Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-erc-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet ERC : CITRON (Horizon Europe, appel 2021, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Systems and Communication Engineering
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 : 2813698.31 €

Electron and Ion beams have become indispensable tools in surface and materials science. Many applications rely on extreme miniaturization, like in nanostructuring and doping, which imposes to control the energy, the number and the locations of electrons or ions at the nanometric level. The CITRON project aims at achieving breakthroughs in focused ion and electron beams, exploiting monochromaticity in the low-energy domain (eV-keV) to reach such a fine level of control of the sources of charged particles. In contrast with standard tools, the proposed developments rely on the ionization of a neutral atomic species and on the simultaneous production, detection and control of both the ion and the electron. Such a detection in coincidence yields correlated information on both particles that can be used to improve the beam properties, like the deterministic knowledge of the creation of the charged particles, and the correction of their trajectories in real time. Using this novel technique, which I have recently demonstrated the feasibility with my group, I propose to develop three innovative prototypes: • 1) A focused ion beam using feedback control with unprecedented focused properties. I will used it to realize semiconductor circuit-editing at the (sub-)nm scale. • 2) A deterministic source of (potentially) any type of ion for controlled implantation at the nm level. I will use it for on-demand doping of quantum devices. • 3) A high-resolution electron-energy-loss microscope with precise knowledge of the electron energy and the position on the sample. I will use it to realize both imaging and vibrational spectroscopy for surface analysis. The synergy between the three prototypes is based on atomic beam laser excitation to create a monoenergetic beam of charged particles, with energy and position controlled by correlation between oppositely charged particles. All will require dedicated optical columns designs and fast time and position sensitive detectors.

Mots-clés : microscopy,photoionization,correlation,coincidence,feedback control,time and position sensitive detectors,rydberg atoms,surface science,circuit edit,vibrational spectroscopy,focused ion beam,implantation,electron microscope
Projet ERC : WaddingtonMemory (Horizon Europe, appel 2023, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Integrative B iology : from Genes and Genomes to S ystems
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 : 2499764.0 €

Epigenetics, the study of molecules and mechanisms that perpetuate alternative gene activity states in the context of the same DNA sequence, is an exciting field with important epistemological and biomedical implications, but the molecular mechanisms underlying epigenetic inheritance are still little understood. Polycomb group proteins are pleiotropic chromatin components that have been suggested to be capable of driving epigenetic inheritance and their dysregulation leads to cell fate changes and is associated with cancer. Recently, we discovered that a transient decrease in expression of a Polycomb gene can drive the formation of tumors of epigenetic nature, i.e. in the absence of DNA mutations. The goal of WaddingtonMemory is to decipher how epigenetic components can lead to stable changes in cell fate. Specifically, we will:  Aim 1: Identify the molecular steps leading to epigenetic cell fate derailment following transient Polycomb protein depletion in Drosophila. We will perform a time-course study using bulk and single-cell multiomic and imaging approaches in order to dissect the dynamics of cell fate transformation. Aim 2: Identify the Polycomb-targets leading to cell fate dysregulation and decipher their mechanistic role. We will test candidate factors identified in Aim 1 in order to identify those that drive cell fate derailment and to elucidate their mode of action. Aim 3: Test the role of epigenetic inheritance in mammalian cell differentiation. We will analyse the role of epigenetic inheritance in mouse gastruloids, an in vitro system that reflects cell differentiation events typically found in early embryogenesis.  Together, this groundbreaking project will reveal how epigenetic components drive cell fate derailment and it will establish robust paradigms that can be utilized by the scientific community to discriminate between epigenetic inheritance and DNA sequence-mediated cell transformation.lli

Mots-clés : drosophila,development,cancer,gastruloid,epigenomics,3d genome,polycomb proteins,ctcf
Projet ERC : JUST PEN (Horizon Europe, appel 2023, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Social Sciences and Humanities
Panel : Institutions, Governance and Legal Systems
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 : 2234859.0 €

The JUST_PEN Project aims to analyse the strategies private interest groups use to try to influence European penal and prison policies through notably litigation and judicial complaints lodged with the European Court of Human Courts and the Court of Justice of the European Union. In relying notably on a current national research grant on “the European Human Rights Justice under Moral Influences?”, the JUST_PEN project will analyse whether or not the moral and religious values promoted by these private interest groups have influenced and have even been taken account of or even been adopted by the European penal and prison policies. In this respect, the project will investigate the ways in which these private interest groups try to influence these policies using doctrinal, judicial (notably through litigation and monitoring efforts) and political tactics. In terms of effects of these strategies, we will investigate how and to what extent these tactics are translated into penal and prison policies notably through a process of coercive human rights that refer to the coercive aspect (the enactement of criminal law and the use of criminal sanctions) of human rights protection. In doing so, we will propose a new theoretical model: the ‘moral entrepreneur of jurisprudence ’ that is all about powerful private actors who do not behave as philantropists but are driven by material interests taking creative initiatives which involve shaping or reshaping case law on penal and prison policies. In doing so, they can either reinforce or on the contrary moderate and even lenify the coercive dimension of human rights and contribute though this process to orient significantly penal and prison policies. The JUST_PEN project intends thus to achieve a significant paradigm shift within the existing literature on human rights, European law and penal and prison policies by combining all these domains that are ignored by the existing legal, socio-legal and criminological literature.

Mots-clés : penal and prison policies,ngos,conservative and liberal interest groups,european human rights justice
Projet ERC : MEDICATE (Horizon Europe, appel 2021, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Prevention,  Diagnosis and T reatment of Human Diseases
Entité participante : Université de Copenhague — Pays : Danemark — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : KU
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 2420301.0 €

Viruses are obligate pathogens with massive impact on global health. Nearly all currently marketed antiviral drugs target viral enzymes. We hypothesize that hitherto unrecognized virus-encoded transmembrane proteins may prove valuable as pharmaceutical targets.  Through a systematic dissection of viral genomes (WP1) we will identify potential transmembrane segments in a defined workflow. We will predict their function in silico (WP2) as being either (A) internalizing transmembrane proteins or (B) ion channels. Segments showing promising transmembrane and/or internalization motifs will be expressed, functionally characterized and evaluated in proof-of-modality assays (WP3). The newly identified internalizing proteins may transfer a molecular Trojan horse, a toxin payload, into infected cells, which will be tested with a generic fusion-toxin protein (Mode A), while the potential viral ion channels (viroporins) will be tested for their ability to mediate a current via formation of ion pores (Mode B). In WP4, the internalizing transmembrane proteins passing the WP1-3 attrition will be utilized for initial drug discovery and fusion-toxin protein design. Through co-internalization with the viral transmembrane protein, the toxins may prevent long-term pathologies by eradicating the virus. The novel viroporins will be screened for inhibition using ion channel drugs regulatory approved for other purposes. This ensures fast access to the market through drug repurposing, allowing for prevention and treatment of acute virus pathology.  This project on new ground entails high risk, yet also creates opportunities of enormous gain, considering the huge unmet medical needs for effective and specific antiviral therapeutics. However, the biggest gain is the potential for ground-breaking discoveries regarding virally encoded transmembrane proteins, thereby bridging basic virology and molecular pharmacology with structural biology and early drug discovery in a highly innovative manner.

Mots-clés : viroporins g protein coupled receptors molecular pharmacology ligand receptor interaction
Projet ERC : SENCE (Horizon Europe, appel 2022, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and R egeneration
Entité participante : Université de Copenhague — Pays : Danemark — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : KU
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 2500000.0 €

Transcription is regulated by transcription factors (TFs) bound at enhancer elements located long-distances from the genes they regulate. How does this account for dynamic responses to the environment via signaling? Canonical views invoke signal induced changes in TF expression/modification or cofactor localization, but here we suggest that TF occupancy could be present before and after the signal, establishing competence, ensuring plasticity and blocking premature commitment. For ERK signaling, a central regulator of embryonic stem cell (ESC) differentiation, we found enhancers were regulated via selective recruitment of RNA Polymerase II (RNAPII) and associated cofactors. In this case, TFs do not play a direct role in enhancer regulation, but safeguard future activation in response to changes in signaling. In the context of developmental biology this paradigm could explain the dynamic nature of cell specification in the early mammalian embryo. In this proposal, we seek to understand enhancer specific regulation by ERK, exploit our ability to manipulate ERK to disentangle mechanism and focus on preimplantation development to explore how these phenomena explain plasticity. To circumvent heterogeneity created by feedback inhibition we developed a unique ESC line for cell intrinsic and synchronous ERK induction. We combine these ESCs with rapid TF degradation mutants to isolate homogeneous cell states that can be exploited to generate unique datasets and identify key factors within ERK response. We address how coactivator phosphorylation promotes selective recruitment of Mediator/RNAPII, explore the fundamental nature of enhancer activity and ask how uncoupling of transcriptional regulation from TF binding underpins developmental plasticity. By exploiting our capacity to modulate enhancer activity via signaling, we not only address how signaling regulates transcription to drive differentiation choices, but how enhancers themselves regulate gene expression.

Mots-clés : enhancers,pluripotency,pre implantation development,transcription,erk signaling,embryonic stem cells
Projet ERC : AMBER (Horizon Europe, appel 2021, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Prevention,  Diagnosis and T reatment of Human Diseases
Entité participante : Université Érasme de Rotterdam — Pays : Pays-Bas — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : EUR
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 2499990.0 €

APOBEC mutagenesis is a cellular mechanism by which genetic alterations are acquired somatically, driven by APOBEC enzyme family members. This mechanism is prominently observed in 15% of primary and 25% of recurrent breast cancer, the most common cause of cancer-related death in middle-aged women. Current evidence suggests APOBEC mutagenesis contributes to all disease stages, i.e. cancer initiation, progression and treatment resistance. The core idea of the AMBER project is that unravelling the mechanism of APOBEC mutagenesis induction and maintenance will turn this mechanism into breast cancer’s Achilles heel. To prove this, I will answer several challenging research questions: Why is APOBEC mutagenesis operational in breast cancer? How does APOBEC contribute to disease progression? Can we target APOBEC mutagenesis or APOBEC driven tumours specifically? First, I will reveal epidemiological and molecular evidence for factors inducing APOBEC mutagenesis in breast cancer. This may help to prevent APOBEC mutagenesis from occurring, potentially decreasing breast cancer incidence. Second, using global and single cell genomics, I will secure a link between APOBEC mutagenesis and disease progression, giving leads to delay progression. Third, I will exploit a potential vulnerability of APOBEC driven breast cancer, since I have found that these tumors may depend on a proficient homologous DNA repair (HR) pathway. When experimentally confirmed, targeting HR may extinguish APOBEC driven disease. Finally, I have observed that APOBEC mutagenesis associates with a profound immune response. I hypothesize that this is due to a new type of neo-epitopes being produced. If proven true, targeting these neo-epitopes provide another effective means to eradicate APOBEC driven tumors. I am confident AMBER will provide the fundamental insights into APOBEC mutagenesis needed to turn it into an Achilles heel which may help to prevent, delay or cure APOBEC driven breast cancer.

Mots-clés : breast cancer,apobec mutagenesis,disease progression,tumor evolution,therapeutic strategies,immune editing
Projet ERC : FOREVER (Horizon Europe, appel 2023, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Earth System Science
Entité participante : Centre national de la recherche scientifique — Pays : France — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : CNRS
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 2494223.75 €

The first 150 million years of the Earth’s history have led to the formation of the metallic core and the solidification of the magma ocean. During this period the chemical composition of the core and the bulk silicate Earth (BSE) were defined, setting the initial conditions for subsequent planetary-scale evolution. The volatile and atmophile elements (C, H, N, O, S) and noble gases (used as tracers) compose life molecules and control key atmospheric properties, thus contributing to the definition of habitable planets. These elements are abundant at the Earth’s surface but the planetary interior represent a much greater reservoir. Determining C, H, N, O, S and noble gases budget in both the core and the BSE requires experimental data at the deep magma ocean conditions, which is currently challenging. However, this information is critical for interpreting geophysical and geochemical observations on the distribution and cycling of volatile compounds. Here, we will conduct laboratory experiments to quantify the concentrations of these elements (into the core and the BSE) at the conditions that prevailed during core formation. We also aim to establish how the main phases of the lower mantle controlled the volatile budget during and immediately after magma ocean times by measuring the in-situ electrical and seismic profiles of volatile-bearing minerals. The quantitative constraints from our experimental studies will then be incorporated within innovative numerical convection models to determine the effect of volatiles on the thermal, rheological and melt fraction evolution of a cooling and crystallizing magma ocean, and also on the evolution of the primordial atmosphere of planets. Finally, these experimental constraints will be combined with geochemical and cosmochemical ones to build a new generation of models in which the formation of Earth and its atmosphere is viewed within a realistic context of the formation and evolution of our solar system.

Mots-clés : earth s core formation earth accretion noble gases hydrogen water carbon nitrogen sulphur lower mantle
Projet ERC : MOVING (Horizon Europe, appel 2023, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Social Sciences and Humanities
Panel : The Soci al World and Its Interactions
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 : 2499958.0 €

The MOVING project is aimed at developing an ethnographic and multi-disciplinary methodology to study the bodily traces of Africa-originated slavery enduring in post-slavery and diasporic contexts. The project is rooted in an anthropology of the memories of slavery that the PI has been conducting mainly in Colombia for the past fifteen years, and in her previous work on bodies, senses, emotions and nationalism in India. As importantly, the PI is a certified practitioner of a conscious, embodied movement methodology which she has been integrating into her academic practice, as field researcher and in teaching and supervision. Taking research into new theoretical and methodological directions, the project focuses on people’s bodies and moves, and the individual and social transformative potential of the movement of emotions and memories through that of bodies. The project seeks to explore conditions of possibility for people who do not necessarily self-identify as ‘Afro-descendants’, despite their African heritage, to reclaim their history and transform their relation to it through body-based and artistic practices. The project also investigates whether the chronology of events pertaining to the abolition of slavery may account for significant differences in the ways the latter’s legacy has been acknowledged, or not. MOVING will adopt a comparative focus on three countries, i.e. Brazil, Chile and Colombia, while pioneering a methodology combining three types of research: ‘classic academic’ documenting the legacy and contemporary memories and experiences of Africa-originated slavery, and the renewal of Africa-related modes of reconnecting with this African legacy through everyday bodily ways; ‘experimental’ and ‘arts-based creative’, with scholars of body-based practices, somatic practitioners and artists; and ‘action-oriented’ involving social participation of citizen scientists and wider society.

Mots-clés : social anthropology,transmission,self and social transformation,kinesthesia,body language,senses,emotions,memories,artistic methodologies,movement and somatic psychotherapy
Projet ERC : BE_FACT (Horizon Europe, appel 2023, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Earth System Science
Entité participante : Centre national de la recherche scientifique — Pays : France — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : CNRS
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 2489125.0 €

Large-magnitude earthquakes accommodate most of the tectonic deformations of the Earth along active fault systems. However, despite the occurrence of numerous earthquakes every year, our knowledge of the physical processes governing earthquake ruptures, the relation between rupture propagation, slip distribution and fault geometry, and the evolution of the fault geometry through successive earthquake cycles is still extremely limited, hindering significant progress in earthquake hazard mitigation. Although an increasing number of observations points to a key role of the fault geometry and its evolution on the way rupture propagates and ends through successive earthquake cycles, understanding the 3D geometry of fault systems and its dynamics during earthquakes from natural data alone remains difficult and fraud with problems.  In this project I propose a new approach to address those pending questions by generating my own earthquakes from a combination of lab experiments and numerical simulations, to make a major step forward in the understanding of natural observations of earthquake ruptures and fault systems. These experimental earthquakes will provide original data to study simultaneously rupture processes and fault geometry, and its evolution in 3D. The new dataset will be used to train neural networks designed to solve for earthquake source parameters, including 3D rupture geometry and finite slip distribution. Eventually, the neural networks will analyze real earthquake ruptures, incorporating remote sensing, field, and seismological data, to produce 3D earthquake rupture models. The project BE_FACT will thus produce an integrated view of the earthquake fault systems that will answer these long-lasting questions about the intimate relations between earthquake ruptures and fault system geometry, providing a new stepping-stone toward a more earthquake-resilient society.

Mots-clés : earthquake rupture dynamics,earthquake cycle,fault geometry,analogue and numerical simulations