PEI research support: 35 projects selected
Since 2017, UM's I-SITE excellence program has provided €20.8 million in research funding. This represents an unprecedented commitment at the site level. With €3.8 million, the Research Support call for projects will enable the funding of 35 of the 80 projects proposed. Work can begin in the first half of November 2022.
The UM Strategic and Structural Investment Committee, composed of representatives from PEI partner organizations, met on October 4 and approved the Evaluation Committee's proposal to select 35 of the projects submitted. This call for projects focuses on the emergence of projects likely to lead to submissions to the ERC and the stimulation of finalized research that could lead to future maturation programs. It also includes a component for financing research equipment.
A springboard for submitting projects to the European Research Council (ERC)
The first part of this call for proposals aims to support the emergence of projects likely to lead to submissions tothe European Research Council (ERC). The evaluation criteria focus on the scientific excellence of the project leader and their team, and on the credibility of the project with a view to a future ERC submission. 18 projects selected:
- Investigating Virus-Host Interplay in Human Primary Models of Genetically Modified Respiratory Epithelium (InVirium)
Caroline Goujon, Montpellier Research Institute (IRIM), Biology-Health Division - Efficient water nanofiltration with carbon nanotubes: origin of the super-fast flow (NanoFlow)
Adrien Noury, Charles Coulomb Laboratory (L2C), MIPS Division - Nuclear pores and chromatin organization—Role of the nucleoporin TPR in heterochromatin exclusion (NAChO)
Charlène Boumendil, Institute of Human Genetics (IGH), Biology-Health Division - Exploring the human–pathogen genomic interactions of rapidly mutating RNA viruses (INTERGEN)
. Vincent Pedergnana, Mivegec, AEB Cluster
Anne Charmantier, Center for Functional and Evolutionary Ecology (CEFE), AEB Division- Verindex – Verified data structures for term indexing
Simon Robillard, Montpellier Laboratory of Computer Science, Robotics and Microelectronics (LIRMM), MIPS Cluster - Automatic prover for arborescent combinatorial objects (APACE)
Matthieu Rosenfeld, Montpellier Laboratory of Computer Science, Robotics and Microelectronics (LIRMM), MIPS Cluster - Optogenetic manipulations and Rho-GTPase biosensors in plants (OptoSens)
Alexandre Martniere, Montpellier Plant Sciences Institute (IPSiM), AEB Cluster - Magnesium nanoparticles for hierarchically porous silicon (MaNa)
Tangi Aubert, Charles Gerhardt Institute of Molecular Chemistry and Materials (ICGM), Chemistry Cluster - Breakthrough concept for Carbon-Carbon & Carbon-heteroatom bond formation, for the relocation of pharmaceutical production to Europe (Rebirth)
Marc Taillefer, Charles Gerhardt Institute of Molecular Chemistry and Materials (ICGM), Chemistry Cluster - Imaging 3D genome architecture and transcriptional regulation in the fly brain (fly-Scope)
. Marcelo Nollmann, Center for Structural Biochemistry (CBS), Biology-Health Cluster - Particulate Plastic Footprint: an indicator to assess the environmental impact of the long-term fate of plastic packaging (PlastiPrint)
Valérie Guillard, Agopolymer Engineering and Emerging Technologies (IATE), AEB Cluster - The “social microbiome”: the missing mechanism mediating the sociality-fitness nexus? (SO FIT)
Alice Baniel, Montpellier Institute of Evolutionary Sciences (ISEM), AEB Cluster - Deep-Learning based Emulators of mantle phase transformations for Geodynamic models (LEARNING)
Nestor Cerpa, Géosciences Montpellier (GM), AEB cluster - Variations in the response of fish to marine heatwaves from a metabolic, genetic, and molecular perspective (VAMAHEAT)
Nicolas Loiseau, Marine Biodiversity, Exploitation, and Conservation (MARBEC), AEB Division - Mechanisms of antigenic variation in malaria (MOTIVATOR)
. Antoine Claessens, Laboratory of Pathogen-Host Interactions (LPHI), Biology-Health Cluster - Irrigation for agroecological transitions in agriculture: a science frontier for sustainable water and land management (IrriSust)
Crystèle LEAUTHAUD, Water Management, Stakeholders and Uses (G-EAU), AEB Cluster - Deciphering the synchronous motions of electrons, atoms, and ions during galvanic replacement reactions. (NANOGATE)
Yaovi HOLADE, European Institute of Membranes (IEM), Chemistry Division
Supporting innovative projects
The second component is dedicated to stimulating targeted research that could lead to future maturation programs. The scientific excellence of the project is evaluated based on its innovative nature, intellectual property strategy, potential impact, and credibility for future (pre)maturation. Eight projects were selected:
- Targeting a new signaling cascade with specific inhibitors for the treatment of obesity (NewObTrea)
. Anna Castro, CRBM, Biology-Health Division - New antiviral compounds targeting the viral capsid and acting as inhibitors of HIV-1 nuclear import (Caddis)
Nathalie Arhel, IRIM, Biology-Health Division - Autonomous Agroecology in Market Gardening: Co-design of new autonomous market gardening production systems combining agroecological and digital innovations (AAutonoM)
Véronique Bellon-Maurel, ITAP, AEB Cluster - Development of "safe" pluripotent stem cells for use in regenerative medicine (SPLUSCs)
. Domenico Maiorano, Institute of Human Genetics (IGH), Biology-Health Division - A universal vaccine against flaviviruses (FlaviVax)
Julien Pompon, Mivegec, AEB Cluster - 3-dimensional flow-based blood-brain barrier for neuropharmacological testing (BBB-Flow)
. Nicolas Marchi, Institute of Functional Genetics (IGF), Biology-Health Cluster - Biomarkers and epigenetic therapies against aggressive forms of prostate cancer (CAPRE)
. Eric Julien, IRCM, Biology-Health Division - Development of active compounds against chemoresistant cancers (Chimio-R)
. Pierre CUQ, IBMM, Chemistry Division
Equipment for research
A third component aims to support research structures and platforms certified by institutions in their equipment policy for research. Nine projects were selected:
- Equipment for space imaging in Africa
Project leader: Laurent Dusseau, Montpellier University Space Center (CSUM), MIPS Division - New scanning electron microscope for health, energy, and the environment
Project leader: Éric Clot, Electron Microscopy and Analytical Platform (MEA), Chemistry Division - Platform for in situ cellular imaging of adaptive processes in plants
Project leader: Carole Gauron, Plant Diversity, Adaptation, and Development (DIADE), AEB Cluster - Construction of an experimental module in the experimental ecology technical platform
Project leader: Marie-Laure Navas, Center for Functional and Evolutionary Ecology (CEFE), AEB Division - Montpellier cores for life
Project leader: Laurent Journot, Biocampus Montpellier, Biology-Health Cluster - Microbial identification by Maldi Tof mass spectrometry
Project leader: Patricia Licznar-Fajardo, Hydrosciences Montpellier, AEB Cluster - Imaging of biosensors in plants
Project leader: Carine Alco, Montpellier Plant Sciences Institute (IPSIM), AEB Cluster - Purchase of a mid-infrared spectrometer for soil analysis
Project leader: Tiphaine Chevallier, Eco&Sols, AEB Division - Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography system coupled with a mass spectrometer
Project leader: Gilles Subra, Max Mousseron Biomolecules Institute (IBMM), Chemistry Division