Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Molecular mechanisms and biological role of the somatic piRNA/Piwi pathway – an RNA based genome immune system (DROSOPHILA PIRNAS)

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: Austria
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2009-IEF, 2009)
Start date: 2010-04-01
End date: 2012-03-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 225873.6
EU funding (EUR): 225873.6
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

All eukaryotic genomes contain mobile genetic elements called transposons. They can be described as “endo-parasites” at the genomic level and come in a variety of classes including endogenous retroviruses. The uncontrolled spread of transposons to new genomic sites poses a serious threat, e.g. due to insertional mutagenesis. How the host functionally silences transposons remained mysterious for a long time. Recently, the piRNA pathway, a germline specific RNAi pathway has been shown to be at the heart of the animal transposon control system. In Drosophila two separate piRNA pathways exist: One is active in germline cells and the other in somatic cells of the gonad. Interestingly, the somatic piRNA pathway protects the neighboring germline from endogenous retroviruses that invade the developing gamete via viral particles. Only two loci have a described role in this pathway: the Argonaute protein Piwi and the heterochromatic flamenco locus, source of the involved small RNAs (piRNAs). We entirely lack a mechanistic understanding of the biogenesis of somatic piRNAs and how the Piwi complex silences transposons. Here, we first propose to identify new components of the somatic piRNA pathway by two RNAi screens, one in cell culture and one in flies. Our long-term goal is to dissect the mechanistic makeup of the somatic piRNA pathway, its molecular constituents and their biochemical function. Secondly, we will set out to investigate the consequences for gene expression and genome integrity caused by ablating the somatic piRNA pathway. We will use high throughput sequencing technologies to address the following questions: Which retroviral elements become functionally expressed in the absence of Piwi? What is the damage for the host genome caused by uncontrolled retroviral activity? This will be the first systematic, qualitative and quantitative description of the threat posed by endogenous retroviruses and the importance of the somatic piRNA pathway in silencing them.

Keywords: transposon silencing,piwi,pirna pathway,genome immune system,endogenous retroviruses,drosophila,germline,natural sciences
Thermal energy storage with phase change materials for energy efficiency of European building stock (EFFIBUILDINGS)

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-2009-IIF, 2009)
Start date: 2010-06-01
End date: 2011-04-25
Duration (months): 10.0
Total project cost (EUR): 107027.0
EU funding (EUR): 107027.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The use of phase change materials (PCM) for thermal storage has attracted researchers in all over the world, mainly due to their large energy storage density, which is available within a narrow temperature range. There is unlimited number of possible applications where PCMs can be used such as buildings, glass houses, cold stores, refrigerated trucks and cooling of electronic devices. Work on PCMs has been ongoing for decades but their commercial use is still limited due to their high production and encapsulation costs. The project described in this proposal aims to develop a new technology for the production of PCMs from waste products and also to develop innovate methods of encapsulating these materials so they can be used in these different applications. Also since most of the commercial microencapsulated PCM products have not been fully tested for mechanical strength, a new technique of testing will be applied using for example nano-indentation technique. Prof. Farid has more than 25 years of experience working on PCM production and encapsulation. In PCM application, Farid will introduce his new approach of using PCM in building materials such as timber, using vacuum impregnation. To our knowledge, this has never been applied before and will lead to significant increase in the thermal mass of timber homes used in Northern Europe and other countries. Also based on his New Zealand’s expertise in food storage, he will develop a suitable method of encapsulating low temperature PCM for temperature regulation of cold stores and refrigerated trucks, which is important to most European countries. The main objective of the proposal is to host Prof. Farid who will introduce the valuable knowledge of a third country (New Zealand in this case) into Europe. The participation of Prof. Cabeza in Cost Action TU0802 will help to disseminate this knowledge to most groups working with PCM in building applications within Europe.

Keywords: materials engineering,thermal engineering,building construction,rational use of energy,energy-efficient building designs,renewable energies
Investigation of the voltage-dependent anion channel 2 (VDAC2) by solid-state NMR and molecular dynamic simulations (VDAC2)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Intra-European Fellowships
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: Germany
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2009-IEF, 2009)
Start date: 2010-07-01
End date: 2012-06-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 161661.0
EU funding (EUR): 161661.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Voltage-dependent anion channels (VDACs) are pore-forming proteins expressed in the outer membrane of eukaryotic mitochondria. The three isoforms of VDAC, i.e., VDAC1, VDAC2 and VDAC3, are known to be expressed ubiquitously in mammalian mitochondria. The individual VDAC isoforms (VDAC1 and VDAC2) are considered to play different roles in the induction of apoptosis through Bcl-2 family proteins and may also play a role in switching apoptotic signaling, whereas the function of VDAC3 is till date not fully known. In particular VDAC2 has been suggested to play a specific role in regulating apoptosis by interacting with, and thereby preventing activation of, the proapoptotic protein BAK. Solid-state NMR (ssNMR) methods will be used to study the structural aspects of VDAC2 and its interactions with apoptotic proteins. These experiments will be performed on isotope-labeled [13C, 15N] protein variants, from which resonance assignments and structural restraints of VDAC2 in lipid bilayers will be obtained. As a complementary method, the molecular simulations (MD) will be performed to study first the homology model on VDAC2 based on the VDAC1 structure, and finally used as the comparison to the ssNMR data. In the MD part the function and interaction mode of the N-terminal helix is of the main interest. In general, the goal of this project is to characterize the structure and dynamics of VDAC2 and to understand its role as an anion channel in the outer mitochondrial membrane in apoptosis and possibly neurodegeneration.

Keywords: solid-state nmr,molecular dynamics,vdac2,membrane proteins,apoptosis
Towards a unified description of dynamics and anisotropy in nanomagnets (DYNANIMAG)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Intra-European Fellowships
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2009-IEF, 2009)
Start date: 2010-05-01
End date: 2012-04-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 173240.8
EU funding (EUR): 173240.8
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

This proposal aims to develop a common framework to describe the properties of Molecular Nanomagnets (MNM) and Magnetic Nanoparticles (MNP). We will study the magnetic anisotropy and the spin dynamics in such nanomagnets. The former is the critical and fundamental property for application of nanomagnets as novel ultrahigh density magnetic data storage devices. We will investigate both types of nanomagnets using a wide range of experimental techniques under similar conditions allowing direct comparison of their properties. We will further the knowledge and understanding of the origin of magnetic anisotropy in both types of nanomagnets, leading to a generalized description of this property. The outcomes of this project will outline the way to the development of vastly improved data storage materials. In addition, we will study the spin dynamics using pulsed electron spin resonance. Detailed investigations of the spin-lattice relaxation will elucidate the microscopic mechanisms of magnetization relaxation, especially in nanomagnets with large spin state densities. Investigation of spin-spin relaxation will establish the possibility of measurable quantum coherence in large MNM as well as in MNP. This will further our understanding of how the quantum world of small particles transforms into the classical world that we live in. The outcomes will also allow assessment of the suitability of nanomagnets for quantum computing applications. The project will deliver a highly trained promising researcher accelerating his progress towards becoming a leading independent researcher. The detailed Career Development Plan ensures extensive scientific and complementary training. The project also foresees a number of research visits in various EU laboratories enhancing the experience and mobility of the researcher. The planned dissemination activities will also stimulate public engagement with science.

Keywords: molecular magnetism,mesoscopic physics,magnetism,magnetic resonance,spin dynamics,nanodevices,nanosystems,inorganic chemistry.
Linking canopy texture to 3D forest structure and above-ground biomass at regional to continental scales in dense tropical forests (FOTOFOR2)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Intra-European Fellowships
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: France
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2009-IEF, 2009)
Start date: 2010-07-01
End date: 2012-06-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 173162.4
EU funding (EUR): 173162.4
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The assessment and monitoring of tropical forest structure and biomass is becoming an important economic and political stake of this century, notably because of the importance of this ecosystem in the carbon cycle. Recent progress may open the way to the large scale monitoring of tropical forests, thanks to VHR optical remote sensing data. We demonstrated the feasibility of a textural characterization of the canopy at the scale of the Amazon basin. Local tests in French Guiana showed that canopy texture correlated to mean trunk diameter, mean tree height and even biomass. Evidence is indeed emerging, for the existence of general scaling laws in tropical forest (e.g. the WBE metabolic theory), linking forests’ structural (among which crown sizes) and dynamical parameters. This progress calls for an ambitious validation program, (i) to test the large scale stability of scaling laws linking apparent crown sizes (observable on VHR imagery) and other structural and dynamical parameters measurable on the ground; and (ii) to understand how the physical signals interact with forest structure to produce canopy texture. The present mobility project, hosted at UMR AMAP in Montpellier, also involves several research labs in the South of France, in the UK as well as actors from the private sector. For (i), we propose a large scale study across Central Africa of the allometry rules linking canopy texture and forest structure and biomass. Relationships with forest dynamics/productivity will be investigated from existing permanent plots. Canopy total height will be assessed using large footprint space borne LIDAR. For (ii), canopy texture will be obtained from 3D models of forest of known structural properties, either obtained via individual based models or measured via airborne small footprint LIDAR. Interaction with physical signals will be modelled to produce canopy texture images under controlled acquisition conditions.

Keywords: forest ecosystems (climate change),forest management (climate change),biochemical and hydrological cycles,redd,carbon stocks
Statistical methods for modelling population activity in visual cortex (POPCODE)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Intra-European Fellowships
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2009-IEF, 2009)
Start date: 2010-04-01
End date: 2012-03-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 165040.8
EU funding (EUR): 165040.8
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

One of the central goals of systems neuroscience is to understand how neurons in the visual system represent and analyze the environment. In order to understand the capabilities of the visual system, we have to understand how populations of neurons communicate and collectively process the visual input. Yet, while there is a wealth of knowledge about the response properties of single cells, we still know very little about coding and computations at the level of neural populations. Recent technological advances now make possible to record from many neurons simultaneously. However, in order to make sense of multi-cell measurements and understand information processing in neural ensembles, we need powerful statistical tools for analyzing this high-dimensional, complex data. The goal of this project is to get a better understanding of neural population coding in primary visual cortex. We will develop statistical methods for modelling neural population activity and apply them to multi-electrode recordings and 2-photon population measurements obtained by our experimental collaborators. We will assess interactions between neurons and the influence of local field potentials. As neural populations exhibit rich temporal dynamics that are not accessible with techniques relying on averaging across multiple stimulus presentations, our model will allow single-trial analysis of population dynamics. By accurately characterizing the structure of noise and variability in the population, we will be able constrain computational and circuit models of visual processing. We will provide the first quantitative, integrated characterization of neural activity in large cortical populations. In contrast to most studies that investigate neural coding in single neurons or pairs of neurons, our study has the potential to reveal properties of neural coding on a population level—which could be qualitatively different, and therefore provide a new view of neural coding in the visual system.

Keywords: neurophysiology,neuroinformatics,computational neurosciene,neural data analysis
Sheltered load at the MHC (SLMHC)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Intra-European Fellowships
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2009-IEF, 2009)
Start date: 2010-05-08
End date: 2011-02-07
Duration (months): 9.0
Total project cost (EUR): 180603.2
EU funding (EUR): 180603.2
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The accumulation of deleterious mutations and their subsequent effects on fitness play an important role in genome evolution. The mutational load is, however, not distributed evenly across the genome. In particular, genomic regions under strong balancing selection, as well as areas with little recombination are prone to accumulate mutations. In such genomic regions natural selection cannot easily purge the recessive deleterious mutations because they become rarely expressed in homozygote condition, and hence, this mutational load has been dubbed a “sheltered load”. Both the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) of vertebrates and S-locus of plants are thought to carry a large sheltered load which can have important implications for the evolution of both these gene families. However, these research communities have developed their research programmes and theories independently of one another. This proposal brings together both fields for the first time in a truly synergistic collaboration that will investigate several fundamental, and yet unaddressed questions in evolutionary genetics of multigene families. It combines the expertise of the Marie Curie Fellowship applicant (Dr Llaurens) on the evolution of self incompatibility in plants and that of Dr van Oosterhout (University of Hull, UK) on MHC evolution in guppies (Poecilia reticulata). This project aims to empirically characterise the sheltered load in the MHC of guppies by using high-throughput sequencing techniques in collaboration with Prof. Dreyer (Max Planck Institute, Germany). We will furthermore investigate the evolutionary and ecological implications of this MHC-linked sheltered load by using laboratory crosses and field experiments. The comparison between MHC and S-locus evolution will help us to elucidate the population genetic and molecular mechanisms associated with the sheltered load, and solve several longstanding scientific enigmas of the MHC.

Keywords: natural sciences
MALCODE: Malicious Code Detection using Emulation (MALCODE)

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: Greece
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2009-IOF, 2009)
Start date: 2010-07-01
End date: 2013-06-30
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 230952.1
EU funding (EUR): 230952.1
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

After many years of security research and engineering, code injection attacks remain one of the most common methods for malware propagation, exposing significant limitations in current state-of-the-art attack detection systems. For instance, the recent massive outbreak of the Conficker worm in the beginning of 2009 resulted to more than 10 million infected machines worldwide. Malicious web sites also launch code injection attacks against unsuspecting visitors by exploiting vulnerabilities in popular web browsers, document viewers, media players, and other client applications. The increasing professionalism of cyber criminals and the constant rise in the number of malware variants and malicious websites make the need for effective malicious code detection more critical than ever. Once sophisticated tricks of only the most skilled virus authors, advanced evasion techniques like code obfuscation and polymorphism are now the norm in most malware variants and code injection attacks. As the number of new vulnerabilities and malware variants grows at a frenetic pace, detection approaches based on threat signatures, which are employed by most virus scanners and intrusion detection systems, cannot cope with the vast number of new malicious code variants. In the proposed project, we plan to design, develop, and evaluate novel malicious code detection algorithms based on code emulation. Working at the lowest level---the actual instructions that get executed---dynamic analysis using emulation unveils the actual malicious code without being affected by evasion techniques like encryption, polymorphism, or code obfuscation. Focusing on the behavior and not the structure of the code, we aim to identify common functionality and actions that are inherent to different types of malicious code, and use them for the development of new malicious code detection heuristics.

Keywords: computer systems securitiy,network security,malicious code detection,intrusion detection
Understanding the health and labour relationship (HEALTHWORK)

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: Netherlands
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2009-IEF, 2009)
Start date: 2011-01-01
End date: 2012-12-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 154548.8
EU funding (EUR): 154548.8
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Most European countries face similar challenges in terms of ageing of their populations and reductions in the ratios of active to retired over the coming decades. Increasing labour force participation is a widely known policy goal. Delaying retirement is also thought of as a potential solution. However, a substantial share of the working age population in the industrialized world suffers from a long standing illness or disability that restricts daily activities and its first consequence is that a substantial fraction of the workers has left the labour market prior to retirement age. This suggests that policy should also focus on reducing disabilities among younger workers and/or on increasing the employment prospects of workers with a disability. Thus, analysing how different dimensions of health impact on the individual’s labour market transitions, as well as understanding how these are modulate by occupational characteristics and financial incentives from the institutional setting, are of prime interest in designing new policies to attain this goal. In this project, we will first deal in depth with the relative role that mental and physical health play in explaining labour status transitions. We will apply competing risk models to European datasets with detailed health information to take into account the transitions across the different possible labour market states. Secondly, we will focus on the role played by occupational characteristics and financial incentives explaining the labour behaviour after a health decrement and will exploit a rich and new data source that links the Dutch Population Survey on Living Conditions with hospital admission records, income tax registers and social security records in the Netherlands for the period 1998 to 2005. The project will be carried out in one of the leading groups for health economics, inside the reputed Erasmus University and offers excellent opportunities for international networking and career development.

Keywords: health,disability,work,unemployment,retirement,ageing,financial incentives