Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-erc-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet ERC : CatalApp (Horizon 2020, appel 2015, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : University of Girona — Pays : Espagne — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : UdG
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 147500.0 €

An innovative methodology has been developed in the field of copper-catalyzed cross coupling catalysis, with the goal of developing more efficient and sustainable synthetic protocols used by Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industries. Successful research developed within the ERC-2011-StG-277801 project has led to discover new methodologies for sustainable catalytic transformations using copper catalysts to form C-C or C-heteroatom bonds, finding out the feasibility of uncommon copper(III) species as key intermediates. This new methodology features three main advantages: a) Precise design of the auxiliary ligands used in these transformations is a pathway of a more sustainable reactivity; b) competitive alternative to the price and toxicity disadvantages of Pd-based catalysts; and c) it can impart distinct selectivity that will broaden the scope of synthetic tools. The goal of the present CatalApp project is to study the feasibility of bringing this technology into a pre-commercial stage, with the aim of accelerating the access to the market of this new methodology. The pre-commercial stage will be orientated into: 1) A technical perspective that will be achieved by scaling-up current gram-scale methodologies to kilogram scale procedures. 2) An Economic and legal perspective, which include an analysis of Intellectual Property (IP) protection needs, evaluation of patent filling procedures required to provide an adequate protection of the different developed methodologies, a market study to identify specific potential uses of these synthetic tools, and a review of potential commercialisation partners. The expected outcomes of the PoC project will be the commercial availability of a portfolio of synthetic methodologies based on Copper, designed for specific applications. The strive of the CatalApp PoC project is making available these new methodologies in response to the demand of the industry and investors in order to ensure its results will be exploited successfully.

Mots-clés : copper,catalysis,cross coupling,synthesis,pharmaceuticals
Projet ERC : MitoWild (Horizon 2020, appel 2018, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution
Entité participante : University of Glasgow — Pays : Royaume-Uni — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 2445128.75 €

An organism’s metabolic rate is a central trait that links its physiology with its ecology and life history. However, while textbook definitions of metabolic rate generally refer to the rate of energy use by the animal, most empirical studies instead record it very indirectly as whole-animal oxygen consumption rate, without any actual measurement of ATP production. This approach contains a conceptual weakness: it is equivalent to estimating a car’s capacity or efficiency by measuring its fuel consumption per minute, with no measurement of what that consumption actually achieves in terms of speed or distance travelled. This can significantly weaken our ability to link metabolic rates to ecological processes, and may explain why conventional measures of metabolic rate often do not predict performance or fitness. This ambitious project will therefore attempt to re-dress the balance by shifting the focus onto the efficiency with which mitochondria produce ATP, with the expectation that this will lead to completely new insights into how metabolic rate influences and constrains the behaviour and ecology of animals. It will use new techniques that we have developed for simultaneous measurement of both ATP and ROS production by the mitochondria; these have revealed two-fold variation among individuals in the efficiency of ATP production (and hence ability to perform aerobic work), totally hidden from usual measurements of metabolic rate. I will use these approaches to examine the impact of metabolic efficiency on performance and the trade-off between efficiency and rates of senescence, using freshwater fish as an experimental system. By applying cutting-edge methods, so far only used in the laboratory, to animals living in their natural habitats, the project will reveal for the first time how environmental conditions select for particular mitochondrial phenotypes and hence metabolic efficiency, so allowing a re-evaluation of the links between ecology and metabolic rate.

Mots-clés : metabolic rate,mitochondria,ecophysiology,ecology,competition
Projet ERC : METAMAPPER (Horizon 2020, appel 2017, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : KU Leuven — Pays : Belgique — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : KUL
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 149875.0 €

Animals and bacteria have been working together for about as long as they have co-existed, long before the advent of mankind. The bodies of our ancient ancestors offered protected, nutrient-rich habitats for bacteria. In return, animals could take an evolutionary short-cut to developing new capabilities by ‘borrowing’ bacterial genes. Indeed, when gut bacteria assist with the digestion of e.g. dietary fiber, the resulting metabolites will subsequently exert an influence on an intricate network of host molecular pathways. Gut microbiota, in addition to host genetics, can therefore constitute a major factor in the etiology of complex disorders, ranging from obesity, cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disease (multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthrosis), inflammation (inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn’s) to neurological conditions. Although such a key role for the human microbiomes had been postulated for some time, many details on the delicate interplay between flora and host remained unknown, largely because suitable methods for uncovering these host-guest interactions were simply not available. These technological barriers keep the diagnostic and therapeutic potential of the microbiome largely untapped. In this project, we will validate the FLUROCODE genomic mapping technology as an alternative to shotgun sequencing and amplicon based techniques for microbiome studies. This will extend the benefits of genomic mapping techniques to complex sample analysis. Through a head-to-head comparison with the state of the art in metagenomic analysis, the POC data will serve as a key enabler for the transfer of the technology platform into a separate venture, working towards diagnostic applications and developing METAMAPPER based microbiome screening as a routine medical tool. The METAMAPPER microbiome readout technology is be perfectly placed to be part of the evolution of microbiome analysis to clinical application.

Mots-clés : microbiome,genomic mapping,super resolution fluorescence microscopy
Projet ERC : ALIVEAfrica (Horizon 2020, appel 2020, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Social Sciences and Humanities
Panel : The Social World and Its Diversity
Entité participante : Durham University — Pays : Royaume-Uni — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1173525.69 €

Animals are central to the livelihood strategies of millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa. Across the continent, animals provide sources of food and income, despite the growth of more diverse modes of subsistence. However, entanglements between humans and animals often have deeply problematic consequences for health, well-being and the environment. For example, unsustainable hunting practices reduce biodiversity and risk zoonotic disease transmission, and the uncontrolled use of antibiotics in intensified farming threatens to exacerbate anti-microbial resistance. Meanwhile, against a backdrop of climate-change induced pressures, development projects try to change human-animal relations in order to enhance productivity and economic resilience. Within this emerging dynamic it is important to reappraise the role of animals for contemporary livelihoods; the implications of human-animal relations for the wellbeing of multi-species communities; and the mechanisms of governance that seek to manage human-animal relations. This will be achieved through detailed ethnographic case studies in Kenya and Sierra Leone. This approach will shed light on contemporary livelihood strategies in sub-Saharan Africa. It will enable a major innovation in the social sciences by pushing forward new, post-human, visions for the fields of development and global health. Moreover, these local studies will be situated in a global context through a study of global assemblages of animal-focused development and One Health approaches. A deeper understanding of human-animal relationships has important implications for sustainability across species and will help to shift thinking around health and livelihoods in Africa from an anthropocentric perspective towards a post-humanist vision that enables multi-species stewardship. The project will co-produce knowledge with non-academic partners and build capacity among African scholars to maximise the reach of the research and ensure its long-term legacy.

Mots-clés : health,animals,livelihoods,one health,biomedicine,development,kenya,sierra leone,switzerland
Projet ERC : LIPIDEV (Horizon 2020, appel 2020, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Cellular, Developmental and Regenerative Biology
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 : 2374844.0 €

Anionic lipids are critical for membrane organization and signaling in eukaryotes, including animals and plants. The dogma is that they accumulate in distinct membranes, thereby recruiting a unique set of lipid-binding proteins to each compartment. In turn, these proteins regulate trafficking and signaling activities on these compartments. However, it is increasingly recognized that anionic lipid distribution is not organelle-specific. In particular, we uncovered the presence of anionic lipids concentration gradients between the membranes of various compartments in plant cells. We further found that these cellular lipid gradients are dynamically regulated during cell differentiation and rapid responses to auxin, one of the major regulators of plant growth and architecture. Here, we hypothesize that lipid gradients act as a nexus between signaling and trafficking regulations, and thus are critical yet unstudied factors coordinating the very dynamics of the plant endomembrane network. To test this hypothesis, we will induce controlled fluctuations in anionic lipid gradients to analyze their direct impact on endomembrane morphodynamics, intracellular trafficking and hormone signaling across a broad range of scales ranging from their nano-organization to multicellular development. To do this, we will deploy a portfolio of complementary and innovative approaches, such as optogenetics, subcellular proteomics, and super-resolution live imaging, to visualize and perturb anionic lipids in planta and, for the first time, at relevant spatiotemporal scales. LIPIDEV represents a complete change of perspective by 1) hypothesizing the importance of lipid gradients in plant cell functions, 2) considering these gradients in their multicellular context, 3) addressing the function of specific lipid pools within cells and tissues, and 4) changing the time scale at which we study anionic lipids, allowing us to dissociate direct and indirect effects associated with these lipids.

Mots-clés : phospholipid,membrane trafficking,rho gtpase,plant hormone,auxin,root,gravitropism
Projet ERC : D_Bug (Horizon 2020, appel 2017, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Institut national de recherche pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement — Pays : France — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : Inrae
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

Antibiotic resistance has become a major public health threat in Europe and the United States where resistant bacteria are directly responsible for ten of thousands deaths per year. The D_Bug project aims to develop innovative antibiotics to target drug-resistant microbes.

Mots-clés : antibiotics,natural products,enyzme mechanism
Projet ERC : ENTRAP (Horizon 2020, appel 2020, Proof of concept grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Synthetic Chemistry and Materials
Entité participante : Institut national de recherche pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement — Pays : France — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : Inrae
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

Antibiotic resistant bacteria are rapidly emerging worldwide. This antibiotic resistance crisis is notably connected to the massive misuse of antibiotics and the lack of novel and efficient compounds. With countless structures and properties, natural products including ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPP) are a promising source of antibiotics . However, their development as effective antibiotics faces many challenges related notably to their synthesis, stability and bioavailability. In the frame of this project, we aim to engineer a novel class of RiPPs in order to develop innovative antibiotics.

Mots-clés : natural product,antibiotic,peptide,multi resistant bacteria,staphylococcus
Projet ERC : ABRSEIST (Horizon 2020, appel 2018, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Social Sciences and Humanities
Panel : Individuals, Markets and Organisations
Entité participante : Leibniz Association — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : LG
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 903996.25 €

Antibiotics have contributed to a tremendous increase in human well-being, saving many millions of lives. However, antibiotics become obsolete the more they are used as selection pressure promotes the development of resistant bacteria. The World Health Organization has proclaimed antibiotic resistance as a major global threat to public health. Today, 700,000 deaths per year are due to untreatable infections. To win the battle against antibiotic resistance, new policies affecting the supply and demand of existing and new drugs must be designed. I propose new research to identify and evaluate feasible and effective demand-side policy interventions targeting the relevant decision makers: physicians and patients. ABRSEIST will make use of a broad econometric toolset to identify mechanisms linking antibiotic resistance and consumption exploiting a unique combination of physician-patient-level antibiotic resistance, treatment, and socio-economic data. Using machine learning methods adapted for causal inference, theory-driven structural econometric analysis, and randomization in the field it will provide rigorous evidence on effective intervention designs. This research will improve our understanding of how prescribing, resistance, and the effect of antibiotic use on resistance, are distributed in the general population which has important implications for the design of targeted interventions. It will then estimate a structural model of general practitioners’ acquisition and use of information under uncertainty about resistance in prescription choice, allowing counterfactual analysis of information-improving policies such as mandatory diagnostic testing. The large-scale and structural econometric analyses allow flexible identification of physician heterogeneity, which ABRSEIST will exploit to design and evaluate targeted, randomized information nudges in the field. The result will be improved rational use and a toolset applicable in contexts of antibiotic prescribing.

Mots-clés : health economics,pharmaceutical demand,bayesian learning,machine learning,structural modeling,field experimentation
Projet ERC : APOSITE (Horizon 2020, appel 2018, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Cellular, Developmental and Regenerative Biology
Entité participante : University of Cologne — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1910421.92 €

Apoptotic cell death is essential for development, immune function or tissue homeostasis, and it is often deregulated in disease. Mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization (MOMP) is central for apoptosis execution and plays a key role in its inflammatory outcome. Knowing the architecture of the macromolecular machineries mediating MOMP is crucial for understanding their function and for the clinical use of apoptosis. Our recent work reveals that Bax and Bak dimers form distinct line, arc and ring assemblies at specific apoptotic foci to mediate MOMP. However, the molecular structure and mechanisms controlling the spatiotemporal formation and range of action of the apoptotic foci are missing. To address this fundamental gap in our knowledge, we aim to unravel the composition, dynamics and structure of apoptotic foci and to understand how they are integrated to orchestrate function. We will reach this goal by building on our expertise in cell death and cutting-edge imaging and by developing a new analytical pipeline to: 1) Identify the composition of apoptotic foci using in situ proximity-dependent labeling and extraction of near-native Bax/Bak membrane complexes coupled to mass spectrometry. 2) Define their contribution to apoptosis and its immunogenicity and establish their assembly dynamics to correlate it with apoptosis progression by live cell imaging. 3) Determine the stoichiometry and structural organization of the apoptotic foci by combining single molecule fluorescence and advanced electron microscopies. This multidisciplinary approach offers high chances to solve the long-standing question of how Bax and Bak mediate MOMP. APOSITE will provide textbook knowledge of the mitochondrial contribution to cell death and inflammation. The implementation of this new analytical framework will open novel research avenues in membrane and organelle biology. Ultimately, understanding of Bax and Bak structure/function will help develop apoptosis modulators for medicine.
Projet ERC : AMPERE (Horizon 2020, appel 2017, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Physical and analytical chemical sciences
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 : 80050.0 €

Applied electrochemistry plays a key role in many technologies, such as batteries, fuel cells, supercapacitors or solar cells. It is therefore at the core of many research programs all over the world. Yet, fundamental electrochemical investigations remain scarce. In particular, electrochemistry is among the fields for which the gap between theory and experiment is the largest. From the computational point of view, there is no molecular dynamics (MD) software devoted to the simulation of electrochemical systems while other fields such as biochemistry (GROMACS) or material science (LAMMPS) have dedicated tools. This is due to the difficulty of accounting for complex effects arising from (i) the degree of metallicity of the electrode (i.e. from semimetals to perfect conductors), (ii) the mutual polarization occurring at the electrode/electrolyte interface and (iii) the redox reactivity through explicit electron transfers. Current understanding therefore relies on standard theories that derive from an inaccurate molecular-scale picture. My objective is to fill this gap by introducing a whole set of new methods for simulating electrochemical systems. They will be provided to the computational electrochemistry community as a cutting-edge MD software adapted to supercomputers. First applications will aim at the discovery of new electrolytes for energy storage. Here I will focus on (1) ‘‘water-in-salts’’ to understand why these revolutionary liquids enable much higher voltage than conventional solutions (2) redox reactions inside a nanoporous electrode to support the development of future capacitive energy storage devices. These selected applications are timely and rely on collaborations with leading experimental partners. The results are expected to shed an unprecedented light on the importance of polarization effects on the structure and the reactivity of electrode/electrolyte interfaces, establishing MD as a prominent tool for solving complex electrochemistry problems.

Mots-clés : supercapacitors,electrolytes,molecular dynamics
Projet ERC : DISABILITY (Horizon 2020, appel 2014, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Social Sciences and Humanities
Panel : The study of the human past
Entité participante : Leiden University — Pays : Pays-Bas — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1991231.0 €

Approximately 10% of the world’s population is estimated to be disabled and this number is expected to rise in the next few decades. People in different cultural settings ascribe different meanings to disability; consequently, its repercussions are both culturally contingent and universal. This project brings together the local and global dimensions of disability and examines the interaction, tension and conflict between these two aspects by undertaking the first comprehensive study of the far-reaching political, societal and cultural implications of the International Year of Disabled Persons (IYDP) which was organized under the auspices of the United Nations in 1981. A landmark event which appears to have gone virtually unrecognized in scholarship; the IYDP was the first occasion to place disability into a global context by endorsing it authoritatively as a human rights issue and thereby raising the question as to how the concept may be understood in a multicultural world. There will be four closely-related objectives: 1. to examine the IYDP’s impact on human rights discourses and to scrutinize their applicability within global settings; 2. to document the IYDP’s contribution to emancipation and social change and to consider the different trajectories of emancipation in various parts of the world; 3. to assess the ways in which the IYDP influenced everyday life experiences, galvanized identity formation and inspired the emergence of a distinct subculture; 4. to analyze the transnational exchanges and knowledge transfer in conjunction with the IYDP and to examine how the Western oriented discourses penetrating the developing world interacted with the local environment. The project’s innovative contribution and academic impact lies in connecting the IYDP to broader political, social and cultural processes in the last quarter of the twentieth century and thereby bringing disability in a global context to the attention of mainstream historical scholarship.

Mots-clés : disability,human rights,cold war,social movements,cultural identity,marginality,international year of disabled persons  1981,international organizations,transnational exchanges