Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-erc-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet ERC : EDAX (Horizon 2020, appel 2014, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Physical and analytical chemical sciences
Entité participante : European X-Ray Free-Electron Laser — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : Partner
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 151810.0 €

The key to move from a mere description of static materials properties to the determination and control of functionality and chemistry lies in understanding dynamic pathways through multidimensional energy landscapes. Through my efforts over the last decade my group accomplished breakthroughs towards the required excited states selectivity and to follow dynamic pathways with resonant inelastic soft x-ray scattering (RIXS) in three aspects: Non-linear RIXS for materials science to boost scattering efficiency. Time resolved and Anti-Stokes RIXS for back-ground free detection of excited states. Sub-natural line width RIXS to map out potential energy surfaces at selected atoms. In the ERC research I link these unfolding fields and combine them with ab-initio treatment of excited states to create unprecedented back-ground free X-ray probes of excited states of matter and their dynamics. This will be femtosecond time resolved Anti-Stokes RIXS for excited state selectivity with transform limited pulses and doubly resonant soft X-ray 4 wave mixing to determine multi-center dynamics on atomic scales. The ERC grant will answer long standing questions on the governing principles of functionality, regarding chemical pathways and energy landscapes in molecules as well as phase transitions, driven phases and emergence in functional materials. These novel approaches become only now feasible through the unprecedented brilliance of Free-Electron Lasers and the efforts of my group over the last decade. The ERC grant will establish proof-of-principle at brilliant soft X-ray Free-Electron Lasers that will be followed by world leading, ideal conditions implemented at the European XFEL.

Mots-clés : soft x ray spectroscopy with free electron lasers and synchrotron radiation,european xfel,non linear x ray matter interaction,ultrafast switching,femtochemistry
Projet ERC : ProBioFac (Horizon 2020, appel 2020, Proof of concept grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Synthetic Chemistry and Materials
Entité participante : University of London — Pays : Royaume-Uni — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : U. London
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

The large scale expansion of adherent cells, which underpins the production of stem cells for regenerative medicine and the manufacturing of complex biotherapeutics (e.g. exosomes and vaccines) remains challenging and a key hurdle to the accessibility of associated therapies. Indeed, the expansion of adherent stem cells and adherent cell lines for bioproduction relies on culture on solid microcarriers that remain difficult to process and significantly add to costs. Cell adhesion to solid substrates and associated mechanotransduction is thought to be essential to mediate key processes regulating the production of biotherapeutics, such as exosome secretion and protein glycosylation. However, we recently demonstrated that liquid substrates, such as emulsion microdroplets, can support cell adhesion and promote the retention of a normal adherent phenotype. We showed that this process is mediated by the self-assembly of mechanically strong protein nanosheets at corresponding liquid-liquid interfaces. This project will demonstrate the scale up of emulsion-based biomanufacturing platforms. We will scale up (L scale) bio-emulsions based on protein nanosheets that promote cell adhesion and display suitable interfacial mechanics, from affordable protein sources. We will demonstrate the compatibility of such systems with bioreactors routinely used in the field, for the scale up of adherent stem cells production, and that of adherent cell lines for biotherapeutics production (exosomes and vaccines). We will establish further IP and a commercialisation strategy with identified partners to translate our technology in the field of biomanufacturing. We propose that bio-emulsions for the culture of adherent cells will bring a step change to the field of biomanufacturing, enabling to borrow concepts and processes from the field of chemical engineering, in which biphasic liquid-liquid systems and emulsions have revolutionised the production of fine chemicals, drugs and nanomaterials.

Mots-clés : biomanufacturing,stem cells,biotherapeutics,biotechnology,emulsion
Projet ERC : RTFT (Horizon 2020, appel 2018, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Fundamental constituents of matter
Entité participante : Centre national de la recherche scientifique — Pays : France — Rôle : Partner
Acronyme de l'entité : CNRS
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 178149.46 €

The large-N limit in field theory restricts the perturbative expansion to specific classes of Feynman diagrams. For vectors the restricted class of diagrams is simple, and one can analytically solve the models. For matrices, the large-N limit is simple in zero dimensions but is exceedingly complicated in higher dimensions. I proved that going one step up in the rank and considering tensor fields things simplify again, but not to the level of the vectors. I established the 1/N expansion of random tensors and discovered a new (and the last possible) universality class of large-N field theories: the melonic theories. As pointed out by Witten, these theories yield nontrivial, strongly coupled conformal field theories in the infrared. The aim of this project is to perform an exhaustive study of the melonic universality class of tensor field theories and their infrared conformal field theories. I aim to extend maximally the melonic universality class, study the renormalization group flow in melonic theories and apply them to the AdS/CFT correspondence and quantum critical metals.

Mots-clés : large n limit,tensor models,conformal field theory
Projet ERC : CoCoSym (Horizon 2020, appel 2017, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Computer science and informatics
Entité participante : Charles University — Pays : Rép. Tchèque — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1211375.0 €

The last 20 years of rapid development in the computational-theoretic aspects of the fixed-language Constraint Satisfaction Problems (CSPs) has been fueled by a connection between the complexity and a certain concept capturing symmetry of computational problems in this class. My vision is that this connection will eventually evolve into the organizing principle of computational complexity and will lead to solutions of fundamental problems such as the Unique Games Conjecture or even the P-versus-NP problem. In order to break through the current limits of this algebraic approach, I will concentrate on specific goals designed to (A) discover suitable objects capturing symmetry that reflect the complexity in problem classes, where such an object is not known yet; (B) make the natural ordering of symmetries coarser so that it reflects the complexity more faithfully; (C) delineate the borderline between computationally hard and easy problems; (D) strengthen characterizations of existing borderlines to increase their usefulness as tools for proving hardness and designing efficient algorithm; and (E) design efficient algorithms based on direct and indirect uses of symmetries. The specific goals concern the fixed-language CSP over finite relational structures and its generalizations to infinite domains (iCSP) and weighted relations (vCSP), in which the algebraic theory is highly developed and the limitations are clearly visible. The approach is based on joining the forces of the universal algebraic methods in finite domains, model-theoretical and topological methods in the iCSP, and analytical and probabilistic methods in the vCSP. The starting point is to generalize and improve the Absorption Theory from finite domains.

Mots-clés : computational complexity,constraint satisfaction problem,universal algebra,optimization problem,approximation algorithm,countably categorical structure
Projet ERC : ErgComNum (Horizon 2020, appel 2015, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Mathematics
Entité participante : Hebrew University of Jerusalem — Pays : Israël — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : HUJI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1342500.0 €

The last decade has witnessed a new spring for dynamical systems. The field - initiated by Poincare in the study of the N-body problem - has become essential in the understanding of seemingly far off fields such as combinatorics, number theory and theoretical computer science. In particular, ideas from ergodic theory played an important role in the resolution of long standing open problems in combinatorics and number theory. A striking example is the role of dynamics on nilmanifolds in the recent proof of Hardy-Littlewood estimates for the number of solutions to systems of linear equations of finite complexity in the prime numbers. The interplay between ergodic theory, number theory and additive combinatorics has proved very fruitful; it is a fast growing area in mathematics attracting many young researchers. We propose to tackle central open problems in the area.
Projet ERC : MONIFAULTS (Horizon 2020, appel 2018, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Earth system science
Entité participante : Centre national de la recherche scientifique — Pays : France — Rôle : Partner
Acronyme de l'entité : CNRS
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 663159.25 €

The last seismic sequence in Italy, responsible for 298 fatalities and important economic loss, remind us how urgent it is to improve our knowledge about earthquake physics to advance earthquake forecasting. While direct observations during laboratory earthquakes permit us to derive exhaustive physical models describing the behaviour of rocks and to forecast incoming lab-earthquakes, the complex physics governing the nucleation of earthquakes remain poorly understood in real Earth, and so does our ability to forecast earthquakes. I posit that this ‘ignorance’ emerges from our limited ability to unravel information about fault physics from geophysical data.The objective of this proposal is to introduce a new and integrated methodology to monitor the spatiotemporal evolution of elastic properties on real faults using seismological and geodetic data. We will apply machine learning and covariance matrix factorization for improved earthquake detection, and to discover ‘anomalous’ seismological signals, which will reveal unknown physical processes on faults. These novel observations will be integrated with time dependent measurements of rheology and deformation, obtained from cutting-edge techniques applied to continuous seismological and geodetic data. Our integrated monitoring approach will be applied to study how faults respond to known stress perturbations (as Earth tides). In parallel, we will analyse periods preceding significant earthquakes to assess how elastic properties and deformation evolve while a fault is approaching a critical (near rupture) state. Our natural laboratory will be Italy, given its excellent geodetic and seismological instrumentation, deep knowledge about faults geometry and the relevant risk posed by earthquakes. Our research will provide new insights about the complex physics of faults at critical state, necessary to understand how real earthquakes nucleate. This project will also have a major impact on observational earthquake forecast.

Mots-clés : earthquakes forecasting
Projet ERC : MONIFAULTS (Horizon 2020, appel 2018, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Earth system science
Entité participante : Centre national de la recherche scientifique — Pays : France — Rôle : Partner
Acronyme de l'entité : CNRS
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 5604.0 €

The last seismic sequence in Italy, responsible for 298 fatalities and important economic loss, remind us how urgent it is to improve our knowledge about earthquake physics to advance earthquake forecasting. While direct observations during laboratory earthquakes permit us to derive exhaustive physical models describing the behaviour of rocks and to forecast incoming lab-earthquakes, the complex physics governing the nucleation of earthquakes remain poorly understood in real Earth, and so does our ability to forecast earthquakes. I posit that this ‘ignorance’ emerges from our limited ability to unravel information about fault physics from geophysical data.The objective of this proposal is to introduce a new and integrated methodology to monitor the spatiotemporal evolution of elastic properties on real faults using seismological and geodetic data. We will apply machine learning and covariance matrix factorization for improved earthquake detection, and to discover ‘anomalous’ seismological signals, which will reveal unknown physical processes on faults. These novel observations will be integrated with time dependent measurements of rheology and deformation, obtained from cutting-edge techniques applied to continuous seismological and geodetic data. Our integrated monitoring approach will be applied to study how faults respond to known stress perturbations (as Earth tides). In parallel, we will analyse periods preceding significant earthquakes to assess how elastic properties and deformation evolve while a fault is approaching a critical (near rupture) state. Our natural laboratory will be Italy, given its excellent geodetic and seismological instrumentation, deep knowledge about faults geometry and the relevant risk posed by earthquakes. Our research will provide new insights about the complex physics of faults at critical state, necessary to understand how real earthquakes nucleate. This project will also have a major impact on observational earthquake forecast.

Mots-clés : earthquakes forecasting
Projet ERC : Meiotic telomere (Horizon 2020, appel 2018, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions
Entité participante : University of Gothenburg — Pays : Suède — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1500000.0 €

The length of telomeric DNA is a critical determinant factor for aging and cancer development. In germ cells, the activation of a telomerase-dependent telomere-lengthening pathway is thought to be important in order to maintain telomeric DNA across generations, but the molecular mechanisms involved in this pathway, i.e: how and when telomerase is activated in germ cells, are largely unknown. A DNA-binding protein complex called shelterin constitutively binds telomeric DNA. However, my recent studies have suggested that a multi-subunit DNA-binding complex, TERB1-TERB2-MAJIN, takes over telomeric DNA from shelterin in mammalian germ cells in order to facilitate homologous recombination. These findings represent a hitherto unknown molecular mechanism at work on the telomeres in germ cells. In this project, I hypothesize that the drastic reformation of telomere-binding complexes in germ cells contributes also to the telomere-lengthening pathway. The aim of this project is to test this hypothesis in order to reveal the mechanism underlying the transgenerational inheritance of telomeric DNA throughout meiosis. This work is divided into three work packages. WP1: to determine the molecular rearrangements that take place at telomeres during meiosis. WP2: to determine how and when telomeres are lengthened during germ cell production. WP3: to determine how meiotic recombination is achieved. The proposed project will reveal molecular mechanisms underlying the transgenerational inheritance of genetic information after meiosis, and this will increase our understanding of the etiology of numerous human diseases caused by meiotic errors, such as congenital birth defects and aneuploidy. Further, because the misregulation of telomerase is a leading cause of cancer development, the identification of telomerase-activating mechanisms in germ cells will have multidiscipline impacts in both cancer and reproductive biology fields and will be useful for developing novel cancer therapies.

Mots-clés : meiosis,homologous recombination,telomere
Projet ERC : RockDEaF (Horizon 2020, appel 2018, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Earth system science
Entité participante : University of London — Pays : Royaume-Uni — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : U. London
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1499990.0 €

The lithosphere is the thin outer shell of the Earth that supports the weight of mountains, plate tectonic forces, and stores the elastic energy that is released during earthquakes. The strength of the lithosphere directly controls the formation of tectonic plates and the generation and propagation of devastating earthquakes. The strongest part of the lithosphere is where the deformation processes in rocks transition from brittle fracture to plastic flow. This transition controls the strength of tectonic plate interfaces, the coupling between mantle flow and surface tectonics, as well as the complex fault slip patterns recently highlighted by geophysical records (e.g., tremors and slow slip). Despite its fundamental importance, the transitional behaviour remains very poorly understood. In this regime, we still do not know how rock deformation processes and properties evolve with depth and, critically, time. We also do not know exactly where the transition occurs in nature, if and how it may move over time, and what are the prevailing conditions there. The aim of this project is to provide unprecedented quantitative constrains on the key material properties and processes associated with deformation and fluid flow at the brittle-plastic transition, and arrive at a clear understanding of the prevailing conditions and the dynamics of fault slip at the transition. I propose to conduct laboratory rock deformation experiments at the high pressure and temperature conditions relevant to the transitional regime, and achieve unprecedented quantitative physical measurements by developing state-of-the-art in-situ instrumentation, taking advantage of the latest sensor technologies. I will focus on quantifying the effects of time and fluids, which are currently unexplored. The ultimate outcome of the project is to detect the transition in nature by understanding its geophysical signature, and constrain the strength of faults and plate boundaries throughout the seismic cycle.

Mots-clés : rock physics,fault and earthquake mechanics
Projet ERC : CRUSLID (Horizon 2020, appel 2020, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Earth system science
Entité participante : École normale supérieure de Lyon — Pays : France — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : ENS de Lyon
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1526303.86 €

The low density of the Earth’s continental crust has been proposed to be at the origin of plate tectonics. Physical studies on the continental crust have shown that its low density was acquired by differentiation of the crust and loss of dense mafic residues. What is the composition and vertical structure of the crusts of the other terrestrial planets, which do not show plate tectonics? How did they form and what are the modifications they have undergone following their formations? Are they far from being of continental-type? To answer these questions, I propose to study from a physical perspective the crust structure and the processes of crust formation and evolution on terrestrial planets other than Earth using innovative thermal, mechanical and dynamical models combined with new planetary observations. Temperature is a crucial control variable as it dictates phase changes, buoyancy, mechanical properties and stress state. In the crust and stagnant lithosphere of terrestrial planets, temperature is controlled by the distribution of heat producing elements. Lithosphere cooling being the most likely cause of quakes on stagnant-lid planets, we propose to constrain the concentration and distribution of heat producing elements on Mars and the Moon by comparing recorded and predicted seismicity from thermal evolution models. From these thermal evolution models, we will also evaluate the potential for planetary crust differentiation and evolution. From magma ascent models, sensitive to crust density and mechanical state, combined with systematic in quantitative observations of volcanic structures and deposits on terrestrial planets, we will constrain the crust structure and thermal state. Finally, we will develop new models of primitive crust formation in a stagnant lid regime of convection to evaluate the characteristics of primitive crusts on terrestrial bodies.

Mots-clés : crust,structure,dynamics,seismicity,stagnant lithosphere,magma ocean,thermal evolution,magma transport
Projet ERC : ImmunoStem (Horizon 2020, appel 2018, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases
Entité participante : Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico — Pays : Italie — Rôle : Partner
Acronyme de l'entité : IRCCS
Type d'entité : Organismes privés (hors enseignement)
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1394375.0 €

The low gene manipulation efficiency of human hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) remains a major hurdle for sustainable and broad clinical application of innovative therapies for a wide range of disorders. Indeed, high vector doses and prolonged ex vivo culture are still required for clinically relevant levels of gene transfer even with the most established lentiviral vector-based delivery platforms. Current and emerging gene transfer and editing technologies expose HSC to components potentially recognized by host antiviral factors and nucleic acid sensors that likely restrict their genetic engineering and contribute to broad individual variability in clinical outcomes observed in recent gene therapy trials. Nevertheless, specific effectors are yet to be identified in HSC. We have recently identified an antiviral factor that potently blocks gene transfer in HSC and have discovered small molecules that efficiently counteract it. This is the first example of how manipulating a single host factor can significantly impact gene transfer efficiencies in HSC but likely represents the mere tip of the iceberg of the plethora of innate sensing mechanisms potentially hampering genetic manipulation of this primitive cell compartment. This proposal aims to identify the antiviral factors and innate sensing pathways that prevent efficient modification of HSC and to mitigate their effects using methods developed through a thorough understanding of their mechanisms of action. My approach builds on the innovative concept that understanding the crosstalk between HSC and viral vectors will instruct us on which immune sensors and effectors to avoid and how, with direct implications for all gene engineering technologies. Successful completion of this project will deliver broadly exportable novel paradigms of innate pathogen recognition that will allow ground-breaking progress in the development of cutting-edge cell and gene therapies and to fight infectious and autoimmune diseases.

Mots-clés : haematopoietic stem and progenitor cells,innate immunity,viral vectors,nucleic acid sensing,genetics