Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-erc-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet ERC : ToRH (Horizon 2020, appel 2016, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Computer science and informatics
Entité participante : Helmholtz Center for Information Security — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : CISPA
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 237000.0 €

The complexity of computing hardware keeps increasing at a rapid pace, with no end in sight. With growing number of components and ongoing miniaturization, hardware engineers struggle with an increasing number and variety of faults, yet must guarantee correct operation of the system as a whole. This is hindered by a concurrent increase in design complexity, i.e., the trend of integrating ever more diverse circuits into larger systems, which results in a higher complexity of verifying the correctness of a given design - especially when providing for the possibility that some components may fail. The goal of this project is to develop a holistic mathematical approach to modeling fault-tolerant circuits and demonstrate its usefulness in practice. Such a framework will exhibit several advantages over the present methods, which are largely based on simulation and experimentation: (i) mathematical proofs offer parametrized guarantees, which implies that the derived building blocks can easily be re-used in varying configurations and translated to different technologies; (ii) it permits statements about general fault types, entailing that claimed properties do not rely on specific fault behavior (which depends on operational parameters and technology); and (iii) abstract, parametrized reasoning enables to design and optimize for long-term scalability. While this approach to fault-tolerance has been successfully applied in the area of distributed computing for decades, transferring it to low-level hardware design introduces new obstacles, such as very limited computational capabilities of the basic components and the potential for metastability. Overcoming these challenges will pave the way for highly dependable and scalable systems, and thus help in further sustaining the exponential growth in available computing power commonly referred to as Moore's Law.

Mots-clés : byzantine fault tolerance,self stabilization,metastability,complexity analysis of algorithms,hardware implementation,fpga prototyping,clock synchronization,routing,consensus
Projet ERC : CellKarma (Horizon 2020, appel 2017, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems
Entité participante : Telethon Foundation — Pays : Italie — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1497250.0 €

The concept that any cell type, upon delivery of the right “cocktail” of transcription factors, can acquire an identity that otherwise it would never achieve, revolutionized the way we approach the study of developmental biology. In light of this, the discovery of induced pluripotent stem cells (IPSCs) and cell fate conversion approaches stimulated new research directions into human regenerative biology. However, the chance to successfully develop patient-tailored therapies is still very limited because reprogramming technologies are applied without a comprehensive understanding of the molecular processes involved. Here, I propose a multifaceted approach that combines a wide range of cutting-edge integrative genomic strategies to significantly advance our understanding of the regulatory logic driving cell fate decisions during human reprogramming to pluripotency. To this end, I will utilize single cell transcriptomics to isolate reprogramming intermediates, reconstruct their lineage relationships and define transcriptional regulators responsible for the observed transitions (AIM 1). Then, I will dissect the rules by which transcription factors modulate the activity of promoters and enhancer regions during reprogramming transitions, by applying synthetic biology and genome editing approaches (AIM 2). Then, I will adopt an alternative approach to identify reprogramming modulators by the analysis of reprogramming-induced mutagenesis events (AIM 3). Finally, I will explore my findings in multiple primary reprogramming approaches to pluripotency, with the ultimate goal of improving the quality of IPSC derivation (Aim 4). In summary, this project will expose novel determinants and yet unidentified molecular barriers of reprogramming to pluripotency and will be essential to unlock the full potential of reprogramming technologies for shaping cellular identity in vitro and to address pressing challenges of regenerative medicine.

Mots-clés : cellular reprogramming,single cell genomics
Projet ERC : NATCOOP (Horizon 2020, appel 2015, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Social Sciences and Humanities
Panel : The Social World and Its Diversity
Entité participante : Heidelberg University — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1276945.0 €

The constraints and dynamics set by nature have a deep and significant impact on economic fundamentals and the ability to successfully manage renewable resources. This can be taken into account to formulate effective policies. However, the causal pathway from the natural to the social environment and its feedback for sustainable resource use is often overlooked, not the least because preferences and incentives are traditionally viewed as being stable and fixed. Yet, it is high time to take this new perspective: Social-ecological systems around the globe are under mounting stress and common pool resources are vital, in particular in developing countries. This project aims to establish how nature shapes preferences and incentives of economic agents and how this in turn affects common-pool resource management. To this end, I investigate three mechanisms: (A) how tipping points and thresholds in the natural system may encourage cooperation; (B) how the volatility of resource abundance influences risk preferences and how this in turn affects community-based management; and (C) how leadership, which is closely linked to risk preferences, interacts with the natural environment to foster cooperation that overcomes common-pool dilemmas. NATCOOP's bold agenda pushes the frontier of economics and sustainability science. Not only the investigation of the feedbacks between nature and cooperation from a new angle, also the scale and scope of the project -- combining cases from different socio-economic and ecological setting at three continents with theoretical and statistical work -- will generate new knowledge and be highly rewarding. Though challenging, I am confident that my background in economics and ecology puts me in an ideal position to achieve this important task. My ultimate goal is to identify circumstances in which natural preconditions and the social setting may go hand in hand to promote the sustainable use of renewable resources.

Mots-clés : natural resources,endogenous preferences,thresholds,leadership,common pool resources,game theory
Projet ERC : VOLCAPSE (Horizon 2020, appel 2014, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Earth system science
Entité participante : Helmholtz Centre Potsdam - GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : GFZ
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1955355.0 €

The construction of volcanoes, i.e. the intrusive and eruptive growth, can be intermittently interrupted by destructive events. Dome building volcanoes, in specific, grow by magma extrusion and are partially destroyed again, posing a significant hazard in form of pyroclastic flows and other processes. The explosion at Merapi (Indonesia) in 2010, and at Colima volcano (Mexico) in 2013 are good examples of associated dramatic topographic changes. There is only limited understanding of the deformation style of the dome and the stress changes within and beneath, because sophisticated geodetic methods are hazardous to operate and are even destroyed during eruptions. In VolCapse, small scale displacements (<1 m/yr) at dome building volcanoes will be quantified by new generation satellite radar data. Larger scale displacements (>.1 m/yr) will be determined by time-lapse camera arrays that allow the visual recording of volcano summits from different viewing geometries, together with photogrammetric and image correlation approaches. This displacement data of the studied volcanoes shall allow to develop statistical and numerical models to investigate (i) how dome displacements affect the further magma extrusion position, (ii) how large morphology changes in the volcano summit affect dome growth by topographic loading or unloading, (iii) how dome growth is affected by extrinsic triggers such as tectonic quakes, and (iv) how simultaneous displacement processes such as cooling, extrusion and gravity driven deformation interfere. The P.I., with yearlong experience in modern geodetic methods, modelling and physical volcanology, herein describes the VolCapse project with the goal to enlighten our understanding of the coupled processes occurring during the different stages of volcano growth and collapse. Understanding such processes is essential for assessing volcanic hazards associated with dome building volcanoes worldwide.

Mots-clés : natural hazards,monitoring,geodesy,insar,stress,strain
Projet ERC : CO2LIFE (Horizon 2020, appel 2017, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Products and processes engineering
Entité participante : Université Catholique de Louvain — Pays : Belgique — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : UCL
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1302710.0 €

The continued increase in the atmospheric concentration of CO2 due to anthropogenic emissions is leading to significant changes in climate, with the industry accounting for one-third of all the energy used globally and for almost 40% of worldwide CO2 emissions. Fast actions are required to decrease the concentration of this greenhouse gas in the atmosphere, value that has currently reaching 400 ppm. Among the technological possibilities that are on the table to reduce CO2 emissions, carbon capture and storage into geological deposits is one of the main strategies that is being applied. However, the final objective of this strategy is to remove CO2 without considering the enormous potential of this molecule as a source of carbon for the production of valuable compounds. Nature has developed an effective and equilibrated mechanism to concentrate CO2 and fixate the inorganic carbon into organic material (e.g., glucose) by means of enzymatic action. Mimicking Nature and take advantage of millions of years of evolution should be considered as a basic starting point in the development of smart and highly effective processes. In addition, the use of amino-acid salts for CO2 capture is envisaged as a potential approach to recover CO2 in the form of (bi)carbonates. The project CO2LIFE presents the overall objective of developing a chemical process that converts carbon dioxide into valuable molecules using membrane technology. The strategy followed in this project is two-fold: i) CO2 membrane-based absorption-crystallization process on basis of using amino-acid salts, and ii) CO2 conversion into glucose or salts by using enzymes as catalysts supported on or retained by membranes. The final product, i.e. (bi)carbonates or glucose, has a large interest in the (bio)chemical industry, thus, new CO2 emissions are avoided and the carbon cycle is closed. This project will provide a technological solution at industrial scale for the removal and reutilization of CO2.

Mots-clés : co2 capture,membrane technology,enzymatic conversion
Projet ERC : DarkComb (Horizon 2020, appel 2017, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Systems and communication engineering
Entité participante : Chalmers University of Technology — Pays : Suède — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 2259522.5 €

The continuing increase in Internet data traffic is pushing the capacity of single-mode fiber to its fundamental limits. Space division multiplexing (SDM) offers the only remaining physical degree of freedom – the space dimension in the transmission channel – to substantially increase the capacity in lightwave communication systems. The microresonator comb is an emerging technology platform that enables the generation of an optical frequency comb in a micrometer-scale cavity. Its compact size and compatibility with established semiconductor fabrication techniques promises to revolutionize the fields of frequency synthesis and metrology, and create new mass-market applications. I envision significant scaling advantages in future fiber-optic communications by merging SDM with microresonator frequency combs. One major obstacle to overcome here is the poor conversion efficiency that can be fundamentally obtained using the most stable and broadest combs generated in microresonators today. I propose to look into the generation of dark, as opposed to bright, temporal solitons in linearly coupled microresonators. The goal is to achieve reliable microresonator combs with exceptionally high power conversion efficiency, resulting in optimal characteristics for SDM applications. The scientific and technological possibilities of this achievement promise significant impact beyond the realm of fiber-optic communications. My broad international experience, unique background in fiber communications, photonic waveguides and ultrafast photonics, the preliminary results of my group and the available infrastructure at my university place me in an outstanding position to pioneer this new direction of research.

Mots-clés : fiber optic communications,optical frequency comb technology,microresonator frequency comb
Projet ERC : TRANSREG (Horizon 2020, appel 2017, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing
Entité participante : University of Lausanne — Pays : Suisse — Rôle : Partner
Acronyme de l'entité : UNIL
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 0.0 €

The control of translation is a key determinant of protein abundance, which in turn defines cellular states. The impact of translational regulation may be even greater during the transition from homeostasis to malignancy, as revealed by the surprisingly low correlations between mRNA and protein levels in human cancer databases. This raises the intriguing possibility that through an ability to generate aberrant downstream networks of translational regulators, oncogenic drivers might impose altered protein synthesis programs that become the driving force for tumor formation and malignant progression. We recently unveiled a hitherto unappreciated role for upstream open reading frame (uORF) translation in tumorigenesis and unearthed a novel switch from conventional EIF2 initiation factor-mediated to alternative EIF2A-mediated uORF translation. These observations suggest that uORFs constitute an exciting new frontier in the field of translational regulation with the potential to fundamentally impact cellular fate. Here, I propose to systematically analyze the function of uORFs during tumorigenesis. First, we will conduct an in vivo CRISPR/CAS9-based screen in mice to elucidate the role of thousands of uORFs in development, differentiation and upon oncogenic transformation. Second, focusing on select uORFs surfacing in the screen, we will document their role during tumor initiation and progression. Third, we will develop novel tools to detect uORF translation in vivo, exploit them to monitor uORF translation during different stages of tumorigenesis, gain mechanistic insight into their function and finally test the relevance of these findings in human cancer. Collectively, these approaches will provide unprecedented and comprehensive insight into the function of uORFs, unravel new paradigms in the control of gene expression and expose novel strategies for cancer diagnostics and treatment.

Mots-clés : translational regulation,upstream open reading frames,crispr screening
Projet ERC : PlatoViaAristotle (Horizon 2020, appel 2019, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Social Sciences and Humanities
Panel : Cultures and cultural production
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 : 2335911.0 €

The conventional historiography of ancient Platonism follows patterns that ultimately go back to Antiquity itself. While these traditional doxographical accounts are not per se inaccurate, they do overlook continuities across different phases of this thousand-year history as well as some unexpected discontinuities. The reason for these shortcomings lies in the fact that certain philosophical debates are being ignored. Some omissions could be detected by searching for the philosophical reasons explaining doctrinal developments. This project chooses an unorthodox approach in that it does not try to reflect the issues emphasised in the sources, but instead selects one particular angle of approach: Aristotle’s critical discussion of Platonic views. By analysing Platonic responses to Aristotle’s criticisms and using these as a heuristic tool, the project pursues a twofold aim: to uncover debates that have hitherto not been picked up in scholarship; and to examine the philosophical reasons for doctrinal varieties and developments. The research hypothesis guiding this project is that Aristotle’s criticism of Platonic philosophy was a driving force for many developments in Platonism. The aims of the project can only be achieved through a large-scale investigation spanning the entire history of Platonism, searching for Platonic responses in all relevant philosophical domains. Since scholarship has been selective in its choice of topics, it cannot be predicted whether we can find sufficient traces of pertinent discussions in all subdomains. Despite the methodological difficulties and the uncertainty of the results the project is more than worth pursuing, as the pay-off is highly significant: it will radically change the way in which we understand the history of Platonism and add a whole new dimension to our historiographical accounts. If successful, it will uncover new debates and allow us to understand philosophical justifications for many philosophical developments.
Projet ERC : NEUROVESSEL (Horizon 2020, appel 2014, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System
Entité participante : Goethe University Frankfurt — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 2458468.0 €

The coordinated orchestration of cell movements is a vital process for assembling functional structures. In recent years we have learned a simplifying lesson: organ development is governed by a limited set of conserved cell-to-cell communication signaling pathways repeatedly used in different contexts. Particularly fascinating is the parallelism between the vascular and nervous systems. My lab has been working for more than a decade on the molecular and functional parallelism between nervous and vascular system development and plasticity. Although it is clear that cellular communication between the different cells in the brain is fundamental for brain function, very little is known about the signaling effectors that are used for such trans-cellular signaling. Molecular pathways involved in the crosstalk between vessels and neuronal cells are slowly emerging. How this crosstalk signaling is integrated at the interface of the different cellular players (neurons, endothelial cells, glial cells) for proper brain development and function is still poorly understood. Here I propose to delineate the molecular pathways that govern such communication in order to understand basic mechanisms of brain development, function and dysfunction. Using a combination of state-of-the-art inducible and cell type-specific genetics, both in mouse and zebrafish, together with high-resolution light microscopy and multi-photon live imaging we will examine the cell-context dependent integration of signaling pathways in building up proper neuronal/glial structures and functional networks. We will use advanced ultra-structural analysis using serial block-face electron microscopy (SBEM) to obtain high-resolution maps of cortical structures. Functionally, we will characterize the integration of vascular/glial/neuronal signals during cortical neuronal migration, arborization, synaptic connectivity, higher-order integrative cortical function and behavior-related plasticity in vivo.

Mots-clés : vessel,neuronal wiring,neuro,glia,endothelium interface,cortical learning related plasticity
Projet ERC : FPPAs (Horizon 2020, appel 2019, Proof of concept grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Systems and communication engineering
Entité participante : Universitat Politècnica de València — Pays : Espagne — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : UPV
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

The core concept behind this POC proposal spins-off from the activity of the Advanced Grant ERC-ADG-2016-741415 UMWPCHIP. It will establish the innovation potential behind a novel and revolutionary concept, the Field Programmable Photonic Array (FPPA). The FPPA has a similar rationale as the FPGA in electronics: A common hardware is designed to provide several resources that can be employed to implement different functionalities by means of programming. However, the FPPA is different from the FPGA in the sense that it does not carry digital logic operations but rather exploits optical interference to perform very high-speed analog operations acting over the phase and amplitudes of optical signals in a controlled environment provided by the chip's reduced footprint. The overall aim is to develop the first steps of this process that include: the technical and commercial viability; development of IPR strategy; establishing connections for later stage funding and covering the initial expenses for establishing a spin-off company. To achieve the project overall goals, I have organized the work-plan into three main tasks. T1: Hardware Development, T2: Software Development and T3: Technology transfer and Spin-off constitution.This combined effort to be undertaken through ERC PoC will provide both a strong technical as well as business foundation for my revolutionary FPPA concept. To my knowledge neither any other research group nor any other company in the world has proposed so far a similar integral approach towards a generic programmable photonic product such as that of the FPPA. Clearly, there is an extraordinary window of opportunity for developing this innovative concept, opening the path towards overcoming the death of More's Law enabing future flexible integrated chips incorporating both electronics and photonic parts. This PoC project will be the first leading to the creation of a European spin-off company in the field of programmable photonics.

Mots-clés : programmable integrated photonics,integrated optics,silicon photonics