Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-erc-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet ERC : GENUFASD (Horizon Europe, appel 2022, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Products and Processes Engineering
Entité participante : Université technique de Munich — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 2481873.0 €

Fluids are fundamental to a wide spectrum of natural phenomena and technological applications. Spectacular manifestations of patterns and order arise at small spatiotemporal scales from ultra-fast fluid dynamics (UFD). Initiated by focused deposition of high thermal energy, causing local disruption of equilibrium, violent competing fluid dynamics with extreme local state variations characterize the subsequent relaxation. UFD offer a unique potential for exploration in micro-manufacturing and energy conversion. How can this potential be leveraged/harnessed? What mechanisms and inherent properties determine UFD in complex manufacturing environments? How can UFD be controlled to deliver nanoparticles or micro-structured surfaces with predictable properties? What is the potential of employing UFD to control breakup of phase interfaces? Our objective is to answer these questions by decisive advances in generative computational predictions and high-fidelity numerical experiments. Data-driven multi-fidelity models break the curse-of-dimensionality barrier. Identification of interpretable low-dimensional manifolds of UFD dynamics generates understanding from data. Transformer models produce UFD realizations without solving equations. Harnessing efficient sampling from these methodologies enables us to optimize UFD processes, targeting applications in precision engineering. Developed paradigms, methodologies, and computational tools will be delivered to the scientific and engineering community. Our group has strong foundations in complex-fluid physics and advanced computational methods, and a strong record of successfully integrating fundamental research and technical applications. Our goal is to provide unprecedented insight into UFD in complex environments and to unravel the path to technical solutions. Leveraging the hidden potential of UFD gives access to breakthrough innovations and high-impact technologies in micro-manufacturing and energy conversion.

Mots-clés : multiphase flows,compressible flows,computational fluid dynamics,generative modeling
Projet ERC : PDE-INVERSE (Horizon Europe, appel 2022, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Mathematics
Entité participante : Université d'Helsinki — Pays : Finlande — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 2498644.0 €

Inverse problems are a research field at the intersection of pure and applied mathematics. The goal in inverse problems is to recover information from indirect, incomplete or noisy observations. The problems arise in medical and seismic imaging where measurements made on the exterior of a body are used to deduce the properties of the inaccessible interior. We use mathematical methods ranging from microlocal analysis of partial differential equations and metric geometry to stochastics and computational methods to solve these problems.  The focus of the project are the inverse problems for non-linear partial differential equations. We attack these problems using a recent method that we developed originally for the geometric wave equation. This method uses the non-linear interaction of waves as a beneficial tool. Using it, we have been able to solve inverse problems for non-linear equations for which the corresponding problem for linear equations is still unsolved. We study the determination of a Lorentzian space-time from scattering measurements and the lens rigidity conjecture. We use geometric methods, originally developed for General Relativity, to analyze waves in a moving medium and to develop methods for medical imaging. By applying Riemannian geometry and our results in invisibility cloaking, we study counterexamples for non-linear inverse problems and use transformation optics to construct scatterers with exotic properties.  We also consider solution algorithms that combine the techniques used to prove uniqueness results for inverse problems, manifold learning and operator recurrent networks. Applications include new virus imaging methods using electron microscopy and the imaging of brains. Practical algorithms based on the results of the research will be developed in collaboration with scientists working in medical imaging, optics, and Earth sciences.

Mots-clés : inverse problems,partial differential equations,mathematics of imaging,partial differential equations on manifolds,lorentzian geometry
Projet ERC : ReGroStaFT (Horizon Europe, appel 2024, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Mathematics
Entité participante : Université d'Helsinki — Pays : Finlande — Rôle : Partner
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 356472.5 €

This proposed project aims to develop rigorous renormalization group arguments, based on ideas from analysis and probability, and to apply them to problems in statistical physics, probability, and fluid mechanics. The emphasis is on physical phenomena which exhibit behavior across a large range of length scales, often with erratic and irregular behavior on small scales and possibly diverging correlation lengths. The idea is to gradually coarse-grain the system using ideas from the quantitative theory of stochastic homogenization, to obtain a macroscopic description which is simpler and thus more tractable, but also accurately describes the behavior of the system. Models that display anomalous diffusion, intermittent and/or multifractal behavior are of particular interest, examples of which can be found in simplified models of turbulent fluids and Euclidean field theory.

Mots-clés : renormalization group,stochastic homogenization,euclidean field theory
Projet ERC : DebuQC (Horizon Europe, appel 2022, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Fundamental Constituents of Matter
Entité participante : Université libre de Berlin — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1807721.0 €

This project sets out to assess, make use of and verify the computational power of realistic quantum devices. It comprehensively identifies quantum simulators and paradigmatic quantum devices that are computationally superior to classical supercomputers, based on presently available or plausible physical architectures. In doing so, it explores the fine line that discriminates regimes featuring a quantum advantage from ones that are accessible to efficient classical simulation. This naturally two-pronged approach is on the one hand concerned with (1) novel classical simulation tools for seemingly deeply quantum prescriptions and with identifying limitations of variational approaches and quantum simulation schemes. On the other hand, (2) it identifies new practically minded applications of quantum devices that exhibit a computational speed-up over classical machines, with potentially game-changing applications emerging for learning tasks. To achieve this goal, it digs deeply into computer science that provides sophisticated tools of computational complexity and of machine learning, and is instrumental in devising methods for the classical simulation of intricate quantum problems. At the same time, it draws on the physics of complex systems. This proposal suggests an interdisciplinary effort by bringing together ideas of quantum information, condensed matter physics, complexity theory, machine learning, tensor network theory, and methods that are unusual in this context such as signal processing. Individually, each objective substantially advances the respective field, but it is their combination that will permit a true breakthrough by delineating the delicate boundary between quantum and classical computations of synthetic quantum devices.

Mots-clés : near term quantum devices,quantum simulators,computational complexity,verification and benchmarking,classical simulation,quantum machine learning,tensor networks,sparse sampling,compressed sensing
Projet ERC : Re-COLL (Horizon Europe, appel 2023, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Materials Engineering
Entité participante : Université d'Utrecht — Pays : Pays-Bas — Rôle : Partner
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 640917.5 €

How can we durably regenerate damaged tissues in our body? At present, the answer to this question is largely unknown. Cell-based tissue engineering approaches can be used to produce living implants in the laboratory with a composition that is not unlike real tissues. However, the collagen-based matrix within such structures often lacks the specific intricate organisation that is imperative for the required biomechanical properties, functionality and mechanical stability. This is the cause of our inability to provide a durable cure for damaged tissues that are mechanically challenged, such as articular cartilage. In Re-COLL, I aim to unravel the triggers that underlie the formation, guidance and integration of the structural anisotropic collagen networks in articular cartilage and leverage biofabrication technologies and biointerface engineering to generate durable implants for the restoration of damaged joints. With my multidisciplinary team, I will identify the (bio)chemical, physical and mechanical factors that can influence the formation and integration of the engineered collagen engineered collagen network. For this purpose, I will create unique in vitro and ex vivo models specifically designed for studying the organisation of anisotropic collagen networks in cartilage tissue. With the generated new insights, I will engineer larger tissue grafts that allow the guidance of the structural collagen organisation, as well as its integration within the recipient. To delineate the interplay between the anisotropic collagen networks and tissue function, I will extensively evaluate the performance of cartilage grafts at the tissue and organ level. Through Re-COLL, I will advance the scientific field of orthopaedic regeneration by tackling major gaps in knowledge and technology to set the fundamentals for engineering more functional and stable biosimilars that can restore tissue anisotropy in patients.

Mots-clés : biofabrication cartilage collagen melt electrowriting joint preservation bioprinting
Projet ERC : SPONTSENSE (Horizon Europe, appel 2021, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System
Entité participante : Université Miguel-Hernández — Pays : Espagne — Rôle : Partner
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 513930.0 €

It is commonly held that spontaneous activity in the immature brain prepares the neural circuits to process sensory information at the onset of experience. The best studied patterns of such activity are those observed postnatally in rodents, during stages that resemble the last months of gestation in humans. However, the features and functions of spontaneous activity at earlier stages, when the brain’s foundations are laid down and cortical areal identities are acquired, remain largely unknown. Here, I propose to develop an extensive and creative research program aimed at understanding the role of the patterns of spontaneous activity in the specification of sensory cortices and long-term plasticity. This novel line of research is founded on strong preliminary results and pursues the hypothesis that different cortical sensory territories exhibit unique patterns of spontaneous activity that interact with emerging area-specific transcriptional programs to specify sensory areas functionally. We will first extract the earliest patterns of spontaneous activity from cortical and subcortical territories in embryonic and perinatal mice in vivo and study their concurrent spatiotemporal genetic signatures by single-cell transcriptomics. Next, we will perturb these early activity patterns within a specific sensory modality to reveal if such perturbation modifies the genetic landscape and affects sensory identity. Finally, we will evaluate the behavioural consequences of functional cortical re-specification in adult mice. SPONTSENSE will set the stage to understand the principles of sensory circuit development and shed new light on the brain plasticity following sensory defects. I envisage that this information will pave the way to devise strategies that may serve to direct these programs of plasticity in clinical situations as when sensory input has been compromised.

Mots-clés : spontaneous activity,meso scale calcium imaging,scrnaseq,transgenic mice,sensory cortices,thalamus,sensory behaviour
Projet ERC : NanoMare (Horizon Europe, appel 2024, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Earth System Science
Entité participante : Nederlandse organisatie voor wetenschappelijk onderzoek — Pays : Pays-Bas — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : NWO
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 3199999.0 €

Nanoplastics (plastic litter fragments <1µm) were only recently discovered in the marine realm. Due to their colloidal nature, nanoplastics may be dispersed throughout the ocean, potentially affecting all marine life. However, their minuscule size has made it virtually impossible to measure their distribution or determine if microbes can degrade nanoplastics, thus influencing their fate in the ocean. Innovative approaches developed by my team have now made this possible for the first time. Using an ultrasensitive mass spectrometry method, our preliminary results revealed substantial concentrations of various nanoplastic types in both surface waters and the deep sea, suggesting that nanoplastics could constitute an important part of the ocean’s plastic budget. Simultaneously, results from a novel stable isotope assay uncovered the previously unknown ability of marine microbes to degrade nanoplastics, indicating that microbes play a crucial role in determining the fate of these particles in the ocean. However, marine microbes and the ecosystem services they support could also be negatively impacted by nanoplastics. Building on my team’s innovative approaches, we will conduct in situ experiments across surface and deep sea environments, complemented by investigations under laboratory conditions. Through the NanoMare project, we will be the first to provide fundamentally new insights into nanoplastic degradation kinetics, nanoplastic-degrading microbes (including degradation pathways and genes), impacts of nanoplastics on the ocean’s microbiome, and the global prevalence and distribution of nanoplastics and their degradation products in the sea. The NanoMare project will profoundly enhance our understanding of ocean microbe-nanoplastic interactions and nanoplastic inventories, with substantial implications for marine microbiology and other ocean science disciplines. Beyond the ocean, the results will also be important for the fields of hydrology and atmospheric physics.

Mots-clés : nanoplastic,plastic degradation bioremediation,stable isotope labeling,stable isotope probing,pollution
Projet ERC : ViBRANT-SEA (Horizon Europe, appel 2023, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Earth System Science
Entité participante : Nederlandse organisatie voor wetenschappelijk onderzoek — Pays : Pays-Bas — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : NWO
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 3195068.75 €

Plastic Marine Debris (PMD) is now considered a planetary boundary threat and the “Plastic Cycle” a biogeochemical cycle. The impacts of single-use plastic litter in marine environments have prompted a search for greener alternatives such as the biodegradable/compostable plastics polyhydroxyalkanoates and polylactic acid already being used for consumer goods. The diversity of microbes, their enzymes, and their role in influencing the rates of plastic biodegradation in nature remains poorly characterized – particularly in cold or low-oxygen marine waters and seafloor, where most PMD accumulates. The impact of lag duration, pH, hydrostatic pressure, and potential priority effects of initial microbial colonizers remain vital but unaddressed concerns. In addition, the impact of plastic, its breakdown products, and additives on marine organisms and ecosystems is largely unquantified. Two urgent questions are how long does plastic last in the marine environment and what are the impacts on ecosystems. This technology-enabled project aims to quantify biodegradation rates of biodegradable plastics and plastic-associated additives in the field and under controlled laboratory conditions, and to develop a fish model system for toxicity tests to fill these knowledge gaps. This project will generate novel microbial metagenomes from global plastic samples collected during cruises and from biodegradation experiments to create a comprehensive list of genes and enzymes linked to biodegradation of biodegradable plastic in marine environments. It will be the first to combine in situ respirometry, stable isotope probing, and advanced imaging techniques to measure biodegradable plastic biodegradation rates while visualizing microbe-microbe interactions on the plastic surface, revealing cellular mechanisms occurring during active biodegradation. Finally, it will develop the first marine fish organoid model for consistent and efficient testing of toxicity due to plastics and additives.

Mots-clés : biodegradation,plastic pollution,microbial ecology,genomics,ecotoxicology,organoids
Projet ERC : REVITALIZE (Horizon Europe, appel 2024, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Computer Science and Informatics
Entité participante : Université technique de Berlin — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 2500000.0 €

A lot of everyday infrastructure is powered by legacy software that depends on obsolete toolchains. Such software is literally “stuck in time” and cannot benefit from innovations in modern compilers such as automated security mitigations applied during compilation. There are often other undesirable consequences, such as a need to use outdated hardware platforms.  Unfortunately, modernizing such legacy software isn’t as simple as taking the ancient source code (if it exists) and re-running it through a modern compiler. In practice, hidden undocumented dependencies on specific compiler versions, build systems, and other parts of older toolchains often make it infeasible to recreate legacy programs from old source code. There is also the related problem of identifying which of several surviving source code versions might be the one that corresponds to an existing authoritative binary.  In this project, the PI proposes an ambitious approach that bypasses these concerns by starting at the existing authoritative binary and then “lifting” it to the intermediate representation of the LLVM compiler infrastructure. Once “lifted,” the existing software can immediately take advantage of the vast array of software reliability tools and optimization passes that already exist for LLVM. Our project will take existing x86 legacy binaries and automatically translate them to security-hardened replacement binaries for the open standard RISC-V architecture, both with and without CHERI security extensions.  In order to provide assurance that replacement software revitalized via “lifting” actually performs exactly as a functional drop-in replacement of the original (but lacking security vulnerabilities lurking in the original), the PI proposes a novel use of Multivariant Execution Environments (MVEEs) for the fine-grained differential testing of replacement against original. This can also be used to confirm that existing legacy source code truly matches the authoritative binary.

Mots-clés : binary lifting from machine code to compiler ir,binary to binary cross compilation between instruction set architectures,security retrofitting of binary executables,legacy code revitalization,differential testing of binaries directly against each other with deep state introspection using multivariant execution
Projet ERC : IDEO-YEMEN (Horizon Europe, appel 2024, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Social Sciences and Humanities
Panel : Studies of Cultures and Arts
Entité participante : University College Dublin — Pays : Irlande — Rôle : Partner
Acronyme de l'entité : UCD
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 136068.0 €

The stellar rise of the Yemen’s Houthis (Ansar Allah) is not just a story of military conquest but also of ideological innovation, which has transformed northern Yemen and reshaped power relations in the Middle East. Despite their importance, the unanswered question of what the Houthis “really” want still looms large in academic debates and political circles. This project will transform our understanding of the Houthis by analysing their massive ideological output and triangulating it with a vast corpus of unexplored indigenous sources and findings from digital (remote) fieldwork. As the first study of its kind, this project pursues three primary objectives: (1) Provide unprecedented insights into Houthi ideology and its interplay with Yemen’s social, intellectual, historical, religious, and institutional frameworks, including its foreign inspirations, media, and symbolic and ritual expressions. (2) Explore Houthi ideology’s dual nature as both a normative discourse and an everyday practice, offering empirically informed understandings of how ideology operates and impacts local communities, and (3) use Houthi ideology as a case study to develop a novel “agential” and multiscalar theoretical approach to the study of ideology within social and cultural anthropology, and related fields.  The results of this project will redefine the anthropology of ideology and provide unparalleled insights into the Houthi phenomenon. Its innovative theoretical and methodological contributions will advance social and cultural anthropology, enhancing its relevance and providing novel approaches and tools for studying emerging ideologies in similar contexts globally. On a trans-disciplinary level, the results will inform and revise diplomatic, political, and humanitarian efforts to better understand the crisis in Yemen and develop tailored, sustainable solutions.

Mots-clés : yemen,anthropology of ideology,social history,intellectual history,houthis,zaydism,religion,governance