Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Investigating Normative and Descriptive Uses of Confirmation Theory (INDUCT)

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: 2009-06-22
End date: 2010-06-21
Duration (months): 12.0
Total project cost (EUR): 53632.37
EU funding (EUR): 53632.37
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Inductive reasoning concerns how evidence affects the credibility of hypotheses, thus playing a crucial role in many cognitive processes (e.g. learning, diagnosis, prediction, etc.) and in several applied settings (e.g. law, medicine, etc.). It includes two related but distinct issues: (i) the assessment of degrees of belief in hypotheses in light of available evidence, and (ii) the assessment of the net impact of a piece of evidence on a hypothesis, i.e., the degree of confirmation provided by the former to the latter. Issue (i) has been subject of thorough investigation. Standard probability calculus is seen as the appropriate normative benchmark, especially by contemporary Bayesian theorists, on the basis of Dutch-book arguments. Also, inquiries in cognitive psychology have extensively tested the empirical validity of the normative account, identified its limitations and suggested various descriptive models to account for them. Issue (ii), however, has not attained comparable attention and consensus. A plurality of non-equivalent formal models of confirmation have been put forward, whose normative adequacy is still disputed. Confirmation has been experimentally investigated by cognitive psychologists in rather limited domains, and discussions of the connection between the normative and descriptive level have been sporadic. The present research project aims at filling this gap by pursuing the following goals in an integrated fashion: - extending preliminary theoretical and experimental results on both the normative and descriptive virtues and limitations of Bayesian models of confirmation; - providing a behavioral basis for the comparison of alternative models of confirmation in terms of a new analysis of the value of information; - exploring implications of confirmation theory in the psychology of thinking at large and in applied settings, as the estimation of probative value of evidence when deciding its admissibility in judicial proceedings.

Keywords: cognitive science,experimental psychology,inductive reasoning,confirmation theory
Systems Biology of the Heterobasidion-Spruce Interaction: Application of Metabolomics and Genomics to Understanding Host Resistance (SYBHES)

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: 2008-04-23
End date: 2010-04-22
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 169957.94
EU funding (EUR): 169957.94
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Root and butt rot of conifers caused by Heterobasidion is one of the most important tree diseases in the northern hemisphere. Despite the high impact of Heterobasidion, ability to control the disease in forests with a long history of management is very limited. Traits associated with resistance to pathogen growth appear to be highly heritable, and could be exploited in selection and breeding programmes. However, neither the molecular control nor the biochemical basis for this resistance is known in Picea species. This project will utilise state-of-the art metabolomics and genomics methods to elucidate biochemistry and gene regulation in Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) challenged with Heterobasidion annosum, in relation to lesion development and extension growth of the pathogen in bark tissues. Responses of six mature Sitka spruce clones differing in susceptibility/resistance will be assessed after wounding and artificial inoculation with three isolates of H. annosum differing in virulence at 0, 3, 7, 21 and 35 days after treatment. Bark tissues surrounding the wounding and inoculation points will be analyzed for phenolic and terpenoid components using LC-MS-based metabolomic techniques to identify changes in the metabolome of spruce bark and pinpoint key constitutive and induced differences between resistant and susceptible host genotypes. Key genes in metabolic pathways identified as upregulated in metabolomics will be examined in detail using gene expression analyses based on quantitative PCR. This project will increase our knowledge of the physiological processes involved in resistance of spruce to infection by Heterobasidion, enabling accurate and rapid identification of host genotypes showing greater resistance to the pathogen. Such resistant clones will be of very high value in breeding programmes, in forests having high incidence of Heterobasidion and in the extensive afforestations now planned on agricultural land taken out of food production.

Keywords: spruce,heterobasidion,gene expression,phenolics,host resistance,host susceptibility
Linking redox and hormonal signalling in Arabidopsis plants with altered levels of a stress-inducible glycosyltransferase. (REDOXHORMONE)

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-2007-2-1-IEF, 2007)
Start date: 2008-03-01
End date: 2010-02-28
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 156154.64
EU funding (EUR): 156154.64
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

UDP-glycosyltransferases catalyze the addition of sugars to a wide range of small molecules thereby altering their activity, solubility and transport. In Arabidopsis, over 100 glycosyltransferase genes are annotated, however, only a limited number of these have been characterized. Arabidopsis UGT74E2 is an indole-3-butyric acid (IBA)-glycosyltransferase expressed in the root expansion zone and in the margins of leaf base and petioles. UGT74E2 transcripts are highly inducible by various biotic and abiotic stress conditions. Transgenic Arabidopsis plants overproducing UGT74E2 contain significantly higher levels of IBA-glucose and free IBA and show changes in plant architecture and enhanced drought tolerance. Taken together, the results indicate a role for UGT74E2-induced alterations in IBA homeostasis as an adaptation mechanism to environmentally adverse conditions. These results constitute one of the first steps in the largely unexplored field of auxin homeostasis during environmental stress. It is well-documented that ROS play a central role in responses to both abiotic and biotic stresses and ROS/hormonal homeostasis in plants. However, the molecular and biochemical mechanisms involved are poorly understood. The interaction of signals conferring crosstolerance and developmental traits and its influence on crop growth and yield is a priority in programs for improving plant stress tolerance. In this sense, Arabidopsis overexpressing UGT74E2 and T-DNA knockout lines are a valuable tool system. The transgenic plants will be investigated under different abiotic stresses. The analysis of the stress tolerance, levels of hormone and glycosyl-derivates, analysis of the UGT74E2 promoter and the transcriptional profiles of both transgenic and wild-type plants will provide valuable insights into novel stress-responsive genes involve in the crosstalk between hormone and ROS.

Keywords: natural sciences
Dissecting the molecular basis of deleterious genetic interactions involving naturally occurring alleles in Arabidopsis (NATSYNTHLETHALARA)

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-2007-2-1-IEF, 2007)
Start date: 2008-05-01
End date: 2010-04-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 178730.72
EU funding (EUR): 178730.72
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Natural genetic variation within populations largely determines phenotypic variation and is increasingly recognized as a critical factor in such diverse contexts as crop productivity or human disease susceptibility. For instance, diseases can be considered as quantitative traits, with disease occurring beyond a certain boundary along a spectrum. Whether a given allele confers a disease burden can depend on environmental factors, but also on the presence of particular alleles at other loci. Thus, natural allelic variants that by themselves are a priori not deleterious can have strong synthetic effects when combined. In the extreme, such genetic interactions can lead to hybrid sterility or breakdown, processes which are thought to drive reproductive isolation and thus initiate speciation. Despite their importance, the extent and nature of such natural genetic interactions in multicellular eukaryotes remains largely unknown. Here, we use the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana to study two cases of genetic incompatibility, leading to synthetic infertility and lethality, respectively. These phenotypes were recovered by chance in crosses between hy5 hyh double mutants and the brx mutant and result from complex, background-dependent genetic interactions. Importantly, the high frequency of the novel phenotypes suggests that they do not represent double or triple mutants between the hy5, hyh or brx loci. Rather, initial genetic mapping indicates that the phenotypes are due to genetic interactions involving two wild type background-specific alleles at novel loci. The primary aim of the proposed research is to isolate these alleles by map-based cloning and use this information to decipher the molecular genetic basis of the observed phenotypes. We expect that this work will establish a rare example of deleterious genetic interactions involving naturally occurring alleles, which will be conceptually highly relevant for the field of Genetics as a whole.

Keywords: natural sciences,biology,genetics,molecular genetics,plant genetics,molecular biology
In vitro reconstitution of the S. pombe interphase microtubule cytoskeleton (PLUSTIPS)

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-2007-2-1-IEF, 2007)
Start date: 2008-05-01
End date: 2010-04-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 158694.85
EU funding (EUR): 158694.85
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The research proposed here intends to explore processes governed by microtubule (MT) plus end accumulating proteins (+TIPs) and interdependencies between these proteins for their localisation. The well defined but relatively simple interphase MT cytoskeleton of Schitzosaccharomyces pombe (S. pombe) has proven to be an excellent model for MT plus end studies. In interphase, MTs are involved in defining sites of polarised growth as well as nuclear positioning by generating pushing forces against the cell cortex. The mechanochemical principles governing this process as well as the likely interplay between +TIPs are as yet incompletely understood. This proposal focuses on elucidating the interdependencies between the various evolutionary conserved +TIPs using (purified proteins of) S. pombe in both in vivo and in vitro experiments. Initial experiments will determine the function of the recently characterised class of length-dependent MT-depolymerases (kinesin-8s) in MT plus end behaviour in S. pombe. Combined with already characterised +TIPs such as Mal3, Tip1, and Tea2, a complete set of proteins, governing all observed MT dynamic behaviours seen in vivo, may now be available. These will be used in an attempt to recreate the first fully functional MT plus end in vitro. Expanding on a novel microscopy set-up created by the Surrey laboratory (EMBL, Heidelberg, Germany, unpublished) we hope to determine the interplay between +TIPs for MT plus end localisation. In addition, we want to investigate the individual as well as the combined influence of these +TIPs on MT dynamic behaviour in vitro. Skills acquired during this research at the interphase of cell biology and biophysics using both in vitro and in vivo techniques will be highly advantageous in obtaining an independent position after the fellowship in these developing fields of biological research.

Keywords: kinesins,+tips,klp5,klp6,cell biology,cytology
Microfluidic electrochemical probes for both stimulation of single neuronal cells and real-time detection of inflammatory signalling compounds released from the cell. (1CELL-MICROPROBE)

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: France
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2007-4-1-IOF, 2007)
Start date: 2008-06-01
End date: 2010-11-30
Duration (months): 30.0
Total project cost (EUR): 188250.15
EU funding (EUR): 188250.15
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Modern society, because of population ageing, suffers from a growing socio-economical impact of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Creutzfeldt-Jakob. Despite intense research efforts, the mechanisms responsible for the onset of these neuroinflammatory events, leading to neurodegeneration, are still unknown. Indeed, even if cytokines are well known to play a central role in the beginning of the neuroinflammatory events, their effects seem to depend on their localization and release time. Unfortunately, these local parameters, which are necessary to elucidate the neuroinflammatory mechanisms, are not accessible using traditional techniques. The aim of this project is to set-up an advanced, versatile, spatially and temporally controlled in vitro measurement tool for the electrochemical detection of signalling compounds released from a single cell. In order to reach the cellular temporal functionality and spatial dimension, we propose to use a microfluidic probe (MFP). The MFP operates by delivering a laminar stream of inducer solution through an opening (20 x 20 µm) and capturing it in a second opening, in a push-pull configuration. In the present project, microelectrodes will be added to the MFP, surrounding the apertures, in order to detect specifically the desired biomolecules in the cell micro-environment. These detections will be real-time and label-free electrochemical measurements (impedance or cyclic-voltammetry), based on the modification of the electrode surface behaviour, following biospecific interactions. The specificity of the detection will be achieved using immobilized antibodies at the electrode surface. After characterisation and improvement of the bio-sensing possibilities, the modified MFP will be used to both stimulate the cell and detect target compounds in the cell vicinity. This should allow us to characterize the intercellular signalling cascade and its kinetic properties.

Keywords: biomedical engineering,bioprocess engineering,nanodevices,nanobiotechnology,neurochemistry,brain research
Mechanisms of secretion and extracellular functions of hGBP-1 (NGL - HGBP-1)

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-2007-2-1-IEF, 2007)
Start date: 2009-06-01
End date: 2011-05-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 158694.85
EU funding (EUR): 158694.85
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The human guanylate binding protein-1 (hGBP-1) characterizes inflammatory cytokine (IC)-activated blood vessel endothelial cells (EC) and regulates the antiangiogenic activity of IC in these cells in vitro and in vivo. In addition, hGBP-1 is the first GTPase which has been observed to be secreted. In colorectal carcinoma, the expression of hGBP-1 in the tumour stroma has been shown in a recent work to be an independent prognostic factor associated with a better outcome. The project focuses on the specific role of hGBP-1 in this context. The objectives of the are: (1) to characterize the mechanisms of hGBP-1 secretion, (2) to study the biological effects of the secreted protein and (3) to investigate the potential in vivo function of secreted hGBP-1. The methodological approach would consist first in the determination of the protein domains responsible of the secretion, to define the non classical secretion pathway involved and to test the association of hGBP-1 with endothelial cells microparticles. Then, the biological effects of extracellular hGBP-1 will be investigated, as well as the existence of a receptor. Finally, the tumours collected in two previous xenotransplant mouse experiments with induced expression and secretion of hGBP-1 will be analyzed for hGBP-1 expression, proliferation and angiogenesis. The long term goal of the project is to exploit the results obtained for new therapeutic applications for the treatment of cancer or infectious diseases.

Keywords: human guanylate-binding protein 1 (hgbp-1),endothelial cells,nonclassical secretion,tumour mouse model
Development of novel multiplexed SPEX-based methodologies to accurately genotype forensic, archaeological, and other marginal environmental sources of DNA (MULTIPLEXED-SPEX)

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: 2009-01-01
End date: 2010-12-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 160867.63
EU funding (EUR): 160867.63
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Traces of surviving degraded DNA in marginal clinical, forensic, archaeological, and environmental samples are generally amplified by PCR, which can often produce highly-skewed product distributions dominated by non-authentic sequences (due to DNA damage and PCR-generated artefacts). The applicant has developed the SPEX amplification methodology, an alternative to PCR which has generated sequence data of unprecedented accuracy from specimens up to 60,000 years old. SPEX creates first-generation copies from target template strands at defined loci and can generate a quantifiable redundancy of coverage (providing in-built controls for the detection of contamination and allelic drop-out). SPEX has provided key insights and solved long-standing puzzles in the molecular processes of DNA degradation. The applicant would be fully-trained in every aspect of state-of-the-art multiplexed genotyping methodologies, at a host institution currently providing high-throughput data for population genetics, disease association and forensics studies in worldwide collaborations. The proposed project to develop multiplexed-SPEX systems could reduce genotyping errors down towards the background level of polymerase misincorporation, allowing the rapid and reliable quantifiable genotyping of even highly marginal samples. This could revolutionise the authentication of sequence data in areas as diverse as basic cancer research, forensics, biomolecular archaeology, and conservation biology. In addition, highly-promising prototypes for the whole genome amplification of marginal DNA could allow key samples to be 'immortalised' for prolonged in-depth genetic analyses. The proposed project would create new hybrid technologies, useful in many fields throughout the EU and beyond. The enthusiastic backing of international collaborators provides scope for EU-wide technology transfer, and would leave the applicant with the core skills to take these novel methodologies into further research positions.

Keywords: genomics,molecular genetics,multiplexed genotyping,archaeological dna,forensic genetics,human identification,environmental dna,clinical dna,single primer extension (spex) amplification,snps
Quantum Optomechanics using Monolithic Micro-Resonators (QUOM)

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-2007-2-1-IEF, 2007)
Start date: 2008-02-15
End date: 2009-12-14
Duration (months): 22.0
Total project cost (EUR): 166982.27
EU funding (EUR): 166982.27
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Research groups working on mechanical systems ranging in size from nanometer-scale oscillators or centimeter-scale optical cavities to kilometer-scale gravity wave detectors are all independently approaching a regime, where the observation of quantum mechanical phenomena with mechanical objects might become observable. These results have been catalyzed by the recent development of a novel laser cooling technique which allows cooling mechanical oscillators coupled to an optical resonator. As a result researchers from backgrounds as diverse as astrophysical gravity waves, mesoscopic condensed matter physics, and quantum optics are converging on a common set of goals related to quantum effects in mechanical systems. These goals relate to the observation of a distinct set of phenoma, such as quantum-backaction, ground state cooling, entanglement and generation of non-classical states of motion which would hallmark the birth of a new research field, “quantum optomechanics”. Within this scientific setting, the applicant will join the research group of Dr. T.J. Kippenberg within the Division of Laser Spectroscopy of T.W. Haensch and seek to demonstrate quantum phenomena of mechanical objects in the form of toroidal monolithic microcavities. Within the tenure of the applicant it is expected to observe quantum mechanical phenomena relating to macroscopic mechanical objects. The training aspects of the project involve a significant enlargement of the scientific field of the applicant into a fast-advancing moving new area of opto-mechanics of micro-resonators, acquisition of cutting-edge micro-fabrication technical skills and the development of project management and apprentice guidance methods, essential for an independent research career. The hosting institution is the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics (MPQ), a world renowned center for quantum optics. The applicant is a French scientist, with Ph.D. training at the ENS, and seeking to expand his scientific knowledge.

Keywords: micro toroid,high q resonator,optics,cavity cooling,radiation pressure