Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
The origin and early evolution of eukaryotic plastids (PLAST-EVOL)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution
Panel description: Ecology, biodiversity, environmental change, evolutionary biology, behavioural ecology, microbial ecology, marine biology, ecophysiology, theoretical developments and modelling
Countries involved: France
Call: ERC Advanced Grant (ERC-2017-ADG, 2017)
Start date: 2018-10-01
End date: 2024-09-30
Duration (months): 72.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2499986.0
EU funding (EUR): 2499986.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

More than 1 Ga ago, an ancient eukaryote became photosynthetic by engulfing a cyanobacterium that evolved into the first plastid. This had profound consequences for the planet: photosynthetic eukaryotes became major primary producers and biogeochemical players. From this primary endosymbiosis evolved green algae and plants, red algae, and glaucophytes. Later, secondary endosymbioses of red and green algae spread plastids in numerous other phyla. However, many aspects of this evolutionary history remain obscure. The identity of that cyanobacterium was a mystery until we recently found strong phylogenomic evidence that it belonged to the Gloeomargaritales, a newly discovered deep-branching group. Yet, why this original endosymbiosis in a heterotrophic host was so successful is unknown. I hypothesize that it was due to the unusual capacity of Gloeomargaritales to produce intracellular carbonates which, I argue, allowed buffering the pH increase concomitant with photosynthetic C fixation. This was crucial for photosynthesis-based endosymbiosis before the host evolved active pH regulation. Similar intracellular amorphous carbonates recently found in green algae might be modern remnants of that initial symbiosis. To test this hypothesis and gain insight into the origin and subsequent evolution of plastids, I propose to: 1) thoroughly characterize the physiology of Gloeomargarita lithophora, the only Gloeomargaritales species isolated so far; 2) obtain new genomic data from diverse Gloeomargaritales by culture, metagenomic and single-cell approaches; 3) study the impact of cyanobacterial genes endosymbiotically transferred to the host algal and plant nuclear genomes; and 4) retrace the evolutionary history of these genes in secondary and tertiary endosymbioses. My project will improve our understanding of the origin and evolution of photosynthetic eukaryotes, and influence broader evolutionary biology research areas, from endosymbiosis to the eukaryotic tree of life.

Keywords: plastids,algae,endosymbiosis
Aerosol-ClOud iNteractions anD Effects oN atmoSpheric rAdiaTIve fOrciNg (CONDENSATION)

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: Environment and Geosciences
Countries involved: Spain
Call: Individual Fellowships (H2020-MSCA-IF-2017, 2017)
Start date: 2019-03-01
End date: 2021-02-28
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 158121.6
EU funding (EUR): 158121.6
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The effect of changes in atmospheric aerosol properties on clouds formation, distribution and radiative properties is the most uncertain component of the Earth´s-Atmosphere energy balance. This uncertainty affects climate model estimates, key for the development of strategic plans for climate change mitigation and for policymakers worldwide. Thus, there is an essential need for understanding aerosol-cloud interaction (ACI) processes and reducing their associated uncertainties in radiative forcing (RF). Ground-based remote sensors (e.g. lidar and radar) are crucial in this sense, providing profiles of aerosol and cloud properties, required to study ACI processes and their influence on RF. During this project, we will perform a theoretical evaluation through numerical models for optimizing lidar-radar configurations in order to improve ACI processes understanding, which could bring novel technical advancements by improving the instrumental capabilities of remote sensors. We will also perform sensitivity studies of minimum parameter information required and the impact of noise for the estimation of ACI RF from combining lidar and radar measurements. To that end, we will use the numerical models, radiative transfer codes and the global model GEOS-5 as reference data. Experimental data for the lidar and radar systems at Granada (Spain), operating within H2020 ACTRIS-2 project, will be used in the final phase. The experimental supersite at Granada is a unique environment thanks to the availability of multiple remote sensors and in-situ instrumentation which offers the possibility of evaluating the theoretical simulations and the obtained outcomes using measured data. The innovative research from the hosting group, plus the cooperative efforts with the Polytechnic University of Catalonia, the University of Reading or NASA, will guarantee the success of the proposal and a fruitful experience for the candidate on her way to consolidate as an independent leading researcher.

Keywords: aerosol cloud interactions,radiative forcing,remote sensing
Commercial validation of iPROCELL: a novel modular assembly practice (iProcell)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Industrial Leadership
Programme: Nanotechnologies, Advanced Materials, Advanced Manufacturing and Processing, and Biotechnology
Theme: Nanotechnologies
Action type: SME instrument
Countries involved: Germany
Call: Accelerating the uptake of nanotechnologies advanced materials or advanced manufacturing and processing technologies by SMEs (H2020-SMEINST-1-2016-2017, 2016)
Start date: 2016-06-01
End date: 2016-09-30
Duration (months): 4.0
Total project cost (EUR): 71429.0
EU funding (EUR): 50000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

iPROCELL has been developed to meet an identified need to improve for economies of scale within the electric vehicle (EV) production market. The new market we are developing is a world first, sitting between manual manufacturing and full production line assembly. Neither existing solutions are cost effective with the current levels of EVs being produced. Our solution is a fully automated final assembly cell, with 3 autonomous robots situated around a central industry build location. Our main innovation is our method of assembly, the 3 robots work symbiotically to assemble modules into finished products. This design provides a footprint that is 12 times smaller than traditional production lines. We have incorporated our state of the art gripper technology for fully adaptable programmable robotic heads that can accommodate 12 different design options, allowing assembly of small batches in a cost effective manner. Our modular format allows fully flexible manufacturing, appealing to the increasing customer demand for evermore customised products. The high flexibility required to accommodate small series customised products alongside the commercial need to run a cost effective practice is challenging a number of manufacturing industries. When demonstrating the prototype at the Hannover Messe 2015, we received significant interest from a number of industries beyond the EV market including domestic appliances and medical technology opening further opportunities for us to capitalise on. Forecasted to have a global worth of €184 bn by 2020, the automation solutions industry is growing. This Feasibility Study will enable us to assess the economic feasibility of our global and European primary and secondary target markets for our solution; plan IP strategy; develop a fully elaborated sales model; identify potential first adopters and trial partners as well as gather voice of customer. Once complete, we shall progress into Phase 2 and commercially launch iPROCELL in 2019.

Keywords: advanced manufacturing,e mobility,production,modularity,assembly,fully automated,robotics,economies of scale
Science and applications of random polymer fiber lasers (RANPOFIL)

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: Physics
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call: Individual Fellowships (H2020-MSCA-IF-2016, 2016)
Start date: 2017-08-10
End date: 2019-08-09
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 195454.8
EU funding (EUR): 195454.8
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

As a new type of light source, random lasers have attracted many attentions. The non-directional and high threshold characters of the traditional RL systems have largely limited their application. The effect of one-dimensional confinement on the lasing properties of a classical random laser system has obtained, bringing about the birth of random fiber lasers with low threshold and directionality based on the stimulated emission in the disorder system. Laterly, the new random fiber laser, based on a Rayleigh scattering amplified via the Raman effect in the silica optical fiber without a cavity formed only by a random distributed feedback, have been reported. However, the backscattering coefficient of silica optical fiber is very low, which induces high pump threshold and long fiber length. Interestingly, optical fibers with two merits come into my research points in the random fiber lasers: (1) high Rayleigh backscattering coefficient; (2) high negative thermo-optical coefficient fiber. Therefore, the new polymer fiber random laser will be greatly to enhance the efficiency and tunable of random lasing. These studies will provide scientific and technical evidences and pave the way for better random fiber laser.

Keywords: polymer optical fibers,random lasers,random fiber lasers,raman scattering
Robot shoots herbicide only on weeds, reducing usage by more than 90% (ASTERIX)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Societal Challenges
Programme: Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine and maritime and inland water research and the bioeconomy
Theme: Sustainable agriculture and forestry
Action type: SME instrument
Countries involved: Norway
Call: Stimulating the innovation potential of SMEs for sustainable and competitive agriculture, forestry, agri-food and bio-based sectors (H2020-SMEINST-1-2016-2017, 2016)
Start date: 2016-08-01
End date: 2017-01-31
Duration (months): 6.0
Total project cost (EUR): 71429.0
EU funding (EUR): 50000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The productivity in agriculture has improved enormously for the last 50 years. However, the increased yield comes at a cost. The fields producing our food are sprayed throughout the seasons with herbicides, fungicides and insecticides. We are facing major problems with resistant weeds and pesticide residues in food, soil and water. Farming needs to become more sustainable. We want to contribute to a change of paradigm, starting with row crops. We are introducing an autonomous field robot, designed for tending of vegetables. The robot uses machine vision and our ultra-precise nozzle technology to shoot droplets of herbicide on each individual weed - not on the crop - not on the soil. This will reduce the amount of herbicide used by appx 95%. There are many hundreds of different row crops, most too small to make it economically viable to develop specific herbicides. This, in combination with environmental problems and herbicide resistant weeds, means that the farmer has very few or no available herbicides. Our ability to only spray the weed will change this. Some weeds can also be left unsprayed, reducing genetic selection on herbicide resistance. The system can also reduce insecticide application, observe plant stress and crop development. Our vision is that these robots are working days and nights, recording data from its fields, looking for problems to solve. Adigo AS (www.adigo.no), is performing R&D within mechatronics in B2B relationships. We have been working for more than 10 years within precision farming, developing field robots for research and machine vision based sensors. We believe the timing now is very good for launching new products and methods in this market.

Keywords: precision farming,hi tech,reduce herbicide,micro drop on demand,weed control
High-Dimensional Inference for Panel and Network Data (PANEDA)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Consolidator grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Individuals, Markets and Organisations
Panel description: Economics, finance and management
Countries involved: United Kingdom,United Kingdom
Call: ERC Consolidator Grant (ERC-2018-COG, 2018)
Start date: 2019-08-01
End date: 2025-07-31
Duration (months): 72.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1478831.0
EU funding (EUR): 1036052.76
Participants: 2
Project status: SIGNED

Improved data availability in Economics provides access to richer datasets with increased complexity. There is regularly a network aspect to the data, whenever outcomes are observed for matches of different economic units (e.g. households, individuals, firms, products, markets). Such observations include, e.g., wages for workers in firms, academic achievement for students taught by teachers in schools, and purchasing decisions for consumers in stores. The underlying network structure is often sparse, because we only observe a small subset of all possible matches, say between workers and firms. In addition, we aim to estimate models with many parameters, for example to control for and to estimate unobserved heterogeneity of economic units by including (e.g. worker and firm specific) fixed effects. The combination of sparsity of the underlying network structure and a large number of parameters in the model creates challenging Econometric problems. In particular, there is a serious gap between empirical practice, where applied researchers regularly use such sparse network datasets, and the theoretical justifications for those inference methods that are based on classic data structures (cross-sectional, time-series, and panel data) that do not account for the sparsity aspect of the data. The goal of this research project is to develop robust inference methods for such sparse panel and network datasets. This requires to establish a mathematical representation of the network that allows to formalize asymptotic inference results for sequences of growing networks. Subsequently, new bias correction and robust standard error estimation methods will be developed that account for the sparsity structure of the data. I will also advance more parsimonious modeling and estimation approaches (e.g. grouped heterogeneity or empirical Bayes) for situations where the data are otherwise uninformative for the parameters of interest.

Keywords: panel data,social networks,graph theory
Migration and the Making of the Ancient Greek World (MIGMAG)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Consolidator grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: The study of the human past
Panel description: Archaeology, history and memory
Countries involved: Austria,United Kingdom,United Kingdom
Call: ERC Consolidator Grant (ERC-2019-COG, 2019)
Start date: 2020-10-01
End date: 2025-09-30
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1991686.0
EU funding (EUR): 1705153.45
Participants: 3
Project status: SIGNED

This project proposes a radical new model for the formation of the ancient Greek world through multi-scalar migration and the later development of Greek identity. By c.550 BCE, the Greek world was a culturally integrated but geographically dispersed entity, comprising over a thousand autonomous communities scattered across the Mediterranean and Black Sea. Migration was a crucial factor in its formation. Yet the nature and scale of this migration remain poorly understood, and there is much heated debate over whether it should be termed ‘colonisation’. This project attempts to break the stalemate, using an interdisciplinary methodology that combines theories from human geography and migration studies, new settlement and environmental data from archaeological survey, and the testimony of ancient literary sources. Scholarship to date has focused on inter-regional immigration, investigating long-distance mobilities through studies of artefacts, style, social practices, stable isotopes and aDNA. In contrast, in this project I will present a new body of data that allows us to understand local and intra-regional mobilities, developing for the first time a fully comprehensive view of the complex, multi-scalar migration of this period. I will also investigate why some settlements developed into ‘Greek’ communities rather than others, and the processes by which this occurred. This project will have implications for how we conceptualise the fundamental nature of the ancient Greek world, opening up new horizons within the disciplines of ancient cultural and political history. It will also set new agendas for research into past mobilities and the archaeology of migration.

Keywords: archaeological survey,myth,identity
tEchnology for Multimodal inter-BRain dynAmiCs invEstigation (EMBRACE)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie-Sklodowska-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Research and innovation staff exchange
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Panel: Information Science and Engineering
Countries involved: Germany,Spain,Germany,Italy,Italy
Call: Research and Innovation Staff Exchange (H2020-MSCA-RISE-2020, 2020)
Start date: 2021-02-01
End date: 2025-10-31
Duration (months): 57.0
Total project cost (EUR): 818800.0
EU funding (EUR): 818800.0
Participants: 6
Project status: SIGNED

Most social interactions involve interpersonal coordinated movements in real-time and real space, but research on the complex processes determining social behavior are limited by inadequate technology and analytical tools. In EMBRACE we will merge complementary expertise and resources in biomedical engineering, material science, signal processing, neuroscience and social psychology at 3 academic and 3 industrial partners from 3 EU countries to develop: 1) a new mobile and wireless dry electrode EEG system suitable for monitoring brain activity during full body movements; 2) novel body-network sensors and a multimodal alignment system for simultaneously recording neural, physiological and kinematic signals from two interacting subjects; 3) novel analytical solutions for motion artefact removal and multi-level analysis of multimodal data; 4) a new research dyadic paradigm to exploit the technological advances. The novel technologies will address requirements of mobility, high signal quality, high temporal and spatial resolution, stable alignment of multiple signals, wearing comfort and long-term use. The novel analytical methods will permit investigating joint action at the neural, cognitive-behavioural and social levels. Both technologies and methods will be validated in real time and space face-to-face studies to produce prototypes and models optimized for broad application. To achieve these objectives, the EMBRACE consortium realizes extensive intersectoral transfer of knowledge and experience through shared research, secondments and summer schools, promoting the research capacity and competitiveness of its partners and becoming a lasting EU network promoting basic and applied biomedical research, with benefit for European industries and society. International mobility and dissemination will contribute to sharing cultures and knowledge with the scientific community and to promote communication on the importance of research in biomedical engineering to the society.

Keywords: electroencephalography,physiological monitoring,kinematic monitoring,hyperbrain scanning,interpersonal coordination
Reconfigurable Bio-nano Hybrid Metasurface for Biosensing (ROBOT Sensing)

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: Chemistry
Countries involved: Finland
Call: Individual Fellowships (H2020-MSCA-IF-2020, 2020)
Start date: 2021-05-01
End date: 2023-04-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 202680.96
EU funding (EUR): 202680.96
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Our project ROBOT Sensing aims to overcome the barriers of reliable nanofabrication of bio-nano hybrid metasurface by using a safe, low-cost, straightforward, scalable method with self-assembly of DNA origami and plasmonic nanomaterials. DNA origami technique enables generation of complex plasmonic structures in micrometre-scale and serves as templates for the accurate arrangement of various nanoscale components. Unlike conventional metasurface construction building directly on the surface, multiple reconfigurable "plasmonic switch-recognition elements" pairs couple with lattice backbone arrays in a site-specific manner and form a well-defined reconfigurable metasurface for its practical use in nanobiosensing. During capturing a single target molecule, the plasmonic switch alters its conformation to causes change in scattering signal at polarised plasmon, resulting in dark-field scattering spectral shift under polarised light illumination, to be detected by spectroscopy or microscopic camera. Barcode pattern images generated from multiple scattering signals change in an array of switches in our metasurface supports rapid high-throughput sensing. This project creates new useful information for fundamental research on the effectiveness of the reconfigurable feature in the bio-nano hybrid metasurface in biosensing. It also matches the needs in the EU Horizon 2020 work programme on Nanotechnologies, EU One Health Action, and EU Coronavirus Response, where the evaluated biosensing ability of the nanobiosensor prototype that achieves high sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy could be translated into point-of-care multiple disease screening in disease control and surveillance. The applicant will develop complementary skills, reach professional growth and maturity through highly qualified training and activities, and contribute to the knowledge-based society, where both academic and non-academic sectors will benefit from the result dissemination and two-way communication.

Keywords: dna nanotechnology,reconfigurable plasmonic switch,dna origami lattice,bio nano hybrid metasurface,point of care biosensing