Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Fatty acid processing and metabolism in muscle cells revealed by non-linear vibrational imaging. (BIOCHEMICAL IMAGING)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Life-long training and career development
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: Germany
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2012-CIG, 2012)
Start date: 2012-08-01
End date: 2016-07-31
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 100000.0
EU funding (EUR): 100000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Fatty acid (FA) intake and its subsequent fate are implicated the two most prevalent diseases in the developed world, coronary heart disease and type 2 insulin-resistant diabetes. More than 300 million people world-wide live with type 2 diabetes, and its incidence is increasing rapidly, especially in developing countries. In Europe alone, direct medical expenses for type 2 diabetes totals more than 30 Billion € per year and more than 50% of these costs are related to hospitalization. This Career Integration Grant application outlines the PI’s research programme to use a non-linear vibrational imaging technique in order to explore the underlying FA dynamics during ectopic fat deposition and FA metabolism in muscle cells. Ectopic fat appears in muscle of insulin-resistant, type 2 diabetics and also, paradoxically, in endurance trained athletes – who have acute insulin sensitivity. The methods developed in this proposal will provide a platform for answering many unresolved questions regarding FA dynamics in muscle cells from intake (and lipogenesis) to FA metabolism in both normal and insulin-resistant muscle cells. The scientific results gleaned from this research will provide new data about FA packaging into LDs and FA metabolism upon triggered lipolysis as a function of insulin activity levels. Furthermore, experiments investigating LD proximity to mitochondria in normal and insulin-resistant muscle cells will provide much needed data to help unravel the “athletes paradox” outlined above. The outcome of the PI’s research plan will reveal a link between FA processing and insulin resistance, which is critical for design of new therapeutics to treat type 2 diabetes.

Keywords: fatty acid metabolism,lipid droplet imaging,advanced microscopy,vibrational imaging,raman imaging
An integrated approach towards drug discovery and target validation for pain (DECIPAIN)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Life-long training and career development
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: Germany
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2012-CIG, 2012)
Start date: 2012-09-01
End date: 2016-08-31
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 100000.0
EU funding (EUR): 100000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Chronic and neuropathic pain, usually diagnosed as spontaneous pain, hypersensitivity to pain or both, is a maladaptive response of the organism to injury and inflammation. Finding new effective drugs to treat these debilitating conditions has shown particularly difficult, as compounds showing good efficacy in preclinical models often fail to meet clinical trials endpoints. A commonly accepted explanation for this discrepancy is that virtually all preclinical analgesic tests have only limited predictability, as they are based on models of evoked pain, whereas patients mainly seek relief of spontaneous pain. To fill the gap in our knowledge of the mechanism of spontaneous pain and to accelerate the discovery process towards better analgesics, we propose to implement a new in vivo platform for deciphering pain pathways in animal models of spontaneous pain. A new electrophysiological approach, high throughput microneurography (HT-MNG) will be implemented by using in house nanotechnology and microelectronics. This approach will be combined with in vivo RNA interference and optogenetics and validated by specifically addressing targets known to be involved in chronic and neuropathic pain conditions. The proposed preclinical in vivo platform has a great translational potential, as HT-MNG recordings from animal models will provide data directly comparable to those from human patients. Thus, we expect our project to significantly contribute in avoiding expensive failures in Phase II and Phase III pain studies due to lack of drug efficacy. Moreover, by opening the possibility to measure and recognize specific excitability patterns in peripheral neuropathies, the project can help identify patients more likely to respond to a particular drug, dose or regime, thus opening new opportunities for personalized medicine.

Keywords: l505 mechanisms of pain,l501 neuroanatomy and neurophysiology,l502 molecular and cellular neuroscience,l704 analgesia
Emigration of High-Skilled Individuals due to Short-Term Contracts (EXODUS)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Life-long training and career development
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: Italy
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2012-CIG, 2012)
Start date: 2013-07-01
End date: 2018-05-03
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 100000.0
EU funding (EUR): 100000.0
Participants: 2
Project status: CLOSED

This proposal presents a study of the EXODUS of exceptionally gifted individuals due to the increased utilization of short-term contracts. The primary objective is to study the impact of Italian labour market reforms, specifically those related to the regulation and utilization of short-term employment contracts, on the departure of skilled workers towards other countries, which typically offer more and better opportunities (brain drain). Theoretically, the utilization of short-term contracts could help increase labor force participation, employment, efficiency and labour market opportunities. However, if not regulated in integration with the specific institutional framework, short-term contracts might generate undesired effects. By promoting adverse selection, driving the better workers away from the mother country as the less productive workers take up short-term contracts, short-term contracts might actually increase the brain drain. The purpose of EXODUS is to investigate the validity of these concerns and to analyze the way short-term contracts affect the brain drain phenomenon. In particular, EXODUS will focus on investigating the employment condition and behavioral choices of a specific category of workers: young individuals with a high level of education.
Public-Private Partnerships in Educational Governance: An analysis of its dissemination, implementation and impact in a globalizing world (EDUPARTNER)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Life-long training and career development
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: Spain
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2012-CIG, 2012)
Start date: 2013-01-01
End date: 2016-12-31
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 100000.0
EU funding (EUR): 100000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Over the past decade, an outstanding trend has been the growth of private sector involvement in the financing and provision of education at a global scale, which is altering profoundly the way education is governed. Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) are one of the main policy proposals under this rapidly emerging trend. International organizations with great capacity to shape educational agendas, including the World Bank, regional development banks or UNICEF, are advocating the introduction of PPPs in education to enhance users capacity to choose, to increase competition among different providers and to benefit the education experience of the poorest. Policies that promote competition by directly funding the educational demand (a la vouchers) and creating charter schools (independent private providers publicly funded) are the most significant measures of PPP reforms being disseminated today. In recent years, PPP reforms are being extended to a range of national education systems and to some specific regions in an experimental form. In Latin America, however, there have been some related-experiences in education since the beginning of the eighties (the case of Chile being the most significant one). This project aims at analyzing the emergence and evolution of PPP policies, as well as its implementation and impact in a sample of countries of the Latin-American region. Related objectives of the project are: (1) to study the expansion and adoption of PPP programmes in countries with different levels of education privatization, (2) to analyze the strategic responses of education actors in the context of PPP frameworks, and (3) to evaluate the impact of PPPs on several dimensions, with a focus on the effects on educational equity and the poorest population. At the methodological level, case studies will be carried out in four locations of Chile and Colombia, which will combine qualitative and quantitative approaches that will be analyzed from a comparative perspective.

Keywords: education,governance,globalization,public-private partnerships,privatization,vouchers,charter schools,education equity,latin-america
Immune responses in neurodegenerative diseases: Protection or progression? (SAVING DYING NEURONS)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Life-long training and career development
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: Netherlands,Netherlands
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2012-CIG, 2012)
Start date: 2012-09-01
End date: 2016-08-31
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 100000.0
EU funding (EUR): 100000.0
Participants: 2
Project status: CLOSED

Many neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, are progressive and incurable. Much attention has been paid to understand the insults likely to kill neurons, such as reactive oxygen species and protein aggregation. In addition, it is clear that immune and inflammatory responses are involved in these diseases, but in general it is unclear whether they are protective or promote the disease process. Here I propose to gain insight in basic mechanisms and control of immune maintenance in response to neurodegeneration in vivo. Hereto, I will use unique features of the zebrafish (Danio rerio) model system to study immune cell responses to neuronal degeneration with high spatiotemporal precision in vivo. Recently, I developed a reporter in zebrafish, which labels dying cells, allowing visualization of engulfment of these cells by macrophages [van Ham et al., 2010; van Ham et al., Curr. Biol., accepted]. In the proposed research, I will investigate in vivo responses to neurodegeneration. I will use this reporter in conjunction with genetically targeted neuronal cell ablation and with disease models related to protein aggregation. By using live imaging I aim to dissect beneficial and damaging immune responses initiated by neurodegeneration. In combination with transgenic markers for different immune cells and genetic and chemical perturbation, we will clarify and determine which immune cells respond when, and to what extend to neurodegeneration. Second, we will define whether immune pathways increase disease progression or are protective. Last, as a complementary approach, I will use small molecule screening to identify drugs that modify these immune responses. In all, this project aims to unravel basic in vivo mechanisms involved in neurodegenerative diseases. By discovering small molecules affecting interactions controlling these mechanisms, my project will identify research tools and drugs for possible therapeutic interventions.

Keywords: neurodegenerative brain diseases,neurodegeneration,immune responses,zebrafish,microglia,inflammation,in vivo imaging,engulfment
80,000 TON/Y PRECOMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL SCALE DEMONSTRATION PLANT ON SECOND GENERATION LIGNOCELLULOSIC ETHANOL (COMETHA)

Framework: FP7 — Cooperation
Programme: Energy
Destination: Renewable fuel production
Action type: Collaborative project
Countries involved: Italy,Denmark,United Kingdom,Italy
Call:  (FP7-ENERGY-2012-2, 2012)
Start date: 2014-01-01
End date: 2018-12-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 34533366.8
EU funding (EUR): 17900000.0
Participants: 4
Project status: CLOSED

The overall goal of COMETHA Project is the construction and operation of an integrated precommercial industrial facility for the production of 80,000 t/y of second generation bioethanol starting from lignocellulosic biomass (ethanol plant conversion yield: from 4.3 to 1) at Porto Marghera (VE, Italy). The plant will be the first in its kind at pre-commercial scale and will validate the innovative Biochemtex PROESA technology, already tested at pilot scale and in the next future through the operation of a 40,000 ton/y cellulosic ethanol Demo plant in Crescentino (start-up 2013). With the support of Venice Town and petrochemical companies, the realization of the Marghera 2G flagship will provide data for commercial scale-up and it serves as a vehicle for ongoing renewable technology improvement and bioethanol market deployment. The project will address the development of the sustainable biomass supply chain based on c.360,000 tonnes of lignocellulosic biomass per year derived from the Region of Veneto, such as dedicated perennial crops (Arundo donax) and agricultural residue (corn stover, the most suitable feedstock for bioethanol production in the considered geographical scenario). The COMETHA project will focus on demonstrating the second generation process steps in an integrated industrial scale biorefinery, including key innovative units (such as innovative proprietary pretreatment, SSCF with the use of novel high performance enzymes and modified MOs, high efficiency integrated distillation and dehydration system, valorisation of secondary streams and process integration). Moreover, a preliminary and detailed LCA of the bioethanol flagship plant for both Arundo donax and corn stover will demonstrate a substantial reduction in terms of GHG emissions of the 2G ethanol with respect to gasoline (82% and 86% respectively): this will certificate the respect of the scientific and technological quality criterion and the sustainability of Biochemtex PROESA technology.

Keywords: bioethanol,cellulosic ethanol,second generation biofuel,lignocellulosic biomass,lca,flagship,precommercial plant,susteinable supply chain,demonstration plant,proesa,cellulosic ethanol enzyme
Mitochondrial Medicine: developing treatments of OXPHOS-defects in recombinant mammalian models. (MITCARE)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Physiology, Pathophysiology and Endocrinology
Countries involved: United Kingdom,Italy,Italy
Call:  (ERC-2012-ADG_20120314, 2012)
Start date: 2013-07-01
End date: 2018-12-31
Duration (months): 66.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2500000.0
EU funding (EUR): 2500000.0
Participants: 4
Project status: CLOSED

Mitochondria are the major source of ATP, synthesized by the mitochondrial respiratory chain (MRC) through the process of oxidative phosphorylation. ATP deficiency leads to cellular dysfunction and ultimately death. In mammals, 13 mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)-encoded subunits interact with over 70 nuclear-encoded subunits to form four of the five MRC complexes. Many additional factors are essential for the regulation of MRC activity, and the maintenance and expression of mtDNA. As a result, genetic defects affecting either genome can compromise ATP synthesis and cause human disease. There is no effective treatment for mitochondrial disorders. Major hurdles to this achievement include (i) the still incomplete molecular definition of mitochondrial disease; (ii) the poorly understood function of many disease gene products, (iii) the difficulty to rationally manipulate the complex biochemical and genetic systems underpinning mitochondrial bioenergetics. The ultimate scope of MitCare is to develop effective therapy in mitochondrial medicine. MitCare will implement three Workpackages (WP). WP1 will test the effects of pharmacological stimulation of mitochondrial biogenesis in mouse disease models. WP2 will test the effects of Adeno-Associated Viral (AAV)- and lentiviral-mediated delivery of therapeutic genes, in mouse models and human mutant cells, respectively. Since the clinical features of human disorders often fail to be faithfully replicated in mice, WP3 will implement the creation of a mitochondrial disease model in the pig, whose proximity to humans is much closer than mice. The Surf1 gene, encoding an assembly factor of complex IV, will be disrupted by zincfinger nuclease technology in swine fibroblasts, which will then serve to clone a Surf1 knockout pig by somatic cell nuclear transfer. “Mitopigs” will be used to test the direct transferability of experimental treatments from suitable mammalian models to the clinics.

Keywords: oxidative phosphorylation,mitochondrial disease,mitochondrial biogenesis,respiratory chain,animal model,homeostasis,pharmacological therapy,gene therapy,cell therapy,zinc-finger nucleases
Intercellular signalling functions of bacterial biofilm extracellular matrix (PSL)

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-2012-IIF, 2012)
Start date: 2013-09-01
End date: 2015-08-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 299558.4
EU funding (EUR): 299558.4
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Many bacteria grow on a surface in communities called biofilms. Cells growing in a biofilm are encapsulated by extracellular polymeric substances such as polysaccharides and proteins. Bacterial biofilms are medically important as a number of chronic infections, such as cystic fibrosis (CF) airway infections, endocarditis, and periodontitis, are strongly associated with biofilm formation. Biofilms cause pathological changes to infected tissues and are problematic due to their increased resistance to antibiotics and host clearance. Scientists and clinicians are investigating potential therapies directed at disrupting biofilm communities. It is therefore critical to elucidate the regulatory mechanisms controlling biofilm growth and development. Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a prominent CF pathogen, is one of the model organisms to study biofilm regulation. In this research proposal, we will study a novel system by which the P. aeruginosa biofilm extracellular polysaccharide PSL plays a role in serving as an extracellular signal, promoting production of the secondary messenger molecule c-di-GMP. We propose to focus on two aspects of this system: Specific Aim 1: Investigate the specific properties of PSL that determine its signalling activity. Specific Aim 2: Determine the c-di-GMP signal transduction pathway activated by PSL. Specific Aim 3: Determine the prevalence of the matrix intercellular signalling in other biofilm-forming organisms.

Keywords: l607 microbiology,l609 bacteriology,l809 prokaryotic biology
Development of Platform Technology for Butanol Production using Biodiesel Industry Derived Glycerol Waste (BUTYROL)

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-2012-IIF, 2012)
Start date: 2015-03-15
End date: 2017-03-14
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 231283.2
EU funding (EUR): 231283.2
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Heightened concerns over global warming and the supply, security and price of fossil oil, has led to a resurgence of interest in biological routes to the production of biofuels and chemicals. Butanol is a superior biofuel to ethanol with an existing platform chemical market of >3 M tonne/yr - worth $8 billion. Current attempts to revive a commercial butanol fermentation process are thwarted by: (i) the high cost of the feedstock; (ii) solvent toxicity and; (iii) low titers. Feedstock cost is 60-80% of butanol production, but attempts to use cheap cellulosic substrates are proving challenging. Glycerol on the other hand is a versatile carbon and energy source that is produced at a large scale as a waste product (10% w/w) of the biodiesel industry. Here, the overall objective is to minimize the cost of biobutanol production by using crude glycerol as feedstock and to further improve the process with respect to butanol titer, yield and productivity. Uniquely, the process organism will be Clostridium pasteurianum, which unlike the traditionally used Clostridium acetobutylicum, produces little (ethanol) or no (acetone) solvent co-products. The project will capitalise on the extensive expertise of Dr Malaviya in bioprocess development and the unique range of ‘state-of-the-art’ metabolic engineering tools available at the host, to maximize biobutanol production from waste glycerol. The project will lead to complementary exchange of capabilities and knowledge between Europe and India, and the establishment of a long lasting collaboration. The outcome will be an economic and sustainable commercial route to biobutanol that will improve the viability of already existing biodiesel industries in the EU, and elsewhere, by utilizing its principal waste product, glycerol. This will enhance EU competitiveness in the development of second generation biofuels (biodiesel & biobutanol) from renewables and will facilitate the achievement of the EU’s 2020 renewable fuels targets.

Keywords: biobutanol,clostridium pasteurianum,crude glycerol,metabolic modeling,metabolic engineering
Methodology for and Synthesis of Highly Congested Molecules (VICQUAT)

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-2012-IEF, 2012)
Start date: 2013-03-01
End date: 2015-02-28
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 221606.4
EU funding (EUR): 221606.4
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The development of new methodologies which allow for the direct synthesis of highly complex molecular entities bearing vicinal all carbon quaternary stereocentres remains a most important goal for modern synthetic chemists. The aim of this proposal is to develop cutting-edge methodology for congested molecule synthesis and apply it to the total synthesis of the core of a highly complex natural product. Phase 1 of the project will involve the development of three related methodologies which will allow for the efficient synthesis of a wide range of highly complex tricyclic molecules bearing multiple stereocentres including vicinal all carbon quaternary stereocentres from simple achiral starting materials. In Phase 2 of the project the developed methodologies will be used to synthesise the complex tetracyclic core of a highly complex biologically active terpenoid natural product. The tetracyclic core will be further functionalised using state-of-the-art synthetic transformations.

Keywords: c141 organic chemistry,synthesis,quaternary stereocentres