Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Inducing functionality in retinal organoids with electrical activities derived from developing retina (NeuFRO)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System
Panel description: Nervous system development, homeostasis and ageing , nervous system  function and dysfunction , systems neuroscience  and modelling , biological basis of cognitive processes and of behaviour, neurological and mental disorders – In humans and all other organisms
Countries involved: Netherlands
Call: ERC STARTING GRANTS (ERC-2021-STG, 2021)
Start date: 2023-01-01
End date: 2028-10-31
Duration (months): 70.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1498364.0
EU funding (EUR): 1498364.0
Participants: 2
Project status: SIGNED

Deriving mammalian retina from stem cells has had a large impact on the study of the biology of vision and is called organoid. Compared to in vivo retina, retinal organoids are far less functionally sophisticated in terms of their synapses, connectivity, discrimination between different light stimuli and their electrical action potentials. This project will overcome this functional constraint of retinal organoids by studying electrophysiological events-derived functional maturation of mouse retina during retinal development and then stimulating those events with the help of mathematical models in order to induce the same functionality in mouse and human retinal organoids. NeuFRO will achieve a resonance in the field by generating retinal organoids with the neuronal connectivity and the natural diversity of functions using interdisciplinary fields including electrophysiology, developmental biology, and computationally-derived electrical stimulation. Initially, I will create a holistic roadmap of the electrical features of immature mouse retina during development that shows self-organization through electrophysiology. With milli- to nanometer imaging precision, electrical activities derived the circuit formation will be spatiotemporally documented. Then I will decode this space-time code of intrinsic electrical patterns and neuronal connectivity using an ambitious strategy incorporating Hodgkin-Huxley and linear-nonlinear models. Next, such electrical response models will be applied to immature retinal organoids (mouse and human) by an innovative ‘sandwich’ electrophysiology technique during the development in vitro. With this approach, I will induce naturalistic electrical features in the retinal organoid, allowing the functional neurons to wire and fire appropriately into retinal organoids, particularly visual circuits. This ground-breaking approach will advance techniques for generating functional human retina.

Keywords: retina,electrophysiology,physiology,ion channels,action potentials,retinal organoids,on and off,retinal network
3D Printing of Ultra-fideLity tissues using Space for anti-ageing solutions on Earth (PULSE)

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: Netherlands,Portugal
Call: Hop on Facility (HORIZON-WIDERA-2023-ACCESS-06, 2023)
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 600000.0
EU funding (EUR): 600000.0
Participants: 2
Project status: SIGNED

Bioprinting in Space is one of the novel promising and perspective research directions in the rapidly emerging field of biofabrication. There are several advantages of bioprinting in Space. First, under the conditions of microgravity, it is possible to bioprint constructs employing more fluidic channels and, thus, more biocompatible bio-inks. Second, microgravity conditions enable 3D bioprinting of tissue and organ constructs of more complex geometries with voids, cavities, and tunnels. Third, a novel scaffold-free, label-free, and nozzle-free technology based on multi-levitation principles can be implemented under the condition of microgravity. The ideal Space bioprinters must be safe, automated, compact, and user friendly. Thus, there are no doubts that systematic exploration of 3D bioprinting in Space will advance biofabrication and bioprinting technology per se. Vice versa 3D bioprinted tissues could be used to study pathophysiological biological phenomena when exposed to microgravity and cosmic radiation that will be useful on Earth to understand ageing conditioning of tissues, and in space for the crew of deep space manned missions. In PULSE, we aim at developing a radical new bioprinting technology based on multiple levitation principles and to use Space as an accelerator of ageing on Earth. As a proof of concept, we will use this newly developed bioprinting technology to create cardiac 3D in vitro models able to better mimic cardiac physiology compared to organoids. We will use such models to study cardiac ageing and test the efficacy of antiinflammatory/ anti-oxidative drugs with anti-ageing potential. In the Hop-On PULSE project, META will be introducing their platelet-derived and placenta-derived hydrogels, which are beneficial to the consortium for 2 key aspects: 1) they will provide more easily a biological environment able to recapitulate the microenvironment needed for cardiac tissue engineering; 2) they will provide a solution for construct storage.

Keywords: biofabrication levitation bioassembly 3d in vitro models cardiac biology
Pioneering diagnostics in dermatology and cancer (DERMAGNOSTIX)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Innovative Europe
Programme: The European Innovation Council (EIC)
Theme: EIC Accelerator
Destination: Open to supporting projects in all areas of science, technology,...
Action type: EIC actions
Countries involved: Germany
Call: EIC Accelerator Open (HORIZON-EIC-2022-ACCELERATOR-01, 2022)
Start date: 2022-10-01
End date: 2024-09-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 5169182.5
EU funding (EUR): 2499000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

At Dermagnostix, we envision the next level for molecular diagnostics in human skin to improve patients’ lives and clinical practice in dermatology. Skin diseases are the 4th most relevant human illnesses according to loss of quality of life. Conventional diagnostics in dermatology based on clinical view and histopathology are imprecise and subjective, resulting in up to 50% of misdiagnosed cases and insufficient or harmful therapies. At Dermagnostix, we have developed a comprehensive technological platform for fast and objective molecular diagnostics in dermatology to reduce health care costs and improve patient treatment. Our fully automated platform delivers results within 90 min and testing can be run everywhere and at any time. Our easy-to-handle diagnostic device brings objective and precise skin diagnostics to reality allowing simultaneous detection of up to 40 different molecular targets within one single test.

Keywords: diagnostic device,skin disease,skin cancer,point of need,point of care,healthcare,automation,inflammatory skin conditions
Perceptive Enhanced Realities of Colored collEctions through AI and Virtual Experiences (PERCEIVE)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness
Programme: Culture, creativity and inclusive society
Theme: Culture, creativity and inclusive society
Destination: Innovative Research on the European Cultural Heritage and the Cultural and Creative Industries
Action type: Research and Innovation actions
Countries involved: Italy,Greece,France,Norway,Germany,Switzerland,United Kingdom,United States
Call: Preserving and enhancing cultural heritage with advanced digital technologies (HORIZON-CL2-2021-HERITAGE-01, 2021)
Start date: 2023-02-01
End date: 2026-01-31
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 3785358.75
EU funding (EUR): 3785358.75
Participants: 12
Project status: SIGNED

PERCEIVE aims at improving the perception, preservation, curation, exhibition, understanding and access of colored Cultural Heritage collections. It aims at developing a reliable way to Study, Reconstruct, Render, Remap, Exhibit and Re-appropriate them. These collections are, in fact, a priority because of their high fragility that requires shared methods to preserve and exhibit them (i.e. textiles start fading in only 10 years, while only small traces of the original polychromy on classical statues is left today), because of the complexity of their study (especially with the attempts of reconstructing their original appearance), and because of the importance of their communication to future generations and of the shaping of European common identity around the concepts of “care” and diversity/variety” (i.e. the different shades of skin colors that were common in the Greek and Roman times). PERCEIVE starts from the twofold needs of better preserving and communicating colored artworks, improving and speeding up scientific process results, that could better be used to maximize visitors' experience with the physical and the digital colored collections. Following the coronavirus emergency, in fact, museums have proved to lack of a digital policy that could guarantee a sustainable remote access for visitors. PERCEIVE aims at advancing the digital capability of scientists and cultural institutions, through a service based AI architecture and tool-kit; and by developing a new design theory for on site and remote VR/AR/MR experiences, based on “Care” “Accessibility” and “Authenticity” concepts, with and for the creative industries. Our expected outcomes include services and tools including: a PERCEIVE Tool Kit connected to an on line easy-to-use Service, PERCEIVE Experience Prototypes for the visitors, PERCEIVE Design Tool Kit for designers and educators.

Keywords: color reconstruction,color perception,vr ar mr,virtual museum,re appropriation
The Revolution in Power Conversion (VENSUM)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Innovative Europe
Programme: The European Innovation Council (EIC)
Theme: EIC Accelerator
Destination: Other destinations
Action type: EIC actions
Countries involved: Finland
Call: EIC Accelerator 2024 - Short application (HORIZON-EIC-2024-ACCELERATOR-01, 2024)
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2500000.0
EU funding (EUR): 2500000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Green transition is the way to reduce our reliance on polluting fossil fuels. This requires distributed, mainly direct current (DC) energy sources and storage systems (e.g., solar panels, batteries) to be efficiently connected to mainly DC loads (e.g., electric vehicles). However, due to the shortcomings of current power conversion technologies, such as microgrids cannot be built efficiently and stably. We have developed a novel DC-DC power converter that optimally connects distributed energy sources and storage to loads via DC coupling, increasing capacity and stability to enable the green transition. The technology is based on software-defined power conversion that enables dynamic and efficient configuration to improve performance. With no-loss Zero Voltage Switching technology over a wide operating range, our power converters operate at much higher switching frequencies than is possible today, resulting in up to 10x smaller or more powerful converters with significantly longer lifecycle and reduced maintenance needs.

Keywords: power conversion,software defined power conversion,zero voltage switching,electric vehicle chargers,microgrids
Autonomous Living Cell analYsis ON-chip for Evaluation of space Environment Effects: low-power integrated lab-on-chip for the assessment of radiation damage on living systems in nanosatellite missions (ALCYONE)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness
Programme: Digital, Industry and Space
Theme: Space
Destination: Open Strategic Autonomy in Developing, Deploying and Using Global Space-Based Infrastructures, Services, Applications and Data
Action type: Research and Innovation actions
Countries involved: Italy,Netherlands,Germany
Call: Space science and exploration technologies (HORIZON-CL4-2022-SPACE-01, 2022)
Start date: 2023-01-01
End date: 2026-03-31
Duration (months): 39.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1566513.75
EU funding (EUR): 1507925.0
Participants: 6
Project status: SIGNED

The project aims at the design and realization of a new analytical platform implementing a series of innovative technologies able to provide a highly-integrated solution for the analysis in-situ of the effects of the space environment on model biological systems and for the evaluation of shielding technologies combined with radioprotective agents. The main objective of the project will be achieved through the development of a lab-on-chip device with integrated thin-film sensors and actuators that will implement an extremely compact cell-incubator capable to sample the status of the cell culture during a space mission using real-time monitoring techniques based on bioluminescence. Genetically modified microorganisms will be designed in order to monitor specific stress responses based on a luciferase-based reporter system. An electronic system will be integrated in the platform for the characterization of the radiation environment allowing to evaluate the correlation between observed biological effects and radiation exposure. The main features of the proposed technology include low power consumption, extreme compactness, high data efficiency and full automation making it suitable for cubesat missions. In particular, a complete cubesat payload will be designed to address and solve any integration issue and to provide a test bench for a preliminary set of experiments to be carried out on ground facilities simulating the deep space environment. The proposed system will therefore represent a key element to pave the route toward deep space human mission as it offers the possibility to test the effects of long term exposure to the space environment on model biological systems using simple platforms as cubesats. This opens new scenarios where minor effort will be required to plan multiple low-cost missions for improving the risk modeling and for testing new countermeasures in a continuous-improvement scheme.

Keywords: lab on chip,integrated thin film devices,biosensor,bioluminescence,cell incubator,space environment effects,radiation damage,dosimetry,cubesat,nanosatellites
The role of pentagons in the conversion of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons into fullerenes in the interstellar space (ASTROCHEMISTRY)

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: Chemistry
Countries involved: Netherlands
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): 187624.32
EU funding (EUR): 187624.32
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The Unidentified Infrared (UIR) bands are discrete emission features observed in the interstellar medium (ISM), circumstellar regions, galactic and extragalactic sources. The UIR bands are very characteristic for the C=C and C-H vibrational modes of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs). PAHs are thought to occur in the ISM either in the neutral, cationic, protonated, hydrogenated, dehydrogenated or substituted forms. In spite of many theoretical and experimental investigations for several decades, the exact form of PAHs or the group of PAHs responsible for the emission of the UIR bands still remains a major challenge in astronomy. Observations reveal that large PAHs (with 30 to 100 carbon atoms) harbors 10–15% of elemental carbon in the ISM. These PAHs are suggested to play an important role in the ionization and energy balance of interstellar gas. Fullerene, C60 has also been identified in the ISM through its infrared bands and its electronic transitions. Observations have revealed that the abundance of C60 increases rapidly while the abundance of PAHs decreases close to stars. This has been attributed to photochemical fragmentation and isomerization processes under the influence of the strong UV radiation field but the details of this are not at all understood. This project focuses on larger (>20 C, >30 C) and compact PAHs that have the high photo-stability to withstand the intense UV radiations in space and hence could be present at high abundances in the ISM. I propose to study the photo-fragmentation pattern of astrophysically relevant PAHs using the “Instrument for photo-dynamics of PAHs (i-PoP)” housed at the University of Leiden. I would further extend this research to record the infrared spectra of the PAH ions stored in a 22-pole cryogenic ion-trap at FELion using intense and tunable Free Electron Laser for Infrared eXperiments (FELIX) facility. The data obtained in this project will be timely for the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope.

Keywords: astrochemistry,laboratory astrophysics,interstellar chemistry,spectroscopy of pahs
Robust Causal Discovery (ROCDISCO)

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: Economic Sciences
Countries involved: Netherlands
Call: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2022 (HORIZON-MSCA-2022-PF-01, 2022)
Start date: 2023-06-01
End date: 2025-05-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 203464.32
EU funding (EUR): 203464.32
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

RObust Causal DISCOvery Due to technological advances, the available amount of data has increased tremendously over the last decade. The fields of data science, statistics, computer science and econometrics have followed this growth as they provide indispensable tools for translating data into insights and knowledge. Where data science was traditionally concerned with learning associations in data, it has recently become clear that causal relations often provide a deeper understanding and a stronger tool in many practical applications. This has led to the flourishing of causal inference with some of the most prestigious scientific awards going to pioneers in the field over the last decade. “Can we learn causal mechanisms from observational data?” is one of the compelling questions that is occupying scientists all over the world. Where it was originally answered by skepticism, it has become clear that we are not completely powerless and there are indeed ways to infer causal structure from observational data under the right conditions. However, all of the current methods assume that the observed data perfectly follows the underlying causal structure. Unfortunately, real world data is often contaminated by anomalies and measurement errors, violating this assumption and thus weakening the reliability of methods for causal discovery. This proposal aims to fill this gap by developing methods for causal discovery that remain efficient and reliable under data contamination. In particular, it (i) builds a theoretical framework for robust causal discovery, (ii) develops methods for causal discovery that are provably robust and correctly identify the causal structure and (iii) investigates the effect of contamination on real-world discovery tasks. As a result, in addition to advancing the theoretical understanding of causal discovery, this proposal builds a versatile toolbox to support scientists doing causal discovery and improve the reliability of their findings.
GREEN, ORGANIC AND PRINTED ULTRA-HIGH FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION TAGS (GRETA)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Innovative Europe
Programme: The European Innovation Council (EIC)
Theme: EIC Pathfinder
Destination: Challenges
Action type: EIC actions
Countries involved: Italy,Netherlands,Serbia,Belgium,Portugal,United Kingdom
Call: EIC Pathfinder Challenge: Responsible Electronics (HORIZON-EIC-2023-PATHFINDERCHALLENGES-01, 2023)
Start date: 2025-01-01
End date: 2028-12-31
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 3645212.5
EU funding (EUR): 3645212.5
Participants: 7
Project status: SIGNED

GRETA will lay the foundation of the first green, printed and flexible organic wireless identification tag operating at Ultra-High Frequency (UHF, 300 MHz – 1 GHz). The long-term vision is to enable remote powering and readout of tags up to meters distance range, as required in logistics and security, without the need of a battery and with drastically reduced lifecycle impact and costing with respect to any available passive radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology. To achieve such overarching goal, GRETA aims at groundbreaking progress along two specific complementary actions: - Action 1: Removing present barriers preventing sustainability of printed organic electronics, by tackling the most environmental and economically impactful aspects, yet seldom addressed, of organics synthesis and processing. - Action 2: Demonstrating unprecedented UHF operation of printed organic electronics. Measurable objectives of GRETA are: Objective 1. Green synthesis and development of sustainable and biodegradable materials (Action 1); Objective 2. Sustainable inks formulations for large-area printing tools (Action 1); Objective 3. UHF electronics based on sustainable printed organic semiconductors (Action 2); Objective 4. Enable an eco-designed, printed UHF wireless tag with sustainable lifecycle. Objective 4 is dedicated to demonstrators of the entire effort: GRETA UHF tag, demonstrating rectification of a 400 MHz wave to enable a code generator, and GRETA UHF logic, demonstrating a sustainable printed integrated 4-bit shift register. GRETA perfectly matches the scope of the Call as it serves emerging digitalization needs in logistics, healthcare and security without adding e-waste, independent from the silicon industry and from any critical raw material, and delivering safe materials for the environment. GRETA will quantify its drastically reduced environmental impact with a full LCA, along a cradle-to-grave approach, anticipating end-of-life scenarios.

Keywords: organic semiconductors,printed electronics,organic electronics,logic circuits,ultra high frequency
MAGNIFICO-Pre-commercialization of multifunctional targeted MRI-contrast enhancing agents for brain research (MAGNIFICO)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Proof of concept grants
Action type: ERC actions
Countries involved: Israel
Call: ERC PROOF OF CONCEPT GRANTS2 (ERC-2022-POC2, 2022)
Start date: 2022-10-01
End date: 2024-03-31
Duration (months): 18.0
Total project cost (EUR): 150000.0
EU funding (EUR): 150000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a non-damaging and non-invasive imaging modality, with the abilities to effortlessly image the entire brain at any depth. However, MRI provides images with low contrast and very poor resolution, and these are but an indirect description of features in the tissue (e.g., cells) because MRI images water protons. These aspects limit the use of MRI in pre-clinical research settings (e.g., biomedical research) to study brain diseases. Resultantly, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies are constantly in search of novel methods that endow MRI with capabilities to distinguish defined biological targets for the study of brain diseases in animal models. Currently, there are no suitable solutions. We specifically address these shortcomings, and extend the capabilities of MRI, by developing an all-in-one solution. The solution consists of the synthesis of novel targeted fluorescent contrast agents suitable for light microscopy, computed tomography and MRI, and the parallel engineering of cells. When combined, cells in the brains of animals can be detected by MRI in vivo. Lastly, we provide a unique ex vivo protocol for validating the targets imaged by MRI in vivo.