Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Clinical validation and commercialization of innovative immunostimulating Interstitial Laser Thermotherapy (INTHER)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Societal Challenges
Programme: Health, demographic change and wellbeing
Theme: Treating and managing disease
Action type: SME instrument
Countries involved: Sweden
Call: Supporting innovative SMEs in the healthcare biotechnology sector (H2020-SMEINST-2-2016-2017, 2016)
Start date: 2016-08-01
End date: 2018-11-30
Duration (months): 28.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2136357.5
EU funding (EUR): 2136357.5
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The INTHER project will bring the groundbreaking immunostimulating Interstitial Laser Thermotherapy (imILTCLS) to the market and clinical practice. This minimally invasive therapy is designed to achieve local tumour destruction and stimulate specific antitumour immunity in a patient’s body. In recent years, anti-cancer therapies based on activation of the immune system have grown in significance and popularity. This approach is especially viable for patients who previously had very few treatment options. However, only approx. 20 % of all patients respond to drug-based immunotherapies of today. The key need of medical oncologists is to increase those response rates and thus decrease cancer-related suffering, increase life expectancy and survival rates for the patients. The project will meet those needs by delivering a novel device-based cancer immunotherapy method that destroys the tumour locally and induces long-lasting, vaccination-like, systemic immunity against the treated form of cancer. As the world’s first device-based laser immunotherapy, imILTCLS will curve its own market niche on the fast growing Cancer Immunotherapy Market and therefore have a significant disruptive effect on this market. The studies performed to date have confirmed the therapeutic capability of the new method. In the project, the method will be further validated for the two chosen solid tumour types: pancreatic cancer and breast cancer. This will enable CLS to shorten the time to full commercialisation, obtain the clinical acceptance and fully exploit the commercial potential of the new treatment method. The clinical uptake of imILTCLS in Europe will lead to reduction of costs associated with the treatment of solid tumours, especially surgeries, and reduction of costs related to the activation of immunotherapies. CLS’ strategy is based on intensive efforts towards validating imILTCLS and bringing it to the market. The project is a key step towards realizing this business strategy.

Keywords: immunotherapy,immuno oncology therapies,cancer ablation technologies,device based laser immunotherapy
Understanding and manipulating the dynamics of chromosome topologies in transcriptional control (CHROMTOPOLOGY)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems
Panel description: Genetics, epigenetics, genomics and other ‘omics studies, bioinformatics, systems biology, genetic diseases, gene editing, innovative methods and modelling, ‘omics for personalised medicine
Countries involved: France
Call: ERC Starting Grant (ERC-2015-STG, 2015)
Start date: 2016-06-01
End date: 2021-12-31
Duration (months): 67.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1500000.0
EU funding (EUR): 1500000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Transcriptional regulation of genes in eukaryotic cells requires a complex and highly regulated interplay of chromatin environment, epigenetic status of target sequences and several different transcription factors. Eukaryotic genomes are tightly packaged within nuclei, yet must be accessible for transcription, replication and repair. A striking correlation exists between chromatin topology and underlying gene activity. According to the textbook view, chromatin loops bring genes into direct contact with distal regulatory elements, such as enhancers. Moreover, we and others have shown that genomes are organized into discretely folded megabase-sized regions, denoted as topologically associated domains (TADs), which seem to correlate well with transcription activity and histone modifications. However, it is unknown whether chromosome folding is a cause or consequence of underlying gene function. To better understand the role of genome organization in transcription regulation, I will address the following questions: (i) How are chromatin configurations altered during transcriptional changes accompanying development? (ii) What are the real-time kinetics and cell-to-cell variabilities of chromatin interactions and TAD architectures? (iii) Can chromatin loops be engineered de novo, and do they influence gene expression? (iv) What genetic elements and trans-acting factors are required to organize TADs? To address these fundamental questions, I will use a combination of novel technologies and approaches, such as Hi-C, CRISPR knock-ins, ANCHOR tagging of DNA loci, high- and super-resolution single-cell imaging, genome-wide screens and optogenetics, in order to both study and engineer chromatin architectures. These studies will give groundbreaking insight into if and how chromatin topology regulates transcription. Thus, I anticipate that the results of this project will have a major impact on the field and will lead to a new paradigm for metazoan transcription control.
Metabolic Imaging with RF Antennas to predict Chemotherapy Efficacy (MIRACLE)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: Future and Emerging Technologies (FET)
Theme: EIC Pathfinder
Destination: Novel ideas for radically new technologies
Action type: Coordination and support actions
Countries involved: United States,Netherlands
Call: FET Innovation Launchpad (H2020-FETOPEN-2018-2019-2020-03, 2018)
Start date: 2019-05-01
End date: 2021-07-31
Duration (months): 27.0
Total project cost (EUR): 102500.0
EU funding (EUR): 100000.0
Participants: 3
Project status: CLOSED

Metabolic Imaging with RF Antennas to predict Chemotherapy Efficacy: We will validate the phospholipid biomarker that can predict response of chemotherapy in patients with breast cancer using the most powerful MRI system in the world. In particular the ratio of phosphoethanolamine (PE) to glycerophosphocholine (GPC), metabolites from the build up and breakdown of cell membranes, have been shown to increase accuracy in prediction of chemotherapy response from 75% to 96% [1]. At the clinically available field strength of 7T, we have recently demonstrated that we can image these phospholipid biomarkers non-invasively. In order to assess accuracy and bring the detection of the biomarker to FDA approval, we will spin out a validation study to investigate the accuracy in detecting the biomarker by comparing the results from the same subjects obtained at clinical MRI as well as at 10.5T MRI. The innovation idea is linked to the Non-Invasive-Chemistry-Imaging (NICI) project of FET-OPEN-01-2016-2017-801075. More specifically to the deliverable D6.1: “List of groups and stakeholders for targeted dissemination”. Here the potential of the NICI project that uses multi-nuclear 7T MRI in patients with metastasis in liver was shown to the stakeholders in breast cancer imaging (joint meeting of International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) with EUropean Society Of Breast Imaging (Eusobi) in Las Vegas 2018). The importance of imaging chemistry was immediately recognised by all medical doctors present (radiology, surgery and oncology), and fast track to FDA clearance was discussed. By establishing a small consortium of the UMC Utrecht that leads the project, a newly formed spin out company that provides the 7T and 10.5T specific hardware, and University of Minnesota that has access to patients and houses the world’s strongest MRI, we will conduct the biomarker validation in 10 subjects scanned at both systems.

Keywords: metabolic imaging,breast cancer,chemotherapy efficacy,biomarkers,rf coils
Luminescent Solar Heterostructures for Artificial photosynthesis (LuSH Art)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie-Sklodowska-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Individual Fellowships (IF)-Reintegration panel
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Panel: Chemistry
Countries involved: Italy
Call: Individual Fellowships (H2020-MSCA-IF-2018, 2018)
Start date: 2020-03-16
End date: 2022-05-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 171473.28
EU funding (EUR): 171473.28
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

LuSH Art aims at developing new heterostructured hybrid nanomaterials which are light powered by energy migration and to fabricate new luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs) taking inspiration from a tree leaf. Reduction of CO2 level in atmosphere is a crucial problem for the life survival on Earth and most of the countries, included EU, has challenging goals to decrease it in the future decades. The production of solar fuels (e.g. H2, CH4) from water splitting and CO2 reduction by photocatalysis can be a key tool in this direction. Although the progresses in this field have a high pace, both scientific and technical important issues are still opened. In multielectron chemistry, the solar light absorption by the sensitizer is the limiting step. In nature, plants and algae are highly efficient at converting CO2 in fuels working at low light flux thanks to energy transfer. Molecular antennas, transferring energy among them, funnel it to a single catalytic reaction center. This is the inspiring principle of LuSH Art, where heterostructured nanomaterials based on colloidal quantum dots (QDs) and J-aggregates will be applied. New light harvesting antennas based on self-assembly aggregation, either from organic molecules or QDs, will be used to fast deliver energy to reactive centers. By controlling the morphology and the chemical composition, non-toxic core/shell QDs will be applied either as sensitizer or as photocatalyst, in colloidal and in film form. These heterostructures will be integrated in a new LSC for artificial photosynthesis. This project, which involves industrial collaboration, has a multidisciplinary approach and its possible outcomes could impact several other research fields in chemistry and material science. The experience and the skills that I gained during my period abroad will be crucial for this project, which would have a great positive impact on my researcher career, allowing me to start my research field.

Keywords: artificial photosynthesis,light harvesting antenna,hybrid nanomaterials,energy transfer,qds assemblies,j aggregates,water splitting,co2 reduction
Understanding neural coding of touch as enabling technology for prosthetics and robotics (NeuTouch)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie-Sklodowska-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Innovative Training Networks (ITN)-European Training Networks
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Panel: Information Science and Engineering
Countries involved: Germany,Italy,Italy,Iceland,Spain,Spain,Switzerland,Sweden,Netherlands,United Kingdom,United Kingdom,United Kingdom
Call: Innovative Training Networks (H2020-MSCA-ITN-2018, 2018)
Start date: 2019-03-01
End date: 2023-08-31
Duration (months): 54.0
Total project cost (EUR): 4108695.18
EU funding (EUR): 4108695.18
Participants: 14
Project status: SIGNED

Dexterous manipulation is a fundamental skill to improve interaction capabilities of service and industrial robots, and develop prosthetic devices that enable amputees to regain hand functionality, for improving their independence and quality of life and for reintegration in working environments. The sense of touch is crucial for any skilled manipulation; it is fundamental to establish contact and acquire the information needed for hand/object interactions, and for perceiving variations in the contact itself (slip, vibrations, duration, pressure). Touch is crucial for robots that physically interact with objects and humans, to sense the properties of objects, learn how to use them, and enable cooperation. Touch is crucial for the successful deployment of prosthetic devices, to evoke a natural sensation of contact that conveys information about the stimulus, making prostheses easier to use and accept. NeuTouch aims at improving artificial tactile perception in robots and prostheses, by understanding how to best extract, integrate and exploit tactile information at system level. To this aim, NeuTouch will train young researchers that will build up a novel multidisciplinary community, that will tackle fundamental questions about neural encoding of tactile information, by developing computational tools and models capable of explaining the activity in the biological neural pathway and link it to behavioral decisions. The identified underlying neuronal processing principles will guide the design of novel sensing devices and algorithms to improve tactile exploration and manipulation skills in robots and tactile feedback in prosthetic devices. A scientifically strong international consortium is complemented by non-academic participants that recognize the impact of the proposed approach and resulting technology. All will support the professional growth of individuals, addressing entrepreneurship, communication, best practice, open science and gender equality.

Keywords: neuromorphic engineering,robotics,tactile sensors,active perception,manipulation,prosthetics,computational neuroscience,information theory,sensory feedback
Deciphering the molecular mechanism(s) behind the evolution of Mycobacterium tuberculosis towards slow growth, and the impact on virulence and persistence (Slow growth)

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: France
Call: Individual Fellowships (H2020-MSCA-IF-2020, 2020)
Start date: 2021-06-01
End date: 2023-05-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 184707.84
EU funding (EUR): 184707.84
Participants: 1
Project status: TERMINATED

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by the bacterial pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), responsible for 1.5 million deaths per annum. Moreover, due to the ability of Mtb to persist in the host, a further one third of the world population is latently infected and at risk for disease later in life. So far, the major vaccine against TB (Bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccine) has a limited impact on the global TB epidemic, as it does not always prevent pulmonary infections in adults. Furthermore, drug resistant strains have emerged and spread worldwide, threatening to render the actual 6-month treatment ineffective. In this context, studying the molecular mechanisms underlying mycobacterial virulence and persistence are crucial to develop new strategies to treat TB. A hallmark of Mtb is its slow growth rate. Recent phylogenetic studies have demonstrated that ancestral mycobacteria were first fast-growing bacteria, before an evolutionary separation into fast- and slow-growing mycobacteria. Intriguingly, all the main human mycobacterial pathogens, including Mtb, are slow-growers, suggesting the importance of slow-growth as a successful evolutionary step to become professional human pathogens. Using cutting-edge multidisciplinary approach, combining real-time single cell techniques and genetic approaches, I will, in collaboration with the Brosch lab, decipher the molecular mechanism(s) which led to the evolution of Mtb towards a slower growth, by taking advantage of the fast-growing M. canettii, closely related to the ancestor of Mtb and genetically tractable. I will also directly investigate the biological importance of slow growth on the virulence and persistence of Mtb by genetically engineering Mtb strains with different growth rates. Altogether, this work will lead to new perspectives and insights into host-Mtb interaction, important for the development of innovative therapeutic approaches.

Keywords: mycobacterium tuberculosis,growth rate,evolution,virulence,persistence,fluorescence dilution,genetic screen
Organisation and Delivery of the Luxembourgish Presidency Conference on the European Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan) (SET LU)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Societal Challenges
Programme: Secure, clean and efficient energy
Action type: Coordination and support actions
Countries involved: Luxembourg
Call: Energy 75 per cent reimbursement (H2020-Adhoc-2014-20, 2015)
Start date: 2015-03-25
End date: 2015-11-24
Duration (months): 8.0
Total project cost (EUR): 367437.5
EU funding (EUR): 263000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The European Strategic Energy Technology plan (SET Plan) aims at creating a new European policy for Energy technology, by delivering a joint strategic planning, effective implementation, optimised resources and a new approach to cooperation. This includes a complex coordination of member states, PPPs and research networks. Therefore, “checking points” are necessary to assess the activities developed so far, review the action plan and put together key players from the industry, research entities, SMEs, public authorities, associations, etc. in a collaborative effort. To this aim, every year a major conference is organised in a member state to network, review the achievements, discuss strategies and define a new action plan that helps achieve the ambitious targets in energy technologies. In order to organise the 8th SET Plan Conference, the Luxembourg presidence, as major authority of the selected venue, has chosen MYENERGY GIE, a Luxembourgish Energy agency with expertise in events based on promoting energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy sources. MYENERGY GIE will make sure that relevant debates are facilitated (i.e. R&I to achieve key energy policy targets, Energy Union concept) while presenting the SET action plan to all the stakeholders. To this aim, management, dissemination and communication strategies will be produced and deployed in order to create maximum awareness of such an event at the regional, National an EU level.

Keywords: set plan,conference organisation,energy efficiency,energy management,low carbon technologies
Eye fundus colour images enhancement service for Diabetic Retinopathy diagnosis (Eye Light)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Societal Challenges
Programme: Health, demographic change and wellbeing
Theme: Treating and managing disease
Action type: SME instrument
Countries involved: France
Call: Clinical research for the validation of biomarkers and/or diagnostic medical devices (H2020-SMEINST-1-2015, 2015)
Start date: 2016-03-01
End date: 2016-08-31
Duration (months): 6.0
Total project cost (EUR): 71429.0
EU funding (EUR): 50000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Diabetic retinopathy (“DR”) is considered as a priority eye disease by the World Health Organisation, as one of the main causes of visual impairment. It is a complication of the eye that can affect anyone who has diabetes. Diabetic retinopathy causes damage to the blood vessels supplying the retina – the “seeing” part of the eye. Because retinopathy generally has no obvious symptoms until it is advanced, early detection is essential. Detection is made by retinal screening. This is a straightforward procedure which includes assessment of visual acuity and eye fundus photography. Then a medical specialist, who looks for signs of diabetic retinopathy, gives a grade allowing a further diagnosis. This makes the diagnosis heavily dependent on the image quality. iPRI, which current activity is based on consulting expertise in public health, has identified a need for delivering a practical solution to the DR diagnosis challenge. iPRI has created a new prototype of software to enhance the quality of colour eye fundus exams. Several tests on representative databases have shown to DR experts that there is an important medical interest to introduce this service in the diagnostic procedure. IPRI’s international network of Key Opinion Leaders in Diabetes has confirmed this interest. Through the EYE-LIGHT project, iPRI aims to integrate this proven technology into a medical device. It will be provided as a professional application software service in order to facilitate the DR diagnosis, improve the image quality, allow comparisons and make images sharable through telemedicine. In order to address the unmet medical need, iPRI has to scale up, industrialise and sell this medical device. Through the SME Instrument programme, iPRI intends to refine the business model of this new activity during phase 1, and to set up and clinically validate the medical device during phase 2.

Keywords: diabetic retinopathy,comparable and shareable eye fundus images,images of better quality,better diagnosis,quality and colour image enhancement,telemedicine,e health,web service
Disclosing the Inner Gaseous Discs of Early Evolved Protostars (DIGDEEP)

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: Ireland
Call: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF-EF) (H2020-MSCA-IF-2015, 2015)
Start date: 2016-11-01
End date: 2019-05-01
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 187866.0
EU funding (EUR): 187866.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

A first step towards understanding planetary formation is the characterisation of the structure and evolution of protoplanetary discs. Although the large scale disc is understood in some detail, very little is known about the inner 5 au (i.e. within a radius corresponding to Jupiter's orbit) in which the main physical processes take place: accretion, ejection and planetary formation. For the nearest sites of star formation, this region is inaccessible to standalone telescopes, and only recently optical/infrared interferometers have been able for the first time to spatially resolve it. However, these pioneering interferometric observations were mostly restricted to a handful of massive sources with luminosities ~100 higher than the Sun due to the low sensitivity of the first generation of IR interferometers. The physical properties of the inner regions of these massive discs, are probably different from those expected around solar-like stars, and therefore, these first interferometric results might not apply for the case of solar-mass sources. This project exploits the power of GRAVITY (the first second generation interferometric instrument for the ESO-VLTI) to spatially resolve the inner regions of solar-mass protoplanetary dics. For the first time, an unbiased sample (~50) of solar-like protoplanetary discs, covering a wide range of masses, ages and disc morphology will be studied utilising guaranteed time observations. This project will have major implications for our understanding of protoplanetary disc evolution, structure and dynamics, as well as the formation and migration of terrestrial planets and hot Jupiters. The Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies is the ideal place to carry out this work. DIAS offers strong expertise and training in the physics of protoplanetary discs and their associated protostellar jets (observational and theoretical). This combination ideally matches the objectives of the proposed project.

Keywords: star formation,young stars,circumstellar discs,near ir,interferometry