Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Marine Environment and Sustainable-fisheries: Observation-Model in the Northern West Mediterranean Sea (MESOMED)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: International Incoming Fellowships
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: France
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2007-4-2-IIF, 2007)
Start date: 2009-01-11
End date: 2010-01-10
Duration (months): 12.0
Total project cost (EUR): 116865.81
EU funding (EUR): 116865.81
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Impacts of climate change and human fisheries on marine environment and resources are focused topics associated with our living environment and sustainability of economy. To protest marine resources, we are seeking to develop 1) quantitative estimates of distributions and production rates of biota, and 2) predictive models for changes by an interdisciplinary approach integrating physical–chemical–biological–socioeconomic processes, and sensor–model development. We are targeting the Gulf of Lions (GoL) in the Mediterranean Sea, and intend to reach the goals: 1) to understand the transport–retention and population dynamics of zooplankton and fish larvae in the GoL, 2) to synthesize our findings with climate change and fisheries, and 3) to apply our results to marine resource management and policy making. These studies will be conducted in both laboratories and field in the GoL by developing sensor packages and models including: 1) A towed physical and biological sensor package, 2) Size (biomass) spectrum mathematical models and theories, and 3) Ecosystem models. Drs. Zhou and Carlotti will form the team consisting of young Ph.D. students and post-doc scientists, and will cooperate with colleagues in LOB to ensure a long term cooperative relationship. The success of this project will significantly improve: 1) The capability to conduct surveys in multiple disciplines at high spatial and temporal scales for addressing interdisciplinary questions, and to model in situ rates and interdisciplinary processes; 2) The capacity to conduct surveys in larger areas, and more frequently, to respond to events, and to produce data products in shorter time because the automatic data acquisition, developed codes for data processing and analysis, and models for process studies; and 3) Integration between in situ observations and models link scientific results from laboratory and field with marine resource management and conservation, and with policy making.

Keywords: climate change,marine science,fisheries,ecosystem,food web,zooplankton
Mediterranean red coral management and conservation (CORGARD)

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: Spain
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2007-2-1-IEF, 2007)
Start date: 2009-09-01
End date: 2011-08-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 150802.06
EU funding (EUR): 150802.06
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

One of the most characteristic Mediterranean species, Red Coral (Corallium rubrum, L. 1758), is intensively harvested by professional divers, supporting a specialized jewellery industry with a long tradition. However, all of its commercial stocks are overexploited now, and its populations consist of extremely young colonies (Santangelo & Abbiatti 2001; Tsounis et al. 2007). Recent data show that poaching of immature colonies has increased dramatically (Linares et al. 2003) and that the survival of several populations is threatened by a combination of disturbances (Tsounis et al. 2007). This finally lead to the inclusion of red coral in the CITES Red List of Endangered Species in June 2007.This project is aimed at studying how the factors population structure, colony size, food availability, and level of inter-/intraspecific competition affect the mortality and growth of transplanted red coral. This will be the key to predict the outcome of future transplantation and thus provide methods for the restoration of devastated red coral populations. Even though data regarding these aspects of the ecology and restoration of Mediterranean corals are urgently necessary, there are none available. Finally, the socioeconomic impact of the decline of this species and the cost / value ratio of restoration will be studied.

Keywords: marine ecosystems (environment,fisheries and aquaculture interactions),coastal zone ecosystems and management
Application of reduced space modeling and sparse experimental restraints to structure determination of proteins and protein assemblies (PROTEIN PREDICTION)

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: Poland
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2007-4-1-IOF, 2007)
Start date: 2008-10-01
End date: 2011-09-30
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 207580.21
EU funding (EUR): 207580.21
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The knowledge of protein structures is critical for understanding of molecular machinery, discovering metabolic pathways, rational drug design and many other aspects of life at the molecular level. The number of currently know protein sequences however greatly outnumber known protein structures. Moreover this gap is rapidly growing. Therefore in the past few decades a number of theoretical approaches have been proposed for computational prediction of protein structures. During this project a novel protocol for protein structure prediction will be developed. A new software will be written, tested and applied on a genomic scale. The approach will be based on novel methodological advances, developed during the project. Among the most important elements are: (i) Multiscale approach: during a modeling process it will be possible to switch between several levels of coarse-graining. Low resolution protein representation will be used for an extremely efficient conformational search. Promising regions of solutions space will be further explored by a more detailed and more accurate model. (ii) A new family of force fields will be designed for accurate calculation of protein's energy at each of levels of coarse-graining (i.e. a separate force field for each levels of coarse-graining). (iii) Novel Monte Carlo techniques will be applied and tuned for further speed-up of conformational sampling. Monte Carlo methods will be also applied at the stage of force field development. (iv) Experimental information obtained from SAXS, EM, NMR, mutagenesis and other techniques will be used to direct the search of the conformational space and to increase modeling accuracy. The novel protocol developed during this project allow for structure determination of proteins and protein-protein complexes in a high-throuput fashion. The method will be shared as a publicly available Internet service and tested on representative benchmarks, e.g. a small genome.

Keywords: computational biology,bioinformatics,protein structure prediction,comparative modeling,experimental restraints
Investments in the electricity market: Model and Applications (ENINVEST)

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-2007-2-1-IEF, 2007)
Start date: 2008-09-01
End date: 2010-08-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 149568.25
EU funding (EUR): 149568.25
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

* Research Objective Many economists are concerned that without regulation, insufficient generation capacity will be built in the liberalized electricity market, given its market failures: markets are incomplete and generators have market power. The aim of this project is to study (1) whether government intervention is required to regulate the security of supply and, if so, (2) what the best regulatory scheme would be. As market power has been studied extensively, we will assume that markets are competitive, but incomplete. * Research methodology 1. We develop a long-run stochastic partial equilibrium model of the electricity market under perfect competition, with risk-averse firms and incomplete forward markets. The model includes production, spot market sales, contracting and investment decisions. The model is expected to show that the lack of a complete set of forward markets leads to underinvestment. 2. We extend the model to include a welfare-maximizing regulator. This regulator has two instruments: (a) it can regulate the risk taking by firms using a ‘capital adequacy regulation’, (b) it can buy peak-load power plants to provide backup power during emergencies fulfilling the role of ‘lender-of-last-resort. The model will determine which regulation is socially beneficial. * Training and Impact This fellowship will allow the researcher to join well-established European researchers to advance the state of the art on regulating investments in network industries. The project will contribute to Europe’s secure energy supply and to the establishment of the fellow as an independent researcher.

Keywords: energy economics,electricity markets,prudential regulation,economic planning
Smart nondimensional biosensors for detection of tumor cells and cytotoxic amyloids intermediates. (NANOSMARTS)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: International Incoming Fellowships
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: Germany
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2007-4-2-IIF, 2007)
Start date: 2008-09-01
End date: 2010-08-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 156993.81
EU funding (EUR): 156993.81
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

This project integrates the development of (a) bioconjugated silicon nanoparticles (NPs) as new, < 3nm, fluorescent probes and (b) dual-emission band fluorescent biosensors for protein conformation investigations to be applied in diagnostic procedures related to tumor biology and neurodegenerative diseases. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is an important therapeutic target in a variety of tumors, particularly malignant gliomas where mutation and/or amplification of EGFR is often observed. The laboratory has demonstrated in a pilot study the specific binding of biomolecules conjugated to Quantum Dots to patient-derived glioma spheroids. High wavelength emitting QDs are necessary to distinguish binding from tissue autofluorescence but such QDs are large (~40 nm) and do not penetrate deeply into tissues or access cellular junctions. The project will develop smaller, more inert, and less toxic conjugated silicon nanoparticles that can ultimately be used for the detection of residual glioma cells in patients after surgical resection. Additionally, more complex composite nanoparticles that selectively internalize in the tumor cells will be investigated as vehicles for drug delivery or selective killing. The aggregation of proteins and peptides is a fundamental feature of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and spongiform encephalopathies. It is not clear whether the fibrillar aggregates or smaller forms of the implicated proteins are the cause of cytotoxicity. Both in vitro assays and in vivo studies are hampered by the lack of probes that can distinguish and quantitate early stages of the aggregation phenomenon. This project will develop fluorescent biosensors for protein folding on the basis of environment sensitive ratiometric dyes that exhibit dual emission. Such dyes are prospective tools for a development of facile and rapid assays for protein folding for application in diagnostics and drug screening assays.

Keywords: tumor diagnostics,cancer,malignant glioma,nanodots,silicon nanoparticles,alzheimer,parkinson,amyloids,protein folding,biosensors,dual fluorescence,ratiometric probes,protein labeling.
Natural Interaction with Projected User Interfaces (NIPUI)

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-2007-2-1-IEF, 2007)
Start date: 2008-03-01
End date: 2010-02-28
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 169390.93
EU funding (EUR): 169390.93
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The overall aim of NIPUI is the development of ways of interacting more naturally with computers, using projected user interfaces. Building on the proposed fellow's research expertise in augmented reality, the project will develop interfaces based on virtual information projected on real objects (such as sheets of paper), and interaction modalities based on projected virtual characters. The project has three principal objectives: Development of a projected user interface to enable cooperative working and linking to content in the context of multiparty meetings. The host group has a large research effort in the automatic interpretation and extraction of information from multiparty meetings. In NIPUI, we shall combine the fellow's expertise in augmented reality and projected interfaces, with the host's expertise in speech recognition and content extraction. Development of controllable projection units for the projection of virtual documents onto real paper - handheld, as well as on the tabletop. Projecting virtual documents onto real paper could be a useful alternative to projecting them onto the tabletop. As people subconsciously pick up a piece of paper to have a closer look if they think the content is interesting, this feature could make interaction more intuitive and at the same time provide valuable feedback to the system. Enhancement of projected user interfaces to involve the projection of virtual characters onto room surfaces using controllable projectors. Virtual characters may provide a novel, powerful and fun user interface, particularly when combined with speech technologies such as speech recognition, speech synthesis, spatial audio using microphone arrays and directional speakers, and spoken dialogue systems. Interfaces based on virtual characters have the potential to engage people in more personal interactions than is possible with a conventional GUI.

Keywords: human computer interaction
Host target proteins of Phytophthora secreted effectors (EFFECTOR TARGETS)

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-2007-2-1-IEF, 2007)
Start date: 2008-06-01
End date: 2010-05-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 171091.96
EU funding (EUR): 171091.96
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Oomycete and fungi deliver a variety of effector proteins into plant host cells to suppress defense responses and enable successful colonization. Some of these effectors are secreted into host apoplast where they target plant enzymes to inhibit their activities. Others are secreted into the host cytoplasm and nucleus where they manipulate host immunity. The mechanisms involved in transport of oomycete and fungal effectors and host defense manipulation remain unclear. One key approach to unraveling effector function is to find their host cell targets and derive hypotheses about the effector mode of action. Phytophthora infestans offers an excellent system for applying this strategy. The objective of this proposal is to determine the target proteins of the recently identified family of P. infestans effectors to elucidate their biological function. Our hypothesis is based on the fact that P. infestans secretes a diverse set of proteins that target host proteins to suppress host responses and facilitate infection. This hypothesis is supported by preliminary data that demonstrated that P. infestans RXLR type efector protein, AVR3a, is delivered into the host cytoplasm and suppresses hypersensitive cell death mediated by another Phytophthora protein INF1. In this proposal, we will focus on (i) identification of host interactors of P. infestans cytoplasm and nuclear localized effector proteins; (ii) identification of the functions of host effector targets using a VIGS approach in tomato plants. Considering that none of the host translocated fungal and oomycte effectors have been assigned a precise biological function, the proposed research will provide a significant contribution to understanding how filamentous pathogen effectors promote disease. Also, this proposal will provide insights into key molecular processes regulating susceptibility to an economically important pathogen.

Keywords: natural sciences,phytophthora infestans,oomycete,effector,plant defense,hypersensitive cell death,rxlr,crn
Joining worlds apart: Observations and Simulations of the First Stars in the Universe (OBSI-FSU)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: International Incoming Fellowships
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2007-4-2-IIF, 2007)
Start date: 2008-10-08
End date: 2010-04-07
Duration (months): 18.0
Total project cost (EUR): 135289.57
EU funding (EUR): 135289.57
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The First Stars in the universe are of great importance in the astrophysical context as a probe of the early universe, although the existence of their survivors has not yet been established in searches of metal-poor stars. The simulations of the First Stars have a key role in not only identifying them but also gaining insight into the evolution of the universe and the star formation history of our Galaxy. The applicant's specialized knowledge in simulating the First Stars in the global 1D stellar evolution approximation will help advanced stellar simulation including non-standard physics at the host institute. Several aspects of these first stars are different from stars born more recently, like our sun. Differences are especially important in the mixing physics (complex convective events) that evade the 1D approach. The applicant's models will provide the understanding of the overall astrophysical context especially for multi-dimensional effects such as convection, rotation and magnetic fields on the mixing episodes carried out by the Keele group. The proposed research project will lay the foundation for future long-term collaboration as we are just beginning to explore the complex mixing physics in the First Stars. The applicant has also conceived and implemented a database of the metal-poor stars, and developed tools that allow effective interpretation of new model results. The increasing number of these important tracers of the early Universe allows a statistical foundation of general properties of the First Stars. The applicant's expertise, database and tools are unique and not yet public. These knowledge components will greatly enhance the ability of the Keele group in this area to systematically apply their advanced, hydrodynamics based models to observations and will accelerate its innovation cycle by having faster feedback from confronting new simulations and model predictions with observations.

Keywords: physical sciences,astrophysics,nuclear physics
Ecophysiological Aspects of Tree Ring Isotopes (ECOTRI)

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-2007-2-1-IEF, 2007)
Start date: 2008-04-11
End date: 2010-04-10
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 173301.94
EU funding (EUR): 173301.94
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Understanding biosphere-climate interactions is essential for reliable assessments of ecosystem responses under a changing climate. A potentially rich source of information on vegetation climate responses across large scales of space and time exists in the natural archives of tree-rings. In particular, the isotopic composition (d13C and d18O) of tree-ring cellulose may yield valuable information due to climate-related fractionation effects at the leaf. However, incomplete understanding of the relationship between the isotopic composition of photo-assimilate and that of tree-ring cellulose currently compromises the use of tree-ring isotopes in developing reliable climate proxies. A number of potential physiological processes may operate to modify the isotopic composition of carbohydrates post-fixation, such as respiration, mixing with remobilized stores, isotopic exchange between xylem and phloem water and cellulose synthesis. Therefore this project aims to advance our understanding of the relationship between the environmentally mediated leaf level isotopic signals and tree ring isotope composition. The proposed research is a multidisciplinary study involving ecophysiology, isotope ecology and dendroclimatology. The research will focus on the processes affecting tree-ring d13C and d18O in response to seasonally and climatically driven physiological and phenological influences through controlled environment and field experiments using isotope tracer and labeling methods. The results will be applied to an integrated multi-isotope tree ring model in order to both assist with model development and enhance interpretation of the results. The outcomes of this research will thus advance our process-level understanding of ecosystem-climate responses and therefore assist in making informed decisions relating to strategies under future climate scenarios.

Keywords: fractionation,drought,soil-plant-atmosphere hydrology,carbon metabolism,forest