Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Ancient Maritime Pitch and Tar: a multi-disciplinary study of sources, technology and preservation (AMPT)

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-2009-IEF, 2009)
Start date: 2010-10-05
End date: 2012-10-04
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 171740.8
EU funding (EUR): 171740.8
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

This intra-European fellowship places the designated researcher at the hub of a collaborative interdisciplinary project combining chemistry, archaeology, maritime history and conservation to advance understanding of the technology and use of pitch/tar products in Medieval Europe and to evaluate their stability in archaeological and museum environments. Analytical chemistry techniques will be used to research the sources and technology of pitch/tar from a number of medieval shipwrecks. Material from the recently excavated Newport Ship will be a focus for the study. This unique assemblage offers scope for the investigation of ship building techniques and repair strategies alongside examination of differential preservation due to burial environment. Interpretation of the Newport material will be supported by co-investigation of pitch/tar from at least four further wreck sites with differing preservation conditions enabling the impact of both intra and inter-site variability in burial environment to be compared. Production and ageing of pitch/tar materials under laboratory conditions will aid interpretation of the archaeological material and allow the stability of the materials in different environments to be systematically evaluated. This research will provide vital knowledge for improving approaches to the care of pitch/tar materials in museum collections. The researcher’s background in resin chemistry and previous experience of maritime archaeological material provide an excellent match for the project’s skill and knowledge requirements while offering plenty of scope for the acquisition of new competencies and broadening of experience. The host organisation offers a completely new form of working environment for the researcher and a multitude of opportunities for forging of professional contacts and relationships. It also offers the potential for wide dissemination of the research maximising opportunities for international transfer of knowledge generated.

Keywords: archaeology,maritime,pitch,tar,chemistry,conservation,analysis,preservation
Impacts of Ocean Acidification on Bacterioplankton Functioning: Effects on Proteorhodopsin-containing Marine Bacteria (ACIDIBACLIGHT)

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: Spain
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2009-IOF, 2009)
Start date: 2011-10-01
End date: 2014-09-30
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 234337.9
EU funding (EUR): 234337.9
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The increasing CO2 levels in the atmosphere and its high uptake by the oceans are lowering the pH of the oceans. Dramatic changes in ocean pH have been shown to negatively affect ocean biota such as phytoplankton and coral reefs. However, there is little known regarding the impact of decreasing ocean pH on marine bacteria. This project seeks to evaluate the effects of the ocean acidification on the structure and function of marine bacterioplankton communities. Proteorhodopsin (PR) phototrophy are widespread among marine bacterioplankton species and its functioning has been predicted to be seriously affected by future pH reductions. This proposal will examine the performance of PR-containing bacteria in this global change scenario. Bacterial responses to pH will be analyzed in: 1) highly controlled systems (physiology of bacteria in pure cultures) 2) relatively controlled systems (physiology and diversity of bacteria in mesocosm experiments), and 3) field studies (in situ physiology and diversity analyses of native bacterioplankton communities). These three degrees of control/manipulation will give this project a unique perspective that will improve our capacity to predict the consequences of the projected pH alteration. The proposed research will follow the European Science Foundation recommendations by addressing the consequences of the important climate change problem of ocean acidification from the organismal and ecosystem perspective in a national and international level. Moreover, this project will contribute to the objectives of the Work Programme by: 1) allowing me to gain new skills in oceanographic fieldwork and experimental manipulations; and to become an EU leading specialist in a rapidly growing research field 2) transferring the acquired knowledge to the EU; 3) establish a long-term collaboration between two centers of excellence like the USC (USA) and the ICM-CSIC (Spain) that will enhance the quality of research on Europe.

Keywords: oceanography,marine ecosystems (climate change),biogeochemistry (climate change),carbon dioxide capture,storage,disposal (climate change),global change adaptation strategies (climate change)
Efficient Synthesis using Alkynes as Masked Ylides (ESAMY)

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-2009-IEF, 2009)
Start date: 2010-08-09
End date: 2012-08-08
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 172240.8
EU funding (EUR): 172240.8
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The chemicals arena is vital to our continued way of life, be it though materials synthesis, agrochemicals, pharmaceutical production or in biological probes. All these areas depend on our ability to make molecules. This is achieved by the coupling of fragments, and the manipulation of various functionalities. This process can be time-consuming, produce large amounts of waste material and require the use of significant amounts of limited resources, not least energy and chemical precursors. Therefore it is vital that we develop more efficient, cleaner and quicker strategies for molecular synthesis. The current best methods to prepare the valuable reactive intermediates known as sulfur ylides, employ the use of complex and potentially dangerous functionalities. As these are ultimately lost from the material, only after having been introduced at significant cost, these routes are rendered unattractive in terms of safe-handling and synthetic efficiency. In this proposal we show a way in which sulfur-ylides can be prepared directly from simple, readily available precursors, without the currently associated problems. This method employs gold catalysis, and will be used to develop new reactions that allow the preparation of complex molecules by the coupling of simple units. The products will be of significant use, as either final targets or in synthesis of compounds of importance. In this proposal, new reactions will be developed that show high synthetic efficiency and flexibility. The reactions will be established and their scope and limitations probed to demonstrate their applicability to the chemical community.

Keywords: physical sciences,chemistry,homogeneous catalysis,organic chemistry,gold,sulfur ylides,efficient synthesis,alkynes
Gastro-intestinal behavior of phytosterols and enzymatic modification thereof (GIST)

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: Belgium
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2009-IEF, 2009)
Start date: 2011-02-01
End date: 2013-01-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 159100.0
EU funding (EUR): 159100.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Phytosterols are plant compounds, which are known for their cholesterol lowering activities. Because of these properties they are added to foods, like spreads and drinks, as a functional food ingredient. It is generally accepted that phytosterols lower plasma cholesterol concentration because they lower the absorption of cholesterol in the human intestinal tract. The unabsorbed cholesterol and phytosterols end up in the intestine and colon. There they may become available for microbial metabolism. In current scientific literature, there are hardly any studies available on the conversion or stability of phytosterols in the gastro-intestinal tract. Therefore, this research project will investigate the metabolism of phytosterols in the gastro-intestinal tract. Secondly, this projects aims at the development of protocols by which the phytosterols can be enzymatically modified to protected them against degradation. As a secondary effect, these modifications may also change the physical properties of the phytosterols. So this research should improve the understanding of the bioconversion routes of phytosterols, and could contribute to the development of more bioactive formulations, which can be used in a broader range of products.

Keywords: phytosterol,cholesterol,gastro-intestinal tract,microbiota,enzymatic modification
Functional Supramolecular Networks on Surfaces (FUNSURF)

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: Belgium
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2009-IEF, 2009)
Start date: 2010-09-01
End date: 2012-08-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 159100.0
EU funding (EUR): 159100.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

FUNSURF is an interdisciplinary research project which lies at a natural meeting point between chemistry, physics, materials science and nanotechnology. The project will enable a bright young scientist with an impressive track record to gain a high level of cross-disciplinary training in diverse new aspects of supramolecular self-assembly and reactivity, scanning probe microscopy, photochemistry and optical spectroscopy. The training-through-research basis of FUNSURF focuses on the design, synthesis and characterisation of functional supramolecular networks on surfaces. Many of the structures produced by supramolecular self-assembly display high levels of spatial order making it an ideal method for producing the next generation of functional nanostructured devices. In addition to producing novel, high impact science this project gives the researcher the opportunity to work in an internationally recognised group at a host organisation which provides excellent postgraduate training in both scientific and complementary professional skills. FUNSURF will produce molecular architectures which can be activated by external stimuli to perform specific functions. These include, switching on or off adsorption sites in a network via optically induced changes in molecular configuration and initiating localised chemical reactions. Alongside this the development of Tip-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (TERS) will provide a chemically specific characterisation tool with nanoscale resolution. The researcher’s background makes him perfectly suited to achieving these objectives, while the experience of new research disciplines will allow him to cultivate the broad range of skills key to driving new scientific developments in this area. This combination of training and interdisciplinary experience is essential in assuring the researcher attains an independent position at the forefront of future research efforts.

Keywords: chemistry,physics,chemical physics,applied optics,microscopy,surface physics,molecular physics,self-assembly,supramolecular chemistry,nanotechnology
Modern approaches for career development in small-grain cereal breeding (CAREBREED)

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-2009-IEF, 2009)
Start date: 2010-10-24
End date: 2012-10-23
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 240289.6
EU funding (EUR): 240289.6
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The CAREBREED project, based at the multi-disciplinary Institute for Research of Environment and Sustainability, Newcastle University (NU), UK will deliver high quality training over 2 years to a talented Serbian small-grain cereals breeder in uses of molecular marker technologies and phenotyping to characterize unique wheat genetic stocks. Series of near-isogenic lines (NILs) have been produced to target 18 regions of the bread wheat genome where major quantitative trait locus (QTL) clusters for yield, its components, phenology, leaf dimensions and antioxidant contents were previously located using 95 wheat doubled haploid lines from the cross Chinese Spring (CS) x SQ1. The project will deliver training in using microsatellite (SSR) markers and their applications in modern cereal breeding, including marker-assisted breeding, making genetic maps and QTL analysis. After familiarization with DNA protocols the fellow will screen 180 NILs with 20 SSR markers to delineate sizes of introgressed donor segments from CS into SQ1, their relations to targeted QTLs and the extent of background genome heterogeneity. In parallel experiments, NILs will be grown under control and stressed pot conditions of drought and abscisic acid stress-hormone treatment and ozone exposure in open-top chambers, measuring traits for which the original QTL clusters were selected to identify environmental triggers for these QTLs. Crosses between NILs differing in yield QTLs will be made to test the extent to which yield QTLs are additive. The Fellow will visit the John Innes Centre, Norwich for 3 months to be trained in manual SSR genotyping and other modern marker systems. The project finishes with a period of writing up at Newcastle and planning for the future. A comprehensive programme of generic skills will be provided by NU Research Staff Support Team. The fellow will be supervised jointly by two senior researchers with over 50 years experience training PhD students and experienced researchers.

Keywords: molecular marker technologies,qtl analysis,association genetics,unique wheat genetic stock,near-isogenic lines,breeding,phenotypic characterization,stress physiology,yield
Virus-like particles: the next step in gene therapy (VLPSIRNA)

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: Netherlands
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2009-IOF, 2009)
Start date: 2010-04-01
End date: 2013-03-31
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 237911.8
EU funding (EUR): 237911.8
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Virus–like protein particles can be applied as carriers for RNA gene therapy. The release of the RNA, however, is still a major problem. The goal of this proposal is to develop new routes towards the controlled opening of the virus capsid combining the cutting-edge science of bioconjugate chemistry and virology. This project intends to find a suitable carrier among non-infectious virus particles for small interfering RNA (siRNA) to be used for gene therapy. siRNA has the ability to specifically degrade RNA of a particular sequence and selectively stop the production of an abnormal undesired protein, which makes it a very promising therapeutic agent. The major obstacle, however, is to find an efficient method for cellular delivery of the RNA material. Virus-like particles, that are self-assembled protein cages, have the potential to be used as addressable carriers for siRNA. The Finn Group at the Scripps Research Institute has recently developed a method to produce virus-like particles that contain siRNA. The goal of the project is to engineer this particle, such that it successfully delivers the RNA into the targeted cell. This project will have the potential to make significant contributions to the fields of biomedicine and targeted drug delivery, strategically important areas identified by the European Technology Platform on Nanomedicine.

Keywords: sirna,gene therapy,virus-like particles,protein engineering,drug delivery,anticancer therapy,macromolecular chemistry
Design of experiments for variance component estimation (DEVACOE)

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: Belgium
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2009-IEF, 2009)
Start date: 2010-04-01
End date: 2012-01-31
Duration (months): 22.0
Total project cost (EUR): 153400.0
EU funding (EUR): 153400.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The envisaged achievement of this project is to perform groundbreaking work in the optimal design of experiments for estimating variance components in random effects models and for the joint estimation of fixed effects and variance components in mixed effects models, in general, and split-plot, strip-plot and split-split-plot models, in particular. The design of experiments for an efficient estimation of variance components is one of the remaining challenges in the field of optimal experimental design, so that the successful completion of this project would thus be a major breakthrough in statistical design of experiments. In Work Package 1, the focus is on the derivation of analytical expressions for the information matrices for random effects models and linear mixed models. This work will be based on the state-of-the-art restricted maximum likelihood estimation of the variance components. This is unlike the limited amount of published work in this research area, which is based on maximum likelihood or ANOVA-based estimation of the variance components. The theoretical results from Work Package 1 will then be used to tackle two challenging unanswered research questions in industrial statistics. First, in Work Package 2, we will deal with the optimal design of split-plot, strip-plot and split-split-plot experiments for estimating fixed effects as well as variance components. These designs are highly popular experimental plans for research about innovation in industry because they are cost-efficient, but the estimation of the variance components has been entirely ignored in all of the published work on their construction. Second, in Work Package 3, we will deal with the optimal setup of measurement capability studies, also known as gauge repeatability and reproducibility studies (also referred to as R&amp;R studies). This subject is also an unexplored research area.

Keywords: gauge r&r studies,information matrix,mixed statistical models,optimal design,restricted maximum likelihood estimation,split-plot designs
DNA Repair in Individual BActerial Cells (DRIBAC)

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,France
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2009-IOF, 2009)
Start date: 2010-06-01
End date: 2013-12-30
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 205099.8
EU funding (EUR): 205099.8
Participants: 2
Project status: CLOSED

Cells growing in identical environments can display substantial phenotypic heterogeneity within a population. This is partly due to changes in genetic information that in turn cause systematic changes in expression rates. It has also recently been shown that even genetically identical cells behave differently because many cellular processes involve molecules present in small numbers which causes significant cell-to-cell fluctuations. Genetic and non-genetic sources of heterogeneity may be connected through fluctuations in DNA repair enzymes such as the RecBCD protein of Escherichia coli and its functional analogue AddAB in Bacillus subtilis. RecBCD/AddAB is essential for DNA double-strand breaks repair and stimulates genetic exchanges. It is expressed at low levels, thus raising the question of how bacterial cells cope with potentially large cell-to-cell fluctuations in this complex. The objective of the project is to characterize the single cell heterogeneity of DNA repair in bacteria and to evaluate its impact on cell survival. We will (i) quantify fluctuations in RecBCD protein. (ii) Manipulate fluctuation levels to measure their impact on cell survival. (iii) Interface the experimental analysis with mathematical modelling to gain a better understanding of the system. (iv) Test the generality of the system by applying the above analysis to AddAB in B. subtilis. The results will shed light on a crucial cell process where fluctuations are expected to be substantial for physiological reasons, and of great selective consequence. The project will be developed the laboratories of Prof. Paulsson (Systems Biology Department, Harvard Medical School, Boston USA) and Dr. Noirot (MICALIS institute, INRA, Jouy en Josas, France). It will give the opportunity to the applicant to be trained in a world leading group and to come back to develop her independent group in a major Systems Biology research laboratory in Europe.

Keywords: bacteriology,dna repair,molecular genetics,stochastic cellular processes,systems biology,homologous recombination