Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Vibrational speckle tomography microscopy for fast intra-operative cancer tissue histopathology (SpeckleCARS)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Systems and Communication Engineering
Panel description: Electrical, electronic, communication, optical and systems engineering
Countries involved: France
Call: ERC ADVANCED GRANTS (ERC-2021-ADG, 2021)
Start date: 2023-01-01
End date: 2027-12-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2726936.0
EU funding (EUR): 2726936.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Histology is central to the diagnosis, staging, and treatment of cancers. It requires the removal of small regions of suspect tissues (biopsies) that are later sectioned and stained with haematoxylin and eosin (HE). However, histology suffers from major weaknesses: First the standard HE protocol cannot work in vivo and requires ex vivo biopsies. Second HE is labour intensive, time consuming and the final tissue sections inspection is possible only after 12 hours. A faster but less accurate protocol, known as extemporaneous histology, can be performed in 40 min and is used in an intra-operative context to guide surgeries. The SpeckleCARS project aims to develop for the first time fast label free tomography microscopy with vibrational sensitivity to provide images with tridimensional improvement as compared to extemporaneous histology and in near-perfect concordance with conventional stained HE histology. This pioneering approach overcomes all the previous challenges: Using a wide field reflection scheme and label free contrast rules out all the drawbacks due to tissue removal and external labelling. It provides instantaneous intraoperative 3D histological data, improving the accessibility and accuracy of tumour detection, diagnosis and treatment. Combining the latest advances in 3D tomography reconstruction algorithms, high power laser systems together with key innovations in random speckle illumination and hyperspectral vibrational imaging, the SpeckleCARS project will provide for the first time volumetric histology imaging in real time over large (mm) fields of view without the need of tissue removal. To demonstrate the power of the developed technologies both ex vivo human and in vivo mouse cancer assessments will be conducted in collaboration with pathologists. The SpeckleCARS approach is broadly applicable to all cancer types and to any tissue diagnostic requiring histological data, so the project breakthroughs will benefit many medical and biology applications.

Keywords: label free microscopy,stimulated raman microscopy,computational imaging,histology
Freight vOlumes transfer from Road to waterborne transport, using zero-EMission, Automated, Small and flexible vessel protoTypes (FOREMAST)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness
Programme: Climate, Energy and Mobility
Theme: Mobility
Destination: Clean and competitive solutions for all transport modes
Action type: Research and Innovation actions
Countries involved: Belgium,Poland,Finland,France,Spain,Greece,Netherlands,Romania,Portugal,Italy
Call: Developing small, flexible, zero-emission and automated vessels to support shifting cargo from road to sustainable Waterborne Transport (HORIZON-CL5-2023-D5-01, 2023)
Start date: 2024-01-01
End date: 2026-12-31
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 4981706.25
EU funding (EUR): 4981706.25
Participants: 18
Project status: SIGNED

FOREMAST R&I activities are structured along 4 ambition Pillars: (P1) Selectable level of automation Guidance, Navigation and Control (GNC) architecture and interfaces and situational awareness model for interfacing GNC and sensory hardware and processing systems to efficiently solve the control problem unique to IWT. Combined with balanced human-autonomy collaboration (navigation, mooring, cargo handling, propulsion) and safety implications in mixed traffic utilising tailored Galileo/EGNOS services will lead to a Next-generation Remote Control Centre TRL 5 and Small Flexible Automated Zero-emission (SFAZ) autonomy control system TRL 5 protypes. (P2) Zero emission energy management solutions dynamically optimised for prevailing operating conditions. Hybrid Electric and Fuel Cell zero emission solutions will be evaluated against power and energy requirements, lifetime, costs and life-cycle emissions of alternative fuel/energy systems. (P3) Innovative Macro Designs for SFAZ vessels in intramodal & intermodal transport networks reflecting innovations from P1 and P2. Vessel design concepts, verified through simulation, will provide systematic evaluation of SFAZ designs for confined areas and shallow waters, providing an increased operational flexibility in terms of cargo capacity, types, and load units, tied with hydrodynamic and propulsion models and control architectures. (P4) A modelling simulation design and operational optimisation tools (Digital Twining Platform) enables both design and operational measurement and optimisation of Living Lab (LL) solutions, supporting solutions for European coastal and inland or congested urban regions, incorporating if needed third party innovative components, ensuring transferability and sustainability. 2 LLs in Ghent and Caen, that represent coastal and inland congested urban regions, will demonstrate the SFAZ Prototypes integrated through Automated Smart Terminals in optimised logistic networks. A 3rd virtual LL in Galati will demonstrate replicability.

Keywords: autonomous,vessels,automated smart terminals,logistics networks,hybrid electric,fuel cell,digital twin,
European Hub for Contemporary China (EuroHub4Sino)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Widening Participation and Strengthening the European Research Area
Programme: Reforming and enhancing the European R&I System
Theme: Reforming and enhancing the European R&I System
Destination: Reforming and enhancing the European R&I System
Action type: Coordination and support actions
Countries involved: Belgium,Czechia,Germany,Poland,United Kingdom,Sweden
Call: Building a virtual European Info Platform on Contemporary China (HORIZON-WIDERA-2023-ERA-01, 2023)
Start date: 2023-10-01
End date: 2026-09-30
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1933437.5
EU funding (EUR): 1933437.5
Participants: 8
Project status: SIGNED

China is a key global actor and a leading economic and technological power. China’s increasing relevance in the geopolitical system, its various specificities, complexities and goals as well as its rapid evolution and new policy directions pose challenge to the EU’s capacity to better understand contemporary China. Furthermore, the European Union needs to get to know and understand China on its own terms: not through the lens of other external sources but from its own European perspective. However, the European level expertise on contemporary China is often fragmented and difficult to access. To overcome this challenge, it is essential to connect established and emerging knowledge nodes as well as gathering, categorising, and mainstreaming their work on a publicly accessible platform. This approach will break down siloes and provide policy-makers, researchers, businesses, and civil society with the necessary knowledge to develop a comprehensive understanding of the various aspects that define contemporary China. Such an approach will also enhance the dissemination of information and facilitate the generation of new knowledge. In this regard, EuroHub4Sino project is built upon four interconnected and interdependent pillars that foresees (a) to develop a state-of-the-art digital platform which was absent in previous projects/initiatives as they had to rely on their own resources in their research/cooperation efforts. This platform will also better serve the wider civil society in mainstreaming independent European knowledge. An inclusive and diverse (b) network will make the most of the digital platform in its (c) collaborative research and communication activities. EuroHub4Sino has (d) developed an innovative and sustainable business model with an aim that this inclusive network and enhanced digital platform will continue working following the end of the project.

Keywords: china digital platform policy europe knowledge network
Imagine, Innovate, Impact (i3) (i3)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: European Researchers' Night
Action type: Coordination and support actions
Countries involved: Türkiye
Call: European Researchers' Night and Researchers at Schools 2024-2025 (HORIZON-MSCA-2023-CITIZENS-01, 2023)
Start date: 2024-04-01
End date: 2026-03-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 313872.32
EU funding (EUR): 299868.75
Participants: 6
Project status: SIGNED

The i3 (Imagine, Innovate, Impact) project aims to promote public engagement with STEM by creating stronger links between researchers and the general public. It unites STEM practitioners, researchers, policymakers, and the public to increase the general public awareness of research and innovation endeavors, support public recognition of researchers, to have stronger support and sense of ownership of research enterprises, to create relevance of researchers’ work on citizen’s daily life and the material world, to support capacity building among young researchers via engagement training, and to encourage young people to become “agents of change” by pursuing their research careers in STEM fields. Bringing top-quality universities, R&D centers, and institutions in STEM engagement and energizing their willingness to “embrace change” will significantly contribute to a wider recognition of research and innovation. The i3 project includes 10 main strands: (i) STEM Slam, (ii) Café Scientific - Meet the Scientist, (iii) STEM Expo, (iv) Guided Visits to Research and Development Labs, (v) Hands- and Minds-on STEM workshops, (vi) Science Shows, (vii) European Union Corner, (viii) Games, (ix) Science Movies, and (x) Concert. Topics and disciplines are structured among STEM with an emphasis on researchers’ contribution and impact on humanities, showcase technological advancement, and promote cutting-edge technological products. That is why our motto is i3: imagine, innovate, impact. In a way, the project might light a spark in the participants’ minds and actions. The i3 project will be held in five cities from east to west, north to central Anatolia.

Keywords: stem,economy of stem,innovators,public engagement,science outreach
Enhanced Deployment and Validation of the TRUMPET Platform (EDAV-TRUMPET)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Widening Participation and Strengthening the European Research Area
Programme: Widening participation and spreading excellence
Theme: Improved access to Excellence
Destination: Improved access to Excellence
Action type: Research and Innovation actions
Countries involved: Türkiye,Spain
Call: Hop on Facility (HORIZON-WIDERA-2023-ACCESS-06, 2023)
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 295625.0
EU funding (EUR): 295625.0
Participants: 2
Project status: SIGNED

The TRUMPET project, funded under the Horizon Civil Security for Society program, aims to establish an Armored Federated Learning-based platform for researchers and solution developers. This platform facilitates the creation of tools for healthcare professionals while ensuring patient privacy and GDPR compliance during the analysis of patient data and comparisons with data from other institutions. Furthermore, the project focuses on developing privacy techniques for federated learning in the healthcare sector, emphasizing data security when sharing trained models among hospitals. The Ministry of Health (MOH) plays a pivotal role in various project work packages (WPs). In WP1, MOH contributes by providing insights, feedback, and new algorithms to enhance the project's architecture. WP4 sees MOH actively engaging in diverse tasks, including data acquisition, platform design, pilot preparation, validation, with a specific focus on privacy measures. In WP5, MOH extends its contributions to cover ethics, regulatory compliance, GDPR guidelines, and standards, further enriching the project's guidelines and actively participating in data agreements. Additionally, MOH plays an active role in dissemination activities in WP6 and contributes to coordination events and project administration in WP7. MOH's extensive involvement significantly enhances the project's overall impact and success.
Supporting UPtake Integrated Pest Management and lOw-Risk pesTicide Use (SUPPORT)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness
Programme: Food, Bioeconomy Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment
Theme: Bio-Environment
Destination: Fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly food systems from primary production to consumption
Action type: Research and Innovation actions
Countries involved: Netherlands,Denmark,Belgium,Germany,Italy,Greece,Spain,Romania,Poland,Switzerland
Call: Socio-economics of pesticide use in agriculture (HORIZON-CL6-2022-FARM2FORK-01, 2022)
Start date: 2023-01-01
End date: 2026-12-31
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 5992693.75
EU funding (EUR): 5992693.75
Participants: 20
Project status: SIGNED

Research has shown that well-designed integrated pest management programmes (IPM) are a viable solution to reduce the dependency on use of chemical pesticides. However, the uptake of IPM practices by farmers remains low, creating a challenge to support adoption of those techniques. This requires thorough understanding of the decision-making process of farmers and other involved stakeholders in order to improve strategies and policies that enables and stimulates the application of IPM. SUPPORT responds to this challenge by increasing the capacity to understand the environmental, social and economic impacts of existing and future crop protection systems in which IPM is applied, by creation of an inventory of IPM tools and techniques and the development an impact monitoring system. Farmers behave in an economic, social and institutional environment. SUPPORT will identify barriers and opportunities in the entire agrifood-chain for the adoption of IPM and analyse qualitatively and quantitatively their role in farmer decision-making. Data will be collected by interviews, surveys, choice experiments and derived from the FADN. The results of this analysis will be used as a basis for the development of strategies and policies enabling and supporting farmers and other stakeholders to apply IPM. The develop takes place in a co-creation process with stakeholders. Therefore, a multi-actor approach will be the backbone of the research process. 26 National Crop Clusters (NCCs) will be used for data collection. In 9 of those NCCs, Community of Practices (CoPs) will be developed with public and private stakeholders to co-create strategies and policies. The CoPs will be embedded in a Network of Practice (NoP), an overarching platform connecting all stakeholders. This NoP will be used to communicate, discuss and disseminate results of SUPPORT with the entire community of stakeholders in the EU.

Keywords: pesticide,practices,reduction,farmers,decision making,governance,consumption,policy,transdisciplinary,multi actor
To Shield, or not to Shield: deciphering DNA repair pathway choice after CRISPR-Cas cleavage (SHIELD)

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: Life Sciences
Countries involved: Denmark
Call: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2021 (HORIZON-MSCA-2021-PF-01, 2021)
Start date: 2022-09-01
End date: 2024-08-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 230774.4
EU funding (EUR): 230774.4
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Genome editing has triggered a revolution with stark implications in life science. Recently, a new gene-editing technique CRISPR-Cas has become dominant in laboratory conditions. The first step in a targeted genome modification requires the CRISPR-Cas nuclease to generate a specific DNA double-strand break (DSB). Eukaryotic cells repair the DSBs by the fast but potentially mutagenic Non-Homologous End Joining (NHEJ), and by the accurate Homology Directed Repair (HDR) pathways. Gene editing techniques exploit the HDR to modify the DNA to the desired sequence. Usually, it is the NHEJ that repairs the DSBs. That presents a threat of introducing mutations and limits gene editing efficiency and use in medical applications. Moreover, even after entering the HDR pathway, an unclear mechanism involving protein 53BP1 and Shieldin complex blocks the pathway from progressing. My goal is to decipher the 53BP1-Shieldin induced block and then assess Shieldin pathway as a possible therapeutic target to increase the frequency of HDR after CRISPR-Cas cleavage. The objectives include: 1. Reconstitution of the Shieldin pathway in mammalian HEK293 and insect Hi5 cells 2. Structural characterization of the protein assembly at DSBs by electron microscopy and mass spectrometry 3. Biochemical analysis of the relation between DSB repair and Shieldin pathway In general, the findings can be applied to enhance any gene-editing technique involving a generation of DSBs. Importantly, the results will provide a base for a long-awaited revolution in personalized medicine. The host laboratory of Prof. Montoya already focuses on improving the properties of the Cas nucleases by means of structural biology and the Shieldin project fits right in their research portfolio. Developing the project will boost my career as new skills in structural biology, including protein electron microscopy, will complement my previous expertise in protein-protein interaction and crosslinking mass spectrometry studies.

Keywords: shieldin complex,crispr cas,cryoem,dna double strand break repair,nhej,hdr,cst complex,dna resection,dna repair pathway choice
Hyperpolarized Magnetic Resonance at the point-of-care (HYPMET)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences
Panel description: Analytical chemistry, chemical theory, physical chemistry/chemical physics
Countries involved: Italy
Call: ERC STARTING GRANTS (ERC-2023-STG, 2023)
Start date: 2024-05-01
End date: 2029-04-30
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1499968.75
EU funding (EUR): 1499968.75
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

HYPMET proposes a pioneering research methodology for hyperpolarized magnetic resonance for real-time monitoring of upregulated metabolic pathways in cancer cells and in-vivo and for body fluid metabolic analyses with the prospect of revolutionizing the medical approach to personalised treatments. A common analytical method for structural biology, medical imaging, and chemical analysis is nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), which is flexible but intrinsically insensitive. Even in the most sensitive NMR spectra, many endogenous compounds found in blood, saliva, or urine are currently unresolved. HYPMET will establish a ground-breaking technology enabling the detection of body fluids metabolites below the current limit of NMR detection (~μM) and the real-time monitoring of clinically relevant metabolic pathways in-cells and in-vivo; it will enable NMR metabolomics analyses at the point-of-care and will be fully compatible with personalised medical treatments; it will be compact (less than 10×10×30 cm) and will not require superconducting magnets. Emerging methods (e.g. hyperpolarisation methods - HM) can boost the NMR signal intensity. HYPMET will merge two HMs to achieve NMR signal enhancements of several thousand-fold continuously, in the liquid state and at ultra-low-magnetic field (ULF, i.e. <10 mT) for many nuclear isotopes. The two HMs are: Overhauser Dynamic Nuclear Polarization (ODNP) and Signal Amplification By Reversible Exchange (SABRE). The PI unique expertise spans method development on various HMs and development and implementation of a protocol for real-time monitoring of pyruvate to lactate conversions in-cells and in-vivo to probe the state of a tumor in real-time. Success in this multidisciplinary project will pave the way for efficient NMR metabolomics analyses and for better real-time metabolic conversion monitoring directly at the point-of-care. In the future, the technology could be further reduced in size and become a widespread clinical tool.

Keywords: nmr,phip,dnp,odnp,hyperpolarized magnetic resonance,pyruvate metabolism,biofluids
Elucidating the molecular mechanism by which BTN3A3 mediates host restriction against zoonotic influenza virus infection. (FluZoBa)

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: Life Sciences
Countries involved: Germany
Call: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2024 (HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01, 2024)
Start date: 2025-05-01
End date: 2027-04-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 202125.12
EU funding (EUR): 202125.12
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Avian influenza viruses (AIV) pose a constant socio-economic threat to humanity due to their potential to cause novel pandemics. This risk is underscored by recent reports of mammalian species infected with highly pathogenic strains of AIV. To develop effective drugs and improve risk assessment, a detailed understanding of the molecular mechanisms of AIV infection is crucial. AIV are typical emerging zoonotic pathogens capable of crossing into new species. This depends on two factors: i) the new host must support viral replication, and ii) restrictive factors that inhibit infection must be evaded. One significant barrier to AIV infections in humans is the limited activity of avian-adapted viral ribonucleoprotein complexes. These complexes consist of one genomic RNA segment, nucleoproteins, and a viral polymerase. Recently, the host factor BTN3A3 was identified as a critical restriction element for zoonotic AIV, influencing cross-species viral evolution. However, the exact mechanisms through which BTN3A3 restricts the virus, and how the virus evades this restriction, remain unclear. This study involves structural investigations conducted directly within infected cells at nanometer resolution by in situ cryo-electron tomography, an approach that is significantly pushing beyond the current state-of-the-art thereby setting new paradigms in the understanding of molecular infection mechanisms. The primary objective is to elucidate how viral host-adaptation mutations evade BTN3A3 restriction with the overarching goals to i) improve pandemic risk assessment tools, ii) reveal new drug targets, and iii) serve as a proof-of-principle for studying restriction factors during infection with other zoonotic viruses. This research will be conducted under the supervision of Dr. Petr Chlanda at Heidelberg University, where I will have access to world-class facilities and training opportunities, supporting my growth as an independent researcher.

Keywords: influenza a virus,zoonosis,cryoem,cryoet