Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-erc-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet ERC : Hybead (Horizon 2020, appel 2019, Proof of concept grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Synthetic Chemistry and Materials
Entité participante : Institut Català de Nanociència i Nanotecnologia — Pays : Espagne — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : ICN2;ICN2-CERCA
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

Each year, millions of people, most of them children, die from diseases associated with inadequate water supply, sanitation and hygiene. In particular, exposure to heavy metals in drinking water, even at trace levels, poses a considerable health risk. As included in one of the seventeen sustainable development goals of the United Nations, “safe water and adequate sanitation are indispensable for healthy ecosystems, reducing poverty, and achieving inclusive growth, social well-being and sustainable livelihoods”. In this PoC project, named Hybrid Bead Adsorbents (Hybead), we aim to evaluate the feasibility of advancing Hybrid Inorganic Nanoparticle/Metal-Organic Frameworks Bead-type adsorbents into the pre-commercial stage, with the aim of accelerating their access to the market as an efficient technology for removing heavy metal ions from water. The first part of Hybead encompasses scaling-up of our current spray-drying synthesis of these beads from the gram-scale to economically viable kilogram-scale production. We will also shape the composite beads for proving its use into existing water purification technologies. This will entail shaping Hybead into granules and integrating them as fillers into polymer matrices to produce membranes by common industrial-scale methods (e.g. compaction and solvent casting). The second part of Hybead will be dedicated to intellectual property (IP) and market aspects needed for the pre-commercialization of this new technology for water purification. This study will include a patentability study, a freedom-to-operate (FTO) analysis and a market study to identify the filter producers that could ultimately serve as manufacturing partners. In this project we will endeavor to assess the commercial viability of with Hybead adsorbents, accelerate their market entry and ultimately, explore the possibility of launching a spin-off to manufacture and commercialize viable products.

Mots-clés : metal organic frameworks,inorganic nanoparticles,composites,adsorbents,water purification,heavy metal ion removal,filtration
Projet ERC : M-BLOOD (Horizon 2020, appel 2020, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Products and processes engineering
Entité participante : Technical University of Denmark — Pays : Danemark — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : DTU
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1988725.0 €

Each year, worldwide 5.6 million people die as a result of trauma. This fact makes uncontrolled bleeding the major cause of preventable death. Additionally, since almost 50% of the traumatic injures affect young people, uncontrolled bleeding has a tremendous social impact and results in an important financial burden to the healthcare system. Donor red blood cells (RBCs) have the ability to restore O2 transport capacity and, as such, blood transfusions are a life-saving procedure for patients who have lost significant blood volume. However, time-consuming hurdles such as pathogen testing or donor-recipient cross-matching, need to be carried out prior to transfusion, causing fatal delays in emergency situations. Additionally, since donor RBCs can only be stored for a short period of time, stockpiles to be used in acute disasters do not exist. Thus, blood substitutes prevail as highly sought after technologies to resolve the limitations associated with donor blood. However, despite the intense efforts in the last decades, no product is currently approved for human use. This can be attributed to the rapid development of blood substitutes in the 1980s, due to fear of HIV contaminated blood, which resulted in a number of failures. Importantly, while research efforts have focused mostly on the development of simple O2-carriers, it is noted that, apart from O2-delivery, biological RBCs are also responsible for CO2 transport, nitric oxide regulation, and antioxidant functions; all of them crucial and life-saving tasks. To this end, the ambitious goal of this proposal is to create a RBC MIMIC replicating the fundamental and potentially life-saving biochemical and biophysical aspects of RBCs. Furthermore, to address patients co-morbidities resulting from acute blood loss, RBC MIMIC will be implemented with additional/extra tasks that are not present in biological RBCs. I envision that RBC MIMIC will result on a superior blood surrogate for early stage resuscitation.

Mots-clés : cell mimicry,blood substitutes,hemoglobin based oxygen carriers
Projet ERC : FLUINEMS (Horizon 2020, appel 2016, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Products and processes engineering
Entité participante : Universität Hamburg — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : UHH
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1500000.0 €

Early detection of cancer saves lives: the survival rate increases from 10% to 90%. Today, there is a lack of methods for the early detection of different types of cancer. The main challenge is that a large variety of specific biomarkers have to be counted, and usually at extremely low concentrations. Here we will use smart nanoengineering to develop a versatile sensing platform that detects, identifies and counts single molecules, one by one, in a non-purified solution. The main novelty of the proposal is that the platform will integrate optical sensing beyond diffraction (for biochemical recognition) and on-chip molecular mass sensing (to discard non-specific binding events). For this, we will suspend state-of-the-art nanochannels and integrate them with plasmonic nano-antennas. This will make for a versatile, universal test, cheap enough to be used for preventive screening. It will help diagnosing different types of cancers earlier. We will detect and identify oncoviruses capsides, different protein biomarkers and microRNA in plasma. These are very high impact proof of concepts with clinical relevance. Dr. Fernandez-Cuesta has expertise in single molecule sensing and has worked in multiple international, interdisciplinary environments. She is expert in nanofabrication and plasmonics for (bio)sensing. She benefited from an IOF Marie Curie. She became CEO and co-founder of a start-up, dedicated to on-chip Raman spectroscopy for environmental monitoring of biotoxins concentration in fresh water. Currently, she is at the department for Applied Physics at the University of Hamburg. There, there is state-of-the-art instrumentation for nanofabrication. The collaborators at Hamburg University Klinikum Eppendorf have expertise in applying research to medicine. This interdisciplinary environment is ideal for starting a new field in combined plasmonics and mass sensing with a focus on nanotechnology for bioapplications of clinical relevance.

Mots-clés : single molecule,nems,resonator,nanofluidics,plasmonics,nanoimprint lithography
Projet ERC : COMPUCELL (Horizon 2020, appel 2014, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases
Entité participante : Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale — Pays : France — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : Inserm
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1500000.0 €

Early diagnostics based on multiple biomarkers is key in numerous diseases, yet current technologies for multiplexed detection are complicated and expensive. Living cells detect and process various environmental signals in parallel and can self-replicate, presenting an attractive platform for scalable and affordable autonomous diagnostic devices. In this project, I will apply my expertise in synthetic biology, the rational engineering of biological systems, to build cell-based biosensors for multiplexed diagnosis using the non-pathogenic bacterium Bacillus subtilis. In a first research line, I will conceive a scalable detection machinery by engineering chimeric receptors detecting extracellular biomarkers via sensing domains derived from antibodies. In a second research line, I will implement bio-molecular computing systems operating within and across bacterial cells to perform multiplexed biomarkers analysis. I will deploy in B. subtilis biomolecular logic gates and will engineer specific cell-cell communication systems to perform distributed multicellular computation in a bacterial consortia. My project is highly interdisciplinary and is at the cross-roads of genetic engineering, structural biology, biophysics, modeling, and clinics. On foundational point of view, I will make several breakthrough contributions to synthetic biology: (i) Advancing engineering frameworks for the Gram-positive model, B. subtilis. (ii) Pushing the limits of custom-ligand detection by engineered cells (iii) Exploring the frontiers of man-made biological computers. On an applied point of view, I plan to deliver a first prototype for the urinary diagnostic of diabetic nephropathy, a major complication of diabetes. Because of the modular design principles applied, my sensing platform will be reusable to diagnose other pathologies as well as for applications requiring custom-detection and bio-molecular computation like targeted therapy, drug delivery, or environmental monitoring.

Mots-clés : synthetic receptors,biomolecular computation,cellular computers,biological metrology,standardization,biomarkers,diabetic nehropathy
Projet ERC : PAIDEIA (Horizon 2020, appel 2018, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Products and processes engineering
Entité participante : Polytechnic University of Turin — Pays : Italie — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 519000.0 €

Earth is inhabited by an energy hungry human society. The Sun, with a global radiation at the ground level of more than 1 kW/m^2, is our largest source of energy. However, 45% of the total radiation is in the near infrared (NIR) and is not absorbed by most photovoltaic materials. PAIDEIA focuses on two main advantages aiming to enhance the capacity of solar energy conversion: i) plasmon assisted hot carriers extraction from NIR plasmonic materials; ii) linewidth narrowing in plasmonic nanoparticle films that enhances the lifetime of hot carriers and, thus, boosts the efficiency of light driven carrier extraction. Instead of metals, which operate mostly in the visible region, we will make use of doped semiconductor nanocrystals (DSNCs) as hot electron extraction materials possessing a plasmonic response tunable in the range 800 nm – 4000 nm. Three different innovative architectures will be used for improved device performance: i) improved Schottky junctions (DSNC/wide band gap semiconductor nanocomposites); ii) ultrathin devices (DSNCs/2D quantum materials); iii) maximized interface DSNC/semiconductor bulk hetero-Schottky junctions. By combining both concepts in advanced architectures we aim to produce a solar cell device that functions in the NIR with efficiencies of up to 10%. A tandem solar cell that combines the conventional power conversion efficiency, up to ~1100 nm, of a commercial Si solar cell (~20%) with the new PAIDEIA based device is expected to reach a total power conversion efficiency of 30% by extending the width of wavelengths that are converted to the full spectral range delivered by the Sun. PAIDEIA has a deeply fundamental character impacting several areas in the field of nanophysics, nanochemistry and materials processing and, at the same time, having a high impact on the study of solar energy conversion. Finally, PAIDEIA will provide answers to the fundamental questions regarding the physical behaviour of plasmonic/semiconductor interfaces.

Mots-clés : fabrication of nanocomposites for solar energy,semiconducting nanostructure films,plasmonic material,semiconductor junctions
Projet ERC : CoreSat (Horizon 2020, appel 2017, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Earth system science
Entité participante : Technical University of Denmark — Pays : Danemark — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : DTU
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1828708.0 €

Earth's magnetic field plays a fundamental role in our planetary habitat, controlling interactions between the Earth and the solar wind. Here, I propose to use magnetic observations, made simultaneously by multiple satellites, along with numerical models of outer core dynamics, to test whether convective processes can account for ongoing changes in the field. The geomagnetic field is generated by a dynamo process within the core converting kinetic energy of the moving liquid metal into magnetic energy. Yet observations show a region of persistently weak field in the South Atlantic that has grown in size in recent decades. Pinning down the core dynamics responsible for this behaviour is essential if we are to understand the detailed time-dependence of the geodynamo, and to forecast future field changes. Global magnetic observations from the Swarm constellation mission, with three identical satellites now carrying out the most detailed ever survey of the geomagnetic field, provide an exciting opportunity to probe the dynamics of the core in exquisite detail. To exploit this wealth of data, it is urgent that contaminating magnetic sources in the lithosphere and ionosphere are better separated from the core-generated field. I propose to achieve this, and to test the hypothesis that core convection has controlled the recent field evolution in the South Atlantic, via three interlinked projects. First I will co-estimate separate models for the lithospheric and core fields, making use of prior information from crustal geology and dynamo theory. In parallel, I will develop a new scheme for isolating and removing the signature of polar ionospheric currents, better utilising ground-based data. Taking advantage of these improvements, data from Swarm and previous missions will be reprocessed and then assimilated into a purpose-built model of quasi-geostrophic core convection.

Mots-clés : earth s core,satellite geomagnetism
Projet ERC : EPHEMERAL (Horizon 2020, appel 2019, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Earth system science
Entité participante : University of Oslo — Pays : Norvège — Rôle : Partner
Acronyme de l'entité : UiO
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 524500.0 €

Earth’s lower atmosphere is oxidative and its chemistry consists of reactions of short-lived chemical compounds called radicals, controlling the abundance of key compounds, such as of ozone and greenhouse gases. In spite of decades of investigation many atmospheric observations indicate that important aspects of this radical chemistry remain ill-understood, in particular in the reactions of the multitude of organic radicals present in the atmosphere, peroxy radicals (“RO2”) and Criegee Intermediates (“CI”). Detailed investigations of these reactions have been limited for over 50 years by instrumental challenges, in particular by the lack of technique detecting individual radicals (”speciation”). Recently, the Nozière group achieved an important milestone by developing the first technique, based on Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometry or “CIMS”, speciating the volatile RO2 that are important for the atmospheric oxidation cycles. The objective of EPHEMERAL is to solve key questions in atmospheric radical chemistry by overcoming the long-standing instrumental challenges with cutting-edge developments based on this new technique. Three strategic directions will be pursued: - in laboratory, the detection of CI will be investigated and gas-phase reactions of RO2 and CI studied, - an instrument will be built to detect individual RO2 and CI in the atmosphere, thus achieving a historical milestone, - the reactivity of these radicals at/with surfaces will be investigated in laboratory, assessing for the first time the role of clouds and aerosols in the oxidation cycles and setting the bases for next-generation challenges. The fundamental knowledge and atmospheric observations resulting from this project will dramatically improve the understanding of the oxidation cycles and the predictions of the atmospheric chemical composition, from the regional to the climate scale. EPHEMERAL will thus place Europe at the leading edge in the discipline, scientifically and technologically.
Projet ERC : NormativeEconomics (Horizon 2020, appel 2014, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Social Sciences and Humanities
Panel : Individuals, Markets and Organisations
Entité participante : University of East Anglia — Pays : Royaume-Uni — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : UEA
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 993616.44 €

Economics has traditionally assumed that individuals seek to satisfy coherent and asocial preferences, and has used the satisfaction of those preferences as a normative criterion. This ‘neoclassical’ approach has supported a view of the market as an institution in which privately-motivated individual actions tend to produce socially beneficial consequences. These ideas have been called into question by recent developments in behavioural economics, which point to the cognitive limitations of economic agents, the instability of preferences, and the existence of pro-social motivations. A common inference is that traditional presumptions in favour of the market and against paternalism are invalidated. I aim to develop an approach to normative economics, and a corresponding understanding of the role of markets, which do not require neoclassical rationality assumptions but may still support those presumptions. My approach is innovative in two ways. First, the criterion for normative analysis is opportunity, not preference satisfaction. Even if individuals lack coherent preferences, opportunities for mutually advantageous transactions can be defined in a normatively significant way, and competitive markets can be shown to be effective in providing such opportunities. Second, using a new version of the theory of ‘team reasoning’, the relationship between parties to a market transaction can be construed in terms of a joint intention to achieve mutual benefit. This motivation can support practices of trust and cooperation without disabling market incentives. Using the methods of theoretical and experimental economics and analytical philosophy, I will formalise and integrate these ideas and extend them to provide a new understanding of the role of government in the economy. This work will include analyses of distributional fairness, market ethics, and of the role of regulation in maintaining competitive markets in the face of consumers’ cognitive limitations.

Mots-clés : normative economics,behavioural economics,opportunity,team reasoning,mutual advantage
Projet ERC : MOREV (Horizon 2020, appel 2019, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Social Sciences and Humanities
Panel : Individuals, Markets and Organisations
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 : 1159878.0 €

Economists have distinguished for long soft and hard information with the understanding that cheap talk is more prone to subjective interpretation than hard evidence. In fact, any piece of evidence carries some of the true underlying information that agents are usually assumed to be willing and able to access. For various reasons, agents may however prefer to avoid disturbing truths or maintain wrong but encouraging beliefs. In MOREV, I propose to study motivated reading of evidence, that is, study how individuals interpret hard information in ways that serve their own purposes. I wish to identify the goals that push the reading of evidence in systematic ways. I also want to study how agents manage to distort this reading, for example by choosing not to read or reason about available evidence. The MOREV project is divided into two parts, each bringing the recent literature on motivated beliefs to a new area of study. In part 1, I will focus on agents' motivated reading of evidence about other individuals (their ability, their socio-economic characteristics, etc.). Indeed, one may not view a person the same way ahead of cooperative or competitive tasks. It is well-established that how close agents feel to each other (as network members or in terms of social identity) affects what they do to each other. I propose to investigate experimentally and theoretically the converse relationship: how do agents’ strategic goals affect their perception of others? In part 2, I will focus on agents' motivated reading of evidence about products. For example, consumers may purposefully distort their beliefs about some attributes to make their purchasing plans easier to execute or take on. To do so, agents may not interpret vague information skeptically or, more generally, use motivated reasoning processes. By studying these ideas in the lab and in new models, I aim at bringing a novel explanation to the fact that, in many markets, information does not unravel as theory predicts./

Mots-clés : motivated beliefs,hard information,disclosure games
Projet ERC : NANOGLU (Horizon 2020, appel 2016, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System
Entité participante : Utrecht University — Pays : Pays-Bas — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1500000.0 €

Efficient neuronal communication lies at the heart of all cognitive functions, and synaptic dysfunction underlies mental disorders such as autism. However, although over the past decades many components of synapses have been characterized, it is unknown how these constituents are assembled within synapses, and how this organization contributes to synapse function. The overall aim of this proposal is to understand how excitatory synapses are built to efficiently control neuronal function. Specifically, I aim to reveal the molecular organization that controls glutamate receptor positioning. While AMPA-type glutamate receptors concentrate in nano-domains within the synaptic core that directly apposes the presynaptic release site, metabotropic glutamate receptors accumulate in a distinct perisynaptic domain considerably further from the release site. Despite that this organization critically controls synaptic transmission and plasticity, we know little about the mechanisms that underlie the spatial and temporal segregation of glutamate receptor subtypes into these distinct subsynaptic domains. To address this, I developed single-molecule imaging tools, a powerful dimerization system to control receptor positioning, and physiological read-outs of synapse function. In this proposal I will combine innovative experimental and computational approaches, integrating single-molecule imaging with optical and electrophysiological measurements of neuronal function to: 1) elucidate the organizational principles that underlie the nano-compartmentalization of glutamate receptors at synapses, and 2) understand how the spatial distribution of receptor subtypes contributes to neuronal functioning. This project will reveal how nanoscale synapse organization contributes to neuronal circuit function, and will help understand how synaptic disruption contributes to neurological disease mechanisms.