Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
The effect of expected climate change on insect performance: physiology, behavior and life history (CLIMINSECTS)

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: Israel
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2012-CIG, 2012)
Start date: 2013-03-01
End date: 2017-02-28
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 100000.0
EU funding (EUR): 100000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Climate change has been already affecting many living organisms. The effects are triggered not only by global warming but also by increasing frequencies of rare events and variance of environmental traits. While most studies report on consequences of temperature increase, the effect of the increase in variance is neglected. Moreover, the response to climate change interacts with the response to other environmental traits, such as relative humidity and precipitation levels, and other potential sources of stress, such as intra-specific competition and available resources. The proposed project aims at understanding: (1) How should an increase in the variance of climate traits affect insects’ phenotype, fitness and performance? (2) What are the costs of facing unfavorable climate and acclimation to such climate? (3) What is the effect of facing various stressors, such as strong competition or frequent mating, simultaneously with unfavorable climate? (4) Is body size correlated with climate change and longevity? Additionally, I am interested in the effect of climate change on ageing and life-time performance of insects, and the association between these important fields has been rarely studied before. As a model organism, I intend to use the system of a Sepsid dung fly, which has a short generation time and is easily kept in the lab. The proposal is of broad perspective, as it combines short- and long-term experiments (experimental evolution), as well as a literature review and research using the large insect collection of my department. The proposal has both pure scientific merit, learning how insects respond to climate under conflicting demands, and a more applied aspect, predicting possible responses of insects to on-going climate change. The response variables I intend to test are diverse, including, behavioral, morphological, physiological and life-history traits, enabling me to suggest possible mechanisms for life-history consequences of climate change.
Glycodrugs: new strategies for controlling the activity of glycosidase enzymes and their application in therapies for lysosomal storage diseases and cancer (GLYCODRUGS)

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: 2013-07-01
End date: 2017-06-30
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 100000.0
EU funding (EUR): 100000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

This project aims to new strategies for the preparation of glycomimetics specifically designed to regulate the activity of enzymes involved in pathological processes (glycodrugs). We will focus on the design of glycomimetics to modulate the activity of glycosidases. Particular emphasis will be placed at developing diversity-oriented synthetic strategies to optimize specificity. The target applications are two: elaboration of chemical chaperones for the treatment of lysosomal storage disorders (LSDs; Gaucher disease, Fabry disease and gangliosidosis GM1), and the development of compounds with antiproliferative activity in breast cancer. Compounds able to establish specific interactions with regions of lysosomal glycosidases (beta-glucocerebrosidase and alpha- and beta-galactosidases) surrounding the active site will be designed by incorporating substituents with well-defined orientation. In addition, pH-sensitive elements that will allow an effective bond to the enzyme in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) will be inserted, forcing the correct folding and providing the traffic to the Golgi apparatus, and at the same time the dissociation of the enzyme:chaperone complex in the lysosome, and thus favouring the rescue of the mutant proteins that cause the disease and the processing of the substrate. Molecular vehicles will also be developed for the directed transport of these chaperones to cells particularly affected in patients with LSDs. For biodistribution studies, labelled derivatives with fluorescent probes will be prepared. The ability to control the specificity of action by incorporating pseudoaglyconic substituents in bicyclic skeletons sp2-iminosugar-type, also allows the design of specific inhibitors for alpha-glucosidases (ER) or for alpha-mannosidases (Golgi). These enzymes are involved in the aberrant glycosylation of N-glycoproteins in tumor cells, so that its control represents a therapeutic strategy against cancer.

Keywords: c141 organic chemistry,carbohydrate chemistry,iminosugars,glycomimetics,glycosidase inhibitors,glycodrugs,pharmacological chaperones,lysosomal storage diseases,anticancer therapies
BERG – Biomedical Epigenomics Research Group (BERG)

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: Austria
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2012-CIG, 2012)
Start date: 2013-07-01
End date: 2017-06-30
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 100000.0
EU funding (EUR): 100000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Significance: The genetic code of the DNA provides a universal building plan for the cell’s molecular machinery. But a second code is needed to control the complexity of the human body, organizing 100 billion cells with identical genomes into 200 specialized cell types. This second code is called “epigenetic”. Defects in the epigenetic code play an important role in cancer, and they create an opportunity for new therapies. The proposed project is based on the hypothesis that dynamic and non-random changes of the epigenome contribute to cancer progression. I will quantitatively reconstruct the epigenome dynamics observed in leukemia and infer drug combinations that can reprogram the cancer epigenome to a less malignant stage. Innovation & Approach: Technological breakthroughs have created an exciting opportunity for biomedical research: It is now possible to measure the full spectrum of epigenetic regulation operating on top of the genome and to comprehensively characterize the effect of epigenetic interventions. Capitalizing on recent advances, I will pursue an ambitious research agenda on epigenomics in biomedicine that can be summarized by the following formula: (Cancer Epigenetics + Biomedical Sequencing + Computational Modeling) • X = Biomedical Discovery. The proposed project will cohesively combine basic biology with high-throughput technology and cutting-edge bioinformatics. The multiplying factor X denotes seamless integration – rather than addition – of all three components with equal importance and dedication, giving rise to a systems-level approach to studying epigenomics in biomedicine. The following three specific aims will be pursued: Aim 1. Establish an epigenome research platform addressing biomedical questions (technology development) Aim 2. Dissect the epigenome dynamics of leukemia progression (disease mechanisms & diagnostics) Aim 3. Rational design of epigenetic combination therapies for cancer (drug effects & genomic medicine)

Keywords: l210 bioinformatics,l208 epigenetics and gene regulation,l201 genomics - comparative genomics - functional genomics,l406 cancer and its biological basis
Drug-Related Information Seeking and Scanning from Media and Interpersonal Sources as an Indicator of Drug Use Risk: An Innovative Approach to Drug Use Prevention (SSBD)

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: Israel
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2012-CIG, 2012)
Start date: 2013-05-01
End date: 2017-08-06
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 100000.0
EU funding (EUR): 100000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Information related to marijuana and prescription drugs is widely available and easily accessible to young adults. This information may shape decisions about drug use. The current proposal seeks to increase understanding of the role of active and passive (scanning) drug-related information seeking among young Israeli adults in transition to college/university. The objectives are to 1) develop measures of active seeking and scanning behaviors (SSB) of drug-related information seeking, 2) test the validity and internal consistency of measures of SSB, 3) describe prevalence of drug-related SSB and drug use outcomes, 4) establish the test-retest reliability of SSB measures, and 5) identify the effects of drug-related information SSB in shaping drug trajectories, including mediators and moderators of effects. The first objective will be achieved through in-depth interviews with two populations - high school graduates (ages 18-20), and first-year full-time undergraduate students (ages 22-26). The results of these interviews will inform the design of a measure of drug-related SSB to be tested and validated under the second objective. In addition, the second and third objectives will be met through cross-sectional surveys of a) 800 high school graduates, and b) 1,000 young adults transitioning to undergraduate studies. The fourth and fifth objectives will be met through a 3-wave longitudinal survey of 1,000 young adults transitioning to undergraduate studies. The data from this survey will be used to estimate the prevalence of drug-related SSB and to develop a model of drug-related SSB effects. The outcomes of the proposed research will provide empirical evidence about the prevalence, determinants, and outcomes of drug-related information seeking and scanning among a population of young Israeli adults in transition from adolescence to adulthood. The findings of this study may inform drug prevention efforts among young adults in Israel and other European Union countries.

Keywords: s113 communication networks - media - information society,information seeking,health communication,substance abuse,young adults,marijuana,prescription drugs,internet,prevention
Interactions between avian and influenza virus proteins (AVFLU)

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: France
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2012-CIG, 2012)
Start date: 2014-01-01
End date: 2017-12-31
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 100000.0
EU funding (EUR): 100000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Influenza virus is an RNA virus of the Orthomyxoviridae family, which includes three Genera: influenza A, B, and C. We will focus on influenza A virus and study host/pathogen interactions. While mammals can be infected by the pathogen either sporadically or with well adapted lineages, aquatic birds are the natural reservoir of influenza A viruses. Increasing our understanding of virus/host interactions may enable us to better identify viral determinants of host range from the protein level and molecular markers of interspecies transmission. So far most of the knowledge on influenza virus and host cell interactions was gained on mammalian models and very little is known on avian cell/influenza virus interactions. Our first objective will therefore be to identify avian cellular proteins that interact with influenza virus proteins. This approach will be followed by an investigation of the protein domains involved and the identification of molecular determinants of host specificity. The final objective of the present proposal is to study the mechanisms of avian host/influenza virus interactions. The difference between avian and mammalian protein interactions with influenza virus proteins could indicate which gene pools (or mutations) are more likely than others to contribute to future pandemics. Hence we hope to be able to utilize our findings to target and actively survey particular virus strains and key hosts. Our work should also allow the scientific community to make sure that currently used vaccines and antiviral drugs would be efficient to counter more “risky” animal influenza viruses in terms of threat to interspecies transmission.
TOPOLOGY OPTIMIZATION FOR CONCEPTUAL DESIGN OF CIVIL ENGINEERING STRUCTURES (TOP CIVIL)

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: Israel
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2012-CIG, 2012)
Start date: 2013-06-01
End date: 2017-05-31
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 100000.0
EU funding (EUR): 100000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The proposed project aims at the development of topology optimization as a digital design tool for structural engineers and architects. The motivation for pursuing this goal arises from the growing interest within the architectural community in topology optimization as a means of generating aesthetic and efficient structural forms; as well as from the search for design methodologies that facilitate weight reduction of concrete structures while maintaining the required load-carrying capacity, thus contributing to a more sustainable, resource saving design in civil engineering. The project offers several necessary scientific contributions towards the development of advanced topology optimization procedures that are tailored specifically for the construction industry, and towards their integration into computer-aided design tools used by architects and engineers. The project is divided into four building blocks, focusing on the following topics: a) Optimizing reinforced concrete; b) Efficient robust topology optimization accounting for large deformation; c) Revisiting approximate reanalysis in topology optimization; and d) A multigrid approach for efficient topology optimization. Utilization of topology optimization for civil engineering structures is currently at its infancy. Thus the proposed project focuses on a new, evolving field of application with much room and potential to develop.

Keywords: g304 computational engineering,g303 civil engineering - maritime/hydraulic engineering - geotechnics - waste treatment,structural optimization,topology optimization,structural engineering
Herpes simplex virus-1 bottleneck during genome replication (HSV-1 BOTTLENECK)

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: Israel
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2012-CIG, 2012)
Start date: 2013-03-01
End date: 2017-02-28
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 100000.0
EU funding (EUR): 100000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Infection with herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) can lead to diverse outcomes ranging from asymptomatic infection to life threatening encephalitis. Emergence of drug resistant viral isolates, leading to treatment failure, is caused by rapid generation of mutations. For DNA viruses (such as herpesviruses) it is assumed that recombination and complementation can provide important mechanisms for generating and maintaining genome diversity. We therefore suggest that the phenomenon (We recently identified) that only a limited number of incoming herpesvirus genomes are able to initiate expression and replication, may have a role in regulating the number of mutations. In the proposed project we will characterize this bottleneck mechanism in order to test this hypothesis. We will identify the steps in the infection process in which this bottleneck occurs. We will find host and viral proteins that regulate the number of viral genomes being expressed and replicated. Finally, we will develop methods for testing the evolutionary benefits of this bottleneck. This project will uncover new regulatory elements involved in herpesvirus replication and may, as well, reveal more general concepts in virology.

Keywords: l608 virology,l101 molecular biology and interactions,herpesviruses,replication bottleneck,genome diversity,microscopy
The development of advanced numerical tools to study and control supersonic particle beams in Cold Spray (SSAM)

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: Ireland
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2012-CIG, 2012)
Start date: 2013-12-01
End date: 2017-11-30
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 100000.0
EU funding (EUR): 100000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

“Supersonic Spray Advanced Modelling - SSAM” is an ambitious project, which proposes the development of new computational tools to model the acceleration of micro-sized metallic particles in a novel manufacturing process known as Cold Spray (CS). In this method, powders are entrained in a supersonic jet stream (carrier gas) and are accelerated up to high velocity levels (>1000m/s). This enables the generation of high energy impacts against a substrate material, and allow for the formation of a coating or deposit in a melt-free manner. However, the current understanding of CS working principles and mechanisms is up to now incomplete. This programme proposes the development of full multi-phase computational tools tailored for this process, and suitable for supersonic regimes. New mathematical models will be developed, and implemented in a numerical package to resolve in the deepest detail carrier gas-particles interactions at dynamic and thermodynamic levels. Theoretical results will be validated using state of the art experimental apparatuses, currently available within the Researcher host premises. The development of this programme will set the basis for further research projects, and is part of a larger long-term plan aimed at engineering the first ever melt-free and mask-free metal deposition process for polymer and non-metallic substrates. A summary of details is included in this application. The Researcher is a leading expert in CS, with major contributions at academic and commercial levels. The award of a FP7-CIG grant is vital. It will enable the Researcher to demonstrate his capabilities over established staff members (through the opening of his first PhD programme as Supervisor) and will provide the opportunity to collaborate with them in an exciting project. Ultimately, this will lead to the formation of a consolidated position, at academic and social level, therefore to a full integration status.

Keywords: g316 production technology - process engineering,g312 mechanical and manufacturing engineering,g203 simulation engineering and modelling
The first protoclusters of galaxies: probes of star formation in the infancy of the Universe (FIRSTGAL)

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: United Kingdom
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2012-CIG, 2012)
Start date: 2013-04-01
End date: 2017-03-31
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 100000.0
EU funding (EUR): 100000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The formation of stars and galaxies in the first billion of years after the Big Bang presents many open questions and opportunities for (unexpected) discoveries. How and when the first stars and galaxies were formed? How do they evolve with time into the galaxies, stars and black holes that we observe today? To address these fundamental questions, we propose to study star formation in the first protoclusters of galaxies during the infancy of the Universe. We started finding these rare overdensities with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) as early as 650 million years after the Big Bang (at redshift z~8, more than 13 billion light years from us). Now, we aim at characterizing their properties. Our approach is based on combining observations using the most powerful telescopes, such as HST, Spitzer, ALMA, VLT and Keck, with computer simulations and theoretical modeling to interpret the datasets. Protocluster galaxies live in overdense regions with an earlier than average assembly history, hence they are ideal to investigate the very first instances of star formation and cosmic reionization. Our project will (1) characterize galaxies in the most distant protocluster known to date, which we discovered thanks to a large HST campaign; (2) discover new protoclusters at similar redshift in the short term, and out to redshift z~15 (300 Myr after the Big Bang) in the future with the James Webb Space Telescope; (3) model the formation and evolution of these systems across cosmic time, testing not only our understanding of how stars and galaxies are born, but also of the fundamental nature of dark matter particles. The project is based on ongoing observations and modeling started in the United States, and supported by ample NASA funding awarded to the researcher before his reintegration into the EU. The award of a CIG will ensure that the scientific leadership is permanently established in the EU, contributing to its scientific excellency.

Keywords: p301 astronomy - astrophysics and cosmology,galaxies: evolution,galaxies: formation,galaxies: high-redshift