Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-erc-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet ERC : VitruVius (Horizon 2020, appel 2015, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Cellular, Developmental and Regenerative Biology
Entité participante : Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale — Pays : France — Rôle : Partner
Acronyme de l'entité : Inserm
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 0.0 €

Body size is an intrinsic property of living organisms that is intimately linked to the developmental program to produce fit individuals with proper proportions. Final size is the result of both genetic determinants and sophisticated mechanisms adapting size to available resources. Classical regeneration and transplantation experiments have established that different body parts grow according to autonomous programs, challenging the concept of systemic and harmonious growth. Therefore, coordination mechanisms must ensure that all parts have reached appropriate final size before animals stop growing. The main objective of this program is to tackle the mechanisms ensuring growth coordination and size determination. To tackle these questions, we propose to bring together physiology, genetics, advanced imaging and modelling approaches in an unprecedented integrated project. We will develop these approaches on the Drosophila model where we gained expertise, and will develop the vertebrate model Ambystoma mexicanum (axolotl) well adapted for limb growth and regeneration studies. Three major aims will be addressed: 1- We will explore the mechanisms coupling the developmental clock with organ growth. 2- We will dissect the mechanisms allowing inter-organ growth coordination both in response to abnormal growth (injury/neoplasm) and in the course of normal development (control of developmental instability). 3- We will use our knowledge acquired on insect models to develop Ambystoma mexicanum (axolotl) as a vertebrate model for organ growth coordination. We believe this project brings together novel and complementary expertise that will contribute to broader understanding of the fascinating question of body growth and final size assessment.

Mots-clés : growth control,developmental timing,insulin,igf signaling,ecdysone signaling
Projet ERC : STRATIFY (Horizon 2020, appel 2019, Proof of concept grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy
Entité participante : University of Helsinki — Pays : Finlande — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : UH
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

Bone marrow failure syndromes (BMFS) such as aplastic anaemia (AA) are a heterogenous group of rare diseases that manifest as loss of red and white blood cells. In these potentially life-threatening diseases, blood producing stem cells may be inherently defective or become destroyed due to acquired cause. Diagnostic difficulties of BMFS constitute a significant clinical problem as the diagnosis takes long, and misdiagnosis may lead to inappropriate management with serious side effects. In our ERC-CoG project we made an exciting discovery and identified a novel autoantibody in AA patients’ blood samples. Autoantibody positivity defined a distinct group of patients with similar genetic background suggesting common pathogenesis. Our preliminary results show that the autoantibody analysis has great potential to reveal cases of AA and define a subset of other BMFS patients with similar underlying pathology that currently lack proper diagnosis. Furthermore, vast commercialisation potential lies in introducing it as an exclusion laboratory test in patients with unexplained anaemia or leukopenia (common problems in elderly). The improved diagnostic accuracy and the targeted personalised therapy that follows has the potential to impact the lives of hundreds of thousands of patients over time and bring simultaneous healthcare savings. Further, understanding of the role of target protein of the autoantibody in bone marrow failure may lead to targeted therapies in the future. We believe that the test can be developed as an inexpensive reagent kit to be used in serology machines for autoantibody screening. In order to improve the commercialisation potential, we will carry out 1) Technology PoC for confirming the approach validity, and 2) Pre-commercialisation actions for evaluating the best commercialisation options for bringing the innovation to clinicians managing haematological patients and for pharma companies as companion diagnostic tests together with their therapies.

Mots-clés : autoantibody,autoimmune disease,diagnostic test,rare disease,personalized therapy,hematology,bone marrow failure
Projet ERC : BLOC (Horizon 2020, appel 2014, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Mathematics
Entité participante : Sorbonne Université — Pays : France — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : Sorbonne U
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1267500.0 €

Boundary layer theory is a large component of fluid dynamics. It is ubiquitous in Oceanography, where boundary layer currents, such as the Gulf Stream, play an important role in the global circulation. Comprehending the underlying mechanisms in the formation of boundary layers is therefore crucial for applications. However, the treatment of boundary layers in ocean dynamics remains poorly understood at a theoretical level, due to the variety and complexity of the forces at stake. The goal of this project is to develop several tools to bridge the gap between the mathematical state of the art and the physical reality of oceanic motion. There are four points on which we will mainly focus: degeneracy issues, including the treatment Stewartson boundary layers near the equator; rough boundaries (meaning boundaries with small amplitude and high frequency variations); the inclusion of the advection term in the construction of stationary boundary layers; and the linear and nonlinear stability of the boundary layers. We will address separately Ekman layers and western boundary layers, since they are ruled by equations whose mathematical behaviour is very different. This project will allow us to have a better understanding of small scale phenomena in fluid mechanics, and in particular of the inviscid limit of incompressible fluids. The team will be composed of the PI, two PhD students and three two-year postdocs over the whole period. We will also rely on the historical expertise of the host institution on fluid mechanics and asymptotic methods.

Mots-clés : boundary layers,fluid mechanics,mathematical analysis of oceanographic models
Projet ERC : DAPTOMIC (Horizon 2020, appel 2020, Proof of concept grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Fundamental constituents of matter
Entité participante : University of Florence — Pays : Italie — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

Brain activity relies on complex interactions among large populations of neurons located in different brain regions. Understanding the relationships between these specific areas and disentangling the contributions of individual neurons to circuit function is an essential step to understand brain functioning. To elucidate the connection between brain activation and behaviour outcome, it is necessary to establish specific experimental strategies that allow to record and externally control neuronal activity during behaviour. Currently, there is an experimental trade-off between imaging speed, field of view and sample dimensions that limits current recording technology in imaging very large neuronal populations with concurrently high spatial and temporal resolution. Consequently, interactions between neurons in different brain areas are easily missed, whilst functionally related ensembles of neurons can be undetectable, blinded or falsely interpreted. DAPTOMIC aims to demonstrate the commercial viability of a new generation of autonomous (i.e. self-run, similar to a Tesla car) microscope add-on suitable for brain imaging. The main objective of DAPTOMIC is to turn the modules developed within the ERC Advanced Grant BrainBIT into a commercial product (minimum viable product), i.e. a new add-on to current generation microscopes that decides the imaging strategy - which portion of the sample to image and which portion of the sample to interact with – through AI, shortening experiment times by several orders of magnitude.

Mots-clés : optogenetics,3d imaging,brain activity
Projet ERC : AstroWireSyn (Horizon 2020, appel 2015, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System
Entité participante : Collège de France — Pays : France — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1587500.0 €

Brain information processing is commonly thought to be a neuronal performance. However recent data point to a key role of astrocytes in brain development, activity and pathology. Indeed astrocytes are now viewed as crucial elements of the brain circuitry that control synapse formation, maturation, activity and elimination. How do astrocytes exert such control is matter of intense research, as they are now known to participate in critical developmental periods as well as in psychiatric disorders involving synapse alterations. Thus unraveling how astrocytes control synaptic circuit formation and maturation is crucial, not only for our understanding of brain development, but also for identifying novel therapeutic targets. We recently found that connexin 30 (Cx30), an astroglial gap junction subunit expressed postnatally, tunes synaptic activity via an unprecedented non-channel function setting the proximity of glial processes to synaptic clefts, essential for synaptic glutamate clearance efficacy. Our work not only reveals Cx30 as a key determinant of glial synapse coverage, but also extends the classical model of neuroglial interactions in which astrocytes are generally considered as extrasynaptic elements indirectly regulating neurotransmission. Yet the molecular mechanisms involved in such control, its dynamic regulation by activity and impact in a native developmental context are unknown. We will now address these important questions, focusing on the involvement of this novel astroglial function in wiring developing synaptic circuits. Thus using a multidisciplinary approach we will investigate: 1) the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying Cx30 regulation of synaptic function 2) the activity-dependent dynamics of Cx30 function at synapses 3) a role for Cx30 in wiring synaptic circuits during critical developmental periods This ambitious project will provide essential knowledge on the molecular mechanisms underlying astroglial control of synaptic circuits.

Mots-clés : neuroglial interactions,astrocytes,synapse,plasticity,criticial period
Projet ERC : WAVES (Horizon 2020, appel 2019, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Social Sciences and Humanities
Panel : The Human Mind and Its Complexity
Entité participante : Université Paris Cité — Pays : France — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : UP Cité
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1480940.0 €

Brain oscillations have always fascinated both scientists as well as the general public, but their functional role remains ill defined. My research contributed to addressing this issue, and demonstrated that oscillations modulate attentional performance periodically in time. Oscillations create periodic windows of excitability, with more or less favorable periods recurring at particular phases of the oscillations. However, attention emerges from systems not only operating in time, but also in space. Previous research has emphasized the temporal aspect of brain oscillations’ behavior. Contemporary investigators rarely consider both temporal and spatial dimensions in their search for the mechanisms linking oscillations and attention. This is the challenge I propose to take on. I will address this essential question: How does the spatio-temporal organization of brain oscillations impact attention? I hypothesize that oscillations propagate over the cortical surface, so-called oscillatory Traveling Waves, allowing attentional facilitation to emerge both in space and time. I propose to test this original hypothesis using a model-based multimodal functional neuroimaging approach including non-invasive and invasive recordings in humans. Interventional approaches will additionally be used to evaluate the degree of causality in the relation between traveling waves and attention. This project could lead to major progress in cognitive psychology and neuroscience by bridging the gap between spatial and temporal dynamics underlying multi-sensory experience. An important methodological development is also expected. The model-based multimodal functional neuroimaging approach that I will develop and evaluate on a large set of data will provide a new methodological guide for the study of brain activity.

Mots-clés : oscillations
Projet ERC : ENSEMBLE (Horizon 2020, appel 2020, Synergy grants)
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 : 2407637.5 €

Brain research has made tremendous progress over the last few decades in nearly all areas of investigation with the exception of one: the extracellular space (ECS). It is however a key compartment defined as the web-like space between brain cells, filled with a myriad of molecules that enable brain functions and homeostasis. How molecules navigate in the ECS is a very important, yet unsolved, challenge that precludes conceptual advance in brain science and innovation in therapeutics (e.g. immunotherapy). The lack of knowledge is mainly due to the absence of dedicated investigation strategies for such a complex and finely structured biological entity. Our ground-breaking project (ENSEMBLE) will shed light on the conceptual and methodological roadblocks that have prevented us from understanding the fine architecture of the ECS and how molecules navigate within it throughout the brain. We posit that molecular diffusion in the ECS is locally regulated by the properties of the ECS, which is essential for brain functions. Four world-class scientists, L. Groc (molecular neuroscience, CNRS), E. Bezard (systems neuroscience, INSERM), L. Cognet (optics & nanoscience, CNRS), and U.V. Nägerl (neurophotonics, Univ. Bordeaux), team up to develop and apply unconventional investigation approaches, based on original nano-imaging strategies (super-resolution microscopy and carbon nanotube/nanoparticle tracking), to the in vivo brain. Yet, to consider and achieve such an experimental and multidisciplinary tour de force a side-by-side and daily interactive effort is necessary. Thanks to our complementary expertise and geographical proximity, ENSEMBLE will provide a unique opportunity to unveil in vivo the structure and functions of this crucial brain compartment and will offer a new theoretical and experimental framework to manipulate molecule navigation. The ENSEMBLE project will also cross-fertilize the fields of nanoscience, optical imaging, organ pathophysiology and immunotherapy.

Mots-clés : brain,extracellular space,superresolution microscopy,single molecule imaging,single nanoparticle tracking,immunoglobulin,neuronal communication
Projet ERC : MolDAM (Horizon 2020, appel 2020, Synergy grants)
Entité participante : University of Regensburg — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 2739153.75 €

Breakthroughs in on-surface chemistry and characterization techniques have recently enabled the creation of novel molecules and the direct imaging of reaction intermediates at the single molecule level. Here, by employing the novel concepts of charge manipulation within molecules and coherent control of reactions by lightwave scanning tunnelling microscopy, we will bring the control and resolution of chemical reactions to an unparalleled level. We will combine our expertise in solution synthesis of dedicated organic molecules, on-surface chemistry, atomic manipulation and single-molecule characterization with ultimate resolution in space and time. The combination of on-surface chemistry with charge-state control, possible by working on insulating supports, will unlock a plethora of novel charge-driven reaction pathways far from equilibrium. Employing ultrafast pulses, we will resolve chemical reactions with unprecedented resolution in the space and time domain step-by step unravelling the mechanisms of relevant molecular transformations. We will discover and characterize novel on-surface reactions, elusive molecules, intermediates and transition states and fabricate molecular machines and complex molecular networks with engineered topologically protected band structures. Charge control within molecular devices on insulating supports will allow us to study electron transfer, carrier generation and recombination, redox-reactions and electroluminescence at the molecular level. Novel molecular machines will be directed by controlling single-electron charges within the device. Logic functions based on single-electron transfer will be implemented in molecular networks. Controlling and investigating these atomically defined devices on their intrinsic length and time scales will revolutionize our fundamental understanding of the molecular world with impact on fields as diverse as chemical synthesis, light harvesting, molecular machinery and computing.

Mots-clés : atomic manipulation,on surface synthesis,single electron devices,molecular machines
Projet ERC : MolDAM (Horizon 2020, appel 2020, Synergy grants)
Entité participante : University of Santiago de Compostela — Pays : Espagne — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : USC
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 2820106.25 €

Breakthroughs in on-surface chemistry and characterization techniques have recently enabled the creation of novel molecules and the direct imaging of reaction intermediates at the single molecule level. Here, by employing the novel concepts of charge manipulation within molecules and coherent control of reactions by lightwave scanning tunnelling microscopy, we will bring the control and resolution of chemical reactions to an unparalleled level. We will combine our expertise in solution synthesis of dedicated organic molecules, on-surface chemistry, atomic manipulation and single-molecule characterization with ultimate resolution in space and time. The combination of on-surface chemistry with charge-state control, possible by working on insulating supports, will unlock a plethora of novel charge-driven reaction pathways far from equilibrium. Employing ultrafast pulses, we will resolve chemical reactions with unprecedented resolution in the space and time domain step-by step unravelling the mechanisms of relevant molecular transformations. We will discover and characterize novel on-surface reactions, elusive molecules, intermediates and transition states and fabricate molecular machines and complex molecular networks with engineered topologically protected band structures. Charge control within molecular devices on insulating supports will allow us to study electron transfer, carrier generation and recombination, redox-reactions and electroluminescence at the molecular level. Novel molecular machines will be directed by controlling single-electron charges within the device. Logic functions based on single-electron transfer will be implemented in molecular networks. Controlling and investigating these atomically defined devices on their intrinsic length and time scales will revolutionize our fundamental understanding of the molecular world with impact on fields as diverse as chemical synthesis, light harvesting, molecular machinery and computing.

Mots-clés : atomic manipulation,on surface synthesis,single electron devices,molecular machines
Projet ERC : MolDAM (Horizon 2020, appel 2020, Synergy grants)
Entité participante : IBM Research - Zurich — Pays : Suisse — Rôle : CO-PI
Type d'entité : Organismes privés (hors enseignement)
Financement ERC de l'entité : 3509625.0 €

Breakthroughs in on-surface chemistry and characterization techniques have recently enabled the creation of novel molecules and the direct imaging of reaction intermediates at the single molecule level. Here, by employing the novel concepts of charge manipulation within molecules and coherent control of reactions by lightwave scanning tunnelling microscopy, we will bring the control and resolution of chemical reactions to an unparalleled level. We will combine our expertise in solution synthesis of dedicated organic molecules, on-surface chemistry, atomic manipulation and single-molecule characterization with ultimate resolution in space and time. The combination of on-surface chemistry with charge-state control, possible by working on insulating supports, will unlock a plethora of novel charge-driven reaction pathways far from equilibrium. Employing ultrafast pulses, we will resolve chemical reactions with unprecedented resolution in the space and time domain step-by step unravelling the mechanisms of relevant molecular transformations. We will discover and characterize novel on-surface reactions, elusive molecules, intermediates and transition states and fabricate molecular machines and complex molecular networks with engineered topologically protected band structures. Charge control within molecular devices on insulating supports will allow us to study electron transfer, carrier generation and recombination, redox-reactions and electroluminescence at the molecular level. Novel molecular machines will be directed by controlling single-electron charges within the device. Logic functions based on single-electron transfer will be implemented in molecular networks. Controlling and investigating these atomically defined devices on their intrinsic length and time scales will revolutionize our fundamental understanding of the molecular world with impact on fields as diverse as chemical synthesis, light harvesting, molecular machinery and computing.

Mots-clés : atomic manipulation,on surface synthesis,single electron devices,molecular machines