Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-erc-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet ERC : HUMYCO (Horizon 2020, appel 2020, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Biotechnology and Biosystems Engineering
Entité participante : Ghent University — Pays : Belgique — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : UGent
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1498750.0 €

Mycotoxins, toxic fungal secondary metabolites, known to be the most hazardous of all food contaminants in terms of chronic toxicity, have the potential to contribute to a diversity of adverse health effects in humans, and are unfortunately ubiquitously present in our daily diet. Chronic low-dose intake of multiple mycotoxins are hypothesized to be associated with an increased risk of developing human renal, colorectal and hepatocellular carcinomas. HUMYCO refers to a unique, holistic & multi(cross)-disciplinary research field, aiming at comprehensively investigating the human mycobolome through uniting large-scale epidemiological & mechanistic designs using a poly-omic approach. Focus is set to generate newly hypotheses-driven insights into the role of multiple mycotoxin exposure in the aetiology of human carcinomas. The capability of conducting accurate exposure assessments of mycotoxins at the individual-level is required to fully understand the potential health consequences in humans, therefore, mycotoxin biomarkers of exposure will be primarily identified in vitro, and validated using human intervention studies by elucidating human mycotoxicokinetic profiles via metabolomics. The nature and extent of associations between estimated external and internal dietary multiple mycotoxin exposures and developing renal, colorectal and hepatocellular carcinomas will be investigated through large-scale epidemiological bio-cohorts, established in both Europe and Africa. To further disentangle possible associative mycotoxin-induced cancer development, causal relations will be verified through an innovative mechanistic arm applying advanced cutting-edged technologies. For the first time, genome-wide mutation spectra associated with multi-exposure to putatively carcinogenic mycotoxins will be experimentally determined. HUMYCO contributes to dietary-based human health prevention by identification of specific cancer risks related to multiple mycotoxins exposure.

Mots-clés : mycotoxins,dietary exposure,cancer,public health,europe,africa
Projet ERC : NETWORK (Horizon 2020, appel 2020, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System
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 : 2431750.0 €

Myelin is an abundant, lipid-rich membrane structure formed by oligodendrocytes, each of which extends numerous processes to form distinct myelin internode segments along axons, thereby increasing neural processing speed and energetic efficiency. Myelin undergoes a life cycle with three fundamental distinct phases of metabolism, starting with an ‘anabolic’ phase of early postnatal myelin development, followed by a homeostatic, adult state, in which turnover is low, and ending with a ‘catabolic’, myelin degradative phase in aging. Here, I hypothesize that oligodendrocytes and their myelin sheaths are metabolically connected to other glial cells, and we therefore plan to analyze how the entire glial system interacts during these distinct phases. Key is that lipoproteins may function as vehicles in this communication to connect and regulate lipid metabolism in the cells. We will use systems biology approaches to characterize how astrocytes and microglia respond to myelin assembly and disassembly. I suggest that glial cells serve as a homeostatic control system to balance and buffer changes that occur during the myelin life cycle. This system is relevant in aging, and we therefore plan to analyze how glial cells react and adapt their metabolism to age-related white matter myelin degeneration, and how lipoproteins participate in this process. We will determine the molecular anatomy of the major lipoproteins in the CNS to explore the role of lipoproteins in neurodegenerative diseases to understand both their protective functions as detoxifiers, and also their maladaptive, inflammatory functions driving pathology. We would like to propose a work program, in which we link the fundamental biology of lipid metabolism to myelin in the normal and diseased central nervous system. This approach will not only shed light on myelin biology and lipoproteins function and dysfunction, but may also open the door to new therapeutic venues for neurological disorders.

Mots-clés : myelin,glia,metabolism,lipids
Projet ERC : MyeliNANO (Horizon 2020, appel 2014, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System
Entité participante : Max Planck Society — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : MPG
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 2500000.0 €

Myelin is made by highly specialized glial cells and enables fast axonal impulse propagation. We have discovered that oligodendrocytes in the CNS are, in addition to myelination, required for the integrity and survival of axons, independent of the presence or absence of myelin itself. More recently, we found the underlying mechanism and could show that glycolytic oligodendrocytes provide axons with pyruvate/lactate. These metabolites are transported through a system of myelinic nanochannels to the axonal compartment, in which mitochondria generate ATP. The finding was a paradigm-shift for the physiological function of axonassociated glia, and opens now the intriguing possibility that oligodendrocytes are important modifiers of neurological diseases in which myelinated axons are lost. This includes, in addition to multiple sclerosis, also classical neuropsychiatric disorders. We will generate novel genetic tools in mice that allow us to study the role myelin and secondary axonal loss in higher brain functions. We will test the challenging hypothesis that reducing oligodendroglial support of axonal metabolism is a risk for differen neurodegenerative disorders. These involve the previously neglected ultrastructure of CNS myelin with cytosolic (20-300 nanometer wide) channels within the myelin sheath. These 'nanochannels' couple the oligodendrocyte soma metabolically to the adaxonal space, but are vulnerable to aging and physical injury. We hypothesize that cellular mechanisms as diverse as neuroinflammation and the aggregation of misfolded proteins in myelinic nanochannels cause perturbations of the axonal energy metabolism. When combined, the findings of MyeliNANO will shed new light on previously unknown functions of CNS myelin and will pave the way for metabolic neuroprotection as a therapeutic approach to a range of neurodegenerative diseases.

Mots-clés : myelin,glia,oligodendrocyte,axon,neurodegeneration,white matter
Projet ERC : NIBEA (Horizon 2020, appel 2016, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : University of Oxford — Pays : Royaume-Uni — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 149989.0 €

NIBEA will turn the developments and understanding from NANOIMPACTS into real world analytical practice such that reliable analytical protocols are established, validated and demonstrated especially in the context of real world media (environmental, industrial, medical) providing an entirely new approach to nanoparticle analysis based on electrochemical measurements. NIBEA will provide a step change in comparison with the present state of the art since particles of much smaller size and of greater diversity (including bacteria, viruses) deriving from authentic media with zero or minimal pre-treatment will be detected in the solution phase. NIBEA will develop prototype instrumentation suitable for demonstration purposes covering both batch and on-line nanoparticle analyses. It will also establish and validate against independent methods methodology for the analysis (identity, size, concentration, state of aggregation/agglomeration) of (a) silver nanoparticles in water and waste systems and (b) viruses and bacteria of biomedical importance NIBEA will have major societal impact in furthering studies of toxicology, facilitating environmental, medical and at point-of-discharge analysis, as well as facilitating the application of expected forthcoming legislation on nanoparticles. Subsequently we aim to commercialise the IP building on the track record of the Compton Group (sensing of pH, gases, garlic, chilli heat, etc) and with the assistance of Oxford Innovation Ltd (http://www.oxin.co.uk/) specialists in university KT.

Mots-clés : nano chemistry,nano particle analysis,biomedicine,environment,electrochemistry
Projet ERC : NANOLED (Horizon 2020, appel 2019, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Products and processes engineering
Entité participante : Italian Institute of Technology — Pays : Italie — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1496250.0 €

Nanomaterials are a promising technology that includes a variety of applications ranging from electronics to medicine. Within the family of nanomaterials, colloidal semiconductor nanocrystal (NCs) are among the most investigated, thanks to their desirable optoelectronic properties. Up until now, NCs have been employed in light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and lasers of relatively large size (devices of at least few hundred microns in area), therefore exploiting the properties of the ensemble (i.e., a NC film). LEDs based on ensemble of NCs show good performance in terms of efficiency and luminance but their applicability is still limited to standard consumer electronics products such as displays and illumination. Interestingly, thanks to quantum confinement a single isolated NC displays single photon emission, a desirable property for application in quantum technologies. Such property has been studied in detail using optical excitation. Yet, the challenge is to exploit single photon emission from a NC under electrical excitation but this requires the development of complex fabrication tools and methods for device preparation. NANOLED aims at developing light-emitting diodes based on individual colloidal NCs, thus paving the way to novel electrically driven single-photon sources with small footprint that are embeddable in photonic quantum networks. Further development of quantum technologies requires the investigation of devices based on novel materials for single photon generation. The project identifies 3 objectives to reach the final goal of fabricating a light-emitting diode based on a single nanocrystal: i) Identification and synthesis of semiconductor NCs with the necessary properties. ii) Development of methods for precise spatial positioning of a single semiconductor NC within electrodes able to inject a current into it; iii) Study of the electroluminescence of a single NC and investigation of its applicability toward single-photon and classical light sources.

Mots-clés : nanomaterials,colloidal,nanocrystals,quantum dots,optoelectronics,light emitting diodes,single photon source,perovskite,apbx3,chalcogenides,cdse,semiconductor,electroluminescence
Projet ERC : NANOSTORM (Horizon 2020, appel 2017, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Synthetic Chemistry and Materials
Entité participante : Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia — Pays : Espagne — Rôle : Partner
Acronyme de l'entité : IBEC;IBEC-CERCA
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 176000.98 €

Nanomaterials revolutionized the field of targeted cancer therapies introducing innovative approaches towards the molecular recognition of diseased cells. However, despite the large investments in nanotechnology-based drug delivery the translation into clinical applications is still unsatisfactory and up to date there are no actively-targeted materials approved for clinical use. One of the main reasons is the lack of knowledge about the behaviour of nanostructures in the biological environment that makes the rational design of effective drug delivery carriers extremely challenging. NANOSTORM proposes the use of an innovative optical imaging technique such as super resolution microscopy to visualize and understand the molecular interactions of nanomaterials with their cellular targets in unprecedented detail. We recently reported for the first time the ability of Stochastic Optical Reconstruction Microscopy (STORM) to image self-assembled synthetic materials in vitro with nanometric resolution. NANOSTORM aims to bring this to the next level, using STORM to unveil the structure-activity relations of therapeutic nanomaterials in the biological environment at the single molecule level. The knowledge arising from this investigation will provide novel design principles for the next generation of nanomaterials for targeted therapies. In particular, in the framework of NANOSTORM novel nanomaterials for the targeted treatment of prostate cancer will be synthesized and evaluated. This interdisciplinary research program will advance our understanding of nanostructures for targeted drug delivery and guide the formulation of novel materials for cancer therapy.

Mots-clés : nanomedicine
Projet ERC : ENLIGHTMENT (Horizon 2020, appel 2014, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Synthetic Chemistry and Materials
Entité participante : Spanish National Research Council — Pays : Espagne — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : CSIC
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1500000.0 €

Nanostructured dielectric and metallic photonic architectures can concentrate the electric field through resonances, increase the light optical path by strong diffraction and exhibit many other interesting optical phenomena that cannot be achieved with traditional lenses and mirrors. The use of these structures within actual devices will be most beneficial for enhanced light absorption in thin solar cells, photodetectors and to develop new sensors and light emitters. However, emerging optoelectronic devices rely on large area and low cost fabrication routes such as roll to roll or solution processing, to cut manufacturing costs and increase the production throughput. If the exciting properties exhibited by the photonic structures are to be implemented in these devices, then they too have to be processed in a similar fashion as the devices they intend to improve. This research plan is aimed to develop photonic electrodes that will enhance light matter interaction based on wave optics phenomena while being fabricated with techniques fully compatible with today’s mass production approaches, allowing seamless integration of wave optics components in current devices. The objectives of this proposal are: 1) to investigate the fundaments of the enhanced light-matter interaction observed in devices that use wave optics elements. 2) To develop fabrication routes for large area and low cost photonic and plasmonic structures using techniques similar to those employed in industry, so they could be easily incorporated in technologies such as roll to roll. 3) To fabricate prototype solar cells, photodetectors and sensors on top of photonic electrodes, demonstrating improved performance without deterioration of other figures of merit in the device. The results of the research plan will advance the state of the art in nanophotonics structures, providing the path towards a new generation of large-scale and low-cost photonic architectures.

Mots-clés : photonics,nanostructures,solution processed optoelectronics,nanofabrication,enhanced light matter interaction
Projet ERC : 3D-VIEW (Horizon 2020, appel 2019, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Systems and communication engineering
Entité participante : Dutch Research Council — Pays : Pays-Bas — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : NWO
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 2000000.0 €

Nanostructures drive the world around us. Every modern electronic device contains integrated circuits and nano-electronics to provide its functionality. Advances in nanotechnology directly impact society by enabling smartphones, autonomous devices, the internet of things, data storage, and essentially all forms of advanced technology. Fabricating such nanostructures crucially depends on having the tools to make them visible without destroying them. Modern nanodevices often have complex three-dimensional architectures with small features in all dimensions. While imaging methods that achieve nanometer-scale resolution exist, there are currently no compact tools that can look inside 3D nanostructures made out of metals and semiconductors without damaging their delicate internal structure. I will address this challenge by developing compact tools to image 3D nanostructures in a non-invasive way. Even though most nanostructures are completely opaque to visible light, I will develop light-based methods, combined with computational imaging techniques developed in my previous ERC project, to look inside them with unprecedented resolution and contrast. Light-based imaging is unparalleled in speed and versatility, and allows contact-free detection. My proposal is to: 1) Use compact laser-produced soft-X-ray sources to image nanostructures with high 3D resolution and element-sensitive contrast; 2) Use laser-induced ultrasound pulses to image complex 3D nanostructures, even through strongly absorbing materials; 3) Employ computational imaging methods to reconstruct high-resolution 3D object images from the resulting complex diffraction signals. I will forge a coordinated research program to bring these concepts to reality. This program provides exciting prospects for fundamental science and industrial metrology. I will go beyond the state-of-the-art in nano-imaging, to extend our vision into the complex interior of the smallest structures found in science and technology.

Mots-clés : lensless imaging,computational imaging,photo acoustics,high harmonic generation,optical coherence,extreme ultraviolet and soft x ray imaging,semiconductor metrology,integrated circuits
Projet ERC : NOVITREP (Horizon 2020, appel 2016, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Karolinska Institutet — Pays : Suède — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : KI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 139162.5 €

Natural epidemics and outbreaks of emerging infectious diseases are a growing problem internationally. RNA viruses remain under constant attention due to the recent Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreak with potential causal relationship with microcephaly of newly born babies and Ebola virus (EBOV) and Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) causing life threatening hemorrhagic fever, demonstrating how zoonotic viruses pose a major global health concern. There is an ongoing need to discover novel therapies to battle these pathogenic viruses given that no specific therapy exists. Developing new antiviral treatments by targeting host cell proteins needed in the viral life cycle is an emerging strategy to improve therapeutic power and reduce acquired drug resistance. Based on the results from the ERC grant Genetic Networks as a tool for anti-Cancer Drug Development (GENECADD), we have developed potent inhibitors to DNA repair proteins that disturbs repair of oxidative DNA lesions. To our surprise, we observed, in collaboration with Public Health Agency of Sweden, that these inhibitors potently prevent ZIKV, EBOV and CCHFV viral replication in human cells, suggesting that these inhibitors may be used as antiviral therapeutics. Further investigation into the possible mechanism of action revealed that our inhibitors prevented the repair of oxidative damage to RNA. Here, the overall aim is to (1) further develop and optimize our inhibitors as a novel antiviral target and demonstrate proof of concept, (2) explore and secure IP (3) develop a business plan and (4) perform a market analysis. The overall goal is to develop general antiviral treatments made available to virus-infected individuals through a public foundation in low-income areas or through a company in the Western world.

Mots-clés : antiviral therapy,ogg1 inhibitors,proof of concept,oxidative dna damage
Projet ERC : NonSequeToR (Horizon 2020, appel 2016, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Computer science and informatics
Entité participante : Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : LMU
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 2500000.0 €

Natural language processing (NLP) is concerned with computer-based processing of natural language, with applications such as human-machine interfaces and information access. The capabilities of NLP are currently severely limited compared to humans. NLP has high error rates for languages that differ from English (e.g., languages with higher morphological complexity like Czech) and for text genres that are not well edited (or noisy) and that are of high economic importance, e.g., social media text. NLP is based on machine learning, which requires as basis a representation that reflects the underlying structure of the domain, in this case the structure of language. But representations currently used are symbol-based: text is broken into surface forms by sequence models that implement tokenization heuristics and treat each surface form as a symbol or represent it as an embedding (a vector representation) of that symbol. These heuristics are arbitrary and error-prone, especially for non-English and noisy text, resulting in poor performance. Advances in deep learning now make it possible to take the embedding idea and liberate it from the limitations of symbolic tokenization. I have the interdisciplinary expertise in computational linguistics, computer science and deep learning required for this project and am thus in the unique position to design a radically new robust and powerful non-symbolic text representation that captures all aspects of form and meaning that NLP needs for successful processing. By creating a text representation for NLP that is not impeded by the limitations of symbol-based tokenization, the foundations are laid to take NLP applications like human-machine interaction, human-human communication supported by machine translation and information access to the next level.

Mots-clés : natural language processing,embeddings,deep learning,machine vision,human reading