Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Identification of a general biosynthetic pathway of 3-acyltetronates and further investigation of the biosynthetic pathway of the ionophoric polyethers tetronasin and tetronomycin (HAHN_PFL_TETRONATES)

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-IEF-2008, 2008)
Start date: 2009-08-01
End date: 2011-07-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 171300.62
EU funding (EUR): 171300.62
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

A main aim of the research project is the elucidation of a general biosynthetic pathway of 3-acyltetronates. For this purpose, enzymes, which were identified in the gene clusters of the phosphatase inhibitor RK-682 and the quasi-enantiomeric ionophoric polyethers tetronasin and tetronomycin to be potentially responsible for tetronate formation will be heterologously expressed in E.coli. The purified enzymes will be applied for the development of in vitro assays with synthetically prepared surrogates. Besides the identification of a distinct biosynthetic pathway of 3-acyltetronates, the use of structurally diverse synthetic precursors will allow to draw conclusions about the substrate specifity of these enzymes. After expression of further enzymes from the tetronasin and the tetronomycin gene cluster, these enzymes will also be incubated with suggestive synthetic precursor analogues. Understanding the mechanism of 3-acyltetronate formation in RK-682 and the ionophoric polyethers tetronasin and tetronomycin will help to elucidate the mechanisms, which leads to the formation of other tetronate containing natural products like kijanimicin and abyssomycin. The information gained from these experiments will afford the application of the tetronate forming enzymes in the frame of combinatorial biosynthesis. It will permit the incorporation of tetronate forming enzymes into artificial biosynthetic assembly lines to generate novel and more potent agents by directed biosynthesis. Furthermore, all tailoring enzymes, e.g. these arranging for the highly stereoselective ring closures, will find an application in biocatalytic transformations once they were identified. Finally, elucidation of the whole post-PKS steps will help to understand the oddity of nature that created two complex, nearly perfect enantiomers, tetronasin and tetronomycin, which have more or less the same function and mode of action.

Keywords: enzimology,organic chemistry,pharmaceutical chemistry,medical microbiology,carbon chemistry
microRNAs and Neurogenesis Control (NEUROMIR)

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-IEF-2008, 2008)
Start date: 2009-07-01
End date: 2010-02-28
Duration (months): 8.0
Total project cost (EUR): 160996.91
EU funding (EUR): 160996.91
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Vertebrate brain development and function require the life-long regulation of neural stem cell maintenance and neuronal production. Recent evidence, in part obtained in the host laboratory, suggest that the microRNA miR-9 might be an important regulator of neurogenesis, by driving neural progenitors towards differentiation. Notably, injection of a miR-9 morpholino antisense oligonucleotide into zebrafish embryos decreases neuronal differentiation in the embryonic hindbrain. The spatio-temporal expression pattern of miR-9 is suggestive of a neuronal subtype-specific action. The researcher will thus characterize more precisely the neuronal deficit of miR-9 morphant embryos, using markers of different neuronal populations. To understand the mechanisms underlying miR-9 function, the interaction between miR-9 and selected in silico predicted targets will be tested, and an innovative microarray-based biochemical approach for identifying targets in vivo will be developped. The NEuromiR project also includes epistasis experiments to connect miR-9 action with that of other neurogenesis regulators (Rest, Her) expressed in progenitors. Finally, in a longer term and to extend the findings to later developmental stages and adulthood, zebrafish transgenic lines that enable to conditionally enhance or deplete miR-9 function will be engineered. Together, this project will shed light onto the fine-tuning of neurogenesis control by microRNAs.

Keywords: molecular genetics,animal embryology,neurogenesis,zebrafish,micrornas,neural progenitors,differentiation.
Diversity and beneficial properties of bacterial endophytes of arctic plants (ARCTIC ENDOPHYTES)

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-IEF-2008, 2008)
Start date: 2009-03-15
End date: 2011-03-14
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 230249.73
EU funding (EUR): 230249.73
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Arctic and semiarctic ecosystems cover 22% of the earth&apos;s terrestrial surface. These environments are very sensitive to disturbance, and are likely to be deeply affected by the climate change. At the same time, arctic microbiology has identified diverse communities of bacteria adapted to low temperatures, and arctic microbiota has been recognized as an untapped resource for sustainable industrial, agricultural and pharmaceutical applications. Unfortunately, the research on microbial diversity in cold climates has not included endophytic bacteria of arctic plants. The diversity and role of endophytic bacteria in arcto-alpine ecosystems is virtually unknown, even though many important traits of arctic plants, such as cold tolerance, effective uptake and processing of nutrients, and resistance to pathogens and pollutants could be associated with endophytes. This project will explore the diversity of endophytic bacteria arctic plant species, and traits of endophytic bacteria with potential ecological role and applicational value by (1) Isolation of endobacterial communities from arctic plants, (2) Characterization of endobacterial community diversity by molecular methods (DGGE, clone libraries) and by endophyte isolation, and, (3) Screening for beneficial traits, like production or modulation of phytohormones, antagonism, nutrient mobilization and production of cold-active enzymes. The project will provide high-quality, novel data on an as yet completely uncharacterized aspect of arctic and subarctic biodiversity. It will broaden our understanding of plant adaptation to arctic environments and the role of endophytes therein. Additionally, the project will produce a collection of endophytic bacteria adapted to arctic conditions, that can be valuable in agriculture, forestry and in sustainable industrial applications. The fellowship will also enable the re-integration into science of the researcher, who is returning from child-care leave.

Keywords: environmental biology,microbiology,bacteriology,arctic biology,biodiversity,endophytic bacteria
Control Variates for Markov Chain Monte Carlo Variance Reduction (CVMCMC)

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-IOF-2008, 2008)
Start date: 2009-03-01
End date: 2011-02-28
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 198652.06
EU funding (EUR): 198652.06
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Research in numerous scientific fields, including many of the fundamental research frontiers in science and engineering, has produced large empirical data sets with highly complex structure. There, the search for efficient ways of detecting and evaluating relevant information is currently one of the dominant problems, and the use of sophisticated statistical methods has been advanced as a necessary and central part of the analysis. In particular, recent advances in Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods have revolutionized statistical analysis, vastly increasing its impact. But in certain important classes of applications, MCMC algorithms fail. The core aim of the proposed work is to battle the main obstacle for their successful application, namely their slow convergence rate. We propose the development of a new theoretical and methodological approach for MCMC variance reduction, based on control variates. This has been considered an important but very difficult area, and it remains virtually virgin territory. Nevertheless, we have exciting preliminary results clearly showing that, in certain cases, the variance of common MCMC algorithms is reduced by a factor of as much as a million. The fundamental objectives of the proposed research are: 1) To develop the necessary mathematical foundation for the application of control variates to Markov chains; 2) Introduce generic methodologies for the direct use of control variates in all the major families of statistical MCMC algorithms currently used in applications; 3) Apply these new methodologies to make significant contributions across the range of scientific areas that require intensive use of statistical computing via MCMC, including genetics, finance, engineering, and medicine. In view of the enormous practical importance of the applications considered, the potential impact of even moderate theoretical or methodological advances can hardly be overestimated.

Keywords: statistics,simulation,mcmc,probability theory,algorithms
Uncovering developmental and functional constraints on the occupation of conodont tooth morphospace (EVOLVING TEETH)

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: United Kingdom
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-IOF-2008, 2008)
Start date: 2009-07-01
End date: 2011-12-31
Duration (months): 30.0
Total project cost (EUR): 198260.26
EU funding (EUR): 198260.26
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The fossil record is predominantly a record of organismal morphology. In the late 20th Century, techniques for mapping the universe of organismal form were developed – the so-called ‘morphospace’ plots – that provided a means of considering qualitatively the heterogeneity of morphospace occupation. The limitation of this approach has been that morphospaces became vehicles for discussion, not analysis. However, technical advances now allow morphospaces to be interrogated through analysis of real and hypothetical 3D representations of organismal morphology. The research element of the project will establish a novel programme investigating the developmental/functional controls on morphospace exploration by exploiting the superb fossil record of conodont teeth, which form the earliest vertebrate skeletons. Project objectives include: 1.Circumscribing a tooth morphospace using morphometric and complexity analyses of 3D tooth models obtained through X-Ray Tomographic Microscopy and confocal laser microscopy 2.Sampling actual and hypothetical tooth forms from the morphospace, and testing their function and mechanical properties through tooth modelling and finite element analysis 3.Validating functional hypotheses using microwear analysis This will uncover the developmental and functional constraints governing morphospace occupation, offering insights into evolutionary process and initiating a long term research programme focussing on the evolution of vertebrate dentitions, which are a model system in developmental and evolutionary biology. The training element of the project will allow the candidate fellow to acquire proficiencies in state-of-the-art tooth modelling approaches to understanding dental functional morphology at the outgoing host. He will transfer these competencies to the EU through reintegration into the return host – a major training centre for palaeobiologists in Europe – which employs complimentary techniques but lacks expertise in tooth modelling.

Keywords: natural sciences,palaeontology,conodonts,biomechanics,tooth modelling,fea,microwear,functional morphology,evolution,morphospaces
The new technology of intermetallic phases treatment by fluid flow in Al-Si casting alloys. (IPHASEFLOW)

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-IEF-2008, 2008)
Start date: 2009-09-15
End date: 2011-09-14
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 230288.97
EU funding (EUR): 230288.97
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Aluminum-silicon base alloys are widely used in castings (foundry industry) due to their excellent castability and high strength-to-weight ratio. In the Al-Si alloys, the presence of small amounts of Fe and Mn brings about a complicated microstructure due to the formation of a rich variety of intermetallic phases (IMPs) during solidification, which generally have a negative effect on the mechanical and physical properties of a as cast part. The main goal of the project “iPhaseFlow” is to prepare new technology of intermetallic phases treatment by fluid flow in Al-Si casting alloys. The project investigates problems of artificial fluid flow influence on the growth, morphology and spatial arrangement of intermetallic phases in as-cast AlSi-base alloys containing especially Fe and Mn as alloying elements. The “iPhaseFlow” studies concerns detailed tasks: directional solidification of casting specimens in Artemis aerogel furnace by the presence of fluid flow and without it (in different solidification conditions), detailed analysis of the microstructure of the Al-Si alloys (dendritic pattern geometry, length and thickness of the IMPs, localization of the IMPs, their density and shape distribution), numerical modeling for physical understanding of the mechanisms leading to the anticipated changes in microstructure by the presence of IMPs and fluid flows. Project involves trainings in using advanced world wide unique facilities and modern scientific methods: directional solidification within Artemis, microstructure investigation by methods SEM/EBSD/EDX, x-Ray nano-tomography, x-Ray diffractrometry, metallography, quantitative image analysis (AnalySIS, Origin, IDL) and thermal analysis DTA, DSC. “iPhaseFlow” will be conducted in Institute of Materials Physics in Space MP of the German Aerospace Center DLR in Cologne.

Keywords: technological sciences,materials technology,metal technology,al-si alloys,casting,intermetallic phases,fluid flow
An innovative system to impose altered features on a defined chromosome region and investigate its movement by fluorescence microscopy in the nucleus of a cell. (CHROMATIN MOTILITY)

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-IEF-2008, 2008)
Start date: 2009-05-01
End date: 2011-04-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 171300.62
EU funding (EUR): 171300.62
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Our objective is to provide world-class research and training in the field of Life Sciences. Our innovative project applies interdisciplinary methods to identify new paradigms therefore contributing to the knowledge-based economy and society. Scientifically, the project involves cutting-edge microscopy in fission yeast to characterize the relationship between different chromatin features and their position in the nucleus. We will integrate distinct scientific approaches to obtain breakthroughs in the field. All research activities are in compliance with fundamental ethical principles. Further the project will be carried out in a laboratory where gender equality is encouraged, currently there are ten women in a group of fifteen. With respect to the training: we provide a comprehensive experimental work-plan which is designed to enhance the researchers career development and the diversification of his abilities at an advanced level. This is achieved by sharing reagents and expertise in collaborative exchanges as well as in meetings and workshops. We also present a timetable of the anticipated progress with milestones, promoting proactive project management. The diversity of valuable skills acquired will certainly benefit the researcher and support professional maturity in attaining an independent position. The candidate is a motivated and enthusiastic experienced researcher with an excellent academic and research track record. He developed his skills and scientific training on an international basis, convinced that mobility is central to the open-minded requirement of fundamental discoveries. He will join the well-known laboratory of Professor Robin Allshire in Edinburgh, who is recognized as world-leader in the field of chromosomal biology. Overall the project is a collaborative effort set in the leading research University in Scotland with state-of-the-art infrastructures and facilities, contributing to Europe’s excellence and attractiveness.

Keywords: natural sciences,biological sciences,multidisciplinary,cell biology,molecular biology,genetics,cytology,compartment,localization,nucleus structure,chromatin,dna,live imaging,fluorescence
Probing Chiral Perturbation Theory from realistic two-flavour Lattice QCD simulations (LATQCD-CHIPT)

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-IEF-2008, 2008)
Start date: 2009-03-01
End date: 2010-08-31
Duration (months): 18.0
Total project cost (EUR): 137449.76
EU funding (EUR): 137449.76
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Research objectives and content: we propose to apply recently developed non-perturbative techniques for the simulation of two-flavour QCD with sea quark masses at physical values in order to investigate the convergence properties of Chiral Perturbation Theory (ChiPT) in pi-pi scattering and other light-quark physics quantities. Our approach is based on the Wilson formulation of the fermionic QCD action and an original modification of the Domain Decomposition Hybrid Monte Carlo (DD-HMC) algorithm. Target observables are: pi-pi scattering lenghts, pion mass, pion decay constant, other channels of the light-hadron spectrum. As a result, we expect to find conclusive quantitative information concerning the convergence radius of the chiral expansion and to consequently improve the understanding of the sponaneous breaking of chiral symmetry. Methodology: the main obstacle to simulate light-quarks at physical masses is represented by instability and non-ergodicity phenomena in the HMC, related to the structure of the low-end of the Wilson-Dirac spectrum. We propose to adopt a modification of the algorithm where the low-modes are separated from the bulk of the modes and included in a reweighting factor. Training: the candidate would like to acquire and deepen technical skills and knowledge in the areas of : a) Chiral Perturbation Theory; b) phenomenology of the light hadron interactions; c) Monte Carlo simulations of lattice QCD; d) Parallel computing.

Keywords: physical sciences,quantum field theory,computational physics
Towards Understanding the Launching of Protostellar Outflows: An Adaptive Optics Assisted Spectroscopic Invesitgation of Classical T Tauri Stars (TOUCHSTONES)

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-IEF-2008, 2008)
Start date: 2009-06-01
End date: 2011-05-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 157279.59
EU funding (EUR): 157279.59
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The phenomenon of mass outflow from young stellar objects is arguably the most spectacular stage in the formation of a star. Much is known of the large-scale manifestations of outflows and of their interactions with their parent molecular clouds. However, in comparison, little is still understood of the precise mechanism by which outflows are launched and of the exact connection between outflow and accretion. The overall objective of this project is to provide observational constraints to jet launching models. The term ``jet&quot; refers to the collimated, relatively fast outflow, seen close to the source. The outflow will become less collimated with distance and often has a wide molecular component. Few studies providing useful constraints exist, so this project will be the first investigation of a large number of objects. Thus for the first time the type of statistical study that is critically required will be completed. The Laboratoire d&apos;Astrophysique de Grenoble (LAOG) is the ideal place to carry out this work. Astronomers based at LAOG are leading the field in both observations and modelling of the jet launch region of young stars. It is proposed that spectro-images of a large sample of classical T Tauri star (CTTS) jets, will be obtained using integral field spectroscopy (IFS) and analysed using state of the art techniques. To maximise the angular resolution of the observations adaptive optics (AO) will be utilised. The proposed observations will allow the morphology, kinematics, excitation conditions and mass outflow/infall rates, of the jets to be probed. Comparisons will be made with sophisticated jet launching models currently being developed at LAOG. As the jet launch region of CTTSs is relatively easy to access (using state of the art observing techniques), CTTSs can be used as touchstones for the study of jet launching.

Keywords: physical sciences,astrophysics,star formation,protostellar jets,jet launching,high angular resolution observations,model constraints