Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-erc-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet ERC : B_ELECTRO (Horizon Europe, appel 2023, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Université technique de Rhénanie-Westphalie à Aix-la-Chapelle — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

'The Nobel prize-winning Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling involves the palladium-catalysed coupling of a borylated molecule with an aryl halide and is the 2nd most used process by the pharmaceutical sector. Azines are small-molecules integral to discover and manufacture pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals. Using azines in Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reactions represents the ideal solution to introduce these important motifs in discovery molecules but here is where the problems come: 1. There is currently very limited way of borylating azines. 2. Borylated azines, especially the ones containing a boron vicinal to the N-atom, are highly unstable. We urgently need chemical methods delivering borylated azines in a fast and cost-effective manner and that can then be employed in Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reactions. As part of our ERC-2018-StG NEBULAR, focused on the development of novel photochemical strategies in radical chemistry, we recently identified a strategy that generates boryl radicals and provides far greater capability over any other method to both prepare and utilize borylated azines in modular fragment synthesis. B-ELECTRO aims to make the synthesis of our borylated azines workable on large scale and thus attractive to pharma and agro industries. This program provides a unique opportunity for the commercialization of our borylated materials and their utilization by end-users, thus providing innovative chemistry solutions and long-lasting impact to pharmaceutical and agrochemical industry and eventually our society.
Projet ERC : DRiPNeT (Horizon Europe, appel 2025, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Université de Zurich — Pays : Suisse — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : UZH
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

Acute tubular necrosis (ATN) is a major cause of nephrotoxicity-related drug attrition in clinical trials, yet current preclinical models rely on animal studies or immortalized renal cell lines, which lack human physiological relevance. To address this gap, we have developed a directly reprogrammed renal epithelial cell (iREC) platform, enabling a human-specific, scalable, and high-throughput nephrotoxicity screening assay. Our iREC-based system overcomes the limitations of primary, or iPSC-derived models by offering a rapid, reproducible, and physiologically relevant alternative model. Building on the advances of the ERC-Starting Grant project DiRECT, this project will validate the iREC-based platform by screening a curated panel of nephrotoxic and non-nephrotoxic compounds, assessing performance metrics, such as specificity, sensitivity, and Predictive value to benchmark against other model systems. This project aims to establish the technical and commercial feasibility of iREC-based nephrotoxicity testing, seeking more predictive human-based preclinical models. The outcome will provide a cost-effective, scalable alternative to animal testing renal safety screen. Ultimately, this project will help reduce late-stage drug failures, improve patient safety, advance personalized risk prediction, and accelerate the development of safer therapeutics.
Projet ERC : CERES (Horizon Europe, appel 2024, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Université technique de Munich — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

CERES aims at evaluating possible commercial applications of new protein-based down-converting red-emitting LED sources. Laboratory prototypes exhibit an extraordinary stability and efficiency as well as an easy-to-tune emission spectrum. This contrasts with the commercial low-energy emitting LED technology. CERES will focus on a validation phase including i) the optimization of the upscaling of protein production, the preparation of large-area protein-polymer color filters, and the assembly of red-emitting LED arrays and ii) the test in pre-industrial crop controlled environment agriculture growing boxes. This information will be paramount to realize a realistic market impact.
Projet ERC : QTEngine (Horizon Europe, appel 2023, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Université technique de Munich — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

Quantum computers harness fundamental aspects of quantum behavior to drive exponential increases in the speed with which certain computations can be performed. They have potentially a tremendous long-term impact in areas such as quantum-many body physics and material science, and further afield in machine learning. The quantum many-body problems studied by condensed matter physicists are perhaps the most likely to yield early demonstrations of this potential. However, current and near-term intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) devices are limited in the number of operations that they can carry out before their performance is degraded by interactions with the environment. To take advantage of these platforms and to outperform classical computers, highly efficient and specialized quantum algorithms are required. The implementation and benchmarking of these basic algorithms on different quantum computing platforms is challenging and requires a detailed knowledge of the underlying physics. Our approach is to produce a ready-to-use, highly innovative software package based upon quantum tensor networks. The Quantum Tensor Engine (QTEngine) will provide a unifying framework for both quantum and classical algorithms. The QTEngine will serve as an engine to drive fast and easy implementation of quantum simulation, quantum machine learning, and optimization algorithms. The anticipated user base include academic groups as well as commercial research and development groups.
Projet ERC : inteRNAlizer (Horizon Europe, appel 2023, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Université technique de Munich — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hIPSCs) have revolutionized the study of cell type-specific processes and the generation of organoids, tissues, and therapeutic cells for biomedical purposes. However, the genetic modification of these cells, along with other difficult-to-transfect cells, poses a major challenge for performing high-throughput gene reporter and genetic perturbation assays and prevents us from fully exploiting the potential of hIPSCs.  Existing gene delivery techniques, such as lentiviruses or lipid nanoparticles, suffer from limitations in precision, biosafety, efficacy, and high production costs. To overcome these limitations, our team has developed a novel approach called inteRNAlizers, which offers a genetically controlled cellular production process for non-viral RNA delivery systems. inteRNAlizers can enable transient gene expression and modular gene editing in virtually any cell type, including differentiated hIPSC and T cells. The method demonstrates high efficacy and cost efficiency while maintaining biosafety levels comparable to S1 standards. We aim to position inteRNAlizers as a promising alternative to lentiviruses and lipid nanoparticles, opening up new possibilities in gene delivery applications for preclinical research and therapeutic cell systems.
Projet ERC : MeTIC (Horizon Europe, appel 2022, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Université technique de Munich — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

Our IP secured drug DZNep is effective in treating SARS-CoV-2 infections in preclinical disease models and uniquely suppresses virus growth, triggers the innate immunity and facilitates tissue regeneration. The ERC-PoC will enable the transition from preclinical to clinical research.
Projet ERC : QUANTUM-VIBES (Horizon Europe, appel 2025, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Scientific cryo systems ug — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : Partner
Type d'entité : Organismes privés (hors enseignement)
Financement ERC de l'entité : 52500.0 €

The booming fields of cryogenic detectors and quantum computing require mK temperatures, driving the rapidly growing market for dry dilution refrigerators (DDRs). This key technology enables a high degree of automation and makes ultracold temperatures accessible to non-expert end users. However, DDRs induce mechanical vibrations that dramatically degrade the performance of particle detectors and destroy the coherence of quantum bits - a potential showstopper for quantum technologies. We have overcome these limitations with an innovative vibration decoupling system (VDS), which has been developed in an ongoing ERC Starting Grant for fundamental particle physics. The invention features a sophisticated spring-pendulum system that suspends the payload at mK temperatures from an independent reference frame at room temperature, dramatically reducing DDR-induced mechanical distortions to levels below ambient vibrations. This pioneering work in the laboratory was a breakthrough for the operation of cryogenic detectors in state-of-the-art DDRs. These first results have triggered interest from the scientific community and the cryostat industry, which represents an attractive entry market for the innovation. Quantum computing is expected to become a major future market within the next decade. The intellectual property rights of the novel device and its innovative thermal and mechanical concepts are protected by a European patent application. QUANTUM-VIBES will optimize the VDS for robustness and reproducibility and will conduct a dynamic market study to identify potential customers and assess market size. An already established collaboration with an industrial partner enabled the foundation of a spin-off company with the major goal of developing a VDS proof-of-concept that will pave the way for commercialization in an attractive entry market.

Mots-clés : quantum computing,cryogenic detectors,vibration decoupling,mk temperatures,dilution refrigerator,vibration damping,q bits,particle detectors,particle physics,astroparticle physics,neutrino detector,dark matter detector
Projet ERC : INVENT (Horizon Europe, appel 2023, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Université libre de Bruxelles — Pays : Belgique — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : ULB
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 120000.0 €

Significant adoption of renewable sources will be witnessed in future years to meet the long-term objective of CO2 neutrality and mitigate the effects of global warming. While electrification will play a key role in the transition to a sustainable energy system, combustion processes will remain part of the picture, requiring sustainable combustion technologies and renewable synthetic fuels. The design and development of novel combustion technologies in power and heat generation, transportation and manufacturing processes require developing a digital combustion infrastructure that promises to bring down the needed R&D investments for meeting the tightening environmental regulations. However, predicting combustion processes is a complex and challenging task, and the tools available today fall very short of what is needed for new design and optimisation. We made an innovation that formed a digital twin, combining theory, experiments, simulations and machine learning into one unique combination. With our approach, we can predict complex multi-physics systems that can be used for designing combustion-based energy generation applications for growing markets. Our approach is expected to impact significantly new combustion systems while reducing the resources and time for designing such fuel-flexible, nonpolluting and energy-efficient systems. This is expected to have vast commercialisation potential in the industries 1) designing environmentally friendly energy systems and 2) supplying digital tools for the design processes.
Projet ERC : FLORA (Horizon Europe, appel 2024, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Université de Milan — Pays : Italie — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

The FLORA project aims to develop a comprehensive, multidimensional indicator dashboard (“FLORA dashboard”) that combines data from LiDAR, remote sensing, GIS, and human perception surveys to assess and enhance urban environments. The project seeks to address the need for a holistic tool that integrates diverse data sources to capture and score urban aesthetic perception, liveability, and health, ultimately aiding urban planners and public health officials in making data-driven decisions to improve quality of life in cities. Urban environments are complex, with multiple factors—such as green spaces, traffic patterns, air quality, and building structures—affecting the well-being of residents. Existing assessment tools are often limited to specific factors, lacking the ability to synthesize data from multiple sources into a comprehensive view of urban health and aesthetics. The breakthrough innovation of FLORA lies in its ability to merge multiple data sources into a single, cohesive assessment platform. Key innovations include: 1. Multisource Data Integration: Combining LiDAR, remote sensing, and human perception data for a comprehensive understanding of urban environments. 2. Multidimensional Indicators: Creating integrated metrics for urban beauty, liveability, and health, facilitating targeted urban interventions. 3. Human-Centred Approach: Including subjective data from residents to ensure that assessments reflect lived experiences and community needs.  The FLORA dashboard will drive evidence-based policy-making and foster proactive urban health strategies. FLORA’s innovative approach entails challenges, such as data integration and interdisciplinary collaboration, but also promises high gains in setting new standards for urban health assessment. The potential of FLORA to revolutionize urban planning and public health strategies through data-driven, human-centred insights makes it a high-impact project with significant societal benefits.
Projet ERC : MYELOMA-RISK (Horizon Europe, appel 2023, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Université de Milan — Pays : Italie — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 75000.0 €

Multiple myeloma (MM) is the second most common haematological cancer which is symptomless until the later stages, with few treatment options and poor long-term prognoses. Next-generation DNA sequencing (NGS) has been used to identify and characterise the process of clonal evolution and disease progression in asymptomatic MM, however, there remains no viable prognostic NGS method which can be used by clinicians to leverage different mutations to predict progression. The scientific literature indicates the methods under research utilise large genomic regions and significant coverage in sequencing that would result in prohibitively high costs of testing if applied to the clinical domain. The aim of this PoC project is to develop a complete, low-cost prognostic bioinformatics tool able to characterise the driver mutation signatures of MM in order to allow early diagnosis, monitor progression and potentially identify at risk patients that may benefit from early treatment to improve outcomes.
Projet ERC : RD-NMR (Horizon Europe, appel 2022, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Organisation européenne pour la recherche nucléaire — Pays : Suisse — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : CERN
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is a powerful spectroscopic technique, used in various fields, including chemistry, biology and medicine. However, conventional NMR has one big limitation, namely very small sensitivity, due to a low level of polarisation of nuclear spins and inefficient signal detection by an induction signal in pick-up coils. My ERC Starting grant has explored the use of radiation-detected NMR (RD-NMR), in which very short-lived nuclei were used as novel NMR probes, bringing up to a billion-fold increase in NMR sensitivity. Such nuclei are produced at a radioactive-ion beam facility and are polarised on the fly, before being introduced into the sample. In this Proof of Concept project, I want to use the advantaged of RD-NMR and explore the prospect of turning it into a more easily accessible analytic tool. I aim to build a prototype of a modular insert for conventional NMR and MRI spectrometers that will allow in-situ polarisation of longer-lived nuclei that can be acquired commercially. The insert will include a sample, rf coil for spin excitation, beta-particle detectors, connections to introduce the hyperpolarising agent and the radiolabelled molecule that will be polarised in situ. The insert will be complemented by hardware and software needed for the data acquisition. During the project we will also explore the most suitable exploitation path, we will refine the end users and end market (including a workshop at CERN), and will investigate the patentability of the results. I will collaborate with researchers from University of Mainz, Knowledge Transfer specialists, and companies active in NMR and MRI.
Projet ERC : BIGTOP (Horizon Europe, appel 2025, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Université de Gand — Pays : Belgique — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : UGent
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

BIGTOP aims to bring a groundbreaking molecular tagging technology for plastic materials closer to the market by making use of sequence-defined oligomers developed under the ERC advanced grant CiMaC project. These molecular tags, which encode information using precise monomer sequences, offer a powerful solution for product traceability, anti-counterfeiting, and origin identification across industries. Thanks to the research in CiMaC, we have already demonstrated the scalable synthesis and high temperature stability of these sequence-defined oligomers, bridging the gap between academic innovation and industrial feasibility. BIGTOP will focus on remaining critical challenges such as ensuring that these tags maintain their integrity throughout real-world manufacturing processes, including high-temperature extrusion and curing. Our patent-protected research confirms that oligoamides meet such demands, offering exceptional thermal and mechanical stability when directly incorporated into materials. In practice, this technology enables fast and simple initial detection via UV or fluorescence spectroscopy, followed by highly specific molecular identification using tandem mass spectrometry techniques. This combination of tag robustness, simplicity of use and precision multi-level detection, offers a unique technological innovation for industrial grade tagging of plastics. The growing regulatory pressure around material provenance and sustainability claims, alongside concerns with regard to counterfeiting in high-value supply chains, underpins the demand for this type of robust molecular tags. BIGTOP will validate that the tagging concept is compatible with large-scale production processes, identify the most promising market segments, and finally develop a valorization strategy. To ensure success, the project will combine insights from polymer chemistry, manufacturing scale-up and business development, positioning the technology for successful uptake by industry.
Projet ERC : AERO BEST (Horizon Europe, appel 2024, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Université de Cambridge — Pays : Royaume-Uni — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

Battery energy storage systems (BESS) offer attractive alternatives to pumped hydroelectric and compressed air energy storage methods on account of their modularity, flexibility, and independence from geographical conditions. However, new BESS installations are primarily lithium-ion batteries alongside increasing market share for vanadium redox flow batteries, which both rely heavily on key metals with significant cost and safety implications as well as geopolitical concerns. The EU-funded AERO BEST project will address this problem through use of metal-free associative electrolytes for air-stable BESS and exploration of its commercialisation potential through feasibility studies and market research. Our associative electrolytes serve as fully organic electrolytes in aqueous flow battery systems, they provide a paradigm shift through ‘self-protective’ supramolecular assembly, mitigating against detrimental interactions with oxygen while providing extended battery life-time. The system will be scaled allowing validation of the technology through a battery demonstrator and a sustainable business model will be developed for commercialisation of the electrolytes. AERO BEST has potential to revolutionise energy storage, realising a purely sustainable energy ecosystem independent from geopolitics, offering a substantial reduction in the cost of both electrolytes as well as in costs of battery manufacturing. As these electrolytes demonstrate air stability, they offer simplified battery system operation and maintenance, with an opportunity to democratise the BESS market, especially benefiting developing nations.
Projet ERC : COATARRAY (Horizon Europe, appel 2024, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Université technologique de Dresde — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : TU Dresden
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

Implanted electrode arrays are a key component of neuroprosthetic systems designed to restore functions lost through injury or degeneration of the nervous system. Electrode arrays currently used in clinical practice are made from metals (e.g., Platinum, PtIr alloys) encapsulated in silicone. These materials strike a compromise between electrical properties on one side and good tissue integration on the other. For example, the limited charge injection capacity and high mechanical stiffens of metal electrodes is implicated in challenges with long-term stability, mechanical failure, formation of a glial scar and electrode miniaturization. In the COATARRAY project we will develop a specialized coating designed to radically improve the electrical and mechanical performance of electrode arrays. The coating is based on a bioinspired hydrogel material further endowed with electrical conductivity via incorporation of conductive polymers. The coating can be assembled on a variety of ready-made electrode arrays designed for different applications. In this project we will conduct a thorough electrical characterization of the coating as well as mechanical, insertion, sterilisation, cytocompatibility and accelerated ageing tests. In combination with analysis of the regulatory and commercial landscape, this project will establish an essential milestone towards clinical translation of the COATARRAY technology. If successful, our approach to improving the performance of implanted electrode arrays can lead to better clinical outcomes for established neuroprosthetic systems (cochlear implants, deep brain and spinal cord stimulation) but also to the development of promising new treatments.