MARCEL 2.0 proposes an original concept where metallic nanocatalysts (Au, Ag, Cu nanoparticles) are functionalized with molecular hosting cavities bearing metallic complexes in order to direct the reactivity in ORR and CO2RR electrocatalysis. Both of these processes are complex and require efficient and highly selective catalysts as the metalloenzymes. Inspired form such biological systems whose functioning is based on confinement and supramolecular effects, MARCEL seeks the rational control of forming and stabilizing intermediates to guide specific reaction pathways. This innovative design that relies on surface supramolecular effects will be further combined to plasmonic effect in order to enhance the electrocatalytic performance. The reactivity and interfacial phenomena will be thoroughly investigated by combining experimental (electrochemistry, in situ spectroscopies) and computational analyses.

This project focuses on various aspects of branching processes in fixed, variable or random environments, whether they are single-type or multitype. We propose to identify the limit of Bienaymé-Galton-Watson trees conditioned by their total population through their coding by multi-indexed and matrix-valued random walks. Then we will study the problem of the extinction of a part of the population for continuous multitype branching processes. We will construct the continuous analogue of multitype Bienaymé-Galton-Watson trees. These continuous random trees will then be obtained in the stable case as scaling limits of the renormalized discrete trees. These continuous random trees will be associated with continuous multi-type branching processes. We will also study discrete-time multitype branching processes in random environments to obtain asymptotic properties of the corresponding population size and survival probability; in particular, the problems of large deviations and asymptotic normalization will be considered. To this end, we will first deepen the study of the products of random matrices, in particular through the study of the multidimensional processes corresponding to the linear action of these products of matrices. We will be particularly interested in the cases where these processes are conditioned to remain in a cone of the Euclidean space. We will then establish limit theorems (invariance principle, local limit theorem, ...) for these conditioned processes. We will finally focus on the fundamental branching martingale associated to these Bienaymé-Galton-Watson trees, defined from the corresponding products of random matrices.

The VR-MARS project represents a support system for urgent healthcare delivery in isolated environments, based on virtual reality and embodied conversational agents (ECA). We hypothesize that these two technologies enable better situational awareness and care coordination between 3 parties: a care provider in an isolated location, a critically ill patient and the control centre on Earth. VR-MARS explore the scientific fields of emergency medicine, human factors and virtual reality. The use case of VR-MARS will be related to space medicine, in particular emergency care during a manned spaceflight to Mars. During these missions, temporal isolation will add to physical isolation, because of delays in communication between the care provider (on Mars) and ground control (on Earth), which will preclude real-time telemedical support. VR-MARS will be built around two simultaneous decision loops which will allow task assignment and synchronisation between the care provider, the ECA and ground control. The ECA will interact with the care provider via augmented reality. Upon request, it will deliver step-by-step guidance on medical protocols, using reassuring verbal tone and cues in order to mitigate the stress of the care providers. As soon as it is available, ground control on Earth will be made aware of the situation on Mars and of the procedures being undertaken by the care provider. This will improve situational awareness on the ground and enable the most optimal decision making in the mid- to long-term. In return, ground control will deliver its recommendation to the care provider via the ECA. Therefore, the ECA will represent the central hub of communication between the two sites. VR-MARS will be tested on two medical scenarios involving a critically ill patient represented by a high-fidelity simulator. Technical and non-technical skills of the care provider will be assessed at two levels: immediate interactions between the care provider and the ECA (for urgent, life-saving decisions) and delayed interactions between the care provider and ground control (for mid- and long-term decisions). With regards to research output and spinoffs, we anticipate that VR-MARS will improve medical care in remote environments, such as humanitarian missions, the combat environment, medical evacuations, expedition medicine, etc.

Dormancy is an adaptive trait that is established during seed maturation and prevents seed germination on the parent plant or out of proper season after seed dispersal. It is also an important agronomic trait as germination before harvest (vivipary) is a major cause of crop yield losses. Abscisic acid (ABA) is the key phytohormone promoting dormancy whereas nitrate (NO3-) stimulates germination by triggering ABA catabolism. Partners 1 & 2 have previously identified a new whole MAPK (Mitogen-activated protein kinase) module which is activated by both ABA and NO3- in Arabidopsis plantlets. They have also recently shown that mutants impaired in this module produce seeds which are more dormant. Strikingly and coherently, mutations in homologous MAPK genes in wheat and barley were reported to reduce vivipary. Taken together, these preliminary results suggest that this MAPK module is a new player controlling seed dormancy conserved throughout angiosperms. The fact that this module is activated by both ABA and NO3- also suggests that it may have a pivotal role as integrator of signaling pathways controlling dormancy. This project aims to better characterize this module in the frame of seed germination using Arabidopsis as a model plant and to exploit the results to develop new strategies to manipulate crop germination in the field. To achieve these goals, the first WP will aim to functionally validate the module by unveiling where and when it is required to modulate seed dormancy and which are the kinases involved in this function, a MAPK module being composed of at least 3 kinases. Importantly, we will test how the MAPK signaling module is modulated by and/or modulates ABA and NO3- signaling by using a combination of biochemical and genetic approaches to study mutants impaired in these signaling cascades. Furthermore, the MAPK module presents unique features when compared to other plant and animal MAPK modules described so far. The second WP will thus be devoted to the characterization of these specificities and will particularly study the translational and post-translational regulations of the module as well as decipher the unknown function of protein domains in the central MAP2K. The third WP will focus on the downstream events that are regulated by the module. Firstly, we will identify substrates which are phosphorylated by MAPKs and are important to control seed dormancy. Secondly, we will unveil the cellular processes which are regulated by the module by performing transcriptomic and metabolomic studies of mutants impaired in the module. Finally, a fourth WP will aim to identify molecules targeting this MAPK module and use them as chemical probes to investigate to which extent, across the plant kingdom, this module is important for seed physiology and to modulate seed dormancy in crops. This project relies on the collaboration of 4 groups recognized as leaders in their respective fields, who will bring their expertise and skills to challenge the novel hypothesis that the recently discovered MAPK module integrates distinct environmental signaling pathways to trigger the downstream processes that determine whether seeds germinate or not. Their joint work will lead to a better understanding of the factors that control seed physiological traits and new essential knowledge to enhance resilience through advanced breeding programs and to provide guidelines for optimal seed production, treatment and storage. It will also use an original strategy based on chemical genetics in yeast aiming at the identification of small molecules that modify the activity of the MAPK module and modulate dormancy in model species and crops. Thus, the MAPKSEED project brings together multidisciplinary expertises to tackle an important issue for optimizing sustainable agriculture in a changing environment by novel and original basic research.