Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Improving crop productivity by relieving the inhibitory effect imposed on photosynthesis by the redox regulatory network (AgriRedox)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Consolidator grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Biotechnology and Biosystems E ngineering
Panel description: Biotechnology using all organisms , biotechnology for environment  and food applications, applied plant and animal sciences , bioengineering and synthetic biology , biomass and biofuels , biohazards
Countries involved: Israel
Call: ERC CONSOLIDATOR GRANTS (ERC-2022-COG, 2022)
Start date: 2023-07-01
End date: 2028-06-30
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2811238.0
EU funding (EUR): 2811238.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

While the global demand for crop production is constantly increasing and a significant increase in agricultural yields is required, we have witnessed stagnation in yield improvement of major crops. Hence, there is an urgent need for new strategies to ensure food security in a sustainable manner. It is becoming appreciated that improving photosynthetic efficiency is one of the most important ways to increase yield. While the dependence of photosynthesis on the reductive activation of the Calvin–Benson cycle enzymes is well established, the role of oxidative signals in counterbalancing the reductive activity is just beginning to be explored. By developing genetically encoded 2-Cys peroxiredoxin-based biosensors, we identified the simultaneous activation of reductive and oxidative signals during the photosynthesis induction phase and showed that 2-Cys peroxiredoxin activity attenuates carbon assimilation rates. These results demonstrated the restrictions imposed on photosynthesis performance by oxidative signals, thus laying the foundation for developing new approaches for increasing photosynthesis efficiency through redox modulations. The central goal of this proposal is to extend our mechanistic understanding of oxidative signal generation and perception and to develop new strategies to improve photosynthesis in crop plants by relieving the inhibitory effect of oxidative signals under fluctuating light conditions. We suggest applying advanced redox biology methodologies to discover the molecular components involved in regulating the oxidative pathway and to decipher the oxidation-sensitive proteome. Moreover, we suggest translating the gained knowledge into technologies that improve photosynthesis in potato plants, one of the world's most important crops. This project aims to provide the necessary knowledge to enhance photosynthesis through redox modification in crops and to produce new potato lines with higher productivity and adaptability to modern agriculture.

Keywords: crop yield,photosynthesis,redox signals,potato,genetically encoded biosensors,redox imaging
Development of chiral plasmonic materials with the tailored optical response of self-assembled chiral nanocomposite. (GoldHelix)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Postdoctoral Fellowships
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Panel: Chemistry
Countries involved: Spain
Call: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2022 (HORIZON-MSCA-2022-PF-01, 2022)
Start date: 2024-03-07
End date: 2026-03-06
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 165312.96
EU funding (EUR): 165312.96
Participants: 2
Project status: SIGNED

The scientific community has been highly interested in developing molecular and photonic devices in recent years due to their multiple promising applications with flexible and cost-effective organic materials. Generally, nanophotonic materials are nanocomposites (hybrid materials) having a structural organization with unique geometries of incorporated organic molecules and inorganic metal nanoparticles or metal complexes at nano-dimension. The top-down and bottom-up approaches are adapted to fabricate such materials. Taking inspiration from the inherent chiral aspect of nature, artificial chiral nanocomposites are designed by scientists to manipulate their optical properties. In the fabrication of chiral nanocomposites, the organization and use of chiral objects at nanoscale dimensions are of extreme interest because their resultant chiral structures will have excellent optical activity and chiroptical properties with promising applications such as chiro-optical sensors, circular polarizers and negative refractive index of materials. In our proposal, we aim to create chiral plasmonic (CP) materials (nanocomposites) by organizing on the surface and creating in-situ plasmonic metal nanoparticles (MNPs) on helical poly(phenylacetylene)s (PPAs) chiral template, respectively. The local surface plasmon resonance characteristics of achiral MNPs will be an advantage for chirality transfer from template to surface plasmons of achiral MNPs. The helical PPAs follow the dynamic helical sense under external stimuli influence, which is controllable. Thus, taking advantage of the tunability of the chiral template, the switchable CP materials will be created having chiroptical properties for an opposite handedness of (P)- and (M)-helix containing plasmonic nanoparticles, unlike most of the natural biomolecules supporting one-handedness of chirality. And the final hybrid PPAs-MNPs (CP materials) will be converted into thin films to study liquid crystalline properties.

Keywords: chirality,chiroptical properties,circular dichroism cd,supramolecular self assembly,chiral plasmonic cp materials,nanocomposites,metal nanoparticles mnps,and local surface plasmon resonance
Mechanisms at the interface of DNA damage repair and transcription (STOP-FIX-GO)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Consolidator grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Molecules of Life: B iological  Mechanisms , Structures  and Functions
Panel description: For all organisms : Molecular biology , biochemistry, structural biology, molecular biophysics , synthetic and chemical biology, drug design, innovative methods and modelling
Countries involved: Netherlands
Call: ERC CONSOLIDATOR GRANTS (ERC-2021-COG, 2021)
Start date: 2022-06-01
End date: 2027-05-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1999764.0
EU funding (EUR): 1999764.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Bulky DNA lesions are a major obstacle during gene transcription by RNA polymerase II enzymes (RNAPII). The stalling of RNAPII at DNA lesions triggers a genome-wide transcriptional arrest. Transcription-coupled repair (TCR) is a specialized DNA repair pathway that selectively removes DNA lesions from actively transcribed genes to restore transcription. Stalled RNAPII at DNA lesions forms a roadblock for advancing DNA replication forks resulting in toxic collisions. The mechanisms that enable the repair of transcription-blocking DNA lesions, the restoration of transcription after repair and the resolution of transcription-replication conflicts are poorly understood. To address these knowledge gaps, I propose to establish a series of innovative approaches aimed at identifying the mechanisms involved in the cellular responses to transcription-blocking DNA damage. We will focus on the functional characterization of known and several promising new TCR factors that we recently identified in combined genome-wide CRISPR and targeted proteomics screens. I propose to dissect the role of known and new TCR proteins by (1) applying a genome-wide approach for directly measuring TCR activity in combination with proximity-labelling proteomics and genetic-interaction mapping to define how TCR complexes assemble and operate, (2) identifying the mechanisms in transcription restoration by combining advanced genomics methods to map nascent transcripts, monitor RNAPII occupancy, and correlate these with specific chromatin modifications in a genome-wide manner, and (3) dissecting the mechanisms involved in resolving transcription-replication conflicts by combining functional DNA replication assays with genome-wide approaches to map transcription, R-loops and DNA replication directionality. This ERC project will break new grounds by offering a detailed understanding of the mechanisms that enable cells to overcome transcriptional roadblocks.

Keywords: transcription coupled repair,tfiih,rna polymerase ii,cockayne syndrome,csb,csa,transcription,transcription elongation,dna damage,dna repair,dna replication,r loops,nucleotide excision repair,chromatin
Robust industrial biocatalysts with peroxygenase, phenol-oxidase or furfuryl-oxidase activities from bacterial and fungal hosts (ROBUSTOO)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness
Programme: Food, Bioeconomy Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment
Theme: Bio-Environment
Destination: Other Bio-environnement destinations
Action type: Innovation actions
Countries involved: Spain,France,Austria,Finland,Netherlands,Italy
Call: Broadening the spectrum of robust enzymes and microbial hosts in industrial biotechnology (HORIZON-CL6-2023-CIRCBIO-01, 2023)
Start date: 2024-01-01
End date: 2027-12-31
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 5126633.75
EU funding (EUR): 4444977.5
Participants: 9
Project status: SIGNED

Industrial Biotechnology is key to maintain Europe's leading position in the global bio-based market and help the transition to a green and circular economy. Fostering investment in innovative technologies like those to be demonstrated in ROBUSTOO and supporting biotech SMEs will contribute to this endeavour. We aim to capitalise the results from previous EU projects that showed the applicability of three oxidative enzymes -unspecific peroxygenases (UPOs), laccases and hydroxymethylfurfural oxidases (HMFOs)- to provide novel and greener production of bio-based chemicals and materials. To exploit their full industrial potential, we will undertake the large-scale production of the recombinant enzymes and the development of new robust variants adapted to the demanding operating conditions. We will benefit from the most advanced technologies and know-how of the ROBUSTOO consortium to conduct computational enzyme bioprospecting and design (BSC), develop microbial strains for industrial enzyme production and engineer improved enzymes, followed by optimisation and pilot demonstration of target enzymatic transformations by biotech SMEs (Metgen, Gecco, bisy, and InnoSyn), and research/technological centres (CIB, UAB, IRNAS, and FCBA), concluding with environmental & techno-economical assessment and exploitation of the developed technologies (ITB). The new enzymes and bio-transformations will represent biotechnology breakthrough solutions for: i) conversion of industrial lignins modified by laccase into 100% bio-based resins as adhesives of wood panels and 3D printing additives, increasing the commercial value of existing lignin products; ii) production of intermediate and fine chemicals difficult to achieve by chemical synthesis through regio-/stereo-selective oxygenations of lipophilic substrates with UPOs; and iii) synthesis of 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid building block from 5-hydroxymethylfurfural using HMFOs, as a sustainable alternative to chemical catalytic processes.

Keywords: enzymatic oxidation and oxygenation epoxidation hydroxylation,hmfo,laccase,upo,lignin valorisation,plant lipids,hmf,fdca,bio based building blocks,chemicals and materials,3d printing,resins
SAFE EFFICIENT BATTERY SYSTEM BASED ON ADVANCED CELL TECHNOLOGY (BATSS)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness
Programme: Climate, Energy and Mobility
Theme: Energy
Destination: Cross-sectoral solutions for the climate transition
Action type: Research and Innovation actions
Partnership: Batteries (co-programmed)
Countries involved: Spain,France,Austria,Germany,Belgium,Switzerland
Call: Next generation technologies for High-performance and safe-by-design battery systems for transport and mobile applications (Batteries Partnership) (HORIZON-CL5-2022-D2-01, 2022)
Start date: 2024-01-01
End date: 2026-12-31
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 4990149.75
EU funding (EUR): 4990149.75
Participants: 11
Project status: SIGNED

BATSS project will focus on the development of a novel battery system concept which exhibits improved high-performance and safety, as a way to unlock the market uptake of next-generation battery system to a broad range of transport applications. The project will develop a specific Safe-by-Design (SbD) approach to guide the whole R&D process, aiming at identifying and mitigating (even eliminating) safety risks across the life cycle of the battery, while also allowing to counteract possible performance and cost trade-offs linked to the implementation of safety barriers in the battery system. The Consortium will develop a new cell-to-pack modular concept targeting at an outstanding safety and electro-thermal performance, mainly for off-road devices (construction site vehicles) and waterborne transport (maritime passenger vessels). BATSS consortium will develop, up to TRL5, the different thermal, electric and mechanical innovations to meet (and improve) the industry use cases performance and safety requirements, guided by the SbD approach and supported by cutting edge modelling and simulation tools for the battery system design and predictive maintenance functionalities of the Battery Management System (BMS). Last, but not least, the end of life (EoL) step will be under the scope through (i) the modular concept enabling easier assembly-disassembly of used battery systems, (ii) the data-supported automated disassembly techniques, and (iii) the exploration of battery system second life in a semi-stationary product.

Keywords: safety,battery,modular,fire,thermal runaway,model,hil,ultrasonic
Resource-efficient processes for the production and circularization of innovative RECYclable-by-DeSIGN fresh meat smart packaging from wood (REDYSIGN)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness
Programme: Food, Bioeconomy Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment
Theme: Public-private partnerships
Destination: Circular Bio-based Europe
Action type: Research and Innovation actions
Partnership: CBE (JU-JTI)
Countries involved: Spain,Finland,Estonia,Germany,Portugal,Norway,Czechia
Call: Circular-by-design bio-based materials to improve the circularity of complex structures (HORIZON-JU-CBE-2022, 2022)
Start date: 2023-10-01
End date: 2027-09-30
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 5237059.25
EU funding (EUR): 4431810.25
Participants: 13
Project status: SIGNED

Thanks to the development and implementation of several innovative technologies which focus strongly on the efficient use of energy, water and chemicals, a ubiquitous complex multi-material product, the fresh meat packaging consumed by the millions every day, will be thoroughly redesigned to make it fully biobased, smart and recyclable at conventional paper recycling mills. To achieve such remarkable goal, every intermediate product contained in that complex product, i.e., the tray, the barrier coating, the absorbing pad and the transparent film, will be made almost exclusively of wood constituents (fibres, micro-nanofibres, lignin and sugars, which have been chemically or enzymatically modified) and integrated with two food-quality sensors (rotting and cold-chain). Finally, several innovations will be brought to the existing recycling stages, both oriented to increase the overall efficiency of the process: incorporation of specific identification markers to allow precise sorting of the bio-contaminated products, advanced oxidation treatments to both sanitize and decrease energy consumption of the process and chemo-enzymatic revalorization of the recalcitrant fractions.

Keywords: smart fibre based packaging recyclable by design fresh meat lignocellulose innovative resource efficient technologies micro nanofibres lignin digital tools
Monodisperse Nanocrystals: Thermal Refinement for High-Performance Microlasers (REFINE2LASE)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Materials Engineering
Panel description: Advanced materials development: performance enhancement, modelling, large -scale preparation, modification, tailoring, optimisation, novel  and combined use of materials, etc.
Countries involved: Italy
Call: ERC STARTING GRANTS (ERC-2025-STG, 2025)
Start date: 2026-09-01
End date: 2031-08-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1984992.0
EU funding (EUR): 1984992.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Materials discovery is a central theme in science. The right material may solve grand challenges such as the energy problem or the colonization of other planets. Often this discovery of a new material occurs when scientists find conditions to stabilize new structural arrangements at the nano- or mesoscale. One versatile approach relies on artificial building blocks known as nanocrystals (NCs). NCs are nanometer-scale atomic crystals with size-tunable physical properties. Their hierarchical assembly into crystalline lattices, superlattices, has the potential to integrate orthogonal physical properties, such as photoluminescence and magnetism, unlocking a vast and unexplored design space for multifunctional materials. So far, significant advances in this direction have been hindered by the inherent distribution in size and shape of NCs, polydispersity. The polydispersity of as-synthesized NCs frustrates superlattice formation and affects the performance of the resulting optoelectronic devices, such as lasers. All previous efforts to optimize synthetic protocols have been unable to eliminate NC polydispersity. As a result, modern NC ensembles still show restrictive levels of polydispersity exceeding 10%: A radically different strategy is needed to obtain monodisperse NCs. Here, I propose to develop a universal thermal refinement strategy to reduce the polydispersity of NC ensembles, resulting in the separation and exploitation of monodisperse NCs. The proposed NC refinement strategy relies on a crystallization process engineered to isolate a single NC size from a polydisperse ensemble. My experience in nanoscience will allow me to reach a profound understanding of NC refinement by establishing a robust link between experiments and simulations. I will exploit the superior optical properties of refined NCs to build a new device concept based on the reinforcing optical feedback between colloidal microlasers with sub-mJ lasing thresholds and single-mode operation

Keywords: colloidal nanocrystals,crystallization,x ray scattering,self assembly,lasing,microresonators,photonics,metamaterials,in situ,in operando
High-order moment models and multi-scale numerical methods for plasmas applied to electric propulsion (HiMomPlas)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Products and Processes Engineering
Panel description: Product and process design, chemical, civil, environmental, mechanical, vehicle engineering, energy processes and relevant computational methods
Countries involved: France
Call: ERC STARTING GRANTS (ERC-2025-STG, 2025)
Start date: 2025-11-01
End date: 2030-10-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1499951.0
EU funding (EUR): 1499951.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

We are in the midst of a technological revolution characterized by the large demand for small satellites. These satellites are cheaper to launch and allow for forming constellations, impossible with larger satellites. As a result, they require propulsion systems in order to control their trajectories. Electric propulsion (EP) largely reduces the operational costs, using less propellant, precisely controlling thrust, and operating for long times. The response to the demand for EP is currently at stake because of two reasons: 1) Most of the thrusters operate with an expensive and scarce propellant gas, xenon, and 2) The development of the engines follows an empirical approach that is long and expensive, which limits the optimization and conception of new prototypes. These limitations are due to the lack of models that capture the complex plasma physics in EP, in particular: 1) The impact of the plasma composition and thruster geometry on the performance, 2) The presence of multi-scale plasma kinetic instabilities, and 3) The erosion of the walls interacting with the plasma. Our objective is to develop advanced predictive plasma models, able to help to the conception of new thrusters operating with cheaper propellants, improving their stability and performance, and predicting their lifetime, without the need of expensive experimental campaigns. We will follow a multidisciplinary approach, integrating physicist, engineers, chemists, and applied mathematicians. Our methodology aims at extending the classical fluid equations by solving for higher-order moments, allowing to describe in an efficient manner microscopic (kinetic) processes. With advanced numerical techniques, we will propose multi-scale models able to describe the turbulent phenomena, the wall processes, and efficiently simulate the multi-scale nature of EP. The models will be integrated into a numerical tool that will be validated with experiments using cutting-edge uncertainty quantification techniques.

Keywords: satellite propulsion