Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-erc-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet ERC : GLAZE (Horizon Europe, appel 2025, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Computer Science and Informatics
Entité participante : IBM Research - Zurich — Pays : Suisse — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Organismes privés (hors enseignement)
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1499992.0 €

Zero-knowledge proof systems are an extremely versatile tool for the construction of advanced cryptographic protocols and especially privacy-preserving protocols. Their importance will increase in the expected post-quantum world where quantum computers break classical cryptography. Unfortunately, for many applications and despite enormous research efforts, state-of-the-art quantum-safe proof systems of PCP type do not yet offer the necessary performance required in practice. The time needed to compute a proof is often too long and the proof size too big. An important such application that shall serve as a guiding principle in this project are privacy-preserving protocols constructed on top of standard (random-oracle) schemes. In recent research a promising new family of proof systems has emerged that is based on lattice cryptography. Especially their computational performance and proof sizes warrant more research into them. But lattice-based proof systems do not currently match the functionality of the PCP-type ones and can not be used for proving general computation. The central objective of GLAZE is to research ways to bring the functionality of lattice-based proof systems to the state of PCP-type ones, and then work on improving their performance and proof sizes to levels that are orders of magnitude better than the state of the art, enabling applications that are completely beyond the reach of practicality at the moment. Concretely, this project would ideally result in lattice-based proof systems able to prove a standard post-quantum signature such as Falcon with its long unstructured full-domain hash in under 100 milliseconds prover time and 10 Kilobytes proof size on a mobile processor.

Mots-clés : post quantum,lattices,zero knowledge,crypto implementations
Projet ERC : MUSCAD (Horizon Europe, appel 2024, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Prevention,  Diagnosis and T reatment of Human Diseases
Entité participante : Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale — Pays : France — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : Inserm
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1499498.0 €

Tumour development follows a diversity of complementary biological pathways, including the modification of the tissue structure and vascularization, which are not currently captured by imaging techniques in the clinic. Breast cancer patients undergo a series of imaging sessions using complementary modalities, including ionizing mammographies. In many cases, this imaging is not precise enough for a diagnosis, so that tissue samples in the form of biopsies are used to further characterize the tumour and determine the appropriate treatment. Beyond the pain and stress associated with biopsies, this complex process is costly and time consuming, and delays the time to diagnosis. Ultrasound B-mode imaging is largely used in the diagnostic process of breast cancer, in part because it is low cost, portable and largely available, as well as non-ionizing and non-invasive. Our laboratory, Institute Physics for Medicine Paris has recently developed several quantitative techniques allowing for the measurement of tissue stiffness, fiber organization, and vascular mapping, all relevant to tumour development. In this project, I propose a new approach to diagnosing breast cancer non-invasively by applying machine learning analysis to rich volumetric multiparametric maps of complementary tumour aspects, obtained using these innovative ultrafast ultrasound techniques. The project will tackle the technological challenge of integrating these techniques into a common acquisition and analysis framework, and include the collection of a large clinical dataset and the development and validation of a predictive malignancy model informing on tumour characteristics for the diagnosis. This approach will open the door to fully virtual biopsies, impacting society on a large scale in terms of cost, diagnostic efficacy, and patient comfort.

Mots-clés : machine learning,predictive models,breast cancer diagnosis,ultrafast ultrasound imaging,3d ultrasound imaging,ultrasound biomarkers
Projet ERC : BAE (Horizon Europe, appel 2022, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Earth System Science
Entité participante : Bureau de contrôle et de gestion de la recherche et de l'innovation ( Cyprus Institute) — Pays : Chypre — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : RIMS
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 2161544.0 €

Aerosol formation and growth mechanisms need to be better understood to improve air quality and weather prediction models, and reduce uncertainty of radiative forcing in climate change projections. Globally, half of the aerosol population is formed via gas-to-particle conversion and the fraction exceeds 90% in high latitudes. In many locations, the initial molecular cluster forms from sulphuric acid and ammonia or dimethylamine. Growth to an aerosol particle is often explained by the condensation of sulphuric acid, methanesulfonic acid and highly oxygenated organic compounds. While the roles of strong acids and organic compounds and their oxidation channels are quantified in laboratory and field studies, cation detection and neutral atmospheric base measurements are notably under-represented. An important innovation of this project will be the direct measurement of cations and neutral base molecules and clusters based on mass spectrometry. Ammonia, a base predominantly emitted by agriculture, is a key air pollutant in the formation of fine particulate matter (PM2.5). In western Europe, up to half of PM2.5 is attributed to ammonia pollution because of its ability to form aerosols in reactions with common atmospheric acids. Current atmospheric models do not include amines, which can form aerosol particles at a 1000-times faster rate than ammonia. To uncover the composition and level of toxicity of PM2.5, as well as the scattering and absorption of sunlight by aerosol particles, it is critical to understand the atmospheric chemistry and molecular pathways that control their formation and growth. The project will focus on the role of base molecules in the formation of new particles and their fate in the atmosphere and is led by an established PI with a demonstrated history in ground breaking nanoaerosol and precursor studies. It will underpin the modelling of atmospheric aerosol processes, which are subject to major precursor emission changes in Europe and beyond.

Mots-clés : ammonia,mass spectrometry,air pollution,base,new particle formation,aerosol
Projet ERC : COnNect (Horizon Europe, appel 2022, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Prevention,  Diagnosis and T reatment of Human Diseases
Entité participante : Fondazione per la ricerca biomedica avanzata ets — Pays : Italie — Rôle : Partner
Acronyme de l'entité : VIMM
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 429375.0 €

Brain injuries affecting the cerebral cortex result in devastating neurologic deficits from irreversible loss of neurons and still do not have any therapeutic option. The only possible treatment for these conditions would be the reconstruction of the lost neuronal circuits which could be achieved, in principle, by stem cell therapy. However, when stem cells are engrafted they only provide trophic effect and are incapable of substantial tissue replacement and rewiring the damaged tissue. With this project I aim at implementing a paradigm shift toward a new targeted therapeutic approach enabling restoration of functional neuronal network activity in cortical brain lesions. In this view, I aim at: i) Developing a human-specific hydrogel able to support cortical brain organoids (CBOs) engraftment; ii) Achieving in vitro guidance of functional neuronal connections between CBOs via 3 dimension (3D) bioprinting; iii) Connecting CBO and lesioned mouse visual cortex using intravital 3D bioprinting; iv) Achieving in vivo functional network restoration via guided CBO integration within the lesioned cortex circuit. I already developed in vivo fabrication of customized 3D hydrogels by 2-photon mediated crosslinking of photo-sensitive polymers in cortical brain of living mice adjacent to implanted CBOs, able to guide CBO’s growth in vivo. The ground-breaking nature of COnNect lays on the novel idea of i) creating in situ extra cellular matrix (ECM) mimic structures to re-establish in vivo the neuronal network and the lost neurological functions; ii) using brain organoids as an electrically active unit with defined organized structure to stimulate brain plasticity and reinforce synaptic connections with the host brain tissue. The proposed project has the potential to provide a new beyond state-of-the-art therapeutic option for cortical brain lesion therapy only possible combining multiple competences belonging to different fields: neuroscience, cell therapy, bioengineering.

Mots-clés : brain organoids stem cell therapy brain lesion repair
Projet ERC : METABALANCANCER (Horizon Europe, appel 2023, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Prevention,  Diagnosis and T reatment of Human Diseases
Entité participante : IFOM — Pays : Italie — Rôle : Partner
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 574975.0 €

The goal of this proposal is to explore combinations of targeted metabolite supplementation and global nutrient restriction as a new strategy to reprogram tumor metabolism, to halt tumor progression and to improve response to treatments. Preclinical and clinical studies published by our group and by others showed that global nutrient restriction, in the form of cyclic fasting or fasting-mimicking diets (FMDs), produces desirable metabolic and immunologic effects that result in reduced tumor progression and in the prolongation of animal/patient survival. Of note, our unpublished results indicate that the supplementation of specific amino acids or fatty acids has in vitro and in vivo antitumor effects, which are strongly enhanced when metabolite supplementation is combined with nutrient starvation. By employing canonical cell biology and biochemical experiments, polysome/ribosome profiling, isotope tracing experiments and integrated omics (transcriptomic, proteomic, metabolomic) analyses in in vitro and in vivo murine and human tumor models, here we propose to: - identify the cell-autonomous and immune-mediated mechanisms at the basis of the antitumor effects of targeted metabolite supplementation in combination with global nutrient restriction; - identify the most effective metabolite supplementation-restriction strategy to be tested in a first-in-human clinical trial in patients with advanced triple-negative breast cancer. While the basic cancer research and medical oncology communities are engaged in a historical scientific and clinical diatribe on the use of nutrient deprivation vs. supplementation approaches to halt tumor progression and to improve patient survival, we will exploit our unprecedented ability to conduct parallel preclinical and clinical experimentation in the field of cancer metabolism to identify new and effective combinations of balanced metabolite supplementation and restriction, with relevant scientific and translational implications.

Mots-clés : in vitro models in vivo models anticancer immunity multi omics bioinfomatics
Projet ERC : PGTI (Horizon Europe, appel 2021, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Prevention,  Diagnosis and T reatment of Human Diseases
Entité participante : Centre Antoine Lacassagne — Pays : France — Rôle : Partner
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 50000.0 €

Particle Therapy (PT) is potentially the most conformal and selective form of radiotherapy, but its clinical outcome is still limited, mainly because of the numerous sources of uncertainties affecting both treatment planning and delivery. The objective technical complexity of predicting and verifying the ion path in the patient has led to conservative treatments that, in order to increase safety, sacrifice efficacy. Having the full control of the dose gradient within the patient in real time would allow to fully exploit the ballistic advantage of PT. The healthy-tissue sparing effect can be enormous, further encouraging the use of PT for paediatric malignancies. Alternatively, the target dose could be increased to achieve better tumour control, and dose escalation procedures could be envisaged to treat radio-resistant tumours. With the aim of increasing both safety and efficacy, I propose a new medical-imaging modality to monitor PT treatments in real-time. It exploits the signal of secondary prompt gamma-rays emitted from nuclear interactions in the patients to recover information on ion range, tissue density and dose. I refer to this technique as Prompt Gamma Time Imaging (PGTI). An original reconstruction algorithm and a dedicated detector will be developed to prove the clinical advantages of PGTI, and bring this technique at the doorsteps of its clinical application. I will develop models to correlate the images provided by PGTI to real-time dose distributions, in order to enable the use of this technique for adaptive dosimetry. PGTI will be also explored as a potential approach to proton tomography. For the first time, it would be possible to control the uncertainties affecting both treatment planning and treatment delivery with a unique device. PGTI may be the missing step towards the birth of image-guided particle therapy.

Mots-clés : gamma ray detection
Projet ERC : NEUROSYNC (Horizon Europe, appel 2025, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System
Entité participante : University Medical Center Utrecht — Pays : Pays-Bas — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : UMC
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1499941.0 €

Developmental timing in brain formation has traditionally been studied independently across regions; however, spatial and temporal synchronization between regions is essential for the formation of functional neural circuits. In humans, the cerebral cortex develops slower, allowing for the formation of complex circuits that enhance cognitive abilities. Yet, not all brain regions follow the same developmental pace. The thalamocortical system, in particular, shows accelerated synchronization in humans, with thalamic connections reaching the subplate and cerebral cortex at early neurogenic phases. This early synchronization suggests a unique human specialization that remains largely unexplored. Such divergence may offer an extended window for distinct specializations to arise, facilitating cellular diversity and complex circuit formation, key drivers of evolutionary advantage. This raises the intriguing possibility that the thalamus, a subcortical structure, plays a critical role in driving novel specializations within the human subplate and cortex earlier than thought. Here, I aim to uncover the fundamental principles governing species-specific synchronization and developmental timing in the thalamocortical system, and their impact on human brain development. To achieve this, we will generate novel human stem cell-derived models replicating the self-emerging properties of thalamic-subplate communication. By employing multi-omic comparative approaches, we will investigate human-specific specializations and diversification of subplate dynamics, while exploring the consequences of disrupted synchronization in human and mouse models. In sum, our work will reveal the molecular and cellular consequences of accelerated thalamic-subplate synchronization in human development. This project could establish a link between altered time dynamics and neurodevelopmental disorders, offering a fresh perspective on the critical role of precise synchronization in human brain development.

Mots-clés : developmental neuroscience,thalamus,cerebral cortex,subplate,thalamocortical system,human evolution,brain organoids,organoid models,human specializations,human diversification,neurons
Projet ERC : HG-iGAS (Horizon Europe, appel 2024, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Immunity, Infection and I mmunotherapy
Entité participante : University Medical Center Utrecht — Pays : Pays-Bas — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : UMC
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1496978.75 €

Group A streptococcus (GAS) is a major, human specific, bacterial pathogen. Most people suffer from mild infections, while only a few develop invasive GAS (iGAS) infections. These cases of iGAS infections are unexplained as they strike otherwise healthy people. The human specificity of GAS and the interindividual variability upon infection with GAS are poorly understood. My proposal aims to close both knowledge gaps: I hypothesize that single-gene defects of antistreptococcal immunity increase susceptibility to human-specific GAS virulence factors in some people, thereby underlying their iGAS infections. I propose an innovative framework to unravel iGAS pathophysiology in humans, by applying a strategy to integrate the studies of human genetics and host-pathogen interactions at the molecular level. This project focuses on patients suffering from iGAS infections. Most patients have been enrolled, sampled, and whole exome sequencing (WES) performed. Additional patients will be recruited. The human gene(s) underlying iGAS infections will be identified using complementary WES-based approaches. The discovered inborn error(s) of immunity to GAS and the host-pathogen interactions will be dissected at the molecular, cellular, tissue, and whole-organismal levels, including with patients’ cells and clinical GAS strains.  The immediate availability of patients’ genetic data provides a secure starting point for an efficient implementation of this proposal. Preliminary analyses have yielded two promising candidate genes. Access to patients’ specimens and clinical GAS isolates offers an exceptional opportunity to characterize patient-specific host-pathogen interactions. Thus, we are in a unique position to discover the first human genetic determinant(s) of iGAS host-pathogen interactions. This project may uncover the role of genes in human physiology beyond the infectious phenotype and accelerate the development of preventative strategies against GAS infections.

Mots-clés : host pathogen interactions virulence factors group a streptococcus invasive group a streptococcus infections human genetics of infectious diseases inborn errors of immunity
Projet ERC : AMAskZONE (Horizon Europe, appel 2022, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Computer Science and Informatics
Entité participante : CryptoExperts — Pays : France — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Organismes privés (hors enseignement)
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1495250.0 €

Cryptography is everywhere in our daily life to ensure the confidentiality and authentication of our communications and the integrity of our records. Although there are strong expectations regarding the security of cryptographic schemes against black-box attackers whose knowledge is restricted to a few inputs or outputs, the security of their implementations is less challenged. However, once implemented on embedded devices, cryptographic schemes become vulnerable to powerful side-channel attacks. The latter additionally exploit the physical leakage (e.g., power consumption) released by the device to recover the manipulated secrets. With cheap equipment, side-channel attacks may yield tremendous damage (e.g., full key recovery) within seconds. Nevertheless, the current security level of countermeasures is not yet close to that achieved in the black-box model.  The community is divided on how to assess the security of cryptographic implementations. From practitioners’ perspective, they need to be confronted with concrete side-channel attacks directly on embedded devices. Conversely, theorists consider that such an empirical approach is not portable and does not yield concrete security levels (e.g., not all attacks can be tested). Therefore, they instead investigate security proofs based on abstract leakage models, although the latter are often too far removed from reality to yield practical security.  In this project, I plan to combine the advantages of both worlds with a toolbox to generate and verify cryptographic implementations with practical security. Namely, I aim to: (i) design new compilers to turn any high-level algorithm into an efficient implementation proven secure for identified concrete devices, (ii) push the limits of formal verification with device characterization and polynomial complexity for industrial use.  The main challenge of AMAskZONE is to design and verify cryptographic implementations so that they achieve measurable practical security.

Mots-clés : side channel attacks,formal methods,masking,cryptographic implementations,provable security
Projet ERC : inEXASCALE (Horizon Europe, appel 2022, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Computer Science and Informatics
Entité participante : Université Charles de Prague — Pays : Rép. Tchèque — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1496085.0 €

Scientific computing inherently involves multiple sources of inexactness, from discretization or simplification of the problem, to noisy data, to finite precision rounding errors, to approximations made to increase parallelism, to stopping computations intentionally to improve efficiency. The standard state-of-the-art approach is to analyze different sources of error separately. There is currently no solid foundation or systematic approach for combining multiple sources of inexactness together and studying their interaction. Developing reliable approaches for exascale requires filling this gap, which must start with establishing a new rigorous foundation for analyzing multiple sources of error in matrix computations. Without this basis, the quest for efficiency in areas vitally depending on matrix computations, including, for example, data science and machine learning, will remain reliant on a trial-and-error approach. This project aims to break the current modular approach to the analysis and design of algorithms for matrix computations by understanding how different sources of inexactness interact while being propagated through a computation and their effect on numerical behavior and solution quality. Our holistic approach, rooted in rigorous theoretical analysis, will reveal opportunities for developing new algorithms for exascale problems that exploit inexactness to balance performance and accuracy. The project is structured around four fundamental objectives: WP1: Analysis of exascale matrix computations subject to multiple sources of inexactness WP2: Development of new algorithms that exploit inexactness that are both fast and provably accurate WP3: Making error analysis of exascale computations meaningful in practice WP4: Exploring emerging sources of inexactness beyond the exascale era  Our approach will lead to new methodologies that can change current paradigms.

Mots-clés : matrix computations,error analysis,parallel computing,iterative methods,high performance computing,numerical linear algebra,scientific computing,numerical stability,architecture for exascale computation