Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Synthetic nicotinamide cofactors for new and improved biocatalytic processes (BIOMIMIC)

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-2012-IEF, 2012)
Start date: 2013-05-01
End date: 2015-04-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 175974.6
EU funding (EUR): 175974.6
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Over the past years, intensive research has been done in pursuit of the development of nicotinamide cofactor recycling systems in oxidoreductase-catalysed reactions, to reduce the overall cost of biocatalytic systems. However, there is still a need to overcome the challenging drawbacks, such as undesired side-reactions, of using these cofactor-dependent enzymes. The aim of this project is to design and develop synthetic nicotinamide cofactors (mNADs) to be accepted by oxidoreductase enzymes and thus improve biocatalytic processes. The main objectives are (i) an in-depth understanding of the catalytic mechanism of mNAD-driven regeneration with enoate reductases, (ii) expanding the scope of mNADs to other enzymes through protein engineering, and (iii) a preparative exploitation of the optimised system. Thus, the initial part of this project will be the synthesis of novel mNADs, obtaining a library to be used with enoate reductases to analyse the enzyme mechanism with these biomimics. Further on, variants of an alcohol dehydrogenase will be engineered to expand the scope of the mNADs to other enzymes. Finally, the system will be optimised for preparative scale through a newly designed mNAD recycling system. An enzyme screening kit is also envisaged to be developed. The objective of this innovative and timely proposal is to provide training in the multidisciplinary fields of organic chemistry, biocatalysis, molecular biology and protein engineering. This proposal is expected to help the applicant reach a position of professional maturity and start an independent career in academia. Benefits for the European Research Area include a new line of research, and the obtained results will be patented and published in high quality journals, with applications to the industrial sector.

Keywords: c141 organic chemistry,biocatalysis,enzymes,c112 catalysis,c114 chemical reactions,biomimics
Energy and carbon food webs of the deep sub-seafloor biosphere (DEEP CARBON FLUX)

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: Denmark
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2012-IEF, 2012)
Start date: 2013-10-01
End date: 2015-11-04
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 221154.6
EU funding (EUR): 221154.6
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Vast communities of microorganisms in the sub-seafloor biosphere are responsible for the degradation of deeply buried organic matter (OM) and drive complex metabolic processes of OM mineralization. It remains unknown how the microorganisms subsist at the available energetic limits for life with extremely slow turnover. This project aims to determine the energetic and kinetic controls on the major metabolic processes, in particular the role of small organic acids. These occur in a broad range of concentrations in the pore fluid of recent and old sediments and are key intermediates in the microbial food web. The research will develop and apply new and highly sensitive analytical techniques, including 2-dimensional ion chromatography combined with mass spectrometric detection (2D IC-MS). With new analytical capabilities, combined with measurements of microbial substrate turnover rates, we can analyze both the thermodynamic and the kinetic regulation of predominant microbial processes. In international collaboration, including the molecular biological expertise at the Center for Geomicrobiology, it is the ambitious goal to determine, for the first time, the mean cellular energy flux throughout all biogeochemical zones of a sediment column, from the highly active oxic surface to the deep subsurface and from substrate rich to substrate poor sediments. We will focus on three systems of study: A) Coastal marine sediment of Aarhus Bay, an easily accessible and intensively studied test site. B) The North Pacific where IODP (Integrated Ocean Drilling Program) Expedition 337 will drill two km deep sediment harboring Eocene lignite layers. The low-mature OM encountered here is expected to support diverse microbial communities in spite of the 50 million year age. C) The Baltic Sea where IODP Expedition 347 will drill through several glacial-interglacial sequences with extreme variations in past environmental conditions including OM depleted sedimentary layers.

Keywords: geomicrobiology - biogeochemistry - biogeochemical cycles - deep biosphere - subseafloor microbiology - actetate pools in porewater - subsurface carbon and energy flux - substrate and energy limit
Plasma- and electron beam-assisted nanofabrication of two-dimensional (2D) substrates and three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds with artificial cell-instructive niches for vascular and bone implants (PLASMANANOSMART)

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-2012-IIF, 2012)
Start date: 2013-07-01
End date: 2015-06-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 168794.4
EU funding (EUR): 168794.4
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The project is aimed at investigation of the novel routes to prepare functional 2D-substrates or 3D-scaffolds with artificial cell-instructive niches for cardiovascular and bone implants using sophisticated plasma- and electron beam-assisted nanofabrication technologies. The project’s grand challenges are as follows: 1) Plasma-assisted fabrication of two-dimensional (2D) substrates and three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds of polymers, titanium and shape-memory alloys to control the differentiation of MSCs towards osteogenic and vascular (endothelial) lineages 2) Deterministic nanofabrication of the endothelial cell-targeted surface chemistry, topography and charge of two-dimensional (2D) substrates and three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds for the prevention of thrombosis of polymers, titanium and shape-memory alloys-based materials 3) Control over the hydrophobic nitric oxide groups containing surface chemistry, wettability and charge that prevent the formation of biofilm and adhesion of platelets 4) Differential diagnostics of cell associations and bioengineering constructions in vitro by use of synchrotron radiation 5) The development and studying of the novel 2D-substrates and 3D polymer scaffolds and their behavior in a bio-reactor (via tissue engineering) in vitro by use of dedicated X-ray multiple contrast diagnostics (objective for re-integration phase of the project). Completing the research planned during the PlasmaNanoSmart project it is suggested to obtain new fundamental data on biological response of novel elaborated biocomposites, which will serve further breakthrough in the field of 3D-bioscaffold technologies for regenerative medicine. The “cell biochips” advanced technology for “smart implants” carrying artificial niches for MSCs will be developed which allows us to gradually replace bioinert and bioactive materials. This new bioengineering (biomimetical) approach will reduce the medical, social and economic risks for the public (compared to cell therapy).

Keywords: g311 materials engineering,g314 medical engineering and technology,p321 surface physics,c128 nanomaterials,c130 intelligent materials - self assembled materials,c105 surface science,c129 biomaterials
Software management of non-volatile memory hierarchies (NOVOSOFT)

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-2012-IEF, 2012)
Start date: 2013-04-01
End date: 2015-03-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 309235.2
EU funding (EUR): 309235.2
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

This project will investigate techniques for software management of hybrid memory hierarchies composed of conventional DRAM memory technology and upcoming non-volatile memory (NVRAM) technology. The scientific objective is to gain understanding of the memory behavior of programs and to construct co-designed hardware/software policies for NVRAM management based on this understanding. The technological objective is to enable a step-change reduction in the memory system’s energy consumption. Energy and cost efficiency are becoming as important as processing power in computing systems. Major reductions of energy consumption will enable high-performance computing facilities to reach exascale performance, which will in turn enable scientific advances in computational physics, biology and other computational sciences.

Keywords: g101 computer architecture,g113 parallel and distributed computing
Sparse Discrete Structures (PROBCOMB)

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: Hungary
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2012-IIF, 2012)
Start date: 2013-06-07
End date: 2014-09-06
Duration (months): 15.0
Total project cost (EUR): 118821.0
EU funding (EUR): 118821.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Combinatorics is one of the most active research areas in pure mathematics today. It has close ties and applications to many other fields, such as geometry, number theory, statistical physics and computer science. New concepts and tools have been introduced, some old problems have been solved, and a plethora of challenging new questions have emerged. It has attracted a considerable amount of attention from many of the world's leading mathematicians, as demonstrated by the Wolf Prize in 1983 and 1999, by the Fields Medal in 1998 and 2006 and by the Abel Prize in 2012. One of the most important trends in combinatorics has been studying various random analogues of well-known theorems in extremal graph theory, Ramsey theory and additive combinatorics. Despite recent progress, many important questions have remained open, Balogh proposes to address several of them. It is also expected that this project leads to new exciting questions and directions. Balogh's secondary goal is to further develop his collaboration with some of the researchers from the host institution and other European researchers, which has the potential of becoming a life-long collaboration. It would also establish new collaborative links worldwide; such as creating connections between the host institute and other highly regarded research groups. Balogh is an expert on most aspects of combinatorics: graph theory, probabilistic methods, random graphs, bootstrap percolation. After more than a decade of successful research in the US, he would like to return to Europe at least for a year. The University of Szeged is an excellent host institution with a great history accommodating many talented researchers as well as students, thus, Balogh could ease the continuity of up-to-date research while there. The project would raise the status of the European Research Area. In particular it would have a long-lasting impact on the host insitute by introducing them to the latest trends in modern combinatorics.

Keywords: m115 combinatorics,graph theory,extremal problems,sparse discrete structures,regularity methods
Probabilistic Models in Pseudo-Euclidean Spaces (PROMOS)

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-2012-IEF, 2012)
Start date: 2014-01-02
End date: 2016-04-02
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 221606.4
EU funding (EUR): 221606.4
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Biological sequence databases are a core source of information in the life sciences and have nowadays grown to multiple thousand entries. Classically, a query of a sequence to such a database requires the comparison of the query to each entry using an alignment algorithm, like fasta, smith-Waterman or blast. Many realtime and high-througput experiments rely on a quick identification of the query to decide the next steps in the experimental pipeline and are currently slown down by the costs of the classical retrieval systems. The main objective of this proposal is to provide quick large-scale identification algorithms in non-metric spaces, induced by the scoring functions for sequence-alignments. Thereby, the proposal aims on techniques which avoid the full calculations of the scorings during training and retrieval, employing different mathematical and probabilistic approximation techniques.

Keywords: g109 knowledge engineering and artificial intelligence,l210 bioinformatics,similarity and dissimilarity learning,probabilistic modeling,sequence retrieval
Unravelling the unconventional processing and presentation of preproinsulin to the immune system in human Type 1 Diabetes: the role of intramembrane-cleaving proteases. (DIABICLIPS)

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-2012-IEF, 2012)
Start date: 2013-06-01
End date: 2015-05-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 231283.2
EU funding (EUR): 231283.2
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) is a chronic autoimmune disease in which pancreatic beta cells are selectively destroyed by autoreactive CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs). The identification of the epitopes presented by “diabetogenic” HLA molecules to these CTLs constitutes a major research target to understand how beta cells are killed. Preproinsulin (PPI) has emerged as a key autoantigen in T1D: a surprising finding made in the host laboratory is that the dominant HLA-A2.1-restricted-PPI epitope, PPI 15-24, localizes to the signal peptide (SP), being an unusual finding for self-, or indeed microbial antigens. The processing of PPI to derive such epitope is also highly unconventional in being proteasome and transporter associated with processing(TAP) independent. Preliminary studies in the host lab have identified more antigenic PPI-SP epitopes restricted to other “diabetogenic” HLA molecules and the existence of a common cleavage motif among them within the intramembrane SP portion. This suggests the involvement of an intramembrane cleaving protease (I-CLiP) in generating these disease-related epitopes. The hypothesis is that the generation of disease-associated PPI-SP epitopes involves novel I-CLiP-dependent processing and presentation pathway(s). This will be studied via: (i) generation of CD8 T-cell clones specific for each PPI-SP-epitope/HLA; (ii) determination of TAP and proteasome roles in the generation of PPI-SP epitopes(other than PPI 15-24) by specific inhibitor strategies; and (iii) determination of the role of ER proteases and I-CLiPs in the generation of PPI 15-24 and other TAP/proteasome-independent PPI-SP epitopes-potentially identified in (ii) using RNAi strategies. Thus, this proposal aims to unravel the molecular mechanisms leading to the generation of these important epitopes, potentially offering novel immunobiological insights and opening new fields of therapeutic interventions, while at the same time strengthening the ERA excellence in T1D research

Keywords: l602 adaptive immunity,l604 immunosignalling,l612 biological basis of immunity related disorders,l101 molecular biology and interactions,l206 molecular genetics - reverse genetics and rnai
Feeding and hiding the monster: triggering and obscuring the central engine of active galaxies (FEEDING & HIDING AGN)

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-2012-IEF, 2012)
Start date: 2014-01-01
End date: 2016-04-21
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 166336.2
EU funding (EUR): 166336.2
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Some of the most important open questions in astrophysics concern how and when active galactic nuclei (AGN) are triggered, and how important they are in the evolution of galaxies. In order to understand these processes and interpret the results found for AGN at cosmological distances, it is fundamental to account for the structure of their central engines in the local universe. This includes the unifying torus, whose properties are still uncertain. Thus, the first objective of this proposal is to characterize the AGN obscuring torus using an infrared survey of a homogeneous sample of nearby active galaxies. We will use mid- and far-infrared data obtained with the CanariCam instrument on the 10 m Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) and the Herschel Space Observatory, respectively. This survey will represent the definitive characterization of the AGN torus in the local universe. In addition, we will use new spectropolarimetric observations of a smaller sample of Seyfert galaxies to test the validity of the clumpy torus squeme, and ultimately, of the unified model for AGN. The second objective of this proposal is to confirm the hypothesis that AGN of different luminosities are triggered in different ways, with galaxy interactions triggering luminous AGN (quasar-like), and secular processes (bars or disc instabilities) triggering lower luminosity AGN (Seyfert-like). We also aim to investigate the role of other factors such as the environment in the triggering of the nuclear and star formation activity, and the connection between them. The results of the proposed project will substantially enhance our understanding of the physics of AGN and their role in galaxy evolution.

Keywords: p301 astronomy - astrophysics and cosmology,galaxies:active,galaxies:interactions. galaxies:nuclei,galaxies:dust,infrared:galaxies
Asymmetrical B cell division: origin and functional significance. (ASYMMETRY IN B CELLS)

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-2012-IEF, 2012)
Start date: 2014-01-01
End date: 2015-12-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 221606.4
EU funding (EUR): 221606.4
Participants: 2
Project status: CLOSED

B cell activation required for antibody production and the establishment of immunological memory is initiated by antigen recognition through the B cell receptor (BCR) and subsequent internalization of antigen for presentation to T cells. After activation, B cells proliferate and differentiate into plasma cells or memory B cells. The mechanism involved in this B cell fate decision has been recently explored and a new theory has been proposed based on the existence of an asymmetrical B cell division (1). This theory assumes the unequal inheritance of antigen between daughter cells due to antigen being rapidly polarized in a unique compartment that is maintained along B cell division. This polarity abolishes the uniform distribution of antigen vesicles between daughter cells, generating two functionally different B cells. This proposal is focused on understanding how this initial antigen polarity is established and maintained and what is its role in B cell activation. Furthermore, the functional significance of the asymmetrical B cell decision will be analyzed in vitro and in vivo. In addition, possible new parameters asymmetrically distributed that could also determine B cell fate decisions will be evaluated. During this project, a huge range of techniques including state-of-the-art microscopy (in vitro and in vivo methodologies), flow cytometry systems (multiparametric analysis and ImageStream) will be used and advance mathematical analysis approaches will be developed. Results from this proposal will contribute to the general knowledge of immunological responses, but more precisely will explain how different B cell populations are originated after B cell activation, a key step that is deregulated in some diseases such as cancer. 1. O. Thaunat et al., Science 335, 475 (Feb 26, 2012).

Keywords: l602 adaptive immunity,l604 immunosignalling,b cell activation,antigen,asymmetrical division,polarity
The role of epigenetics in the regulation of reproduction and behavior in insect societies (ANTEPIGENETICS)

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: Switzerland
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2012-IOF, 2012)
Start date: 2013-03-01
End date: 2016-02-29
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 264112.5
EU funding (EUR): 264112.5
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Epigenetics is the study of changes in gene expression caused by mechanisms other than changes in the underlying DNA sequence. One of the most important forms of epigenetic modifications is the methylation of DNA. Contrary to vertebrates, DNA methylation is not present in all insect species and is relatively sparse in insect genomes. In insects, DNA methylation is mostly found in gene bodies and at exon/intron boundaries, as opposed to vertebrates, where it mostly occurs in promoter regions. Taken together, this suggests that DNA methylation has a different role in insects, but its precise function is currently not understood. The fundamental feature of social insects (ants, bees, wasps and termites) is sophisticated division of labor, whereby different reproductive and behavioral castes coexist in insect societies. In this project I propose to use the parthenogenetic army ant Cerapachys biroi as a model species to investigate the role of DNA methylation in the regulation of reproduction and behavior. This project, jointly supervised by Prof. Daniel Kronauer (Rockefeller University, USA) and Prof. Laurent Keller (University of Lausanne, Switzerland), will be divided in two parts. First, I will use whole-genome bisulfite sequencing to identify genes for which changes in methylation status are associated with changes in reproduction and behavior. Second, I will use these candidate genes to investigate the causal relationship between DNA methylation, gene expression, alternative splicing and the regulation of reproduction and behavior. This project, which combines an elegant experimental design and state-of-the-art molecular techniques, will provide important information on the mode of action of DNA methylation and its role in the regulation of division of labor in insect societies.

Keywords: epigenetics,reproduction,behavior,division of labor,social insects,ants,dna methylation,gene expression,alternative splicing,cerapachys biroi