Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-erc-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet ERC : NEPTUNE (Horizon Europe, appel 2025, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Université Charles-III de Madrid — Pays : Espagne — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

Highly versatile and easy-to-integrate space propulsion will unlock a new stage of the conquest and exploitation of space. NEPTUNE aims to assess the innovation potential of the ‘Magnetic Arch Tandem’ (MAT) thruster concept, which consists in pairing two electrodeless plasma sources to form an innovative closed magnetic topology for plasma jet acceleration. The MAT can operate with any propellant gas; it is simple, durable, and promises a wide operational envelope; has zero net magnetic dipole, and a lower plume divergence angle than its direct competitors, making it easily integrable in present and future space applications. NEPTUNE pursues 4 objectives: (1) optimize the magnetic arch configuration, (2) define an efficient propulsion system architecture using commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) components where feasible, (3) engage industry stakeholders to assess market viability and explore partnerships, and (4) establish a plan for technology development and commercialization. To achieve these goals, the project will develop a breadboard MAT prototype and conduct high-vacuum chamber testing to find configurations that maximize the key propulsive performance indicators. Testing various propellants will demonstrate operational flexibility. Concurrently, a system architecture study will evaluate power electronics, fluidics, control, and structural subsystems to identify integration and optimization opportunities. Consultation with space agencies, satellite owners and integrators, and propulsion manufacturers will define key performance requirements, gauge market interest, and identify R&D partnerships. The project will protect key innovations, outline a technology maturation roadmap, and explore business models for its ulterior commercialization. The success of NEPTUNE will bring the MAT concept to Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4 and help determine its propulsion worthiness, enabling a decision on the continuation of its development.

Mots-clés : electric space propulsion,electrodeless plasma thruster,magnetic nozzle,magnetic arch
Projet ERC : SPINETRACER (Horizon Europe, appel 2024, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Biogipuzkoa Health Research Institute — Pays : Espagne — Rôle : Partner
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 40000.0 €

SPINETRACER aims to restore the lost functions of patients suffering from spinal cord injury (SCI) by providing a conductive scaffolding implant for the growth of severed nerve fibres. Not thicker than an inch, the spinal cord has no way to heal when severed. Our creative idea is to provide an artificial support that can mimic and stimulate neuronal electrical connections. This scaffold can bridge the gap created by SCI and enable the return of motor and sensitive function. We have previously demonstrated that carbon nanotube (CNT) implants in rats lead to the recovery of motor activity in very short times after an otherwise paralyzing lesion to the spinal cord. For the first time it was possible to observe the regrowth of nerve fibres leading to restoration of motor function (published on PNAS 2020, 117, 25212). In this innovative approach, it was also possible to show that the scaffolds, when inserted in the lesion, became filled with newly sprouted nerve fibres. The long-term objective of SPINETRACER is to take to clinical practice our novel solution for the restoration of motor functions in patients suffering from SCI. To this end, we will combine our proprietary technology, based on CNT-containing hydrogels, and our recently developed neuroanatomical magnetic resonance imaging tracer based on carbon nanodots, for precise in vivo imaging of the progression of the spinal cord regeneration, to complete our preclinical studies. We expect to take further steps into the demonstration of technical and economic viability of this initiative by improving implant design and production processes, restoring motor function in small mammals and designing an appealing business model to exploit the asset. By the end of this Proof of Concept we expect to have acquired all the necessary data to move into the next stage of the road towards clinical implementation of the solution.
Projet ERC : OCoSEP (Horizon Europe, appel 2023, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Asociación de Investigación y Cooperación Industrial de Andalucía — Pays : Espagne — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : AICIA
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

This POC will prove that coalitional Model Predictive Control (Co-MPC) can be implemented on the existing distributed control system (DCS) of a real commercial solar trough plant (50MW) and can significantly increase the amount of solar energy collected and significantly reduce maintenance costs. This will be the first time that a Co-MPC is implemented in a real plant with so many dynamically interconnected subsystems (90). We have demonstrated that manipulating the loop HTF flows is fundamental for maximizing the collected solar energy in trough plants. The resulting MPC problem is too difficult to be solved with current control techniques because the number of dynamically coupled systems, up to 3200 collectors and 800 manipulated variables in the biggest solar trough plants and the complexity of the collector dynamics (nonlinear PDEs).  The idea of Co-MPC is to divide the resulting complex MPC problem into several simpler MPC problems. Each of the MPC controls a coalition formed by a reduced number of subsystems. The coalitions are dynamically formed by clustering loops that can benefit from cooperation by exchanging the allocated oil flow (manipulated variable for each loop). This is done by using a market-based clustering MPC strategy in which controllers of collector loops (agents) may offer and demand heat transfer fluid in a market. Artificial neural networks will be used to approximate MPC controllers to decrease the computational load. We have shown that these techniques speed up the MPC computation time by a factor of 3000 allowing the implementation of coalitional MPC in the biggest solar trough plants.  The PI has long experience in MPC control of solar energy systems and in the control of commercial solar trough plants having designed, implemented and commissioned MPC control systems for 17 commercial solar trough plants. A letter of support/intend of the industrial sponsor (one of the biggest stakeholders in Europe) is included.
Projet ERC : COOPCOSOL (Horizon Europe, appel 2025, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Asociación de Investigación y Cooperación Industrial de Andalucía — Pays : Espagne — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : AICIA
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

The main objective is to demonstrate that the Multiple Scenario Cooperative Model Predictive Control (MSC-MPC) algorithms developed under the Advanced Grant OCONTSOLAR can be effectively applied to optimize the production of commercial solar plants.   This proposed PoC aims to validate the MSC-MPC algorithms developed in OCONTSOLAR not only for the solar field for the entire solar power plant. The proposal addresses optimal scheduling and control while accounting for the intermittent and stochastic nature of solar radiation and electricity market prices. Specifically, Model Predictive Control based on multiple scenarios will be used to manage uncertainties.  The experiments and demonstrations will be conducted on a commercial plant. If successful, the involved company intends to apply these results to other plants. Furthermore, the proponent believes these techniques could be extended to other types of power plants.
Projet ERC : ALAMS (Horizon Europe, appel 2022, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Université Friedrich-Alexander d'Erlangen-Nuremberg — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

The ALAMS project will provide the first application of "atomic-layer additive manufacturing" (ALAM), namely for the prototyping of solar cells in large arrays of microdevices. The ALAM concept combines the principles of additive manufacturing (3D printing) with the atomic resolution achieved by the thin coating technique atomic layer deposition (ALD). In ALD, atomic-level control is achieved by judiciously designing the surface reaction chemistry of molecular precursors at near-room temperature for it to become self-limiting. This renders experimental use of ALD very robust to a wide range of parameter variations, since the film growth occurs in a cyclic, layer-by-layer mode. This advantage will be exploited towards 3D printing, an area of application that ALD has never been used for until we built the first ALAM prototype in November 2019. This prototype centers around a printhead that delivers the ALD precursors to the gas phase in the vicinity of the substrate surface, with a microfluidic element delivering a lateral resolution on the order of micrometers. The motion of the printhead with respect to the substrate allows the user to ‘print’ lines and structures of arbitrarily chosen geometries, whereby each pass over a given point of the substrate adds to it exactly the amount of material corresponding to one ALD monolayer, that is, a thickness typically on the order of an atom, or 0.1 nanometer (depending on the exact ALD reaction used). After developing the ALD chemistry needed for ALAM of the materials required to generate photovoltaic stacks, the ALAMS PoC project will apply it to a case study, namely the rapid prototyping of solar cell microdevices in large arrays. The ALAM concept, however, is valid beyond the confines of photovoltaic research. Its commercial potential stems from its position at the convergence of two highly modern, fast-growing markets, namely, additive manufacturing ('3D printing') and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS).
Projet ERC : HHS-EWS (Horizon Europe, appel 2022, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : CERCA Institution — Pays : Espagne — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : CERCA;I-CERCA
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

Ambient temperatures are associated with more than 5 million annual deaths globally, 300,000 of which in Western Europe alone. Many European countries have implemented heat early warning systems, but they are generally based on temperature thresholds from weather forecasts that do not account for the inequalities in vulnerability of the exposed populations. This ERC-funded project will create the first operational Heat-Health-Social Early Warning System (HHS-EWS) by integrating weather forecasting, environmental epidemiology and the social drivers of vulnerability. Towards this aim, I will calibrate epidemiological models to transform bias-corrected weather forecasts into predictions of health outcomes. To validate the path from ground-breaking research to innovation, I will analyse and compare the spatiotemporal scales of predictability, and determine if the epidemiological models reduce or suppress the window of predictability of the weather forecasts. HHS-EWS will develop an operational, fit-for-purpose early warning system representing the health impacts of environmental temperatures, which will better inform potential end-users such as public health agencies to activate emergency plans directly targeting vulnerable groups.
Projet ERC : MusclePlate (Horizon Europe, appel 2022, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Gulbenkian Institute for Molecular Medicine — Pays : Portugal — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : GIMM
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

Neuromuscular disorders (NMDs) are a collection of pathologies that affect the skeletal muscle (SkM) function and lead to reduced mobility, breathing issues and death. Most NMDs are incurable and existing therapies are generally ineffective. The major contributor for the lack of NMD therapies is the absence of human NMD research models, applicable for the screening and validation of therapeutic candidates. Our goal for this project is to develop an in vitro platform containing highly biomimetic and functional SkM analogues, where NMDs can be modelled with the aim of testing drug candidates, in a reliable, high-throughput (HT), and quick manner. The platform will consist of 96 individual 3D tissue units, generated from the myogenic differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs). To induce biomimetic and mature tissue formation, the platform will combine a unique topographical design with a light-stimulation system for optogenetic control of SkM contraction. Using image-based assays and computational algorithms, we will be able to automatically extract and quantify the SkM phenotypical (e.g. intracellular structure) and functional (e.g. contraction speed/force) parameters. To show NMD modelling ability within the platform, we will knockout BIN1, a gene whose mutated form is involved in the onset of centronuclear myopathy (CNM), a fatal and incurable NMD. The validity of the NMD model as a drug discovery platform will be demonstrated by testing compounds with known therapeutic activity. This proof of concept project will lay the ground work for a spin-off company devoted to HT drug screening for NMDs.  The successful development of this platform will provide an invaluable tool for pharmaceutical research, allowing accurate, convenient and cost-effective identification of novel drugs and therapeutic targets for NMDs and, ultimately contributing to the acceleration of novel therapies for NMD patients.
Projet ERC : G-PROBE (Horizon Europe, appel 2022, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Centre national de la recherche scientifique — Pays : France — Rôle : Partner
Acronyme de l'entité : CNRS
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 20000.0 €

For more than 30 years, the platforms based on scanning probe microscopy (SPM) have contributed enormously in the progress of nanoscience and nanotechnology, becoming a fundamental tool for specialists spanning a wide range of research fields, such as materials science, nanoelectronics or biophysics. The versatility of these multipurpose microscopes is bestowed by the extended variety of probes available in the market, used to interact with the nanoscale. For this proof of concept grant, we will further develop our probes and collect extended data-sets of tip performance, propose scalable manufacturing processes and demonstrate further capabilities of this new generation of SPM probes.
Projet ERC : StrokeMonitor (Horizon Europe, appel 2022, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Resolve Stroke — Pays : France — Rôle : Partner
Type d'entité : Organismes privés (hors enseignement)
Financement ERC de l'entité : 0.0 €

The ERC Cog ResolveStroke has led to the development of a new imaging device, based on super-resolution ultrasound, which can assess ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke through the observation of the smallest blood vessels which are invisible to other medical imaging modalities. This StrokeScanner is currently being demonstrated in a large models before being applied to human studies at the end of the project. Its remarkable results have led to the creation of a startup (Resolve Stroke) which conceives a portable and 3D super-resolution ultrasound scanner to improve access to neuroimaging for stroke patients. In particular, there is a dire need to monitor the cerebral blood flows at the patient’s bedside after the acute phase. Delayed cerebral ischemia arises in a third of all patients suffering from subarachnoid hemorrhage (about 800 000 cases worldwide per year). Transcranial doppler is used to explore large vessel circulation but is blind to fine vascular alterations. We believe that ultrasound super resolution could bring a new diagnostic tool to help patients and physicians, with a resolution and sensitivity comparable to CT Angiography on a device smaller than a carry-on luggage. The goal of the ERC POC StrokeMonitor is to establish the performance and usefulness of this approach to monitor Delayed Cerebral Ischemia. The demonstration will be performed both in models and in human patients. A model of subarachnoid hemorrhage will be imaged over several days to determine the dynamic of the microcirculation alterations. A clinically-validated StrokeScanner will then be tested on SAH patients at CHU de Caen to identify biomarkers of delayed cerebral ischemia in hemorrhagic stroke patients. Through this ERC POC StrokeMonitor, we will extend the applicability of the Strokescanner in neurovascular units in hospitals to help patients’ follow-up and generate stronger proof of ultrasound super-resolution for neuroimaging
Projet ERC : TIMS (Horizon Europe, appel 2022, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Hôpital universitaire de la Charité de Berlin — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : Charité
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

Five out of ten diseases leading to long term-disability are related to the brain, including stroke, depression or dementia. Despite tremendous progress in neurotechnology, there is still no effective treatment option available for many brain-related disorders. A very promising approach to treat brain disorders uses transcranial electric or magnetic stimulation (TES/TMS) to directly influence brain activity related to specific symptoms. However, these methods are limited in their spatial resolution, specificity and ability to reach deep brain areas. The aim of the proposed project is to develop a technical and experimental proof-of-concept for a new non-invasive tool that allows for millimeter- and millisecond-precise modulation of neural activity in superficial and deep areas of the human brain. Capitalizing on temporal interference effects, the device will apply high carrier frequency magnetic fields through a pair of coils. By modulating their relative phase, the combined fields will induce a locally amplitude-modulated electric field in the brain. As neural tissue is insensitive to unmodulated high-frequency fields (>1kHz), but responds to low-frequency amplitude-modulated fields, only brain regions will be stimulated where the combined field is amplitude-modulated. Building on the resulting versatility of stimulation frequencies and waveforms, we aim at providing proof for cell-type specificity of such temporal interference magnetic stimulation (TIMS). Moreover, we aim at providing proof for the feasibility of targeting neural activity at millisecond-to-millisecond precision. Availability of such device offering high spatial resolution, depth selectivity, steerability, as well as closed-loop-compatibility and cell-type specificity would mark a major break-through for clinical neuroscience. Together with two partners from industry and a partner for technology transfer, we strive for fast translation of expected research results into innovative products.
Projet ERC : Interact-ALL (Horizon Europe, appel 2024, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Hôpital universitaire de la Charité de Berlin — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : Charité
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

Immunotherapies have revolutionized cancer treatment by utilizing the patient's immune system, offering hope for treating a wide range of diseases. However, challenges such as therapy resistance, poor response rates, and high costs remain. Precision diagnostics that accurately identify patients likely to benefit from specific immunotherapies could optimize treatment efficacy, reduce unnecessary treatments, and significantly decrease healthcare expenses. A major limitation of current predictive biomarkers is their focus on the abundance of individual immune components, such as T cell numbers or specific surface markers, without considering the crucial interactions among immune cells or between immune and cancer cells. Such cellular interactions are particularly relevant for the efficacy of the immunotherapeutic class of bispecific antibodies, which target cancer by facilitating direct interactions between cancer and immune cells. Traditional methods for predicting response to immunotherapies fail to account for the complexity of these cellular interactions. Our ERC-Starting Grant project introduces an innovative framework for simultaneously mapping single-cell immune landscapes and cellular interactions at a low cost and ultra-high scale. Applying this approach to pre-treatment samples from children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia undergoing bispecific antibody therapy has allowed us to identify specific cellular interactions associated with therapy response or failure. Here we suggest to refine, validate and prepare the clinical implementation of our approach with the goal to develop a novel precision diagnostic tool that accurately predicts response to bispecific antibodies.
Projet ERC : FOCUS (Horizon Europe, appel 2024, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Centre national de la recherche scientifique — Pays : France — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : CNRS
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

We propose to develop a ready-to-use software suite implementing fully individualized neurofeedback protocols for ADHD remediation in clinical setups. These protocols will be tailored to each participant’s initial brain functional connectivity, and will combine fMRI- and EEG-neurofeedback to enhance and restore attentional control. The fMRI-neurofeedback will be driven by three specific functional markers derived from individual participant resting-state fMRI brain patterns, respectively targeting inattention, impulsivity and attentional flexibility. The EEG- neurofeedback will intervene in a second step and will specifically target the connectivity changes induced by the fMRI- neurofeedback. These neurofeedback protocols will be tailored to enhance cognitive functions, decrease ADHD symptoms and improve quality of life. Their innovation potential will rely on the combination of unique features optimizing the neurofeedback to individual participant neurophysiology and to achieving transfer of efficiency from within the protocol to real life. The software suit will allow automated tracking of changes in cognitive function, in brain functional connectivity and associated dynamics, in ADHD clinical scores as well as in quality-of-life self-reports. The project will be organized in four distinct work packages: a test work package, a research work package, a software development work package and an IPR, knowledge transfer and market analysis work package. The entire protocol will be released as an easy-to-install and use software suit, allowing clinical ADHD units having access to an fMRI and to an EEG to implement seamlessly. The outcome will be distributed to beta-testing ADHD clinical units and appropriate knowledge transfer plans will be built to maximize societal impact. In parallel, the software neurofeedback suit will be patented and market analysis will be performed in view of commercialization as a patented medical remediation device.