Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-erc-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet ERC : PLANETDIVE (Horizon 2020, appel 2014, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Universe sciences
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 : 3498938.0 €

The discovery of extra-solar planets orbiting other stars has been one of the major breakthroughs in astronomy of the past decades. Exoplanets are common objects in the universe and planetary systems seem to be more diverse than originally predicted. The use of radius-mass relationships has been generalized as a means for understanding exoplanets compositions, in combination with equations of state of main planetary components extrapolated to TeraPascal (TPa) pressures. In the most current description, Earth-like planets are assumed to be fully differentiated and made of a metallic core surrounded by a silicate mantle, and possibly volatile elements at their surfaces in supercritical, liquid or gaseous states. This model is currently used to infer mass-radius relationship for planets up to 100 Earth masses but rests on poorly known equations of states for iron alloys and silicates, as well as even less known melting properties at TPa pressures. This proposal thus aims at providing experimental references for equations of state and melting properties up to TPa pressure range, with the combined use of well-calibrated static experiments (laser-heated diamond-anvil cells) and laser-compression experiments capable of developing several Mbar pressures at high temperature, coupled with synchrotron or XFEL X-ray sources. I propose to establish benchmarking values for the equations of states, phase diagrams and melting curves relations at unprecedented P-T conditions. The proposed experiments will be focused on simple silicates, oxides and carbides (SiO2, MgSiO3, MgO, SiC), iron alloys (Fe-S, Fe-Si, Fe-O, Fe-C) and more complex metals (Fe,Si,O,S) and silicates (Mg,Fe)SiO3. In this proposal, I will address key questions concerning planets with 1-5 Earth masses as well as fundamental questions about the existence of heavy rocky cores in giant planets.

Mots-clés : high pressure thermal equations of state,diamond anvil cells,laser dynamic compression,synchrontron sources,xfel,x ray diffraction,xanes,earth like planets
Projet ERC : PHYSBIOHSC (Horizon 2020, appel 2016, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Cellular, Developmental and Regenerative Biology
Entité participante : University of York — Pays : Royaume-Uni — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1046670.0 €

The discovery of functional heterogeneity in normal and malignant stem cells has shifted our understanding of how single cells are subverted to drive cancer. To design therapies for diseases of stem cell origin and to better provide cell populations for clinical applications, it is critical to understand this diversity at the single cell level. This proposal focuses on understanding the complex biology of normal and malignant stem cells and the impact of individual mutations on clonal evolution by studying the physical and quantitative aspects of single blood stem cells. This proposal aims to study single blood stem cell biomechanics and clonal evolution by leveraging new inter-disciplinary technologies and approaches and applying them to functionally defined mouse and human blood stem cell populations. It will combine in vitro and in vivo biological assays with mathematical modelling and microfluidic technology in an iterative manner across both human and mouse stem cell populations.

Mots-clés : physical biology,microfluidic devices,mathematical models,quantitative biology,cell fate choice
Projet ERC : ProNeurons (Horizon 2020, appel 2015, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Biotechnology and Biosystems Engineering
Entité participante : TU Dresden — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : TUD
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1482500.0 €

The discovery of pluripotent stem cells has expanded the working modes in biology towards the reverse engineering of specific cell types. Unlike studying developmental phenomena in vivo, we are now theoretically able to mimic some of these processes in a dish. The use of human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells facilitates studying the genesis of human cell types in an ethically approved setting. However, exploiting the full potency of stem cells is only possible with very few differentiated cell types. In particular, the generation of neurons is in its infancy: of the many neuronal types present in the brain, only a few types have been generated in vitro. So far, neuronal differentiation protocols are multifaceted and tailored to individual cell types. The molecular events that occur during reprogramming remain enigmatic. Hence, we cannot confer these protocols easily on producing different neurons of interest. Therefore, we plan to induce transcription factors as differentiation control buttons in human iPS cells in order to explore in vitro neurogenesis systematically. First, we will apply a human transcription factor library to conditional fluorescent iPS reporter lines, facilitating high-throughput isolation and analysis of induced neurons. Second, the underlying gene regulatory networks will be revealed using RNA-sequencing over the entire differentiation period to identify the biological rules of in vitro neuronal differentiation. We will combine these in-depth transcriptomic analyses with morphological, anatomical, and functional characterizations. Finally, based on our discoveries, we will engineer human photoreceptors that can be applied to cell transplantation experiments in retinal degeneration diseases. Conceptually, our approach paves the way for targeted “forward” programming of human iPS cells to neurons.

Mots-clés : cellular engineering,programming ips cells to neurons,gene regulatory networks of neurogenesis from human induced pluripotent stem cells
Projet ERC : ProNeurons (Horizon 2020, appel 2015, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Biotechnology and Biosystems Engineering
Entité participante : University Hospital Bonn — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : Partner
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 12500.0 €

The discovery of pluripotent stem cells has expanded the working modes in biology towards the reverse engineering of specific cell types. Unlike studying developmental phenomena in vivo, we are now theoretically able to mimic some of these processes in a dish. The use of human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells facilitates studying the genesis of human cell types in an ethically approved setting. However, exploiting the full potency of stem cells is only possible with very few differentiated cell types. In particular, the generation of neurons is in its infancy: of the many neuronal types present in the brain, only a few types have been generated in vitro. So far, neuronal differentiation protocols are multifaceted and tailored to individual cell types. The molecular events that occur during reprogramming remain enigmatic. Hence, we cannot confer these protocols easily on producing different neurons of interest. Therefore, we plan to induce transcription factors as differentiation control buttons in human iPS cells in order to explore in vitro neurogenesis systematically. First, we will apply a human transcription factor library to conditional fluorescent iPS reporter lines, facilitating high-throughput isolation and analysis of induced neurons. Second, the underlying gene regulatory networks will be revealed using RNA-sequencing over the entire differentiation period to identify the biological rules of in vitro neuronal differentiation. We will combine these in-depth transcriptomic analyses with morphological, anatomical, and functional characterizations. Finally, based on our discoveries, we will engineer human photoreceptors that can be applied to cell transplantation experiments in retinal degeneration diseases. Conceptually, our approach paves the way for targeted “forward” programming of human iPS cells to neurons.

Mots-clés : cellular engineering,programming ips cells to neurons,gene regulatory networks of neurogenesis from human induced pluripotent stem cells
Projet ERC : HighPHun (Horizon 2020, appel 2020, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Fundamental constituents of matter
Entité participante : University of Oxford — Pays : Royaume-Uni — Rôle : Partner
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 0.0 €

The discovery of the Higgs boson at the LHC has confirmed the Standard Model of Particle Physics up to the highest energies ever tested in a laboratory. The Standard Model is based on a rich mathematical framework, Quantum Field Theory. Among the most powerful instruments to extract precise theoretical predictions for physical observables in Quantum Field Theory are the so-called scattering amplitudes: remarkably involved mathematical objects which encapsulate the probabilities of particle collisions. The calculation of scattering amplitudes remains an outstanding mathematical problem, which has become the object of intense study both from physicists and mathematicians. In the last decade many unexpected connections have been discovered between distant fields such as number theory, algebraic geometry, string theory and particle physics. These apparently formal developments have proven to be decisive to investigate fundamental physics at unprecedented energies and precisions. HighPHun positions itself in this exciting context and has two major and intertwined goals: 1- To extend our understanding of the mathematical properties of scattering amplitudes and, in this way, help to unravel long-standing puzzles in perturbative Quantum Field Theory. 2- To perform currently out-of-reach calculations in the Standard Model and help to uncover precious details about the most fundamental laws of physics. At the heart of HighPHun is the ambitious goal of combining cutting-edge ideas in physics and mathematics to solve outstanding problems in high-energy physics. The synergies generated by this project will, on the one hand, extend the reach of the LHC and of future colliders searches for elusive signs of New Physics and, on the other, help us develop a deeper mathematical understanding of Quantum Field Theory.

Mots-clés : scattering amplitudes,feynman integrals,higher orders,collider phenomenology
Projet ERC : emergenTopo (Horizon 2020, appel 2019, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Fundamental constituents of matter
Entité participante : Université de Lille — Pays : France — Rôle : Partner
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 99235.0 €

The discovery of topological phases of matter has revolutionised the understanding of solid state physics in the past 40 years. Their main hallmark is the appearance of propagating edge states robust to backscattering at the interface between two solids of different topologies. This paradigm has been able to successfully ex-plain electronic phenomena such as the universal edge transport in the quantum Hall effect and the exist-ence of topological insulators. Recently, these concepts have been brought to photonic materials. The flexi-bility to implement engineered Hamiltonians along with the direct optical access to all relevant observables, has made of photonic systems an extraordinary platform for the study of topological phenomena, and prom-ises exceptional applications in integrated photonics. So far, the vast majority of topological phases observed in any system (solid state, cold atoms or photons) arise from single particle dynamics. The experimental observation of new topological phases emerging from particle-particle interactions remains one of the greatest challenges of topological physics. The first goal of this project is to experimentally unveil novel topological phases in photonic lattices emerging from photon-photon interactions. A second scenario of high potential interest is that of Floquet topological sys-tems, in which topological phases are induced when a trivial system is periodically driven in time. The sec-ond goal of this project is to implement novel topological phases in photonic lattices subject to periodic temporal modulations, and to explore their behaviour in the presence of interactions. To attain these goals, we will employ different photonic platforms with significant photon nonlinearities, and we will develop a new ultrafast detection technique capable of resolving the dynamics of topological excitations. This project will unlock the door to the new field of nonlinear topological photonics.

Mots-clés : topology,topological insulators,analogue quantum simulation
Projet ERC : EPI-CART (Horizon 2020, appel 2020, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases
Entité participante : Austrian Academy of Sciences — Pays : Autriche — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : OAW
Type d'entité : Organismes privés (hors enseignement)
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1999913.0 €

The dramatic efficacy of CAR T cell therapy in certain hematopoietic malignancies provides clinical validation of a groundbreaking paradigm: Human cells can be engineered into purpose-built therapeutic agents by genetically introducing artificial regulatory programs. The EPI-CART project will focus on epigenetic regulation in CAR T cell therapy – an important but underappreciated aspect of all cell-based therapies. We will investigate the regulatory dynamics during CAR T cell therapy in unprecedented molecular detail, by following 40 patients who will receive treatment for two blood cancers (Aim 1). Using single-cell epigenome/transcriptome profiling of CAR T cells and sequential biopsies, clonal tracking, monitoring of immune regulation, and liquid biopsies, we will bioinformatically reconstruct patient-specific trajectories, identify molecular markers for therapy monitoring, and uncover epigenetic drivers of CAR T cell response. To engineer the first “epigenetically boosted” CAR T cells for hard-to-treat cancers (CAR-T-resistant blood cancers, solid tumors), we developed a CAR T cell screening/engineering platform that enables us to functionally test thousands of potential regulators in cellular assays and mouse tumor models (Aim 2). The in vivo experiments leverage our CRISPR single-cell sequencing method (CROP-seq), supporting rational optimization of CAR T cells and quantitative modeling of the underlying regulatory mechanisms. The EPI-CART project will uncover key roles of epigenetic regulation in CAR T cells, advance our understanding of existing CAR T cell therapies, and establish new approaches for areas with unmet clinical need. We will establish preclinical proof-of-concept for the efficacy of “epigenetically boosted” CAR T cells and provide a compelling rationale for subsequent first-in-human clinical trials. More generally, this project will demonstrate the biological roles and translational potential of epigenetic programs in cell-based therapy.

Mots-clés : car t cells,cell based therapy,immuno oncology,cancer immunotherapy,epigenomics,single cell sequencing,crispr screening,bioinformatics,personalized medicine
Projet ERC : EcoBox (Horizon 2020, appel 2018, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems
Entité participante : KU Leuven — Pays : Belgique — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : KUL
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1493899.0 €

The dynamics of microbial communities may be driven by the interactions between community members, controlled by the environment, shaped by immigration or random events, influenced by evolutionary processes or result from an interplay of all these factors. This project aims to improve our understanding of how community structure and the environment impact community dynamics. Towards this aim, a defined in vitro community of human gut bacteria will be assembled, since their genomes are available and their metabolism is comparatively well resolved. In the first step, we will quantify the intrinsic variability of community dynamics and look for alternative stable states. Next, we will systematically vary community structure as well as nutrient supply and monitor their effects on the dynamics. Finally, we will measure model parameters, evaluate to what extent different community models predict observed community dynamics and validate the models by identifying and experimentally validating keystone species. Studies of microbial community dynamics are hampered by the cost of obtaining densely sampled time series in replicates and by the difficulty of community manipulation. We will address these challenges by setting up an in vitro system for parallel and automated cultivation in well-controlled conditions and by working with defined communities, where every community member is known. The proposed project will discern how external factors and community structure drive community dynamics and encode this knowledge in mathematical models. Moreover, the project has the potential to transform our view on alternative microbial communities and their interpretation. In addition, the project will extend our knowledge of human gut microorganisms and their interactions. These insights will ease the design of defined gut communities optimized for therapeutic purposes.

Mots-clés : biological systems analysis,modeling and simulation,synthetic communities
Projet ERC : EDST (Horizon 2020, appel 2016, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Social Sciences and Humanities
Panel : Individuals, Markets and Organisations
Entité participante : Institute of political economy and governance — Pays : Espagne — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 554791.0 €

The early development literature documented that the growth path of most advanced economies was accompanied by a process of structural transformation. As economies develop, the share of agriculture in employment falls and workers migrate to cities to find employment in the industrial and service sectors [Clark (1940), Kuznets (1957)]. In the first industrialized countries, technical improvements in agriculture favoured the development of industry and services by releasing labour, increasing demand and raising profits to finance other activities. However, several scholars noted that the positive effects of agricultural productivity on economic development are no longer operative in open economies. In addition, there is a large theoretical literature highlighting how market failures can retard structural transformation in developing countries. In particular, financial frictions might constrain the reallocation of capital and thus retard the process of labour reallocation. In this project, we propose to contribute to our understanding of structural transformation by providing direct empirical evidence on the effects of exogenous shocks to local agricultural and manufacturing productivity on the reallocation of capital and labour across sectors, firms and space in Brazil. For this purpose, we construct the first data set that permits to jointly observe labour and credit flows across sectors and space. To exploit the spatial dimension of the capital allocation problem, we design a new empirical which exploits the geographical structure of bank branch networks. Similarly, we propose to study the spatial dimension of the labour allocation problem by exploiting differences in migration costs across regions due to transportation and social networks.

Mots-clés : economic development,structural transformation,factor missallocation,credit market frictions
Projet ERC : EDST (Horizon 2020, appel 2016, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Social Sciences and Humanities
Panel : Individuals, Markets and Organisations
Entité participante : Centro de Estudios Monetarios y Financieros — Pays : Espagne — Rôle : Partner
Acronyme de l'entité : CEMFI
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 931709.0 €

The early development literature documented that the growth path of most advanced economies was accompanied by a process of structural transformation. As economies develop, the share of agriculture in employment falls and workers migrate to cities to find employment in the industrial and service sectors [Clark (1940), Kuznets (1957)]. In the first industrialized countries, technical improvements in agriculture favoured the development of industry and services by releasing labour, increasing demand and raising profits to finance other activities. However, several scholars noted that the positive effects of agricultural productivity on economic development are no longer operative in open economies. In addition, there is a large theoretical literature highlighting how market failures can retard structural transformation in developing countries. In particular, financial frictions might constrain the reallocation of capital and thus retard the process of labour reallocation. In this project, we propose to contribute to our understanding of structural transformation by providing direct empirical evidence on the effects of exogenous shocks to local agricultural and manufacturing productivity on the reallocation of capital and labour across sectors, firms and space in Brazil. For this purpose, we construct the first data set that permits to jointly observe labour and credit flows across sectors and space. To exploit the spatial dimension of the capital allocation problem, we design a new empirical which exploits the geographical structure of bank branch networks. Similarly, we propose to study the spatial dimension of the labour allocation problem by exploiting differences in migration costs across regions due to transportation and social networks.

Mots-clés : economic development,structural transformation,factor missallocation,credit market frictions