Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-erc-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet ERC : LISA (Horizon 2020, appel 2020, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Fundamental constituents of matter
Entité participante : Spanish National Research Council — Pays : Espagne — Rôle : Partner
Acronyme de l'entité : CSIC
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 0.0 €

The coexistence of single-particle and collective degrees of freedom in atomic nuclei gives rise to various exotic phenomena. In nuclei with very asymmetric proton-to-neutron ratios, the strong nuclear interaction drives shell evolution which alters the orbital spacing, and in some cases even the ordering present in stable nuclei. In the absence of large gaps between orbitals, nuclei can take on non-spherical shapes and their excitations proceed through coherent and collective motion of many nucleons. Where and how collectivity emerges from the single-particle dynamics of protons and neutrons is an open question in nuclear structure physics that will be addressed with LISA in a unique way. The aim of the LISA (LIfetime measurements with Solid Active targets) project is to develop a novel method for lifetime measurements in atomic nuclei. Lifetimes probe the collectivity of a nucleus through its electromagnetic transition properties. The experimental approach is based on active solid targets and will dramatically enhance the scope of measurements of excited-state lifetimes and thus transition probabilities achievable in exotic nuclei. Coupled to state-of-the-art gamma-ray tracking detectors such as AGATA, this novel instrument will overcome the present challenges of lifetimes measurements with low-intensity beams of unstable nuclei. LISA will exploit the unique capabilities of FAIR, the future European fragmentation facility set to deliver the most exotic and highest intensity radioactive ion beams. LISA will greatly expand the physics program for nuclear structure studies at FAIR. Through the measurements made possible by LISA, our understanding of key aspects of single-particle and collective structures and their interplay will become much more developed. The results will have significant impact on the theoretical descriptions and modeling of atomic nuclei making their predictions more reliable.

Mots-clés : nuclear structure,exotic nuclei,radioactive beams,electromagnetic transitions,single particle,collective excitation
Projet ERC : MYCOREV (Horizon 2020, appel 2019, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution
Entité participante : University of Sheffield — Pays : Royaume-Uni — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1776025.75 €

The colonisation of the landmasses by plants >500 Mya was a major turning point in Earth’s history, drastically altering the development of the biosphere and providing the basis for all terrestrial life ever since. The hypothesis that early plants were facilitated in their invasion of the land environment by forming symbioses with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) is widely supported by fossil and molecular evidence. My previous findings in physiology identified the role of AMF as a driving force in evolution by supporting growing nutrient demands of increasingly large plants, against a background of declining atmospheric CO2. Recently, it was revealed that the earliest groups of extant plants form symbioses with a different group of fungi - Mucoromycotina “fine root endophytes” (MFRE) and I have since shown that MFRE symbioses are nutritionally mutualistic. These findings support a new hypothesis: the earliest land plants had a wider range of symbiotic options than was previously thought with MFRE also playing an important role in their supply of nutrients. I have now discovered that MFRE symbioses are not limited to early divergent plants, but instead span the entire land plant phylogeny. Coupled with my most recent findings that MFRE symbionts are distinct from AMF in terms of function and responses to changing atmospheric CO2 concentrations, these discoveries call into question much of what we thought we knew about plant-fungal symbioses. Much of the fundamental biology of MFRE remains unknown, preventing us from understanding the true complexity of plant-fungal symbioses, how they might respond to environmental change and their potential exploitation. This project will address the fundamental knowledge gaps surrounding the diversity, structure and functional significance of plant-MFRE symbioses, paving the way for a revolution in mycorrhizal research in the 21st century.

Mots-clés : symbiosis,fungi,mycorrhiza,carbon for nutrient exchange,phosphorus,nitrogen,carbon,endophytes
Projet ERC : GAMMAVISION (Horizon 2020, appel 2018, Proof of concept grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Computer science and informatics
Entité participante : Pompeu Fabra University — Pays : Espagne — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : UPF
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

The color gamut of a display is the set of colors that it can reproduce: screens with wider gamuts are capable of presenting more vivid, intense colors. Different display technologies have different gamuts, from the narrow gamut of TV sets to the wide gamut of cinema and the ultra-wide gamut of laser projectors. Gamut mapping is the process of adapting the colors of an image to the gamut of the display where it is shown, and it is an essential process at every step of the imaging chain: cameras perform automatic gamut reduction, in movie postproduction colorists perform gamut mapping manually, and emerging display technologies perform automatic gamut extension. There is a trade-off between speed and quality, and no method, be it automatic or manual, is exempt from issues. One of the research outcomes of the applicant’s ERC Starting Grant IP4EC is a vision-based gamut mapping method that is automatic, of extremely low computational complexity, and produces images and videos that look natural, without any halos, spurious colors or artifacts. The model has been validated confirming that it outperforms state of the art algorithms in terms of users’ preference. A European patent application has been filed. The core idea for this Proof of Concept proposal is to make a series of products that highlight the capabilities of our gamut mapping method on three distinct scenarios: image and video capture, professional post-production of photography and cinema, and image and video display. Specifically, this project will produce, in a B2C commercial approach, a free web application and commercial mobile apps for iOS and Android systems intended for the general public, plus commercial plug-ins for professional movie and photo post-production software. We will formulate a business plan around these products, that also show the potential of our model for other applications for which we intend to license our technology and provide services, in a B2B commercial approach.

Mots-clés : visual perception,vision models,color appearance,color enhancement,wide color gamut,image processing,image capture,image display,photography,movie post production
Projet ERC : OPT4SMART (Horizon 2020, appel 2014, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Systems and communication engineering
Entité participante : University of Salento — Pays : Italie — Rôle : Partner
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 573605.42 €

The combination of embedded electronics and communication capability in almost any mobile or portable device has turned this century into the age of cyber-physical networks. Smart communicating devices with their sensing, computing and control capabilities promise to make our cities, transportation systems, factories and living environments more intelligent, energy-efficient, safe and secure. This extremely complex system has raised a number of new challenges involving ICT disciplines. In particular, a novel peer-to-peer distributed computational model is appearing as a new opportunity in which a service is built-up cooperatively by peers, rather than by a unique provider that knows and owns all data. The interdisciplinary “Optimization Community” is facing this revolution sharing a common need: to find new theories, methodologies and tools to optimize over this complex network system. With this in mind, OPT4SMART has a twofold objective. First, to provide a comprehensive theoretical framework to solve distributed optimization problems over peer-to-peer networks. Second, to develop effective numerical tools, based on this framework, to solve estimation, learning, decision and control problems in cyber-physical networks. To achieve this twofold objective, we will take a systems-theory perspective. Specific problems from these four areas will be abstracted to a common mathematical set-up, and addressed by means of interdisciplinary methodologies arising from a synergic combination of optimization, controls, and graph theories. In particular, OPT4SMART will face the challenge of solving optimization problems under severe communication limitations, very-large-scale problem and data size, and real-time computational constraints. The expected result will be a combination of strong theoretical methods and effective numerical toolboxes available to people in Engineering, Computer Science, Mathematics and other areas, who are facing optimization in cyber-physical networks.

Mots-clés : distributed optimization,distributed control,cooperative control
Projet ERC : GraTA (Horizon 2020, appel 2016, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Aalto University — Pays : Finlande — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 149858.0 €

The commercialization of existing tunneling accelerometers is hindered by their complex fabrication and long-term instability. Based on our results and expertise from the currently running ERC project, we propose an innovative design using graphene as the game-changing material for tunneling accelerometers. The proposed graphene tunneling accelerometer has clear technical advantages, such as smaller size, wider bandwidth, simpler fabrication, and natural stability. A careful patent search indicates that the concept is novel for patent protection. Our industrial contacts have clear interest in this innovation, detailed user requirements on the accelerometer specifications have been recently mapped up. We have a capable team and a feasible plan towards the real-life commercialization of the proof-of-concept innovation. The output of the project is expected to be a long-pursued efficient application of graphene in high-end sensors. Continuity of the development and commercialization is strongly considered also after the project funding.

Mots-clés : graphene,tunneling,nems,accelerometer
Projet ERC : IL-E-CAT (Horizon 2020, appel 2015, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Products and processes engineering
Entité participante : Technical University of Darmstadt — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1999465.0 €

The commercialization of low temperature fuel cells is restricted by the high cost and low durability of cathode catalysts. Intense efforts have been devoted to tackle this issue by engineering the structure of Pt-based catalysts. Herein, a novel concept towards enhancing the performance of low temperature fuel cell catalysts is proposed, namely by tuning the local active site microenvironment with an immobilized ionic liquid (IL) phase. As demonstrated by the applicant in preliminary work, a suitable IL layer strongly influences the active catalytic site in a very promising manner, apparently via a highly complex interplay of solvent-, ligand- and electrostatic-stabilization effects. As the structural versatility of ILs allows for rational engineering of this modification at molecular level, the proposed project aims for a full scientific exploration of the remarkable activation and stabilization effects in ORR, to enable the realization of an innovative fuel cell cathode with dramatically enhanced performance. To achieve this ambitious goal, a sound fundamental understanding of the interaction of ILs with electrocatalytic sites will be derived by making use of the excellent research infrastructure and longstanding experience in ionic liquid design and catalytic materials at our institute. To demonstrate the general applicability, the deduced principals will also be applied to CO2 electrochemical reduction. The approach will not stop at the design of novel catalyst systems, but will address solutions to ensure long-term stability of the IL modification. To avoid IL leaching from the catalyst over time, the recent success of the applicant in the synthesis of novel core/shell carbon materials will be employed. The IL will be synthesized in situ within a mesoporous core and the steric demanding ions fixed through a molecular sieving shell surrounding each catalyst particle. A model-assisted strategy will be applied for optimization of the core/shell pore structures.

Mots-clés : ionic liquids,carbon supported catalysts,electrocatalysis
Projet ERC : DIANA (Horizon 2020, appel 2019, Proof of concept grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Products and processes engineering
Entité participante : Politecnico di Milano — Pays : Italie — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : POLIMI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 100000.0 €

The commitment to drug development for brain pathologies is experiencing a fast rate decreasing, a critical situation in a worldwide scenario where the number of patients affected by brain pathologies like Alzheimer’s (AD) or Parkinson’s (PD) disease are expected to greatly increase in the next decades. One critical point is that the development of new drugs is a three-phase process that currently requires 10-15 years and investment of 1-3 billion euros against a failure rate of about 99.6% for AD new drugs. The reasons of this discouraging scenario are multifaceted, but an important percentage of failure depends on weak quality of biological target validation assays, mainly due to the presence of the blood-brain barrier and the complexity of brain physiology that make challenging brain disease modelling. Hence, it is particularly crucial to implement an innovative, reliable in vitro cell model able to predict the potential of a new drug to cross the blood-brain barrier and effectively target the brain. DIANA (Organ-on-a-chip Drug screenIng device to tArget braiN disease) project aims to perform the technical and commercial feasibility of the integrated stand-alone BBB-brain model in-vitro, Chip4D Brain, based on patented organ on chip technology, providing the basis for a new generation of innovative devices. DIANA will be run by a consortium between Politecnico di Milano and an industrial partner, Neuro-Zone srl (Contract Research Organization – CRO - specialized in R&D for drug development in brain diseases for pharma) combining a solid technological expertise and an in-depth knowledge of the market.

Mots-clés : bioengineering,drug screening,in vitro cell model,organ on a chip,miniaturization
Projet ERC : ImmuNiche (Horizon 2020, appel 2018, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems
Entité participante : University of Würzburg — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1847706.25 €

The complex architecture of the mammalian hematopoietic system has been studied for decades, yet the molecular mechanisms underlying cell fate commitment remain poorly understood. Although cytokine signals are major determinants of hematopoietic cell fate, only few niches of stem and progenitor cells have been characterized. Here, we propose to resolve the cell type composition of mouse bone marrow by integrating single-cell RNA-seq with high-resolution spatial analysis of gene expression in tissue sections, visualizing ~250 cell type specific markers by multiplexed single-molecule RNA fluorescent in situ hybridization. This approach will reveal preferential co-localization of hematopoietic cells with other bone marrow-resident cell types, and globally predict niches of hematopoietic progenitor sub-types to pinpoint microenvrionmental determinants of hematopoietic cell fate. Based on this reference we will investigate the role of the microenvironment in the pathogenesis of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), representing one of the most frequent blood cell malignancies, commonly giving rise to leukaemia with poor prognosis. To investigate conservation of microenvironmental determinants of normal and malignant hematopoietic differentiation in human, we will apply the same strategy to healthy donors and human MDS patients and compare predicted cell types, differentiation trajectories, and niche interactions to those derived from healthy mice and murine MDS models. This approach will reveal conserved niche regulators of cell fate commitment involved in disease pathogenesis, which we will functionally analyse in murine models to identify novel therapeutic targets for prevention and treatment of MDS. Our approach represents a blueprint for investigating human malignancies of under-characterized tissues by applying cutting-edge high-resolution techniques in combination with advanced computational methods to jointly analyse the murine model and human patient microenvironment.

Mots-clés : single cell rna seq,spatial gene expression analysis,hematopoiesis,microenvironment,myelodysplastic syndrome,leukemia
Projet ERC : ImmuNiche (Horizon 2020, appel 2018, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems
Entité participante : Max Planck Society — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : Partner
Acronyme de l'entité : MPG
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 149793.75 €

The complex architecture of the mammalian hematopoietic system has been studied for decades, yet the molecular mechanisms underlying cell fate commitment remain poorly understood. Although cytokine signals are major determinants of hematopoietic cell fate, only few niches of stem and progenitor cells have been characterized. Here, we propose to resolve the cell type composition of mouse bone marrow by integrating single-cell RNA-seq with high-resolution spatial analysis of gene expression in tissue sections, visualizing ~250 cell type specific markers by multiplexed single-molecule RNA fluorescent in situ hybridization. This approach will reveal preferential co-localization of hematopoietic cells with other bone marrow-resident cell types, and globally predict niches of hematopoietic progenitor sub-types to pinpoint microenvrionmental determinants of hematopoietic cell fate. Based on this reference we will investigate the role of the microenvironment in the pathogenesis of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), representing one of the most frequent blood cell malignancies, commonly giving rise to leukaemia with poor prognosis. To investigate conservation of microenvironmental determinants of normal and malignant hematopoietic differentiation in human, we will apply the same strategy to healthy donors and human MDS patients and compare predicted cell types, differentiation trajectories, and niche interactions to those derived from healthy mice and murine MDS models. This approach will reveal conserved niche regulators of cell fate commitment involved in disease pathogenesis, which we will functionally analyse in murine models to identify novel therapeutic targets for prevention and treatment of MDS. Our approach represents a blueprint for investigating human malignancies of under-characterized tissues by applying cutting-edge high-resolution techniques in combination with advanced computational methods to jointly analyse the murine model and human patient microenvironment.

Mots-clés : single cell rna seq,spatial gene expression analysis,hematopoiesis,microenvironment,myelodysplastic syndrome,leukemia
Projet ERC : TOPP (Horizon 2020, appel 2017, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Condensed matter physics
Entité participante : Dutch Research Council — Pays : Pays-Bas — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : NWO
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1500000.0 €

The concept of topology has proven very powerful in predicting and explaining a range of intriguing phenomena for the behaviour of electrons in solid-state materials, including the existence of topological phases that offer robust transport with unusual characteristics. This program aims to create and study topological behaviour for sound in systems that couple light and mechanical motion through radiation pressure. I will realize on-chip nano-optomechanical systems where many optical and mechanical modes interact. Through this interaction, suitable laser illumination will induce phononic transport with properties that are not found in any natural material. In particular, they will establish topologically nontrivial acoustic phases that we will create and explore in space and time using a new optical measurement technique. The induced behaviour crucially depends on the extreme coupling between optical fields and nanomechanical resonators when both are confined at the nanoscale. I aim to study three manifestations of topological behaviour: (1) The creation of an acoustic quantum Hall phase, in which topologically protected unidirectional sound propagation should emerge, in edge modes that are robust against disorder. (2) The formation of a new type of topological insulator arising from optomechanical nonlinearity, supporting topological acoustic solitons with unusual dynamics. (3) The breaking of parity-time symmetry in mechanical systems that undergo both optical damping and amplification, a phase transition with unique topological properties.