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In situ structure of actin polymerization and cell adhesion machineries by cryo-electron tomography – CryoAdhesome
Actin polymerization is vital for maintaining cell shape and integrity, establishing cell polarization, internalizing membrane vesicles and sensing environmental forces. During cell migration, lamellipodial and filopodial protrusions powered by actin polymerization push the cell membrane forward, wh
COALITION: From cells over organisms to populations - Characterization of outcomes of emerging alphavirus infections – COALITION
Alphaviruses cause severe acute and chronic disease in humans, including long-term debilitating arthralgia in the case of the epidemiologically most relevant alphavirus Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) that has by now spread across four continents, affecting millions of individuals. In Latin America, CHIKV
Multi-messenger probe of Cosmic Ray Origins – MICRO
Identifying the sources of Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays (UHECR) is one of the most pressing questions in high-energy astrophysics. The advent of high-statistics and high-quality data, most prominently obtained by the Pierre Auger Observatory, has radically changed our understanding of the high-ener
Magnetotactic navigation in complex environments – manaconv
Magnetotactic bacteria orient in magnetic fields with the help of a dedicated organelle, the magnetosome chain, which acts as an intracellular compass needle. In this way, their swimming, powered by their flagella, is guided by the magnetic field; the bacteria can be understood as self-propelled com
Functional coupling between Synaptic Vesicle exocytosis and recycling in mammalian synapses – couplingSVcycling
Fast chemical synaptic transmission is at the basis of neuronal communication. It is mediated by the fusion of synaptic vesicles (SVs) containing neurotransmitter molecules with the presynaptic plasma membrane at the so-called exocytic active zone (AZ) facing post-synaptic sites, where post-synaptic
Magneto-Thermo-Electric Effects In Antiferromagnetic Spintronics – MATHEEIAS
This project will identify and exploit novel transport mechanisms in complex antiferromagnets (AFs). We will focus on crystalline, topological, and anomalous origins of the spin Hall effect, spontaneous Hall effect (HE) and their thermal counterparts (Nernst effects), arising in part by the spontane
Ancestral sequence reconstruction and functional expression of proteins involved in bacterial magnetosome biogenesis – ANCESMAG
Despite their simple cell architecture, prokaryotes have compartmentalized specific biochemical reactions into specialized and membrane-bounded structures that are similar to eukaryotic organelles. These organelle-like microcompartments are functionally diverse and complex, and uncovering the mechan
New strategies for dislocation density reduction in monolithic III/V epitaxy on Si – FILTER
The combination of the Silicon technology with III-V semiconductors is expected to have a major impact for the realization of high-volume / low-cost integrated circuits. Photonic chips based on the already mature Silicon photonics capabilities together with integrated III-V lasers or photodetectors
Theory and computer modelling of self-organization of linear-dendritic macromolecules into colloidal nano-structures: impacts of topological and molecular mass polydispersity – TOPOL
We propose to explore the influence of intrinsic molecular-level disorder on the structure and properties of self-assembled colloidal nanostructures made of block copolymers. Such structures are considered to have a huge potential in (bio)nanotechnology and medicine, e.g., as nano-scale carriers for
Laser Plasma Electron Acceleration with kHz Lasers – HighRep
Laser-plasma acceleration has emerged as a promising technique for producing electron beams in a compact manner. In the majority of cases, 100 TeraWatt to PetaWatt scale laser systems, with rather low repetition rates (Hz or less), are used to drive such accelerators and to produce electron beams up
Mechanisms underlying bacteriophages and bacteria stable coexistence and its consequences on gut microbiome function. – PhaStGut
An increasing number of human diseases is associated with an altered intestinal microbiota (IM). The IM consists of trillions of microbes including viruses amongst which bacteriophages (phages) that predate on bacteria are the most abundant. Phages are important effectors and indicators of human hea
Metabolic underpinnings of age-dependent cognitive and neural circuit decline in Drosophila – MetabolicBrainAging
Decline in brain function, and the accompanying loss in cognitive abilities, is one of the most incapacitating consequences of aging. Although it is becoming clear that not all neural circuits nor brain functions are equally affected by aging, we still do not know the physiological characteristics t
ORGanic ANIONic rocking-chair batteries using small molecule electrode materials and their assessment for power delivery – ORGANION
To meet the ever-increasing electrical needs of our modern societies and in the absence of universal storage solution, any safe, clean and reliable way to store electricity could find a practical application whatever the energy scale considered. In this general context, fully organic batteries can p
REal-GAs effects on Loss mechanisms of ORC turbine flows – REGAL-ORC
Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tools currently used in ORC design, based on Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) models, are affected by many notorious flaws and uncertainties, and large-eddy-simulation (LES) or direct-numerical-simulation (DNS) methods are a promising tool for improving our f
Origins of divergence – The causes of pre- and post-zygotic isolation barriers in Spodoptera frugiperda – ORIGINS
The objectives of the project are: 1) Unambiguous identification and characterization of diverging genetic loci between the strains. Using a new population genomics approach, all loci diverging between the strains will be identified. The identified genetic variants will be classified according to
Liquid-phase 3D electron microscopy for materials science and biology – Liquid3DSTEM
Electron microscopy has traditionally been associated with the study of thin solid samples in vacuum. In the last decade, a few groups pioneered systems achieving nanometer resolution for liquid specimens. The broad applicability of liquid phase electron microscopy has driven a wave of interest as i
Luminescent coordination-driven supramolecular assemblies based on pre-organized Cu(I) precursors stabilized by main-group element ligands – SUPRALUM
Given the deficit of inexpensive and luminescent materials from compounds containing abundant elements as for instance copper, this ANR-DFG SUPRALUM project targets the preparation and the study of the multifunctional luminescence properties of a large series of new discrete and polymeric polymetall
Cloud Droplet Number Concentration – satellite retrievals Advanced by Atmospheric models for Assessing Aerosol-Cloud Interactions – CDNC4aci
The main objective of CDNC4aci is to improve our understanding of aerosol-cloud interactions, through the development of a novel method dedicated to the retrieval of the cloud droplet number concentration from satellite remote-sensing Aerosol-cloud interactions are today responsable for the highe
Role of potassium transport in rice in securing high crop yields – RiceKTrans
Cereals in general, and rice in particular, are the main source of nutrition for a growing world population. These field crop species are largely grown intensively, in fields where soil nutrients must be constantly replenished by fertilization. Because of the high demand for natural resources, a mor
Challenging the role of plastid cotranslational N-terminal modifications upon stress response – CANMORE
O 1: In vitro characterization of the plastid modifiers involved in NPMs and related PTMs (LEAD: GIGLIONE (CG, France). OUTPUT: i) Detailed molecular knowledge on plastid MetAPs, ii) identification of plastid KAT/NATs responsible of RbcL acetylations, iii) insights into pAPP in charge of RbcL N-ter
Thermal analysis and ion mobility coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry for organic aerosol characterization – TIMSAC
Carbonaceous aerosols are complex mixtures of constituents emitted directly to the atmosphere (primary emissions) or formed via gas-to-particle conversion. Up to 80% of the fine particulate matter is formed through atmospheric chemistry processes. Those processes are dominantly oxidation reactions o
Unifying Theories for Multivariate Algorithms – UTMA
The ultimate target is to establish AMTs as an essential unification ingredient of the theory of algorithms. To reach this we need to introduce new logics, which are based on isomorphism invariant operators, which can be evaluated efficiently on basis of the technique that we are aiming to capture.
Characterization of new beta-amino acid-containing secondary métabolites in bacteria – BetaAAmetabolites
The objectives of this project are twofold: the first objective is to determine the structure of two new secondary metabolites containing a ß-amino acid. The biological activities of these secondary metabolites (a molecule involved in quorum sensing and an antifungal molecule, respectively) make the
MicroflUidics for Structure-reactivity relationships aided by Thermodynamics & kinetics – MUST
The concept of Linear Free Energy Relationships (LFER) is a powerful structure-reactivity tool that accounts for steric, polar and resonance effects on a series of chemical reactions. Generalizing LFER concepts to a vast number of solvents or solvent mixtures and even to multiphase reaction systems
The role of the proteasome activator PA200 in myofibroblast differentiation and fibrosis of the lung – PA200_in_IPF
While application of catalytic proteasome inhibitors is hampered due to their toxic side effects, proteasome function might be modulated more specifically by interference with defined proteasome complexes. In the proposed project, we aim to explore the role and regulation of the alternative proteaso
Mechanical Properties of Granular Metamaterials – MICROGRAM
The aim of this project is to predict the mechanical properties of granular metamaterials. Granular packings consist of unbound macroscopic, solid particles. They have been widely studied when composed of spherical or slightly non-spherical but convex particles. Their mechanical properties are, howe
Analysis of soot filter regeneration by combined numerical and experimental investigations – ASORNE
In this project we aim to predict the morphology evolution of a porous solid due to chemical reac-tions between a solid and a penetrating gas phase. The oxidation of soot by diluted oxygen and NO2, passing through a porous soot layer, will serve as an example of practical relevance. It is well kno
Characterization of immune escape mechanisms associated with tumor progression and resistance to chemotherapy – TERMM
Cancer is one of the most prominent public health challenges, and colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer in men and the second in women worldwide. Although recent developments in cancer therapy have a significant clinical impact, only a subset of patients exhibit long-term clinical
New Polymer Belts for Lipid-Bilayer Nanodiscs to Study the Mo-lecular Basis of GPCR Signalling – NanoBelt
Membrane proteins (MPs) play fundamental roles in biology because they control communication and material transfer within and between living cells and their environment. MPs account for about one third of all proteins encoded in the human genome and half of all drug targets. However, their extractio
Two-phase flows in open geological fractures: a combined experimental and numerical investigation – 2PhlowFrac
Many geotechnical and environmental engineering problems, such as geothermal energy production or storage of fluids in deep formations, involve flow processes in subsurface fractured media. When two immiscible fluids coexist, the flow involves the displacement of the interfaces between them. This so
Self-Synchronization in Power Networks with Periodic Dynamics – SyNPiD
Driven by political as well as environmental goals and facilitated by technological advances, the use of renewable energies has steadily increased over the past years. The French government aims at up to 113 GW of installed renewable energy capacity by 2028 - more than double com-pared to 2017. Also
Characterization and mode of action of Cochlin LCCL domain as a new host-targeted immunostimulating therapy against bacterial infections – COCH
Resistance to antibiotics is a major worldwide challenge in the treatment against bacterial infections. There is an urgent need for the development of novel therapeutics, and boosting the host immune system represents a promising alternative to antibiotics in the fight against infections in order to
Heuristics for Heterogeneous Memory – H2M
High-performance computing (HPC) is crucial to advance computational science and engineering. In all modern computing systems, the performance gap between compute and memory continues to spread, particularly in the face of multi-core and accelerated systems. In consequence, the memory subsystem is
Novel Successive Multi-Ionic Layers for ultra-efficient, diffusion-limited separation of intact proteins by capillary electrophoresis and capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry – SMIL E
Capillary electrophoresis (CE) is becoming increasingly important for the analysis of (intact) proteins due to its selectivity and high efficiency. This is especially the case when coupled to mass spectrometry (MS) since more sensitive interfaces for the CE-MS coupling are becoming available, as wel
Impact of mitochondrial DYNAMIcs and genome instability on the development of age-related CArdiac disorders – DYNAMICA
Cardiovascular diseases are a major issue in public health. They are among the leading causes of death worldwide, with age being one of the main risk factors. Indeed, aging is accompanied by increased incidence of cardiac dysfunction and worsens the outcome of ischemic events. Although the origins o
Tractable quasI-Newton non-smooth Optimization Methods for large scale Data Science – TRINOM-DS
Structured composite non-smooth optimization has proved to be extremely useful in data science, where a common trend is the deluge of large-scale multidimensional data, which drives the need for more efficient optimization schemes. While, so far, primarily, first-order schemes have been widely used
Rechargeable high energy density Aluminium ion-batteries - Fundamental structural defect engineering and interface control – ReAlCharge
To support the growing demand for electrochemical energy storage, complementary or even superior technological solutions over traditional Li-ion batteries are urgently needed. Aluminium batteries are particularly attractive candidates owing to their high projected volumetric energy density, low cost
Mitochondrial and metabolic dysfunctions in the progeroid Cockayne syndrome and therapeutic perspectives – CSMetabolism
Cockayne syndrome (CS) is a rare genetic disease displaying dramatically precocious ageing, severe neurological defects, UV-hypersensitivity, and a short life expectancy with no treatment to date. This project is based on the recent identification and validation of a defective pathway in cells of CS
Multi-Agent modelling of dense crowd dynamics: Predict & Understand – MADRAS
Trustworthy models for the dynamics of dense crowds are crucial for the prediction of pedestrian flows and the management of large crowds, but also from a fundamental perspective, to understand the roots that they share with active matter but also the pedestrian specifics. However, current models su
Aminocoatings for improving implants’ tissue integration: understanding underlying biological mechanisms – AMINOCOAT
Population aging in developed countries will further increase bone deficiencies due to pathologies such as osteoporosis. Thus, the need of bioactive implants with the capacity to integrate inside osteoporotic bone will raise significantly. Surface chemistry and topography modifications have been sho
Molecular analysis of the light-dependent rhythmic regulation in a marine diatom – DiaRhythm
Diatoms belong to the world’s most diverse group of algae, being responsible for a large part of the primary production in aquatic environments. In addition, they represent peculiar evolutionary chimeric cells, as they have evolved by the uptake of a eukaryotic alga into another eukaryotic cell, thu
DihydrouridinE RNA modification marks: written and erased by the same enzyme – DERASE
Dihydrouridine (D) is a post-transcriptional RNA modification that is frequent in tRNA as the namesake of the D-loop, whose structure becomes more flexible upon reduction of certain uridine residues by dihydrouridine synthases (Dus). However, beyond a growth phenotype, presumably a consequence of a
Restoration of excitation/inhibition balance to modulate motoneuron degeneration in ALS – SynaptALS
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is an invariably fatal motoneuron (MN) disease causing the progressive degeneration of upper and lower motoneurons severely affects voluntary movements, speech and breathing. Median survival after diagnosis is estimated to be 4–5 years. To date, there is neither p
Multiscale modeling of advanced nano-reinforced geopolymer/CNTs materials – NanoGP
Nowadays, Geopolymers are advanced alternatives to cementitious materials, where the excellent chemical and fire resistance are some of its most appealing properties. Geopolymers enable the use of industrial waste materials while converting them into a novel binding material. Their production is acc
Lyman-alpha Intensity Mapping of the High Redshift Intergalactic Medium – L-INTENSE
We propose to perform the first measurement of Lyman-alpha (Lya) emission from the average intergalactic medium at redshifts between 3 and 6.5, a crucial experiment in observational cosmology that so far was impossible because of a lack of sensitivity. We will combine two new and unique datasets obt
Regulation of the DNA-damage response by phosphorylation clusters in the p53 signaling network – DDRphosphoclus
The transcription factor p53 coordinates the cellular response to DNA damage. P53 protein level and activity are controlled by a signaling network comprising amongst others the DNA-damage response (DDR) kinases ATM/ATR/DNA-PK (PIKKs), the E3-ubiquitin ligase Mdm2, the phosphatase Wip1 and the kinase
AAV-mediated intratumoral immunotherapy for the treatment of immunologically “cold” tumors. – AAV-ACTIVATE
Recombinant adeno-associated virus vectors (rAAV) represent a safe and efficient tool for in vivo gene therapy. Modification of the viral capsid enables generation of novel AAV variants suitable for in vivo intra-tumoral gene transfer, targeting both tumor cells and cells from the tumor microenviron
Random Energy Models: Extremes, Complex temperature, Optimization – REMECO
This project aims at significantly advancing the understanding of the continuous random energy models (CREM), which are a class of toy models for strongly correlated random functions on a high-dimensional space such as mean-field spin glasses. We aim at investigating three different aspects: the dis
Shaping the QUantum vacuum around AToms and molecules – SQUAT
Quantum emitters such as atoms or molecules are at the forefront of fundamental physics tests, metrology and quantum technology. The growing need for miniaturization puts atoms and molecules in close proximity to solid-state surfaces leading to hybridization. Solid-state platforms modify the v
What is the role of exogenous NO for plants, microbes, and their interactions in soil? – NO-PIMS
Nitric oxide (NO) is a nitrogen trace gas which is produced by microbes and physico-chemical processes in soils as well as by physiological processes in plants. NO is considered as a major physiological mediator with many functions such as stimulation of the plant innate immune system, stimulation o
Olfactory-limbic connection: from scents to behavior – LOFTER
Social behaviors, ranging from conflictive (e.g. aggression, infanticide) to cooperative (e.g. mating, mother-pup interaction), can be observed in all sexually reproducing animal species and are crucial for their health, survival, and reproduction. These behaviors are instinctual in the sense that t
Host Plant Adaptation in Plutellid Moths – HOPPediMOTH
Although insect herbivores and their host plants dominate much of terrestrial biodiversity, the factors that determine host plant specificity and host range of insect herbivores are incompletely understood. Biochemical adaptations of the larval stages to neutralize host plant chemical defenses are c
Magnetic resonance tools for solar materials – MARS
Spin processes are highly important for the efficiency of organic solar cells and light emitting diodes, yet their role remains largely unexplored. Indeed, due to the weak spin-orbit coupling organic materials possess strict spin-selection rules and the properties of photoexcited species can there
Development of the next generation of Swir emItting pRobEs for bioimaging – SIREN
Current challenges and objectives for studying physio-pathological phenomena and disease-related processes in living organisms with non-invasive optical bioimaging are to realize a deep tissue penetration while maintaining a high detection sensitivity and a high spatial and temporal resolution. A pr
Deciphering and engineering of the molecular diversity of NRPS-derived azacyclic alkaloids in bacteria (NRPSBacAza) – NRPSBacAza
While many biosynthetic pathways in bacteria lead to one or a limited number of products, certain systems produce a diversity of metabolites. The pathways to the bacterial pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) represent striking examples of this phenomenon. A common biosynthetic scheme involving a bimodular