Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-erc-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet ERC : HOMOVIS (Horizon 2020, appel 2014, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Computer science and informatics
Entité participante : Graz University of Technology — Pays : Autriche — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1473525.0 €

Since more than 50 years, computer vision has been a very active research field but it is still far away from the abilities of the human visual system. This stunning performance of the human visual system can be mainly contributed to a highly efficient three-layer architecture: A low-level layer that sparsifies the visual information by detecting important image features such as image gradients, a mid-level layer that implements disocclusion and boundary completion processes and finally a high-level layer that is concerned with the recognition of objects. Variational methods are certainly one of the most successful methods for low-level vision. However, it is very unlikely that these methods can be further improved without the integration of high-level prior models. Therefore, we propose a unified mathematical framework that allows for a natural integration of high-level priors into low-level variational models. In particular, we propose to represent images in a higher-dimensional space which is inspired by the architecture for the visual cortex. This space performs a decomposition of the image gradients into magnitude and direction and hence performs a lifting of the 2D image to a 3D space. This has several advantages: Firstly, the higher-dimensional embedding allows to implement mid-level tasks such as boundary completion and disocclusion processes in a very natural way. Secondly, the lifted space allows for an explicit access to the orientation and the magnitude of image gradients. In turn, distributions of gradient orientations – known to be highly effective for object detection – can be utilized as high-level priors. This inverts the bottom-up nature of object detectors and hence adds an efficient top-down process to low-level variational models. The developed mathematical approaches will go significantly beyond traditional variational models for computer vision and hence will define a new state-of-the-art in the field.
Projet ERC : GOforISOBIF (Horizon 2020, appel 2019, Starting 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 : 1293750.0 €

Since the beginning of Earth’s history, the oceans acted as an interface between the atmosphere, the continents, and the mantle via atmospheric exchange, weathering, sedimentation, and submarine volcanism. Such interactions make the composition of early seawater a unique recorder of the processes that have affected the Earth’s major reservoirs. Yet, this record has not been explored in details. Here, I propose to investigate the geochemistry of the first oceans that is recorded in Precambrian banded iron formations (BIFs) to address first-order questions related to the early evolution of our planet. The proposed project combines well-established radiogenic isotopic systems with novel and highly promising stable isotope tracers that will be developed as part of the project. These geochemical proxies will be measured on a unique collection of BIF samples deposited from ~3.8 to 0.7 Ga ago with the following objectives: (1) determine the origin, composition, and size of the first continents, (2) detect whiffs of oxygen in the early oceans in various depositional settings before and after the Great Oxidation Event (GOE), (3) identify the periods of intense hydrothermal activity through Earth’s history and link them to global mantle geodynamics. The proposed project will promote the application of state-of-the-art isotopic measurements, with an emphasis on further methodological development to set-up new isotope proxies. This innovative approach is needed to test previously suggested hypotheses, develop new ideas, and to tackle the challenging questions of the early Earth evolution from a different angle.

Mots-clés : banded iron formations,early earth,lu hf,sm nd,la ce radiogenic isotopic compositions,ce and eu stable isotopes,great oxidation event,archean continents,early mantle dynamic
Projet ERC : PHOTHERM (Horizon 2020, appel 2020, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Synthetic Chemistry and Materials
Entité participante : Chalmers University of Technology — Pays : Suède — Rôle : Partner
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 0.0 €

Since the beginning of civilization, humanity has built houses to sustain comfortable living conditions throughout the seasons. In our modern society, about 50% of the total energy consumption is used for heating and cooling. Growing demands for thermal management in many different sectors, from electronics to housing, inevitably means increased energy consumption. The primary source of heat is coming from the combustion of fossil, bio, or waste-based feedstocks, all contributing to emissions. This project seeks to fundamentally change how we generate heating and cooling by developing a new class of materials that capture, store, and release both solar and ambient heat. The solar thermal management materials are a unique combination of molecular photo-switches that capture and store sunlight, so-called MOST systems, together with phase change materials (PCM) that can contribute to thermal management. The two classes of materials operate at fundamentally different principles. The input of MOST system is photons, whereas the output is heat. The PCM materials can absorb heat from the environment. By combining the two materials into one, we can harness and upgrade two of the most abundant renewable sources of energy on the planet: ambient heat and sunlight. The materials function will be demonstrated in heat to power devices that can operate 24/7 without the need for traditional batteries. The MOST-PCM combination has the potential to disrupt how we control the temperature in a broad range of applications, from local power production to heating and cooling in electronics systems, to temperature control in automotive and housing. The materials developed in this project have the potential to radically change thermal comfort and energy consumption and give new design opportunities to thermal management systems from the 10-9 to 10 m length scale.

Mots-clés : molecular photoswitches
Projet ERC : SingleCellQNMR (Horizon 2020, appel 2020, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Physical and analytical chemical sciences
Entité participante : Technical University of Munich — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : TUM
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 2120290.0 €

Single-cell events are often responsible for biological phenomena, such as drug resistance, cell development or tumorigenesis. Studies on cellular populations mask such characteristics and make single-cell technologies essential for understanding cell biology. However, one of the major analytical tools with the advantage of high molecular specificity and non-invasiveness, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, has been limited in its application to single-cell studies due to its intrinsic low sensitivity. Here, I aim to overcome this limitation by a unique combination of (i) highly sensitive quantum sensors for NMR detection with (ii) microfluidics and (iii) advanced hyperpolarization methods. The pioneering SingleCellQNMR project is based on my recently developed NMR technology for microscopic sample volumes using nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond. These defects act as atomic-sized magnetic quantum sensors and are the ideal tool to detect NMR signals from smallest volumes, such as from a single cell. A second-generation quantum diamond spectrometer with integrated hyperpolarization capabilities will be developed here to match the high technical requirements for single-cell studies. It will be a new transformative tool to study: a) Single-cell metabolomics. The high molecular specificity of NV-NMR will be used to analyse and quantify metabolites on the single-cell level noninvasively. Cells will be exposed to external stimuli such as drugs and their individual metabolic response will be monitored over time. b) Single-cell water diffusion and relaxation-based contrast. Water diffusion and proton relaxation will be measured on a single-cell level. This will allow for the investigation of microstructures and to record data for validating current models of magnetic resonance imaging contrast. The SingleCellQNMR project will develop a ground-breaking non-invasive tool and provide first results in a new era of single-cell studies.

Mots-clés : nv center in diamond,single cell biology,quantum sensing,nmr spectroscopy,magnetic resonance imaging hyperpolarization methods,metabolomics,lab on a chip,microfluidics,biophysics
Projet ERC : RadMag (Horizon 2020, appel 2014, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Synthetic Chemistry and Materials
Entité participante : KU Leuven — Pays : Belgique — Rôle : Partner
Acronyme de l'entité : KUL
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 17153.75 €

Single-molecule magnets (SMMs) display magnetic hysteresis that is molecular in origin, and these materials have huge potential to be developed as nano-scale devices. The big challenge is to create SMMs that function without the need for liquid-helium cooling. This project will develop new SMMs that combine the strong magnetic anisotropy of lanthanide ions with a series of novel radical ligands. Our innovative SMMs will have controllable molecular and electronic structures, which will ultimately enable hysteresis at unprecedented temperatures. Highly unusual di- and tri-metallic Ln-SMMs are proposed in which the metals are bridged by radicals with heavy Group 15 (phosphorus-bismuth) and Group 16 (sulphur-tellurium) donor atoms. Trimetallic SMMs will also be based on hexaazatriphenylene (HAT) radicals, and dimetallic SMMs will also be based on nindigo radicals, both of which are nitrogen-donor ligands. The SMM field is dominated by systems with diamagnetic ligands. Our radical ligands have never been used in SMM studies: their diffuse unpaired spin provides a way of switching off the quantum tunnelling mechanisms that otherwise prevent hysteresis. We will exploit the rich electrochemistry of the target ligands: heavy p-block radicals have huge spin densities on the donor atoms; HAT radicals can have up to three unpaired electrons; reduced or oxidized nindigo radicals allow access to redox-switchable SMMs. In the HAT-bridged SMMs, the use of ligands with more than one unpaired electron is unprecedented. The heavy p-block ligands are themselves are novel. The PI’s approach to SMMs has already established new directions in lanthanide chemistry and in molecular magnetism. He now proposes a new, radical approach to SMMs with potential to re-define the state of the art, and to extend the frontiers of a vibrant multi-disciplinary field. Achieving the aims will provide a major step towards using SMMs for applications at practical temperatures.

Mots-clés : molecular magnetism,organometallic chemistry
Projet ERC : RadMag (Horizon 2020, appel 2014, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Synthetic Chemistry and Materials
Entité participante : University of Manchester — Pays : Royaume-Uni — Rôle : Partner
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 516439.98 €

Single-molecule magnets (SMMs) display magnetic hysteresis that is molecular in origin, and these materials have huge potential to be developed as nano-scale devices. The big challenge is to create SMMs that function without the need for liquid-helium cooling. This project will develop new SMMs that combine the strong magnetic anisotropy of lanthanide ions with a series of novel radical ligands. Our innovative SMMs will have controllable molecular and electronic structures, which will ultimately enable hysteresis at unprecedented temperatures. Highly unusual di- and tri-metallic Ln-SMMs are proposed in which the metals are bridged by radicals with heavy Group 15 (phosphorus-bismuth) and Group 16 (sulphur-tellurium) donor atoms. Trimetallic SMMs will also be based on hexaazatriphenylene (HAT) radicals, and dimetallic SMMs will also be based on nindigo radicals, both of which are nitrogen-donor ligands. The SMM field is dominated by systems with diamagnetic ligands. Our radical ligands have never been used in SMM studies: their diffuse unpaired spin provides a way of switching off the quantum tunnelling mechanisms that otherwise prevent hysteresis. We will exploit the rich electrochemistry of the target ligands: heavy p-block radicals have huge spin densities on the donor atoms; HAT radicals can have up to three unpaired electrons; reduced or oxidized nindigo radicals allow access to redox-switchable SMMs. In the HAT-bridged SMMs, the use of ligands with more than one unpaired electron is unprecedented. The heavy p-block ligands are themselves are novel. The PI’s approach to SMMs has already established new directions in lanthanide chemistry and in molecular magnetism. He now proposes a new, radical approach to SMMs with potential to re-define the state of the art, and to extend the frontiers of a vibrant multi-disciplinary field. Achieving the aims will provide a major step towards using SMMs for applications at practical temperatures.

Mots-clés : molecular magnetism,organometallic chemistry
Projet ERC : HiCoS (Horizon 2020, appel 2017, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Mathematics
Entité participante : Leipzig University — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : Partner
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 0.0 €

Singular solutions to variational problems and to partial differential equations are naturally ubiquitous in many contexts, and among these minimal surfaces theory and free boundary problems are two prominent examples both for their analytical content and their physical interest. A crucial aspect in this regard is the co-dimension of the objects under consideration: indeed, many of the analytical and geometric principles which are valid for minimal hypersurfaces or regular points of the free boundary do not apply to higher co-dimension surfaces or singular free boundary points. The aim of this project is to investigate some of the most compelling questions about the singularities of two classical problems in the geometric calculus of variations in higher co-dimension: I. Mass-minimizing integer rectifiable currents, i.e. solutions to the Plateau problem of finding the surfaces of least area, attacking specific conjectures about the structure of the singular set, most prominently the boundedness of its measure. II. The thin obstacle problem, consisting in minimizing the Dirichlet energy (or a variant of it) among functions constrained above an obstacle that is assigned on a lower dimensional space, with the purpose of answering some of the main open questions on the singular free boundary points. The main unifying theme of the project is the central role played by geometric measure theory, which underlines various common aspects of these two problems and makes them suited to be treated in an unified framework. Although these are classical questions with a long tradition, our knowledge about them is still limited and their investigation is among the most challenging issues in regularity theory. This is the central focus of the project, with the final goal to develop suitable analytical techniques that provides valuable insights on the mathematics at the basis of higher co-dimension singularities, eventually fruitful in other geometric and analytical settings.

Mots-clés : msc2010  49q15 geometric measure and integration theory,msc2010  49q05 minimal surfaces,msc2010  35r35 free boundary problems
Projet ERC : HiCoS (Horizon 2020, appel 2017, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Mathematics
Entité participante : Sapienza University of Rome — Pays : Italie — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1341250.0 €

Singular solutions to variational problems and to partial differential equations are naturally ubiquitous in many contexts, and among these minimal surfaces theory and free boundary problems are two prominent examples both for their analytical content and their physical interest. A crucial aspect in this regard is the co-dimension of the objects under consideration: indeed, many of the analytical and geometric principles which are valid for minimal hypersurfaces or regular points of the free boundary do not apply to higher co-dimension surfaces or singular free boundary points. The aim of this project is to investigate some of the most compelling questions about the singularities of two classical problems in the geometric calculus of variations in higher co-dimension: I. Mass-minimizing integer rectifiable currents, i.e. solutions to the Plateau problem of finding the surfaces of least area, attacking specific conjectures about the structure of the singular set, most prominently the boundedness of its measure. II. The thin obstacle problem, consisting in minimizing the Dirichlet energy (or a variant of it) among functions constrained above an obstacle that is assigned on a lower dimensional space, with the purpose of answering some of the main open questions on the singular free boundary points. The main unifying theme of the project is the central role played by geometric measure theory, which underlines various common aspects of these two problems and makes them suited to be treated in an unified framework. Although these are classical questions with a long tradition, our knowledge about them is still limited and their investigation is among the most challenging issues in regularity theory. This is the central focus of the project, with the final goal to develop suitable analytical techniques that provides valuable insights on the mathematics at the basis of higher co-dimension singularities, eventually fruitful in other geometric and analytical settings.

Mots-clés : msc2010  49q15 geometric measure and integration theory,msc2010  49q05 minimal surfaces,msc2010  35r35 free boundary problems
Projet ERC : STARS (Horizon 2020, appel 2014, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases
Entité participante : University of Naples Federico II — Pays : Italie — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1310000.0 €

Skeletal muscle wasting is a devastating complication of many chronic diseases including cancer, diabetes, chronic heart failure and cystic fibrosis. Despite its medical importance, there is, as yet, no effective means to treat this condition. Therefore, an urgent challenge is to discover treatments able to prevent its onset and/or progression. Thyroid hormone (TH) is a major determinant of muscle functions, and thyroid dysfunctions are leading causes of many myopathies. An emerging concept in this field is that TH’s pleiotropic actions can be amplified or attenuated at cell level by the deiodinase enzymes that can increase (D2) or decrease (D3) the active TH concentration regardless of hormone plasma levels. Based on recent published and new preliminary data, our working hypothesis is that “amplification” of TH action/signalling in muscle is critical in determining the accelerated muscle catabolism that causes muscle loss in numerous diseases. On the contrary, attenuation of the TH signal facilitates the proliferation/survival of muscle stem cells and reduces atrophy. Using genetically manipulated mouse models of altered TH metabolism, STARS aims to dissect the role of TH in muscle fibers and stem cells during the wasting processes. The ground-breaking nature of STARS is the possibility of manipulating a local-acting mechanism that determines the tissue concentration of a diffuse endocrine signal (TH), which is a critical determinant of muscle wasting. We will use state-of-the art methodology and recently generated mouse models in the attempt to explore the therapeutic potential of novel mechanisms to lower the TH signature at a specific muscle level. Proof-of-principle studies will be conducted with novel hormone-peptide conjugates for targeted disease prevention and therapy. The results will have cross-disciplinary implications, for the identification of novel potential therapeutic approaches impacting on stem cell biology, tissue metabolism and healthy ageing.

Mots-clés : thyroid hormone,deiodinases,muscle atrophy
Projet ERC : FamilySleeps (Horizon 2020, appel 2020, Starting 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 : 1499323.0 €

Sleep disturbances are highly prevalent in children with neurodevelopmental disorders, and this adversely impacts the whole family’s wellbeing. While the origins of neurodevelopmental disorders are considered largely genetic, the mechanisms that underlie sleep disruption, and their relationship to neurodevelopment, is relatively unexplored. Chronotype is our daily preference for morning or evening time, and a recent large-scale genome-wide association study highlighted its significant relationship with the most common neurodevelopmental disorder, autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Chronotype is an indication of our circadian rhythms, which alongside environmental factors, influences sleep disturbance. However, challenges in obtaining objective circadian rhythm and sleep timing measurements in ASD mean we are uncertain about their role. The FamilySleeps research programme will challenge the view that sleep disruption in children with ASD is driven only by environmental and behavioural factors. I will address two hypotheses; 1) that a disruption to circadian rhythms is an endophenotype of ASD 2) that a disruption to circadian rhythms has an independent common genetic component. To test these hypotheses, FamilySleeps will ask if children with ASD show sleep and circadian rhythm disturbances compared to typically developing children; if unaffected siblings have disturbed sleep and circadian rhythm patterns; and if sleep and circadian rhythm disruption correlates with a genetic risk for ASD. I will apply technologically-advanced and non-invasive sensors to obtain a one-year longitudinal objective measure of sleep disturbances and circadian rhythms in 60 families. I will generate genomic risk scores to establish the genetic risk of ASD. FamilySleeps will lead a breakthrough in understanding the role of circadian rhythms in ASD, which has implications for breakthroughs in other neurodevelopmental disorders, and understanding a process fundamental to life – sleep.

Mots-clés : psychiatric disorders,circadian rhythms,chronotype,genomic risk scores,genome wide snps,endophenotype