Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-erc-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet ERC : RESISTANCE (Horizon 2020, appel 2016, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution
Entité participante : University of Helsinki — Pays : Finlande — Rôle : Partner
Acronyme de l'entité : UH
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1011953.75 €

Pathogens are prevalent across all ecosystems. Given the threats imposed by pathogens on their hosts, the ability to resist infection is one key determinant of an individual’s reproductive success and survival. According to theory, resistance evolution is driven by pathogen-imposed selection and constrained by host life-history trade-offs. However, resistance evolution is traditionally studied within the “one host-one pathogen” framework, although it is becoming increasingly clear that a single host individual is exploited by diverse pathogen communities. Unravelling this diversity is the key to understanding selection for resistance, and the key aim of this proposal is to bridge this gap between theory and data. The specific objectives of this proposal are to: i) Assess spatio-temporal variation in pathogen communities and their determinants through community modeling; ii) Quantify the role of host resistance in shaping its pathogen community; iii) Unravel resistance mechanisms that determine pathogen communities by combining experimental and molecular approaches; iv) Quantify immediate and cross-generational fitness consequences that different pathogen communities inflict on their host, and v) Validate the experimental results by assessing how past disease communities have shaped host resistance in natural populations. This ambitious goal is now attainable for the first time because over the past decade my research group has amassed long-term data on hundreds of Plantago lanceolata populations in the Åland Islands, and an extensive genetic sample and seed collection that allow estimating past disease communities and resistance evolution through time. Jointly the objectives of this proposal will provide an unprecedented synthesis of how resistance functions and evolves under realistic pathogen loads, with far reaching implications for both redefining the conceptual framework for resistance evolution and for tackling real-world health and food security problems.

Mots-clés : coinfection,plant pathogen interactions,resistance evolution
Projet ERC : TrueBrainConnect (Horizon 2020, appel 2017, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Computer science and informatics
Entité participante : Technische Universität Berlin — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : TUB
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 504335.0 €

Pathological communication between different brain regions has been implicated in various neurological disorders. However, the computational tools for assessing such communication from neuroimaging data are not sufficiently developed. The goal of TrueBrainConnect is to establish brain connectivity analysis using non-invasive electrophysiology as a practical and reliable neuroscience tool. To achieve this, we will develop novel signal processing and machine learning techniques that address shortcomings in state-of-the-art reconstruction and localization of neural activity from sensor data, the estimation of genuine neural interactions, the prediction of external (e.g., clinical) variables from estimated neural interactions, and the interpretation of the resulting models. These techniques will be thoroughly validated and then made publicly available. We will use the TrueBrainConnect methodology to characterize the neural bases underlying dementia and Parkinson's disease (PD), two of the most pressing neurological health challenges of our time. In collaboration with clinical experts, we will address practically relevant issues such as how to determine the onset of 'freezing' episodes in PD patients, and how to detect different variants and precursors of dementia. The outcome of TrueBrainConnect will be a versatile methodology allowing researchers, for the first time, to reliably estimate and anatomically localize important types of interactions between different brain structures in humans within known confidence bounds. The proposed clinical applications will improve our understanding of the studied diseases and will lay the foundation for the development of novel diagnostic markers for these diseases.

Mots-clés : brain connectivity,electroencephalography,magnetoencephalography,inverse problem,classification,regression,interpretation,validation,open source software
Projet ERC : Cellphmed (Horizon 2020, appel 2016, Proof of concept grants)
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 : 149875.0 €

Patient/individual specific cells, including induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells will be crucial in defining tomorrow’s medicine owing to their uses in drug discovery, immunotherapy or cell therapy. These clinical applications require the utmost accurate and reliable identity and purity testing, however, the majority of cells stored worldwide fall short of a sufficient level of characterisation. This project aims at validatating and commercializing an innovative method of diagnostic and quality control for human cells. It is based on our unprecedented ability to measure the expression of millions of uncharted RNA biomarkers called TEs, genetic units that contribute over 50% of the genome but that have been completely disregarded until very recently, mainly due to the challenge imposed by their complex analysis. Our new methodology provides a high-density barcode of cellular identity, opening the door for individual-specific cells to broad applications in biotechnology and medicine alike.

Mots-clés : cell identity,cell quality,transcriptome,transposcriptome,barcode,stem cells
Projet ERC : SYN-TOOLKIT (Horizon 2020, appel 2019, Proof of concept grants)
Domaine scientifique : Social Sciences and Humanities
Panel : The Human Mind and Its Complexity
Entité participante : University of Sussex — Pays : Royaume-Uni — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 138750.0 €

People with the genetic trait of synaesthesia experience phantom colours, sounds, tastes, and other unusual sensations. These are triggered by everyday activities like reading or listening to music. Importantly, synaesthesia is comorbid with health conditions including anxiety disorder and autism, and has a known impact on education. Although there are widely available tests for diagnosing synaesthesia in adults, there are none for children - despite its relatively wide impact (307 million synaesthetes worldwide). My ERC Consolidator grant MULTISENSE has generated such a test, to share with fellow researchers. However, during the course of MULTISENSE we have been approached by multiple professionals beyond the research sector (e.g. clinicians), each in need of a diagnostic for the child synaesthetes they are increasingly encountering. These professionals require a test package comprising Diagnostic tool, Testing manual, Automatic Scoring, etc. which could be easily implemented by non-scientists. Not only is this testing package non-existent in any country worldwide, but it is requested from us on a regular basis. Hence, SYN-TOOLKIT will provide an app-based package to diagnose and support two of the most prevalent forms of childhood synaesthesia. We will trial our package on target audiences including partners in Local Education Authorities (with government oversight of schools) and the National Health Service. We will take our test-package to proof of concept by establishing technical feasibility, usability, and commercialisation. We have explored our market with an award that engaged the Sussex Innovation Centre, experts in market exploration. In summary, there is a pressing need to produce a commercialised test kit for childhood synaesthesia, for use by clinicians, education professionals and parents. This would address the striking lack of provision for children with synaesthesia, bringing benefits to synaesthetes, parents, educators, and clinical practice.

Mots-clés : synaesthesia,synesthesia,diagnostic,test package,children
Projet ERC : SYN-TOOLKIT (Horizon 2020, appel 2019, Proof of concept grants)
Domaine scientifique : Social Sciences and Humanities
Panel : The Human Mind and Its Complexity
Entité participante : Sussex innovation centre management limited — Pays : Royaume-Uni — Rôle : Partner
Type d'entité : Organismes privés (hors enseignement)
Financement ERC de l'entité : 11250.0 €

People with the genetic trait of synaesthesia experience phantom colours, sounds, tastes, and other unusual sensations. These are triggered by everyday activities like reading or listening to music. Importantly, synaesthesia is comorbid with health conditions including anxiety disorder and autism, and has a known impact on education. Although there are widely available tests for diagnosing synaesthesia in adults, there are none for children - despite its relatively wide impact (307 million synaesthetes worldwide). My ERC Consolidator grant MULTISENSE has generated such a test, to share with fellow researchers. However, during the course of MULTISENSE we have been approached by multiple professionals beyond the research sector (e.g. clinicians), each in need of a diagnostic for the child synaesthetes they are increasingly encountering. These professionals require a test package comprising Diagnostic tool, Testing manual, Automatic Scoring, etc. which could be easily implemented by non-scientists. Not only is this testing package non-existent in any country worldwide, but it is requested from us on a regular basis. Hence, SYN-TOOLKIT will provide an app-based package to diagnose and support two of the most prevalent forms of childhood synaesthesia. We will trial our package on target audiences including partners in Local Education Authorities (with government oversight of schools) and the National Health Service. We will take our test-package to proof of concept by establishing technical feasibility, usability, and commercialisation. We have explored our market with an award that engaged the Sussex Innovation Centre, experts in market exploration. In summary, there is a pressing need to produce a commercialised test kit for childhood synaesthesia, for use by clinicians, education professionals and parents. This would address the striking lack of provision for children with synaesthesia, bringing benefits to synaesthetes, parents, educators, and clinical practice.

Mots-clés : synaesthesia,synesthesia,diagnostic,test package,children
Projet ERC : PeriGO (Horizon 2020, appel 2018, Proof of concept grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Products and processes engineering
Entité participante : Universitätsklinikum Aachen — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : Partner
Acronyme de l'entité : UKA
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 30000.0 €

PeriGO will pave the way for the commercialization of a unique, first-of-its-kind peripheral nerve repair strategy, as it uses an injectable, biocompatible hydrogel that provides directionality through controlled guiding elements. The properties of the smart material Anisogel, initially developed in the ERC project ANISOGEL to repair spinal cord injuries, provide a sophisticated, superior alternative for peripheral nerve regeneration. The final product can be injected inside a bridging blood vessel or artificial hollow tube after implantation to direct regenerating nerves across the injury site. PeriGO comprises 3 key actions to advance a quick translation from the laboratory to the clinic: We will 1) establish a sterilization method and a packaging/application system to perform pre-clinical tests, 2) verify the handling and efficacy of the product in a rat sciatic nerve lesion model in cooperation with the Department of Plastic Surgery at the University Hospital in Aachen, and 3) complete a market study and business plan to bring PeriGO into the clinic. PeriGO addresses essential issues associated with peripheral nerve regeneration. While the current Gold Standard of autologous nerve grafts creates a secondary defect, artificial bridging approaches for nerve gaps only reconnect short distances (< 3 cm) with marginal success. Features absent in the commercially available nerve tubes are guiding structures, controlled degradation, and a good interface with the damaged nerve stumps. The PeriGO platform will overcome these limitations as the material 1) is injected as a liquid to make a tight contact with the injured nerve and to adapt to the shape of the bridging tube before gelation, 2) provides unidirectional guiding elements, and 3) presents tunable material properties with tunable degradation kinetics adjusting to the length of the nerve gap. With PeriGO, we will thus establish the next generation of nerve repair strategies.

Mots-clés : peripheral nerve repair,medical device,injectable hydrogel,unidirectional guidance,commercialization next generation nerve regeneration therapy
Projet ERC : PeriGO (Horizon 2020, appel 2018, Proof of concept grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Products and processes engineering
Entité participante : Leibniz Association — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : LG
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 120000.0 €

PeriGO will pave the way for the commercialization of a unique, first-of-its-kind peripheral nerve repair strategy, as it uses an injectable, biocompatible hydrogel that provides directionality through controlled guiding elements. The properties of the smart material Anisogel, initially developed in the ERC project ANISOGEL to repair spinal cord injuries, provide a sophisticated, superior alternative for peripheral nerve regeneration. The final product can be injected inside a bridging blood vessel or artificial hollow tube after implantation to direct regenerating nerves across the injury site. PeriGO comprises 3 key actions to advance a quick translation from the laboratory to the clinic: We will 1) establish a sterilization method and a packaging/application system to perform pre-clinical tests, 2) verify the handling and efficacy of the product in a rat sciatic nerve lesion model in cooperation with the Department of Plastic Surgery at the University Hospital in Aachen, and 3) complete a market study and business plan to bring PeriGO into the clinic. PeriGO addresses essential issues associated with peripheral nerve regeneration. While the current Gold Standard of autologous nerve grafts creates a secondary defect, artificial bridging approaches for nerve gaps only reconnect short distances (< 3 cm) with marginal success. Features absent in the commercially available nerve tubes are guiding structures, controlled degradation, and a good interface with the damaged nerve stumps. The PeriGO platform will overcome these limitations as the material 1) is injected as a liquid to make a tight contact with the injured nerve and to adapt to the shape of the bridging tube before gelation, 2) provides unidirectional guiding elements, and 3) presents tunable material properties with tunable degradation kinetics adjusting to the length of the nerve gap. With PeriGO, we will thus establish the next generation of nerve repair strategies.

Mots-clés : peripheral nerve repair,medical device,injectable hydrogel,unidirectional guidance,commercialization next generation nerve regeneration therapy
Projet ERC : ALEX (Horizon 2020, appel 2018, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : University of Amsterdam — Pays : Pays-Bas — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : UvA
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 149922.0 €

Personalization algorithms—filtering content on the basis of someone's profile—increasingly mediate the web experience of users. By forging a specific reality for each individual, they silently shape customized 'information diets': in other words, they determine which news, opinions and rumors users are exposed to. Restricting users’ possibilities, they ultimately infringe on their agency. As exposed by the recent Cambridge Analytica scandal, they are supported by questionable data sharing practices at the core of the business models of the social media industry. Yet, personalization algorithms are proprietary and thus remain inaccessible to end users. The few experiments auditing these algorithms rely on data provided by platform companies themselves. They are highly technical, hardly scalable, and fail to put social media users in the driver seat. The ALgorithms EXposed (ALEX) project aims at unmasking the functioning of personalization algorithms on social media platforms, taking Facebook as a test case. It is 'data activism' in practice, as it uses publicly available data for awareness raising and citizen empowerment. ALEX will pursue five goals: 1) software development and stabilization, building on the alpha version of facebook.tracking.exposed (fbtrex), a working prototype of a browser extension analyzing the outcomes of Facebook's News Feed algorithms; 2) the release of two spin-off products building on fbtrex, namely AudIT, enabling researchers to do expert analysis on algorithmic biases, and RealityCheck, allowing users to monitor their own social media consumption patterns; 3) testing the technical feasibility of adapting the ALEX approach to analyze algorithmic personalization on other platforms such as Twitter and Google; 4) the design and organization of data literacy modules on algorithmic personalization, and 5) the launch of a consultancy service to promote tool take-up and the future sustainability of the project.

Mots-clés : personalization algorithms,social media platforms,filter bubble,data activism,data literacy,data ethics,citizen agency,user empowerment,open source software,software development
Projet ERC : PGEN (Horizon 2020, appel 2018, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : CNRS Innovation — Pays : France — Rôle : Partner
Type d'entité : Organismes privés (hors enseignement)
Financement ERC de l'entité : 7500.0 €

Personalized medicine is promising to change the health and prophylactics sectors, already showing large societal and economic impact. High throughput immune sequencing technologies give us insight into a unique personal medical record - our immune system’s memory of all encountered infections and the successful solutions our body found. Unfortunately, reading this record requires advanced statistical tools making it often inaccessible to biologists and medical practitioners. PGEN offers a solution that will fill this gap between modern technology and applications by developing commercialisation solutions for an immune repertoire analysis software. PGEN builds on the methodologies developed during the ERC Starting Grant RECOGNIZE to provide a user-friendly versatile software prototype that will give researchers in the life scientists and medical practitioners without bioinformatic training an overview of the statistical properties of the immune repertoires they are studying. PGEN will explore the impact on medicine and biotechnology of this software platform that identifies non-standard immune responses that can be exploited in vaccine design and novel personalised therapies. Currently no software exists that a medical practitioner can use to characterize the baseline immune repertoire of a healthy person. Knowing this baseline is essential for identifying immune system disfunction and applying immune repertoire sequencing technologies in biotechnology and medicine. The PGEN software platform will provide doctors and biologists with a statistical tool that will help them make informed decisions about treatment, prophylactics and future research. PGEN will pursue commercialization and market solutions both within academia, the biotechnology and medical sectors.

Mots-clés : personalized medicine,immune repertoires,software package
Projet ERC : FELIX (Horizon 2020, appel 2020, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Social Sciences and Humanities
Panel : The study of the human past
Entité participante : University of Rome Tor Vergata — Pays : Italie — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1999420.0 €

Pest-control agent, object and symbol of value in past civilisations, companion animal, and iconic celebrity of the web in the modern society, the domestic cat has an intricate bond with humans. This relationship started more than 10,000 years ago, when cats began scavenging and hunting pests that infested granaries of early farming communities in the Near East. Later in history, cats from Egypt dispersed in the Mediterranean following routes of human trade and connectivity. Cats established a unique and intimate bond with humans, and this, together with their adaptability, determined their global dispersal. Yet, the biological and cultural trajectories behind the development of cat-human interactions, and the implications of the global dispersal and evolutionary success of the domestic cat remain enigmatic. By generating a complementary set of unique and as yet unexplored multidisciplinary data, from paleogenetics, to organic chemistry and microscopy, FELIX will dig deeply into the past of the cat-human relationship by tackling three fundamental variables strongly influenced by the domestication process: genomes, food, and microorganisms. It will unravel how the increasing bond with humans across a wide spectrum of socio-cultural contexts, from prehistoric farming communities to the ancient Egyptian and Medieval societies, shaped the cat genome, leading to behavioural changes that turned cats into pets. It will examine how cats changed their nutritional behaviour while adapting to anthropized ecosystems, and document the temporal trajectories of pathogen infections in cats, shedding light on the rise of zoonotic diseases. This will offer unprecedented evolutionary insights on the debate about animal domestication, and will raise public awareness on the role of the cat as cherished pet, but also as one of the world’s most invasive alien species in natural ecosystems and host of infectious diseases recognized today as public health threats.

Mots-clés : domestication,paleogenomics,metagenomics,stable isotopes,paleodiet,zoonoses