Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-erc-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet ERC : RhEoVOLUTION (Horizon 2020, appel 2019, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Earth system science
Entité participante : Centre national de la recherche scientifique — Pays : France — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : CNRS
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 2500000.0 €

RhEoVOLUTION proposes a "revolution" in how we define rheology (the equations relating forces to deformation) in geodynamical models. It aims at predicting the onset and evolution of strain localization. Modeling spontaneous ductile strain localization has been impossible so far, because it depends on processes active at the mm scale, which cannot be explicitly simulated in geodynamical models. The tools we designed and propose to develop in RhEoVOLUTION will make it possible. We will bridge scales and model how heterogeneity and anisotropy in the mechanical behavior of rocks control strain localization from the cm to the tens of km scale in the Earth. To do so, we will: 1. describe the heterogeneity of mechanical behavior of rocks deforming by dislocation creep by stochastic parameterizations of the rheology; 2. constrain these parameterizations by experiments with in-situ follow-up of the strain evolution and mesoscale models; 3. accelerate the calculation of the evolution of anisotropy during deformation by using supervised machine-learning; 4. quantify feedbacks between the main processes producing strain localization by comparing the predictions of models parameterized to simulate these processes to observations in natural shear zones. RhEoVOLUTION will empower the geodynamics community with a predictive tool for strain localization. It will provide explanations for localized deformation in intraplate domains and predictions of the evolution of shear zones in extensional and convergent plate margins, enhancing our understanding of the architecture of passive margins and mountain belts. We postulate it will allow modeling the most evident expression of strain localization on Earth: Plate Tectonics, that is still a challenge >50 years after the scientific revolution that established this paradigm. The tools developed in RhEoVOLUTION will also allow predicting ductile strain localization in ice and metals with possible applications in glaciology and metallurgy.

Mots-clés : geodynamics,strain localization,rheology,heterogeneity,anisotropy,scale transfer,stochastic deterministic models,plate tectonics
Projet ERC : RNPdynamics (Horizon 2020, appel 2018, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems
Entité participante : University of London — Pays : Royaume-Uni — Rôle : Partner
Acronyme de l'entité : U. London
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 48593.0 €

Ribonucleoprotein complexes (RNPs) play many key regulatory roles in development. Moreover, mutations causing cancer or neurodegenerative diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often occur in RNA-binding proteins (RBPs). These mutations are concentrated in the intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs), which play a central role in the control of RNP assembly and disassembly. RNP dynamics is often driven by multivalent interactions that are mediated by multiple elements within IDRs of RBPs, which can condense the RNP such that it separates from the surrounding liquid through the phenomenon of liquid-liquid phase separation. Transcriptomic insights into the physiological functions of such multivalent RNP assembly are needed to understand their regulation, or deregulation through disease-causing mutations. Here, we will build a framework of experimental and computational methods to study the mechanisms by which the dynamic multivalent interactions drive RNP remodelling, and how such RNP dynamics contributes to cellular transitions in development and disease. The first objective will be to identify the functions of specific RBPs in cell-state transitions during neuronal differentiation, and the mechanisms of IDR-mediated multivalent interactions in these functions. The next objective will be to establish new tools to manipulate RNP assembly through multivalent RNA binding sites and IDRs. Finally, the new insights and tools will be integrated with the goal to fine-tune the RNP assembly of ALS-mutant RBPs, and thereby ameliorate their toxicity.

Mots-clés : gbp  gfp binding protein  nanobody,idr  intrinsically disordered region,line  long interspersed nuclear element,llps  liquid liquid phase separation,rbp  rna binding protein,rnp  ribonucleoprotein complex,rte  retrotransposable element,slim  short linear motif
Projet ERC : RIV-ESCAPE (Horizon 2020, appel 2020, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Earth system science
Entité participante : University of Glasgow — Pays : Royaume-Uni — Rôle : Partner
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 31322.5 €

Rivers around the world release large quantities of greenhouse gas, with an estimated 1.8 ± 0.3 PgC yr-1 released as carbon dioxide (CO2), and ~20-25 TgC yr-1 as methane (CH4). These fluxes are equivalent to half of the annual increase in CO2 and CH4 concentrations in the atmosphere due to human activities. However, we cannot yet quantify how river CO2 and CH4 emissions will change, nor assess their potential to amplify future climate warming. There are two main challenges: i) the main drivers of CO2 and CH4 release from rivers (supply of carbon and the dynamics of river flow) change simultaneously, and their relative importance is obscured in existing data, limiting our ability to build and test predictive models; ii) the age of river CO2 and CH4 is poorly constrained, meaning that we cannot determine whether this is anthropogenic carbon that is leaking out from prior storage on land, or whether it derives from ancient carbon stores in the landscape. RIV-ESCAPE will transform our understanding by recognising the need for direct measurements that combine river CO2 and CH4 flux, river flow dynamics and C supply at high temporal resolution (minutes to hours) over seasonal timescales, across nested scales in river catchments. Such novel field installations could be used anywhere to improve our understanding: we will focus on Arctic rivers that are experiencing pronounced warming and hold large stores of ancient carbon in soils. In parallel, we will use cutting-edge isotope geochemistry methods for river gases, waters and sediments to quantify the controls on the age and source of CO2 and CH4 in rivers around the world. The new empirical data will combine with physical and numerical experiments to provide a step-change in our knowledge of how changes in temperature and precipitation set river greenhouse gas source and the rate of release, allowing us to assess for the first time the sensitivity of river CO2 and CH4 emissions to future warming.

Mots-clés : rivers,carbon cycle,radiocarbon,carbon dioxide,methane
Projet ERC : RIV-ESCAPE (Horizon 2020, appel 2020, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Earth system science
Entité participante : University of Oxford — Pays : Royaume-Uni — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 2189855.0 €

Rivers around the world release large quantities of greenhouse gas, with an estimated 1.8 ± 0.3 PgC yr-1 released as carbon dioxide (CO2), and ~20-25 TgC yr-1 as methane (CH4). These fluxes are equivalent to half of the annual increase in CO2 and CH4 concentrations in the atmosphere due to human activities. However, we cannot yet quantify how river CO2 and CH4 emissions will change, nor assess their potential to amplify future climate warming. There are two main challenges: i) the main drivers of CO2 and CH4 release from rivers (supply of carbon and the dynamics of river flow) change simultaneously, and their relative importance is obscured in existing data, limiting our ability to build and test predictive models; ii) the age of river CO2 and CH4 is poorly constrained, meaning that we cannot determine whether this is anthropogenic carbon that is leaking out from prior storage on land, or whether it derives from ancient carbon stores in the landscape. RIV-ESCAPE will transform our understanding by recognising the need for direct measurements that combine river CO2 and CH4 flux, river flow dynamics and C supply at high temporal resolution (minutes to hours) over seasonal timescales, across nested scales in river catchments. Such novel field installations could be used anywhere to improve our understanding: we will focus on Arctic rivers that are experiencing pronounced warming and hold large stores of ancient carbon in soils. In parallel, we will use cutting-edge isotope geochemistry methods for river gases, waters and sediments to quantify the controls on the age and source of CO2 and CH4 in rivers around the world. The new empirical data will combine with physical and numerical experiments to provide a step-change in our knowledge of how changes in temperature and precipitation set river greenhouse gas source and the rate of release, allowing us to assess for the first time the sensitivity of river CO2 and CH4 emissions to future warming.

Mots-clés : rivers,carbon cycle,radiocarbon,carbon dioxide,methane
Projet ERC : scAssembly (Horizon 2020, appel 2016, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems
Entité participante : Weizmann Institute of Science — Pays : Israël — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 2437500.0 €

Robust and flexible tissue- and cell-type specific gene regulation is a definitive prerequisite for complex function in any multi-cellular organism. Modern genomics and epigenomics provide us with catalogues of gene regulatory elements and maps illustrating their activity in different tissues. Nevertheless, we are far from being able to explain emergence and maintenance of cellular states from such data, partly because we so far lacked characterization of individual molecular states and genome control mechanisms at their native resolution - the single cell. Recently, new approaches developed by the single cell genomics community, with several contributions from our group, allow massive acquisition of data on the transcriptional, epigenomic and chromosomal conformation states in large cohorts of single cells. In this research program, we aim to move forward rapidly to bridge a major gap between these experimental breakthroughs and models of genome regulation in complex tissues. We will develop algorithms and models for representing data the transcriptional profiles, DNA methylation landscapes and Hi-C maps of literally millions of cells. Our tools will be designed specifically to leverage on new single cell RNA-seq, single cell Hi-C, single cell capture-pBat and higher order 4C-seq that we will continue to develop experimentally. Furthermore, we shall enhance and optimize our interdisciplinary framework hand in hand with a working model aiming at unprecedentedly comprehensive single cell analysis of E8-E10 mouse embryos. This will provide us with hundreds of worked-out cases of tissue specific gene regulation. The techniques and insights from these studies will then be used to characterize cell type aberrations and epigenetic reprogramming in tumors. The open algorithms, techniques and methodology we shall develop can accelerate research in multiple groups that will utilize single cell genomics to study numerous questions on gene regulation in the coming years.

Mots-clés : single cell genomics  hi c  4c  dna methylation  transcription factors
Projet ERC : PERFORMART (Horizon 2020, appel 2015, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Social Sciences and Humanities
Panel : Cultures and cultural production
Entité participante : Centre national de la recherche scientifique — Pays : France — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : CNRS
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 823182.94 €

Rome, centre of the Catholic Church and capital of the Papal States, strewn with churches and religious institutions, was also, in the 17th and 18th centuries, the scene of intense conflicts and rivalries between some twenty leading aristocratic families, highly adept at organising musical, theatrical and choreographic performances to display their political sympathies. The artistic life that animated the palaces and country villas of this elite has been far less studied than that of the papal court, the grand theatres or the principal churches of Rome. The PERFORMART project aims to enrich our understanding of the history of performing arts among the Roman nobility between 1644 and 1740 by exploiting the abundant documentation contained in the archives of eleven leading aristocratic families. The present proposal arises from the previous research of the principal investigator in the Orsini-Lante Archives. For the first time, PERFORMART will bring together specialised archivists and historians, all expert in different aspects of this micro-society, in a systematic collaboration between the history of the performing arts, choreographic studies, and art, music, social, and economic history. Via a relational database, this collaboration will bring to light original sources able to elucidate the social and artistic practices of Roman families, the motivations and conditions of patronage, the material framework of artistic productions, the status of the artist and his degree of dependence on his protectors, and, finally, the political, local and international impact of the involvement of these noble families on the artistic life of Rome.

Mots-clés : history of the performing arts,artistic practises,patronage,early modern rome,history of the professionalization of the performer,networks
Projet ERC : ROOBABAA (Horizon 2020, appel 2020, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Biotechnology and Biosystems Engineering
Entité participante : University of Lausanne — Pays : Suisse — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : UNIL
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 3146126.0 €

Root microbiome research is motivated by the promise of using growth-promoting, disease-suppressive bacteria as transferable, protective agents in agriculture. Yet, such approaches have not realized their potential as pesticide or fertilizer alternatives. Major obstacle are soil physico-chemical complexity and a staggeringly complex biotic environment. Recent establishments of synthetic communities promise to enable mechanistic understanding of bacterial establishment in the rhizosphere. However, current methods crucially lack in spatial and temporal resolution. The root is an assembly of dynamically evolving, distinct micro-niches for bacterial colonization that I propose to characterize by extensive use of fluorescent microbial marker strains, monitoring of bacterial metabolism and tracing of proliferation and taxis. This is complemented by precise manipulations of root development. The fractal, open-growth of roots must result in rapid changes in nutrient composition and cycles of nutrient abundance and restriction, forcing bacteria to oscillate between different survival strategies. These fundamental aspects of micro-niche formation, change and collapse are largely undescribed, yet central to understand success or failure of bacterial colonization. I propose to visualize and dissect these processes by combining cutting-edge tools for visualization, optical and genetic manipulations of both plant and bacteria. Bacterial model systems will be inserted into defined bacterial culture collections and results from mono-associations will be challenged by soil-based gnotobiotic systems and high-resolution community profiling. This project will reveal central, dynamic aspects of bacteria-root interactions within a realistic, time-resolved framework of root development. This knowledge will be crucial for progressing to a mechanistic understanding of root bacteria interaction and the reliable use of bacterial agents in agriculture by predictive design of bacterial niches.

Mots-clés : root microbiome,root development,arabidopsis,live imaging,gnotobiotic synthetic communities,root colonizing bacteria
Projet ERC : NANOthermMA (Horizon 2020, appel 2015, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Systems and communication engineering
Entité participante : University of Milano-Bicocca — Pays : Italie — Rôle : Partner
Acronyme de l'entité : UNIMIB
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 240000.0 €

Roughly one-third of all energy consumption ends up as low-grade heat. Thermoelectric (TE) materials could potentially convert vast amounts of this waste heat into electricity and reduce the dependence on fossil fuels. State-of-the-art nanostructured materials with record-low thermal conductivities (κ~1-2W/mK) have recently demonstrated large improvements in conversion efficiencies, but not high enough to enable large scale implementation. Central to this low efficiency problem lies the fact that the Seebeck coefficient (S) and the electrical conductivity (σ), the parameters that determine the TE power factor (σS2), are inversely related. Relaxing this inverse interdependence has never been achieved, and TE efficiency remains low. My recent work in nanostructured materials, however, demonstrated for the first time how such a significant event can be achieved, and unprecedentedly large power factors compared to the corresponding bulk material were reported. This project focuses around four ambitious objectives: i) Theoretically establish and generalize the strategies that relax the adverse interdependence of σ and S in nanostructures and achieve power factors >5× compared to the state-of-the-art; ii) Experimentally validate the theoretical propositions through well-controlled material design examples; iii) Provide a predictive, state-of-the-art, high-performance, electro-thermal simulator to generalize the concept and guide the design of the entirely new nanostructured TE materials proposed. Appropriate theory and techniques will be developed so that the tool includes all relevant nanoscale transport physics to ensure accuracy in predictions. Simulation capabilities for a large selection of materials and structures will be included; iv) Develop robust, ‘inverse-design’ optimization capabilities within the simulator, targeting maximum performance. In the long run, the simulator could evolve as a core platform that impacts many different fields of nanoscience as well.

Mots-clés : nanostructured thermoelectrics,electronic transport theory and simulations
Projet ERC : RoyalMess (Horizon 2020, appel 2020, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution
Entité participante : Centre national de la recherche scientifique — Pays : France — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : CNRS
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1500000.0 €

Royalty in social insects is typically environmentally acquired rather than genetically determined. However, this is not the case in an exceptional reproductive system, known as social hybridogenesis. Here, two distinct royal lineages of ants can only produce queens by their own while they need to hybridize to produce workers. Eggs with a pure royal genome are thus genetically fated to become queens while hybrid genomes are fated to become workers. Convergent evolution toward such a baroque reproductive strategy appears common in harvester ant species (four times in Pogonomyrmex and Messor genera), but its origin is still completely mysterious. In this project, I plan to unravel the evolution of this unique system via cutting-edge genomic and molecular approaches. 1. Prevalence of social hybridogenesis: I will use genome-wide sequence data to identify novel occurrences of social hybridogenesis across ~500 ant species, in search for potential ecological determinants (e.g. climate or diet) that could favour evolution towards genetic caste determination. 2. History of royal lineages: I will use population genomics in three pairs of Messor royal lineages to trace back their evolutionary origin. For this, I will develop a novel ABC method to map introgressions and selective sweeps along royal lineage genomes to detect past hybridization events or fixation of potentially selfish caste-biasing alleles. 3. Identifying caste-determining genes: I will use comparative transcriptomics in early ant embryos to identify genes differentially expressed between castes before developmental divergence. Candidate genes will be experimentally validated via i) controlled matings between pure-lineage queens and lab-produced recombinant males and ii) genome editing via the CRISPR-Cas9 technology. If successful, this project will enable the first genetic manipulation of ant royalty, deciphering how such an iconic example of phenotypic plasticity can become genetically hardwired.
Projet ERC : BIOLOCHANICS (Horizon 2020, appel 2014, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Products and processes engineering
Entité participante : ARMINES — Pays : France — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : ARMINES
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1434990.0 €

Rupture of Aortic Aneurysms (AA), which kills more than 30 000 persons every year in Europe and the USA, is a complex phenomenon that occurs when the wall stress exceeds the local strength of the aorta due to degraded properties of the tissue. The state of the art in AA biomechanics and mechanobiology reveals that major scientific challenges still have to be addressed to permit patient-specific computational predictions of AA rupture and enable localized repair of the structure with targeted pharmacologic treatment. A first challenge relates to ensuring an objective prediction of localized mechanisms preceding rupture. A second challenge relates to modelling the patient-specific evolutions of material properties leading to the localized mechanisms preceding rupture. Addressing these challenges is the aim of the BIOLOCHANICS proposal. We will take into account internal length-scales controlling localization mechanisms preceding AA rupture by implementing an enriched, also named nonlocal, continuum damage theory in the computational models of AA biomechanics and mechanobiology. We will also develop very advanced experiments, based on full-field optical measurements, aimed at characterizing localization mechanisms occurring in aortic tissues and at identifying local distributions of material properties at different stages of AA progression. A first in vivo application will be performed on genetic and pharmacological models of mice and rat AA. Eventually, a retrospective clinical study involving more than 100 patients at the Saint-Etienne University hospital will permit calibrating estimations of AA rupture risk thanks to our novel approaches and infuse them into future clinical practice. Through the achievements of BIOLOCHANICS, nonlocal mechanics will be possibly extended to other soft tissues for applications in orthopaedics, oncology, sport biomechanics, interventional surgery, human safety, cell biology, etc.

Mots-clés : biomechanics,aortic aneurism,rupture,full field optical measurement,inverse methods,distribution of material properties,nonlocal mechanics,soft tissues