Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
The role of the influenza virus matrix protein M1 in budding adn virus release (FLUMABUD)

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-2012-IEF, 2012)
Start date: 2013-03-01
End date: 2017-01-29
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 202405.8
EU funding (EUR): 202405.8
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Enveloped viruses, such as influenza, acquire their outer lipid envelope by budding from the membrane of the infected host before being released in the extra-cellular space by membrane fission. In these last steps of the virus infection cycle, matrix proteins connecting capsid with the lipid envelope often play a key role in assembly and budding of newly produced virions. In spite of the widely acknowledged impact on public health and economy of influenza epidemics, the processes facilitating egression of the flu virus are only poorly understood. The goal of this project is to investigate the mechanisms by which Influenza escapes from its host. We will, in particular, focus on the role of its matrix protein M1. Our approach is based on the use of a combination of minimal cell membrane models produced in vitro upon self-assembly of lipids. Using supported lipid bilayers (SLB), giant unilamellar vesicles (GUV), as well as membrane nanotubes of compositions reflecting those of the host´s plasma membrane, we will provide a physical understanding to the role of M1 in facilitating virus assembly into a bud and release from the host. Through our study, we will elucidate whether M1 can promote budding and fission via scaffolding and whether the formation of lipid microdomains can help overcoming the energy barrier required for membrane abscission. Once the system is established, it will be extended to mimic the role the riboneucleoproteins core (RNPs), using nanoparticles of geometries similar to the viral capsid. Furthermore, the contribution of other viral components will be taken into consideration. In particular, we will look for a synergy between M1 and the ion channel M2 as the latter is believed to be involved in fission. A detailed understanding of the individual steps of the viruse’s life cycle is not only interesting from a fundamental point of view but is likely to greatly benefit to the development of more efficient antiviral drugs and treatments.

Keywords: biophysics,membrane biophysics,cell membrane mimics,virus budding,fission,influenza
Development of optical imaging technologies to rapidly assess safety and quality of cereals (CEREALSCAN)

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-2012-IOF, 2012)
Start date: 2013-05-01
End date: 2016-04-30
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 365124.3
EU funding (EUR): 365124.3
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

This research will build on the applicant’s current technical and research competencies in the areas of chemometrics, sensor design and development allowing him to transfer his skills to agri-food safety and quality control in the production of cereals, thereby expanding his knowledge base. The applicant aims to reinforce the international aspect of his research career through training from Drs Kim and Delwiche at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), pioneers in the application of Raman and fluorescence imaging to agri-food safety and quality assessment. They will train the researcher in the application of these techniques to cereals and in the development of super-resolution and data fusion algorithms to enhance safety and quality control of cereals. He will gain access to state-of-the-art spectral imaging facilities, develop project management skills and increase his network at the USDA Beltsville Agriculture Research Center (BARC). During the incoming stage at University College Dublin (UCD), under the guidance of Prof. Ward, the researcher will validate the techniques developed using cereals of economic importance to the EU and will promote the developed techniques to the major European cereal stakeholders. This fellowship will enable the researcher to develop an EU centre of excellence in spectral optical imaging technologies for agricultural and food safety, and provide a protocol for the development of sensors based on Vis-NIR, fluorescence and Raman imaging for rapid evaluation of cereal quality.

Keywords: hyperspectral imaging,laser-induced fluorescence imaging,raman macro-scale imaging,c103 spectroscopic and spectrometric techniques,v405 agroindustry,v404 food sciences
Signal transduction of Olfactory Receptors to their G protein (SIGT-OR-G)

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-2012-IEF, 2012)
Start date: 2013-04-01
End date: 2014-09-30
Duration (months): 18.0
Total project cost (EUR): 138532.05
EU funding (EUR): 138532.05
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

G protein coupled receptors form the largest and most important class of cell surface receptors with a seven transmembrane fold. These proteins mediate diverse cell responses as reaction to input signals like hormones, peptides, light and endogenous ligands. Due to their central role, most drugs on the market target these receptors. In 2011 and 2012 incredible advance has been published in terms of X-ray structural data on GPCRs. Nevertheless, the actual mode of action and structural rearrangements remain poorly understood. Here the field of olfaction is lagging behind even more with few examples of purified receptors and no structural data. This project proposes to characterize the interaction of an Olfactory Receptor (OR) to its G protein Gaolf from the Gas family. As basis a structural model of the OR will be evaluated by Cys scanning to identify the crucial interaction region of ILC2. In parallel the G protein will be crystalized to enable co-crystallization experiments with loop fragments. Based on these information peptides resembling ICL2 will be generated and examined for their ability to activate the G protein by fluorescent GTP analogs. The peptide will be kept in a loop-like conformation by a chemical, bivalent molecule. In a final step an azo compound will be incorporated in this molecule enabling to change the length in a light dependent manner to exert control over G protein activation by light.

Keywords: g protein-coupled receptor,g protein,olfactory receptor,structure,protein crystallization,membrane protein,activity test,engineering
Football fandom, reflexivity and social change (FANSREF)

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: 2013-10-07
End date: 2015-10-06
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 231283.2
EU funding (EUR): 231283.2
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

This research project will analyse the processes of social transformation surrounding the introduction of Supporter Liaison Officers (SLOs) by football clubs in Europe. The compulsory introduction of SLOs from the 2012/2013 football season onwards is mandated by Union of European Football Associations regulations, and is underpinned by EU policies. The main function of SLOs is to mediate and to improve the relationships between football clubs and their fans. The introduction of SLOs represents a new and formal recognition of the civic engagement of fans; it is also a significant milestone in the political, social and cultural development of football, which represents one of Europe’s most important and popular spheres of social and cultural life. This project will take advantage of this timely opportunity in order to achieve the following objectives: 1) to analyse the impact of the transnational introduction of SLOs across different fan cultures, and to explore the reflexive discourses of football fans with respect to this development 2) to investigate the socio-cultural processes connected with the introduction of SLOs within European clubs and to examine the impact of fans’ civic engagement on the SLOs 3) to examine the role of policy-makers and sport governing bodies in these processes 4) to utilize the findings from this research in order to enhance social scientific understanding of the relationships between reflexivity and social change The research will combine qualitative and quantitative methodologies at European and national levels (the UK, Italy and the Czech Republic). The fellowship will be hosted by the world-renowned School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences at Loughborough University and will greatly contribute to the professional and career development of the fellow through academic and complementary skills training. The research outputs will be disseminated to academic audiences, and also to public forums through a series of outreach activities.

Keywords: sociology of sport,football fandom,social theory,s107 transformation of societies - democratization - social movements,s105 ethnography
Insect Pathogens as Endophytes – New Tools for Pest Control? (ENDOPEST)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Intra-European Fellowships
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: Denmark
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2012-IEF, 2012)
Start date: 2014-02-28
End date: 2019-05-20
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 221154.6
EU funding (EUR): 221154.6
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Plants harbor fungi asymptomatically within their tissues, called endophytes, which may protect the host plant against herbivores. The fungus Beauveria bassiana is an entomopathogen infecting insects, but it has recently also been demonstrated to grow as an endophyte within several plants. In this project I will evaluate the potential of the entomopathogenic fungus B. bassiana as an endophyte for biological plant protection against pests using wheat as a model host. In addition to effects on insect pests, I will for the first time study effects of endophytic B. bassiana on vertebrate pests, and I will establish whether pests favor or avoid infected plants over endophyte-free plants in preference tests. The project will initially establish methods for inoculation of plants with B. bassiana, validation of successful infections using advanced molecular methods followed by behavioral and physiological animal experimentation, and chemical analyses to separate and identify any volatile compounds emitted from the infected plants. This project is unique and highly inter-disciplinary with an unconventional combination of the disciplines of plant ecology, insect pathology and biological control implementing methods from agronomy, ecology, physiology, chemical ecology, and molecular biology. The knowledge obtained through this project will significantly contribute to the European scientific community within biological pest control and increase awareness of the utilization of endophytic fungi for crop protection. This project will likely become the baseline for subsequent studies in other agroecosystems and could pave the way for the effective deployment of entomopathogenic fungi as endophytes for biological pest control in important agricultural crops.

Keywords: v101 environment and sustainability,crop protection,pest control,v403 agriculture related to crop production,v305 ecology
Bandgap engineering of graphene by molecular self-assembly (BENGRAS)

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: Belgium
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2012-IIF, 2012)
Start date: 2013-06-16
End date: 2015-06-15
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 177000.0
EU funding (EUR): 177000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

BENGRAS is a Marie Curie IIF project that focuses on multidisciplinary transfer of knowledge from a promising Australian early career researcher to KU Leuven towards the design and synthesis of novel functional nano-materials and the development of advanced analytical techniques for material analysis. The project will study bandgap engineering in graphene induced by physi- and chemi- sorption of self-assembled molecular monolayers, which is an interdisciplinary research topic centered at the interface between materials science, supramolecular chemistry, nanoscience and physics. Graphene, a material consisting of flat one-atom-thick sheets of carbon atoms has enormous potential for the use in electronic transistors because of the unique electronic properties and the reduced dimensionality. Graphene is a ‘zero-gap’ semiconductor and to unlock its electronic properties two basic requirements must be satisfied. Firstly, precise control over electronic band structure (bandgap) is needed. This can be achieved by adsorbing atoms and molecules (e.g. H, OH, K, NH3) on its surface thus generating local mid-gap states. Secondly, the means to control the degree of ordering and periodicity of modified graphene layers are to be derived. In other words, the regions where bandgap can be locally tuned have to be extended to a micron scale for practical applications. At present, this issue remains largely unexplored. This project will investigate the electronic structure of graphene the surface of which has been nano-patterned by physisorped (i.e. weak surface interactions) and covalent (i.e. strong surface interactions) molecular monolayers. Through BENGRAS the fellow will contribute extensive expertise in carbonaceous materials and spectroscopy towards controlled modification of electronic properties of graphene and, designing appropriate analytical methods for the study of low-dimensional materials using optical spectroscopy methods at the nanoscale.

Keywords: graphene,molecular networks,self-assembly,nano-patterning,surface modification,raman spectroscopy,tip-enhanced raman spectroscopy,electronic properties
Structural Basis of Sigma-1 Receptor Ligand Interactions (SIGMA1R)

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: 2014-02-01
End date: 2016-02-14
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 231283.2
EU funding (EUR): 231283.2
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The sigma-1 receptor is an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) integral membrane protein receptor is implicated in neurodegeneration, drug addiction, pain, amnesia, depression, Alzeimer’s disease, stroke, retinal neural degeneration, HIV infection, and cancer. In addition to its endogenous ligands, N,N- dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and the ER chaperone BIP, the sigma receptor binds a wide range of exogenous ligands and therapeutic compounds. Recent studies demonstrated potent antiapoptotic actions of Sigma-1, blocking neurodegeneration caused by beta-amyloid or ischemia. Other studies have shown sigma-1 antagonists capable of inhibiting tumor-cell proliferation. Despite numerous drug interactions, very little structural information about the sigma-1 receptor is available, partly because it does not share sequence homology with any other mammalian protein. Using a specially adapted E.coli expression system we can produce large amounts of pure, functionally active and isotopically labelled sigma receptor. We propose to solve the 3D structure of Sigma-1 by solution state NMR and characterise its ligand interactions at an atomic level and their regulation by cholesterol and ion binding. With a novel mammalian cell expression and isotopic labelling strategy and in-vivo assays we intend to further validate our work in-vivo with the aim of feeding our findings into the understanding of the Sigma-1 function in the cell and its modulation by drug binding. The implication of sigma-1 in many diseases makes it a potentially fruitful target for therapeutic intervention. Characterisation of sigma-1 receptor structure in the absence and presence of endogenous and exogenous ligands and cholesterol will shed light on its molecular action and will allow interdisciplinary projects for the development of more efficient therapies

Keywords: l107 structural biology,l703 pharmacology - toxicology - pharmacogenomics - drug therapy,c103 spectroscopic and spectrometric techniques
The evolution of immune defences in avian brood parasites and their hosts. (HONEYGUIDEIMMUNITY)

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: 2013-05-01
End date: 2015-04-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 231283.2
EU funding (EUR): 231283.2
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

All animals are exposed to disease and infection, with the immune system providing crucial defences to stop animals becoming sick. Yet immunological variation is widespread, with the costs of immunity and differences in disease exposure being two potential causes. This proposal investigates how variation in disease pressure during early life influences immunity and what the consequences are for growth, a key developmental process against which immune investment may be traded-off. To do this I will study avian brood parasites called Honeyguides that exploit other species to raise their young. This exposes parasite nestlings to diverse antigens related to the range of hosts that might raise them. Honeyguides also destroy host eggs and kill host chicks which remain rotting in the nest, further exposing parasite nestlings to high disease pressure. I will ask if over evolutionary time this has selected for strong immune defences and if Honeyguides suffer less than host nestlings in terms of reduced growth when disease conditions are experimentally altered. Using a second brood parasite, where host-specific races parasitize hosts of different sizes, I will explore a related question: do growth conditions during development affect immune function in adulthood? Finally, using modern metagenomic approaches I will examine how brood parasites and hosts acquire their gut microbiota and how disease exposure might shape this microbial community, providing important data on the microbiomes of wild birds that is currently lacking. Combining immunology, ecology, microbiology and evolutionary biology, this study will provide key insights into how disease exposure influences immunity and growth, and will be relevant for researchers interested in disease ecology, coevolution and the broad implications of disease for human and animal health. The project also offers excellent training prospects and will strengthen my qualities as a mature, independent researcher.

Keywords: avian brood parasite,coevolution,comparative metagenomics,disease exposure,ecology,evolutionary biology,growth,gut microbiota,honeyguide,immunology,trade-offs
Linking the diversity of Type Ia supernovae to their progenitor systems (LDSNPS)

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-2012-IEF, 2012)
Start date: 2013-10-01
End date: 2015-09-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 161968.8
EU funding (EUR): 161968.8
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

A detailed understanding of the progenitors and explosion physics of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) remains a missing link in their use as cosmological probes. This project aims to address two of the fundamental questions that exist about SNe Ia; is there more than one way to make a SN Ia and how does their observed diversity depends on their progenitor systems and host galaxy environments? ESO will play a key role in my project; their expertise, both technical and scientific, will be instrumental in its success. ESO will provide me with many new opportunities to expand my skill set, essential for the development of my research career. I will use SN Ia spectral data to discriminate between potential progenitor scenarios by studying absorption lines from circumstellar material (CSM). Recent studies of CSM have linked SNe Ia in spiral galaxies to the single-degenerate progenitor scenario, but did not study SNe Ia in elliptical galaxies. I will expand this study to elliptical galaxies to determine if the progenitor systems of SNe Ia in young and old stellar populations differ. SNe Ia also display surprising observational diversity that correlates with the properties of their host galaxies. Evidence is mounting towards the possibility that there may be multiple progenitor channels for SNe Ia, and that metallicity may play a fundamental role. Recently, I identified an evolution with redshift in the spectra of SNe Ia, which is consistent with decreasing metallicity with increasing redshift. I will investigate how the spectral and photometric diversity of a large, unbiased sample of low-redshift SNe Ia Ia relate to their host galaxy properties. If the diversity of SNe Ia properties (and hence their progenitor systems) is confirmed to depend on host galaxy metallicity, then this will have major implications for current and future high-redshift SN Ia cosmology surveys, where the SN Ia hosts will be intrinsically low metallicity.

Keywords: p301 astronomy - astrophysics and cosmology,supernovae