Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-erc-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet ERC : FAKIR (Horizon 2020, appel 2014, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases
Entité participante : University of Glasgow — Pays : Royaume-Uni — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 2128895.0 €

The provision of advanced functional materials in the area of regenerative medicine and discovery applications depends on many different factors to provide the appropriate targeted function. As adherent cells also read their environment through substrate interactions there is a great interest in developing such substrates in a predictable manner. Their first point of contact is through their focal adhesions and it is also though them that forces are applied allowing the cell to migrate and establish cytoskeletal tension which in turn regulates cell function. The objective of this project is to investigate the cell-substrate interaction at the nanoscale and correlate that to the surface topography for predictable biomaterials. Through the application of state-of-the-art nanofabrication we will fabricate precise surface topographies with length scales comparable to the structural units found in the focal adhesions. The aim is to map and understand the topographical influence in the architectural arrangement of the proteins in the adhesions. Aided by high resolution microscopy we will classify cell types on different nanotopographies. Combining that information with machine learning, we will be able to gain information about cell characteristics from the rule set. That information can also be used in reverse to identify cell types with the previously defined characteristic. This approach is similar to face recognition seen on cameras and mobile phones. The proposed research project will not only provide insight to an area of biomaterials not previously explored, yet aim to provide a blueprint for future design of biomaterials.
Projet ERC : MST (Horizon 2020, appel 2014, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Fundamental constituents of matter
Entité participante : University of Amsterdam — Pays : Pays-Bas — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : UvA
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1256624.0 €

The purpose of the proposed research is to forward the understanding of the umbral moonshine discovered recently by myself. I plan to study it in the context of string theory. Moreover, I aim to use this new discovery to gain a deeper understanding of certain fundamental aspects of the theory. The term moonshine refers to the astonishing and puzzling relation between functions with special symmetries (modular properties) and finite groups. The novel type of moonshine involves the so-called mock modular forms, and was first noticed in the study of K3 surfaces. In a recent paper I constructed 23 instances of such a new "umbral moonshine" phenomenon in a completely uniform way using the 23 special lattices classified by Niemeier as the starting point, and thereby provided the general framework in which this paradigm should be studied. From a physical point of view, it is well-known that K3 surfaces play a crucial role in not only the specific constructions of compactifications but also the fundamental dualities in string theory. Hence, the new quantum symmetries of K3 surfaces, as suggested by umbral moonshine, will have a wide range of important implications for string theory. Moreover, I believe the solution of the moonshine puzzle will lead to a new understanding of the long sought-after algebraic structure of the supersymmetric (or BPS) spectrum of supersymmetric quantum theories. More ambitiously, I aim to draw lessons from these special theories with large symmetries to shed light on the structure of the "landscape" of string theory vacua. From a mathematical point of view, to understand and to prove such a mysterious and beautiful relation would be a triumph in its own right. Moreover, the development of umbral moonshine will undoubtedly lead to new important results in the study automorphic forms, K3 geometry, and extended algebras.

Mots-clés : string theory,moonshine
Projet ERC : ALKAGE (Horizon 2020, appel 2014, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Mathematics
Entité participante : Université Grenoble Alpes — Pays : France — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : UGA
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1809345.0 €

The purpose of this project is to study basic questions in algebraic and Kähler geometry. It is well known that the structure of projective or Kähler manifolds is governed by positivity or negativity properties of the curvature tensor. However, many fundamental problems are still wide open. Since the mid 1980's, I have developed a large number of key concepts and results that have led to important progress in transcendental algebraic geometry. Let me mention the discovery of holomorphic Morse inequalities, systematic applications of L² estimates with singular hermitian metrics, and a much improved understanding of Monge-Ampère equations and of singularities of plurisuharmonic functions. My first goal will be to investigate the Green-Griffiths-Lang conjecture asserting that an entire curve drawn in a variety of general type is algebraically degenerate. The subject is intimately related to important questions concerning Diophantine equations, especially higher dimensional generalizations of Faltings' theorem - the so-called Vojta program. One can rely here on a breakthrough I made in 2010, showing that all such entire curves must satisfy algebraic differential equations. A second closely related area of research of this project is the analysis of the structure of projective or compact Kähler manifolds. It can be seen as a generalization of the classification theory of surfaces by Kodaira, and of the more recent results for dimension 3 (Kawamata, Kollár, Mori, Shokurov, ...) to other dimensions. My plan is to combine powerful recent results obtained on the duality of positive cohomology cones with an analysis of the instability of the tangent bundle, i.e. of the Harder-Narasimhan filtration. On these ground-breaking questions, I intend to go much further and to enhance my national and international collaborations. These subjects already attract many young researchers and postdocs throughout the world, and the grant could be used to create even stronger interactions.
Projet ERC : CombiTop (Horizon 2020, appel 2016, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Mathematics
Entité participante : Centre national de la recherche scientifique — Pays : France — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : CNRS
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1045625.0 €

The purpose of this project is to use the ubiquitous nature of certain combinatorial topological objects called maps in order to unveil deep connections between several areas of mathematics. Maps, that describe the embedding of a graph into a surface, appear in probability theory, mathematical physics, enumerative geometry or graph theory, and different combinatorial viewpoints on these objects have been developed in connection with each topic. The originality of our project will be to study these approaches together and to unify them. The outcome will be triple, as we will: 1. build a new, well structured branch of combinatorics of which many existing results in different areas of enumerative and algebraic combinatorics are only first fruits; 2. connect and unify several aspects of the domains related to it, most importantly between probability and integrable hierarchies thus proposing new directions, new tools and new results for each of them; 3. export the tools of this unified framework to reach at new applications, especially in random graph theory and in a rising domain of algebraic combinatorics related to Tamari lattices. The methodology to reach the unification will be the study of some strategic interactions at different places involving topological expansions, that is to say, places where enumerative problems dealing with maps appear and their genus invariant plays a natural role, in particular: 1. the combinatorial theory of maps developped by the "French school" of combinatorics, and the study of random maps; 2. the combinatorics of Fermions underlying the theory of KP and 2-Toda hierarchies; 3; the Eynard-Orantin ``topological recursion'' coming from mathematical physics. We present some key set of tasks in view of relating these different topics together. The pertinence of the approach is demonstrated by recent research of the principal investigator.

Mots-clés : enumerative combinatorics,algebraic combinatorics,combinatorial maps,graphs on surfaces,bijective combinatorics,random discrete structures,random graphs,brownian map,scaling limits
Projet ERC : CLUNATRA (Horizon 2020, appel 2016, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Physical and analytical chemical sciences
Entité participante : Technical University of Denmark — Pays : Danemark — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : DTU
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 2500000.0 €

The purpose of this proposal is to establish new fundamental insight of the reactivity and thereby the catalytic activity of oxides, nitrides, phosphides and sulfides (O-, N-, P-, S- ides) in the Cluster-Nanoparticle transition regime. We will use this insight to develop new catalysts through an interactive loop involving DFT simulations, synthesis, characterization and activity testing. The overarching objective is to make new catalysts that are efficient for production of solar fuels and chemicals to facilitate the implementation of sustainable energy, e.g. electrochemical hydrogen production and reduction of CO2 and N2 through both electrochemical and thermally activated processes. Recent research has identified why there is a lack of significant progress in developing new more active catalysts. Chemical scaling-relations exist among the intermediates, making it difficult to find a reaction pathway, which provides a flat potential energy landscape - a necessity for making the reaction proceed without large losses. My hypothesis is that going away from the conventional size regime, > 2 nm, one may break such chemical scaling-relations. Non-scalable behavior means that adding an atom results in a completely different reactivity. This drastic change could be even further enhanced if the added atom is a different element than the recipient particle, providing new freedom to control the reaction pathway. The methodology will be based on setting up a specifically optimized instrument for synthesizing such mass-selected clusters/nanoparticles. Thus far, researchers have barely explored this size regime. Only a limited amount of studies has been devoted to inorganic entities of oxides and sulfides; nitrides and phosphides are completely unexplored. We will employ atomic level simulations, synthesis, characterization, and subsequently test for specific reactions. This interdisciplinary loop will result in new breakthroughs in the area of catalyst material discovery.

Mots-clés : heterogeneous catalysis,electro catalysis,photo electrocatalysis,surface science,sustainable energy,energy conversion,energy storage
Projet ERC : CAPABLE (Horizon 2020, appel 2016, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Systems and communication engineering
Entité participante : Sapienza University of Rome — Pays : Italie — Rôle : Partner
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 300000.0 €

The quantum technology revolution promises a transformational impact on the society and economics worldwide. It will enable breakthrough advancements in such diverse fields as secure communications, computing, metrology, and imaging. Quantum photonics, which recently received an incredible boost by the use of integrated optical circuits, is an excellent technological platform to enable such revolution, as it already plays a relevant role in many of the above applications. However, some major technical roadblocks needs to be overcome. Currently, the various components required for a complete quantum photonic system are produced on very different materials by dedicated fabrication technologies, as no single material is able to fulfil all the requirements for single-photon generation, manipulation, storage and detection. This project proposes a new hybrid approach for integrated quantum photonic systems based on femtosecond laser microfabrication (FLM), enabling the innovative miniaturization of various components on different materials, but with a single tool and with very favourable integration capabilities. This project will mainly focus on two major breakthroughs: the first one will be increasing the complexity achievable in the photonic platform and demonstrating unprecedented quantum computation capability; the second one will be the integration in the platform of multiple single-photon quantum memories and their interconnection. Achievement of these goals will only be possible by taking full advantage of the unique features of FLM, from the possibility to machine very different materials, to the 3D capabilities in waveguide writing and selective material removal. The successful demonstration and functional validation of this hybrid, integrated photonic platform will represent a significant leap for photonic microsystems in quantum computing and quantum communications.

Mots-clés : femtosecond laser micromachining
Projet ERC : IN-TOUCH (Horizon 2020, appel 2015, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Social Sciences and Humanities
Panel : Institutions, Governance and Legal Systems
Entité participante : University of London — Pays : Royaume-Uni — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : U. London
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1947346.0 €

The rapid expansion of digital touch technologies is set to reconfigure touch and the tactile in significant ways, much as optical technologies transformed sight and the visual. This has immense social significance for communication. There are, however, major gaps in our understanding of touch as it is digitally mediated, and methods are under-developed for a social account of digital touch communication. This project will break new ground as the first comprehensive study of digital touch communication. It aims to obtain a deep understanding of the social and semiotic character of touch as it is mediated by digital technologies and its consequences and impact on human communication, through four objectives, to: 1. Develop innovative methodologies for researching digital touch communication; 2. Describe, explore and critically analyze the social and semiotic understanding of the communicative potentials and consequences of digital touch; 3. Advance new theoretical insights on digital touch communication; 4. Make a major contribution to knowledge on digital touch interventions and design. Digital touch will be brought into sharp focus through the development of a novel socially oriented framework and methods that integrate the micro-lens of multimodality, the broad-ethnographic lens of sensory anthropology, and the experiential-lens of the arts. Eight in-depth case studies will be conducted in world-leading centres of digital touch innovation, with designers and users of digital touch communication in the wild (e.g. museums) and labs. These will investigate how the digital can supplement, heighten, extend, and reconfigure touch communication across a range of contexts (health, learning, work, leisure); re-shape what can be touched, lead to new touch-based capacities, practices and new forms of knowledge about the world.

Mots-clés : digital touch technology,multimodality,methodological innovation,sensory,ethnographic
Projet ERC : MicroTher (Horizon 2020, appel 2018, Proof of concept grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases
Entité participante : University of Perugia — Pays : Italie — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

The rapid increase in the prevalence of diseases caused by the disruption of the intestinal epithelium, also known as leaky gut syndrome, is a global cause for concern. Metabolic syndrome (MetSyn) and inflammatory bowel syndrome (IBS), two disease indications that occur as a result of a compromised intestinal mucosal membrane, collectively effect over 235 million people globally. In a healthy gut, the epithelial lining is tightly aligned to form a structurally robust barrier between the outside and the inside of the body. When this lining is compromised, immunogenic compounds such as bacterial endotoxins can infiltrate the body, causing systemic and local inflammation, resulting in diseases such as MetSyn and IBS. Through our ERC Advanced project FUNMETA, we have identified the ‘postbiotic’ molecule, indole-3-aldehyde (IAld), to be critical in the maintenance and restoration of intestinal epithelial integrity. Preliminary data already indicates the ability of IAld to repair damaged intestinal epithelium and to modulate symptoms of MetSyn and IBS in animal models. As these two indications are not only burdened by high prevalence rates, but also by ineffective or expensive treatments, there is strong potential in the clinical adoption of IAld. Therefore, the main aim of MicroTher is to further assess the clinical and commercial feasibility of IAld as a pharmaceutical agent.

Mots-clés : metabolic syndrome,diabetes,inflammatory bowel syndrome,leaky intestinal epithelia,postbiotic,pharmaceutical treatment,prevention,small molecule drug
Projet ERC : 3D-CAP (Horizon 2020, appel 2017, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Systems and communication engineering
Entité participante : Centre national de la recherche scientifique — Pays : France — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : CNRS
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1673438.0 €

The realization of high-performance micro-supercapacitors is currently a big challenge but the ineluctable applications requiring such miniaturized energy storage devices are continuously emerging, from wearable electronic gadgets to wireless sensor networks. Although they store less energy than micro-batteries, micro-supercapacitors can be charged and discharged very rapidly and exhibit a quasi-unlimited lifetime. The global scientific research is consequently largely focused on the improvement of their capacitance and energetic performances. However, to date, they are still far from being able to power sensors or electronic components. Here I propose a 3D paradigm shift of micro-supercapacitor design to ensure increased energy storage capacities. Hydrous ruthenium dioxide (RuO2) is a pseudocapacitive material for supercapacitor electrode well-known for its high capacitance. A thin-film of ruthenium will be deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD), followed by an electrochemical oxidation process, onto a high-surface-area 3D current collector prepared via an ingenious dynamic template built with hydrogen bubbles. The structural features of these 3D architectures will be controllably tailored by the processing methodologies. These electrodes will be combined with an innovative electrolyte in solid form (a protic ionogel) able to operate over an extended cell voltage. In a parallel investigation, we will develop a fundamental understanding of electrochemical reactions occurring at the nanoscale with a FIB-patterned (Focused Ion Beam) RuO2 nano-supercapacitor. The resulting 3D micro-supercapacitors should display extremely high power, long lifetime and – for the first time – energy densities competing or even exceeding that of micro-batteries. As a key achievement, prototypes will be designed using a new concept based on a self-adaptative micro-supercapacitors matrix, which arranges itself according to the global amount of energy stored.

Mots-clés : electrical energy storage,micro supercapacitor,three dimensional electrode,autonomous self powered systems
Projet ERC : TReX (Horizon 2020, appel 2015, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Universe sciences
Entité participante : Hebrew University of Jerusalem — Pays : Israël — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : HUJI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1449375.0 €

The recent and upcoming deep and large field of view surveys has ascribed transient sources an ever-increasing role in 21st century astronomy. We propose to explore three relativistic transients: Compact binary mergers; Stellar disruption by massive black holes (TDEs) and Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs). Mergers are the prime targets of advanced Gravitational Waves (GW) detectors. Their detection will open a new window on the Universe. However localization, based on electromagnetic (EM) counterparts, that we propose to study here, is essential for GW Astronomy. TDEs provide a novel view on galactic centers’ massive black holes. However, TDE observations pose some puzzles, suggesting that a revision of the current tidal disruption theory is needed. New observations provide a wealth of data on GRBs and this is the time to determine their inner workings and to obtain a clear model for the prompt emission mechanism – a long standing puzzle. This project includes theoretical modeling of these events as well as phenomenology of the observations and even some data analysis and observations. Mergers, TDEs and GRBs, are tightly interconnected and share similar physical mechanisms. The theory of merger radio flares and of TDE’s radio emission draws, for example, on GRBs’ afterglow theory and the interpretation of TDE high-energy emission is based on concepts borrowed from the prompt emission of GRBs. A coordinated theoretical study will reveal and utilize the commonalities of these phenomena and has a strong potential to obtain far reaching results beyond the current state of the art with possible implications to other high energy astrophysical phenomena. While this is a theoretical proposal we address at all stages directly observational issues. Hence the proposal is closely related to observations - interpreting existing puzzling observations, predicting new ones or suggesting strategies how to obtain them.