Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-erc-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet ERC : GSYNCOR (Horizon 2020, appel 2018, Proof of concept grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Condensed matter physics
Entité participante : University of Cambridge — Pays : Royaume-Uni — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : U. Cambridge
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 149628.0 €

The current standard of tumour diagnostics is histopathology, where excisions are taken from the tissue of a diseased patient, followed by staining and visual inspection. The process is time-consuming, costly, with low sensitivity and specificity. The results are subjective and qualitative, heavily depending on the judgement of the doctor. Spontaneous Raman microscopy is a label-free and non-invasive imaging technique, which enables to obtain objective and quantitative information on the tissue, by measuring its detailed molecular composition. It has proven capability to discriminate between healthy and tumour tissue and to identify the type and grade of tumour. Its main drawback is the very weak Raman signal, resulting in slow acquisition speed. This means that acquisition of a complete image would take up to several hours, prohibiting real-time and in vivo imaging. Coherent Raman scattering (CRS) generates the signal from a coherent superposition of the molecules in the tissue, illuminated by two synchronized ultrashort light pulses of different colour, thus improving by several orders of magnitude the acquisition speed. This enables real-time, in vivo imaging of the tissue allowing doctors to make informed diagnostic and/or therapeutic decisions immediately. The main hurdle of CRS microscopy, which has prevented its widespread adoption in a clinical setting, is the complexity and the high cost of the illuminating laser system, which is bulky and requires handling by specialized personnel. GSYNCOR aims to drastically simplify the laser system used for CRS microscopy, increasing its reliability and reducing its cost by exploiting the ultrafast and broadband nonlinear optical response of graphene. This enables not only pulsed (mode-locked) operation of a laser system, but also to passively synchronize two different lasers, generating the dual-wavelength pulses required for CRS. This will enable the uptake of CRS as a disruptive biomedical imaging technology.

Mots-clés : coherent raman microscopy,lasers,graphene,mode locking
Projet ERC : DeepSeep (Horizon 2020, appel 2019, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Earth system science
Entité participante : University of Bologna — Pays : Italie — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : UNIBO
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 2474368.0 €

The deep subsurface biosphere is the largest microbiological habitat on Earth, with biomass and contribution to biogeochemical cycles comparable to surface biosphere. Deciphering the parameters that control and sustain deep subsurface life is vital in understanding the functioning of our planet, and additionally provides key information on how life emerged and where it could exist elsewhere. Among these parameters are the sources of essential energy for deep life, such as H2 and CH4. Great effort has been made to identify geological processes producing these compounds within the subsurface biosphere. Conversely, the identification of deeper sources of H2 and CH4 produced outside the parameter space for life is lacking, even though they could dramatically change our understanding of the distribution and magnitude of deep life on Earth and potentially beyond. Convergent margins focus the largest recycling of C from the deep Earth to the biosphere and atmosphere. Current models of deep C cycling do not include H2-CH4 deep fluxes and therefore cannot assess their potential role in sustaining deep life. My recent work indicates that H2 and CH4 can be produced in large amounts abiotically in subduction zones well below the biosphere by high-P serpentinization processes. This opens new fundamental questions: What is the magnitude of deep H2 and CH4 at convergent margins? How do they affect deep C cycling? To what extent deep H2 and CH4 fluxes sustain the biosphere? DeepSeep will answer these questions by providing the first ever estimates of deep H2-CH4 fluxes, as well as the missing means to detect source areas at depth, and will establish deep H2-CH4 role on deep C cycling and on deep biosphere processes. By bridging the two most striking peculiarities of Earth, subduction and life, DeepSeep has the potential for transformative discoveries, with long-term implications for global C cycle modeling, climatology, and the emergence and search for life on Earth and beyond.

Mots-clés : carbon cycle,natural hydrogen  h2,deep energy,abiotic methane  ch4,unconventional hydrocarbons,deep life,serpentinization,convergent margins
Projet ERC : DeepSeep (Horizon 2020, appel 2019, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Earth system science
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 : 0.0 €

The deep subsurface biosphere is the largest microbiological habitat on Earth, with biomass and contribution to biogeochemical cycles comparable to surface biosphere. Deciphering the parameters that control and sustain deep subsurface life is vital in understanding the functioning of our planet, and additionally provides key information on how life emerged and where it could exist elsewhere. Among these parameters are the sources of essential energy for deep life, such as H2 and CH4. Great effort has been made to identify geological processes producing these compounds within the subsurface biosphere. Conversely, the identification of deeper sources of H2 and CH4 produced outside the parameter space for life is lacking, even though they could dramatically change our understanding of the distribution and magnitude of deep life on Earth and potentially beyond. Convergent margins focus the largest recycling of C from the deep Earth to the biosphere and atmosphere. Current models of deep C cycling do not include H2-CH4 deep fluxes and therefore cannot assess their potential role in sustaining deep life. My recent work indicates that H2 and CH4 can be produced in large amounts abiotically in subduction zones well below the biosphere by high-P serpentinization processes. This opens new fundamental questions: What is the magnitude of deep H2 and CH4 at convergent margins? How do they affect deep C cycling? To what extent deep H2 and CH4 fluxes sustain the biosphere? DeepSeep will answer these questions by providing the first ever estimates of deep H2-CH4 fluxes, as well as the missing means to detect source areas at depth, and will establish deep H2-CH4 role on deep C cycling and on deep biosphere processes. By bridging the two most striking peculiarities of Earth, subduction and life, DeepSeep has the potential for transformative discoveries, with long-term implications for global C cycle modeling, climatology, and the emergence and search for life on Earth and beyond.

Mots-clés : carbon cycle,natural hydrogen  h2,deep energy,abiotic methane  ch4,unconventional hydrocarbons,deep life,serpentinization,convergent margins
Projet ERC : TraffikGene (Horizon 2020, appel 2018, Proof of concept grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Synthetic Chemistry and Materials
Entité participante : University of Santiago de Compostela — Pays : Espagne — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : USC
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

The delivery of exogenous nucleic acids and related macromolecules is one of the most encouraging tools for the future of human health. However, the delivery of the required genetic cargo still constitutes an important challenge. Although non-viral vectors are still in their preliminary clinical steps they are rising up as a real alternative for gene therapeutics. Oligopeptides and polymer cell penetrating materials constitute one of the most promising alternatives for the protection, transport and controlled release of different macromolecular cargos. Under the framework of the ERC-Stg_DYNAP we have methodology that employs dynamic covalent bonds to connect peptide/polymer scaffolds with different aldehyde tails (cationic, hydrophobic, glycans, PEGs, etc.). This key synthetic advantage allows the quick identification of different peptide vehicles for customized cargos. The recent interest of important industrial partners in our technology confirms the strong interest and potential impact of our platform. TraffikGene will diversify the potential market applications of this technology and will allow us to reach a higher level of control for the market transference. We will optimize peptide libraries for the delivery of new nucleic acids (i.e. mRNA) in in vitro and in vivo. The potential commercial success will be maximized by diversification of the applications in gene therapy, cytosolic delivery, antibody transport, cell targeting, blood brain barrier crossing, etc. A market analysis will identify industrial needs, market niches, financial requirements and stakeholders for commercialization. The best future IPR strategy will be carefully evaluated and decided (i.e. product licensing, product development, spin-off, etc.). TraffikGene will allow us to identify and solve challenges required to improve, diversify and exploit the strong potential market applications of our discoveries in the field of gene and macromolecular controlled delivery.

Mots-clés : peptide chemistry,supramolecular chemistry,penetrating peptides,membranes,gene delivery,gene therapy,macromolecular delivery
Projet ERC : MoViD (Horizon 2020, appel 2018, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : IBM Research - Zurich — Pays : Suisse — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Organismes privés (hors enseignement)
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

The detection of dilute populations of nanoparticles in microfluidics is difficult due to diffusion as the time limiting step to reach the sensor. Using active transport, we propose to build a proof of concept microfluidic device that reaches sub-attomolar detection sensitivity within an hour and at a device footprint of 1 cm. The active transport enables size separation of the particles into multiple channels and up-concentration in detection reservoirs for label free detection. At the end of the process the size-separated particles can be easily extracted for further downstream processing. The applied use case is the detection and quantification of virus in drinking water, a global health-critical challenge. A viral concentration of 10-100 particles is infectious in 2l of water consumed by a person, corresponding to a concentration of 10^(-22) molar. Traditional methods rely on multiple concentration steps followed by detection using molecular and/or culture based methods. Most common are adsorption/elution assays which co-concentrate and add contaminations that interfere with the downstream detection analysis. The detection methods are also often specific for the viral type and require a priori identification of the target virus. Metagenomic sequencing allows for general identification but lacks sensitivity. The proposed method will simplify and improve the process significantly. The viruses will be concentrated without damage of the virus shell and with a high rejection of the contamination present in the sample. All virus particles will be separated and sorted according to predefined size ranges into detection compartments on the chip, allowing for a parallel and quantitative marker-less detection on a single particle level. Specific identification is possible for future devices using (integrated) molecular methods with reduced cross-contamination and without a priori virus identification.

Mots-clés : nanoparticle detection,brownian motors,size analysis,virus detection
Projet ERC : EXOKLEIN (Horizon 2020, appel 2017, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Universe sciences
Entité participante : University of Bern — Pays : Suisse — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : UB
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1984729.0 €

The detection of life beyond our Solar System is possible only via the remote sensing of the atmospheres of exoplanets. The recent discovery that small exoplanets are common around cool, red stars offers an exciting opportunity to study the atmospheres of Earth-like worlds. Motivated by this revelation, the EXOKLEIN project proposes to construct a holistic climate framework to understand astronomical observations in the context of the atmosphere, geochemistry and biosignatures of the exoplanet. The proposed research is divided into three major themes. Research Theme 1 aims to construct a virtual laboratory of an atmosphere that considers atmospheric dynamics, chemistry and radiation, as well as how they interact. This virtual laboratory enables us to understand the physical and chemical mechanisms involved, as well as predict the observed properties of an exoplanet. Research Theme 2 aims to generalize the carbonate-silicate cycle (also known as the long-term carbon cycle) by considering variations in rock composition, water acidity and atmospheric conditions. The carbonate-silicate cycle is important because it regulates the long-term presence of carbon dioxide (a vital greenhouse gas) in atmospheres. We also aim to investigate the role of the cycle in determining the fates of ocean-dominated exoplanets called “water worlds”. Research Theme 3 aims to investigate the long-term stability of biosignature gases in the context of the climate. Whether a gas uniquely indicates the presence of biology on an exoplanet depends on the atmospheric properties and ultraviolet radiation environment. We investigate three prime candidates for biosignature gases: methyl chloride, dimethylsulfide and ammonia. Overall, the EXOKLEIN project will significantly advance our understanding of whether the environments of rocky exoplanets around red stars are stable and conducive for life, and whether the tell-tale signatures of life may be detected by astronomers.

Mots-clés : exoplanetary atmospheres and climate modeling  including fluid dynamics,radiative transfer and chemistry,long term carbon cycle  carbonate silicate cycle,biosignature gases
Projet ERC : Bits2Cosmology (Horizon 2020, appel 2017, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Universe sciences
Entité participante : University of Oslo — Pays : Norvège — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : UiO
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1999205.0 €

The detection of primordial gravity waves created during the Big Bang ranks among the greatest potential intellectual achievements in modern science. During the last few decades, the instrumental progress necessary to achieve this has been nothing short of breathtaking, and we today are able to measure the microwave sky with better than one-in-a-million precision. However, from the latest ultra-sensitive experiments such as BICEP2 and Planck, it is clear that instrumental sensitivity alone will not be sufficient to make a robust detection of gravitational waves. Contamination in the form of astrophysical radiation from the Milky Way, for instance thermal dust and synchrotron radiation, obscures the cosmological signal by orders of magnitude. Even more critically, though, are second-order interactions between this radiation and the instrument characterization itself that lead to a highly non-linear and complicated problem. I propose a ground-breaking solution to this problem that allows for joint estimation of cosmological parameters, astrophysical components, and instrument specifications. The engine of this method is called Gibbs sampling, which I have already applied extremely successfully to basic CMB component separation. The new and ciritical step is to apply this method to raw time-ordered observations observed directly by the instrument, as opposed to pre-processed frequency maps. While representing a ~100-fold increase in input data volume, this step is unavoidable in order to break through the current foreground-induced systematics floor. I will apply this method to the best currently available and future data sets (WMAP, Planck, SPIDER and LiteBIRD), and thereby derive the world's tightest constraint on the amplitude of inflationary gravitational waves. Additionally, the resulting ancillary science in the form of robust cosmological parameters and astrophysical component maps will represent the state-of-the-art in observational cosmology in years to come.

Mots-clés : cosmic microwave background,gravitational waves,inflation,galactic radiation,modelling,instrumental effects,statistical techniques,bayesian analysis
Projet ERC : BlueStep (Horizon 2020, appel 2014, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Technische Universität Berlin — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : TUB
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

The detrimental consequences of global warming and the scarceness of fossil energy resources make an increasing use of renewable energy sources imperative. However, the inherent volatility of most of these energy sources requires both the installation of fast fossil backup power and large amounts of storage capacity. In the ERC funded project GREENEST the fundamentals of an ultra-wet gas turbine cycle are developed. In the proposed project BlueStep : Blue Combustion for the Storage of Green Electrical Power, the idea of ultra-wet combustion is extended towards the demonstration of a very effective and clean energy storage and conversion technology. Excess renewable electrical energy is utilized in a high pressure electrolysis process to produce hydrogen and oxygen. Both gases are stored at high pressure and their combustion, referred to as blue combustion, can be directly incorporated in existing base load steam power plants, resulting in the BlueStep cycle. Combustion takes place in the steam cycle of the plant and the exhaust gases consist solely of steam that can further expand in the remaining stages of the closed steam cycle. Depending on the mode of application, the power output of the plant and the efficiency of the cycle can be enhanced significantly. The proposed BlueStep cycle outclasses competing technologies in terms of efficiency, flexibility, space requirements, and investment costs. In a highly conservative market sector the proposed technology offers an economical and efficient method to realize extensive energy storage. The proposal comprises two key aspects: (1) the demonstration of diluted hydrogen-oxygen combustion under engine conditions to prove the technical feasibility of the technique to future customers; and (2) the development of a thorough business plan for the construction and operation of a full scale BlueStep energy storage plant to show the high economic potential of the concept to future investors.

Mots-clés : energy storage,steam cycle,grid stabilization,emission reduction
Projet ERC : FLOWTONICS (Horizon 2020, appel 2015, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Synthetic Chemistry and Materials
Entité participante : Board of the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology — Pays : Suisse — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : ETH Zurich
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1499585.0 €

The development of advanced photon-based technologies offers exciting promises in fields of crucial importance for the development of sustainable societies such as energy and food management, security and health care. Innovative photonic devices will however reveal their true potential if we can deploy their functionalities not only on rigid wafers, but also over large-area, flexible and stretchable substrates. Indeed, providing energy harvesting, sensing, or stimulating abilities over windows, screens, food packages, wearable textiles, or even biological tissues will be invaluable technological breakthroughs. Today, however, conventional fabrication approaches remain difficult to scale to large area, and are not well adapted to the mechanical and topological requirements of non-rigid and curved substrates. In FLOWTONICS, we propose innovative materials processing approaches and device architectures to enable the simple and scalable fabrication of nano-structured photonic systems compatible with flexible and stretchable substrates. Our strategy is to direct the flow of optical materials through an innovative and thus far unexplored exploitation of the solid-state dewetting and thermal drawing processes. Our objectives are three-fold: (1) Study and demonstrate, for the first time, the strong potential of the dewetting of chalcogenide glasses layers for the fabrication of large area photonic devices; (2) Show that dewetting can also be exploited to realize photonic architectures onto engineered, nano-imprinted flexible and stretchable polymer substrates; (3) Demonstrate, for the first time, the use of the thermal drawing process as a novel tool to realize advanced flexible and stretchable photonic ribbons and fibers. These novel approaches can contribute to game-changing scientific and technological advances for the sustainable management of our resources and to meet our growing health care needs, putting Europe at the forefront of innovation in these crucial areas.

Mots-clés : solid state dewetting,thermal drawing,fiber processing,photonic devices