Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-erc-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet ERC : Lab-In-Skin (Horizon Europe, appel 2024, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Université de Twente — Pays : Pays-Bas — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

Chronic inflammatory skin diseases have a huge burden on patients, their families, and the economy. New patient-friendly delivery methods are urgently needed targeting immune cells in the dermis. Injecting small volumes of biologics directly in skin lesions using needle-free technology would revolutionize treatments and shift the systemic dosing paradigm to individualized local dosing. However, to realize this vision, there is a long path to test its effectiveness in pre-clinical (in vitro, ex vivo) and clinical studies. First, testing new drugs is costly and often involves tests with animals with poor translational value because of differences in skin anatomy with humans. Therefore, with this project, we will establish the proof of concept that BuBble Gun, a minimal invasive injection method can effectively be used for innovative drug testing via Skin-On-Chip technology. We will study in vitro skin inflammation response with plasma activated water and active pharmaceutic ingredients used in treating skin diseases such as eczema (atopic dermatitis) and psoriasis. Lastly, in collaboration with several stakeholders, we will prepare a business plan to clear the way for further developments and establish the best path to revolutionize drug delivery into skin and cosmetics.
Projet ERC : WAVE (Horizon Europe, appel 2022, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Université de Chypre — Pays : Chypre — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

Wireless information and power transfer (WIPT) is a new communication paradigm, which is based on the dual-use of radio-frequency (RF) signals as a means to convey information and energize low power devices. WIPT is an attractive and promising technology for the upcoming 6G communication systems, which are characterized by the massive connectivity of heterogeneous ultra-low-power devices under the umbrella of the Internet of Things (IoT). Due to the nonlinearity of the rectification process, the efficient design of WIPT requires an essential rethinking of the entire transceiver chain, including the waveform design at the transmitter side. Specifically, experimental and theoretical results have demonstrated that signals with high peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) such as multisine signals are efficient for RF harvesting; these signals admit periodic high energy peaks that enable us to overcome the build-in potential of the diodes. On the other hand, it is well-known that PAPR has a detrimental effect on information transfer, thus calling for a sophisticated co-design of the information and energy signals to resolve this issue and accommodate these conflicting goals. The goal of the WAVE Proof of Concept (PoC) is to demonstrate in real-world scenarios two novel multisine-based WIPT waveforms that achieve a desired information/energy transfer efficiency balance. We aim to further investigate and implement the Tone-Index Multisine (TIM) and Frequency-Domain WIPT (FD-WIPT) waveforms that have been developed in the ERC Consolidator Grant APOLLO. The two proposed waveforms exploit PAPR in a controlled way and are characterized by extremely low complexity, which makes them attractive for practical IoT applications. The experimental validation of the developed waveforms will demonstrate their benefits in comparison to the current state of the art and will constitute a useful tool for attracting potential industrial stakeholders and exploring commercial avenues.
Projet ERC : B-INK (Horizon Europe, appel 2024, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Société Max-Planck pour le développement des sciences — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : Société Max Planck
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

Confidential
Projet ERC : CelloSparx (Horizon Europe, appel 2022, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Société Max-Planck pour le développement des sciences — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : Société Max Planck
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 80000.0 €

Inspired by nature, we developed effect pigments prepared from a single organic and renewable component extracted from plants: cellulose nanocrystals. Obtained via self-assembly, these pigments offer one of the most sustainable alternatives to all existing products, including microplastic, partially biodegradable glitter, and unsustainably sourced mica- and titania-based pigments. Securing this ERC-2022-PoC2 proposal will allow us to bring this much-needed technology from TRL6 to TRL7 by addressing 4 challenges: 1/ Finding a supplier of cellulose with ton-scale production capacity; 2/ Finding the best-suited manufacturing equipment with innovative options that we did not explore in our previous work; 3/ Delivering kilograms of our materials to end-users who are in need of this technology, for them to validate the technology; 4/ Quantifying the benefits of our products against existing alternatives, using Life Cycle Analysis, biodegradability and ecotoxicity studies.
Projet ERC : AURORA (Horizon Europe, appel 2023, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Société Max-Planck pour le développement des sciences — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : Société Max Planck
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

Dysregulation of lipid transport and metabolism is at the center of many diseases. Despite its crucial role, gaining a full understanding of lipid transport remains challenging as visualizing lipids and their transport by microscopy is almost impossible. By providing technological solutions to this problem, we envision to enable new therapeutic strategies with the corresponding benefits for society at large. A better understanding of lipid transport can help guide the design of drugs to for example treat fatty liver disease, which is estimated to affect up to quarter of the global population. During the ERC PoC grant period, we plan to translate our current protocols to high throughput screening setups with the goal to service the pharmaceutical industry and design ready-to-use kits and devices that will allow academic laboratories to answer their unique research questions.
Projet ERC : inhibiTOR (Horizon Europe, appel 2023, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Société Max-Planck pour le développement des sciences — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : Société Max Planck
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

The mTOR (mammalian/mechanistic Target of Rapamycin) kinase, as part of the mTORC1 and mTORC2 protein complexes, is the master controller of cellular and organismal physiology. Dysregulation of mTORC1 activity is tightly linked to human disease and ageing. Consequently, mTOR inhibitors have been tested in various clinical settings, however with little success and limited applicability so far, mainly due to low efficacy or adverse effects, thus highlighting the need for more potent and more specific compounds. For instance, the phosphorylation of most mTORC1 targets is resistant to rapamycin and its analogs (rapalogs). Furthermore, catalytic mTOR inhibitors demonstrate increased toxicity and cause unwanted metabolic effects mainly because they also block mTORC2 activity. We have recently identified malonyl-CoA, a metabolic intermediate of fatty acid biosynthesis, as a novel specific mTORC1 inhibitor in cells that shows improved characteristics over existing compounds as it blocks phosphorylation of all mTORC1 targets without affecting the activity of mTORC2 or other related kinases. Using our biochemical, structural and computational data as the basis for targeted compound development, we aim to develop synthetic malonyl-CoA derivatives as a new class of mTORC1 inhibitors with improved specificity and effectiveness. Because of the well-established role of mTORC1 in ageing and disease, these inhibitors are expected to be of profound scientific, clinical, and commercial interest.
Projet ERC : MMC (Horizon Europe, appel 2023, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Société Max-Planck pour le développement des sciences — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : Société Max Planck
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

More than two-thirds of all described drug targets are membrane proteins, but only for a small fraction of these hydrophobic proteins the structure is currently known. Membrane proteins are inherently challenging to produce and analyze. Consequently, in pre-clinical investigations their mechanism and drug interactions are often only derived from purified truncated parts of these proteins, taken out of their native biological context. Lacking the effects of surrounding membrane components, conclusions on drug mechanisms are indecisive. Recent advances in in situ structure determination techniques, i.e. analysis directly within the cellular environment, now have the power to overcome the limitations of classical reconstituted approaches. Complementary, we have developed a system that may facilitate structural analysis of membrane protein drug targets and has large potential for the production of native membrane proteins - an essential prerequisite for the study of membrane protein function and drug interactions. Within the scope of our proposal, we will further develop our system and transfer it into pharmaceutically relevant cell systems. Furthermore, we aim to achieve proof-of-concept and assess our system with clinically relevant membrane proteins for their suitability to solve 3D structures in complex with clinical drugs, as well as its suitability for the membrane protein production. We are convinced that our approach will have a transformative impact on how drug - membrane protein interactions can be studied, and could be exploited for drug development in the pharmaceutical industry. In the course of the project, we will establish a plan for transforming our system into a business model and commercializing our technology.
Projet ERC : MeD-Track (Horizon Europe, appel 2024, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Université de Split — Pays : Croatie — Rôle : Partner
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 20000.0 €

Meteorological tsunamis (meteotsunamis) are long ocean waves (periods of: 1 < T < ~120 min) that have the same periods, wavelengths and amplitudes as seismic tsunamis, but are generated by processes in the atmosphere. Meteorological tsunamis occur all over the world. Although they are never nearly as destructive as seismic tsunamis, meteotsunamis occasionally cause destruction and loss of life. After several devastating events, firstly national authorities in several countries at risk, and then the global authorities (such as the UNESCO), have begun to look for ways to incorporate meteotsunamis into their forecasting and warning systems and/or to develop meteotsunami warning procedures. Although important steps have already been taken, forecasting meteotsunamis and issuing timely warnings is still a challenge. As part of the MeD-Track project, we plan to develop a meteotsunami detection and tracking system. The proposed system will consist of: (1) custom-built atmospheric stations that measure atmospheric pressure with high precision and resolution, and that are (2) organized in an optimal network, as well as (3) an algorithm for detection and tracking of meteotsunamis in real-time. If effective, the developed solution could lead to an improvement in meteotsunami forecasts and warnings, helping vulnerable local communities to protect their property and well-being.

Mots-clés : meteotsunami,early warning system,tracking algorithms,natural hazards
Projet ERC : Veritas (Horizon Europe, appel 2023, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Université de Twente — Pays : Pays-Bas — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

An ultra-stable, low-noise optical frequency comb seamlessly integrated into a compact chip-scale form factor has the potential to revolutionize precision measurements, radiofrequency and optical communications, and quantum technologies. Today’s chip-scale frequency combs can achieve stable, phase-locked and broadband emission, but they suffer from high noise that blocks the pathway towards more stringent applications such as microwave photonics. Brillouin optomechanics, a nonlinear optical effect relying on coherent coupling of photons and acoustic phonons, can enable on-chip lasers with ultra-low noise and high purity. My ERC Proof of Concept project Veritas will build on initial breakthroughs of harnessing Brillouin optomechanics in silicon nitride and aim to deliver the first chip-scale low-noise frequency combs. I will explore system applications of these combs for agile frequency conversion in 6G radio systems and for coherent optical communications. Along with these technological developments, I will perform a thorough market study with appropriate IP measures, maximizing the commercial potential of this technology. We expect that our results in Veritas will point to the feasibility of this technology for software-defined reconfigurable front-ends for very high frequency and size and weight-sensitive RF applications.
Projet ERC : Plant-a-Jet (Horizon Europe, appel 2022, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Université de Twente — Pays : Pays-Bas — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

Feeding 11 billion people by 2100 in a changing climate is a global challenge. Without further innovation, predicted crop yield will decrease due to climate change effects. Moreover, the number of biotic threats is increasing with pathogen pressure and infection risk showing temperature-dependency as well. Thus, crop breeding must be invigorated to generate plants with higher yield, and climate change resilience needs to be urgently met. Genome editing has the potential to assist classical breeding. Breeding based on gene editing enables faster production of crops with improved traits such as drought tolerance, disease resistance, and increased yield. Established delivery methods for in planta crop transformation are labor-intensive, cannot be applied to any crop species and have low transformation efficiencies, often below 1%.  Delivering genome-editing cargo efficiently and cost-competitive in vivo, through the hard plant cell wall, is an unmet challenge. With our approach we aim to generate affordable, high-throughput devices that enable fast and efficient transformation of crops. Thus, our scalable approach is compatible with mass production. This, in turn, will open the market for transgenic plants for newcomers leading to more innovation and competition that will drive food costs for the consumers and varied products.
Projet ERC : FitSleep (Horizon Europe, appel 2023, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Université Masaryk — Pays : Rép. Tchèque — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 75000.0 €

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a highly prevalent disorder characterized by episodes of decreased or absent inspiratory airflow during sleep. OSA is the world’s second-most common sleep disorder, plaguing over 1 billion patients worldwide with relentless, disruptive periods of restricted airflow during sleep. This can have dramatic effects, ranging from excessive daytime sleepiness to other comorbidities such as stroke, hypertension or depression. The effects of this disorder are pervasive and far-reaching, as diminished sleep quality eventually reduces general quality of life. Positive airway pressure (PAP) delivered through a tight-fitting mask is currently the most advanced technique for preventing airway collapse or airway narrowing during sleep, and is considered the primary treatment option for patients with moderate to severe OSA. However, despite improvements in quieter pumps and more comfortable masks, this approach has several disadvantages and patients very often struggle to comply with the therapy. We have recently shown that a non-invasive form of HNS can be effective in treating OSA patients by using temporal interference (TI) , a new non-invasive electrical stimulation technology which has been successfully advanced also for other clinical applications by the PI. Our device revolutionizes sleep apnea treatment with the efficacy of upper airway stimulation, without requiring surgery. Our proprietary new technology generates comfortable electrical fields which activate the tongue muscle and open airways. Its effectiveness is comparable to the best in market, while remaining non-invasive and financially accessible. FitSleep is an essential part of our exploitation strategy, which will ensure we advance the technology from TRL4 (currently) to TRL5. This will give us an ideal position for a subsequent EIC Transition application.
Projet ERC : PINNSim (Horizon Europe, appel 2025, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Institut de technologie de Chypre — Pays : Chypre — Rôle : Partner
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 16000.0 €

This proposal puts forward a first-of-its-kind power system dynamics simulator based on neural networks: PINNSim. PINNSim aims to deliver a highly modular and scalable tool that can be up to 100x faster than any commercial power system simulator. This means that PINNSim can perform a power system stability assessment in 30 minutes instead of 2 days. We witness a dramatic shift from few large scale generators to millions of converter-based resources, such as solar, wind, batteries, and electric vehicles. Capturing the dynamic behavior of such a system is no longer possible with the conventional approximations. In case of fault, phenomena propagate much faster and an ElectroMagnetic Transient (EMT) simulation is necessary to accurately capture them. However, EMT is slow and computationally intensive. Uncertainty from solar and wind and the increased number of components requires the assessment of millions of critical scenarios so that power system operators eliminate blackout risk, and manufacturers design appropriate controllers for the safe operation of their equipment.  PINNSim leverages physics-informed machine learning and GPU acceleration to model power system components. Its key novelty lies in the method it interconnects individual neural networks to form a “system of neural networks” that performs simulations at much higher speeds. Through this funding, we aim to scale PINNSim to handle larger, more complex power systems and incorporate a user interface, creating a user-friendly simulator capable of addressing a wide range of power system operation challenges.  Our goal is to create a tool that will disrupt the power system simulation software landscape. We envision a library of component models based on neural networks, which can then be used in a plug’n’play fashion in PINNSim, similar to conventional simulators. If successful, PINNSim can naturally extend to almost any non-linear dynamic system such as robotics and biological systems.

Mots-clés : physics informed neural networks,physics informed machine learning,power systems,electromagnetic transient simulations,power system dynamics,renewable energy,electric grids
Projet ERC : VICTORY (Horizon Europe, appel 2024, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : University Hospital Aachen — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : UKA
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

Colorectal cancer (CRC), which includes cancers of the colon and rectum, represents a significant global health challenge as the third most commonly diagnosed and second most fatal cancer worldwide. It also places a substantial burden on European patients and healthcare systems. While standard treatments are available, they face significant limitations, especially in managing advanced CRC, often leading to poor patient outcomes and severely compromised quality of life. Emerging immunotherapies like immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and adoptive cell therapies show promise but face major obstacles, including high costs, side effects, lack of tumor targeting, and, most critically, they fail to treat "cold" CRC tumors with low or absent pre-existing anti-cancer immunity. Prof. Shi and his team have developed an innovative oral cancer vaccine to transform these “cold” CRC tumors into “hot” tumors by provoking potent cellular and humoral anti-cancer immunity. The vaccine will achieve this through its acid-stable nanovesicle structure to induce potent and intestine-localized anti-cancer immunity with reduced systemic side effects and improved patient compliance. This project aims to explore the technical and commercial potential of the vaccine platform.
Projet ERC : VSoft Pro (Horizon Europe, appel 2024, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Qbrobotics srl — Pays : Italie — Rôle : Partner
Type d'entité : Organismes privés (hors enseignement)
Financement ERC de l'entité : 67000.0 €

Losing a limb can profoundly impact a person's physical, emotional, and social well-being. While current upper limb prostheses restore users' basic motor capabilities, they fall short of replicating the natural appearance and functionality of a human limb. The innate compliance and controllable stiffness of the human musculoskeletal system allow individuals to adapt seamlessly to various tasks and environments. Intuitively, prostheses with user-controllable stiffness could mimic this behaviour, promoting safe and natural interactions. However, current upper limb prostheses feature rigid actuation, which limits their versatility. Within the “VSoft Pro” ERC Proof of Concept project, we propose to develop a transhumeral upper limb prosthesis featuring user-controllable stiffness and passive adaptability. The developed prostheses leverage soft robotics principles to closely replicate the morphology and functionality of a human limb, paving the way to a more natural limb restoration experience that could augment users’ acceptance rate. The project will also focus on the development of intuitive control, empowering users to manage their bionic limb as an extension of their own body. Preliminary investigations aim to assess users’ needs to tailor the design of prosthetic devices to their preferences. Further goal of this research is to evaluate the advantages of voluntary stiffness control over classical rigid prostheses during functional tasks and activities of daily living, informing the development of future advanced prosthetic solutions. Finally, the Proof of Concept project will be focused on building a clinically viable prototype, and demonstrating its application in relevant scenarios.