Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-erc-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet ERC : RADIOSTAR (Horizon 2020, appel 2016, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Universe sciences
Entité participante : Hungarian Academy of Sciences — Pays : Hongrie — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : MTA
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1726300.0 €

RADIOSTAR will exploit radioactive nuclei produced by nuclear reactions inside stars and ejected by stellar winds and supernova explosions to fill the missing pieces of the puzzle of the origin of our Solar System: What were the circumstances of the birth of our Sun? Were they similar to those of the majority of other stars in our Galaxy, or were they special? Radioactive nuclei are the key to answer these questions because meteoritic analysis has proven that many of them were present at the time of the birth of the Sun. Their origin, however, has been so far elusive. RADIOSTAR steps beyond the state-of-the-art to answer these open questions by (i) combining the evolution of radioactive nuclei in the Galaxy and within molecular clouds and (ii) considering all the seventeen radionuclides of interest and all their stellar sources and analysing the effects of uncertainties in their stellar production. This will allow us to: - Use the decay of radioactive nuclei produced by the chemical evolution of the Galaxy as a clock to measure the lifetime of the Sun’s parent molecular cloud prior to the Sun’s birth; - Calculate the self-pollution of this molecular cloud from the ejecta of stars with lives shorter than such lifetime; - Discover if such self-pollution can fully explain the abundances of radioactive nuclei present at the time of the birth of the Sun, or whether special conditions are required. RADIOSTAR will also have a far-reaching impact on our understanding of exoplanetary systems because the heat produced by radioactivity affects the evolution of planetesimals, with implications for the amount of water on terrestrial planets in the habitable zone. RADIOSTAR will open a new window into research on the effect of radioactivity on the evolution of planetesimals outside our Solar System.
Projet ERC : RAINDROPS (Horizon 2020, appel 2017, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Social Sciences and Humanities
Panel : The study of the human past
Entité participante : Pompeu Fabra University — Pays : Espagne — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : UPF
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1488506.0 €

RAINDROPS will investigate cultivation practices that support human resilience and adaptation in drylands, by developing an innovative and reliable methodology for the identification of water management practices from archaeobotanical remains. Irrigation, river floods or permanent water sources are often deemed necessary for cultivation to be practised in drylands. However, there are modern examples that testify to the existence of successful rain-fed cultivation systems, even in hyper-arid environments. Quantification of the extent of these practices in the past has the potential to dramatically change our understanding of human adaptation and agriculture. By establishing a protocol for the accurate identification of rain-fed cultivation, RAINDROPS will pave the way for the investigation of this practice in the past. Highly controlled data on phytolith ratios, and carbon, oxygen and silicon isotopes from macro- and micro-remains from experimental fields of finger millet [Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn.] and sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] will be validated with ethnographic evidence before being applied to selected key archaeological case studies. RAINDROPS will advance research in: (a) archaeobotanical methodology; (b) resilience theory; (c) physiology of drought-resistant crops; and (d) TEK of cultivation systems in drylands. This will for the first time allow a thorough evaluation of the relative importance of different water management practices in dryland cultivation in the past, and their significance for human adaptation to arid environments. The experimental work on finger millet and sorghum, at present two of the most important dryland crops, will provide valuable information on cultivation practices and plant physiology that will also inform current research on improvements of drought-resistant species –thereby contributing to work on improving the livelihood for over two billion people currently at risk from arid or changing environmental conditions

Mots-clés : drylands,plant physiology,drought resistant crops,water management practices,ethnoarchaeology,rain fed cultivation,archaeobotany,phytoliths,stable isotopes
Projet ERC : REEL BORDERS (Horizon 2020, appel 2020, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Social Sciences and Humanities
Panel : Cultures and cultural production
Entité participante : Vrije Universiteit Brussel — Pays : Belgique — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : VUB
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1482562.0 €

REEL BORDERS aims to bring fiction film to the centre of discussions about borders and belonging. As different institutions and actors increasingly turn to fiction film to circulate messages about borders, the study looks at how borders and fiction film have been related since the early 20th century. Border regimes are intimately intertwined with cultural imaginations and representations of borders and their insiders and outsiders. This project is the first to comprehensively investigate this relation across different borderlands and for the various actors involved. While grounded in the cultural studies tradition, it originally combines insights from representations research, film theory, popular geopolitics, border studies and migration studies. The main questions to be addressed are: What are the cultural imaginations of borders and its insiders and outsiders found in fiction film? How do different societal actors use fiction film to construct, contest, or experience territorial borders? These questions will be answered by looking at 3 groups of actors (institutions, creatives, and borderlanders) at 3 borderland cases: Ireland-UK, Turkey-Syria, and the Ceuta and Melilla exclaves. The study will combine archival work with media studies methods (production, content and reception analysis) and participatory filmmaking where borderlanders will make their own short films. REEL BORDERS will have a threefold impact. Empirically, it puts film firmly on the map of research on borders, conflict and migration, while expanding the horizon both in terms of historical depth and geographical width. Methodologically, it will include the most ambitious participatory film study to date. Theoretically, the study will establish new conceptual understandings of borders and belonging in cultural studies and beyond.

Mots-clés : popular geopolitics,border studies,participatory visual methods,film,media and migration
Projet ERC : RNAEDIT (Horizon 2020, appel 2014, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy
Entité participante : University of Cambridge — Pays : Royaume-Uni — Rôle : Partner
Acronyme de l'entité : U. Cambridge
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 0.0 €

RNA editing is a type of programmed RNA sequence alteration that can result in a range of proteomic changes, from subtle fluctuations in output, to specific alterations in protein content. Editing is catalyzed by two classes of deaminases: those which convert adenosine to inosine (ADARs) and those which convert cytosine to uracil (APOBEC1). We have previously shown that APOBEC1-catalyzed editing in the transcriptome of macrophages leads to the generation of populations that are heterogeneous, and functionally diverse, enabling rapid population adaptation to different environmental settings. Our first aim for this proposal is to extend our studies to additional immune cell subsets, focusing on cells that are recently recognized as "plastic" to define the contribution of editing to this plasticity of fate and function. RNA editing of the type we study has also been demonstrated to be crucial for cancer progression. For instance, APOBEC1-deficiency significantly reduces tumour burden on cells of the intestine and colon that are prone to adenocarcinomas in the context of the APC-min mutation. This is also the case for testicular carcinomas in mouse models of such tumours. Thus, there is genetic evidence for a requirement for APOBEC1 and RNA editing to drive tumour progression, in two tumour contexts. Based on these data and on our recently deciphered role for APOBEC1 as a "stealthy" diversifier of cellular transcriptomes (and proteomic outcomes), we hypothesize that APOBEC1 drives tumour progression by editing select transcripts in tumour cells (or tumour stem cells), thus enabling the rapid adaptation of the tumour to the onslaught of the immune response. Our second aim is to characterize the subset of edited transcripts in these model tumours (either at the population or at the single cell level) and understand their role to tumour survival and progression, both in mouse models of disease, and in human tumour samples (in collaboration with QP Hammarstrom, KI).

Mots-clés : innate immunity
Projet ERC : vRNP-capture (Horizon 2020, appel 2020, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems
Entité participante : University of Glasgow — Pays : Royaume-Uni — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1999916.0 €

RNA is a central molecule for RNA virRNA is a central molecule for RNA virus infection. However, viral genomes encode very few proteins that are able to interact with viral RNA. Hence, viruses co-opt cellular RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) to support infection. The host cell also employs RBPs to combat viruses through the recognition of unusual signatures present viral RNAs. Despite these critical roles, the complement of cellular RBPs involved in infection remains largely unknown. This research programme aims to discover comprehensively and unbiasedly the repertoire of cellular RBPs endowed with master regulatory roles in virus infection. To achieve this, we will exploit a novel method developed in my laboratory, named viral RNA interactome capture (vRIC), that allows the elucidation of viral ribonucleoprotein (RNP) composition with unprecedented depth and specificity. It employs pulse-labelling of viral RNA with a photoactivatable nucleotide analogue, UV crosslinking, viral RNA purification with antisense probes and quantitative proteomics. (Aim 1) I hypothesise that cellular RBPs that interact with a broad-range of viral RNAs are likely endowed with master regulatory roles in infection. To test this, I will apply vRIC to cells infected with different RNA viruses to discover RBPs that are shared across viral RNPs. Moreover, we will employ interferon α to investigate if the engagement of these RBPs with viral RNA is regulated by the antiviral state. (Aim 2) To test if these broad-spectrum RBPs display master regulatory roles in infection, I will apply a novel functional screen using genetically modified cells and a broad library of fluorescent viruses. (Aim 3) We will then decipher the molecular mechanisms underpinning the ability of these RBPs to support or restrict infection. In summary, this innovative research programme will discover cellular RBPs with master regulatory roles in infection with great potential as targets for broad-spectrum antiviral therapies.

Mots-clés : rna binding proteins,virus,ribonucleoprotein,interferon,immunity,proteomics,transcriptomics,iclip
Projet ERC : incPRINT-DRUG (Horizon 2020, appel 2018, Proof of concept grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems
Entité participante : Institut Curie — Pays : France — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

RNA transcripts have emerged as key regulators of diverse biological phenomena and are implicated in many human diseases including neurodegenerative disorders, cancers, viral infections and antibiotic resistance. As such, RNA represents an untapped source of therapeutic targets. Bioavailable small molecules have been recently successfully applied to target RNA. One caveat, however, is that lead compounds are not easily designed from RNA sequence or structure and therefore targeting RNA by small molecules remains challenging. One of the strategies to target RNA with small molecules is to target RNA-protein interactions or RNA elements stabilized by protein binding. However, the unbiased in vivo identification of small molecules that selectively target RNA-protein interactions with little cellular toxicity remains unachieved due to the lack of technology. In the incPRINT-DRUG project, we will adapt our innovative high-throughput RNA-protein interaction technology for unbiased identification of small molecules that target specific pathogenic RNA-protein interactions. Our unique technology enables drug testing in living cells combined with the simultaneous testing of drug specificity and toxicity. Our core technology has been extensively validated over the past years and proved to be robust to be optimized and adapted for the RNA drug discovery. Our business development strategies will follow several possible scenarios: (1) license the technology, (2) generate new IP with the technology and license the IP to industrial partners, (3) industrial partnership by providing service to biotech and pharma companies. All three options will be explored with our Technology Transfer & Industrial Partnership Office. incPRINT-DRUG is expected to have a strong biomedical and economic impact given the growing interest in finding small molecules targeting pathogenic RNAs and the technological gap to achieve it using data-driven experimental methods.

Mots-clés : pathogenic rnas,toxic rnas,rna drug discovery,small molecule inhibitors,incprint,rna protein interactions,biotechnology
Projet ERC : CODEX (Horizon 2020, appel 2019, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Universe sciences
Entité participante : University of Groningen — Pays : Pays-Bas — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : RUG
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 3499965.0 €

Radiation emitted by neutral hydrogen during the Universe's first billion years holds detailed information about its first stars, galaxies, black holes and fundamental physics. Achieving a detection of its faint "21-cm signal", currently redshifted to several meter wavelengths, has been extremely difficult due to the bright radio emission from other sources, human-made interference signals, the ionosphere, and telescope imperfections. It thus remains one of the hardest frontiers in present-day cosmology. In the past years, we made tremendous progress in mitigating these challenges, thanks to access to world-class low-frequency radio telescopes and research into innovative data analysis techniques. Using the Low-Frequency Array (LOFAR), we set the deepest limits on the 21-cm signal during the Epoch of Reionization, 500-1000 million years after the Big Bang, and the first limits during the early Cosmic Dawn. We started two innovative programs with AARTFAAC and NenuFAR, targeting the entire span of the Cosmic Dawn (100-500 million years), covering the recently-announced global 21-cm signal from EDGES. Last but not least, we launched the Netherlands-China Low-Frequency Explorer (NCLE) space-mission, currently in lunar L2 as part of the Chinese Chang-e' 4 mission, to set the first limits on the global 21-cm signal from the Dark Ages (20-100 million years). CoDEX draws together these state-of-the-art observational programs and their expertise into a single program, improving current 21-cm power spectrum limits by three to six orders of magnitude, advancing them into the domain of standard astrophysical models from z~8 to ~80. To achieve this, we will process petabytes of data, strengthen efforts in the signal- and data-processing domain and enhance processing capacity. ERC funding enables us to achieve this in the coming years before next-generation instruments, such as the SKA, come online.

Mots-clés : reionization,cosmic dawn,dark ages,21 cm cosmology
Projet ERC : PROTONMBRT (Horizon 2020, appel 2018, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases
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 : 1997870.0 €

Radiotherapy (RT) is one of the most frequently used methods for cancer treatment (above 50% of patients will receive RT). Despite remarkable advancements, the dose tolerances of normal tissues continue to be the main limitation in RT. Finding novel approaches that allow increasing normal tissue resistance is of utmost importance. This would make it possible to escalate tumour dose, resulting in an improvement in cure rate. With this aim, I propose a new approach, called proton minibeam radiation therapy (PROTONMBRT), which combines the prominent advantages of protons for RT and the remarkable tissue preservation provided by the use of submillimetric field sizes and a spatial fractionation of the dose, as in minibeam radiation therapy (MBRT). The main objectives of this project are to explore the gain of therapeutic index for radioresistant tumors, to disentangle the biological mechanisms involved and to evaluate the clinical potential of this novel approach. For this purpose, a method for minibeam generation adequate for patient treatments and a complete set of dosimetric tools will be developed. Then, tumour control effectiveness will be evaluated, and the possible biological mechanisms involved both in tumour and normal tissue responses will be disentangled. The gain in normal tissue recovery can foster one of the main applications of proton therapy, paediatric oncology, as well as open the door to an effective treatment of very radioresistant tumours, such as high-grade gliomas, which are currently mostly treated palliatively.

Mots-clés : medical physics,dosimetry,radiobiology,normal tissue toxicity
Projet ERC : LogCorRM (Horizon 2020, appel 2016, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Mathematics
Entité participante : University of Bristol — Pays : Royaume-Uni — Rôle : Partner
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 389637.14 €

Random Matrix Theory has been of central importance in Mathematical Physics for over 50 years. It has deep connections with many other areas of Mathematics and a remarkably wide range of applications. In 2012, a new avenue of research was initiated linking Random Matrix Theory to the highly active area of Probability Theory concerned with the extreme values of logarithmically correlated Gaussian fields, such as the branching random walk and the two-dimensional Gaussian Free Field. This connects the extreme value statistics of the characteristic polynomials of random matrices asymptotically to those of the Gaussian fields in question, allowing some important and long-standing open questions to be addressed for the first time. It has led to a flurry of activity and significant progress towards proving some of the main conjectures. A remarkable discovery has been that the characteristic polynomials of random matrices exhibit, asymptotically, a hierarchical branching/tree structure like that of the branching random walk. However, many of the most important questions remain open. My aim is to attack some of these problems using ideas and techniques that have so far not been applied to them: I believe it is possible to compute some important statistical quantities relating to the extreme values of characteristic polynomials exactly, for the first time, by establishing connections with integrable systems, representation theory, and enumerative combinatorics. Such connections have not previously been explored. I anticipate that this will have a significant impact on an area that is currently in a rapid phase of development and that it will settle some of the principal unresolved conjectures. I further believe that ideas exploiting the hierarchical branching structure may have new and unexpected implications for areas connected with Random Matrix Theory, including, in particular, Number Theory, and I plan to explore these too.

Mots-clés : random matrix theory,log correlated gaussian fields,extreme values,matrix integrals,riemann zeta function,function fields
Projet ERC : EXT (Horizon 2020, appel 2020, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Computer science and informatics
Entité participante : Tel Aviv University — Pays : Israël — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : TAU
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1493750.0 €

Randomness extractors are central in theoretical computer science and have a huge impact in complexity theory, error correcting codes, and cryptography to name a few. Informally, a randomness extractor is an algorithm that "purifies" the randomness of an imperfect random source by extracting from it a sequence of uniform and independent random bits. The myriad of applications make randomness extractor theory a vibrant and exciting research field with a major impact. Over the last few years, there has been a flurry of progress on deep long-standing open problems in the field and the PI's work played a key role in this development. Several novel ideas were introduced which give hope that other long-standing open problems in the field can be resolved. Moreover, the new techniques raise new and intriguing questions. In this research, we propose to study some of the most important open problems in randomness extractor theory: classic as well as the new challenges that arise. Moreover, we propose to apply results and techniques from randomness extract theory to three carefully chosen problems with a huge impact on their respective fields: (1) derandomization of space-bounded computation; (2) Ramsey graph constructions; and (3) locally decodable codes. Progress on any of these problems would be ground breaking. Despite the significant challenge, we believe that we are in a unique place to pursue these long-standing open problems both within randomness extractors theory and beyond. Indeed, as mentioned, the PI's work on randomness extractors was pivotal to the exciting progress in the field. Moreover, the PI obtained a breakthrough result on Ramsey graphs construction and the first improvement in 25 years on a problem related to derandomization of space-bounded computation. Both results were obtained using machinery from randomness extractor theory.

Mots-clés : randomness extractors,derandomization,locally decodable codes,complexity theory,explicit constructions