Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-erc-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet ERC : RECAP (Horizon 2020, appel 2016, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Earth system science
Entité participante : University of Oxford — Pays : Royaume-Uni — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 2225713.0 €

Precipitation is of fundamental importance so it is vital to understand its response to anthropogenic perturbations. Aerosols have been proposed to significantly affect precipitation [e.g. Ramanathan et al., 2001]. However, despite major research efforts evidence for a systematic aerosol effect on precipitation remains “ambiguous” [IPCC AR5, Stocker et al., 2013]. The vast majority of prior research [even an entire World Meteorological Organisation assessment report: Levin and Cotton, 2009] has taken a process-driven approach: trying to infer aerosol effects on precipitation through modelling/observing the chain of microphysical processes: from aerosols acting as cloud condensation / ice nuclei via cloud microphysics to precipitation formation of individual clouds. However, this relies on a complete understanding of a very complex and uncertain process chain and there exist no clear strategies to scale the response of individual clouds or cloud systems to larger scales. RECAP will break this deadlock, introducing a radically different approach to aerosol effects on precipitation. RECAP will systematically constrain the energetic control of aerosol effects on precipitation across scales, delivering the first comprehensive and physically consistent assessment of the effect of aerosols on precipitation across scales, uniting energetic and process-driven approaches.

Mots-clés : precipitation,aerosol,cloud
Projet ERC : OPTOSENSE (Horizon 2020, appel 2017, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Tampere University — Pays : Finlande — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 148368.75 €

Precise control over humidity and moisture levels is pertinent for various industrial processes dealing with, e.g., chemical engineering and fabrication of pharmaceuticals and semiconductor devices. In order to improve the product yields and ensure safety and high quality, accurate and reliable humidity sensing is in great demand. The dominant humidity-sensing technologies in the market are based on permittivity changes in a polymer matrix induced by water adsorption from air, resulting in changes in capacitance or conductivity. These approaches have been well established, but they are not suitable for all environments, such as those with large electromagnetic interference, high-voltage electricity, or explosive atmospheres. For several environments, remote humidity sensing would be the preferred, if not the only, option. OPTOSENSE aims at developing a remote, all-optical detection scheme for measuring relative humidity and temperature, utilizing photoswitchable azobenzene compounds. The proposed method relies on following the thermal cis-trans isomerization kinetics of hydroxyazobenzene derivatives embedded into an optically transparent matrix, which acts as the active sensing layer. The thermal isomerization kinetics of such a material is sensitive to the presence of water molecules, which adsorb to the active sensing layer from the measurement environment, providing the basis for the proposed humidity-sensing concept. Combinations of different hydroxyazobenzene derivatives and sensing wavelengths allow for simultaneous measurement of temperature and multiple hydrogen-bonding gases within a single sensing layer. In the proof-of-concept device, the whole measurement system will be integrated into optical fibers, offering a simple solution based on low-cost materials for simultaneous temperature and humidity sensing.

Mots-clés : azobenzene,photoisomerization,polymer,optical sensing,humidity
Projet ERC : SARF (Horizon 2020, appel 2017, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Physical and analytical chemical sciences
Entité participante : Johannes Kepler University of Linz — Pays : Autriche — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : JKU
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1998000.0 €

Precise investigation tools for analyzing and manipulating matter down to the scale of single atoms are the eyes, ears and fingers of nanoscience and -engineering. SARF takes these nano-analytical "senses" one next step beyond the present state of the art. SARF is breaking new grounds by enabling spectral fingerprinting of single atoms for elemental identification and intra-molecular chemical analytics with sub-nanometer spatial resolution and operating in vacuum- as well as liquid-phase environments. This presently impossible combination of analytical capabilities simultaneously in a single tool is highly desirable to many diverse fields of nanoscience and technology, where decisive functionality originates from single individual atoms and molecules (e.g. spintronics, sensors, catalysis, medicinal drug development, surface physics, biology, etc.). SARF realizes resonance spectroscopy at giga-Hertz frequencies combined with scanning tunneling microscopy for specific single-atom fingerprinting. Characteristic resonance signals are locally detectable by the probe tip as small changes of conductance that indeed enable elemental and chemical identification. SARF conceives and develops single-atom fingerprinting on a manifold of different systems including magnetic and nonmagnetic metals, semiconductors and, exemplarily, tetrapyrrole-based metal-organic functional molecules. If successful, SARF will provide a controlled, versatile, fast and readily applicable "atom-by-atom" matter analysis, where single atoms are selected and identified one by one in real time and space.

Mots-clés : single spin spectroscopy,radio frequency scanning tunneling microscopy,magnetic resonance
Projet ERC : SIRMIO (Horizon 2020, appel 2016, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases
Entité participante : Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : LMU
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1525925.0 €

Precision small animal radiotherapy (RT) research is a young emerging field aiming at unravelling complex in-vivo mechanisms of radiation damage in target and non-target tissues, for translation into improved clinical treatment strategies. For commonly used X-rays, commercial small animal radiation research platforms were recently developed to provide precision imaged-guided RT comparable to state-of-the-art human treatment. Conversely, such platforms are not yet existing for proton beams, which are increasingly used in RT due to their superior ability to concentrate beam energy in the tumour and spare normal tissue. Pre-clinical research is thus carried out at the few available proton therapy facilities, lacking adequate beam quality and image-guidance for small animal treatment. To fill this gap, this project will realize and demonstrate the first prototype system for precision small animal proton irradiation at existing experimental beamlines of clinical facilities. Improved beam quality for targeting small structures will be achieved via a dedicated magnetic focusing system. Innovative in-situ image-guidance will combine ion-specific solutions of proton-transmission imaging (for treatment planning) and thermoacoustics (for verification of the beam range) with established ultrasound (for real-time morphological confirmation) and positron-emission-tomography (for functional assessment). The resulting multi-modal “sight” will be used to foster new workflows of treatment adaptation. The system will be thoroughly tested and finally deployed in a first in-vivo study in different orthotopic mouse cancer models, in comparison to reference X-ray RT at a commercial small animal platform. SIRMIO will deliver the first, compact and cost-effective precision small animal proton irradiator for advancing molecular oncology and animal-based proton RT research, thereby providing new experimental insights in biological in-situ responses towards proton and photon irradiation.

Mots-clés : proton therapy,small animal radiation research
Projet ERC : FunClocks (Horizon 2020, appel 2020, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Fundamental constituents of matter
Entité participante : Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : PTB
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 2445950.0 €

Precision spectroscopy of highly charged ions (HCI) provides insight into atomic systems in which electrons are highly correlated, strongly relativistic, and experience strong internal fields. Thus, HCI are excellent systems to probe and refine our understanding of physics under these extreme conditions. They are the most sensitive known atomic species to probe for possible changes in fundamental constants and offer advantageous properties to study coupling of hypothetical dark matter fields to normal matter. For these applications, high-precision optical spectroscopy of HCI is required. In the past, the spectroscopic resolution of optical transitions in HCI was limited by Doppler-broadening to hundreds of megahertz. We have recently demonstrated the first hertz-level laser spectroscopy of an optical fine-structure transition in highly charged argon using sympathetic cooling and quantum logic with a co-trapped logic ion in a Paul trap, improving the spectroscopic precision by nine orders of magnitude compared to the previous state-of-the-art. Here, we propose to further develop quantum techniques for controlling HCI and to push spectroscopic resolution in order to realise next generation optical clocks based on promising reference transitions in HCI. We will employ these novel types of optical clocks to advance our understanding of atomic structure and to probe for physics beyond the standard model. Sub hertz-level isotope shift spectroscopy of highly charged calcium ions will be performed to improve current bounds on hypothetical fifth forces that couple neutrons and electrons. Furthermore, we will perform optical clock-type spectroscopy on HCI that offer up to a 20-fold higher sensitivity to a possible change in the fine-structure constant and a non-gravitational coupling between dark matter and normal matter than existing clocks. Through frequency comparisons with other clocks, we will improve bounds on these new physics effects.

Mots-clés : quantum logic spectroscopy,highly charged ions,optical clocks,dark matter searches,variation of fundamental constants
Projet ERC : 3DCanPredict (Horizon 2020, appel 2019, Proof of concept grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases
Entité participante : Tel Aviv University — Pays : Israël — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : TAU
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

Predicting clinical response to novel and existing anticancer drugs remains a major hurdle for successful cancer treatment. Studies indicate that the tumor ecosystem, resembling an organ-like structure, can limit the predictive power of current therapies that were evaluated solely on tumor cells. The interactions of tumor cells with their adjacent microenvironment are required to promote tumor progression and metastasis, determining drug responsiveness. Such interactions do not form in standard research techniques, where cancer cells grow on 2D plastic dishes. Hence, there is a need to develop new cancer models that better mimic the physio-pathological conditions of tumors. Here, we create 3D-bioprinted tumor models based on a library of hydrogels we developed as scaffold for different tumor types, designed according to the mechanical properties of the tissue of origin. As PoC, we bioprinted a vascularized 3D brain tumor model from brain tumor cells co-cultured with stromal cells and mixed with our hydrogels, that resemble the biophysics of the tumor and its microenvironment. Our patient-derived models consist of cells from a biopsy, constructed according to CT/MRI scans, and include functional vessels allowing for patients' serum to flow when connected to a pump. These models will facilitate reproducible, reliable and rapid results, determining which treatment suits best the specific patient's tumor. Taken together, this 3D-printed model could be the basis for potentially replacing cell and animal models. We predict that this powerful platform will be used in translational research for preclinical evaluation of new therapies and for clinical drug screening, which will save critical time, reduce toxicity and significantly decrease costs generating a major societal benefit. Our platform offers a highly attractive business case, as pharmaceutical and biotech companies heavily invest in preclinical predictive tools for novel personalized drug screening strategies.

Mots-clés : 3d bioprinting,high throughput screening,cancer diagnostics,drug response,drug combinations,tumor host interactions,tumor microenvironment  tme,tumor heterogeneity,personalized medicine,companion diagnostics
Projet ERC : BEMOTHER (Horizon 2020, appel 2019, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System
Entité participante : Fundacion para la investigacion biomedica del hospital gregorio maranon — Pays : Espagne — Rôle : Partner
Acronyme de l'entité : Fibhgm
Type d'entité : Autres
Financement ERC de l'entité : 522531.25 €

Pregnancy involves biological adaptations that are necessary for the onset, maintenance and regulation of maternal behavior. We were the first group to find (1, 2) that pregnancy is associated with consistent, pronounced and long-lasting reductions in cerebral gray matter (GM) volume in areas of the social-cognition network. The aim of BEMOTHER is to develop an integrative model of the adaptations for motherhood that occur during pregnancy and the postpartum period by: i) establishing when the brain of pregnant women begins to change and how it evolves; ii) characterizing the dynamics of cognitive performance, theory-of-mind, maternal-infant bonding and psychiatric measures; iii) assessing the effect of environmental and/or psychological factors in the maternal adaptations, iv) identifying the metabolomics biomarkers associated with maternal adaptations, and v) integrating the previous findings within the Research Domain Criteria framework (RDoC) (3). We will use a prospective longitudinal design at 5 time points (1 pre-pregnancy session, 2 intra-pregnancy sessions and 2 postpartum sessions) during which neuroimaging, psychological, behavioral and metabolomics data will be acquired in 3 groups of women: a group of nulliparous women who will be undergoing a full-term pregnancy, another group of nulliparous women whose same-sex partners will undergo a full-term pregnancy, and a group of control nulliparous women. We will provide the longitudinal RDoC-based model at the end of the study, but we will also deliver intermediate longitudinal evaluations after the postpartum session, as well as cross-sectional analyses after the first intra-pregnancy session and the postpartum session. BEMOTHER is timely and innovative. It adopts the translational RDoC framework in order to provide a pioneering, comprehensive and dynamic characterization of the adaptations for motherhood, addressing the interaction among different functional domains at different levels of analysis.

Mots-clés : mohterhood,neuroplasticity,pregnancy,maternal infant bonding,theory of mind
Projet ERC : MINDTOMIND (Horizon 2020, appel 2017, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Social Sciences and Humanities
Panel : The Human Mind and Its Complexity
Entité participante : University of York — Pays : Royaume-Uni — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1223054.0 €

Prejudice and discrimination are pressing social problems. Across Europe, the far right is on the rise, and individuals are often discriminated against on the basis of their race, gender or sexual orientation. The origins of these problematic attitudes and behaviours appear early in development, suggesting that we are passing on our biases to our children. Yet, our knowledge of the complex psychological processes by which these biases are learned remains rudimentary. MINDTOMIND experimentally investigates how children encode, select and transmit biased social information, and so provides a framework for understanding how intergroup attitudes are perpetuated across generations. Until now, artificial boundaries between different areas of psychology have prevented theoretical and empirical progress on this important subject. MINDTOMIND synthesizes cutting-edge research on cognitive development and experimental research on cultural transmission and intergroup psychology in order to provide a comprehensive account of this process. The series of experiments to test the proposed framework will answer three key questions. First, how do children respond to biased information they receive from others? Second, how do children select which social information to consume? Third, how do children transmit biased information to others in their social networks? MINDTOMIND will examine how learning, social motivation and cognitive biases interact to produce prejudice and discrimination. It will demonstrate how negative intergroup attitudes can emerge, become radicalised and spread through children’s social networks. In doing so, it will provide a step-change in our understanding of social cognitive development. In addition to far-reaching theoretical implications, this work will have broad societal implications. It will pave the way towards the development of research-led interventions that can reduce intergroup bias and thus contribute to a fairer and more egalitarian society.

Mots-clés : social learning,cultural transmission,child development,experimental psychology
Projet ERC : PreventALL (Horizon 2020, appel 2019, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases
Entité participante : TU Dresden — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : Partner
Acronyme de l'entité : TUD
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 281000.0 €

PreventALL analyzes genetic risk in infection induced ALL and will pioneer leukemia prevention. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common type of childhood cancer and it remains a major cause of death in children aged 2-6 years in high-income countries. Exposure to infection, as a potential trigger for the development of childhood ALL was theorized a century ago with several possibilities of exposure to infection in infancy. Consequently, the overall objectives of PreventALL is to systematically analyze postnatally the genetic risk to develop B-cell-precursor (BCP)-ALL and to decipher the infectious mechanism by which exposure to infection causes BCP-ALL. This opens a new horizon for the understanding of leukemia etiology and foster innovation in the development of novel preventive strategies such as diet supplementation or vaccination. To this end, appropriate methods of postnatal risk calculation and in vivo models are needed. We have recently developed the first in vivo murine models with infection-dependent BCP-ALL, based on a genetic predisposition. PreventALL aims to extend this knowledge and to set off for cutting edge research to explore the synergy of genetic predisposition and exposure to infection in BCP-ALL as a proof-of-concept for the role of infection in precancerous disease. In PreventALL Aim 1 will compile novel strategies to identify patients at risk for BCP-ALL, in Aim 2 I will develop preclinical infection-dependent BCP-ALL in vivo models and identify the mechanism how infection triggers BCP-ALL with respect to the genetic predisposition and finally Aim 3 will set up to develop preclinical prevention programs. In summary, PreventALL will establish a significant milestone in the understanding of childhood leukemia and set the starting point for the development of novel and innovative leukemia precision prevention.

Mots-clés : prevention,childhood leukemia,vaccination,diet,microbiome,genetic predisposition
Projet ERC : bioPCET (Horizon 2020, appel 2016, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Physical and analytical chemical sciences
Entité participante : Technical University of Munich — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : Partner
Acronyme de l'entité : TUM
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 340504.9 €

Primary energy conversion in nature is powered by highly efficient enzymes that capture chemical or light energy and transduce it into other energy forms. These processes are catalyzed by coupled transfers of protons and electrons (PCET), but their fundamental mechanistic principles are not well understood. In order to obtain a molecular-level understanding of the functional elements powering biological energy conversion processes, we will study the catalytic machinery of one of the largest and most intricate enzymes in mitochondria and bacteria, the respiratory complex I. This gigantic redox-driven proton-pump functions as the entry point for electrons into aerobic respiratory chains, and it employs the energy released from a chemical reduction process to transport protons up to 200 Å away from its active site. Its molecular structure from bacteria and eukaryotes was recently resolved, but the origin of this remarkable action-at-a-distance effect still remains unclear. We employ and develop multi-scale quantum and classical molecular simulation techniques in combination with de novo-protein design methodology to identify and isolate the functional elements that catalyze the long-range PCET reactions in complex I. To fully understand the natural PCET-elements, we will further engineer central parts of this machinery into artificial protein frameworks, with the goal of designing modules for redox-driven proton pumps from first principles. The project aims to establish a fundamental understanding of nature's toolbox of catalytic elements, to elucidate how the complex biochemical environment contributes to the catalytic effects, and to provide blueprints that can guide the design of man-made enzymes for sustainable energy technology.