Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Mass spectrometry for nucleic acid biophysics : dealing with diversity (BIOPHYMS)

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: 2013-05-01
End date: 2017-04-30
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 100000.0
EU funding (EUR): 100000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

There is now increasing evidence that specific nucleic acid structures modulate gene expression levels both at the transcriptional and at the translational level. In particular, G-quadruplex (G4) structures are attractive targets for anticancer strategies, since several studies showed that their stabilization by ligands caused proliferation arrest, telomere deprotection and changes in gene expression. Understanding the structure-function relationships in G4 DNA and RNA requires innovative biophysical tools to probe the general and specific features of the structures adopted by a wide variety of sequences, their macromolecular assemblies, and their interactions with small molecules. I propose here to develop native mass spectrometry and ion mobility spectrometry as biophysical tools to probe small molecule ligand interactions with G4 structures. My recent work on small (~20-30 bases) G4 models demonstrated that MS is uniquely well suited to detect and quantify G4-drug interactions in a direct binding assay. The objective of the present project is now to characterize not only the binding affinity and specificity but also the binding mode of ligands for a variety of DNA and RNA targets. Ion mobility spectrometry will be crucial for studying the conformational adaptability of the target, and ligand-induced conformational changes. The model targets will vary in sequence, but also in size. Indeed, one still widely unaddressed challenge is to account for the flanking sequences that can form secondary structures and tertiary structures interacting with the G4 and, in the case of genomic non-B-DNA targets, to include the adjacent and competing double-stranded DNA. The biophysical approaches developed here for a specific purpose (G4 ligands) will also be widely applicable to other nucleic acid targets.

Keywords: c103 spectroscopic and spectrometric techniques,c113 physical chemistry of biological systems,l106 biophysics,l101 molecular biology and interactions
Novel Strategies for the Modulation of Immunity to AAV vectors (NOSMOD)

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: 2013-05-01
End date: 2017-04-30
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 100000.0
EU funding (EUR): 100000.0
Participants: 2
Project status: CLOSED

Adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors are among the most efficient vectors for in vivo gene transfer. Experience in human gene transfer trials showed that targeting hepatocytes with AAV vectors has the potential to correct diseases like hemophilia, congenital blindness, and lipoprotein lipase deficiency. However, these studies also suggest that one of the last obstacles to be overcome in order to achieve long-term disease correction is the immune system. As a result of exposure to wild type AAV, a significant portion of the human population will develop both humoral and cellular immunity to the virus, which can greatly affect the safety and efficacy of gene transfer with recombinant AAV vectors. This proposal combines knowledge on immunology and AAV vector mediated gene transfer, with the ultimate goal of developing safe and effective gene therapy protocols. Studies in humans undergoing AAV gene transfer will help identify markers of T cell activation and correlate them with the outcome of gene transfer. Studies in humans receiving immunosuppressive (IS) regimens will help identifying drug regimens that could be safely used to modulate B and T cell immunity to AAV in the context of gene transfer. In the third aim of this proposal, IS regimens will be tested in vivo in the relevant animal models. Results from these studies will contribute to design safe and effective clinical gene transfer studies by providing new tools and markers for safety assessment and early intervention aimed at modulating detrimental immune responses directed against the AAV vector capsid. Furthermore, these studies address the issue of humoral immunity to AAV by identifying strategies to overcome the limitation of anti-AAV antibodies, thus allowing for treatment of a significant proportion of humans otherwise non eligible for enrollment in gene transfer trials.

Keywords: l705 gene therapy - stem cell therapy - regenerative medicine
GRAvitational N-body Dynamics: Dynamics and evolution of multiple planetary systems (GRAND)

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

The discovery of hundreds of exoplanets in the last decades have revolutionized the field of planetary astrophysics. The properties of many of these systems turned out to be quite peculiar and very different from our own Solar system; they gave rise to outstanding puzzles and opened new avenues for processes involved in planet formation and evolution. In our own Solar systems the last decades have brought the discovery of binary planetesimals, new minor planets in the trans-Neptunian regime and many new planetary satellites. Taken together, these new horizons open the path for major breakthroughs in our exploration of planet formation, dynamics and evolution. I propose to study multiple systems in the planetary regime, where dynamical processes can play an important role, both through strong scatterings and collisions as well as through secular processes, and strong interactions with the environment. At the small scales I will explore the role of binary planetesimals in planet formation and their evolution; these are important both for the early stages of planet formation in general, as well as for the long term evolution of planetesimals in our own Solar system and their observed properties. At a larger scale, I would explore planetary satellites, suggesting that dynamical scattering processes studied in the context of multiple exo-planet systems could play a similar role in the structuring of satellites systems and the origin of irregular satellites, and potentially exo-moons. Finally, I propose an extended research program about multiple exo-planet systems, focusing on their size/mass ordering characteristics, and making use of these yest unexplored properties to learn about the underlying physical processes involved in their assemblage. The study of these various topics can make use of similar tools, and together shed new light on major aspects of the evolution of planetary systems, their origin and their overall characteristics.

Keywords: p301,planetary systems,exo-planets,moons,solar system,planetary dynamics,planetesimals,protoplanetary disks,secular evolution,scattering,data-mining
Constraining AGN feedback through cosmic times: Paving the way for the next generation radio facilities (AGN FEEDBACK)

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: Croatia
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

Understanding how galaxies form in the early universe and their subsequent evolution through cosmic time is one of the main goals of modern cosmology. Panchromatic look-back sky surveys significantly advanced the field in the past decade, and we are now on the verge of entering an even more fruitful period - the 'golden age' of radio astronomy - given an order of magnitude improved, new facilities. On these facilities, I am leading two unique, state-of-the-art radio sky surveys that will push to the next frontiers: (a) probe for the first time the highly debated nature of faint radio sources with strong implications on our understanding of the cosmic radio background, and (b) provide stringent constraints on the AGN feedback processes postulated by simulations to explain the evolution of massive galaxies over cosmic time. These radio surveys carry an immense legacy value (for the wider astronomical community) and will serve as pathfinders for surveys with the next-generation radio facilities, such as the Square Kilometre Array (SKA). The proposed CIG funding is essential for the success of these timely surveys, that I will conduct as an assistant professor at the University of Zagreb (Croatia) providing man-power and enhancing international visibility (and thereby EU competitiveness). Furthermore, the CIG will strengthen my position as an independent, internationally recognized researcher, an indispensable prerequisite for my successful integration and long-term career advance at the University of Zagreb.

Keywords: p301 astronomy - astrophysics and cosmology,galaxies,active galactic nuclei,galaxy formation and evolution,radio instruments,multi-wavelength sky surveys
Representation in Legal Proceedings (RIPL)

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: 2013-04-01
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

Litigation in person is a widespread phenomenon in common law jurisdictions. A right to litigate in person is treated as a fundamental right in both civil and criminal proceedings, regardless of whether the litigant or the defendant has the financial means to hire a lawyer or the capacity to conduct litigation effectively. The proposed research has two primary objectives. First, to establish a general principle that the right to self-representation has no significant theoretical value and, accordingly, that it is justifiable to require legal representation in cases where litigants in person are unlikely to be able to litigate their cases effectively and without imposing disproportionate costs on the administration of justice. The second objective is to explore the specific conditions under which the general principle set forth above should be applied, and the types of cases in which mandatory representation may or may not be justifiable. The theoretical part of the project will be developed on three main fronts: a comparison of the civil and criminal contexts; an assessment of the value of self-representation in terms of outcome, including a cost-benefit analysis; an examination of the possible intrinsic justifications of self-representation, with particular emphasis on personal autonomy, litigants’ subjective satisfaction and their acceptability of adverse outcomes, and the entitlement of citizens in a democracy to participate in a process that is decisive to their interest. The theoretical findings will be utilised to conduct a detailed doctrinal analysis of the case law of English and American courts, and also that of the European Court of Human Rights, the European Commission on Human Rights, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, and the United Nations Human Rights Committee. This analysis will also review the civil law practice of mandatory representation.

Keywords: law,civil procedure,litigation in person,representation,personal autonomy,procedural justice,access to justice,participation
Developing Interaction Design Knowledge and Materials where Technology Touches the Body (Intimate Touch)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Consolidator grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Computer Science and Informatics
Panel description: Informatics and information systems, computer science, scientific computing, intelligent systems
Countries involved: Sweden
Call: ERC CONSOLIDATOR GRANTS (ERC-2021-COG, 2021)
Start date: 2022-09-01
End date: 2027-08-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1861899.0
EU funding (EUR): 1861899.0
Participants: 2
Project status: SIGNED

Intimate Touch will re-conceptualise how technologies use touch to interact with us. Bringing intimacy as a lens on touch inspires us to think about the felt experience of touch, the diversity of places on the body where we will be touched by technology, and the sense that touch can be transformative of our view of ourselves. This project will develop the theory, methods and technologies of Intimate Touch. It will bring together research in Human-Computer Interaction on intimate technologies with new interaction techniques, alongside psychological theories on intimacy and neuroscience perspectives on touch. Technologies that touch us will constitute a new paradigm of interactive devices, most strongly exemplified by care robots. Designing technologies for Intimate Touch will be foundational in creating dignified and acceptable interactions between humans and technologies. The first objective is to develop a model of ‘intimate technology’. No researcher has done this before. This model will be developed through a large-scale interview study alongside in-situ, long-term studies of our own demonstrators of Intimate Touch. By identifying which interactions lead to intimacy, this project will have empirically identified a new class of technology, ‘intimate technology’. Autonomous systems will touch many areas of our bodies. Yet, there has been no serious study of touch experiences other than on the hands and shoulders. My second objective will counter this by innovating on a design approach that centres the felt experience of touch from technology, and by creating a dataset that describes people’s experience of touch from technology across the body. My final objective is to develop two demonstrators of Intimate Touch. This risky challenge will evidence how touch with technology transforms us. Practically this will provide a roadmap to good touch from technology. Empirically this will lay the groundwork for a re-conceptualization of our relationship with technology

Keywords: research through design,intimacy,touch,body,soma design,interdisciplinary research
A Netnographic Study on the Behavior of Muslim Women Immigrants and Refugees in Europe within Immersive Social Virtual Reality Worlds: Cyberfeminist and Social Psychology Approaches (IMWVR)

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
Call: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2024 (HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01, 2024)
Start date: 2025-10-01
End date: 2027-09-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 193643.28
EU funding (EUR): 193643.28
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

This research explores the behavior of immigrant and refugee Muslim women in Europe within immersive social virtual reality (VR) environments. As a significant demographic among global migrants, these women encounter unique challenges in integration, which often lead to social exclusion. Immersive VR platforms offer opportunities for social inclusion, intercultural communication, and identity exploration among diverse marginalized groups, including refugees. However, they also have the potential to perpetuate existing marginalization. Understanding the experiences of these communities is crucial. The research utilizes a comprehensive theoretical framework that combines cyberfeminist theory, Social Identity Theory, and Berry's Acculturation Theory. The primary aim is to comprehend how immigrant Muslim women construct and negotiate their identities in immersive social VR settings, particularly focusing on the interplay of culture, religion, and gender. The study uses netnographic methodology, conducting in-depth interviews and focus groups with a group of immigrant and refugee Afghan and Iranian women residing in Italy. The participants are recruited through interpersonal networks and local community organizations. This research contributes to both cyberfeminist theory and digital identity studies, as well as immigrant studies. Furthermore, the findings of this study are expected to inform the development of more inclusive virtual spaces and guide European Union policies on digital inclusion, ultimately fostering social cohesion.

Keywords: netnography,cyberfeminism,muslim women,european context,virtual ethnography,virtual reality,immersive technology,cultural adaptation,online communities,digital identity,immigrant women
Atomic-scale Photochemistry (AETHER)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences
Panel description: Analytical chemistry, chemical theory, physical chemistry/chemical physics
Countries involved: France
Call: ERC ADVANCED GRANTS (ERC-2023-ADG, 2023)
Start date: 2025-09-01
End date: 2030-08-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2499534.0
EU funding (EUR): 2499534.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Photochemistry entails natural and artificial reactions that are activated optically, and is at the heart of fundamental processes such as photosynthesis, vision, polymerization, catalysis, or energy conversion… Innovative approaches to gain control over photochemical reactions that relied on macro- and mesoscale manipulations of light (e.g., chemistry in an optical cavity, plasmon-enhanced reactions, etc.) were reported recently, but no strategy was proposed to address the photochemistry of a molecule with atomic-scale precision. AETHER aims to provide a disruptive photochemical method whose fundamental concept is based on the manipulation of light with ultimate spatial accuracy. This approach relies on the confinement of a laser excitation – pulsed or continuous – into an extremely small volume at the apex of a scanning probe tip, eventually acting as a plasmonic picocavity. This confined electromagnetic field can then be moved on top of organic structures where it locally generates photo reactions. AETHER aims at addressing questions in a wide range of fields related to physical chemistry: - Can one generate photochemical reactions in a sub-unit of a molecule while preserving the rest of it? Can one use this site-specific approach to synthesize new molecular species? - To what extent can we deepen our understanding of fundamental natural processes (e.g., energy transfer, photo-isomerization) at play, for example, in photosynthesis and vision? - Can we combine this atomic-scale optical approach with time-resolved techniques to follow photochemical reactions in real time and real space? Answering these questions requires probing, manipulating, and exciting molecules with atomic and sub-picosecond precisions. To this end, a scanning probe microscope associated with laser excitation sources will be developed to provide simultaneous spatial, spectral, and temporal control over different types of photochemical reactions.

Keywords: scanning probe microscopy
Deciphering Alzheimer’s disease molecular subtypes to advance treatment development. (DecipherAD)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Consolidator grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Prevention,  Diagnosis and T reatment of Human Diseases
Panel description: Medical technologies  and tools for prevention, diagnosis and treatment of human diseases, therapeutic approaches and interventions , pharmacology, preventative  medicine, epidemiology and public health , digital medicine
Countries involved: Netherlands,Norway
Call: ERC CONSOLIDATOR GRANTS (ERC-2024-COG, 2024)
Start date: 2025-06-01
End date: 2030-05-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2999934.0
EU funding (EUR): 2999934.0
Participants: 2
Project status: SIGNED

Worldwide, 50 million people suffer from dementia, which is caused by Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in 70% of the cases. There is no treatment to stop, reverse or prevent AD. AD is pathologically defined by amyloid plaques and tau tangles in the brain, implying that it is a single disease entity. Still, patients vary greatly in rate of decline and underlying pathophysiology, which hampers the search for cures. I have discovered and replicated 5 AD subtypes in patients based on cerebrospinal fluid proteomics (CSF). Subtypes had distinct pathophysiology, including differences in amyloid metabolism and clearance, as well as in cognitive decline. This indicates that they would need tailored treatments. The goal of this project is to understand AD subtype specific mechanisms, and how these are related to cognitive decline, taking CSF proteomics as a starting point. I will address the following scientific needs: 1. Understand which AD subtype molecular processes change over time, and how those changes relate to cognitive decline. This requires large datasets of individuals with repeated CSF proteomics. I have access to two large, deeply phenotyped cohorts with already collected repeated CSF samples over 5 years from 700 individuals, in which I will measure proteomics. 2. Study drivers of AD subtypes with genetics and in a subset of n=50 with tissue proteomics. 3. Develop markers in blood for subtype detection, which would remove barriers for clinical use. 4. Test if AD subtypes differently respond to amyloid modifying drugs, which is the strongest proof that AD subtypes need tailored therapy. If successful, DecipherAD will provide proof of concept that AD subtypes have use as a theragnostic tool, show which genetic factors drive molecular subtypes, how molecular signatures change over time and how these changes relate to cognitive decline, with tools in blood to facilitate implementation in clinical practice. This will catalyse AD subtype tailored treatment development.

Keywords: alzheimer s disease,heterogeneity,cerebrospinal fluid proteomics,disease mechanisms