Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-erc-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet ERC : RESOURCE Q (Horizon 2020, appel 2018, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Computer science and informatics
Entité participante : University of Copenhagen — Pays : Danemark — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : UCPH
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1953750.0 €

This proposal explores the power of quantum information in two respects. The first is the technological power of quantum information in a communication infrastructure, and the second is its descriptive power in many-particle quantum systems. My point of departure is to view quantum information as a resource that can be processed and converted. In quantum communication, a famous resource conversion is provided by the quantum teleportation protocol, which allows us to send one quantum bit (1 qubit) through the transmission of two classical bits (2 cbits) and the use of one entangled pair of quantum bits (1 ebit): 1 ebit + 2 cbits > 1 qubit. Casting quantum protocols in such resource inequalities has proven useful, since the algebraic manipulation of inequalities results in new protocols, but this approach has hitherto largely been limited to point-to-point communication. It is the first goal of this project to overcome this limitation and characterise resource conversion in larger quantum networks. This will result in more efficient communication protocols that will have an impact on the use and design of quantum communication networks, which are currently being built around the globe. A quantum network involving distant communicating labs is mirrored at the small scale by a set of interacting quantum particles. The quantum state arising from pairwise interactions can be strongly entangled, with an underlying entanglement structure given by a graph with entangled pairs along the edges. There is a surprising and close connection between such entanglement structures and tensor research in the context of algebraic complexity theory. The second goal of the project is to exploit this connection and characterise the resource conversion of entanglement structures. The research will lead to more efficient tensor network representations of many-particle quantum states, and to progress on the computational complexity of matrix multiplication, a long-standing unsolved problem.

Mots-clés : quantum communication,entanglement,tensor,tensor network,algebraic complexity theory,matrix multiplication
Projet ERC : Nonlocal-CPD (Horizon 2020, appel 2019, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Mathematics
Entité participante : University of Oxford — Pays : Royaume-Uni — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 2478560.0 €

This proposal focuses on the development of new mathematical tools to analyse theoretical, numerical and modelling aspects of novel applications of nonlinear nonlocal aggregation-diffusion equations in Mathematical Biology and in classical problems of kinetic theory. Among the numerous areas of applications of kinetic modelling in Mathematical Biology, we will concentrate on phenomena identified, at the modelling stage, as systems involving a large number of "individuals" showing "collective behaviour" and how to obtain "averaged" information from them. Individuals behavior can be modelled via stochastic/deterministic ODEs from which one obtains mesoscopic/macroscopic descriptions based on mean-field PDEs leading to continuum mechanics, hydrodynamic and/or kinetic systems. Understanding the interplay between the interaction behaviour (nonlocal, nonlinear), the diffusion (nonlinear), the transport phenomena, and the synchronization is my main mathematical goal. The proposed research is centred on developing tools underpinning the analysis of long time asymptotics, phase transitions, stability of patterns, consensus and clustering, and qualitative properties of these models. On the other hand, designing numerical schemes to accurately solve these models is key not only to understand theoretical issues but also crucial in applications. We will focus on the important case of the Landau equation with applications in weakly nonlinear plasmas by means of the gradient flow techniques. On the other hand, we showcase our tools in patterns and consensus by focusing on zebra fish patterning formation, as example of spontaneous self-organisation processes in developmental biology, and grid cells for navigation in mammals, as prototype for the synchronization of neural networks. This project connects with other areas of current interest in science and technology such as agent-based models in engineering: global optimization, clustering, and social sciences.

Mots-clés : nonlocal pdes,collective behavior,aggregation diffusions,landau equation,gradient flows,phase transitions
Projet ERC : KIDS (Horizon 2020, appel 2018, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Physical and analytical chemical sciences
Entité participante : University of Göttingen — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : Partner
Acronyme de l'entité : GAU
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1105000.0 €

This proposal implements slice imaging to measure catalytic rates for site-specific elementary reactions thus offering remarkable opportunities to advance our fundamental understanding of heterogeneous catalysis. As evidence for global climate change continues to grow, catalysis has moved to the front line of the struggle to obtain new, sustainable technologies for the future. Catalysis and catalytic processes account, directly or indirectly, for 20-30 % of world Gross Domestic Product. Knowledge of elementary chemical reaction mechanisms in heterogeneous catalysis underlies our ability to construct comprehensive kinetic models for many such important chemical processes, in order to optimise them. Our proposed strategy makes the formidable task of describing site-specific chemical reaction mechanisms and elementary rates in heterogeneous catalysis facile, while its necessity we justified (Nature 2018) on the prototypical CO oxidation reaction on Pt by demonstrating that 40 years of traditional experimentation led to false interpretation of the reaction mechanism. The aim of this proposal is characterize the important factors that influence the kinetics of elementary reactions at surfaces, e.g. the chemical nature of the catalyst and the geometry of the active site (stereodynamics). We chose elementary reactions involving C, H, O, N, as these are important in many key industries, such as the methane reforming, syngas, fuel cells, Fischer-Tropsch synthesis and the Haber-Bosch process. Our strategy is that of a “bottoms up” approach to catalysis, i.e., building and understanding complex heterogeneous chemical catalysis, from the site-specific kinetics of the elementary building block reactions. Our measurements, will serve for benchmarking first principles calculations of reaction rates in surface chemistry. Our methodology measures the kinetics in the s regime with temperatures in the 200 to 1000 K range, i.e, more relevant to industrial conditions.

Mots-clés : ion imaging,slice imaging,velocity mapped imaging,position sensitive detectors,molecular beam scattering,surface scattering
Projet ERC : DYNAMINT (Horizon 2020, appel 2016, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Fundamental constituents of matter
Entité participante : University of Amsterdam — Pays : Pays-Bas — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : UvA
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 2444446.0 €

This proposal intends to develop and apply a new-generation theoretical toolbox for understanding the rich dynamics of strongly-interacting many-body quantum sytems subjected to destabilizing manipulations bringing them very far from equilibrium. In atomic systems, condensed matter and nanophysics settings, quantum matter is nowadays routinely pushed beyond the traditional low-energy/linear response/thermal equilibrium paradigms. Some experiments even clearly highlight the need to revise basic fundamental quantum statistical mechanics notions such as ergodicity, relaxation and thermalization in order to explain their behaviour. Theory must thus urgently revise its textbooks and develop new interpretations and capabilities for offering concrete, quantitative phenomenology. This proposal is focused on a set of systems at the very center of this strongly-correlated, experimentally realizable far-from-equilibrium spectacle: integrable models of quantum spin chains, interacting gases confined to one spatial dimension, and quantum dots. Building up on recent theoretical breakthroughs in dynamical correlations and post-quench steady states, this proposal aims to shed a new light on the fundamental principles at the heart of many-body quantum dynamics. It will implement a broad and ambitious research agenda consisting of synergetic projects from mathematically formal thought experiments all the way to phenomenologically applied practical calculations. The types of protocols to be studied include probes creating high-energy excitations, pulses inducing changes beyond linear response, quenches causing sudden global reorganizations, all the way to drivings completely metamorphozing the physical states. The result will be to provide reliable, experimentally relevant and urgently-needed theoretical `anchoring points' in our general understanding of the physics underlying far-from-equilibrium strongly-interacting quantum matter.

Mots-clés : quantum quenches,quench action
Projet ERC : PADRE (Horizon 2020, appel 2020, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases
Entité participante : Tampere University — Pays : Finlande — Rôle : Partner
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 807062.0 €

This proposal introduces a next-generation platform for next generation optimally personalised drug therapy: on-demand drug releasing implants triggered and controlled by blue/UV light. The technology is based on novel light generation pathways and a light-sensitive nanocellulose drug reservoir. A formidable physiological barrier for light-triggered drug release has been the inability to use high-energy blue/UV light as the triggering signal. This is because the penetration depth of light drops to from a few cm to under 100 micrometers when moving from near-infrared to UV light, making deeper targets within tissues accessible only to red light. However, red light, with its intrinsically lower energy, has limited value in photochemical reactions because the photocleavage of covalent bonds typically requires UV-light. This is why many groups are looking at e.g. red-to-blue photon upconversion strategies. The major objective in PADRE is to circumvent the issue of unavailable blue light in implants through local light generation. Having access to light with higher energy will enable a much wider chemical toolbox, including photocleavable linkers. I will use blue/UV light to trigger and precisely control drug release. The approach creates an unconventional way to modulate the release profiles without unwanted drug leakage. The light will be generated through either 1) photon upconversion, or 2) integrated light sources. With the first approach, I will pioneer efficient red-to-blue/UV triplet-triplet annihilation upconversion in a hydrogel environment, while in the second approach I will generate light by a co-implanted light source. Both approaches are feasible according to my preliminary results on efficient triplet-triplet annihilation upconversion and photoresponsive liposomes and will be demonstrated in a working implant prototype. The core breakthrough of PADRE will be a viable solution to employ blue excitation in precisely-tailored drug-releasing implants.

Mots-clés : liposomes,controlled drug release,nanocellulose,photon upconversion,medical devices,implant
Projet ERC : Drug-Seq (Horizon 2020, appel 2014, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Biotechnology and Biosystems Engineering
Entité participante : Institut Curie — Pays : France — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1450483.36 €

This proposal is centred on the development of small molecule probes derived from DNA damaging agents to identify their genomic targets using a novel unbiased approach. Although, several genotoxic drugs have been used for decades to treat cancers, the exact mechanisms by which they operate are not fully understood. It is established that these compounds interfere with the processes of transcription and replication, thereby promoting genomic instability and cell death. However, there is as yet no genome-wide map of the exact location of sites that are putative targets for these drugs in vivo. This information is critical to understand and rationalize cellular responses to genotoxic agents. Here, we propose to develop an innovative discovery- based methodology that will combine click chemistry in situ, affinity pull-down techniques and high throughput DNA sequencing (Drug-Seq), to identify the genomic interactome of DNA damaging drugs in order to elucidate their cellular activity at the molecular level. Two independent lines of enquiry will be followed. Firstly, we will establish the genomic interacting landscape of landmark drugs including etoposide, camptothecin and cisplatin using Drug-Seq. Secondly, we will perform regular chromatin immuno- precipitation sequencing (ChIP-Seq) of selected proteins linked to the cellular response of interest to validate Drug-Seq and further identify druggable genomic sites. An important aim of this proposal is to establish a universal methodology to decipher small molecule/genome interactions in vivo that trigger a particular response in disease-relevant models. We also seek to interrogate the role of chromatin in regulating drug/genome interactions and to define whether it is possible to act on the epigenome to modulate the activity and specificity of these drugs. Collectively, we anticipate our study will lay down the foundation for personalized medicine with the implementation of rational rather than empirical clinical protocols.

Mots-clés : organic synthesis,chromatin,cell biology,nucleic acids,dna damage and repair
Projet ERC : StabilityDTCluster (Horizon 2020, appel 2014, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Mathematics
Entité participante : University of Sheffield — Pays : Royaume-Uni — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1556550.0 €

This proposal is concerned with the homological properties of Calabi-Yau threefolds, the geometric structures which play a crucial role in string theory. Rather than working directly with categories of sheaves, we focus on a closely-related class of models defined using quivers with potentials, which have themselves been the subject of intensive research over the last decade. Associated to a quiver with potential are two complex manifolds: the space of stability conditions and the cluster variety. Recent work by physicists Gaiotto, Moore and Neitzke suggests that there is a remarkable geometric relationship between these spaces, involving Donaldson-Thomas invariants and the Kontsevich-Soibelman wall-crossing formula. Work by the PI and others over the last couple of years has paved the way for a rigorous mathematical understanding of this relationship. This has the potential to open up new vistas in algebra and geometry, as well as greatly enhancing our understanding of the mathematics of quantum field theory. Our proposal combines powerful general constructions with specific computable examples. We will work initially with a class of examples related to triangulated surfaces; here the relevant spaces can be identified with familiar objects in the topology of surfaces, including moduli spaces of quadratic differentials, projective structures and local systems. These examples already involve deep mathematics, and are closely related to quantum field theories of current interest in theoretical physics. This proposal involves an unusually wide range of mathematics. Our ambition is to assemble a team of 4 research assistants having a sufficiently broad expertise to make progress on this exciting multi-disciplinary project. The PI is in a perfect position to lead such a team: he invented stability conditions, carried out important work on Donaldson-Thomas invariants, and proved a major theorem which forms one of the starting points of the proposal.

Mots-clés : homological algebra,representations of quivers,derived categories,ordinary differential equations,mirror symmetry,riemann surfaces
Projet ERC : Loops and groups (Horizon 2020, appel 2017, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Mathematics
Entité participante : University of Copenhagen — Pays : Danemark — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : UCPH
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1864419.0 €

This proposal lies at the intersection of algebra, topology, and geometry, with the scientific goal of answering central questions about homological stability, geodesics on manifolds, and the moduli space of Riemann surfaces. Homological stability is a subject that has seen spectacular progress in recent years, and recent work of the PI has opened up new perspectives on this field, through, among other things, associating a canonical family of spaces to any stability problem. The first two goals of the proposal are to give conditions under which this family of spaces is highly connected, and to use this to prove homological and representation stability theorems, with determination of the stable homology. Particular attention is given to Thompson-like groups, building on a recent breakthrough of the PI with Szymik. The last two goals concern geodesics and moduli spaces via string topology: The third goal seeks a geometric construction of compactified string topology, which we propose to use to address counting problems for geodesics on manifolds. Finally our fourth goal is to use compactified string topology to study the harmonic compactification itself, and give a new approach to finding families of unstable homology classes in the moduli space of Riemann surfaces. The feasibility of the last goals is demonstrated by the PIs earlier algebraic work in this direction; the proposal is to incorporate geometry in a much more fundamental way. The project combines breakthrough methods from homotopy theory with methods from algebraic, differential and geometric topology. Some of the goals are high risk, but we note that in those cases even partial results will be of significant interest. The PI has a proven track record at the international forefront of research, and as a research leader, e.g., through a previous ERC Starting Grant. The research team will consist of the PI together with 3 PhD students and 3 postdocs in total during the 5 years.

Mots-clés : homological stability,thompson groups,string topology,moduli space of riemann surfaces
Projet ERC : ARIADNE (Horizon 2020, appel 2015, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Fundamental constituents of matter
Entité participante : University of Liverpool — Pays : Royaume-Uni — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1837911.27 €

This proposal outlines a plan to combine Charge Couple Device (CCD) camera technologies with two-phase Liquid Argon Time Projection Chambers (LAr TPCs) utilising THick Gas Electron Multipliers (THGEMs) to evolve a next generation neutrino detector. This will be an entirely new readout option, and will open the prospect of revolutionary discoveries in fundamental particle physics. Furthermore, the Compton imaging power of this technology will be developed, which will have diverse applications in novel medical imaging techniques and detection of concealed nuclear materials. Colossal LAr TPCs are the future for long-baseline-neutrino-oscillation physics around which the international neutrino community is rallying, with the common goal of discovering new physics beyond the Standard Model, which holds the key to our understanding of phenomena such as dark matter and the matter-antimatter asymmetry. I have successfully provided a first demonstration of photographic capturing of muon tracks and single gammas interacting in the Liverpool 40 l LAr TPC using a CCD camera and THGEM. I propose an ambitious project of extensive research to mature this innovative LAr optical readout technology. I will construct a 650 l LAr TPC with integrated CCD/THGEM readout, capable of containing sufficient tracking information for full development and characterisation of this novel detector, with the goal of realising this game-changing technology in the planned future giant LAr TPCs. Camera readout can replace the current charge readout technology and associated scalability complications, and the excellent energy thresholds will enhance detector performance as well as extend research avenues to lower energy fundamental physics. Also, I will explore the Compton imaging capability of LAr CCD/THGEM technology; the superiority of the energy threshold and spatial resolution of this system can offer significant advancement to medical imaging and the detection of concealed nuclear materials.

Mots-clés : neutrino physics,detector physics
Projet ERC : ATTENTION (Horizon 2020, appel 2020, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Social Sciences and Humanities
Panel : Individuals, Markets and Organisations
Entité participante : Czech Academy of Sciences — Pays : Rép. Tchèque — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : AVČR;CAS
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1162663.75 €

This proposal outlines an agenda that aims to improve our understanding of economies with inattentive agents. Attention to detail, not only to current news, but also to how the world works in general, is central to how we interact with the environment. In the first part of the agenda, we will study how agents come up with the simplified mental models they use in their decision-making. The aim is to provide a new alternative to rational expectations. We will address the question of endogenous model uncertainty by sidestepping the largely statistical nature of previous work. Our agents learn about a model directly, i.e., all information on the details of the correct model is readily available. The envisioned implications can speak to issues such as the expectations formation and formation of narratives, polarization of opinions, and demand for public policy. In the second part, we will study how a government optimally intervenes in markets if it finds it costly to get the necessary information. On one hand, a government does not possess the local information of decentralized markets. On the other, markets on their own often generate suboptimal social outcomes. We will explore what information the government should collect, how to use it for regulation, and when instead it should leave markets unaffected. In the third part, we will leverage recent theories of attention allocation and use uniquely detailed data on attention and treatment choices by hospital personnel (including physicians and nurses). This will allow us to explore in more detail than before what theories describe realistic choices well. Moreover, we will eventually aim at a very practical goal: how to help clinicians decrease their cognitive load and improve medical choices.

Mots-clés : rational inattention,imperfect information,behavioral economics,model uncertainty,salience