Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-erc-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet ERC : BI-SDMoF (Horizon 2020, appel 2018, Proof of concept grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Systems and communication engineering
Entité participante : Ghent University — Pays : Belgique — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : UGent
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 149970.0 €

Network operators are struggling on how to release broadband mobile services in highly dense and hot-spot scenarios. The 5th generation of mobile networks is targeting per user downlink and uplink rates of 300 Mb/s and 50 Mb/s respectively. In ultra-dense environments such as stadiums, airports, shopping malls and tourist hot-spots, the aggregated bit rate becomes enormous. To make it more concrete, Belgium’s national football stadium (King Baudouin) is taken as example. The stadium can accommodate 50000 spectators. Even if an average bit-rate of only 50 Mb/s needs to be provided, an aggregated bit-rate of 2.5 Tb/s is required. Given the small area of a stadium (18 000 m2 seating area), this results in an astonishing capacity per area of 140 Tb/s/km2 or 140 Mb/s/m2. This is a 10-fold increase compared to area traffic capacity targeted in 5G and a 100-fold increase compared to the current 4G technologies. In order to make this 10-fold increase happen, the BI-SDMoF proposal (Bit-Interleaved Sigma-Delta Modulation over Fiber) builds on patent pending technologies currently developed in the ATTO Advanced ERC grant (“A new concept for ultra-high capacity wireless networks”). Whereas the ATTO project is using floor and robot integrated antenna’s with a target density of 100 Gb/s/m2 and targets a long term market potential, the BI-SDMoF PoC will focus on applying basic components from the ATTO project in a 5G fiber-fronthaul Centralized Radio Access Network (C-RAN) and Distributed Antenna System (DAS) context that is much closer to the market. The target density is 150 Mb/s/m2 and a distributed Massive MIMO scenario is envisaged. As a PoC demonstrator a low power, low cost 28 GHz RRH (Radio Resource Head) supporting two antenna streams with four 400 MBd channels each will be designed and integrated in a small scale DAS (4 RRHs) demonstrator. Each RRH will support 25.6 Gbps mobile traffic and the complete DAS system will be tested in a stadium environment (Ghelamco).

Mots-clés : radio over fibre  rof,sigma delta modulation  sdm,distributed antenna systems  das,centralised radio access networks  c ran,fiber fronthaul
Projet ERC : CORNET (Horizon 2020, appel 2017, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Computer science and informatics
Entité participante : Polytechnic University of Bucharest — Pays : Roumanie — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1325000.0 €

Networks are the backbone of our society, but configuring them is error-prone and tedious: misconfigured networks result in headline grabbing network outages that affect many users and hurt company revenues while security breaches that endanger millions of customers. There are currently no guarantees that deployed networks correctly implement their operator’s policy. Existing research has focused on two directions: a) low level analysis and instrumentation of real networking code prevents memory bugs in individual network elements, but does not capture network-wide properties desired by operators such as reachability or loop freedom; b) high-level analysis of network-wide properties to verify operator policies on abstract network models; unfortunately, there are no guarantees that the models are an accurate representation of the real network code, and often low-level errors invalidate the conclusions of the high-level analysis. We propose to achieve provably correct networks by simultaneously targeting both low-level security concerns and network-wide policy compliance checking. Our key proposal is to rely on exhaustive network symbolic execution for verification and to automatically generate provably correct implementations from network models. Generating efficient code that is equivalent to the model poses great challenges that we will address with three key contributions: a) We will develop a novel theoretical equivalence framework based on symbolic execution semantics, as well as equivalence-preserving model transformations to automatically optimize network models for runtime efficiency. b) We will develop compilers that take network models and generate functionally equivalent and efficient executable code for different targets (e.g. P4 and C). c) We will design algorithms that generate and insert runtime guards that ensure correctness of the network with respect to the desired policy even when legacy boxes are deployed in the network.

Mots-clés : network verification,symbolic execution,provable correctness
Projet ERC : DYNASNET (Horizon 2020, appel 2018, Synergy grants)
Entité participante : Hungarian Academy of Sciences — Pays : Hongrie — Rôle : CO-PI
Acronyme de l'entité : MTA
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 3484324.0 €

Networks define our life, being essential to cell biology, communications, social and economic systems, and impacting virtually all areas of science and technology. The aim of this proposal is to engage leading experts in network science and graph theory to build a mathematically sound theory of dynamical networks, which will be transformative to our understanding of complex systems, with applications in multiple disciplines. Both fields have made major conceptual advances in the past decade: network science has offered a data-based basic topological description of complex networks, and has started to address the inherently dynamical nature of real networks, their reconstruction and control; in mathematics we have seen major advances in graph limit theory, the local-global dichotomy in observation, and promising steps in the theory of graphs with intermediate degrees, that capture real networks. While these concepts offer different formalisms to capture the same underlying reality, there has been no conversation between the two communities, limiting our understanding of real networks. The proposed research aims to build on these advances to construct a coherent theory of dynamical networks, and to exploit its applications and predictive power to various real systems. We plan to offer a sound mathematical foundation of network science, helping us better analyze, predict and control the behavior of real networks. It will benefit mathematics in leading to an enriched, robust graph limit theory, with exciting applications in multiple areas of mathematics. To enhance the wider impact of the proposed mathematical advances, we plan to conduct a permanent conversation with experts from different domains that encounter and explore real networks, from cell biology to brain science and transportation and communication networks, inspiring with novel questions and helping the application of our advances in these domains.

Mots-clés : graph limit,dynamic network,processes on graphs,network science,complex systems,network biology
Projet ERC : STEMBAR (Horizon 2020, appel 2015, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Cellular, Developmental and Regenerative Biology
Entité participante : University of Zurich — Pays : Suisse — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : UZH
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 2000000.0 €

Neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) continue to generate new neurons throughout life in distinct regions of the mammalian brain. Adult neurogenesis has been implicated in brain function and altered neurogenesis has been associated with a number of neuropsychiatric diseases such as depression and cognitive ageing. A key feature of somatic stem cell division is the ability to divide asymmetrically and symmetrically for neurogenic and self-renewing cell division, respectively. However, it remains unknown how age is segregated in the context of somatic stem cell division, i.e., if the cellular history and the replicative age of the mother stem cell is passed onto its progeny. Thus, we hypothesized that – similar to the previously described barrier that exists in budding yeast – somatic stem cells, and more specifically NSPCs, form a diffusion barrier during cell division to retain aging or senescence factors within the stem cell, generating a mechanism for how age is asymmetrically distributed. Indeed, we found the existence of a diffusion barrier that is established during NSPC division, identifying a new mechanism of cellular segregation and asymmetry. With the program proposed here I aim i) to study the effects of the barrier on asymmetric segregation of aging factors and to develop novel tools to visualize the mammalian diffusion barrier, ii) to characterize the presence of a diffusion barrier in endogenous NSPCs in relation to cell division history, iii) to analyse the mechanisms underlying age-associated weakening of the NSPC diffusion barrier, and iv) to evaluate if genetic and pharmacological rescue of the barrier is sufficient to ameliorate the age-dependent decline of neurogenesis. The insights gained from the studies proposed here have the potential to substantially advance our understanding of NSPC biology, to identify a new mechanism underlying the neurogenic process, and to reshape our understanding of asymmetric cell division of somatic stem cells.
Projet ERC : GenEdiDS (Horizon 2020, appel 2016, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System
Entité participante : Italian Institute of Technology — Pays : Italie — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 2000000.0 €

Neurodevelopmental disorders (ND) are chronic psychiatric conditions with different etiologies, but most share a strong genetic component, defective brain development, and cognitive impairment. Currently, treatment options are very limited, and early educational intervention is the cornerstone for the management of cognitive impairment in most ND, indicating the positive effect of early actions during brain development. Among ND, Down syndrome (DS) is caused by the presence of an extra chromosome 21, and it represents the leading cause of genetically-defined intellectual disability. Different pharmacological treatments targeting one of the many pathways downstream of the triplicated genes have been shown to rescue cognitive impairment in DS animal models. Nevertheless, most of these preclinical studies have been performed postnatally and often in adults, possibly because of concerns of unwanted drug side effects that may have long-lasting noxious sequelae on a developing brain at embryonic stages. On the other hand, viral (but also non-viral) gene therapy approaches in animal models of ND have been mostly neglected because of technical and ethical issues, when considered in the light of future translational applications. Yet, DS is mostly diagnosed prenatally, when many of its brain developmental abnormalities originate. Here, we will investigate whether in utero manipulation of specific and possibly converging gene networks in neuronal progenitors of DS mice by CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technology, may recover brain development and cognitive deficits later in life. Specifically targeting neuronal progenitors will allow us to act at early stages of brain development, while avoiding the involvement of genetic editing of germline cells and all related ethical issues. In parallel, we will also develop safer (viral-free) technological approaches for genetic manipulations in utero to minimize technical issues in the view of potential future translational applications.

Mots-clés : down syndrome,sonoporation  electroporation,girk2,nkcc1,dyrk1a,gaba
Projet ERC : NEUROSORTER (Horizon 2020, appel 2020, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Cellular, Developmental and Regenerative Biology
Entité participante : Utrecht University — Pays : Pays-Bas — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1500000.0 €

Neuronal development and function rely on the polarized distribution of organelles and transmembrane proteins (cargoes) across their somatodendritic and axonal domains. However, it is unknown how organelle organization regulates the polarized sorting of transmembrane proteins to ensure proper neuronal function. The classical model for sorting of newly synthesized transmembrane proteins to the plasma membrane (PM) follows the biosynthetic pathway via the rough endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and Golgi, which are restricted to the somatodendritic domain in neurons. It is unclear whether this classical secretion pathway is the main route for cargo sorting into the axon or whether an alternative route to the axon is used for most axonal cargoes. Intriguingly, evidence indicates that cargoes can bypass the Golgi for their sorting to the axonal PM. However, the identity of an unconventional secretory pathway has not been demonstrated yet. Here, I propose that selective machinery, including the axonal ER and undefined intermediate compartments, allows local axonal cargo secretion. Previously, I advanced our knowledge on Golgi-dependent sorting of somatodendritic cargoes and elucidated the mechanisms behind ER organization in neurons. Here, for the first time we will: 1) Identify the sorting routes for newly synthesized axonal proteins 2) Unravel the machinery required for Golgi-independent cargo sorting into the axon, and 3) Elucidate its impact on neuronal development and function We will use high spatio-temporal resolution imaging and mass-spectrometry combined with novel strategies to control and track cargo secretion, as well as proximity-based labeling to identify key players in the newly identified machinery. A broad spectrum of human diseases is associated to cargo Golgi-bypass. Neurons offer a unique advantage in spatial resolution to characterize this unconventional route, which could play a key role in human health and disease.

Mots-clés : neurons,neuronal development,polarized sorting of transmembrane proteins,classical biosynthetic pathway,unconventional sorting,golgi bypass,endoplasmic reticulum
Projet ERC : makingtheretina (Horizon 2020, appel 2018, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System
Entité participante : Max Planck Society — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : Partner
Acronyme de l'entité : MPG
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 0.0 €

Neuronal lamination is a hallmark of many diverse brain areas where it is important for efficient circuit formation and neuronal wiring. Despite this significance, the cellular and tissue scale principles that ensure successful and robust lamination are not fully understood. In particular, how cell-tissue interactions and biomechanics influence neuronal lamination is only scarcely explored. To fill this gap, we will use the vertebrate retina with its five neuronal cell types arranged in a highly ordered pattern to investigate the emergence of neuronal lamination. We will initially use the zebrafish system and employ long term light sheet imaging to reveal the migration behaviour of the different retinal neurons. Based on this, transcriptomics approaches will enable the dissection of cellular pathways and extracellular cues involved in neuronal migration and overall lamination. To dissect how biomechanics influence lamination, we will use Brillouin microscopy to explore the influence of changing tissue stiffness on lamination and test the role of differential adhesion. These combined results will be the basis to expand studies to the human system and ex vivo human organoids to generate insights into human retinal development. To date, systematic studies investigating molecular pathways in combination with biophysical parameters to understand brain formation across model systems are rare. Due to our previous expertise, we are in an excellent position to perform such interdisciplinary, integrative and interspecies approach. This will unveil common denominators of retinal neuronal lamination in zebrafish, humans and human organoids and thereby reveal the similarities of retinal development in different species and how developmental programs compare in vivo versus ex vivo. In addition, while this proposal focuses on neural lamination in the retina, findings will also inspire future cross-disciplinary studies investigating neuronal lamination in other parts of the brain.
Projet ERC : SYNPRIME (Horizon 2020, appel 2014, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System
Entité participante : Max Planck Society — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : MPG
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 2495593.75 €

Neuronal signalling via synaptic vesicle (SV) fusion is the fastest membrane fusion event in mammalian cells. Its speed and the ability of presynapses to sustain SV fusion at high stimulation rates are key requirements for brain function. Plastic changes of SV fusion rates have long been thought to control complex brain processes such as working memory, but the link between presynaptic plasticity and complex brain functions remains hypothetical. A key determinant of presynaptic efficacy is that synapses maintain a release-ready or primed SV pool that can be refilled rapidly. SV priming is mediated by a set of dedicated priming proteins (Munc13s, CAPSs, and accessory proteins), which are of pervasive and essential functional importance for synaptic efficacy, and - based on in vitro studies - of capacious potential to regulate exactly the type of synaptic plasticity that is associated with brain circuit characteristics involved in complex behaviours. However, this 'catholic' role of the SV priming machinery in brain function has never been tested, mainly because essential genetic models for studies in vivo have been lacking. Using (i) 4 newly generated conditional KO and KI mouse lines, (ii) 17 additional KOs/KIs (12 ours), (iii) high-end EM approaches (iv) KO-replacement strategies, (v) electrophysiological and optophysiological analyses, and (vi) behavioural studies, we will examine the SV priming machinery in intact circuits in order to (a) define the mechanisms and cell biological basis of SV priming, of its dynamics, and of defined priming-dependent synaptic plasticity states, and to (b) define the causal links between SV priming, synapse function, synaptic plasticity, circuit characteristics, and behaviour. These studies will generate a comprehensive delineation of the role of SV priming in intact neural circuits, which is not only essential for basic science but also for psychiatry, because all key priming proteins are linked to neuropsychiatric diseases.
Projet ERC : NURE (Horizon 2020, appel 2016, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Fundamental constituents of matter
Entité participante : National Institute for Nuclear Physics — Pays : Italie — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : INFN
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 909812.5 €

Neutrinoless double beta decay (0νββ) is considered the best potential resource to determine the absolute neutrino mass scale. Moreover, if observed, it will signal that the total lepton number is not conserved and neutrinos are Majorana particles. Presently, this physics case is one of the most important research “beyond the Standard Model” and might guide the way towards a Grand Unified Theory of fundamental interactions. Since the ββ decay process involves nuclei, its analysis necessarily implies nuclear structure issues. The 0νββ decay rate can be expressed as a product of independent factors: the phase-space factors, the nuclear matrix elements (NME) and a function of the masses of the neutrino species.Thus the knowledge of the NME can give information on the neutrino mass, if the 0νββ decay rate is measured. The novel idea of NURE is to use nuclear reactions of double charge-exchange (DCE) as a tool to determine the ββ NME. In DCE reactions and ββ decay, the initial and final nuclear states are the same and the transition operators have the same spin-isospin structure. Thus, even if the two processes are mediated by different interactions, the NME are connected and the determination of the DCE cross-sections can give crucial information on ββ matrix elements. NURE plans to carry out a campaign of experiments using accelerated beams on different targets candidates for 0νββ decay. The DCE channel will be populated using (18O,18Ne) and (20Ne,20O) reactions by the innovative MAGNEX large acceptance spectrometer, which is unique in the world to measure very suppressed reaction channels at high resolution. The complete net involving the single charge-exchange and multi-step transfers characterized by the same initial and final nuclei will be also measured to study the reaction mechanism. The absolute cross-sections will be extracted. The comparison with microscopic state-of-the-art calculations will give access to the NMEs.

Mots-clés : neutrinoless double beta decay,magnetic spectrometers
Projet ERC : CSINEUTRONSTAR (Horizon 2020, appel 2014, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Universe sciences
Entité participante : University of Amsterdam — Pays : Pays-Bas — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : UvA
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1499999.0 €

Neutron stars offer a unique environment in which to develop and test theories of the strong force. Densities in neutron star cores can reach up to ten times the density of a normal atomic nucleus, and the stabilizing effect of gravitational confinement permits long-timescale weak interactions. This generates matter that is neutron-rich, and opens up the possibility of stable states of strange matter, something that can only exist in neutron stars. Strong force physics is encoded in the Equation of State (EOS), the pressure-density relation. This is linked to macroscopic observables such as mass M and radius R via the stellar structure equations. By measuring and inverting the M-R relation we can recover the EOS and diagnose the underlying dense matter physics. This proposal focuses on a very promising technique for simultaneous measurement of M and R. It exploits hotspots (burst oscillations) that form on the neutron star surface when material accreted from a companion star undergoes a thermonuclear explosion (a Type I X-ray burst). As the star rotates, the hotspot gives rise to a pulsation. Relativistic effects then encode information about M and R into the pulse profile. However the mechanism that generates burst oscillations remains unknown, 18 years after their discovery. This is frustrating in terms of our understanding of thermonuclear bursts. It also leads to uncertainties in the precise form of the underlying surface emission pattern (a key factor in the pulse profile fitting process), which must be addressed to cement their reliability as diagnostics of M and R. This proposal has two objectives. Firstly, to resolve the burst oscillation mechanism via an ambitious programme of theoretical and observational analysis. Secondly, to ensure that burst oscillations are a robust tool for measurement of M and R by determining the effect of the surface pattern uncertainty on pulse profile fitting, independent of efforts to constrain the mechanism.