Nanomaterials, nanoparticles and other engineered nanoscale constructs (ENCs) hold great promise for medical, technological and economical benefits. However, knowledge about the toxicity and environmental impact of ENCs is typically missing. Prior to any thorough study at the nanobiointerface, an exhaustive physico-chemical characterization of ENCs is of high relevance since these features can be correlated to their biological and toxicological responses. A wide variety of analytical tools exists in order to investigate the nanometrology of ENCs but no single method that can be considered complete and satisfactory. In this context, requirements for developing a new nanometrology instrument include flexibility, robustness, accuracy/reliability, multi-parameters measurability, rapid measurement as well as low cost. The PONAME project aims at developing such a new analytical tool coupling mass spectrometry and laser spectroscopy for polyscopic nanometrology. The instrument may be described according to three analytical units as followed: i) Charge detection mass spectrometry (CD-MS) will allow, in a single event approach, the direct determination of a true and accurate mass/size distribution. In addition, study of the mass/charge relationship in these megadalton weigthed objects (ENCs, (bio)macromolecules) will be of interest in a fundamental point of view by correlating the maximum charge at a given mass to the Rayleigh limit. ii) Laser induced photo-dissociation on single trapped megadalton ion will be carry out. This unique experiment is expected to provide relevant information on the structure, the morphology and/or surface properties of the trapped macroion of selected mass and charge. iii) Fluorescence spectroscopy in the gas phase on single trapped macroion will also be performed. We will thus be able to determine the intrinsic optical properties of a megadalton object relatively to its mass/size, charge and structure/morphology. Such a fine analysis might solve partially contradictory results described in the literature on hybrid nanoobjects such as Au@chromophore ranging from full quenching to dramatic increase of the fluorescence. The PONAME project appears particularly ambitious and relevant in the current context of nanotechnology. The developed instrument is expected to be highly robust and flexible towards the variability in the nature and composition of sampled objects.

The reduction of atmospheric pollution from stationary and mobile engines is a serious challenge associated with stringent environmental regulations. In this respect, revisiting after-treatment systems under the prism of disruptive concepts may significantly improve their eco- and health-friendliness. This is the standpoint of this project, which ambitions to develop novel catalysts combining several functionalities in extended ranges of operating conditions. The project will address some of the main pollutants produced by stationary and mobile sources, such as nitrogen oxides (NOx) and nitrous oxide (N2O). Their abatement will be explored via the ubiquitous selective catalytic reduction reaction using ammonia (NH3-SCR) as a selected model reaction. The primary (not exclusive though) application of the project will be the treatment of exhaust gases from automotive lean engines operating with diesel and gasoline direct injection. For this propose, we propose to use small pore sizes zeolites, so-called chabazites known to be highly efficient and hydrothermally stable molecular sieves, but so far authorizing only limited gas diffusion in operation conditions typical of modern engine exhaust system. To reach high performance, selectivity and stability, the project targets hierarchical materials allowing efficient gas diffusion through mesopores, and synergy at the nanoscale between copper and iron sites in core-shell structures. This is, to our knowledge, a unique architecture, more advanced compared to the one, recently developed at Beijing University for the SCR reaction, that comprises only an active core (T. Zhang et al., Appl. Catal. B 195 (2016) 48). First, this combination is expected to enlarge the temperature window of efficient activity, from 150 to 800°C. This will make the catalytic system compatible with both low-temperature operation such as needed in cold-start systems and high temperature hydrothermal stability such as needed for regeneration of particulate filter. Second, this combination offers a synergetic abatement of both NOx and N2O, with the copper and iron phase being specifically selective to each of these gases. This latter feature is especially valuable in view of foreseeable Euro 7 regulations planned in 2022 that will concern NOx and N2O emissions. Four scientific work-packages are proposed to reach the objectives. They are interconnected and will drive us step-by-step to the preparation of the unique and advanced core-shell hierarchical architectures and to the quantitative assessment catalytic performances, hopefully to qualify them for industrial applications. A complementary in-situ characterization of the novel catalysts will be also performed, using Environmental tomographic Transmission Electron Microscopy (Et-TEM), a powerful in-situ method available at IRCELYON, and Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Fourier-Transform Spectroscopy (DRIFTS), to understand the dynamical properties of the catalyst at the smallest scales, and to unveil the mechanistic of the catalytic processes. The young researcher and coordinator was appointed at IRCELYON in 2014 as an assistant professor. She is willing to devote 75% of her time on the project. The project will allow her to initiate an original line of research at IRCELYON focalized on the development of hierarchical based-zeolites and sophisticated core-shell structures for automotive catalytic post-treatment but also for new reactions of interest such as the N2O decomposition/reduction, mild oxidation (CH4 to CH3OH) and CO2 hydrogenation. The project will besides put her at the center of a focused collaboration network with industrial actors and academic research groups in France, Spain and Italy. This first national-scale funding will mark the starting point of her carrier as an independent researcher, which will be supported by a unique combination of techniques available at IRCELYON and the complementary competences of the scientific team.

Infectious diseases transmitted by mosquitoes, such as dengue or chikungunya, are of worldwide concern. Within a mosquito population, the viral infection rate may be rather low and highly variable, and the causes of this variation remain unknown. All genomes contain genomic parasites called transposable elements (TEs), which resemble viruses, and also display variable amounts and activities. TEs are controlled by small RNAs of the piRNA class, and viruses are fought against by small RNAs of the siRNA class. Considering these similarities in structure and control pathways between TEs and viruses, we propose to use a Drosophila model to study the reciprocal impacts of TE control and antiviral immunity. Our preliminary results indicate that, upon infection, TE transcript amounts are modulated, as well as their controlling small RNAs. In this project, we will 1) identify the effects of viral infection on TE activity, and reciprocally, 2) identify the underlying mechanisms, and 3) assess the extent of the phenomenon in the frame of natural genetic variability. This will allow us to better understand variation in viral load, notably regarding arboviruses, and propose the use of TE activity as a marker for vectorial competence. In addition, if viral infections are associated with TE activation, we will have to consider viral epidemics as a new source of genetic diversification.

The tremendous variability of behaviors observed between individuals, and across populations and species, makes studying the molecular basis of behavioral traits particularly challenging. Little is known on how genes contribute to shape behaviors. Recent progress in genomics represents a fantastic opportunity to tackle this cornerstone question. AVOIDINBRED aims to decipher the genetic basis of kin recognition in the parasitoid Venturia wasp. The kin recognition behavior is critical to animal biology including in the context of mating: by allowing individuals to avoid mating with sibs, kin recognition determines individual fitness in numerous animal species (social and solitary) by reducing the risk of inbreeding depression, consanguinity. Kin recognition has population consequences in terms of genetic diversity, where inbreeding causes erosion of the genetic diversity and can lead ultimately to extinction. In AVOIDINBRED, we will identify and characterize candidate genes involved in kin recognition during mating in the Venturia wasp by genomic approaches, and perform strategic functional validation of candidate genes and pathways using specific genetic manipulations as well as global pharmacological manipulations. The project will provide new knowledge in behavioral ecology where the question of how genes influence behavior is fundamental. Over mid-term, it will contribute to develop new strategies in conservation biology in particular for hymenoptera insects known to have important ecological and economic functions as pollinator or biocontrol agents. The coordinator will benefit from an excellent scientific environment to implement the project and to successfully develop this exciting research axes.

Myocardial infarction remains a frequent and disabling disease with still no therapeutic strategy to mitigate the risk of developing heart failure. The mitochondrial Ca2+ uniporter represents the key structure which controls Ca2+ entry inside mitochondria and therefore a relevant target upstream of the mitochondrial Ca2+ overload to modulate not only cell death but also mitochondrial bioenergetics and Ca2+ homeostasis. The PI recently identified the interaction site between the Ca2+-sensing regulator MICU1, with MCU, the pore forming protein of the uniporter, required to control the Ca2+ flux and in fine cell survival. Based on this evidence, we postulate that a loss of mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake regulation by MICU1 would be the key trigger of mitochondrial Ca2+ overload-induced cell death during ischemia-reperfusion. In this project, we aim at determining the molecular mechanisms controlling the MICU1-MCU interaction during ischemia-reperfusion in order to mimic the regulation of MCU by MICU1 as a new therapeutic target in mitochondrial Ca2+ overload diseases, such as myocardial infarction. Our hypothesis will be tested through three original tasks from molecular to whole animal scale, up to the translational level in human cells: Task 1: Decipher the mechanistic role of the MICU1-MCU interaction during ischemia-reperfusion (IR) Task 2: Examine the modulation of the MICU1/MCU interaction during IR Task 3: Investigate the medical relevance of MICU1 mimicking as a therapeutic strategy We believe that the MitoCaRe research program will provide new potential protective molecules against mitochondrial Ca2+ overload-induced pathologies such as myocardial infarction and stroke, which could further be extended to the neuromuscular degenerative diseases field.