
End date: 2013-10-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 202049.6
EU funding (EUR): 202049.6
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Numerous pathological conditions, designated as misfolding diseases, involve conversion of specific proteins from their native, soluble state to highly ordered filamentous polymers. For many years these amyloid fibrils were considered to be inert end-products of the aggregation pathway, while the toxic properties were mainly attributed to soluble oligomeric intermediates. A recent study demonstrated that fully assembled amyloid fibrils induce cell death, and the observed toxic effects are inversely correlated with fibril length (Xue at al. J. Biol. Chem. 2009, 284, 34272-34282). The findings pointed out that membrane damage may be involved in the cell injury, however the detailed mechanism by which fibrils kill cells remains to be resolved. The proposed research is one of the first studies aiming to shed light on this important question through systematic investigation of fibril-membrane interactions. Specifically, screening distinct lipid components will be performed in order to allocate membrane binding to specific cellular targets. The impact of fibrillar dimensions on the membrane activity of the aggregates and their interactions with specific lipid components will be evaluated. Additional factors, such as pH and protein charge, will be investigated. The study will include several amyloidogenic proteins in order to assess the generic nature of the killing mechanism.

Keywords: natural sciences,beta2-microglobulin,amyloid,membrane interactions,fibrils,lipids,cell-killing mechanism
Impact of continuous flow mechanical unloading on the failing human heart (UNLOAD FAILING HEART)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: International Re-integration Grants
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: Greece
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2010-RG, 2010)
Start date: 2011-12-01
End date: 2016-08-02
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 100000.0
EU funding (EUR): 100000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Heart failure (HF) represents a major public health problem with high morbidity and mortality. Health care expenditure for HF exceeds those of all cancers and myocardial infarctions combined. We aim to investigate structural, cellular and molecular changes of the failing human heart before and after non-pulsatile,continuous flow,left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) - induced unloading and to correlate them with changes in myocardial function.Tissue analysis will focus on 3 key myocardial remodeling features (fibrosis, microvasculature/endothelium and cardiomyocyte hypertrophy) which appear to be mechanistically associated during the remodeling process that eventually leads to HF (“endothelial to mesenchymal transition”). This translational investigation will a)formulate a standardized approach to acquire and evaluate myocardial tissue data along with clinical and functional data in HF patients before and after mechanical unloading and b)establish a baseline for the basic biologic effects of continuous flow LVAD unloading on the function and structure of the failing human heart. We emphasize that two major outcomes are possible, and both are important. The first outcome is that we observe significant degree of improvement in myocardial function induced by non-pulsatile LVADs. In this case our study will provide the basis for identifying the hallmarks that are associated with unloading-induced recovery. The second possible outcome is that the unloading-induced myocardial recovery is minimal or rare. This would further encourage investigations that combine LVAD use with adjuvant therapies. Our results would provide the clinical, functional and pathologic baseline necessary for investigations of the impact of pharmacologic or cell-based or other advanced therapies added to LVADs. In either case we believe our investigation is likely to provide a comprehensive starting point for the new coming era of regenerative medicine and serve as springboard for future studies.

Keywords: cardiology,cardiovascular disease translational research,heart failure,myocardial remodeling,mechanical circulatory support,mechanical unloading,fibrosis,microvasculature/ endothelium,hypertrophy
Drawing neuronal circuits without seeing them (CONEURON)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: International Re-integration Grants
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: Spain
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2010-RG, 2010)
Start date: 2011-04-01
End date: 2015-03-31
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 100000.0
EU funding (EUR): 100000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Recently, some of the neuronal correlates of high level cognitive functions, such as decision making, working memory, visual perception and attention, have been uncovered. Neurophysiologists, powered with new recording techniques, are obtaining crucial information about the neuronal mechanisms that underlay the perception of the objects, confidence in our decisions or our perception of time. With these neuronal recording techniques, we are for the first time in a position to unravel some of the complex mechanisms that underlay basic psychological phenomena. However, the interpretation of the data is often difficult due to their richness and complexity, and a theoretical framework that would allow interpreting these neuronal data coherently is still lacking. To describe and understand the complex, high dimensional neuronal data arising from state of the art recording techniques and being able to link them to behavior, we will develop a new mathematical framework that is algorithmically efficient and at the same time incorporates our knowledge about neuronal electrophysiology. In this multidisciplinary project we will combine computational neuroscience with the analysis of neuronal data to (a) understand how neuronal networks can generate non-trivial behaviours, (b) predict neuronal connectivity from the observed activity patterns, and (c) correlate activity patterns to psychological phenomena. We will analyze and model data from multielectrode recordings in monkey primary visual cortex using state of the art and our own developments of analytical, computational and simulation techniques in order to address the fundamental question of how neurons interact to lead to complex activity patterns. This project will lead to a novel technique for ‘drawing neuronal circuits without seeing them’, and migth have important consequences for understanding mental disorders originated in defects of neuronal circuits.

Keywords: neuroscience,computational neuroscience,neuronal circuits,neuronal networks,dynamics,synchrony,correlations,biophysically inspired networks,electrophysiology,multielectrode recording
Seismology of Stellar Coronal Oscillations (SESTCOOS)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: European Re-integration Grants
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: Belgium
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2010-RG, 2010)
Start date: 2011-10-01
End date: 2014-09-30
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 45000.0
EU funding (EUR): 45000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

In this project, we propose to open up the field of stellar coronal seismology. Coronal seismology is the technique that studies waves in the solar corona, and deduces difficult to measure coronal plasma parameters. Solar coronal seismology has made enormous progress in the last decade. Now is the time to export this knowledge to other stars, where coronal oscillations have also been observed. Here, we aim to construct synthetic observations for coronal oscillations, in the case when no spatial resolution is present. We will thus find the discriminating observables for different oscillation modes, allowing for a positive mode identification in the stellar coronae. The ultimate goal of this project is to analyse archival data from XMM, COROT and Kepler to apply the stellar coronal seismology in practice. This project is constructed to allow for maximal transfer of knowledge from the previous host institution to the new host institution. This is achieved through the attraction of senior scientists for extended research visits, and through the hiring of a PhD student.

Keywords: astrophysics
Archives of Early Human Occupation in Western Europe: OSL Chronologies beyond the Middle Pleistocene in the Iberian Peninsula (ARCHOSL)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: International Re-integration Grants
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: Spain
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2010-RG, 2010)
Start date: 2011-03-01
End date: 2014-02-28
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 75000.0
EU funding (EUR): 75000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

A number of important archaeological sites within the Iberian Peninsula hold the key to answering fundamental questions about human evolution and migration out of Africa into Europe. However, the existence of chronologies that are either too ambiguous, imprecise, poorly described, or only based on non-numeric dating methods, prevents the development of well sustained hypotheses on the age of such early expansions, on hominin migratory patterns, and on the driving mechanism behind such migrations. This interdisciplinary project entails the application of newly developed techniques and protocols in the field of optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating to obtain robust absolute chronologies on key Lower Palaeolithic archaeological sites in Western Europe. The main aim of the research is to improve and expand on the current chronological framework of important late Early Pleistocene (1.2 Ma - 780 ka) and Middle Pleistocene (780 ka - 125 ka) archaeological records in the Iberian Peninsula in order to accurately reconstruct and interpret the earliest human expansions into Europe. An integral aspect of this research is the pursuit of methodological advancements and refinements of the latest protocols in OSL dating to push back the existing age range of the technique. This project will focus on several important early human occupation sites in the Iberian Peninsula, namely the Atapuerca karstic complex in northern Spain, Orce sites (Fuente Nueva III and Barranco León), Guadix-Baza Basin, southeast Spain, and La Boella, south Barcelona, northeast Spain. This work will help to confidently reconstruct the emergence and expansion of human species in Western Europe, and improve interpretations of when and how past environmental changes have impacted human populations and their evolution.

Keywords: quaternary geochronology,optically stimulated luminescence dating,single-grain osl,archaeological sciences,early human migrations,iberian peninsula,atapuerca,orce,early and middle pleistocene
3D image analysis tool development for high-content screening (3D HCS IMAGING)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: International Re-integration Grants
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2010-RG, 2010)
Start date: 2011-04-01
End date: 2013-03-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 50000.0
EU funding (EUR): 50000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Recently both academic institutions and the pharmaceutical industry have identified 3 dimensional (3D) cellular model systems as one of the most important areas of future development in drug discovery programs and cell-based screening. High-content screening (HCS) platforms with large-scale automation and data analysis are extensively used in such programs. Automated image processing is a critical and rate-limiting step in HCS workflows that can be resolved by computational approaches. However, this has currently only been approached in a 2D manner and would benefit hugely from the ability to extend into 3D analyses. I plan to develop a 3D image processing-statistical framework with emphasis on 3D segmentation that can be highly useful for numerous researchers working in biomedical and molecular biological fields. This project is based on my previous expertise in developing a high-content analysis pipeline around 2D image segmentation. Any current areas of research that use traditional microscopic high-throughput analyses have the potential to benefit from this tool. These include microscopic model organisms and mammalian cell research. This software will not be limited to fluorescence microscopy, but can also be applied to other platforms such as electron microscopy and in vivo imaging of animals. I will expand and characterize the means by which 3D image segmentation enables the analysis of these models in large-scale. Continuing my previous research, one interesting application is the study of autophagy in MCF-10A mammary epithelial cells that is an easy and tractable 3D model system used in drug screening for the pathogenesis of epithelial tumours. In summary, the development of 3D imaging tools will move the field of high-content analysis forward and open a new dimension to HCS methodologies that I hope will find its way into standard protocols. The successful completion of this project will enable me to become a leading expert in this field within Europe.

Keywords: computational biology,bioinformatics,3d image processing,cellular high-content screening,autophagy,mcf-10a,cancer,image analysis,high-content analysis,hcs
Elucidating the role of SALMs in the regulation of synapses and NMDA receptors (SALMANDNMDA)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: International Re-integration Grants
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: Czechia
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2010-RG, 2010)
Start date: 2011-07-01
End date: 2015-06-30
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 100000.0
EU funding (EUR): 100000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) mediate many critical processes in the mammalian brain, including formation and maturation of synapses. CAMs have been implicated in cognitive diseases, such as autism and schizophrenia, as candidate genes. These studies highlight the importance of understanding the mechanisms by which CAMs participate in normal and pathophysiological conditions. Synaptic adhesion-like molecules (SALMs) are a new family of CAMs that are expressed in the mammalian brain. The five SALM family members (SALM1-5) have conserved extracellular N-termini, but differ substantially in their intracellular C-termini. The distinct C-termini suggest the SALMs possess unique functions. In recent studies, over-expression of SALM2 increased the number of excitatory synapses and reduction of SALM5 expression decreased the number of inhibitory synapses. Furthermore, SALM1 directly interacted with the NR1 subunit of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor. NMDA receptors are key mediators of glutamatergic transmission in mammalian brains and thus a SALM/NMDA receptor interaction would have important functional consequences for excitatory synapses. The mechanisms underlying roles that SALMs play at the synapses and in the functioning of NMDA receptors remain unknown. In this proposal, we will identify regions within SALMs that regulate the formation and maturation of synapses. We will also identify regions critical for the SALM/NMDA receptor interaction, the cellular compartments where the interaction occurs and the role that SALMs play in NMDA receptor functioning. These studies will be carried out using immunocytochemistry, biochemistry and electrophysiology on heterologous cells, dissociated cultures of cerebellar granule cells and hippocampal neurons. Determination of the mechanisms by which SALMs regulate synapses and NMDA receptors is crucial for our understanding of synapse functioning as well as for discerning the etiology of diseases associated with CAMs.

Keywords: central nervous system,neuron,cell adhesion molecule,glutamate receptor,synaptogenesis,protein-protein interaction,trafficking,ion channel
Visualizing Molecular Structural Dynamics (VISDYNAMICS)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: European Re-integration Grants
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: Sweden
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2010-RG, 2010)
Start date: 2011-08-01
End date: 2014-07-31
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 45000.0
EU funding (EUR): 45000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Here, I seek funding to study the conformational dynamics of lipid bilayer fusion and electronic excitations in organic electronics, i.e. organic photovoltaic materials. I plan to use time-resolved wide angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) for these experiments, which I have developed funded by an Intra-European fellowship. Direct observation of structural dynamics will have enormous impact in many natural sciences. Here I will demonstrate this using two examples. (1) Fusion of cell membranes is central to life. It is important for endocytosis, viral infection, and its malfunction causes widespread diseases, such as Alzheimer or obesity. Despite its importance, the molecular mechanism of cell membrane fusion remains unproven. Time-resolved WAXS, as developed by myself, opens a unique experimental window to visualize the structural dynamics of the process. If successful, these experiments will significantly contribute to the understanding of the lipid bilayer fusion mechanism. (2) Semiconducting polymers are currently actively investigated due to their potential use in electronic devices,. Using time-resolved WAXS, I propose to study the structural relaxation that key-polymers undergo when electronically excited. The study will shine new light onto the long-standing photophysical question about the nature and degree of structural relaxation of a molecular backbone when exposed to light. I also seek to visualize the structural relaxations in organic photovoltaic materials, which are thought to be performance limiting. Combining my research experience prior and during the Intra-European fellowship, all experiments target fundamentally important scientific questions and each project will open a new experimental window to study molecular structural dynamics

Keywords: physical sciences,natural sciences
The Aeroacoustics of Elastic Structures (AM10)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: International Re-integration Grants
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: Israel
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2010-RG, 2010)
Start date: 2011-07-01
End date: 2015-06-30
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 100000.0
EU funding (EUR): 100000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The proposed research combines knowledge in two major disciplines in aeronautical sciences: aeroacoustics and aeroelasticity. While each of the disciplines has been the subject of extensive studies for more than half a century, the combination of the two, particularly in the context of thin-structure aeromechanics, supplies a new set of challenging problems that need to be addressed. The project will develop a theoretical scheme for studying the combined effects of flow unsteadiness (incident gust or localized turbulence) and external forcing (boundary actuation) on the aeroelastic and aeroacoustic behaviors of elastic structures. At first, the dynamical problem will be formulated and studied. Then, the dynamical description will serve as an effective "source term" for the evaluation of the acoustic field. The formulation of the aeroacoustic problem will be based on a compact-body acoustic analogy, thus avoiding the traditional difficulty in obtaining the weak acoustic far field from direct simulations. The results are expected to shed light on the mechanisms coupling between the motion and sound of thin elastic structures, and to lead to the development of novel elasto-acoustic noise-control methodologies. These are highly desirable in various applications, including the development of "green" noise-control systems for the reduction of trailing edge noise, the monitoring of the acoustic signature of flapping-wing micro-unmanned-aerial-vehicles (MUAVs), and the analysis of natural phenomena such as insect-flight sound. The objectives of the project are in line with ongoing efforts in the European Community to develop new techniques for the design of noise reduction systems in both civil and military applications.

Keywords: aero-acustics and vibrations,aeroelasticity,flapping-flight sound,forced vibrations,vortex sound,acoustic analogy,trailing edge noise
CO2 Sorption and Flow in Shale Reservoirs (CO2SHALESTORE)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: European Re-integration Grants
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: Poland
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2010-RG, 2010)
Start date: 2011-04-01
End date: 2014-03-31
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 45000.0
EU funding (EUR): 45000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Carbon dioxide storage in geological porous media (oil bearing rocks, coals, aquifers) has been the focus of attention in Europe for the last decade. The most desirable case of geological storage is when injected CO2 is enhancing production of energy source such as is the case of Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) or Enhanced Coalbed Methane (ECBM). Recently discovered shale gas reservoirs Poland might be also a target for carbon dioxide storage. The mechanism of gas trapping in shale gas is similar to that of coal. Gas is physically adsorbed on the surface of porous shale structure and moves with diffusive flow. If the fracture is created, gas moves in fractures according to Darcy’s law and desorbed from pores according to Fickean’s diffusive flow. Hence, if the fractures are created it might be possible to inject CO2 in order to store it in a similar manner as in case of ECBM. Two issues regarding CO2 storage in porous media are important: its capacity to store intended volume of CO2 and injectivity to receive CO2 at the supply rate. In case of shale reservoirs these two parameters can be measured as sorption capacity and permeability. Shale gas reservoirs are known to be low permeable (0.001 md to 0.1 md). However, permeability of such reservoirs can be significantly increased by hydraulic fracturing. Therefore, the objectives of this research proposal are: assessing the possibilities of CO2 storage in gas bearing shale and to investigate the possibility of enhanced shale gas recovery by CO2 injection. For the purpose of the study gas bearing shale samples from Poland will be investigated. First part of the research will involve CO2 interactions with shale gas reservoirs. Whereas the second part will investigate the possibility of enhanced gas recovery from gas shale by CO2 injection in simulated in-situ conditions and artificial fracture. Obtained parameters will serve as the basics for mathematical models of CO2 storage and flow in tight reservoirs.

Keywords: natural sciences,carbon dioxide capture,storage,disposal (climate change)