Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-erc-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet ERC : MultiphysMicroCaps (Horizon 2020, appel 2017, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Products and processes engineering
Entité participante : Université de Technologie de Compiègne — Pays : France — Rôle : Partner
Acronyme de l'entité : UTC
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 16612.5 €

Encapsulation consists in enclosing an internal medium in a solid semi-permeable membrane to protect it and control the exchanges with the environment. Being at the source of innovative applications in the fields of biotechnologies, pharmacology, energy storage and food industry, capsules offer tremendous potential in the process engineering world. But scientific challenges remain to be met, such as finding the optimal compromise between payload and membrane thickness, characterizing the membrane resistance and controlling the moment of rupture. The project explores the use of deformable liquid-core capsules of micrometric size to efficiently transport active material, with a primary focus on health-related applications. We will design innovative sophisticated numerical models and high-tech experiments, needed to determine the potential of such vectors for the protection of active substances, predict membrane breakup to control the delivery, and optimize their properties for specific industrial and biomedical applications. The project will, for the first time, study the effect of a finite wall thickness on the dynamics of elastic microcapsules, propose advanced modelling approaches and microfluidic experiments of their deformability and breakup under hydrodynamic stresses, account for the inherent size variability of given capsule populations, and introduce reduced-order models to facilitate real-time simulations. As a specific application, we will study the potential of liquid-core microcapsules to encapsulate antioxidants for food enrichment. The project outcomes will be (i) new advanced three-dimensional numerical models of the fluid-structure interactions and rupture of a microcapsule, taking into account a finite wall thickness, (ii) microcapsule optimization tools based on reduced-order models, (iii) microscopic techniques to measure the capsule mechanical properties, and (iv) an applied study of optimization of antioxidant encapsulation in microcapsules.

Mots-clés : artificial microcapsules,stokes flow,fluid structure interactions,large deformation,rupture,numerical simulations,microfluidic experiments,mechanical characterization,antioxidant encapsulation
Projet ERC : EndoSolve (Horizon 2020, appel 2019, Proof of concept grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases
Entité participante : National University of Ireland — Pays : Irlande — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : NUI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

Endometriosis is one of the most prevalent, impactful and undertreated disorders to affect European women. The condition is defined as an estrogen-dependent disorder, where endometrial tissue forms lesions outside the uterus resulting in chronic pain and infertility. Endometriosis affects an estimated 10% of European women in the reproductive-age group (176 million women worldwide and 10.7 million in the EU) with significant impact on their physical, mental, and social well-being (This impact is exacerbated by the fact that the correct diagnosis is made as late as 8–11 years after symptom presentation. Treatment delays are due to a lack of a reliable non-invasive diagnostic test, and the fact that the reference diagnostic standard is laparoscopy (invasive, expensive and not without risks). As there is no permanent cure for endometriosis, current therapies have three main goals: (i) to reduce pain; (ii) to increase the pregnancy rate for women who desire to have children and (iii) to delay recurrence for as long as possible. The EndoSolve project will develop the first medical device to treat the underlying mechanism of endometriosis, providing a long-term non-pharma treatment for the chronic disease.

Mots-clés : medical devices,endometriosis
Projet ERC : RAMSES (Horizon 2020, appel 2020, Proof of concept grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Systems and communication engineering
Entité participante : University of Twente — Pays : Pays-Bas — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

Endovascular interventions are an established class of procedures within minimally invasive surgery (MIS). They enable the treatment of cardiovascular diseases through small incisions in the body by using flexible instruments. Conventionally, these instruments are manually operated, which restricts their precision, and limits their applicability. The magnetic actuation of instruments for endovascular interventions creates a novel and effective steering alternative. Even in deeply seated regions, magnetic flexible instruments provide clinicians with dexterity, while retaining minimal access. Thereby, they permit a range of advanced surgical tasks unattainable otherwise. Nevertheless, to be remotely actuated, such instruments rely on magnetic fields originating from outside the body. Thus, the aim of RAMSES is to develop and evaluate a clinic-ready robotic system capable of generating external fields during endovascular interventions. The RAMSES system will become an enabling technology for the clinical use of magnetic surgical instruments. It will truly revolutionize MIS, opening a new market for advanced diagnosis and treatment options. The RAMSES system will contain optimized electromagnetic actuators, located on robotic manipulators and powered by dedicated control software. The resulting versatile clinical framework will be applicable to a wide range of surgical instruments. This includes both commercially-available magnetic catheters as well as novel experimental designs. As a consequence, RAMSES will satisfy the needs of clinicians to further expand the effectiveness and availability of MIS techniques. It will provide an indispensable clinical tool for accurate and comprehensive surgical interventions in hard-to-reach locations within the human body. RAMSES aspires to turn magnetic actuation into a commercially successful technology. It involves strong industrial collaborations and a dedicated business development team in an ambitious quest to make that happen.

Mots-clés : electromagnetics,magnetic actuators,medical robotics,minimally invasive surgery,surgical robotics
Projet ERC : ThermoQuantumImage (Horizon 2020, appel 2017, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Condensed matter physics
Entité participante : Weizmann Institute of Science — Pays : Israël — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 3075000.0 €

Energy dissipation is a fundamental process governing the dynamics of physical, chemical and biological systems and is of major importance in condensed matter physics where scattering, loss of quantum information, and even breakdown of topological protection are deeply linked to intricate details of how and where the dissipation occurs. But despite its vital importance, dissipation is currently not a readily measurable microscopic quantity. The aim of this proposal is to launch a new discipline of nanoscale dissipation imaging and spectroscopy and to apply it to study of quantum systems and novel states of matter. The proposed scanning thermal microscopy will be revolutionary in three aspects: the first-ever cryogenic thermal imaging; improvement of thermal sensitivity by five orders of magnitude over the state of the art; and imaging and spectroscopy of dissipation of single atomic defects. We will develop a superconducting quantum interference nano-thermometer on the apex of a sharp tip which will provide non-contact non-invasive low-temperature scanning thermal microscopy with unprecedented target sensitivity of 100 nK/Hz1/2 at 4 K. These advances will enable hitherto impossible direct thermal imaging of the most elemental processes such as phonon emission from a single atomic defect due to inelastic electron scattering, relaxation mechanisms in topological surface and edge states, and variation in dissipation in individual quantum dots due to single electron changes in their occupation. We will utilize this trailblazing tool to uncover nanoscale processes that lead to energy dissipation in novel systems including resonant quasi-bound edge states in graphene, helical surface states in topological insulators, and chiral anomaly in Weyl semimetals, and to provide groundbreaking insight into nonlocal dissipation and transport properties in mesoscopic systems and in 2D topological states of matter including quantum Hall, quantum anomalous Hall, and quantum spin Hall.

Mots-clés : graphene,2deg,topological insulators,weyl semimetals,quantum anomalous hall,quantum spin hall,superconductivity,squid,scanning probe microscopy,thermal imaging,quantum metrology
Projet ERC : NANOPHOM (Horizon 2020, appel 2016, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Products and processes engineering
Entité participante : Spanish National Research Council — Pays : Espagne — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : CSIC
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1499739.0 €

Energy-efficient and environmentally friendly light sources are an essential part of the global strategy to reduce the worldwide electricity consumption. Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) emerge as a key alternative to conventional lighting, due to their high power-conversion efficiency, long lifetime, fast switching, robustness, and compact size. Nonetheless, their implementation in the consumer electronic industry is hampered by the limited control over brightness, colour quality and directionality of LED emission that conventional optical elements relying on geometrical optics provide. This project exploits new ways of controlling the emission characteristics of nanophosphors, surpassing the limits imposed by conventional optics, through the use of exciting nanophotonic concepts - an approach that has not been explored so far due to the strong multiple light-scattering that standard micrometre-sized phosphors present. The development of reliable and scalable nanophosphor-based photonic materials will allow ultimate spectral and angular control over the light emission properties, addressing the critical shortcomings of current LEDs. The new optical design of these devices will be based on multilayers, surface textures and nano-scatterers of controlled composition, size and shape, to attain large-area materials possessing photonic properties that will enable a precise management of the visible radiation. To prove and on-demand control over the colour appearance and the angular emission pattern of emitting devices, the project will culminate in an experimental demonstration of two paradigmatic cases: i) directional white-light emission within a narrow angular cone; ii) omnidirectional emission of monochromatic light. Nanophom will significantly advance our comprehension of fundamental phenomena like the formation of photonic modes in complex optical media to which light can couple, as well as advancing the state of the art of high-efficiency solid-state lighting devices.

Mots-clés : light emitting devices,nanophotonics,light emitters,optical materials,rare earth nanocrystals,scalable photonic nanostructures
Projet ERC : PROMETHEUS (Horizon 2020, appel 2017, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Products and processes engineering
Entité participante : Karolinska Institutet — Pays : Suède — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : KI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1812500.0 €

Engineers in nanotechnology research labs have been quite innovative the last decade in designing nanoscale materials for medicine. However, very few of these exciting discoveries are translated to commercial medical products today. The main reasons for this are two inherent limitations of most nanomanufacture processes: scalability and reproducibility. There is too little knowledge on how well the unique properties associated with nanoparticles are maintained during their large-scale production while often poor reproducibility hinders their successful use. A key goal here is to utilize a nanomanufacture process famous for its scalability and reproducibility, flame aerosol reactors that produce at tons/hr commodity powders, and advance the knowledge for synthesis of complex nanoparticles and their direct integration in medical devices. Our aim is to develop the next generation of antibacterial medical devices to fight antimicrobial resistance, a highly understudied field. Antimicrobial resistance constitutes the most serious public health threat today with estimations to become the leading cause of human deaths in 30 years. We focus on flame direct nanoparticle deposition on substrates combining nanoparticle production and functional layer deposition in a single-step with close attention to product nanoparticle properties and device assembly, extending beyond the simple commodity powders of the past. Specific targets here are two devices; a) hybrid drug microneedle patch with photothermal nanoparticles to fight life-threatening skin infections from drug-resistant bacteria and b) smart nanocoatings on implants providing both osteogenic and self-triggered antibacterial properties. The engineering approach for the development of antibacterial devices will provide insight into the basic physicochemical principles to assist in commercialization while the outcome of this research will help the fight against antibiotic resistance improving the public health worldwide.
Projet ERC : WeThaw (Horizon 2020, appel 2016, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Earth system science
Entité participante : Université Catholique de Louvain — Pays : Belgique — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : UCL
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1999985.0 €

Enhanced thawing of the permafrost in response to warming of the Earth’s high latitude regions exposes previously frozen soil organic carbon (SOC) to microbial decomposition, liberating carbon to the atmosphere and creating a dangerous positive feedback on climate warming. Thawing the permafrost may also unlock a cascade of mineral weathering reactions. These will be accompanied by mineral nutrient release and generation of reactive surfaces which will influence plant growth, microbial SOC degradation and SOC stabilisation. Arguably, weathering is an important but hitherto neglected component for correctly assessing and predicting the permafrost carbon feedback. The goal of WeThaw is to provide the first comprehensive assessment of the mineral weathering response in permafrost regions subject to thawing. By addressing this crucial knowledge gap, WeThaw will significantly augment our capacity to develop models that can accurately predict the permafrost carbon feedback. Specifically, I will provide the first estimate of the permafrost’s mineral element reservoir which is susceptible to rapidly respond to enhanced thawing, and I will assess the impact of thawing on the soil nutrient storage capacity. To determine the impact of increased mineral weathering on mineral nutrient availability in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems in permafrost regions, the abiotic and biotic sources and processes controlling their uptake and release will be unraveled by combining novel geochemical techniques, involving the non-traditional silicon, magnesium and lithium stable isotopes, with soil mineral and physico-chemical characterisations. I posit that this groundbreaking approach has the potential to deliver unprecedented insights into mineral weathering dynamics in warming permafrost regions. This frontier research which crosses disciplinary boundaries is a mandatory step for being able to robustly explain the role of mineral weathering in modulating the permafrost carbon feedback.

Mots-clés : weathering,mineral nutrient,permafrost,thaw,soil science,isotope geochemistry,soil plant,element fluxes to rivers,climate change,element biogeochemical cycle,silicon,magnesium,lithium isotopes
Projet ERC : EntangleUltraCold (Horizon 2020, appel 2018, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Fundamental constituents of matter
Entité participante : Heidelberg University — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1787564.0 €

Entanglement plays a central role for strongly correlated quantum many-body systems and is considered to be the root for a number of surprising emergent phenomena in solids such as high-temperature superconductivity or fractional Quantum Hall states. Entanglement detection in these systems is an important target of current research, but has so far remained elusive owing to the fine control required and high demands on statistical sampling. The goal of this project is to realize strongly correlated quantum systems close to the ground state using quantum annealing of ultracold fermionic atoms, and to study the character, strength and role of entanglement. We will construct a novel type of cold atom experiment, which makes use of optical tweezers and Raman sideband cooling. This will allow a 100-fold improvement in the experimental repetition rate compared to conventional experiments and allow reaching the ground state in systems of up to 7x7 sites. The flexibility of the moving optical tweezers will facilitate implementing entanglement measures, including concurrence, quantum-state tomography and entanglement entropy. Our primary research objective is studying entanglement in the doped Hubbard model, where a variety of strongly correlated systems are expected, as well as the role of entanglement in thermalizing out-of-equilibrium samples. In a later stage we will focus on frustrated systems in triangular lattices and honeycomb geometries, and also interacting topological states. Our experiments will have a far-reaching impact on condensed matter research, as it will be the first platform for experimental exploration of the role of entanglement in strongly correlated fermionic many-body systems. Our insights will be beyond the capabilities of numerical simulations and we envision that the project will lead to a better understanding of complex quantum phenomena, and may ultimately drive the discovery of novel quantum materials.
Projet ERC : QEntropy (Horizon 2020, appel 2020, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Computer science and informatics
Entité participante : RWTH Aachen University — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : RWTH
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1499835.0 €

Entropy for quantum systems is the fundamental, interdisciplinary concept to quantify the advantage of quantum technologies for processing of information. It is well-established that the quantum advantage originates from the strong correlations found in the entanglement spectrum of multipartite quantum states, as exactly characterised by the information-theoretic tool quantum entropy. Contrary to the case of classical systems, however, our knowledge about the mathematics of quantum entropy is much more limited. Nonetheless, special entropy inequalities that are known to hold in the quantum case, such as the strong sub-additivity of quantum entropy, give crucial insights into the entanglement structure of multipartite quantum states. In this project, I will focus on understanding multipartite entropic constraints, which will lead to tight characterisations of the ultimate, physical limits of quantum information processing. My recent mathematical works in quantum information led to operational extensions of the concept of strong sub-additivity from the seventies. Starting from that, I propose a research program that will lead to an understanding of quantum entropy that is on the same level as for the classical, commutative case. In the first part of my project, I will establish techniques in matrix analysis and optimisation theory to understand the interplay of arbitrarily many non-commuting operators. This mathematical framework will allow to prove novel quantum entropy inequalities that lead to refined approximations on the entanglement structure of multipartite quantum states. Second, I will employ the newly obtained entropic constraints to derive approximation algorithms for a plethora of fundamental problems in quantum information science. This includes schemes for achieving the physical limits of cryptography, resolving entropic additivity questions in information theory, and providing algorithms for the description of strongly interacting many body systems.

Mots-clés : entropy inequalities,multipartite entanglement,multivariate trace inequalities,approximation algorithms,quantum communication,quantum device independent cryptography,quantum many body systems
Projet ERC : PREDACTED (Horizon 2020, appel 2020, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Physical and analytical chemical sciences
Entité participante : University of Bristol — Pays : Royaume-Uni — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 2482332.0 €

Enzymes are superlative catalysts, honed by billions of years of evolution to achieve high specificity and efficiency. Understanding how enzymes function and are adapted to different environments will be essential in developing biocatalysts for the circular economy and in combating drug resistance. Basic principles of catalysis and mechanistic understanding have come from experiments and simulations, and significant progress has been made in designing and evolving de novo protein catalysts. Truly predictive understanding is limited, however. There is a need for models able to predict, e.g. whether an enzyme is able to break down a particular antibiotic and how to inhibit it; temperature dependence of catalysis; how mutations affect activity and temperature optima; to understand how catalytic power evolves and use those principles in the development of new biocatalysts. Theoretical developments, and emerging multiscale methods, provide a route to the predictive understanding required. Fundamentally, protein dynamics are vital, not in ‘driving’ reaction but rather as a fundamental facet of natural enzymes on which evolution acts. PREDACTED will simulate enzyme dynamics and dynamical changes associated with catalysis. We will (1) Investigate the adaptation of enzyme activity using the emerging theoretical framework of macromolecular rate theory, and develop simulation approaches to predict enzyme temperature optima, with relevance e.g. for understanding ecosystem response to climate change, and for the development of biocatalysts for practical industrial applications. (2) Develop predictive simulation models for enzymes responsible for antibiotic resistance, analyse allosteric effects and predict spectrums of activity. (3) Model antibiotic breakdown and inhibition of beta-lactamases (4) Apply the understanding developed in redesigning and engineering natural and artificial enzymes to test the catalytic principles and demonstrate how they can be applied in practice.

Mots-clés : enzyme catalysis,antimicrobial resistance,molecular dynamics,enzyme thermoadaptation,enzyme evolution,enzyme design,enzyme engineering,biomolecular simulation,multiscale modelling