Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Hidden states and currents in biological systems (HiddenBio)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Consolidator grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Condensed Matter Physics
Panel description: Structure, electronic properties, fluids, nanosciences, biological physics
Countries involved: Germany
Call: ERC CONSOLIDATOR GRANTS (ERC-2022-COG, 2022)
Start date: 2023-05-01
End date: 2028-04-30
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2000000.0
EU funding (EUR): 2000000.0
Participants: 2
Project status: SIGNED

The ability to infer information about hidden degrees of freedom from time series would revolutionize experiments on single molecules, mesoscale assemblies, and tissues, as well as financial and climate systems. Hidden dynamics are often essential, as they reflect the approaching of a critical transition or describe its mechanism, e.g. the folding of a protein or RNA, or an abrupt shift in climate. With the project proposed here I plan to push our quantitative understanding of experiments, ranging from single-molecule spectroscopy to observations of migrating cells and developing tissues, to a new level, by exploiting how the properties of a high-dimensional landscape and current imprint onto the time ordering of projected states along individual trajectories. I will introduce functionals of projected paths that are easily inferred from data, and analyze their statistics and measure concentration by combining the theory of functionals of stochastic paths, concentration inequalities, and semiclassical analysis, and apply these to single-molecule force spectroscopy and plasmon ruler experiments, cell tracking, and Molecular Dynamics simulations. A distinctive characteristic of the project is the focus on non-asymptotic measure concentration, i.e. on “occurs with high probability” results that will be addressed for the first time in the context of non-equilibrium physics. Providing a new framework for interpreting experiments—using the information readily encoded in the data but inaccessible to existing approaches—the project will generate new knowledge that will resolve the long-standing debate about intermediates in DNA, RNA and protein folding, controversies about non converging dynamics of folded proteins, and shed new light on the operation of nanomachines and self-assembly far from equilibrium, as well as cell movements during tissue regeneration. It will lead to a paradigm-shift in soft matter and biophysics and may reshape actuarial and climate science.

Keywords: brownian functionals,occupation time,empirical density and current,large deviations in physics
Whole brain visualisation of the neuroinflammatory response during acute neurotropic flavivirus infection and its implications for virus-induced neurodegeneration (Viroglimmage)

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: Sweden
Call: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2021 (HORIZON-MSCA-2021-PF-01, 2021)
Start date: 2023-01-01
End date: 2024-12-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 206887.68
EU funding (EUR): 206887.68
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Neurotropic flaviviruses such as tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), Japanese Encephalitis Virus (JEV), West Nile Virus (WNV) and Zika Virus (ZIKV) can enter and infect the central nervous system, potentially leading to lethal encephalitis. Furthermore, survivors often suffer from chronic neurological complications, most likely due to virus-induced neuronal death and immune-related pathology. The past decade, the notion that neurotropic virus infections cause changes to specific neuronal populations, driving accelerated brain ageing and neurodegeneration has become an emerging concept. However, the interplay between virus infection, inflammation, neuronal death and neurodegeneration remains unravelled. In this project, I propose to investigate virus-induced neuroinflammation and its effect on pathways underlying neurodegeneration with frontline imaging techniques. To do so, I will optimise ex vivo optical projection tomography (OPT) and positron emission tomography (PET) for neuroinflammation and tau tangles and develop accurate image-based quantification pipelines for the proposed markers. These will thereafter be applied to study the neuroinflammatory course in acute flavivirus infection and, to unravel the specific role of the microglia in infection and neuroinflammation. Finally, I will investigate the effect of infection and virus-induced neuroinflammation on induction of neurodegeneration, reflected the induction of tauopathy. Taken together, this project will lead to the development of advanced ex vivo imaging techniques to visualise neuroinflammation and virus-induced neurodegeneration and, will improve our understanding on how neurotropic flaviviruses drive the brain into accelerated ageing, thereby priming neurodegeneration.

Keywords: flavivirus,neurotropism,neuroinflammation,tau,optical projection tomography opt,postitron emission tomography pet
A physics-based study of ice stream dynamics (PHAST)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Earth System Science
Panel description: Physical geography, geo logy, geophysics, atmospheric sciences, oceanography, climatology, cryology, ecology, global environmental change, biogeochemical cycles, natural resources management
Countries involved: Germany
Call: ERC STARTING GRANTS (ERC-2022-STG, 2022)
Start date: 2023-06-01
End date: 2028-05-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1826073.0
EU funding (EUR): 1826073.0
Participants: 2
Project status: SIGNED

Ice streams are river-like corridors of fast flowing ice that account for the vast majority of ice discharge to the ocean in continental ice sheets. Their most outstanding feature is that they can appear spontaneously within a slowly moving ice sheet, self-organize in evenly spaced patterns, and switch on and off over time. Yet, a full explanation of ice stream formation and evolution is one of the longest standing open problems in glaciology. This knowledge gap has precluded fundamental investigations on the role of ice streams in driving ice sheet change, and also casts doubt on the ability of state-of-the-art ice sheet simulation codes to project future sea levels. Recent work by the PI identified an entirely novel class of feedbacks related to the onset of basal sliding which could be the missing ingredient needed to fully explain observed ice stream dynamic behaviors. Drawing on a unique combination of novel glaciological observations, first-principle theoretical work, and ice-sheet-wide numerical simulations, PHAST builds on this insight to: 1. Develop a complete and coherent theory of ice stream spatial and temporal dynamics that clarifies under what environmental conditions these dynamics are to be expected. 2. Test the hypothesis that sliding onset physics play a central role in ice stream dynamics through a targeted field experiment. 3. Build a new ice sheet simulation code that resolves sliding onset and ice stream margin physics at low computational cost thanks to emerging domain partitioning methods. 4. Assess for the first time the sensitivity of Antarctic and Greenland mass loss to ice stream dynamics. By developing new modeling tools and generating process-level understanding across scales ranging from few tens of meters to thousands of kilometers, PHAST will lead the way towards unraveling the complex interplay between internal ice sheet dynamics and climate over timescales ranging from decades to millennia.

Keywords: ice streams,mathematical modeling,theoretical glaciology,basal sliding,ice mechanics fieldwork,ice sheet modeling
NOVEL DIGITAL COMPONENTS FOR INTERNATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY VALUE CHAINS (ORION)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness
Programme: Climate, Energy and Mobility
Theme: Energy
Destination: Sustainable, secure and competitive energy supply
Action type: Research and Innovation actions
Countries involved: Norway,Portugal,France,Germany,Canada,Brazil,Cabo Verde,Slovenia
Call: Digital solutions for defining synergies in international renewable energy value chains (HORIZON-CL5-2023-D3-03, 2023)
Start date: 2024-09-01
End date: 2027-08-31
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 3000000.0
EU funding (EUR): 3000000.0
Participants: 13
Project status: SIGNED

The ORION vision is to strengthen the European leadership in science and technology and accelerate the twin energy transition of the energy value chain stakeholders with a quintuple-helix model by delivering a modular toolbox of digital breakthrough components, by validating these components in the unique use cases of hydro, solar, and wave energy operations across four continents, and by integrating and presenting these novelties in a human-centric Digital Twin applications to enable a higher-degree of digitalisation of relevant operational and business processes, increase the renewables share in the electricity grid globally, and reduce fossil fuels consumption in the context of an increased demand for energy resources and uncertain geopolitical and climate conditions in the long term. The developed digital components will help the stakeholders to tackle different limitations of the energy value chain with the goal to make energy more sustainable, affordable, and safer and, thus, solve pressing prioritised political, business, and societal problems. The human-centric Digital Twin will empower better informed decision-making of the stakeholders including policy makers allowing them to share insights in a collaborative and virtual environment. The Digital Twin will help to address the energy stakeholders needs in a comprehensive manner and will include the latest knowledge and best practices from the existing EU platforms, e.g., ENERSHARE, GAIA-X, and FIWARE. Top-level research and innovation entities from 8 countries (France, Germany, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Brazil, Canada, and Cape Verde) spanned across 4 continents will jointly contribute to high impact R&I, implement testing and validation activities in five unique use cases, contribute to a better education output, and develop new multidisciplinary knowledge to be translated into solutions, services, and products to be applied across the energy value-chains globally.

Keywords: human centric digital twin,sensor technologies,data driven decision systems,data and models interoperability,ai,ml,energy value chain,mission innovation countries,quintuple helix model
Biocompatible Polymer Virucides for a One Health World (POLYVIR)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Consolidator 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: United Kingdom
Call: ERC CONSOLIDATOR GRANTS (ERC-2024-COG, 2024)
Start date: 2025-09-01
End date: 2030-08-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2458551.0
EU funding (EUR): 2458551.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

We are in a constant and ever evolving battle with viruses. Our only defence are vaccines or antivirals. Both are typically developed in response to viral outbreaks meaning that any defence we mount is reactive and not proactive. Despite the clear need for improved interventions against viruses, there is a lack of innovation, novel materials, targeted approaches and systematic studies. Building on my experience in extracellular antivirals, I have recently identified a series of star polymer materials that display low toxicity (both in vitro and in vivo), can be produced cheaply at scale, and are potent broad-spectrum virucides (in vitro and in vivo). This seminal finding represents a significant leap forward in the development of biocompatible virucides, and with investment in their development, they will be ready for future viral outbreaks. POLYVIR will push the boundaries and expand the synthetic space of these biocompatible virucides by implementing high-throughput, oxygen-tolerant polymerisation, combined with liquid-handling robots, to create libraries of polymer virucides. To screen this unprecedented number of antiviral samples, high- throughput, cell-free, virucidal assays and techniques will be developed and then implemented, enabling screening of a range of structure-property relationships and expanding the scope and breadth of these virucides. Expansion to include glycol-polymers will allow for a truly pan-viral biocompatible virucide to be produced. To prevent animal pandemics, we will also focus on improving their activity window by enabling activity in high-protein and/or low-temperature environments. Our potent virucidal polymers will be applied as coatings to engineer surface properties of a range of materials to create long-lasting broad-spectrum antiviral surfaces and textiles. This project will consolidate my research at the forefront of extracellular antivirals globally and produce the next generation of scientists in this globally relevant fie

Keywords: antiviral,virucidal
Chemically Tailored Transcription Factor Proteins for Dissecting Gene Expression Regulation (ProTailor)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Synthetic Chemistry and Materials
Panel description: New materials and new synthetic approaches, structure -properties relations, solid state chemistry, molecular architecture, organic chemistry
Countries involved: Israel
Call: ERC STARTING GRANTS (ERC-2025-STG, 2025)
Start date: 2026-01-01
End date: 2030-12-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1786250.0
EU funding (EUR): 1786250.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

The aberrant function of oncogenic transcription factors (TFs) is one of the most common drivers in human cancers, yet the mechanisms underlying their deregulation and targeting remain elusive. Understanding pathways that regulate TFs function has the potential to develop novel therapeutic compounds to target tumorigenesis. The overreaching goal of ProTailor is to develop ground-breaking modified TFs to understand gene expression regulation mechanisms and set the foundation for therapeutic opportunities to study and target human tumorigenesis. Aim 1: I will develop novel synthetic strategies to prepare site-specifically modified oncogenic TF analogs bearing defined post-translational modifications (PTMs) to decipher the molecular role of PTMs in regulating gene expression. I will combine chemoselective peptide ligation, and orthogonal transformations, along with high-throughput screening to probe the molecular role of essential PTMs on gene recognition, interaction, and cancer-related oncogene expression. Aim 2: I will generate libraries of chromatinized-DNA probes to investigate the interactions of modified TFs with packed DNA, aiming to understand how PTMs modulate TF-DNA interactions, accessibility, and influence gene expression regulation. I will probe the crosstalk between TF-PTMs, epigenetic modifications, and chromatin binding sites to unravel the mechanisms underlying gene recognition and interactions. Aim 3: I will design photoreactive TF probes to map the regulatory role of PTMs in the interactions of oncogenic TF analogs with transcriptional machinery. I will deliver the synthetic TF probes to cancer cells and dissect the mechanisms by which PTMs modulate biomolecular interactions and unravel potential PTM markers associated with oncogene expression. ProTailor will provide novel and powerful research tools to understand gene expression regulation mechanisms and lay the groundwork for therapeutic strategies to investigate and target human tumorigenesis.

Keywords: chemical protein synthesis,posttranslational modifications,transcription factors
A circular by design environmentally friendly geothermal energy solution based on a horizontal closed loop - HOCLOOP (HOCLOOP)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness
Programme: Climate, Energy and Mobility
Theme: Energy
Destination: Sustainable, secure and competitive energy supply
Action type: Research and Innovation actions
Countries involved: Italy,Belgium,France,Germany,Finland,Norway,Poland
Call: Solutions for more sustainable geothermal energy (HORIZON-CL5-2021-D3-03, 2021)
Start date: 2022-10-01
End date: 2026-03-31
Duration (months): 42.0
Total project cost (EUR): 5511869.75
EU funding (EUR): 5511869.25
Participants: 12
Project status: SIGNED

Geothermal energy has a large potential as a clean renewable energy source. The conventional technology is mainly based on heat extraction from hot permeable aquifers. Such aquifers are hard to find, limit the applications and imply high cost and risks. The proposed project aims to mitigate this challenge. The idea is to use an innovative horizontal closed loop solution for the extraction of heat from deep or shallow formation rocks. The solution is based on new drilling technology and solves the challenges of conventional construction of geothermal wells. The solution will improve the power production due to extended reach horizontal drilling with a large hole size. Further improvement is expected to be achieved by use of alternative circulation fluids to water, such as CO2 based fluids. It is expected that the solution can reduce the LCOE compared to the conventional solution and meet the SET plan targets. The project will develop the tools to enable the proposed geothermal solution and demonstrate the technology in a full-scale test operation to TRL5. The work will cover the development and validation of models for the heat flow and investigate the possibility for improving the electricity production by using alternative fluids to water. The work will also cover the investigation of potential EU pilot sites, environmental assessment, and the social acceptance. It is expected that the solution will enable exploitation of geothermal energy sources in new regions with- or without good hydrothermal reservoirs. The solution is foreseen to be integrated with other renewables to improve the reliability of the power supply and grid stability, and to be applicable to a variety of geological conditions. It is also expected to solve the main issues of geothermal energy related to emissions, seismicity, and environmental aspects. 9 partners from 6 European countries with complementary expertise join forces for this 42 months project.

Keywords: geothermal energy,closed loop,drilling,well construction,well completion
Chemical Catalysis with Piezoelectric Materials (CAPELE)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Synthetic Chemistry and Materials
Panel description: New materials and new synthetic approaches, structure -properties relations, solid state chemistry, molecular architecture, organic chemistry
Countries involved: Slovakia
Call: ERC STARTING GRANTS (ERC-2022-STG, 2022)
Start date: 2023-07-01
End date: 2028-06-30
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1547500.0
EU funding (EUR): 1547500.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

From the beginnings of the organic chemistry as a scientific discipline, the main task has been clear – how to perform organic reactions in an efficient and selective manner? How to activate our starting materials, without destroying them in the process? Catalysis, such as redox catalysis, can bring a solution to these questions. In the CAPELE project, we would like to harness the mechanical energy for activation of organic molecules. Piezoelectric materials upon impact undergo formation of separated electron-hole pairs, and can be used to initiate redox reactions. In our preliminary experiments, we have verified that extremely simple piezoelectric materials as sand (quartz) can be used as mechano-catalysts for redox reactions. The main objective of this project is to discover new mechano-redox transformations. I believe that development of new mechano-redox processes using cheap, durable, environmentally-friendly and easily removable piezoelectric materials as catalysts can have real impact on the synthetic community. Piezoelectric materials can be used in this manner to perform a simple E-/Z- bond isomerization. This simple reaction can be used to drive mechanically-switched molecular switches – a discovery, that has a huge potential impact on development of new mechanically-activated molecular devices. This project requires an accurate method of theoretical prediction of redox potentials to enable rational reaction design of redox reactions. We plan to develop such method using modern quantum-chemical computational tools. Impact of such model is well beyond the scope of this project, as it will give a powerful computational tool to the whole community of organic chemists involved in development of redox reactions. I have extensive experience in development of catalytic redox processes, computational chemistry, mechanistic investigations and organic physical chemistry and therefore I believe that I am a perfect match to lead such an interdisciplinary project.

Keywords: piezoelectricity redox reactions molecular switches single electron transfer