Sweet Crosstalk is a multidisciplinary European Training Network built to address the challenge of understanding, at a molecular level, how glycans are involved at the human mucosa–microbiota interface, and how this correlates with human well-being. Research into the human microbiome has reshaped the paradigm of our health and disease. In order to advance further, the time has arrived to understand it at a molecular level. Glycans dominate the microbiota-host interface and are thus ideally positioned to modulate these complex interactions. The research strategy of the Sweet Crosstalk programme focuses on optimal synergy between chemistry and biology. Smart chemistry drives the research to get a molecular-level grip on the role of these glycocodes and their interacting proteins, and advances in biology directs the research. The high quality and credibility of our consortium is ensured by a strong private-public partnership with complementary expertise ranging from chemical synthesis, biochemistry, structural biology to microbiology and cell biology. Our 7 academic groups are all renowned leaders in the glycoscience and microbiome fields, whereas the complementary 4 SMEs are specialized in glycan-based diagnostics and prophylactic therapies. This unique combination of scientific excellence and industry know-how covers the entire process from obtaining fundamental insight to the development of innovative early diagnostics and glycotherapeutics. Sweet Crosstalk also represents a unique research platform to train 15 outstanding Early Stage Researchers to be the new generation of innovative scientists with expert knowledge and skills in interdisciplinary glycoscience and human microbiome research. Our international, intersectoral and interdisciplinary training programme will equip them with the necessary scientific and transferable skills that will make them highly competitive for both top European research institutions and the healthcare/biotech job market.

The main goal of TraDE-Opt is the education of 15 experts in optimization for data science, with a solid multidisciplinary background, able to advance the state-of-the-art. This field is fast-developing and its reach on our life is growing both in pervasiveness and impact. The central task in data science is to extract meaningful information from huge amounts of collected observations. Optimization appears as the cornerstone of most of the theoretical and algorithmic methods employed in this area. Indeed, recent results in optimization, but also in related areas such as functional analysis, machine learning, statistics, linear algebra, signal processing, systems and control theory, graph theory, data mining, etc. already provide powerful tools for exploring the mathematical properties of the proposed models and devising effective algorithms. Despite these advances, the nature of the data to be analyzed, that are “big”, heterogeneous, uncertain, or partially observed, still poses challenges and opportunities to modern optimization. The key aspect of the TraDE-Opt research is the exploitation of structure, in the data, in the model, or in the computational platform, to derive new and more efficient algorithms with guarantees on their computational performance, based on decomposition and incremental/stochastic strategies, allowing parallel and distributed implementations. Advances in these directions will determine impressive scalability benefits to the class of the considered optimization methods, that will allow the solution of real world problems. To achieve this goal, we will offer an innovative training program, giving a solid technical background combined with employability skills: management, fund raising, communication, and career planning skills. Integrated training of the fellows takes place at the host institute and by secondments, workshops, and schools. As a result, TraDE-Opt fellows will be prepared for outstanding careers in academia or industry.

Intermetallic compounds (IMCs) exhibit unique structural features accompanied by appropriate changes in the electronic properties. IMCs with their unique magnetic and electric properties have been studied for the superconductivity, shape-memory effects, hydrogen storage capability and for topological insulator applications. However, their catalytic properties have been overlooked so far compared to metals and alloys. These electronically and geometrically tuned structures were found to be excellent catalysts for selected chemical reactions such as semi-hydrogenation of alkynes, hydrogenation of CO and CO2 and unsaturated compounds. Only few works exist on IMCs in the activation of inert molecule N2 but they appear to be promising in this direction. Activation of N2 is a significant step in the synthesis of ammonia (NH3). Even after 100 years of discovery, the same old high-energy consuming Fe based catalytic process is still operated commercially.5 The absence of significant success towards a further development of Fe based catalysts stipulates to look at alternative totally different catalysts. In this regard, Ruthenium(Ru) based catalyst supported on carbon emerged as second-generation catalysts for the ammonia synthesis at the end of 20th century.6 Considering the high cost of Ru for commercialization, further research and development towards the design of less costly catalysts is necessary. In this project, we propose to explore and evaluate nano intermetallic compounds for the activation of N2 molecule, thereby supporting the efficiency and competiveness towards ammonia synthesis. The main objective of the project is to design, optimize and explore the potentiality of novel nano Intermetallic Compound (IMC) supported catalysts for the NH3 synthesis. This project will in particular study the role of electronic and geometrical factors displayed by IMCs in the catalytic process through various characterization techniques including the in situ and operando.

Mental health disorders pose a massive economic and societal burden. Emerging early in development and resulting in long-term disability, neurodevelopmental dysfunctions (NDD) compromise the quality of life of millions of Europeans. The purpose of the Neo-PRISM-C ETN is (1) to train Early Stage Researchers (ESRs) in applying the Research Domain Criteria, a novel framework for understanding psychopathology, to the study of the mechanisms and treatments of NDD. It aims (2) to train ESRs from multiple disciplines (psychology, neuroscience, data science) in state-of-the-art and transferable skills for innovating the study of brain-behavior relationships in NDD, in the context of a systems-based, trans-diagnostic theoretical frame. This ETN will also (3) support training in designing evidence-based, individualized treatments of learning, behavioral, and social maladjustment, bridging across diagnostic categories. Towards these goals, we have assembled a trans-sectoral European network with expertise in cognitive, social, educational, clinical, and emotion research and in training ESRs. Six research, training and management work packages (WPs) pursue these goals. WP1 comprises innovative projects, investigating risk and protective factors that span across NDD diagnostic categories (autism, learning, emotional difficulties) and linking to healthcare industry and education. WP2 examines systems-level brain development to identify biological substrates of specific dysfunctions. WP3 applies this knowledge to develop new multi-modal interventions to address domains of impairment. The academic, industrial and clinical partners collaborate across themes, offering ESRs project-specific secondments, supervision, workshops, summer school and courses on research, transferable and entrepreneurial skills. Neo-PRISM-C is expected to further understanding of NDD and improve the competitiveness of EU health professions, providing the market with highly-skilled researchers and clinicians.