Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Nanomedicine upscaling for early clinical phases of multimodal cancer therapy (NoCanTher)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Industrial Leadership
Programme: Nanotechnologies, Advanced Materials, Advanced Manufacturing and Processing, and Biotechnology
Theme: Nanotechnologies
Action type: Research and Innovation actions
Countries involved: Spain,Germany,Ireland,Spain,Spain,Germany,France,United Kingdom
Call: Nanomedicine therapy for cancer (H2020-NMP-2015-two-stage, 2015)
Start date: 2016-04-01
End date: 2021-09-30
Duration (months): 66.0
Total project cost (EUR): 7113778.75
EU funding (EUR): 7113778.75
Participants: 14
Project status: SIGNED

This project has been amended in July 2019 to better align the described tasks and timeline with the current status of the project. The preceding Multifun Consortium (FP7 project Nº. 262943) has developed and validated distinct nanoformulations as therapeutic approach against pancreatic and breast cancer. These nanoformulations are based on magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (MNP) multifuntionalised with a target peptide and an anticancer chemical drug, allowing for a synergistic therapeutic effect produced by the combination of intracellular drug delivery and magnetic hyperthermia. In particular, some of the designed formulations (patent filed PCT/EP2015/056631) have proven their efficacy, safety and non-toxicicty, in in vitro and in vivo studies, against the mentioned cancers, thus making them promising candidates to produce a novel nanomedicine therapy for cancer. NoCanTher aims at translating one of these nanoformulations to early clinical development for pancreatic cancer. Particularly, we plan to assess bare nanoparticles (System B) and multifunctional nanoparticles (System A) in advanced preclinical models and run a clinical study with the System B. To successfully reach this objective, we will concentrate our efforts in two main group of activities: • Nanotherapeutic up-scaling under Certfified conditions: NoCanTher will scale up the manufacturing of the proposed nanoformulation from milligram-scale laboratory synthesis up to multigram-scale production to generate sufficient material for clinical and regulatory assays. To this aim, a certified production line will be optimised and the relevant quality control will be conducted at the different stages of the up-scaling process. • Clinical Study: NoCanTher will include late preclinical parameter testing to raise a clinical treatment protocol, regulatory assays, as well as the design of the clinical study and the preparation of the Investigational Medicinal Device Dossier (IMDD). This strategy will allow us to apply for Clinical Study Authorisation (CSA) then, we will carry out a Clinical Study. NoCanTher involves the participation of 11 institutions from three different sectors (academia, industry, clinical) and from five different countries (Ireland, France, Germany, Spain and the UK).

Keywords: pancreatic cancer,multimodal therapy,multifunctionalised magnetic nanoparticles,gmp upscaling,phase i clinical trialt,magnetic hyperthermia
Migrating Knowledge: The Global Knowledge Networks of German Medic, Botanist and Migration Commissioner Wilhelm Hillebrand in Hawai‘i (1821-1886) (MIGKNOW)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie-Sklodowska-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Individual Fellowships (IF)-Standard European Fellowships
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Panel: Social Sciences and Humanities
Countries involved: Germany
Call: Individual Fellowships (H2020-MSCA-IF-2019, 2019)
Start date: 2021-05-01
End date: 2023-04-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 174806.4
EU funding (EUR): 174806.4
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Taking its lead from my pilot study in the ERC AdG project The Colour of Labour (no. 695573) on the international actors involved in labour migration to 19th-century Hawai‘i, this project researches the intersecting, transnational knowledge networks German medic, botanist and immigration commissioner Wilhelm Hillebrand used to direct the wide-scale migration of bodies, plants, creatures, medicines and techniques to the Hawaiian Islands. With the mentorship of Prof. Dr. Ulrike Linder (University of Cologne), an expert in the history of migration and comparative colonial history, I will gain training through research in the linked study of colonial migration and knowledge in the age of empire. Crossing the history of migration and the history of science, the project tackles the following issues: (i) how transnational scientific actors possessed and performed expertise as part of highly mobile careers in the 19th century; (ii) whether colonial migration was a type of colonial science; (iii) how to analyse the “colonial” in independent Hawai‘i; and (iv) the legacies of European global actor networks in the 19th-century Pacific. The research plan consists of 4 research-based work projects that use close study of Wilhelm Hillebrand’s networking practices to investigate different conjunctures between knowledge, labour and migration in the mid 19th century. Connected research on the careers, biographies, correspondence and ideas of Hillebrand’s global associates will develop insights about the porosity of emerging knowledge forms and scientific networks during the 19th century, and their role in plantation-focused labour migration regimes. Through high-quality mentoring from the supervisor and training in research and transferable skills at the UoC’s Institute of History and Global South Studies Centre, this project will prepare me for employment across Europe in midcareer, tenure-track positions in global history.

Keywords: labour migration,colonial science,colonialism in hawai i,transnational history,networks,history of knowledge,historiography of colonialism,19th century,contract labour,population
Extending the REACTOME Pathway Database for multi-omics biomedical data analysis (REACTOMEgsa)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie-Sklodowska-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Individual Fellowships (IF)-Standard European Fellowships
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Panel: Life Sciences
Countries involved: Germany
Call: Individual Fellowships (H2020-MSCA-IF-2017, 2017)
Start date: 2018-08-01
End date: 2019-07-31
Duration (months): 12.0
Total project cost (EUR): 97727.4
EU funding (EUR): 97727.4
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The increasing availability of high-throughput ‘omics technologies results in unprecedented opportunities for precision medicine and biomedical research. With the increasing availability of large amounts of data (‘big data’), data analysis and interpretation have become a major bottleneck. Pathway analysis techniques are used to incorporate existing biological knowledge into the data analysis and allow researchers to focus on the interpretation of regulated biological processes. Despite the existence of many advanced pathway analysis algorithms, most leading pathway analysis resources still rely on simplistic ‘gene set over representation’ analyses (ORA) and cannot integrate data from different ‘omics approaches. Reactome is one of the most popular resources for pathway information. Its open-access data model, powerful web interface, and stringent manual curation and peer-review provide an ideal foundation for this project’s developments. In this project, I will extend Reactome towards an analysis platform for multi-omics biomedical studies. I will replace its current ORA approach with more sophisticated pathway algorithms supporting transcriptomics, microarray, proteomics, and metabolomics data. Next, I will extend Reactome to analyse datasets of samples that cannot be attributed to a phenotype. The extended version of Reactome will be able to derive one expression value per pathway which can then be correlated with clinical parameters to identify clinical relevant biological processes. This will make Reactome a prime resource for multi-omics biomedical studies. I anticipate that the successful completion of this project will allow me to integrate and extend my current skills as a medical doctor and a bioinformatician towards systems biology studies. The additional gained experience in project management and communication of scientific results will form the basis for my envisaged career to start my own interdisciplinary biomedical research group.

Keywords: pathway analysis,systems biology,proteomics,transcriptomics,biomedical research
EUropean Vital Medical Supplies and Equipment Resilient and Reliable Repurposing Manufacturing as a Service NetworK for Fast PAndemic Reaction (Eur3ka)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Industrial Leadership
Programme: Nanotechnologies, Advanced Materials, Advanced Manufacturing and Processing, and Biotechnology
Theme: Advanced manufacturing and processing
Action type: Innovation actions
Countries involved: Italy,Germany,Spain,Israel,Germany,Spain,Germany,Italy,Italy,Italy,Switzerland,Norway,Romania,Finland,Netherlands,Netherlands,Denmark,Denmark,Luxembourg,Denmark,Denmark,Portugal
Call: Repurposing of manufacturing for vital medical supplies and equipment. (H2020-SC1-PHE-CORONAVIRUS-2020-2-NMBP, 2020)
Start date: 2020-12-01
End date: 2023-02-28
Duration (months): 27.0
Total project cost (EUR): 7389738.75
EU funding (EUR): 5927667.13
Participants: 26
Project status: CLOSED

Recent events have demonstrated the need for readiness for medical supply and equipment rapid manufacturing repurposing. Eur3ka will deliver a trusted and unique capability to plug and collectively respond to a sudden demand increased in a coordinated and effective manner at unprecedented scale. Eur3ka mission is to bring together most recent R&I results in (1) Industry 4.0 standards, open automation modular manufacturing production line enablers; (2) industrial international common data space enablers and digital infrastructures; (3) global on-demand and manufacturing as a service platforms; (4) connected and smarter supply networks, and global medical supplies and equipment repositories; (5) the vibrant European and Global network of manufacturing DIH network innovation services and open experimental facilities. The main ambition of Eur3ka is to enable and facilitate global and fair access to (1) a Plug & Respond (P&R) repurposing resource coordination framework for pandemic crisis response, (2) a common open standardized modular manufacturing reference architecture and solutions, and (3) top digitally sovereign cross-sectorial manufacturing networks and capacities that should allow to connect global manufacturing and supply chain capabilities and medical knowledge on-demand and as-a-Service across the globe in an IP-responsive manner to ensure rapid manufacturing repurposing for an increased and sudden demand of medical supplies and equipment. Eur3ka builds and extends the existing Global Network of Advanced Manufacturing Hubs (AMHUBs) to leverage a comprehensive COVID response based on solid socio-tecno-economic pillars that bring together advanced manufacturing and digital enablers that will raise robustness, redundancy, resourcefulness, response, and recovery against current and future pandemics. Eur3ka vision builds on and accelerate current digital transformation industry 4.0 efforts, as well as flexible regulations and tailored workforce re-/up- skilling

Keywords: resilient and reliable repurposing manufacturing,covid 19 business continuity,manufacturing as a service,digital transformation acceleration,cross sector value chains,plugandresponse framework
Investigation of the mesoscale couplings in nanofluidics using nonlinear optical techniques (OptoNanoFlow)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie-Sklodowska-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Individual Fellowships (IF)-Global Fellowships
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Panel: Physics
Countries involved: France,Japan
Call: Individual Fellowships (H2020-MSCA-IF-2019, 2019)
Start date: 2021-03-01
End date: 2024-02-29
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 265115.52
EU funding (EUR): 265115.52
Participants: 2
Project status: CLOSED

Transport of fluids and ions confined at the nanoscale strongly deviates from the continuum description of hydrodynamics. These exotic nanofluidic properties take their roots in the combination, at the nanoscale, of physical phenomena such as charge effects, fluctuations or fluid slippage. Such effects can be harvested for applications such as desalination, blue-energy production, or ultrafiltration for healthcare. Recently, it has been discovered that beyond the chemical reactivity of interfaces, the electronic properties of the confining materials also strongly modify nanofluidic transport. The aim of this project is to understand the molecular nature of these couplings happening at the mesoscale, where the atomic scale of electronic properties meets the bulk scale of the continuum and classical physics of electrolytes. This requires to develop new experimental tools to go beyond the state-of-the-art techniques mainly based on current measurements. Indeed, despite their precision, they only quantify charge transport regardless of the species involved and cannot distinguish water/surface (slippage) from ion/surface interactions (surface charge). To disentangle these effects, we will use new fast nonlinear optical techniques to reveal the molecular nature of the couplings inside channels (nanotubes and 2D channels) made of hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) and graphite. These twin materials will allow us to probe the electronic nature of the couplings: indeed, they share the same crystallographic structure but differ by their electronic properties (insulator versus conductor). We will focus in particular on two objectives: (i) developing a label-free (pump-probe) method able to measure nanoflows in situ and using it to study the effects of ion density, walls’ electronic properties and channel geometry (1D, 2D) on water slippage, and (ii) using Sum Frequency Generation spectroscopy to identify the nature of the surface charge of graphene and hBN interfaces.

Keywords: nanofluidics,water transport,nanotubes,ionic transport
Feasibility study of a superefficient hybrid power train as a replacement unit for existing engines - Hybrid Power for General Aviation (HyPoGA) (HyPoGA)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Societal Challenges
Programme: Smart, green and integrated transport
Action type: SME instrument
Countries involved: Germany,Germany
Call: Small business innovation research for Transport (H2020-SMEINST-1-2014, 2014)
Start date: 2015-05-01
End date: 2015-10-31
Duration (months): 6.0
Total project cost (EUR): 71429.0
EU funding (EUR): 50000.0
Participants: 2
Project status: CLOSED

Worldwide, over 280.000 General Aviation (GA) aircrafts are in use (28.000 in Europe) and most aircraft in this engine-power class (approx. 200 kW) are operated several hours per day in commercial services. The total operating costs are about 213 T€ per year. Combustion engines are designed for the maximum power needed for take-off and climbs (peak-loading), though in cruise flight only approx. 65 % of the power is required. The overall objective of the HyPoGA innovation project is to develop a superefficient, hybridized 200 kW aircraft engine by integration of a 140 kW combustion and a 60 kW electrical engine which will allow a fuel reduction of about 30% and a total cost reduction of 27% ~ 48 T€. This engine will be certified as a replacement unit according to EU and US aviation laws and regulations. The annual demand for replacement engines is ~3.000. The additional weight of the electrical components (electrical engine, batteries) is counter played by the weight reduction of a smaller combustion engine and the fuel savings. The innovative power train will contribute significantly to reduced costs of operations and a massive reduction of CO2 emission. Furthermore, the electrical engine constitutes a back-up increasing the safety of aircraft operations (two engines instead of one). These aspects create a unique selling point and competitive advantage for potential customers. The objectives of the feasibility study are (i) a market research study and analysis (SWOT-Analysis), (ii) a technological feasibility (e.g. final design definition) and (iii) an economic and financial feasibility (including marketing strategy, certification, financial plan). The results will be elaborated in a business plan.

Keywords: environmental performance of aviation,cost efficiency,fuel reduction,hybridized engine,noise,reduction,safety enhancement,innovation by integration,general aviation,new business model
Nucleases in homologous recombination: from basic principles to genome editing (HRMECH)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Consolidator grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions
Panel description: Molecular biology, biochemistry, structural biology, molecular biophysics, synthetic and chemical biology, drug design, innovative methods and modelling
Countries involved: Switzerland
Call: ERC Consolidator Grant (ERC-2015-CoG, 2015)
Start date: 2016-10-01
End date: 2022-03-31
Duration (months): 66.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1999014.0
EU funding (EUR): 1999014.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Homologous recombination plays a crucial role to repair DNA strand breaks that may occur spontaneously upon replication fork collapse, during the course of radio- or chemotherapy or in a programmed manner during meiosis. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of re-combinational repair is thus very important not only from a basic research viewpoint, but it is also highly relevant for human health. Here, we will define the function of nucleases in homol-ogous recombination. First, we will study the initial steps in this pathway. We could show previously that the S. cerevisiae Sae2 protein promotes the endonuclease activity of the Mre11-Rad50-Xrs2 (MRX) complex near protein blocked DNA ends. This initiates nucleolytic resection of DNA breaks and activates homologous recombination. Our biochemical setup will be instrumental to define how is the activity of Sae2 regulated by phosphorylation on a mech-anistic level and how physiological protein blocks direct the Mre11 endonuclease. We will ex-tend the study to the human system, and attempt to apply the gained knowledge to improve the efficiency of genome editing by activating recombination in conjunction with the CRISPR-Cas9 nuclease system. Second, we will study how homologous recombination promotes gen-eration of genetic diversity during sexual reproduction. DNA strand breaks are introduced in-tentionally during the prophase of the first meiotic division. They are then processed by the recombination machinery into Holliday junction intermediates. These joint molecules are preferentially converted into crossovers in meiosis, resulting in exchange of genetic infor-mation between the maternal and paternal DNA molecules. This is dependent on the Mlh1-Mlh3 nuclease through a yet unknown mechanism. We will study how Mlh1-Mlh3 in complex with other proteins guarantee crossover outcome to promote diversity of the progeny.

Keywords: recombination,nucleases,dna end resection,meiosis,genome editing
Restoring tissue regeneration in patients with visceral Graft versus Host Disease. (RETHRIM)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Societal Challenges
Programme: Health, demographic change and wellbeing
Theme: Treating and managing disease
Action type: Research and Innovation actions
Countries involved: Germany,Spain,Italy,Germany,Belgium,Sweden,Sweden,Netherlands,Netherlands,Netherlands
Call: Clinical research on regenerative medicine (H2020-PHC-2014-single-stage, 2014)
Start date: 2015-01-01
End date: 2021-12-31
Duration (months): 84.0
Total project cost (EUR): 5857587.5
EU funding (EUR): 5857587.5
Participants: 12
Project status: CLOSED

Stem cell regenerative therapies hold great promise for patients suffering from a variety of disorders that are associated with tissue or organ injury. Regeneration relies on tissue or organ-specific stem and progenitor cells, but can also aim at promoting the endogenous repair capacity of the body. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) are undergoing clinical testing in a variety of clinical conditions aiming at repair through direct or indirect mechanisms. Their ability to form bone or cartilage is used to directly repair these tissues. In other conditions their regenerative effects are based on endogenous repair through their anti-inflammatory properties. The latter mechanism is important in the treatment of acute Graft-versus-Host Disease (GvHD). We have been involved in the clinical development from the beginning and we have shown the therapeutic potential. However, no results of controlled randomized phase 3 studies have been published to date, thereby hampering safety and efficacy assessment. Within our consortium we have developed an academic infrastructure for the harmonized production of MSC. In the RETHRIM proposal this will be combined with our clinical expertise to conduct the first Europe-wide placebo controlled randomized phase III trial using MSC regenerative therapy for the treatment of steroid-resistant visceral GvHD. Central to the RETHRIM project is the clinical trial for which 150 patients will be recruited. All MSC products will be extensively analysed using molecular and functional markers, in order to develop a potency signature for the product and for the prediction of response. We also intend to collect data from additional quality of life, health technology assessment and ethical studies. We will apply for an Orphan Drug Designation in Europe and this may serve as a stepping-stone for the further commercialization of the MSC product, once a positive outcome has been obtained.

Keywords: clinical trial,graft versus host disease,mesenchymal stromal cells,tissue regeneration