Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-erc-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet ERC : COSMOVIS (Horizon 2020, appel 2019, Synergy grants)
Entité participante : University of London — Pays : Royaume-Uni — Rôle : CO-PI
Acronyme de l'entité : U. London
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 4147328.0 €

Cosmological Visionaries explores what global environmental initiatives of the future will look like, by asking: (1) How can scientists, shamans, priests, and other indigenous holders of animistic knowledge collaborate in regions of climatic vulnerability and (2) What are the geopolitics of climate change and the policies that surround it? Starting from the position that cosmology often evokes religious ways of knowing or being, the project brings together anthropologists, ethnologists, historians and philosophers of science and ethics, religious studies experts, space and satellite researchers, indigenous leaders and environmental scientists to examine how climate change is managed at the ethnic borderlands of China and Russia. The widespread deforestation undertaken in Siberia to meet Chinese market demands for wood is melting Russia’s vast permafrost, accelerating the release of ancient greenhouse gases, which carbon capture and storage technologies of the future will not manage. Our project is an academic and a practical intervention driven by two research teams – the China Team and the Russia Team – with a fourfold methodology. Firstly, we will uncover the scientific and indigenous views on climate change in Southwest China and Siberia. Secondly, we will mobilise dialogues between scientists and animistic peoples to mutually inform their approaches to climate change. Thirdly, we will explore how collaboration can benefit both parties. Fourthly, we will map the policies and geopolitics of climate change in China and Russia. Scientists who collaborate with indigenous peoples can get more subtle data than when working alone. Indigenous persons who supply scientists with advice and logistical help can source scientific initiatives for managing local climate change. This feedback loop between scientists and indigenous peoples, advocating for each other, can enable religious leaders and scientists to translate shared findings into visions that everyone can commit to.

Mots-clés : social anthropology,shamanism,animism,deforestation,ethnic minorities,china,russia,history and philosophy of science,philosophy of ethics
Projet ERC : RNACOM (Horizon 2020, appel 2020, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy
Entité participante : University of Edinburgh — Pays : Royaume-Uni — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1993771.0 €

Cross-species communication is required for proper functioning of the mammalian gut, where different organisms share resources, coordinate digestion and maintain homeostasis. In many animals, parasitic worms (helminths) are part of this ecosystem, where they communicate through the release of bio-active molecules that promote immunological tolerance and modulate gut functions. Mechanisms of cross-species communication are still not well understood and my lab discovered that ribonucleic acids (RNA) are one of the products helminths release to directly influence host cells. The overall goal of RNACOM is to determine how gastrointestinal parasites use this novel form of RNA communication to regulate the gut epithelium and to develop strategies to block the communication mechanism during infection. We have recently discovered a specific Argonaute protein that gastrointestinal nematodes use to transmit parasite RNAs to mouse cells. We will target this protein to identify parasite-host RNA-RNA interactions that occur during chronic infection (Aim 1). We will then determine the specificity and function of parasite RNA transmission to mouse cells in the epithelium using model organoids and in vivo imaging (Aim 2) and will determine the mechanism of action of parasite RNAs in host gene suppression using synthetic and recombinant strategies (Aim 3). Finally we use genetic tools in the mouse model to determine the function of cross-species RNA-RNA interactions during infection, while testing new strategies to block RNA transmission by the parasite (Aim 4). RNACOM will bring key quantitative and molecular understanding to the processes by which RNA from one species can influence another, advancing a frontier area in RNA biology while testing new strategies of parasite control. In parallel RNACOM develops a unique platform for identifying new gene networks that underpin intestinal cell functions and gut health.

Mots-clés : helminth,host pathogen,extracellular vesicle,rna interference,extracellular rna
Projet ERC : CryForm (Horizon 2020, appel 2020, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Products and processes engineering
Entité participante : University of Leeds — Pays : Royaume-Uni — Rôle : Partner
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 0.0 €

CryForm aims at progressing our fundamental knowledge in organic materials crystallization and crystal engineering by: (1) gleaning a mechanistic understanding of the relationship between crystal structure and surface properties; (2) uncovering the thermodynamic and kinetic mechanisms of crystal nucleation and growth at liquid/liquid and liquid/gas interfaces; (3) understanding the role of large biomolecules in the modification of crystal growth and nucleation kinetics. This knowledge will enable the design of novel sustainable, biocompatible and stimuli responsive multiphase formulations (e.g., emulsions, foams) for the encapsulation and controlled release of active ingredients. Developing formulations with enhanced dissolution rate and bioavailability is critical for many industrial sectors: about 40% of the active pharmaceutical ingredients on the market and 60% of the ones in development are poorly soluble or scarcely bioavailable. Agrochemicals and food nutraceuticals present similar problems. Currently, synthetic excipients, surfactants and specialty polymers are used to create formulations with enhanced properties. However, these compounds are derived from non-renewable resources through some of the most greenhouse gas-intensive manufacturing processes. The production and incineration of polymeric materials will produce, in 2019, more than 850 million metric tons of greenhouse gases. Furthermore, the chemical synthesis of many polymers involves highly toxic, flammable and polluting reagents such as ethylene oxide, responsible for the 2004 explosion at Sterigenics International in California. It is clearly necessary to move away from polymer-based formulations and find more sustainable and safer alternatives. CryForm proposes a unique approach whereby synthetic additives will be replaced with natural crystals specifically engineered to enable controlled release of active ingredients via a unique mechanism based on stimuli-triggered solid form transformations.

Mots-clés : crystal engineering,formulation science,drug delivery
Projet ERC : AlmaCrypt (Horizon 2020, appel 2014, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Computer science and informatics
Entité participante : Sorbonne Université — Pays : France — Rôle : Partner
Acronyme de l'entité : Sorbonne U
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1228350.0 €

Cryptology is a foundation of information security in the digital world. Today's internet is protected by a form of cryptography based on complexity theoretic hardness assumptions. Ideally, they should be strong to ensure security and versatile to offer a wide range of functionalities and allow efficient implementations. However, these assumptions are largely untested and internet security could be built on sand. The main ambition of Almacrypt is to remedy this issue by challenging the assumptions through an advanced algorithmic analysis. In particular, this proposal questions the two pillars of public-key encryption: factoring and discrete logarithms. Recently, the PI contributed to show that in some cases, the discrete logarithm problem is considerably weaker than previously assumed. A main objective is to ponder the security of other cases of the discrete logarithm problem, including elliptic curves, and of factoring. We will study the generalization of the recent techniques and search for new algorithmic options with comparable or better efficiency. We will also study hardness assumptions based on codes and subset-sum, two candidates for post-quantum cryptography. We will consider the applicability of recent algorithmic and mathematical techniques to the resolution of the corresponding putative hard problems, refine the analysis of the algorithms and design new algorithm tools. Cryptology is not limited to the above assumptions: other hard problems have been proposed to aim at post-quantum security and/or to offer extra functionalities. Should the security of these other assumptions become critical, they would be added to Almacrypt's scope. They could also serve to demonstrate other applications of our algorithmic progress. In addition to its scientific goal, Almacrypt also aims at seeding a strengthened research community dedicated to algorithmic and mathematical cryptology. --
Projet ERC : BUCOPHSYS (Horizon 2020, appel 2014, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Systems and communication engineering
Entité participante : KTH Royal Institute of Technology — Pays : Suède — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : KTH
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1498729.0 €

Current control applications necessitate the treatment of systems with multiple interconnected components, rather than the traditional single component paradigm that has been studied extensively. The individual subsystems may need to fulfil different and possibly conflicting specifications in a real-time manner. At the same time, they may need to fulfill coupled constraints that are defined as relations between their states. Towards this end, the need for methods for decentralized control at the continuous level and planning at the task level becomes apparent. We aim here towards unification of these two complementary approaches. Existing solutions rely on a top down centralized approach. We instead consider here a decentralized, bottom-up solution to the problem. The approach relies on three layers of interaction. In the first layer, agents aim at coordinating in order to fulfil their coupled constraints with limited communication exchange of their state information and design of appropriate feedback controllers; in the second layer, agents coordinate in order to mutually satisfy their discrete tasks through exchange of the corresponding plans in the form of automata; in the third and most challenging layer, the communication exchange for coordination now includes both continuous state and discrete plan/abstraction information. The results will be demonstrated in a scenario involving multiple (possibly human) users and multiple robots. The unification will yield a completely decentralized system, in which the bottom up approach to define tasks, the consideration of coupled constraints and their combination towards distributed hybrid control and planning in a coordinated fashion require for new ways of thinking and approaches to analysis and constitute the proposal a beyond the SoA and groundbreaking approach to the fields of control and computer science.

Mots-clés : temporal logic based planning and control,hybrid control systems,multi agent control,distributed task planning using formal verification,formal methods for control and planning
Projet ERC : THz-FRaScan-ESR (Horizon 2020, appel 2016, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Physical and analytical chemical sciences
Entité participante : University of Stuttgart — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : Partner
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 0.0 €

Current high frequency electron spin resonance (HFESR) instruments suffer from the disadvantages of being limited to a single frequency and to tiny sample volumes. The study of spin dynamics at frequencies beyond a few hundred gigahertz is currently prohibitively difficult. These limitations are now preventing progress in dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) and preclude the implementation of zero-field quantum computing. In order to revolutionize sensitivity in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) by means of DNP techniques allowing to watch in real time molecular interactions or even to monitor how sophisticated systems (ribosomes) work, the HFESR methods have to be substantially improved. I will develop a novel and worldwide unique technique called broadband terahertz frequency rapid scan (FRaScan) ESR. I intend to implement this method into a working prototype, which will seamlessly span the entire frequency range from 100 GHz to 1 THz, and allow spin dynamics investigation of large samples. This revolutionary new concept based on rapid frequency sweeps will remove all the restrictions and limitations of conventional HFESR methods used nowadays. It will enable for the first time multi-frequency studies of quantum coherence also in zero magnetic field. It will lead to substantial increases in sensitivity and concurrent decrease of measurement time, thus allowing more efficient use of resources. Finally, the method will allow identification of novel DNP signal enhancement agents, ultimately leading to a step change improvement of the MRI method. It will drastically shorten MRI scan times in hospitals, greatly enhancing patient comfort together with significantly better and precise diagnoses. The method will lead to zero field quantum computers with computation power which will be never reached with conventional technology. In summary it will lead to impacts far beyond the scientific community.

Mots-clés : electron spin resonance  esr  spectroscopy,spin dynamics,dynamic nuclear polarization
Projet ERC : ReverseAndCat (Horizon 2020, appel 2018, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Synthetic Chemistry and Materials
Entité participante : Fondation Jean-Marie Lehn — Pays : France — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : CIRFC
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 519800.0 €

Current methods in organic synthesis only enable reactions at the most reactive bonds or at bonds predisposed by specific directing groups. Consequently, many less reactive bonds, including numerous C-H and C-C bonds, cannot be functionalized, enormously limiting the scope of possible transformations. To overcome these limitations, I propose Reverse&Cat, a revolutionary strategy using a novel method to change the reactivity pattern of molecules. This strategy combines the dynamic equilibrium mediated by the first catalyst and a functionalization reaction catalyzed by the second catalyst. The originality of the transformation stems from exploiting three simultaneous processes: (i) the dynamic exchange of one functional group (FG) for another FG that modulates the reactivity of the substrate; (ii) the functionalization of the temporarily activated bond; and (iii) the restoration of the initial FG. In essence, the processes (i) and (iii) – the components of the dynamic equilibrium – realize the novel concept of the temporary creation of non-inherent reactivity of a substrate. The program is divided in three phases, which will establish the full potential of the strategy. In phase A, I will develop a set of new reactions enabled by the bi-catalytic systems. I will exploit two types of reversible reactions: (1) reversible oxidation of alcohols, which delivers temporarily activated aldehydes/ketones, with the distinct reactivity of their C-H bonds; and (2) reversible retro-hydrofunctionalization of nitriles or their analogues, which delivers temporarily activated alkenes, containing allylic C-H and C=C bonds. In phase B, I will conduct detailed mechanistic studies to gain the mechanistic understanding and enable further rational development. In phase C, I will establish the utility of this new strategy in practical organic synthesis. Overall, the strategy will open a new dimension of reactivity, with prospective applications in production of fine-chemicals and materials.

Mots-clés : dynamic equilibrium,reversible reactions,catalytic reactions,multicatalysis
Projet ERC : GLISS (Horizon 2020, appel 2019, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Systems and communication engineering
Entité participante : University of Cambridge — Pays : Royaume-Uni — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : U. Cambridge
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1797789.0 €

Current satellite technologies are limited by the photovoltaic (PV) panels they require for power generation. Despite steady advances in efficiency afforded by modern III-V multijunction PV, these large, rigid panels are expensive to produce and launch due to their heavy on-wafer architecture and thick protective coverglass, which is necessary to prevent radiation damage. I will develop and demonstrate ultra-thin (<100 nm) III-V PV, for highly efficient, lightweight, and flexible satellite PV provision. Decreased costs will help accelerate universal availability of satellite services, essential for sustainable global development, and removing PV form factor restrictions will drive innovation in satellite design. Realizing this goal will require a translational program of research, ranging from fundamental design parameters to scalable fabrication methodologies. I recently demonstrated that the ultra-thin form factor exhibits intrinsic radiation tolerance, suggesting the prospect of a coverglass free, flexible system. I will target high efficiency in this geometry by engineering the device architecture to rebalance carrier interaction rates to support generation of non-equilibrium hot-carriers through the use of nanophotonic structures for strong E-field enhancement. The electronic structure will be designed for energy selective hot-carrier extraction, allowing highly efficient operation. Scalable fabrication will be achieved via development of a novel crystal growth method, in which III-V films are grown epitaxially on 2D monolayers. The 2D interface will prevent strong bonding between the deposited layer and an underlying growth substrate, which provides registry information to the crystal as it nucleates. The epitaxial layer will be free to glide across the growth surface during film formation, allowing the mechanical release of pristine films and the unlimited reuse of the growth substrates, enabling scalable, economically viable production of this new device.

Mots-clés : 2d materials,iii v materials,photovoltaics
Projet ERC : Trep-AB (Horizon 2020, appel 2019, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases
Entité participante : Fundacion fils de lucha contra elsida las enfermedades infecciosasy la promocion de la salud y laciencia — Pays : Espagne — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : Fls
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1150678.81 €

Current therapeutic options for human treponematoses, syphilis and yaws, are, broadly speaking, restricted to one antibiotic: injectable penicillin. The drug susceptibility profile of Treponema pallidum (T.p) is unknown because the microorganism could not be grown in culture. Treatment failure after penicillin has been related to syphilis bacteria that survive in the central nervous system (CNS) and the potential of strains to acquire resistance to penicillin has recently been recognized. Yaws can be treated with azithromycin but there is a real risk that macrolide-resistant strains disseminate widely and jeopardize the global eradication campaign. I propose a research program to have other validated treatment options with good CNS penetration that are efficacious for all the stages of treponemal infection. Our preliminary results using computational prediction of drug activity based on similarity to drugs with known activity against T.p. and other spirochetes shows several candidate antibiotics. I will take advantage of recent developments in culture methods for determination of drug susceptibility to test 20 prioritized drugs. These results will be confirmed in experimentally infected rabbits treated with the investigational drugs and assessed for lesion development and T.p. burden. My second approach will exploit the established expertise of my team conducting randomized clinical trials to evaluate the efficacy of the 2 most promising candidates compared to standard treatment to cure patients with syphilis/yaws. Such studies will incorporate in-depth studies of recurrent events among study participants, to further clarify the biological basis and identify mutations that confer resistance to B-lactams. New antibacterial oral drugs for the treatment of treponematoses will be a tremendous resource in case of penicillin treatment-failure, resistance, shortage, allergy, or for use in yaws combination regimens to reduce the likelihood of resistance selection.

Mots-clés : syphilis animal model,difficult clinical management in syphilis,antimicrobial equivalence trial in syphilis,syphilis whole genome sequencing,mass azithromycin treatment of yaws
Projet ERC : ALLERGUT (Horizon 2020, appel 2016, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy
Entité participante : Helmholtz Zentrum München — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : HMGU
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1498175.0 €

Currently, more than 30% of all Europeans suffer from one or more allergic disorder but treatment is still mostly symptomatic due to a lack of understanding the underlying causality. Allergies are caused by type 2 immune responses triggered by recognition of harmless antigens. Both genetic and environmental factors have been proposed to favour allergic predisposition and both factors have a huge impact on the symbiotic microbiota and the intestinal immune system. Recently we and others showed that the transcription factor ROR(γt) seems to play a key role in mucosal tolerance in the gut and also regulates intestinal type 2 immune responses. Based on these results I postulate two major events in the gut for the development of an allergy in the lifetime of an individual: First, a failure to establish mucosal tolerance or anergy constitutes a necessity for the outbreak of allergic symptoms and allergic disease. Second, a certain ‘core’ microbiome or pathway of the intestinal microbiota predispose certain individuals for the later development of allergic disorders. Therefore, I will address the following aims: 1) Influence of ROR(γt) on mucosal tolerance induction and allergic disorders 2) Elucidate the T cell receptor repertoire of intestinal Th2 and ROR(γt)+ Tregs and assess the role of alternative NFκB pathway for induction of mucosal tolerance 3) Identification of ‘core’ microbiome signatures or metabolic pathways that favour allergic predisposition ALLERGUT will provide ground-breaking knowledge on molecular mechanisms of the failure of mucosal tolerance in the gut and will prove if the resident ROR(γt)+ T(reg) cells can function as a mechanistic starting point for molecular intervention strategies on the background of the hygiene hypothesis. The vision of ALLERGUT is to diagnose mucosal disbalance, prevent and treat allergic disorders even before outbreak and thereby promote Public Health initiative for better living.

Mots-clés : allergic disorders