Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-erc-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet ERC : INCISED (Horizon 2020, appel 2019, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Earth system science
Entité participante : University of Glasgow — Pays : Royaume-Uni — Rôle : Partner
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 755741.25 €

The West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) stores a substantial volume of freshwater on land. It is thought to be inherently unstable and so projections of future sea level rise require robust numerical ice sheet models, fully calibrated against geological data. The WAIS is widely believed to have collapsed in past warm interglacial periods, raising sea level by up to 3.3m, but perhaps surprisingly we do not yet have direct evidence of collapse from Antarctica that can be securely dated. Instead global sea level data have been used to infer that some combination of WAIS, Greenland and the East Antarctic Ice Sheet collapsed in one or more past interglacials, but with substantial uncertainty as to how this mass loss was partitioned between the ice sheets. This matters because it means that models projecting future sea level are calibrated against an assumption of how small the WAIS became during past warm periods. I argue that a fresh approach is needed, one that provides direct evidence of WAIS retreat that can be dated and quantified. INCISED will provide this by rapid drilling to the ice sheet bed to retrieve direct records of past collapse. New modelling of cosmogenic isotope concentrations shows that hypotheses of past WAIS collapses can be tested by analysis of subglacial bedrock from carefully selected sites. INCISED exploits recent engineering advances in ice coring and a new subglacial rock drill to take bedrock samples which will be used to determine past lowering of the ice surface to test for WAIS collapse. Numerical ice sheet modelling will link changes in past ice levels to quantify the range of possible sea level contribution. By determining and quantifying the configuration of WAIS during warm periods I will provide firm targets for ice sheet model calibration and thus more secure future sea level projections. INCISED will deliver a transformative change in modelling of WAIS sea level contributions as well as a significant equipment legacy.

Mots-clés : sea level,cosmogenic isotopes,subglacial engineering
Projet ERC : INCISED (Horizon 2020, appel 2019, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Earth system science
Entité participante : Durham University — Pays : Royaume-Uni — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1345960.75 €

The West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) stores a substantial volume of freshwater on land. It is thought to be inherently unstable and so projections of future sea level rise require robust numerical ice sheet models, fully calibrated against geological data. The WAIS is widely believed to have collapsed in past warm interglacial periods, raising sea level by up to 3.3m, but perhaps surprisingly we do not yet have direct evidence of collapse from Antarctica that can be securely dated. Instead global sea level data have been used to infer that some combination of WAIS, Greenland and the East Antarctic Ice Sheet collapsed in one or more past interglacials, but with substantial uncertainty as to how this mass loss was partitioned between the ice sheets. This matters because it means that models projecting future sea level are calibrated against an assumption of how small the WAIS became during past warm periods. I argue that a fresh approach is needed, one that provides direct evidence of WAIS retreat that can be dated and quantified. INCISED will provide this by rapid drilling to the ice sheet bed to retrieve direct records of past collapse. New modelling of cosmogenic isotope concentrations shows that hypotheses of past WAIS collapses can be tested by analysis of subglacial bedrock from carefully selected sites. INCISED exploits recent engineering advances in ice coring and a new subglacial rock drill to take bedrock samples which will be used to determine past lowering of the ice surface to test for WAIS collapse. Numerical ice sheet modelling will link changes in past ice levels to quantify the range of possible sea level contribution. By determining and quantifying the configuration of WAIS during warm periods I will provide firm targets for ice sheet model calibration and thus more secure future sea level projections. INCISED will deliver a transformative change in modelling of WAIS sea level contributions as well as a significant equipment legacy.

Mots-clés : sea level,cosmogenic isotopes,subglacial engineering
Projet ERC : XCYCLE (Horizon 2020, appel 2020, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to 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 : 2499930.0 €

The X chromosome is subjected to a formidable degree of concerted gene regulation, with appropriate dosage of X-linked expression in female mammals being ensured by the stable yet reversible inactivation of one of the two copies. The process of X chromosome inactivation (XCI) is critical for female development and linked to sex-specific traits and susceptibilities to various diseases. Well characterized in rodents, there is remarkably little knowledge of how XCI is articulated and controlled in humans, despite its major implication for human health. Here we propose to model in vitro the whole XCI cycle in humans to gain novel and high resolution insights into the key steps of the process and to identify critical actors and mechanisms We will exploit human embryonic stem cells and recent culture methods to mimic the early stage of development as well as more advanced organogenesis. This will allow us to investigate the four phases of XCI: (i) the steps that precede XCI (ii) its initiation, (iii) its maintenance in tissues including the hematopoietic system and intestinal organoids and (iv) its reversion in the germline. We will implement a combination of exploratory and mechanistic approaches integrating single cell analyses, CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing and genetic screens to build a comprehensive spatiotemporal map of X-chromosome activity across the human life cycle, to screen for regulators of each phase and to assess the importance of XCI and appropriate X-linked gene dosage to tissue development and homeostasis. Using an innovative set of approaches, we hope to challenge the general principles of XCI that were formerly defined in model organisms and to unravel human-specific features of XCI that could serve as new research paradigms in developmental epigenetics. The molecular and cellular understanding of human XCI that this project should provide is a fundamental pre-requisite to further understand the principles of human development and sex-specific diseases.

Mots-clés : x chromosome inactivation,human embryonic stem cells,organoids
Projet ERC : FEXFEM (Horizon 2020, appel 2014, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : CERCA Institution — Pays : Espagne — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : CERCA;I-CERCA
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 149250.0 €

The ability of scientific computing to efficiently exploit forthcoming extreme scale machines will have a great impact in almost every field of science. The next generation of exascale computers is expected to reach billions of cores. As a result, high performance scientific software able to efficiently exploit these extreme scale super-computers is strategic in this scenario. However, this target is very challenging and requires ground-breaking advances in numerical algorithms. The free open source software paradigm is the best approach for a software project of this complexity, which will require collaborative research between researchers by top-end experts in different fields. Nowadays, there are some high-quality libraries for the numerical approximation of PDEs using grid-based methods. These libraries provide the discretization/linearization machinery, leaving the numerical linear algebra to external libraries. In the future exascale scenario, this staggered approach does not seem to be the best option. The objective of this PoC proposal is to develop a Scientific Computing Library for Frontier Simulations at Extreme Scales. Our idea is to provide a high-quality open source software that combines discretization and numerical linear algebra in a strong way. We mention some of the benefits of this innovative approach that we have already identified/exploited. Extreme scale solvers will require reducing synchronization and inter-processor communications, even at the expense of extra local flops. In order to do this, (1) nonlinear domain decomposition and (2) time-space parallelization will be favoured, since there is much more local work to be done (nonlinear/time loops). . Further, (3) solver-aware discretizations should also be considered, e.g. replacing local kernel detection in domain decomposition by (consistent) boundary terms. (4) Multiphysics problems cannot be efficiently solved via black-box solvers, requiring physics-based preconditioners.

Mots-clés : scientific computing,finite elements,large scale computing,scalability,free software,open source
Projet ERC : DissectPcG (Horizon 2020, appel 2016, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Cellular, Developmental and Regenerative Biology
Entité participante : University of Milan — Pays : Italie — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : UNIMI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 829932.5 €

The activities of the Polycomb group (PcG) of repressive chromatin modifiers are required to maintain correct transcriptional identity during development and differentiation. These activities are altered in a variety of tumours by gain- or loss-of-function mutations, whose mechanistic aspects still remain unclear. PcGs can be classified in two major repressive complexes (PRC1 and PRC2) with common pathways but distinct biochemical activities. PRC1 catalyses histone H2A ubiquitination of lysine 119, and PRC2 tri-methylation of histone H3 lysine 27. However, PRC1 has a more heterogeneous composition than PRC2, with six mutually exclusive PCGF subunits (PCGF1–6) essential for assembling distinct PRC1 complexes that differ in subunit composition but share the same catalytic core. While up to six different PRC1 forms can co-exist in a given cell, the molecular mechanisms regulating their activities and their relative contributions to general PRC1 function in any tissue/cell type remain largely unknown. In line with this biochemical heterogeneity, PRC1 retains broader biological functions than PRC2. Critically, however, no molecular analysis has yet been published that dissects the contribution of each PRC1 complex in regulating transcriptional identity. We will take advantage of newly developed reagents and unpublished genetic models to target each of the six Pcgf genes in either embryonic stem cells or mouse adult tissues. This will systematically dissect the contributions of the different PRC1 complexes to chromatin profiles, gene expression programs, and cellular phenotypes during stem cell self-renewal, differentiation and adult tissue homeostasis. Overall, this will elucidate some of the fundamental mechanisms underlying the establishment and maintenance of cellular identity and will allow us to further determine the molecular links between PcG deregulation and cancer development in a tissue- and/or cell type–specific manner.

Mots-clés : polycomb,chromatin modification,histone modifications,cell identity,intestinal stem cells,intestinal cancer,adult stem cell,embryonic stem cells,transcription
Projet ERC : MATCH (Horizon 2020, appel 2019, Proof of concept grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases
Entité participante : Amsterdam University Medical Centers — Pays : Pays-Bas — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

The advances in medical sciences and biopharmaceutical development during the last decennia have been overwhelming. While the scientific and clinical insight in numerous diseases have significantly increased, the curative treatment to most diseases is still not in reach. The most common diseases such as cancer and chronic diseases are still challenging scientists. Therefore, during our ERC Advanced project the main goal was to develop a vaccine to cure cancer using targeted immunotherapy. We used dendritic cells (DCs) as potentiator to improve anti-tumor T cell activity. However, we discovered that many tumors display a high content of sialic acids which actively suppress DCs function and induce tolerance to tumor associated antigens. This unexpected serendipity finding that sialylation of tumor associated antigens induced tolerance to the body’s immune response opens a window of opportunity to use sialylation (modification with sialic acid) to induce tolerance in allergies, such as house dust mite allergy (HDM). In the ERC PoC project (MATCH) I will couple HDM major allergens to specific sialic acid using a linker molecule to induce immune tolerance towards effector T cells in inflammation processes during HDM allergy. The results will lead to validation of the technology developed during the ERC Advanced project and PoC that sialylation induces tolerance when used with HDM allergens. When PoC is reached, the MATCH technology will represent a new allergen immunotherapy in a vaccine technology for HDM allergy with shorter treatment protocols, better efficacy and reduced side effects can be developed. The future potential of this technology may be extended to other allergies and/or autoimmune diseases.

Mots-clés : allergies,house dust mites,sialylation,dentric cells,vaccine,allergen immunotherapy
Projet ERC : FeREDCOUPLS (Horizon 2020, appel 2015, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Synthetic Chemistry and Materials
Entité participante : University of Regensburg — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : Partner
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 350215.52 €

The aerobic conditions on our planet enable the accumulation of oxidized matter whereas reduced chemicals are the most valuable energy carriers. Future shortages of energy-rich resources make efficient reductive transformations one of the greatest scientific challenges. To address this societal, economic and environmental demand, we propose new approaches to the design and application of stabilized iron catalysts. Our endeavour exploits the higher reducing power of Fe (vs. noble metals) in challenging reductive transformations and capitalizes on the high sustainability of Fe catalysis over noble metal technologies. The use of low-valent Fe catalysts, the realization of new catalytic reactions and their mechanistic understanding will only be possible through the controlled generation and effective stabilization of reduced Fe species and active nanoparticles. Major emphasis will be placed on coordinative ligand/solvent systems which accommodate electron-rich Fe centers (olefins, arenes, Lewis acids, redox-ligands, ionic liquids). We address new approaches to the synthesis of low-valent Fe complexes and bottom-up/top-down preparations of Fe(0) nanoparticles. Catalytic reactions of high relevance to the manufacture of chemicals and materials will be studied (reduction, cross-coupling, hydrogenation, defunctionalization) with special emphasis on cheap abundant substrates. Mechanistic studies aim at understanding Fe-centered reductive bond activations and ligand co-operation. The proposed use of the most abundant transition metal for challenging reductive processes under practical conditions extends beyond the realm of synthesis, catalysis, and materials into spectroscopy, solvent technologies and reaction processing with direct relevance to sustainable chemicals and energy production. Our multidisciplinary program will provide new sets of active iron catalysts for reductive processes and is a major puzzle piece toward a greener chemical synthesis.
Projet ERC : BIC.LATE (Horizon 2020, appel 2020, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Social Sciences and Humanities
Panel : The Social World and Its Diversity
Entité participante : University of Vienna — Pays : Autriche — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : Univie
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1930389.94 €

The age at which people have their children has increased tremendously since the 1970s in the low fertility countries. The reasons for delayed reproduction have been explored extensively, but very little attention has been given to the factors that facilitate and constrain fertility at later ages (from age 30). Yet, the desire and ability of those who did not have children in their 20s to have them later (“fertility recuperation”) is decisive for future fertility levels, and for life satisfaction among those who wish children. BIC.LATE will fill this gap by studying the biological, individual and contextual factors of later reproduction in the low-fertility countries, and possible catch-up behaviour of those who did not have a child earlier. In this new perspective, we will: 1) Measure the effect of biological limits on fertility recuperation with contemporary data for women and men, accounting for changes in Assisted Reproductive Technologies; 2) Identify the remaining individual factors of later fertility (demographic and socio-economic) among women and men, exploring factors more relevant at that ages (health, dedication to work); 3) Understand to what extent the structural and cultural context of a country (e.g. policies, economic situation, social norms) matters for fertility recuperation in a comparative perspective; 4) Estimate the link of these factors with fertility recuperation and draw cutting-edge meta-scenarios of cohort fertility. We will use data from social surveys (cross-sectional, panels) and aggregate cohort fertility data in Europe, the English-speaking oversea countries and East Asia, and data from a fertility clinic in Vienna. The research design includes survival analysis on panel data and on retrospective family history, aggregate correlations and cohort fertility projections. BIC.LATE will inform policy makers about the major contextual drivers of future fertility, using clearly articulated storylines and their associated scenarios.

Mots-clés : fertility and family,delayed fertility,childbearing recuperation,sterility,family size,projection,catch up behaviour,europe,low fertility countries,structural and cultural factors,assisted reproductive technologies
Projet ERC : FEWFAST (Horizon 2020, appel 2017, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Imperial College London — Pays : Royaume-Uni — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 137155.0 €

The aim is the development of a user friendly high power few cycle, phase stable, light source in the 1500-2000 nm wavelength range. This builds on technical feasibility demonstrated during the ASTEX Advanced Grant. To fully exploit the potential of this light source it is necessary now to optimize the following characteristics: peak power, the ultimate pulse duration, stability and convenience of use. We hope to do this by building on the work carried out in the ASTEX project, that demonstrated the principle of the generation and application of few cycle waveform stable 1800 nm pulses, by optimising the generation, power and convenience of use to enable many potential applications. It is the aim of this project therefore to develop this light source as a user friendly, stand-alone, optical device that can be located after a variety of commercial ultrafast OPA (Optical Parametric Amplifier) systems and so deliver few cycle 1500-2000 nm high power pulses directly to many and varied applications in technology and science. The applications are expected to have industrial/societal impact in Defence, Security, Analytical and Measurement Technology sectors. The hoped for outcome is a fully characterized prototype that can be developed into a commercial product. First steps in the latter direction will be taken during the project by linking with a suitable commercial partner after preparatory legal and IP protection actions are completed. The aim is a product that can be added on to a standard commercial OPA laser system to deliver state-of-the-art attosecond technology in an easy to use package.

Mots-clés : lasers,ultrafast,optical technology
Projet ERC : GESHAEM (Horizon 2020, appel 2017, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Social Sciences and Humanities
Panel : The study of the human past
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 : 1498368.0 €

The aim of GESHAEM is to investigate economy, fiscality and territorial management in the most important agricultural region of Egypt, the Fayyum, in the first century of the Greek domination (3rd century BCE). For this purpose, a large corpus of administrative and fiscal papyri discovered in Egyptian mummies will be studied: the unpublished Greek and Egyptian papyri of the Jouguet collection of the Sorbonne. Coming from bilingual archives, these documents will change our view of the early Ptolemaic kingdom in the third century BCE. The history of this Hellenistic kingdom has long been described as the history of a Greek kingdom. Recently, however, the native Egyptian contribution in the building of this kingdom has come to the fore: the Ptolemaic administration was in large part made up of people of Egyptian origin who spoke and wrote both Greek and Egyptian, continuing a millennia-old administrative tradition adapted to the new regime. The Jouguet papyri open new perspectives because, unlike most demotic documents of the Graeco-Roman period, these were not written inside temples but for the civil government. Like the Greek ones they are concerned with the agricultural administration of the Fayyum region. The Jouguet texts were written on second-hand papyrus reused to make mummy casing called cartonnage. Most of these decorated mummy cartonnages were destroyed immediately after their discovery at the beginning of the 20th century, but around twenty remain in part of the Jouguet collection that has not yet been inventoried. The extraction of new papyri from the remaining cartonnages will be achieved without destroying the objects themselves, which will be restored and, for the first time, studied in their own right. Thus GESHAEM intends to bring new data both for historians working on the ancient economy and fiscality, as well as for art historians.

Mots-clés : papyrology,egyptology,ancient fiscality,restoration,image processing