Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-erc-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet ERC : SynPrePro (Horizon Europe, appel 2023, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Social Sciences and Humanities
Panel : The Human Mind and Its Compl exity
Entité participante : Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language — Pays : Espagne — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : BCBL
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1199570.0 €

Humans effortlessly process over 200 spoken words per minute in casual conversation. Speech recognition algorithms still fail at this challenging task. Our superior performance stems from our capacity to predict what the speaker may say next. Understanding how the brain uses these predictions to process the sensory input is crucial to understand perceptual function and dysfunction: dyslexia, autism and psychosis have all been linked to an impaired handling of predictions. Hierarchical predictive coding (HPC) is the current leading framework to understand how predictions help us processing sensory inputs. However, HPC is only compatible with the function and organisation of the cerebral cortex. This is a decisive shortcoming: while only cortical stages have the foresight to perform conceptually accurate predictions, only subcortical stations have the temporal properties required to correctly process fast sensory inputs. SynPrePro will reformulate HPC as an integrated theory explaining how cortical and subcortical stages work together to proficiently process fast and complex sensory inputs like speech. I will use a unique experimental-theoretical approach to study the human auditory pathway as a model for sensory pathways in four work packages (WPs). WP1 will use cutting-edge human neuroimaging to unravel the implementation of HPC in the auditory pathway. WP2 will use innovative model-based neuroimaging to identify the mechanisms responsible for the generation of conceptually accurate and temporally precise predictions. In WP3 I will develop a ground-breaking computational model to identify the neural mechanisms implementing HPC in the thalamocortical loop. WP4 will use big-data analytics to disentangle how cortical and subcortical stages work together to swiftly process speech. The outcomes will turn the cortical paradigm of HPC into an integrated theory of cortico-subcortical interactions, revolutionising our understanding of perceptual function and dysfunction.

Mots-clés : auditory perception,thalamocortical interactions,predictive coding
Projet ERC : InSituDynamics (Horizon Europe, appel 2025, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Physical and Analytical Chemical 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 : 2494232.0 €

The aim of this project is to spectroscopically study nanoscale electronic transport, thermal transport, and relaxation dynamics in nanocrystal-based optoelectronics. The major advance will be to do so under real device operating conditions in situ and with high spatiotemporal resolution—the first studies of their kind.  Energy-carrier dynamics are fundamental to basic energy science, yet important questions about microscopic charge and thermal transport under operando device conditions remain underexplored. Key advances in the historically separate fields of transient microscopy, thermoreflectance, and nanocrystal optoelectronic device fabrication present an opportune moment to directly probe such dynamics in unprecedented ways. In the next generation of optoelectronics research, these fields must be merged to image local charge-carrier dynamics and thermal transport in the context of realistic conditions. I will use transient optical microscopy to spatiotemporally resolve carrier transport in nanomaterials in contact with electrodes, under applied bias and illumination, and account for morphological features. I will seek a deeper mechanistic understanding through modeling, provide feedback on efficiency-limiting steps, and develop new approaches to control energy flow via physicochemical parameters. Looking beyond pristine materials, I will focus on colloidal nanocrystal-based optoelectronics such as photoconductors, solar cells and LEDs, serving as model next-generation systems. These studies will reveal microscopic structure–property relationships that connect nanoscale carrier dynamics to macro-scale device functionality. The operando method established here will be broadly applicable to a wide range of advanced materials and device configurations.  I am uniquely positioned to achieve this scientific advance, synergizing expertise in time-resolved microscopy, nanocrystal device fabrication, probe station characterization, and nanoscale thermal transport.

Mots-clés : time resolved spectroscopy,colloidal nanocrystals,charge transport,thermal transport,ultrafast spectroscopy,operando,optoelectronics,semiconductor nanocrystals,excited state dynamics,nanoscale heat transport,plasmonic nanocrystals,self assembly,superlattice,nanocrystal device,charge transfer
Projet ERC : NidoRep (Horizon Europe, appel 2024, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Molecules of Life: B iological  Mechanisms , Structures  and Functions
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 : 1499779.0 €

Nidoviruses are an intriguing group of +RNA viruses, whose diverse genome sizes (11-41 kb) reflect a long history of adaptation to suit specific niches. They remain mostly neglected, with the exception of the large-genome Coronaviridae (CoV) family (32 kb), which includes the notorious human pathogen SARS-CoV-2. At the other end of the size-spectrum is the small-genome Arteriviridae (ArV) family (11 kb), an understudied group of prevalent, animal-infecting pathogens. Viral replication is mediated by a suite of enzymes known as the replication transcription complex (RTC), at the core of which is the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) and its unique N−terminal domain, known as the NiRAN. NidoRep aims to bridge the prevalent knowledge-gap between small and large genome nidoviruses, by deciphering the specific structural and mechanistic features of the RTC that regulate genome replication across such vastly different viruses. It will be divided into three distinct objectives: Objective 1 will focus on small-genome nidoviruses, providing the first structural and functional characterization of an ArV RTC. Objective 2 will probe how RdRp speed and fidelity have been fine-tuned to accommodate the distinct and conflicting replication requirements of diverse nidoviruses. This will be achieved through the development of an innovative in vitro sequencing assay, also providing a new and robust tool for screening drugs that corrupt RNA synthesis. Objective 3 will investigate the role of the NiRAN in initiation of RNA synthesis though protein-priming, providing new insight into the functional evolution of this complex domain, while also identifying novel drug-targeting sites. NidoRep will determine how specific viral enzymes have structurally and functionally evolved to support remarkable genome diversification within a single viral order. It will expand our understanding of understudied viruses with epidemic potential, and guide drug design strategies against key viral targets.

Mots-clés : nidovirus,polymerase,rdrp,nucleotidyltransferase,niran,replication transcription complex,viral evolution,error rates,drug design,nucleotide analogues,coronavirus,arterivirus,sars cov 2,eav
Projet ERC : Deep-C (Horizon Europe, appel 2024, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Earth System Science
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 : 2278467.75 €

As humanity grapples with the escalating crisis of climate change, understanding and mitigating the sources of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions is imperative. A lesser-known yet significant aspect of this crisis lies in the vast expanses of marine sediments which encompass two-thirds of the Earth’s surface. A key component of these sediments is calcium carbonate (CaCO3), a family of minerals that makes up the shells and skeletons of marine organisms. CO2 emissions lead to ocean acidification, triggering CaCO3 dissolution, which in turn neutralizes CO2, acting as a crucial CO2 sink over millennial timescales. However, the mechanisms and rate of this dissolution remain unknown due to the challenges posed by the deep ocean’s high pressures and the elusive bacterial communities mediating the dissolution process. Proposed here is an ambitious five-year research initiative aimed at understanding deep-sea CaCO3 dissolution, thereby paving the way towards a more thorough understanding and potential mitigation of climate change impacts. By focusing on the abyssal and hadal realms, this groundbreaking research seeks to unveil the nature and rate of CaCO3 dissolution through high pressure reactors. These reactors, which mimic the pressure and temperature of deep-sea environments, present a robust alternative to in-field studies. With the integration of cutting-edge sensors and the use of advanced CaCO3 imaging techniques, we anticipate generating precise and continuous data on the unfolding biogeochemical processes. By housing bacterial cultures within the reactors, alongside natural CaCO3 grains, this project will delve into the mechanisms driving dissolution. The insights will be instrumental in refining a global biogeochemical model, thereby promoting a deeper comprehension of the ocean’s role in carbon sequestration and propelling forward the global efforts towards effective climate change mitigation.

Mots-clés : calcite,aragonite,pressure,solubility,carbonate,calcium,carbon,sediment,ocean,thermodynamics,kinetics,dissolution,degradation,organic,microbes,bacteria,dna,alkalinity,acidification,climate,change,mitigation,co2,reactor,laboratory,model
Projet ERC : PUMBA (Horizon Europe, appel 2024, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Physical and Analytical Chemical 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 : 1500000.0 €

An important challenge in biophysics is to understand the complex biological functions emerging from the physico-chemical properties of simple building blocks. Showcasing this challenging question is the multiple functions achieved by the phenol soluble modulins (PSMs) peptides from Staphylococcus aureus, able to self-assemble into amyloid structures, and underlying S. aureus pathogenicity. Over the past decade, the intrinsic capacity to form fibrils in vitro has been directly correlated with the peptide biological activities in vivo. This traditional focus severely limits our understanding of the role of more complex intermediate structures and dynamic interactions with the encountered biological membranes. Here, I propose to uncover the molecular determinants and mechanisms of self-assembly and its implication in dictating PSMs multifunctionality, from biofilm formation to inflammation and toxicity. I hypothesize that, beyond the current “one structure – one function” paradigm, intermediate assemblies are the membrane active entities and their co-aggregation with membrane components, such as lipids and proteins, contribute to their distinct functions. Building on my prior work on PSMα3 and my leading force in single-cell and single-molecule characterizations, I will: 1. Reveal the mechanism of self-assembly and the role of lipid co-factors 2. Uncover the molecular modes of action of diverse assemblies at the membrane interface 3. Establish in vivo how these assemblies drive host cell inflammation and death 4. Explore the role of self-assembly in bacterial adhesion, in turn biofilm formation By pinpointing the key characteristics of PSMs assemblies, from their physico-chemical to structural properties, responsible for their different functions, this project could set the basis for the design of novel structure-based therapeutics against staphylococcal infections, eliciting less antibio-resistance.

Mots-clés : self assembly,membrane,atomic force microscopy,host pathogen interactions
Projet ERC : MathDevCCN (Horizon Europe, appel 2024, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Social Sciences and Humanities
Panel : The Human Mind and Its Compl exity
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 : 1496500.0 €

Learning the association between numerals (symbolic numbers) and quantity (nonsymbolic numbers) is the initial step toward comprehending symbolic mathematics. According to the symbolic estrangement hypothesis, extensive experience of exposure to numerals and their manipulation may significantly weaken any preexisting relation between symbolic and nonsymbolic numbers. Previous studies have independently reported representational shifts of brain activity patterns in young children and simulation of number processing systems using artificial neural networks (ANNs). Nonetheless, it has remained largely unclear how such brain representations and ANN features are related to each other in terms of development. The current project aims to address these issues by constructing computational models that integrate multimodal neuroimaging data of young children and ANN models for symbolic and nonsymbolic numbers. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and electroencephalogram (EEG) data will be collected while children engage in number perception tasks at the outset (5-year-olds) and after two years (7-year-olds) of formal education. In parallel with the neuroimaging experiments, I will implement ANNs that learn the association between symbolic and nonsymbolic numbers. To determine whether ANNs exhibit a similar developmental trajectory as the human brain, I will construct voxel-wise encoding models based on the latent ANN features. Encoding models based on the fMRI and EEG data will be further integrated into fine-scale spatiotemporal data showing functional dynamics across multiple brain regions. Finally, I will investigate how these dynamics change with formal education by comparing data from 5- and 7-year-olds. This project integrates interdisciplinary knowledge from cognitive neuroscience, developmental psychology, and artificial intelligence to establish a novel computational approach to understanding the development of mathematical abilities.

Mots-clés : development,mathematical cognition,computational neuroscience,artificial intelligence
Projet ERC : Kryptonis (Horizon Europe, appel 2024, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Earth System Science
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 : 2382203.0 €

Volatile elements, such as water, carbon and nitrogen, with low condensation temperatures, are needed to achieve and sustain habitable conditions. They also regulate planets geodynamics and climate evolution. However, how these volatiles were delivered to terrestrial planets and how they subsequently evolved is actively debated. Due to their inertness and high volatility, the noble gases krypton and xenon are unique geochemical tracers of volatiles. Their non-radiogenic isotopes have kept the signatures of the sources that delivered volatiles to planets and of the evolutionary processes subsequent to accretion, like recycling via subduction. Yet the non-radiogenic krypton and xenon isotopes have barely been used, in particular for krypton, due to major analytical challenges. Here, I propose to develop an original geochemical tool, the non-radiogenic krypton and xenon isotopes. I will develop innovative analytical protocols to allow high precision measurements of these isotopes. The objectives are to determine the source(s) of volatiles for terrestrial planets and to assess when volatiles started being recycled into the Earth’s mantle via subduction. To achieve these goals, I will (i) determine the precise krypton and xenon compositions of different types of meteorites to evaluate whether one meteorite type can explain the signature of the Earth’s and Mars’ mantles, (ii) assess the volatile source(s) of the Martian mantle by studying the krypton and xenon compositions of the Martian meteorites shergottites and nakhlites, (iii) determine the krypton and xenon compositions of different Earth’s mantle sources, from the present-day to the Archean, by analyzing mid-ocean ridge basalts and granitoids. The analyses on granitoids will be combined with high-pressure high-temperature experiments to study the krypton and xenon elemental fractionation processes, which will be key to providing a global understanding of the measured fluid compositions in granitoids.

Mots-clés : volatile origin,volatile evolution,meteorites,earth s mantle,mars,noble gases,krypton,xenon,experimental petrology,isotopic analyses
Projet ERC : SynApoE (Horizon Europe, appel 2024, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System
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 : 1498449.0 €

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is one of the biggest scientific and socio-economic challenges of the 21st century. Currently, there is no cure. Aggregates of amyloid-β and tau protein, along with neuroinflammation/gliosis, are hallmarks of AD that lead to synaptic and neuronal loss as the basis for cognitive decline. The latter correlates closely with the brain distribution of tau aggregates, providing a strong incentive to investigate a link between tau accumulation and synaptic degeneration. Brain apolipoprotein E (ApoE), mainly produced by astrocytes, is essential for lipid transport to neurons and synaptic functions. ApoE4 isoform is the strongest genetic risk factor for AD and contributes to tau-mediated neurodegeneration. Determining how ApoE4 controls tau-mediated synaptic degeneration is thus essential to understand AD and develop efficient treatments, yet this requires fine characterization of ApoE4 functions at tau-damaged synapses with a synaptic resolution. SynApoE will test in 3 work packages the hypothesis that ApoE4 worsens tau-mediated synaptic degeneration by altering the astrocyte/neuron interactions at the synapse: 1: SYNAPTIC CHANGES. Identify directly at tau-damaged synapses the ApoE4-mediated structural and functional synaptic changes; 2: PROTEIN PLAYERS. Identify the protein players underlying these structural and functional synaptic changes; 3: MECHANISMS. Discover the mechanisms through which ApoE4 promotes tau-associated synaptic degeneration, based on the protein players identified in WP2. SynApoE aims to decipher how ApoE4 drives tau-mediated synaptic degeneration, providing a deeper understanding of AD pathophysiology. SynApoE achieves unprecedented synaptic resolution by combining advanced proteomics, super resolution microscopy at synapses, electrophysiology and behavioral testing. This will help unravel the mechanisms leading to synaptic loss and subsequent cognitive decline, providing new targets for drug design to protect synapses.

Mots-clés : tau pathology,alzheimer s disease,synapses,apolipoprotein e4,astrocytes,tripartite synapses,synaptic degeneration,gliosis,microglia
Projet ERC : INFRALYTICS (Horizon Europe, appel 2024, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Physical and Analytical Chemical 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 : 1500000.0 €

As global energy demands escalate, and the use of non-renewable resources becomes untenable, renewable resources and electric vehicles require far better batteries to stabilize the new energy landscape. To maximize battery performance and lifetime, understanding and monitoring the fundamental mechanisms that govern their operation throughout their lifetime is crucial. Unfortunately, from the moment batteries are sealed until the end of their life, they remain a "black box", and our understanding of the health status of commercial batteries is limited to measurements of current, voltage, temperature, and impedance, at the cell or even module level during use. However, the landscape has recently evolved with the integration of optical fiber-based sensors into batteries, providing unprecedented insights into their thermal and mechanical properties. A significant breakthrough in this trajectory is the successful integration of Infrared Fiber Evanescent Wave Spectroscopy (IR-FEWS) into commercial Na-ion cells. This achievement enables real-time monitoring of battery chemistry dynamics during operation, marking a paradigm shift in battery design with the potential for enhanced performance, extended lifespan, and enhanced reliability.  INFRALYTICS aims to explore the myriad of opportunities opened by this advance. The initiative kicks off by integrating chemical monitoring using IR-FEWS into battery cells, delving into the evolution of electrolytes and the formation of parasitic products—be they soluble, solid, or gaseous. Through a synergistic approach involving optical fiber design, electrochemical data generation, and data-driven modeling, the project strives to develop a technology capable of bridging complex degradation phenomena with batteries' long-term performance. By addressing current knowledge gaps, INFRALYTICS aims to position the EU research and industry to produce more efficient and durable batteries, thereby contributing to a more sustainable future.

Mots-clés : battery,characterizations,electrolytes,interfaces,infrared spectroscopy