Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-erc-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet ERC : SLAB (Horizon 2020, appel 2015, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Computer science and informatics
Entité participante : Institut Mines-Télécom — Pays : France — Rôle : Partner
Acronyme de l'entité : IMT
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 112110.91 €

Understanding how the brain works in healthy and pathological conditions is considered as one of the challenges for the 21st century. After the first electroencephalography (EEG) measurements in 1929, the 90’s was the birth of modern functional brain imaging with the first functional MRI and full head magnetoencephalography (MEG) system. In the last twenty years, imaging has revolutionized clinical and cognitive neuroscience. After pioneering works in physics and engineering, the field of neuroscience has to face two major challenges. The size of the datasets keeps growing. The answers to neuroscience questions are limited by the complexity of the signals observed: non-stationarity, high noise levels, heterogeneity of sensors, lack of accurate models. SLAB will provide the next generation of models and algorithms for mining electrophysiology signals which offer unique ways to image the brain at a millisecond time scale. SLAB will develop dedicated machine learning and signal processing methods and favor the emergence of new challenges for these fields. SLAB focuses on five objectives: 1) source localization with M/EEG for brain imaging at high temporal resolution 2) representation learning to boost statistical power and reduce acquisition costs 3) fusion of heterogeneous sensors 4) modeling of non-stationary spectral interactions to identify functional coupling between neural ensembles 5) development of fast algorithms easy to use by non-experts. SLAB aims to strengthen mathematical and computational foundations of brain data analysis. The methods developed will have applications across fields (computational biology, astronomy, econometrics). Yet, the primary impact of SLAB will be on neuroscience. The tools and high quality open software produced in SLAB will facilitate the analysis of electrophysiology data, offering new perspectives to understand how the brain works at a mesoscale, and for clinical applications (epilepsy, autism, tremor, sleep disorders).
Projet ERC : ChangeBehavNeuro (Horizon 2020, appel 2016, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Social Sciences and Humanities
Panel : The Human Mind and Its Complexity
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 : 1500000.0 €

Understanding how values of different options that lead to choice are represented in the brain is a basic scientific question with far reaching implications. I recently showed that by the mere-association of a cue and a button press we could influence preferences of snack food items up to two months following a single training session lasting less than an hour. This novel behavioural change manipulation cannot be explained by any of the current learning theories, as external reinforcement was not used in the process, nor was the context of the decision changed. Current choice theories focus on goal directed behaviours where the value of the outcome guides choice, versus habit-based behaviours where an action is repeated up to the point that the value of the outcome no longer guides choice. However, in this novel task training via the involvement of low-level visual, auditory and motor mechanisms influenced high-level choice behaviour. Thus, the far-reaching goal of this project is to study the mechanism, by which low-level sensory, perceptual and motor neural processes underlie value representation and change in the human brain even in the absence of external reinforcement. I will use behavioural, eye-gaze and functional MRI experiments to test how low-level features influence the neural representation of value. I will then test how they interact with the known striatal representation of reinforced behavioural change, which has been the main focus of research thus far. Finally, I will address the basic question of dynamic neural plasticity and if neural signatures during training predict long term success of sustained behavioural change. This research aims at a paradigmatic shift in the field of learning and decision-making, leading to the development of novel interventions with potential societal impact of helping those suffering from health-injuring behaviours such as addictions, eating or mood disorders, all in need of a long lasting behavioural change.

Mots-clés : fmri,learning,behavioural change,value based,decision making,reward
Projet ERC : METAL (Horizon 2020, appel 2020, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Earth system science
Entité participante : Institut de physique du globe — Pays : France — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : IPG de Paris
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1748750.0 €

Understanding the formation and early evolution of terrestrial planets is one of the most important goals in sciences. The objectives of this proposal, METAL (Making tErresTriA pLanets), are to study the accretion and differentiation processes that have shaped the present composition of the Earth, Moon, Mars and differentiated asteroids including understanding the origin, and timing of delivery of their volatile and siderophile elements. To reach this goal we have identified the best-suited isotopic tools, which are sensitive to the different physico-chemical processes acting at different stages of planetary formation. This work will involve: 1) Development and use of new cutting-edge stable isotope systems for moderately volatile elements (e.g. In, Sb, Sn) in terrestrial, lunar and meteoritic materials, in order to constrain the origin of solar system’s volatile element depletion. 2) Quantifying experimentally the isotopic effects during metal/silicate partitioning and evaporation in all conditions relevant to planetary accretion and differentiation. 3) Building a physical model of volatile loss. 4) Studying the timing, proportions, fate and nature of the material that accreted to Earth and Mars after core formation (i.e. the late-veneer) by using a new method based on the stable isotopes of a highly siderophile element, Pt. This high-risk high-rewards approach seeks to link innovative novel isotopic systems, experiments under extreme conditions, and dynamical modelling, to solve long-standing major scientific questions related to the formation and evolution of the terrestrial planets.

Mots-clés : isotope geochemistry,the moon,meteorites,plate tectonics,earth s differentiation,volatiles
Projet ERC : LASTJOURNEY (Horizon 2020, appel 2018, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Social Sciences and Humanities
Panel : The study of the human past
Entité participante : University of Exeter — Pays : Royaume-Uni — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1787090.0 €

Understanding the human journey of global colonisation is the history of modern humanity and the development of the diverse characteristics of peoples and cultures around the world. This five-year interdisciplinary project will investigate the peopling of South America, the last continental terra incognita (other than Antarctica) to be colonised by humans, constituting a virtually unprecedented migration of modern humans across richly diverse, empty landscapes during the Late Pleistocene-Early Holocene transition. Situated at the geographical gateway to the continent, the project will investigate one of the most momentous demographic dispersals of our species into the diverse environments of north-western South America, encompassing coasts, savannahs and lowland, Sub Andean and Andean tropical forests. This process took place amidst one of the most significant climatic, environmental, and subsistence regime shifts in human history, which contributed to the extinction of megafauna, plant domestication, and today’s remarkable diversity of indigenous South American groups. Despite its geographical importance and a wealth of archaeological and palaeoecological data across its diverse environments, north-western South America has only been given cursory consideration to understand processes of human dispersion. This project will redress this imbalance by applying an innovative interdisciplinary approach that integrates state-of-art archaeology, archaeobotany, zooarchaeology, palaeoclimatology, palaeoecology, ancient environmental DNA and isotope studies. The results will provide a global comparative perspective to the study of Late Pleistocene human colonisations, hunter-gatherer adaptations, the demise of megafauna and the beginning of plant cultivation and domestication. The results of the project have broader implications not only for archaeology but also for geography, palaeoclimate, palaeoecology, and molecular biology.

Mots-clés : human colonisation,late pleistocene,archaeology,palaeoclimate,palaeoecology,molecular biology,lithic studies,megafauna,south america,andes,amazon
Projet ERC : SUBDECODE (Horizon 2020, appel 2016, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System
Entité participante : German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : Partner
Acronyme de l'entité : DZNE
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1323161.81 €

Understanding the neuronal basis of behaviour is a central quest for neuroscience. Neurons are the fundamental units of computation in the brain. Thus, any attempt at unravelling the relationship of neural networks activity and behaviour must be based on an understanding of the transformation of inputs to outputs in single neurons. One of the greatest challenges that our field faces is to make sense of inputs. Without knowing how different synaptic inputs are engaged during behaviour, it is impossible to decode the neuronal input to output conversion. We have developed an approach that allows both the dissection of inputs and the prediction of output during behaviour. We will apply this functional decoding approach to pyramidal neurons in the dorsal subiculum. These neurons form a hippocampal-neocortical interface and are important for memory-guided navigation. The output of subicular neurons contains a dense, distributed representation of space, but the functional input diversity is unresolved. Following the generation of a spatial tuning map during navigational tasks with two-photon Ca2+ imaging at cellular-resolution, we will map the input origins of individual neurons by using targeted single-cell initiated mono-transsynaptic tracing. Then, we will dissect the function of the input from different origins by chemogenetic silencing of input synapses. As a central component of the project, we will map dendritic input patterns in navigating mice with two-photon imaging of Ca2+ transients on dendritic spines. These patterns will be incorporated into a data-driven biophysical model capable of converting realistic synaptic inputs into output. We will tune the model parameters using whole-cell patch-clamp recordings during free behaviour. The final models will be capable of predicting the membrane potential of subicular neurons from precise behavioural observations, offering exciting new perspectives for network analysis and neuroengineering.

Mots-clés : dendritic computation,synaptic integration,neural computation,connectivity,neuronal networks,patch clamp recordings,two photon imaging,hippocampal activity,behavior,in vivo
Projet ERC : PROMISE (Horizon 2020, appel 2014, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Universe sciences
Entité participante : Max Planck Society — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : Partner
Acronyme de l'entité : MPG
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 637762.5 €

Understanding the physical processes that control the life-cycle of the interstellar medium (ISM) is one of the key themes in the astrophysics of galaxies today. This importance originates from the role of the ISM as the birthplace of new stars, and therefore, as an indivisible component of galaxy evolution. Exactly how the conversion of the ISM to stars takes place is intricately linked to how the internal structure of the cold, molecular clouds in the ISM forms and evolves. Despite this pivotal role, our picture of the molecular cloud structure has a fundamental lacking: it is based largely on observations of low-mass molecular clouds. Yet, it is the massive, giant molecular clouds (GMCs) in which most stars form and which impact the ISM of galaxies most. I present a program that will fill this gap and make profound progress in the field. We have developed a new observational technique that provides an unparalleled view of the structure of young GMCs. I also have developed a powerful tool to study the most important structural characteristics of molecular clouds, e.g., the probability distribution of volume densities, which have not been accessible before. With this program, the full potential of these tools will be put into use. We will produce a unique, high-fidelity column density data set for a statistically interesting volume in the Galaxy, including thousands of molecular clouds. The data set will be unmatched in its quality and extent, providing an unprecedented basis for statistical studies. We will then connect this outstanding observational view with state-of-the-art numerical simulations. This approach allows us to address the key question in the field: Which processes drive the structure formation in massive molecular clouds, and how do they do it? Most crucially, we will create a new, observationally constrained framework for the evolution of the molecular cloud structure over the entire mass range of molecular clouds and star formation in the ISM.
Projet ERC : DENOVOMUT (Horizon 2020, appel 2015, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution
Entité participante : Max Planck Society — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : Partner
Acronyme de l'entité : MPG
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 818624.28 €

Understanding the process of spontaneous mutation is fundamental for understanding the genetic basis of quantitative variation, the threat posed by declining population size in conservation biology and the distribution of nucleotide variation in the genome. I will address these and other unanswered questions concerning the evolutionary impact of spontaneous mutation using the house mouse as a model system. With the first, highly replicated mutation accumulation (MA) experiment in any vertebrate, I will study the impact of mutation accumulation on fitness and other quantitative traits and on genomic variation. I will pay particular attention to the effects of mutations in the heterozygous state, since this is important for resolving two important questions: 1. The threat posed by deleterious mutation accumulation in humans, where natural selection has weakened in many populations, and in endangered species, where declining effective population size has made selection less effective, and 2. The extent by which new mutations sustain response to artificial selection. By characterizing many thousands of mutation events by genome sequencing of MA lines and wild mice, I will determine the molecular spectrum and the factors explaining mutation rate variation across the genome. I will exploit this new knowledge to address the long-unanswered question of the causes of correlations between nucleotide diversity and the recombination rate and the density of conserved genomic elements. I will develop new approaches, incorporating the simultaneous action of mutation, selection, drift and recombination, to determine the contributions of background selection and selective sweeps to variation in nucleotide diversity, and to quantify the contributions of coding and noncoding mutations to fitness variation. The project will lead to substantial advances in the understanding of the role of new mutations in explaining phenotypic and molecular diversity in mammals.
Projet ERC : EvoComBac (Horizon 2020, appel 2020, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution
Entité participante : Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale — Pays : France — Rôle : Partner
Acronyme de l'entité : Inserm
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 429875.0 €

Understanding the rapid adaptation of infectious pathogens is crucial to design better management policies and anticipate future changes. Yet, existing models often fail to explain these dynamics. I will address this major challenge of evolutionary biology in the bacterial species Escherichia coli. E. coli is a commensal of the human gut and an opportunistic pathogen causing infections responsible for more than a million deaths worldwide per year. E. coli has rapidly evolved over the last four decades. From the 1980s, starting from an almost fully sensitive population, multiple antibiotic resistances have emerged and stabilised at an intermediate frequency. Concomitantly, virulence, the propensity to cause infections, increased. The evolutionary processes causing these changes are largely unknown. To elucidate the drivers of the evolution of commensal E. coli, I will develop a prospective cohort of 200 longitudinally followed healthy volunteers—the largest cohort of its kind. We will analyse these data in the light of an integrative statistical and mathematical framework describing the ecology of E. coli from the within-host to the population level. These models will generate testable predictions on the evolution of genomic variants determining virulence, resistance, and colonisation ability. These predictions will be validated on an exceptional existing dataset composed of 1000 bacterial genomes sampled from healthy human hosts from 1980 to 2025 encompassing around 100,000 generations of bacterial evolution. This original interdisciplinary framework draws from epidemiology, evolutionary biology and genomics for a better understanding of the evolution of bacteria. This project is a step towards better predictions of evolutionary dynamics and better stewardship policies for infectious pathogens.

Mots-clés : adaptation,virulence,drug resistance,bacteria,mathematical modelling
Projet ERC : READY (Horizon 2020, appel 2019, Proof of concept grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases
Entité participante : Utrecht University — Pays : Pays-Bas — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

Unfortunately, current cancer therapies often fail to cure patients, or are associated with severe side effects. Ideally, a therapy should locally eradicate cancer cells without damaging healthy tissue and should induce long term protection through activation of the immune system. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a treatment approach which can do both, through the local light activation of photosensitizers. However, current photosensitizers lack cancer specificity, which limits therapeutic efficacy and prolongs photosensitivity in patients. Recently, Dr. Oliveira has developed an improved version of targeted PDT that uses small antibody fragments, i.e. nanobodies, to target the photosensitizer to cancer cells. Nanobodies distribute homogenously, bind rapidly and specifically to cancer cells, and are quickly eliminated when unbound. Within the ERC StG KILLCANCER project, the team has been focusing on better understanding the mechanism of nanobody-targeted PDT, its potential to induce tumor regression in vivo, and its capacity to trigger the immune system for long term protection. Results indicate this treatment could lead to improved selectivity and reduced side effects, compared to conventional PDT and antibody-targeted PDT. The fundamental objective of this ERC PoC is to ascertain the technical and commercial viability of nanobody-targeted PDT for treatment of head and neck cancer. Within this project, the aims are to: 1. Humanize the lead nanobody, validate the results, and explore GMP production 2. Perform an IP landscape analysis and establish freedom-to-operate (FTO) 3. Execute an extensive market, competitor, and stakeholder analysis, and 4. Develop a detailed business plan based on this information to accurately guide commercialisation. Together, these steps will be essential for nanobody-targeted PDT to be ready for the translation to humans, so that cancer patients and society as a whole can benefit from this promising alternative treatment.

Mots-clés : targeted therapy,nanobody,photodynamic therapy
Projet ERC : ProtMind (Horizon 2020, appel 2018, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Social Sciences and Humanities
Panel : Cultures and cultural production
Entité participante : University of Zurich — Pays : Suisse — Rôle : Partner
Acronyme de l'entité : UZH
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 50000.0 €

Unlike most traditional forms of behavioural influence, such as rational persuasion, incentivisation and coercion, many novel forms of behavioural influence operate at a subrational level, bypassing the targeted individual's capacity to respond to reasons. Examples include bottomless newsfeeds, randomised rewards, and other 'persuasive' technologies employed by online platforms and computer game designers. They also include biological interventions, such as the use of drugs, nutritional supplements or non-invasive brain stimulation to facilitate criminal rehabilitation. The ethical acceptability of such arational influence depends crucially on whether we possess a moral right to mental integrity, and, if so, what kinds of mental interference it rules out. Unfortunately, these questions are yet to be addressed. Though the right to bodily integrity is well-established, the possibility of a right to mental integrity has attracted little philosophical scrutiny. The purposes of this project are to (1) determine whether and how a moral right to mental integrity can be established; (2) develop a comprehensive and fine-grained account of its scope, weight, and robustness, and (3) determine what forms of arational influence infringe it, and whether and when these might nevertheless be justified. It will deploy a tripartite methodology comprising a bottom-up, casuistic approach, drawing on reflective responses to particular interventions; a horizontal approach, in which lessons for mental integrity will be drawn from analyses of the related phenomena of coercion, manipulation, and bodily integrity; and a top-down approach, drawing on theories of moral rights. The analysis will establish arational influence as a new area of enquiry and yield guidance on controversial novel forms of arational influence including persuasive digital technologies, salience-based nudges, treatments for childhood behavioural disorders, and biological interventions in criminal rehabilitation.

Mots-clés : applied ethics,neuroethics,medical ethics,criminal justice ethics,behaviour modification