Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-erc-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet ERC : Tmol4TRANS (Horizon 2020, appel 2016, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Synthetic Chemistry and Materials
Entité participante : Spanish National Research Council — Pays : Espagne — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : CSIC
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1998879.0 €

Tmol4TRANS aims to create operative molecular systems that will efficiently be inserted in three-terminal nanodevices to function as transistors at room temperature (RT). In the front-line of molecular electronics, the implementation of functional nanodevices in present technologies is mainly hampered by crucial unresolved issues like: a) reliability of RT experiments on molecular transistors; b) absence of controlled methodologies to deposit single molecules at specific sites; c) low conductance values and d) difficulties in achieving effective three-terminal devices (BJTs/FETs). Such hindrances involve the nature of the molecules, the absence of controlled deposition methodologies at the nanoscale and the poor stability/contacts between molecules and electrodes. Stable two-terminal nanodevice based on few-layer graphene and containing a Curcuminoid molecule (CCMoid) that I made has shown reasonable molecular conductance at RT, where the CCMoid anchors to the electrodes by pi-pi stacking. The specific goals of Tmol4TRANS are: 1) to synthesize multifunctional molecules base on “T-shaped” CCMoids and Porphyrin derivatives (PPDs) allowing efficient attachments to electrodes; 2) to fabricate chemically functionalized hybrid graphene transistors; 3) to establish a reliable methodology for positioning the molecules between the electrodes; 4) to investigate the conductance enhancement of the final systems, and 5) to provide the possibility of spin-dependent transport properties by binding such molecules to magnetic metals. Here, the preparation of nanodevices involves feedback-controlled burning technique for the formation of the few-layer graphene electrodes (source/emitter and drain/collector) and the chemical functionalization of the gate/base, where T-shaped molecules will be fixed by click-chemistry. Tmol4TRANS would have a direct impact in Molecular Electronics and Spintronics, as well as in the broader scope of nanoelectronics.
Projet ERC : neuroXscales (Horizon 2020, appel 2015, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Systems and communication engineering
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 : 3495000.0 €

To advance knowledge in electrophysiology and information processing of neuronal networks, we propose employing microtechnology and microelectronics to rigorously study neural networks in vitro across scales. Across scales pertains to the spatial domain - from details of subcellular components through single neurons to entire networks - and the temporal domain - from single action potentials to long-term developmental processes. Besides our CMOS-microelectronics-based high-density microelectrode arrays for recording and stimulation, the methodology will encompass patch-clamping directly on the microelectrode chips, high-resolution microscopy, genetic methods, large-scale data handling strategies, and dedicated data analysis and modeling algorithms. We will use mammalian cortical neuron cultures and brain slices. We will potentially have access to every neuron and every action potential. We aim at studying - at the same time in the same preparation - details of specific neurons and subcellular components (somas, axons, synapses, dendrites) in their functional context and the characteristics of the corresponding networks (functional connectivity, emergent properties, plasticity). We will study alterations of components and networks over time and upon defined perturbations and mutual interdependence of network and component characteristics. The high-spatio-temporal-resolution methodology will enable new fundamental neuroscientific insights through, e.g., facilitating investigation of axonal and axonal initial segment signaling characteristics, with the “axonal” side of neuronal activity being largely inaccessible to established methods. It will also enable the mapping of the overall synaptic input to a specific neuron, or the high-throughput monitoring of all action potentials in a network over extended time to see developmental effects or effects of disturbances. Potential applications include research in neural diseases and pharmacology.

Mots-clés : cmos microsystems,neuro electronic interface,neuronal networks,extracellular electrophysiology of neurons,subcellular resolution,axons,somas
Projet ERC : MUSICOL (Horizon 2020, appel 2018, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Social Sciences and Humanities
Panel : Cultures and cultural production
Entité participante : Université Côte d'Azur — Pays : France — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : UCA
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 541568.75 €

To better understand cultural relations in today’s multi-ethnic, multicultural societies, we need to revisit the legacy of modern empires. This project delves into the musical dimension of the French empire and what differences were negotiated through aurality, long-neglected by historians. Focusing on musical life and media from Dakar and Rabat to Saigon, 1900-1962, it studies how music was practiced, heard, and understood in a variety of colonial contexts. Crucially important is the need to investigate the tastes, practices, and interactions of Europeans and natives, usually studied in isolation. Such scope requires an entirely new methodological paradigm: relational, comparative, and integrative-synthetic. Traversing disciplinary boundaries separating musicology from history, media studies, and ethnomusicology, the project has four objectives: (1) To musicalize history, it probes what musical fields of production contribute to current debates on the nature of empire and colonial identities. (2) To historicize aural media, it examines live and recorded music on radio as windows on the dynamic nature of colonial coexistence. (3) To globalize music history, it brings new coherence with its focus on a single empire and without imposing postcolonial models of domination/resistance. (4) To creolize research, it integrates indigenous research and promotes dialogue with collaborators from the former empire. Foundations laid by the PI’s prior research in colonial archives, availability of sources, each team member’s expertise and focus on one field, their shared method, and common purpose insure its feasibility. This pioneering study of the modern French empire through music will generate new insights into its mechanisms and constituencies, taking colonial, media, and music history in unprecedented directions. Only in understanding the aurality of colonialism--what helped their imperialism take hold and last--can Europeans grasp its full nature, meaning, and legacy.

Mots-clés : colonial radio history,colonial governance,urban spaces,french empire,concerts,musical networks
Projet ERC : SYMBeetle (Horizon 2020, appel 2018, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution
Entité participante : Max Planck Society — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : MPG
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1048217.55 €

To elucidate the key adaptations underlying evolutionary success remains one of the central challenges in evolution and ecology. However, rigorous experimental tests are usually hampered by the lack of replicate evolutionary events or the inability to manipulate a candidate trait of importance. SYMBeetle exploits the naturally replicated evolution of an experimentally tractable, symbiont-assisted key adaptation in beetles to understand its impact on niche expansion and diversification. Recent evidence indicates that beetles across at least seven different families associate with microbial symbionts that provision their host with tyrosine, an aromatic amino acid necessary for cuticle biosynthesis, hardening, and tanning. SYMBeetle addresses the hypothesis that the acquisition of tyrosine-supplementing microbes constituted a key innovation across phylogenetically distinct beetles that allowed them to expand into novel ecological niches, by relaxing the dependence on nitrogen-rich diets for successful formation of the rigid exoskeleton and protective front wings. Specifically, tyrosine supplementation may facilitate the transition to herbivory and allow for subsisting at very low ambient humidity, by facilitating the production of a thick cuticular barrier to desiccation. To test this, SYMBeetle will uniquely combine experimental manipulation of symbiotic associations to assess the symbionts’ contribution to cuticle biosynthesis and its fitness consequences (desiccation resistance and defense) with large-scale comparative approaches aimed at elucidating the taxonomic distribution, ecological contexts, and evolutionary origins of cuticle-supplementing symbioses. The results are expected to transform our understanding of microbes as important facilitators for the evolution of herbivory and the colonization of dry habitats in beetles, two factors of major relevance for the emergence of economically relevant insect pests of agricultural crops and stored products.
Projet ERC : GREENBLUE (Horizon 2020, appel 2020, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Products and processes engineering
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 : 144477.0 €

To fight climate change, we must urgently reduce the CO2 emissions caused by fossil-fuel combustion, which represents today over 80% of the primary energy production. Clean electrified solutions are on the horizon but are unlikely to reach commercial development before 2040. Novel CO2-neutral (biofuels) or CO2-free (H2) combustion technologies are widely considered, but these technologies face increasingly stringent regulations on pollutant emissions, in particular nitric oxides and carbon monoxide. To reduce pollutants, the strategy is to use low-temperature flames. However, these flames are prone to instabilities and extinction, thus causing safety issues. Plasma-assisted combustion (PAC) is a highly promising method to stabilize low-temperature flames thanks to the extraordinary ability of plasma discharges to efficiently produce combustion-enhancing radicals. Today, however, their effects on pollutants are poorly understood and their scalability to industrial combustors remains to be proven. Our goal is to bring PAC to the level of maturity needed to make it practical on real combustion devices. For this, we will first elucidate the thermochemical mechanisms of plasma stabilization in CH4- and H2-air flames and their impact on pollutant emissions. This will require measuring the rates of poorly known reactions involving excited electronic states of molecules with advanced femtosecond optical diagnostics. With this knowledge, we will explore two novel strategies to minimize pollutants. We will then develop a robust and versatile multi-physics model to predict PAC effects in large-scale combustors. The final challenge will be to demonstrate for the first time a stable, low NOx, hydrogen/air flame in a combustor representative of aircraft engines. Beyond combustion, this project will open novel ways to better predict, control, and enhance chemical processes in applications such as hydrogen production, CO2 conversion, bio-decontamination, or materials synthesis.

Mots-clés : plasma assisted combustion,plasma chemistry,plasmas,combustion,chemical kinetics,optical diagnostics,plasma processing,pollution control,turbulence,fluid mechanics
Projet ERC : NeuroDevo (Horizon 2020, appel 2018, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System
Entité participante : Technical University of Munich — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : TUM
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 885897.45 €

To generate brain circuits that are both flexible and stable requires the coordination of powerful developmental mechanisms acting at different scales. How does the brain prepare to efficiently compute information and reliably generate behavior during early development without any previous experience? A prominent transient feature of developing circuits is the ability to generate spontaneous activity before sensory organs mature. We know little about the detailed structure of this activity; however, blocking or perturbing this activity leads to miswiring defects, suggesting its powerful role in shaping local and brain-wide neural circuits. After the onset of sensory experience, ongoing activity continues to modify sensory circuits, and plays an important functional role in the mature brain. Together with advances in experimental techniques, we propose that theory and models are needed to establish a unifying framework of neural circuit development. Using quantitative data analysis, experiment-driven theory and computational modeling, we will derive key principles for how neural circuits are built and organized during early postnatal development into functional units, and how they are modified by intact and perturbed sensory-evoked activity. We will provide a quantitative analysis of longitudinal recordings of single neuron and network activity for the first time by synthesizing data from three collaborating labs. Our goal will be to reveal novel aspects of this activity that drive circuit refinement over a prolonged timescale during development, and to identify the powerful ways in which activity and circuit properties influence each other. Our models will generate and test hypotheses for how individual components affect different aspects of circuit organization during development. Therefore, the unique potential of our theoretical approach lies in dissecting the influence of each developmental process, making predictions to be tested in the real biological system.

Mots-clés : neural circuits,spontaneous activity,activity dependent plasticity
Projet ERC : NeuroDevo (Horizon 2020, appel 2018, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System
Entité participante : Max Planck Society — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : Partner
Acronyme de l'entité : MPG
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 404627.55 €

To generate brain circuits that are both flexible and stable requires the coordination of powerful developmental mechanisms acting at different scales. How does the brain prepare to efficiently compute information and reliably generate behavior during early development without any previous experience? A prominent transient feature of developing circuits is the ability to generate spontaneous activity before sensory organs mature. We know little about the detailed structure of this activity; however, blocking or perturbing this activity leads to miswiring defects, suggesting its powerful role in shaping local and brain-wide neural circuits. After the onset of sensory experience, ongoing activity continues to modify sensory circuits, and plays an important functional role in the mature brain. Together with advances in experimental techniques, we propose that theory and models are needed to establish a unifying framework of neural circuit development. Using quantitative data analysis, experiment-driven theory and computational modeling, we will derive key principles for how neural circuits are built and organized during early postnatal development into functional units, and how they are modified by intact and perturbed sensory-evoked activity. We will provide a quantitative analysis of longitudinal recordings of single neuron and network activity for the first time by synthesizing data from three collaborating labs. Our goal will be to reveal novel aspects of this activity that drive circuit refinement over a prolonged timescale during development, and to identify the powerful ways in which activity and circuit properties influence each other. Our models will generate and test hypotheses for how individual components affect different aspects of circuit organization during development. Therefore, the unique potential of our theoretical approach lies in dissecting the influence of each developmental process, making predictions to be tested in the real biological system.

Mots-clés : neural circuits,spontaneous activity,activity dependent plasticity
Projet ERC : CrossOver (Horizon 2020, appel 2020, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions
Entité participante : University of Vienna — Pays : Autriche — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : Univie
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1999180.0 €

To haploidise their genome, sexually reproducing organisms employ a specialised cell division program – meiosis – which consists of one round of DNA replication followed by two consecutive rounds of chromosome segregation: meiosis I and II. While meiosis II resembles mitosis, the ability of cells to segregate homologous chromosomes entails several specialised events. In most organisms, physical linkage and subsequent disjunction of maternal and paternal chromosomes require homologous recombination and crossing-over. As observed over a century ago, crossovers occur at different chromosomal positions in different meiotic nuclei – however, the incidence of a crossover in a given location reduces the probability of a neighbouring crossover event. As a result, crossovers tend to be widely and evenly spaced along chromosomes, a phenomenon termed crossover interference. Work in the last 30 years has led to remarkable progress in the delineation of the sequence of molecular events that lead to crossing-over. However, how cells spatially regulate the deployment and assembly of molecular determinants to accomplish crossover patterning remains largely unknown. Here, I propose to tackle this fundamental question through the development of two novel approaches tailored to explore central aspects of meiotic recombination with unprecedented resolution: i) to understand how chromosomal context shapes crossing-over, we will develop novel methodology (HJmap) to achieve genome-wide mapping of Holliday junctions: central recombination intermediates which mark future crossover sites. ii) to explore how local chromosomal features influence crossing-over, we will visualise the architecture of crossover-designated recombination intermediates in situ, and in 3D, using electron cryotomography. By understanding how cells implement genetic exchange through crossing-over we will shed light on the molecular basis of heredity: the passing of traits from parents to their offspring.

Mots-clés : meiosis,homologous recombination,nucleases,dna repair,chromosomes
Projet ERC : MycoRailway (Horizon 2020, appel 2017, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions
Entité participante : University of Zurich — Pays : Suisse — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : UZH
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1999865.0 €

To infect humans, the devastating pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis critically depends on two closely related siderophores – soluble carboxymycobactin and membrane-bound mycobactin – which capture iron with high affinity inside the host cell. Despite their undisputed importance for virulence, little is known about how these siderophores are exported and imported across the two mycobacterial membranes. Building on my lab’s experience in elucidating transport processes of pathogenic bacteria, we will unravel the molecular mechanism of an unusual ABC exporter which is thought to import iron-loaded siderophores across the inner mycobacterial membrane and to release iron in the cytoplasm by virtue of its attached siderophore interacting domain. Further, we will investigate two proton-driven transporters responsible for the efflux of empty siderophores, exhibiting an unknown protein fold. We will determine atomic structures by combining X-ray crystallography and cryo-EM and thoroughly investigate active in- and efflux of siderophores in liposomes as well as in cells. Siderophore transport across the outer mycobacterial membrane is a terra incognita. By combining high-density transposon mutagenesis with deep sequencing (Tn-Seq), we aim to discover novel receptors, carriers and channels involved in siderophore transport, which are subsequently characterized at the biochemical and structural level. Siderophore-mediated iron acquisition offers a vulnerable attacking point of M. tuberculosis. Using protein engineering, we will develop a human siderocalin exhibiting low affinity binding for carboxymycobactin into a therapeutic agent able to efficiently capture mycobacterial siderophores and thereby starve M. tuberculosis for iron. In summary, we will discover novel proteins involved in iron acquisition, gain mechanistic insights into poorly understood siderophore transport processes at the molecular level and explore novel strategies to treat tuberculosis.

Mots-clés : abc transporter,rnd transporter,membrane protein,iron acquisition,mycobacterium,transposon mutagenesis,deep sequencing,protein engineering
Projet ERC : SYNBIO.ECM (Horizon 2020, appel 2019, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Products and processes engineering
Entité participante : University of Pavia — Pays : Italie — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : UNIPV
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1999375.0 €

To meet medical needs worldwide, tissue engineering must move from successful pre/clinical products towards an effective process to meet Worldwide medical needs, but this is challenging since a quantitative design framework has not emerged, yet. Synthetic biology (SYNBIO) was the solution that genetic engineers found to the same problem: “Despite tremendous individual successes in genetic engineering and biotechnology […], why is the engineering of useful synthetic biological systems still an expensive, unreliable and ad hoc research process?” asked Dr. Endy in a 2005 letter to Nature. The SYNBIO solution included: i) libraries of DNA parts with well-characterized effect on cells; ii) tools to computationally design system-level assemblies, or designer-DNA; and, iii) bottom-up engineering of cell functions using progressively more complex designer-DNA. Effectively, SYNBIO introduced a computer-aided design and manufacturing (CAD/M) platform that transformed the process of engineering cells. However, since inputs from the extracellular matrix (ECM) have largely been ignored, progress towards programmable tissue-level behavior have been more modest. Here, we will build on my experience with computational and experimental models in cardiac tissue engineering to develop a CAD/M framework for engineering cardiac tissues with computationally predictable properties, or designer-ECM. To characterize ECM-cell interactions, we will use traction force and super-resolution microscopy with fluorescence in-situ sequencing. To model multiscale ECM-cell interactions, we will use ordinary differential equations and subcellular element models. Finally, we will leverage ECM parts and human induced pluripotent stem cells to bioprint designer-ECM that recapitulate three phases of heart development: trabeculation, compaction, and maturation. With synthetic matrix biology (SYNBIO.ECM), we will develop a CAD/M-based process and a new class of products for cardiac tissue engineering.

Mots-clés : extracellular matrix,congenital heart disease,synthetic biollogy