Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Investigating the consequences of birth by Caesarean Section in hypothalamic and Amygdalar neuroVAscular deveLOpmeNt (AVALON)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Postdoctoral Fellowships
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Panel: Life Sciences
Countries involved: Ireland,Sweden
Call: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2023 (HORIZON-MSCA-2023-PF-01, 2023)
Start date: 2025-05-03
End date: 2027-05-02
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 199694.4
EU funding (EUR): 199694.4
Participants: 2
Project status: SIGNED

Early postnatal development is a vulnerable period during which environmental faEarly postnatal development is a vulnerable period during which environmental factors significantly influence brain development. Among these factors, the gut microbiota has been found to impact brain function and development. However, there is a lack of mechanistic understanding regarding how changes in early-life microbiota composition can lead to brain dysfunction. Caesarean-section (C-section) delivery, while life-saving in some cases, is becoming more common even when not medically indicated. This trend raises concerns about the disruption of perinatal microbiota and its potential impact on newborn brain development. My preliminary data showing neurovascular dysfunction in C-section-born neonatal mice support my hypothesis. Building on this foundation, AVALON aims to investigate the interactions between neonatal microbiota and neurovascular development in the hypothalamus and amygdala at molecular and cellular levels. I will utilize a C-section mouse model to disrupt early-life microbiota and assess its impact on neurovascular development through in-vivo tracer imaging and integrated multi-omics analysis. Additionally, I will use a reporter mouse line to trace amygdalar and hypothalamic neuronal populations. I will also identify key microbial functions that modulate neurovascular and neuronal development. Furthermore, I will explore the potential of precision probiotics to mitigate microbiota-induced deficits, offering valuable translational insights. AVALON will significantly contribute to my career by providing training in both academia and industry, enhancing my research skills, and expanding my professional network. To ensure broad awareness of AVALON's outcomes, a dissemination strategy will be implemented, targeting scientific, public, and industry audiences. The strategy will aim to underscore the critical role of perinatal microbiota in shaping postnatal brain development.

Keywords: microbiota gut brain axis,neurovascular development,neurodevelopment,perinatal gut microbiota,birth,neonatal,hypothalamus,amygdala
TREASURES: Digging into dwarf galaxies (TREASURES)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Universe Sciences
Panel description: Astro -physics/ -chemistry/ -biology; solar system; planetary systems; stellar, galactic and extragalactic astronomy; cosmology; space sciences; astronomical instrumentation and data
Countries involved: Italy
Call: ERC STARTING GRANTS (ERC-2023-STG, 2023)
Start date: 2024-01-01
End date: 2028-12-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1500000.0
EU funding (EUR): 1500000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

The Milky Way is an environment rich with satellite galaxies, stellar streams and accreted systems. Encoded in these structures is the formation and evolution of the Galaxy through cosmic time. Fortunately, these nearby relics can be studied in extraordinary detail – star by star – revealing the properties of the first stars, the build-up of chemical elements in the Universe, the nature of dark matter, and hierarchical galaxy formation. To unlock these treasure troves of hidden information, I designed a large-scale survey: 4DWARFS (PI: Skúladóttir, 520,000 fibre hours) that after a very competitive 2-year selection has now been accepted as a 5-year 4MOST survey, starting in 2024. 4DWARFS will collect high-quality spectra of individual stars in close to 50 dwarf galaxies, and dozens of stellar streams from systems currently undergoing disruption. The goal of TREASURES is to execute and exploit this large 4DWARFS survey to its highest scientific potential. TREASURES will provide the community with stellar ages, radial velocities and chemical abundances for over 130,000 stars, and thus increase the number of stars with detailed abundance information in dwarf galaxies and streams by several orders of magnitude, ensuring the far-reaching impact of this project. Furthermore, TREASURES will use state-of-the-art models to contrast these new large data against theory, and put in context with the Milky Way. Through an ambitious combination of modelling and data of unprecedented magnitude and completeness TREASURES will quantify and put fundamental constraints on: (I) The properties of the first stars (mass and energy distributions) (II) The origin of the chemical elements (physics of stars, supernovae and neutron star mergers) (III) Hierarchical galaxy formation at the smallest mass scales, and structure of dark matter halos TREASURES will thus paint a comprehensive picture of the formation and evolution of the Milky Way environment, from cosmic dawn until the present day.

Keywords: local group,dwarf galaxies,ultra faint dwarf galaxies,dwarf spheroidal galaxies,stellar streams,accreted systems,galaxy mergers,dark matter,chemical evolution,chemical abundances,nucleosynthesis,first stars,supernovae,supernovae type ia,neutron star mergers,asymptotic giant branch stars,stellar physics,stellar ages,kinematics,dynamics,hierarchical galaxy formation
Sperm filtration for improved success rate of assisted reproduction technology (Spermotile)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Proof of concept grants
Action type: ERC actions
Countries involved: Norway
Call: ERC PROOF OF CONCEPT GRANTS (ERC-2023-POC, 2023)
Start date: 2023-08-01
End date: 2025-01-31
Duration (months): 18.0
Total project cost (EUR): 150000.0
EU funding (EUR): 150000.0
Participants: 2
Project status: CLOSED

ERC starting grant 3D nanoMorph has achieved groundbreaking results that open an unprecedented opportunity for assisted reproduction technologies (ARTs). ARTs require selecting sperms with high fertilization potential - this is characterized by morphology, motility and kinematic parameters of sperms indicating their progressive motility. Current optical solutions for sperm selection can investigate only morphology, nature of motility and kinematics in terms of speed. Our groundbreaking solution enables studying the motion of sperm with unprecedented super-resolved details, which can be used to derive advanced kinematic features. The ART market is growing at an annual rate of 7.8%. Our population is aging, people are planning families at later ages, and fertility is deteriorating due to occupational, environmental and lifestyle factors. Thus, it is becoming a societal challenge to maintain population growth. This PoC grant aims to take the next step in transforming my groundbreaking research into innovation of commercial and societal value.
The Queen's Post: The Form, Function, and Power of Early Tudor Queens' Correspondence (THEQUEENSPOST)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Postdoctoral Fellowships
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Panel: Social Sciences and Humanities
Countries involved: Ireland
Call: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2021 (HORIZON-MSCA-2021-PF-01, 2021)
Start date: 2022-10-03
End date: 2024-10-02
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 199694.4
EU funding (EUR): 199694.4
Participants: 2
Project status: CLOSED

The Queens' Post project provides the first large-scale analysis of the form, function, and power of early Tudor queens' correspondence. This project investigates the letters of nine important early Tudor queens, including the wife of Henry VII (d.1509), Elizabeth of York (d.1603), Henry VII's daughters Margaret Tudor (d. 1541) and Mary Tudor Brandon (d.1533), and the wives of Henry VIII (d.1547): Katherine of Aragon (d. 1536), Anne Boleyn (c.1536), Jane Seymour (d.1537), Katherine Howard (d.1542), Anne of Cleeves (d.1557), and Katherine Parr (d.1548). Using an innovative, interdisciplinary methodology - employing methods from linguistics, literary studies, archival studies, material culture, gender studies, and diplomatic history - The Queens' Post will advance our understanding of the nature and power of royal women's voices and writings of the past, and reconsider the power and position queens held in early modern politics and diplomacy. The results of this project will have distinctive scientific and societal impact which will be disseminated via a range of outputs aimed at both academic and non-academic audiences. This includes a project monograph, an edited collection, a symposia, a podcast, and various other outreach activities. The project will also provide a significant methodological contribution to letter-writing studies, by developing a cutting-edge, interdisciplinary framework of analysis to investigate the language, materiality, and delivery of historical correspondence across a network of writers.

Keywords: manuscript studies literary studies queenship studies
Somatic mutations in vascular-wall function and age-associated disease (SOMATICART)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing
Panel description: Organ and tissue physiology, comparative physiology, physiology  of ageing , pathophysiology, inter - organ and tissue communication, endocrinology, nutrition,  metabolism, interaction with the microbiome, non -communicable diseases including cancer (and except disorders of the nervous system  and immunity -related diseases)
Countries involved: Sweden
Call: ERC ADVANCED GRANTS (ERC-2022-ADG, 2022)
Start date: 2024-01-01
End date: 2028-12-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2532795.0
EU funding (EUR): 2532795.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Already in 1973, Benditt and Benditt found that the atherosclerotic plaque was clonal and proposed that it was a neoplasm of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC). Recent technical advances have made it possible to analyze somatic mutations in human tissues and show that somatic cells accumulate thousands of mutations during development and aging. While most of the mutations are harmless, some either contribute to disease and aging or are directly disease-causative, as in the formation of tumors in cancer. The arterial wall is in part composed of clonal VSMC elements, making this tissue particularly vulnerable to somatic mutagenesis. However, detailed analysis and insight into the extent of somatic variance in the vascular tissue is lacking. Here we plan to analyze the somatic mutations in the arterial wall and relate it to age-associated cardiovascular disease (CVD). We will create an atlas of somatic mutations in the human arterial wall at single-cell resolution in health and disease. We will apply single-cell sequencing in arterial tissue to map somatic mutations. Functional significance of somatic mutagenesis in the vascular wall will be validated using data on gene regulatory networks of relevance in human CVD and disease models with induced somatic mutations in VSMC. The model will have a mosaic pattern of mutation and fate of mutated cells will be mapped by lineage tracing in the development and progression of CVD. Our research provides insight into the prevalence, nature and functional significance of somatic genetic events in the healthy and diseased vascular wall.

Keywords: somatic mutations,early vascular aging,atherosclerosis,calcification,chronic kidney disease,vascular wall,aging
Estimating Functional Vulnerability Trends Across the Coral Tree of Life (FUTVRE-COR)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Postdoctoral Fellowships
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Panel: Environment and Geosciences
Countries involved: Portugal,United Kingdom
Call: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2024 (HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01, 2024)
Start date: 2026-04-01
End date: 2028-03-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 207183.12
EU funding (EUR): 207183.12
Participants: 2
Project status: SIGNED

Coral ecosystems are vital to millions of people worldwide, offering immense biodiversity and essential ecosystem services. Yet, they are among the most threatened marine ecosystems on Earth, making their preservation a global priority. Despite this urgency, our ability to predict how coral biodiversity loss will affect ecosystem functioning remains very limited. The project FUTVRE-COR aims to revolutionize our understanding by employing an innovative modeling framework to assess and forecast the impacts of coral species loss on the diversity of coral functional strategies. By integrating trait, phylogenetic, and conservation status data with occurrence data at global, regional, and local scales (i.e., Jiigurru Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia), the project will: i) provide the most comprehensive characterization of functional strategies across the coral tree of life to date, ii) identify which functional strategies are most at risk, and iii) predict future declines in functional diversity under various extinction scenarios. The insights generated will significantly enhance our understanding of coral functional vulnerability, refining target species selection for conservation and restoration, and anticipating potential trait erosion scenarios to which humans may need to adapt. Additionally, the framework's replicability across coral systems will empower stakeholders (e.g., managers and policymakers) to meet their own conservation and sustainability goals while contributing to global and EU efforts aimed at reversing marine ecosystem degradation, such as Horizon Europe’s Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters”. Moreover, the project will present substantial research challenges and interdisciplinary training opportunities—including a secondment focused on acquiring advanced mathematical tools—equipping the candidate with invaluable skills, marking a significant leap forward in his career and laying a strong foundation for future professional growth.

Keywords: functional ecology,trait based ecology,benthic ecology,corals
Reshaping Sufi Path in late Modern Southeastern Europe: the teachings and networks of the Melâmȋya-nûriya (ReSuSEE)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Postdoctoral Fellowships
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Panel: Social Sciences and Humanities
Countries involved: Italy,United States
Call: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2023 (HORIZON-MSCA-2023-PF-01, 2023)
Start date: 2024-12-01
End date: 2027-11-30
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 288859.2
EU funding (EUR): 288859.2
Participants: 2
Project status: SIGNED

ReSuSEE is a project that will conduct an analytical and comparative in-deep insight of the doctrines, and the networks of deployment of the Melâmȋya-nûriya, an Islamic Sufi path that emerged in South-eastern Europe (SEE) through Muhammad Nûr Al-’Arabî’s (d. 1887) teachings. Since nineteenth century, Melâmȋya centers were established in Kosovo, Macedonia and Albania, including three women-only in Strumica, Vranjevci and Prizren. The Melâmȋya represents a still little-studied case in the field of Islamic Studies and SEE history: yet its study will challenge current understandings of Sufi movements that reshape the Islamic tradition along different practical, organizational and doctrinal lines to cope with late modern social and political developments. Drawing on a translocal approach and network analysis, ReSuSEE focuses on Melâmȋya Sufi knowledge and its circulation among the trans-local networks imbued with new forms of associationism. It aims to shed light on the complex interplay between mobilization and association-building patterns, and on the theological and doctrinal (re)shaping of Sufism since the nineteenth century. Employing mainly philological and comparative historical methods, ReSuSEE aims to: 1. reframe the socio-political context within which Melâmȋya spread, taking into account the profound transformations that were taking place in SEE societies; 2. retrace and explore Muhammad Nûr Al-’Arabî’s (melâmȋya) mystical-philosophical-gnostic system; 3. Analysing and tracing networks and channels of melâmȋya doctrines circulation in SEE by employing DH tools (Cytoscape and NodeXL software); 4. developing an analytical and comparative insight framework to understand whether Melâmȋya spiritual outlook can be considered as an approach to the Sufi initiatory path perceived as liberal, intellectual, inclusive and open-minded.

Keywords: sufism islam religion networks teachings southeastern europe ottoman empire
Unravelling the cell-cell circuits underlying the functional reprogramming of KCs and TAMs during liver metastasis (MetaMacNiche)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Postdoctoral Fellowships
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Panel: Life Sciences
Countries involved: Belgium
Call: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2022 (HORIZON-MSCA-2022-PF-01, 2022)
Start date: 2023-11-01
End date: 2025-10-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 175920.0
EU funding (EUR): 175920.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

The liver is one the most common metastatic sites for several cancers. Unfortunately, liver metastasis patients show a particularly low response to immunotherapy. One of the main immune cells populating liver metastases are macrophages. These cells have been shown to play a key role in the regulation of anti-tumor immune responses, including response to immunotherapy. However, we still lack the capacity to modulate macrophage activity during liver metastasis, because we do not yet understand their functional diversity and do not know the molecular signals that drive the pro-tumoral activity of macrophages during liver metastasis. The host lab has recently reported a major role for cell-cell interactions within the microenvironmental niche in the development and functional specialization of liver macrophages. My preliminary data indicate that liver metastasis is accompanied with the expansion of both liver-resident Kupffer cells (KCs) and monocyte-derived tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). Single-cell analysis in mouse and human revealed that TAMs recruited during metastasis are heterogeneous and transcriptomically different from KCs, suggesting a distinct functional specialization. The molecular pathways involved in the functional reprogramming of KCs and TAMs and their relative contribution to tumor growth, remain poorly understood. In this MetaMacNiche project, I will use a combination of cutting-edge spatial multiomic technologies, intravital microscopy, and an in vivo CRISPR screen to investigate the role of KCs and TAMs in liver metastasis. Through a combination of in silico predictions and high-throughput in vivo validations, I will identify the key cell-cell interactions involved in the functional reprogramming of KCs and TAMs during liver metastasis. Finally, I aim to perform preclinical studies to assess whether we can boost the responsiveness to immunotherapy by modulating macrophage activity during liver metastasis.

Keywords: cell cell interactions macrophage niche liver metastasis kupffer cells tumor associated macrophages
RoHS compliant, high luminescence, heterostructure nanocrystals for near infrared LEDs and bioimaging. (NIRLUMIN)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Postdoctoral Fellowships
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Panel: Chemistry
Countries involved: Germany
Call: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2022 (HORIZON-MSCA-2022-PF-01, 2022)
Start date: 2023-06-01
End date: 2025-05-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 189687.36
EU funding (EUR): 189687.36
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Colloidal nanocrystals (NCs) that absorb and emit in the near-infrared (NIR) region are of paramount importance in the field of optoelectronics (LEDs, LASERs, solar cells, telecommunication) and biological imaging. However, most of the NIR emitting NCs are based on heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Hg) which are highly toxic and are restricted from widespread use by the European regularity concerns. Therefore, the development of NIR emitting environmentally friendly (Cd/Pb/Hg- free) NCs are of interest. NIRLUMIN proposes a strategy to develop high NIR (1-1.35um) luminescent, stable AInTe2/(Ga/In)2S3/Zn(S/Se) core/shell/shell (CSS) NC heterostructures with controlled bandgap and size in which the outer shells will protect the surface of the core and enhance the photoluminescence quantum yield by passivating the dangling bonds and surface traps while the intermediate layer will stop diffusion to prevent the undesirable bandgap enhancement. Further, the advantages of these NCs will be directly translated into device performance in the LED. For biological imaging, these nanostructures will be over-coated with a ceramic-type alumina shell and transferred to the aqueous phase. The whole work will be conducted in five major steps. (i) Synthesis of CSS NCs, characterization and study of their structural and photophysical properties (ii) Surface functionalization to investigate the surface ligand chemistry on their optical and electrical properties and to make the NCs compatible for devices and bio-application (iii) Cytotoxicity study and bio-imaging using the Alumina coated NCs. (iv) Optoelectronic characterization, to understand the optical and electronic characteristics of the NCs on film. Finally (v) fabrication of LED using these NCs as an active layer and optimization to achieve an efficient NIR emission.

Keywords: colloidal nanocrystals ncs,heterostructure quantum dots qds,photophysical properties of ncs,nir light emitting diode led,photoluminescence quantum yield plqy,bioimaging