Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-erc-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet ERC : ARTS (Horizon Europe, appel 2022, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Université norvégienne de sciences et de technologie — Pays : Norvège — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

Large scale biobanks are essential to meet the world-wide demand for high quality tissues to understand the development and progression of disease, or discover and validate novel biomarkers. Current biobanking protocols for harvesting and processing tissue are manual and therefore rely on experienced and costly on-site personnel. Imagine the possibilities of scientific discoveries in personalized diagnostics, prognostics and treatment if high-quality tissues could be made available from several hospitals using streamlined, harmonized and automated biobanking protocols, that would also allow for maximal utilization of this precious material. In this PoC, we propose a shift from a human centered to a semi- or fully automated tissue harvesting and processing protocol. Specifically, we propose to develop further, test and validate (from TRL4 to TRL7) an Augmented Reality enhanced and automated Tissue Sampler (ARTS), a technology that is cost-effective, simple to operate, and allows for maximal tissue utilization. The ARTS prototype was developed within my ongoing ERC StG and already enables sub-samples to be selected from tissue based on invisible features such as diseased and non-diseased cells – one of the general challenges of biobanking today. In this PoC, we will include comprehensive process monitoring and sample tracking features such as position, temperature and processing time to allow automated sub-sampling while ensuring operator quality assurance with minimal hands-on time. We will also incorporate a tested user-friendly interface ready for industry and a potential spin-off company. ARTS will allow biobanks to serve customers with specific and high-quality targeted sub-samples which will enhance the value of the material through increased reproducibility, faster processing and more efficient utilization. In addition, ARTS will relieve financial burden and achieve more long-term sustainability for biobanks, which typically depend on public funding.
Projet ERC : FARE_DSA (Horizon Europe, appel 2025, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : LIP - Laboratory of Instrumentation and Experimental Particle Physics — Pays : Portugal — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : LIP
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

This proposal presents a novel pipeline framework designed to systematically audit Search Engines (SEs) and chat-based Large Language Models (LLMs), serving as a proof-of-concept tool to support the implementation of Article 40 of the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA). The project addresses two critical goals: 1) to investigate how proprietary algorithms in SEs and LLMs influence electoral processes, and 2) to provide practical guidance to overcome complex DSA implementation challenges.  SEs, such as Google, and LLMs, such as ChatGPT, have become primary channels for accessing information. Yet, both rely on opaque and fast-evolving algorithms that are difficult to audit. This raises significant concerns regarding the fairness, transparency, and neutrality of information they offer, particularly in contexts critical to democracy, such as elections: given their widespread use, even minor algorithmic biases can have significant impacts, influencing voter perceptions and electoral outcomes.  The proposed framework leverages resources developed in two ERC-funded projects, including an advanced bot-based auditing tool. Previous studies conducted during high-stakes events, such as the 2024 EU Parliamentary elections, show systematic biases in search results and LLM responses and it is crucial to better understand the origin and implications of these observations. With FARE_DSA we want to probe this systemic bias by combining our independent auditing tool with the first-ever instances of granted access to platform data, through Article 40.  In collaboration with different stakeholders, we will address key technical and procedural hurdles and deliver actionable insight on DSA implementation. Overall, this proposal seeks to establish a rigorous, reproducible auditing methodology capable of informing policy decisions, enhancing transparency, and bolstering democratic resilience through improved regulation and oversight of algorithm-driven platforms.
Projet ERC : FunGraB (Horizon Europe, appel 2022, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Université Palacký — Pays : Rép. Tchèque — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

FunGraB project addresses the pressing need for ecofriendly, sustainable, and rechargeable batteries with high capacity, energy density, and long lifespan, which will significantly expand the energy storage market.  With the rapid development and broad application of mobile devices, electric and unmanned vehicles, as well as with the rise of smart grids and networks for “the internet of things”, the demand for batteries with higher performance, lower cost, and lower environmental burden is rapidly growing. In order to address the aforementioned challenges, various strategies emerged over the past few years for the development of advanced composite cathodes designed for high sulfur utilization and stability. In particular, the pinning of sulfur is pursued by engineering materials as high-affinity hosts for sulfur to hinder the shuttling of lithium polysulfides.  FunGraB project aims to deliver the upscaling of an industrially-relevant one-step novel manufacturing process for a lithium-sulfur batteries electrode material, enabling a significant boost in the cycling stability, without sacrificing its performance (i.e., capacity). This will be achieved through the implementation of cost-effective materials and processes along with taking our Technology Readiness Level from 2 to 4, thus shaping a significant business opportunity (enabling us to continue development within an EIC Transition project).
Projet ERC : MIOBAS (Horizon Europe, appel 2023, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Sorbonne Université — Pays : France — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : Sorbonne U
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

The advent of light-emitting sensors and light-driven actuators has profoundly transformed the fields of biology and medical science over the past three decades. These innovations enable the manipulation and monitoring of various physiological processes using light with remarkable precision in both time and space. Applications include the study of signaling and cell trafficking in healthy and malignant tissues, the unraveling of causal relationships within neural networks or the assessing the effects of pharmaceutical compounds. To fully harness the potential of these so-called optogenetic technologies, there is a pressing need to create integrated optical systems offering both 3D imaging and precise light-targeting of specific regions at scale. Within the framework of the ERC, we have successfully engineered a unique system designed for the optogenetic probing of small vertebrate brains (zebrafish larvae) at cellular resolution. Our proposal expands upon this earlier achievement, by evolving it into a versatile all-optical platform tailored for biologists and biomedical laboratories. This platform will seamlessly integrate cutting-edge optical systems with automated data analysis through artificial intelligence (AI) techniques. Anticipating a vast array of applications, we envision that this platform will prove invaluable e.g. in the realms of neuroscience, developmental biology, and cancer research. Its multifaceted capabilities will empower researchers to unlock new insights and accelerate advancements in these critical scientific domains.
Projet ERC : VTX-HPC (Horizon Europe, appel 2022, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Conservatoire national des arts et métiers — Pays : France — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : CNAM
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

Molecular Dynamics Simulations (MD) are widely used in molecular and structural biology and drug discovery to study the structure, properties and dynamics of small and macromolecules. The size of the simulated systems (up to a billion atoms) and the length of the simulations (from microseconds in 2010 to milliseconds in 2021 in million atom scenes) have dramatically increased following the recent advances in computing hardware (GPU clusters) and storage. Additionally, with the recent advances in Cryo Electron Microscopy and the arising of AlphaFold many new models of macromolecular structures and complexes are now available for molecular simulation. Due to their more and more extreme size, the storage, analysis and visualization of the resulting data is becoming problematic: 1. Technically for a usable and efficient processing of the data and 2. Environmentally in terms of storage, bandwith and power comsumption. Within the ERC ViDOCK project, we created a highly usable, free and open-source high-performance molecular visualization software called VTX. VTX is optimized to handle the biggest molecular structures and trajectories notably by including cutting-edge molecular graphics with a high performance graphics engine coupled with a video game based minimalistic task-oriented GUI to maximize its usability. The goal of the VTX-HPC project is to improve the performance, usability and sustainability of VTX for the visualization of the High Performance Computing Molecular Dynamics Simulations big data by developing and implementing 1. a highly compact molecular structure and trajectories file format optimized for streaming for increased performances and reduced environmental load. 2. a meshless version of the widely used Solvent Excluded Surface representation for scalability purposes and real-time ray tracing in the rendering engines and 3. Adapted manipulation and controls for the generation of illustrations and movies of massive dynamic molecular scenes.
Projet ERC : PEROSHADE (Horizon Europe, appel 2024, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Université de Naples - Frédéric-II — Pays : Italie — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 110000.0 €

One of the key measures being undertaken by the EU to tackle climate change and reduce CO2 emissions is to massively increase the amount of energy produced from renewable sources, particularly solar energy. In this context, perovskite solar cells represent a low- cost technological solution of great interest because they open to new possible photovoltaic (PV) applications. However, the most effective PV perovskites contain more than 10% by weight of lead, which oversteps the limits adopted in most countries to regulate the use of heavy metals in electronics. Within the ERC FREENERGY project framework, we have demonstrated tin as a non-toxic, valid replacement for lead. We want to explore the possibility of exploiting the ERC results to integrate perovskite on fabrics to make photovoltaic shading systems such as awnings and canopies. PV shading systems offer a twofold advantage: they generate energy and protect from the sun, thus mitigating the need for cooling systems. PV awnings can exploit spaces not currently used for this purpose, such as windows, balconies and patios, thus allowing energy harvesting while minimising land requirements and visual impact. By harnessing solar energy on-site, these structures can directly power lighting, heating, cooling and other electrical systems, reducing the reliance on external electricity grids. In addition, the successful implementation of PV modules onto textiles can enable the development of various new products (e.g. photovoltaic camping tents), thus paving the way for additional business opportunities.
Projet ERC : PAIN-CARE (Horizon Europe, appel 2022, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Agostino Gemelli University Polyclinic — Pays : Italie — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 100000.0 €

About 25% of the adult population experiences chronic pain, which disrupts daily activities and severely affects the patient’s quality of life. In Europe, the socioeconomic burden of chronic pain runs into billions of euros annually and represents 3–10% of the GDP. The current mainstays of pain treatment are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and opioids, but their prolonged use is frequently associated with life-threatening adverse events and physical dependence. There is therefore an urgent need for new pharmacological strategies with superior efficacy and safety than those of NSAIDs and opioids. PAIN-CARE proposes to address chronic pain signaling using inhibitors targeting the Schwann cell proalgesic pathway. Previous research has shown the crucial role of Schwann cells in sustaining chronic pain. This project aims at developing Schwann cell selective drugs for chronic pain treatment, creating more clinically ready compounds based on bifunctional chimeric antagonists, with an inhibitory activity 100% higher than that of the combination of the two individual antagonists in mouse chronic pain models. The new Schwann Cell selective Analgesic Drugs (SCADs) will provide a dramatic change in the pain treatment paradigm, reducing treatment-related side effects and improving persistence. During this PoC, we aim to identify lead bifunctional chimeric molecules that preferentially antagonise two Schwann cell proteins. We will carry out tests in vitro and in vivo to demonstrate the novel compounds’ feasibility and superior inhibition efficiency when compared to the currently used compounds. Furthermore, our aim is to translate the results to a pre-commercialisation phase through the definition of the innovation commercial feasibility and potential, which will then be validated in discussions with relevant market players. A strong IPR strategy will be designed to ensure an advantageous position in the value chain of analgesics for pain treatment.
Projet ERC : PHOTO (Horizon Europe, appel 2024, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : University College de Londres — Pays : Royaume-Uni — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : UCL
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

People travel and leave their location history as mobility trajectory data. This data is invaluable for a wide range of location-based services, including city planning, traffic control, disease transmission and optimal control, trade area analysis, location-based marketing, and tourism, consequently leading to the rise of new business models. Recognising these opportunities, governments and industries have increasingly invested in exploring data-driven solutions. However, data challenges persist due to reduced data resolution from privacy concerns, high deployment and processing costs, and conflicts of commercial interests. Recently, ethical considerations regarding human location data have become even more critical. It remains unclear how organisations, regulators, and policymakers can effectively support the use, sharing, and reuse of location data across the geospatial ecosystem in ways that maximise public benefits. There is an urgent need to address these spatial data (not limited to trajectory data) access challenges, particularly for researchers and data analysts. We propose using synthetic data sets as an alternative to the original data sets, which could provide equal access, lower costs, and minimise ethical risks. Along this long-term pathway, this project aims to develop a prototype human mobility trajectory data generator, producing synthetic human trajectory data from original mobile in-app data. The synthetic data should enhance the original data while preserving essential human mobility patterns. The basic data will be in the form of trip-activity chains. Derived data sets could be in any commonly used format, e.g., counts, origin-destination matrix and indicators, meeting various applications in urban analytics and eliminating ethical concerns. There is a broad range of potential end-users, including the transport planning department, local governments and organisations, mobility service and facility providers and ITS-relevant industries.
Projet ERC : MiniAtomQ (Horizon Europe, appel 2022, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Université technique de Vienne — Pays : Autriche — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : TU Wien
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

We propose to realize a new and fully integrated approach for the manipulation of single neutral atoms, which has the potential to transform the complex, room-sized, multi-million-euro experiments currently used to manipulate these atoms in academic laboratories, into user-friendly, economical and robust commercial devices the size of a shoebox. As a proof-of-principle application we propose to realize an integrated single photon source based on a single trapped atom, which has immediate commercial potential in quantum communication and computing.
Projet ERC : WaterSAFE (Horizon Europe, appel 2024, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Phoebe research and innovation ltd — Pays : Chypre — Rôle : Partner
Acronyme de l'entité : PHOEBE Innovations
Type d'entité : Organismes privés (hors enseignement)
Financement ERC de l'entité : 64800.0 €

The WaterSAFE project addresses the growing threat of malicious attacks on water distribution Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS)—an unprecedented risk to public health, safety, and critical infrastructure operations. While the integration of Information Technology with Operational Technology in water organizations has revolutionized the evolution of smart water systems, it has also exposed security vulnerabilities. WaterSAFE introduces a groundbreaking CPS security-as-a-service solution for water distribution systems. Currently, CPS security solutions do not take into consideration the implications of cyber or physical attacks on system dynamics and controls. By leveraging state-of-the-art Digital Twin and machine learning technologies, WaterSAFE enables real-time simulation, detection, and analysis of the impacts of cyber-physical threats, marking a paradigm shift in CPS security analysis. This proposed system incorporates an Early Warning System for real-time anomaly detection in both cyber and physical states, offering advanced response tools for mitigating contamination incidents caused by cyber or physical attacks. Additionally, WaterSAFE offers interactive training platforms for water operators that facilitate enhancing critical skills for effective responses in real-world emergency scenarios.  WaterSAFE uses scientific results from the ERC SyG Water-Futures project on real-time water quality state estimation, machine learning for event diagnosis, CPS security, and contamination management, toward a proof-of-concept Minimum Viable Product (MVP), demonstrated in a small-scale testbed as well as large-scale living lab. This goes beyond existing solutions, which do not consider system dynamics or health impacts.  WaterSAFE will enable water utilities to implement stronger risk management, respond faster and more effectively to incidents, and subsequently meet EU regulations, fostering a cybersecurity culture within the water sector.
Projet ERC : SPIKE (Horizon Europe, appel 2022, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Université de Pavie — Pays : Italie — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

The SPIKE project aims at realizing a revolutionary water repellent coating as a functional barrier to encapsulate photovoltaic (PV) electronic devices. Global solar encapsulation industry, massively pushed by the urgent increase in the solar energy demand, is expected to reach $11.37 billion by 2028 with a growing rate of 14.5% during the forecast period (2021 - 2028). Solar encapsulation is key to provide excellent durability to a PV module, an essential pre-requisite for its commercial viability. This is particularly true for the market exploitation of any new emerging solar technologies. Hybrid perovskite solar is an example: a key player in emerging PVs and a potential revolutionary system for smart PV integration in everyday life – being low-cost, coloured, and flexible. Their low durability, however, questions their marketable appeal. SPIKE aims to solve this issue demonstrating and bringing to the market an innovative technology based on smart nano-coatings which can revolutionize the solar encapsulation industry, and beyond. The coating is made of porous nano-sponges with tuneable functionality, transparency, flexibility, versatility and at reduced cost, overcoming the limits of the current commercial encapsulants (heavy, thick, costly, and involving high temperature processing). It is the goal of SPIKE to unleash the innovation potential of the proof of concept, by developing, technically validating, and bringing to the market such innovative technology, by: i) realizing low-cost, large area, robust coatings with a low energy consuming solution-based fabrication process; ii) integrating them in highly efficient perovskite solar modules; iii) demonstrating and validating a prototype in an industrially relevant environment; and iv) providing a reliable business model and market analysis to push our prototype to a commercial stage, building the bricks for the creation of a new start-up company, ultimate outcome of SPIKE.
Projet ERC : TTT-therapy (Horizon Europe, appel 2023, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Trx therapeutics as — Pays : Norvège — Rôle : Partner
Type d'entité : Organismes privés (hors enseignement)
Financement ERC de l'entité : 130000.0 €

The aim of this PoC project is to commercialize new therapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) developed in context of my ERC consolidator grant. T-cell receptors (TCRs) have in recent years emerged as promising therapeutic molecules in cell- and gene-therapy of cancer. I have completed the pre-clinical validation of a TCR that recognizes an HLA-bound peptide from a novel target, the nuclear enzyme terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT-TCR). In vitro and in vivo data from four different mouse models show eradication of ALL and no indications of toxicity. T-cells genetically modified with the TdT-TCR effectively kill lymphoblastic cancer cells while sparing healthy B and T-cells, myeloid cells and hematopoietic stem cells. Funding has been secured for an investigator-initiated trial to determine safety and explore efficacy of TdT-TCR-T-cell therapy – TTT-therapy. The trial will recruit ALL patients relapsing from/refractory to standard therapy, who have a dismal prognosis and thus a great unmet medical need. To facilitate commercial development, I have created a start-up company and secured the company exclusive licenses for the patents on the TdT-TCR and the technology used for the development, on which I am the main inventor. In the proposed ERC PoC project, I and my strong team of advisers with expertise in the business development, clinical development, IPR and financial aspects needed for commercialization, will conduct a market analysis for TTT-therapy and develop an IPR and business strategy for the start-up company. Since several studies report expression of TdT in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), I will conduct laboratory research to determine if the TdT-TCR can also mediate killing of AML cells. AML patients have an overall 5-year survival of only 30% and hence a great medical need that potentially could be met by TTT-therapy. The described work has the potential to contribute to saving lives that would otherwise be lost to acute leukemia.