Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-erc-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet ERC : Ru4EYE (Horizon 2020, appel 2019, Proof of concept grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Synthetic Chemistry and Materials
Entité participante : Leiden University — Pays : Pays-Bas — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

The Ru4EYE PoC proposal will develop the first pre-clinical evaluation of Ru-based PACT compounds in uveal melanoma (UM) model. UM is a rare malignancy of the eye. Although treatment against UM do exist, they do no always preserve vision or the eye, and often lead to patient death via metastasis to the liver. A better treatment that would save vision, the eye, and the patient, is looked after. UM appears as an appealing disease for photoactivated chemotherapy (PACT), a new form of phototherapy developed within my ERC Starting Grant RuProLight. PACT agents are photosensitive compounds that can kill cancer cells selectively under the action of light. In PACT dioxygen does not need to be present at the site of light irradiation because the mechanism of photochemical activation is an oxygen-independent bond breakage reaction between a bioactive, cytotoxic agent, and a light-removable protecting group. Innovative therapeutic solutions such as PACT are typically difficult to bring to the market because of the risky nature of drug development and the funding required for clinical trials. The vision in this grant proposal is that positive results on a rare form of cancer such as uveal melanoma could not only offer a relatively short-term solution to uveal melanoma patients, but also accelerate translation of Ru-based PACT to the clinics by driving developments for other diseases as well. The biological testing of Ru-based PACT compounds will be performed in a complete series of translational cancer models: from in vitro (2D monolayers of normoxic and hypoxic cancer cells, 3D tumor spheroids) to in vivo (xenografts in zebrafish embryo for studying metastasis formation and treatment, and mouse model for in vivo toxicity and efficacy). The aim is to develop a pre-clinical proof-of-concept that PACT can be used to treat uveal melanoma, so that presentation to venture capital and clinical testing can start quickly after completion of the project.

Mots-clés : melanoma,eye cancer,phototherapy
Projet ERC : SCOPE (Horizon 2020, appel 2018, Synergy grants)
Entité participante : University of Warwick — Pays : Royaume-Uni — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 4988856.25 €

The SCOPE project will introduce a ground-breaking approach to use renewable energy in three major industrial reactions: 1) N2 fixation, 2) CH4 valorization and 3) CO2 conversion to liquid solar fuels. We will use non-thermal plasma, which has large potential to convert these small (low reactive) molecules under near ambient temperature and pressure, particularly for distributed processes based on renewable energy. The new processes have drastically lower carbon footprint (up to over 90% with respect to current ones). Furthermore, CO2 conversion is crucial for a world-based distribution of renewable energy. However, the selectivity and energy efficiency of plasma technologies for these reactions are too low, making radically new approaches necessary. The Project idea is to realize a highly innovative approach for non-thermal plasma symbiosis with catalysis. By inducing excited states in solid catalysts to work in synergy with the excited short-lived plasma species, we introduce a brand new idea for catalyst-plasma symbiosis. In addition, we introduce a fully new concept of nano-/micro-plasma array through a novel electrode design, to generate the plasma at the catalyst surface, thereby overcoming long distance transport. By embedding ferro-magnetic nano-domains in the catalyst support and inducing radiofrequency heating, we create fast temperature modulations directly at the catalyst active sites. Combining these elements, the project will overcome the actual limits and enhance the selectivity and energy efficiency to levels suitable for exploitation. This requires a synergy over different scale elements: nano at catalyst, micro at the level of modelling plasma generated species, milli at the reactor scale and mega at the plant level for sustainability-driven opportunity guidance and impact assessment by Life-Cycle-Assessment. The synergy value derives from the integration of the PI competencies over this entire dimensional-scale level.

Mots-clés : non thermal plasma,process and energy intensification,surface confined plasma,ammonia
Projet ERC : SURE (Horizon 2020, appel 2019, Synergy grants)
Entité participante : Technical University of Denmark — Pays : Danemark — Rôle : CO-PI
Acronyme de l'entité : DTU
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 7384019.0 €

The SURE project: "Super resolution Ultrasound Real time imaging of Erythrocytes" will develop and research a new super resolution ultrasound imaging method capable of resolving capillary flow in the human body. The approach tracks the motion of the individual red blood cells (erythrocytes) in a three-dimensional volume for a full visualization of anatomy, flow, and perfusion in a volume down to 13 cm at 20 volumes per second. The super resolution imaging is performed without using contrast agents and is thereby 2600 times faster than current methods. The method has an isotropic resolution of 50 micrometer in all directions, and the volumetric resolution is thereby 100-400 times better than current state-of-the-art 3-D ultrasound imaging. These highly ambitious goals are attained in a synergistic research effort combing four research groups. The scientific project includes breakthroughs in silicon row-column probes with 1 million elements, advanced synthetic aperture ultrafast coded imaging, deep learning for detecting and tracking of cells, pressure gradient estimation, and visualization and quantification of several hundreds of Gbytes volumetric data. The research finally leads to clinical trials conducted on rodents and humans for studying the changes in perfusion for diabetes and cancer. The SURE imaging approach can yield a paradigm shift in the scientific study, diagnoses, and treatment of cancer, diabetes, and vascular disease at the capillary level, as it enables the possibility of volumetric visualizing capillary perfusion in real-time at frame rates above 20 Hz without injection of contrast agents. Imaging is performed using ultrasound at normal diagnostic levels with no known adverse effects and can, thus, be used on a wide range of the population from newborns to the elderly for both diagnosis and repeated screening.

Mots-clés : ultrasound,super resolution imaging,row column arrays,deep learning,beamforming,diabetes,cancer,clinical trials
Projet ERC : SURE (Horizon 2020, appel 2019, Synergy grants)
Entité participante : University of Copenhagen — Pays : Danemark — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : UCPH
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1165315.0 €

The SURE project: "Super resolution Ultrasound Real time imaging of Erythrocytes" will develop and research a new super resolution ultrasound imaging method capable of resolving capillary flow in the human body. The approach tracks the motion of the individual red blood cells (erythrocytes) in a three-dimensional volume for a full visualization of anatomy, flow, and perfusion in a volume down to 13 cm at 20 volumes per second. The super resolution imaging is performed without using contrast agents and is thereby 2600 times faster than current methods. The method has an isotropic resolution of 50 micrometer in all directions, and the volumetric resolution is thereby 100-400 times better than current state-of-the-art 3-D ultrasound imaging. These highly ambitious goals are attained in a synergistic research effort combing four research groups. The scientific project includes breakthroughs in silicon row-column probes with 1 million elements, advanced synthetic aperture ultrafast coded imaging, deep learning for detecting and tracking of cells, pressure gradient estimation, and visualization and quantification of several hundreds of Gbytes volumetric data. The research finally leads to clinical trials conducted on rodents and humans for studying the changes in perfusion for diabetes and cancer. The SURE imaging approach can yield a paradigm shift in the scientific study, diagnoses, and treatment of cancer, diabetes, and vascular disease at the capillary level, as it enables the possibility of volumetric visualizing capillary perfusion in real-time at frame rates above 20 Hz without injection of contrast agents. Imaging is performed using ultrasound at normal diagnostic levels with no known adverse effects and can, thus, be used on a wide range of the population from newborns to the elderly for both diagnosis and repeated screening.

Mots-clés : ultrasound,super resolution imaging,row column arrays,deep learning,beamforming,diabetes,cancer,clinical trials
Projet ERC : DARKJETS (Horizon 2020, appel 2015, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Fundamental constituents of matter
Entité participante : Lund University — Pays : Suède — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1268076.0 €

The Standard Model of Particle Physics describes the fundamental components of ordinary matter and their interactions. Despite its success in predicting many experimental results, the Standard Model fails to account for a number of interesting phenomena. One phenomenon of particular interest is the large excess of unobservable (Dark) matter in the Universe. This excess cannot be explained by Standard Model particles. A compelling hypothesis is that Dark Matter is comprised of particles that can be produced in the proton-proton collisions from the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN. Within this project, I will build a team of researchers at Lund University dedicated to searches for signals of the presence of Dark Matter particles. The discovery strategies employed seek the decays of particles that either mediate the interactions between Dark and Standard Model particles or are produced in association with Dark Matter. These new particles manifest in detectors as two, three, or four collimated jets of particles (hadronic jets). The LHC will resume delivery of proton-proton collisions to the ATLAS detector in 2015. Searches for new, rare, low mass particles such as Dark Matter mediators have so far been hindered by constraints on the rates of data that can be stored. These constraints will be overcome through the implementation of a novel real-time data analysis technique and a new search signature, both introduced to ATLAS by this project. The coincidence of this project with the upcoming LHC runs and the software and hardware improvements within the ATLAS detector is a unique opportunity to increase the sensitivity to hadronically decaying new particles by a large margin with respect to any previous searches. The results of these searches will be interpreted within a comprehensive and coherent set of theoretical benchmarks, highlighting the strengths of collider experiments in the global quest for Dark Matter.

Mots-clés : new phenomena beyond the standard model,hadronic jets,atlas,large hadron collider,quantum chromodynamics
Projet ERC : NEWPHYS-MOLECULES (Horizon 2020, appel 2014, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Fundamental constituents of matter
Entité participante : Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam — Pays : Pays-Bas — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : VU
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 2500000.0 €

The Standard Model of physics is incomplete. Gravity is not understood at the quantum level, dark matter and dark energy are not explained, and (string)-theories searching to cover these shortcomings are only consistent in higher-dimensional spaces, while only four of those dimensions are observed. The mystery of finely tuned strengths of the fundamental forces, providing us with a Universe of complexity, remains unexplained. This calls for new physics that can also be explored at the atomic scale in the low energy domain. That is the paradigm underlying the present proposal: Effects of new physics – either related to hitherto unknown particles or to symmetry-breaking phenomena – will manifest themselves as minute shifts in the quantum level structures of atoms and molecules, in minute drifts over time or dependencies on environmental conditions. I propose to perform precision metrology measurements on the H2 molecule in a search for new physics. Deviations between experimental results and QED-theory will scan unexplored territory beyond the Standard Model. Molecular metrology results of the fundamental ground tone vibration in H2 will be confronted with QED-theory calculations to search for the existence of new forces at the Angström length scale. If extra dimensions beyond the known 3+1 would be compactified at the same length scale of 1 Å, this would lead to strongly enhanced gravitational effects, measurable in a molecule. Our current research on experimental probes for varying constants on a cosmological time scale, is redirected into the investigation of chameleon scenarios: by studying H2 molecules in white dwarf stars by uv-astronomy, and by studying methanol molecules in our own galaxy by radio astronomy, searching for a possible dependence of fundamental constants on strong gravity or on density. If any of these targeted phenomena could be uncovered, it would have great impact on science as a whole, and on our view on the Universe and its origin.

Mots-clés : laser physics,quantum electrodynamics,precision spectroscopy,molecular astrophysics,fith forces,dimensionality of space time
Projet ERC : StateHorn (Horizon 2020, appel 2019, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Social Sciences and Humanities
Panel : The study of the human past
Entité participante : Spanish National Research Council — Pays : Espagne — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : CSIC
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1499848.0 €

The StateHorn Project presents a radically new, archaeology-based approach to one of the key issues in the contemporary world: the nature and characteristics of weak and failed states. Based in the Horn of Africa, an area widely known by recurrent problems of fragmented systems of governance and legitimate authority, the StateHorn project aims to build an alternative vision on the ways statehood has been conceptualized, studied and analyzed in the region. It will do it from a archaeological, deeper past perspective which will take as its focus the medieval period (1100—1600) in northern Somalia and south-eastern Ethiopia, a period which saw the emergence of the defining political, demographic and economic characteristics which have shaped the modern region until the present day. The project aims to understand the nature and conceptualization of the medieval states in this region, which were the roots of their legitimacy and power and how they related with their populations and other neighbouring states. Organized around five Research Lines (Territory, Material Culture, Written and Oral Sources, Urbanization and Trade), the State Horn project will complement archaeological information with written historical sources, oral traditions, linguistics, literature and ethnography to present the most comprehensive study of statehood in the Horn of Africa during the medieval period. It will also move beyond an enclosed, isolated study of a specific historical period to develop a theory of statehood in the Horn of Africa which is at the same time coherent with the archaeological and historical sources and useful to analyze the current political situation in the region and any other places where weak or failed states are present.

Mots-clés : african archaeology,horn of africa,state building processes
Projet ERC : ASTRODUST (Horizon 2020, appel 2019, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Universe sciences
Entité participante : Board of the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology — Pays : Suisse — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : ETH Zurich
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1484038.0 €

The Sun and the surrounding heliosphere move through a low-density region in the Galaxy, which is filled with partially ionized gas and interstellar dust. While the Voyager 1 and 2 missions are currently exploring the heliosphere boundary regions that are shaped by both the Sun and by the Local Interstellar Medium (LISM), fundamental questions about our galactic neighbourhood remain unanswered: how is the structure and dynamics of the heliosphere, how does the heliosphere-LISM interaction work, and what is the nature of the LISM, including magnetic fields and contemporary interstellar dust composition, diversity, density and size distribution? In situ measurements of interstellar dust moving through the solar system provide unique ground truth information, but they have also been puzzling the community: they are not yet understood in the frame of dust dynamics simulations - related to the heliosphere properties. Also Voyager measurements at the heliosphere boundary kept surprising and challenging our views on the outer heliosphere to the very fundamental level. ASTRODUST will combine unique in situ interstellar dust observations in the solar system, with interstellar dust trajectory simulations that are coupled to a dynamic heliosphere, including its boundary regions and the ISM. ASTRODUST will build a synergy between two fields (heliosphere, dust) in order to answer fundamental questions about the dust and the heliosphere-LISM interaction. With ASTRODUST, we use a new way to explore and understand our local galactic neighbourhood. It also serves as an essential step towards understanding galaxy evolution (via the dust), how stars interact with their surroundings (astrospheres), and the history and future of the solar system on its continuous journey through the galaxy.

Mots-clés : heliosphere,interstellar dust
Projet ERC : TITANIUM (Horizon 2020, appel 2016, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Institut national de recherche en sciences et technologies du numérique — Pays : France — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : Inria
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 112500.0 €

The TITANIUM proposal aims to develop a software demonstrator for geometry processing and 3D urban modeling, in order to facilitate the pre-commercialization of novel software components for the Computational Geometry Algorithms Library. The proposed demonstrator will include novel approaches resulting from the ERC-funded IRON project (‘Robust Geometry Processing’, StG-2010-257474), which are illustrated by publications presented at premier conferences in our field (receiving two best paper awards) and a patent submitted in 2015. The expected outcomes of TITANIUM will be versatile methods for 3D reconstruction and simplification of data gathered from geometric measurements, as well as related methods specifically tailored to urban modeling. These methods represent a significant step forward by offering unrivaled levels of robustness, and automated generation of levels of detail that are semantically meaningful. The acronym TITANIUM, a robust and lightweight material, conveys our wish to streamline the geometric modeling pipeline through robust algorithms and lightweight representations. This Proof of Concept project will also implement the steps required for pre-commercialization. In view of this goal, we have included an industrial partner, GeometryFactory, a spinoff from Inria launched in 2003. We have already established preliminary contacts in the fields of metrology and geographic information systems. These contacts will provide real-world industrial case studies.

Mots-clés : digital geometry processing,computational geometry algorithms library,3d reconstruction,shape approximation,urban modeling
Projet ERC : TRANSFORM (Horizon 2020, appel 2018, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Social Sciences and Humanities
Panel : The Social World and Its Diversity
Entité participante : University of Glasgow — Pays : Royaume-Uni — Rôle : Partner
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 0.0 €

The Trafficking Transformations Project will use an innovative, multidisciplinary, object-centred framework to investigate the physical and contextual changes that illicit criminogenic collectables undergo during the trafficking process in three transnational criminal markets: antiquities, rare wildlife, and fossils. It will explore the socio-economic effects of the trafficked objects on participants in international criminal networks. It will transform organised crime research by shifting the focus of trafficking research away from criminals and networks of criminals toward following the objects of desire. Prior approaches to trafficking research cast trafficking as an interface between organised crime (people moving the objects) and white-collar crime (affluent people receiving goods); objects were not considered social agents in these networks. Trafficking Transformations pushes the boundaries of mainstream criminology, proposing an innovative object-centred understanding of trafficking networks, and exploring the ultimate question: How do objects cause crimes? The project will use object biography, a multi-sited ethnography technique, to investigate the influences and transformations of trafficked criminogenic collectables in international illicit markets. Through data collection at multiple sites along trafficking pathways, the transformations of criminogenic collectables, the networks that they create, and the people they influence will form a narrative, a biography of trafficking. This will reveal the hidden lives of illicit commodities prior to their appearance as objects of conspicuous consumption in public markets, and holds the prospect of destabilising existing assumptions about the formulation, maintenance, and disruption of transnational criminal networks, transforming our understanding of organised crime.

Mots-clés : trafficking,transnational crime,organised crime,antiquities,wildlife,fossils,criminal networks