Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Dynamics of the RNAi-mediated antiviral immunity (RNAIMMUNITY)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Consolidator grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Immunity and Infection
Countries involved: France
Call:  (ERC-2013-CoG, 2013)
Start date: 2015-01-01
End date: 2019-12-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1442600.0
EU funding (EUR): 1442600.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

RNA interference (RNAi) is a conserved sequence-specific, gene-silencing mechanism that is induced by double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). Double-stranded RNA is commonly generated during viral replication and is considered to be a molecular pattern associated with viral infection. Our previous work demonstrated that viral infections in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster are countered by an antiviral RNAi response: the small interfering RNA (siRNA) pathway is the major antiviral defence mechanism in insects. Recently, another RNAi pathway was also suggested to be involved in antiviral defence, the piwi-interacting RNA (piRNA) pathway. The field of insect immunity has been largely dominated by studies on antimicrobial immunity, while antiviral immunity has received relatively little attention. Based on a combination of basic and applied science as well as bioinformatic approaches, we propose to investigate the molecular and cellular aspects underlying the immune dynamics of the antiviral response. We want to uncover fully the mechanism of antiviral RNAi in insects and its main attributes, such as memory, long-lasting immunity, specificity, and effect on the virus. The “nucleic-acid based” immune system that we are deciphering points to the concerted effort of multiple defence pathways from both partners as a new perspective in immunity and host-pathogen relationships.

Keywords: rna interference,viruses,insects,host-pathogen relationships,small rnas
Ontogenetic transcriptome evolution in tetrapods (ONTOTRANSEVOL)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Consolidator grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Evolutionary, Population and Environmental Biology
Countries involved: Germany,Switzerland
Call:  (ERC-2013-CoG, 2013)
Start date: 2015-02-01
End date: 2020-01-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1998632.0
EU funding (EUR): 1998632.0
Participants: 2
Project status: CLOSED

A central goal in evolutionary biology is to understand the molecular changes responsible for phenotypic differences between species, in particular those that have arisen among mammals. Phenotypic evolution is thought to be largely founded on developmental gene regulatory changes, which determine species-specific tissue morphologies and thus lay the foundation for their typical physiological properties. We recently performed the first cross-mammalian transcriptome comparisons for adult organs, providing many insights into the molecular evolution of organ physiologies, but the evolution of developmental transcriptomes remains largely unstudied. I propose to generate comprehensive RNA sequencing data for a collection of adult tissues and developmental precursors from many mammals and tetrapod outgroup species (birds, reptiles, amphibians). The data will include dense ontogenetic time courses for key reference species, covering embryonic stages and, for mammals, placental tissues. We will identify coding and noncoding genes constituting core ancestral tissue transcriptomes and assess relative contributions of gene expression changes and the emergence of new genes to the evolution of phenotypically relevant expression patterns. We will also empirically evaluate global models of evolutionary conservation patterns during embryogenesis and placentation. To understand the dynamics of functional and regulatory interactions of different gene types and their evolutionary relevance, we will reconstruct evolutionary transcription networks and assess associated regulatory mechanisms. Overall, this inter-disciplinary “evo-devo” project will unveil ontogenetic and adult gene expression programs underlying shared (ancestral) and lineage-specific morphological and physiological phenotypes. It will thus substantially advance our understanding of the molecular basis of phenotypic evolution.

Keywords: transcriptome evolution,gene regulatory evolution,phenotypic evolution,evolutionary developmental biology,tissue morphologies,organ physiologies,mammals,tetrapods
Progress in quantum computing: Algorithms, communication, and applications (QPROGRESS)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Consolidator grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Computer Science and Informatics
Countries involved: Netherlands
Call:  (ERC-2013-CoG, 2013)
Start date: 2014-03-01
End date: 2019-02-28
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1453700.0
EU funding (EUR): 1453700.0
Participants: 2
Project status: CLOSED

Quantum computing combines computer science, physics and mathematics to fundamentally speed up computation using effects from quantum physics. Starting in the early 1980s with Feynman and Deutsch, and gaining momentum in the 1990s with the algorithms of Shor and Grover, this very interdisciplinary area has potentially far reaching consequences. While a large-scale quantum computer has not been built yet, experimenters are getting more optimistic: a recent prediction is that it will take another 10-15 years. However, the tasks where such a quantum computer would be able to significantly outperform classical computers are still quite limited, which lends urgency to finding new applications. This proposal will find more such tasks, and produce new insights into the strengths and weaknesses of quantum computing. It is divided into three workpackages: 1. Algorithms & complexity. Find new quantum algorithms that are more efficient than the best classical algorithms, for example for matrix multiplication and graph problems. Extend our knowledge of the ultimate limitations of quantum algorithms, and possible parallelization (which has barely been studied so far). 2. Quantum communication. Communication complexity analyzes the amount of communication needed to solve distributed computational tasks, where separate parties each hold part of the input. Find new distributed problems where quantum communication outperforms classical communication, and explore links with fundamental physics issues like the role of entanglement and Bell-inequality violations. 3. Classical applications. Apply the newly developed mathematical tools of quantum computing to analyze problems in other areas, as we recently did for linear programs for the traveling salesman problem. This third workpackage will have impact regardless of progress in building a quantum computer. The PI is one of the world’s top researchers in each of these three areas.

Keywords: quantum computing,quantum information,algorithms,complexity theory,communication complexity,optimization
Identification of novel functions and regulators of DNA methylation in mammals (TRANSMETH)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Consolidator grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Genetics, Genomics, Bioinformatics and Systems Biology
Countries involved: France
Call:  (ERC-2013-CoG, 2013)
Start date: 2014-06-01
End date: 2019-05-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2000000.0
EU funding (EUR): 2000000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The development of complex organisms entails sequence-specific transcription factors and also epigenetic marks such as DNA methylation. Methylation of DNA occurs on cytosines and can be transmitted over many cell generations to sustain epigenetic memory. Yet we still know very little about how DNA methylation is attracted to specific sites in the genome and how this ultimately influences cellular destiny. This is a fascinating challenge that deserves intensive investigations because DNA methylation is critical for both normal and pathological cellular functions. I propose to initiate an ambitious research project that will identify novel functions and regulators of DNA methylation in the mouse. My objectives are to (1) use genome-wide mapping and elegant mouse genetics to elucidate the role of DNA methylation in lineage identity in physiological contexts in vivo; (2) design original high-throughput RNAi screens to identify novel factors that shape the DNA methylome in mammalian genomes; and (3) develop tools for targeted engineering of the methylome that will allow, for the first time, to test predictive models by interfering with DNA methylation at specific sites in the genome. This combination of innovative approaches will lead to major breakthroughs that go beyond the current state-of-art. We will assess causal and mechanistic relationships between DNA methylation and cell identity at the genome level, and identify novel epigenetic regulators for long term studies to characterize their mechanism of action. This will improve our understanding of the epigenetic mechanisms of genome regulation and potentially lead to novel therapeutic applications for cell reprogramming or disease treatment. The ERC grant will give me the necessary financial resources to recruit talented people and initiate this ambitious research program, and therefore will significantly contribute to consolidate my leadership in the field.

Keywords: dna methylation,epigenome,epigenomics,cpg islands
Formalizing Subjective Interestingness in Exploratory Data Mining (FORSIED)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Consolidator grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Computer Science and Informatics
Countries involved: Belgium,United Kingdom
Call:  (ERC-2013-CoG, 2013)
Start date: 2014-05-01
End date: 2020-02-29
Duration (months): 70.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1549315.0
EU funding (EUR): 1549315.0
Participants: 2
Project status: CLOSED

The rate at which research labs, enterprises and governments accumulate data is high and fast increasing. Often, these data are collected for no specific purpose, or they turn out to be useful for unanticipated purposes: Companies constantly look for new ways to monetize their customer databases; Governments mine various databases to detect tax fraud; Security agencies mine and cross-associate numerous heterogeneous information streams from publicly accessible and classified databases to understand and detect security threats. The objective in such Exploratory Data Mining (EDM) tasks is typically ill-defined, i.e. it is unclear how to formalize how interesting a pattern extracted from the data is. As a result, EDM is often a slow process of trial and error. During this fellowship we aim to develop the mathematical principles of what makes a pattern interesting in a very subjective sense. Crucial in this endeavour will be research into automatic mechanisms to model and duly consider the prior beliefs and expectations of the user for whom the EDM patterns are intended, thus relieving the users of the complex task to attempt to formalize themselves what makes a pattern interesting to them. This project will represent a radical change in how EDM research is done. Currently, researchers typically imagine a specific purpose for the patterns, try to formalize interestingness of such patterns given that purpose, and design an algorithm to mine them. However, given the variety of users, this strategy has led to a multitude of algorithms. As a result, users need to be data mining experts to understand which algorithm applies to their situation. To resolve this, we will develop a theoretically solid framework for the design of EDM systems that model the user's beliefs and expectations as much as the data itself, so as to maximize the amount of useful information transmitted to the user. This will ultimately bring the power of EDM within reach of the non-expert.

Keywords: data mining,knowledge discovery,subjective interestingness
Gender citizenship and sexual rights in Europe: transgender lives from a transnational perspective (TRANSRIGHTS)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Consolidator grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Institutions, Values, Beliefs and behaviour
Countries involved: Portugal
Call:  (ERC-2013-CoG, 2013)
Start date: 2014-09-01
End date: 2020-02-29
Duration (months): 66.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1262943.0
EU funding (EUR): 1262943.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The TRANSRIGHTS project investigates transgender lives and the institutional apparatus that frames them. Rather than focusing exclusively on self displayed identities, four lines of inquiry will be developed. Firstly, gender politics and sexual rights are analyzed as the opposition between politics of equality and of difference is unable to provide answers for the inclusion of trans-people. Secondly, by comparing the lives of trans-people in five European countries – Portugal, France, United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Sweden – we wish to attain an overview of how institutional frameworks impact on these lives. Thirdly, our approach will take into account the immigration of trans-individuals to Europe, whether in search for recognition or as a way of survival often leading to sex work. Fourthly, by comparing different countries, different groups of transgender people, different forms of attaining inclusion or dealing with exclusion, different conceptions of gender citizenship and sexual rights, we wish not only to gain a deeper understanding of societal change and its impact on the lives of transgender individuals, but also to identify the gaps between policies and rights and the categories actually mobilized for self-identification. Such a task implies examining the voices of trans-people, the effect of policies on the materiality of lives as well as conceptualizations of selfhood that do not necessarily confine to the European context. Project outputs will contribute to the fields of gender, sexuality and citizenship by providing a grounded theoretical debate, discussing the gender categories of citizenship. Trans-people are a heterogeneous group that represents one of the most challenging boundaries for framing this debate within and beyond Europe. The voices of trans-people are essential to avoid an excessive reduction of lives to institutional categories, whether from the institutional apparatus, the LGBT movements or the social sciences.

Keywords: gender studies,transgender,body and sexuality,gender identity,gender citizenship,sexual rights,transnational migrations,sex work,power and institutions,intersectionality.
Choices and consumption: modelling long and short term decisions in a changing world (DECISIONS)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Consolidator grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Environment, Space and Population
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call:  (ERC-2013-CoG, 2013)
Start date: 2014-07-01
End date: 2020-06-30
Duration (months): 72.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1873288.0
EU funding (EUR): 1873288.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Mathematical models of choice behaviour are used to understand consumer decisions and valuations and forecast choices across a range of topic areas, including transport and regional science. Their outputs form a key component in guidance underpinning government and industry decisions on changes to policy, infrastructure developments or the introduction of new services or products. Given the significant financial, environmental and societal implications of such decisions, model accuracy is crucial. Current models however, while powerful and flexible, still present a highly abstract representation of consumer decisions. This project aims to develop a new framework which realigns modelled behaviour with real world behaviour, jointly representing the choice of multiple options or products and the quantity of consumption for each of these. In contrast with existing work, these choices will be placed within a wider framework, incorporating links between long term decisions and day to day choices, accounting for the growing importance of virtual social networks and the role of joint decisions. The work will ensure consistency with economic theory and in particular deal with the formation and role of budgets and constraints. While many developments will take place within the random utility framework, the project will also operationalize alternative theories of behaviour, such as non-compensatory decision rules from mathematical psychology. To ensure the transition of methodological developments into practice, I will test the models and illustrate their advantages in a large scale application studying the relationship between long term decisions and short term energy consumption. I will ensure that the models can produce output suitable for economic analysis and will develop free estimation software. The research promises a step change in model flexibility and realism with impacts across a number of academic disciplines as well as real world benefits to society as a whole.

Keywords: choice modelling,behavioural modelling,decision making,consumption
New Methods and Applications for Forecast Evaluation (FORECASTING)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Consolidator grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Individuals, Institutions and Markets
Countries involved: Spain
Call:  (ERC-2013-CoG, 2013)
Start date: 2014-07-01
End date: 2020-06-30
Duration (months): 72.0
Total project cost (EUR): 501860.0
EU funding (EUR): 501860.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Forecasting is a fundamental tool in Economics, Statistics, Business and other sciences. Judging whether forecasts are good and robust is of great importance since forecasts are used everyday to guide policymakers' and practitioners' decisions. The proposal aims at addressing four important issues that researchers encounter in practice. A first issue is how to assess whether forecasts are optimal in the presence of instabilities. Optimality is an important property of models’ forecasts: if forecasts are not optimal, then the model can be improved. Existing methods to assess forecast optimality are not robust to the presence of instabilities, which are widespread in the data. How to obtain such robust methods and what they tell us about widely used economic models’ forecasts is the first task of this project. A second problem faced by forecasters in practice is to evaluate density forecasts. Density forecasts are important tools for policymakers since they quantify uncertainty around forecasts. However, existing methodologies focus on a null hypothesis that is not necessarily the one of interest to the forecaster. The second task is to develop tests for forecast density evaluation that address forecasters’ needs. A third, important question is “Why Do We Use Forecast Tests To Evaluate Models’ Performance?”. The third task of this project is to understand the relationship between traditional in-sample and forecast evaluation tests, and develop a framework that helps to understand under which circumstances forecast tests are more useful than typical in-sample tests. A final question is how researchers can improve models that do not forecast well. Model misspecification is widespread, still economists are often left wondering exactly which parts of their models are misspecified. The fourth task is to propose an empirical framework for addressing this issue. By estimating time-varying wedges, we assess where misspecification is located, and how important it is.

Keywords: forecasting,models' performance,instability,misspecification,applications to dsge models
The Macroeconomics of Collateral (MACROCOLL)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Consolidator grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Individuals, Institutions and Markets
Countries involved: Spain
Call:  (ERC-2013-CoG, 2013)
Start date: 2014-09-01
End date: 2020-08-31
Duration (months): 72.0
Total project cost (EUR): 979800.0
EU funding (EUR): 979800.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Financial markets constitute the backbone of modern economies, intermediating resources from those who have them (i.e., lenders) to those who can put them to productive use (i.e., borrowers). The defining feature of these markets is that they entail the exchange of goods today for a borrower’s promise to deliver goods in the future. These promises are sustained by guarantees, which are akin to the amount of future income that borrowers can credibly pledge to lenders. I refer to this pledgeable income as an economy’s stock of collateral. This stock determines the amount and type of promises that can be traded in an economy and, in turn, this set of promises determines the transactions that can be carried out. Intuitively, when this set of promises is large, resources find their most productive uses and efficiency is high. This raises a general question: what are the key determinants of the set of promises that an economy is able to sustain, and why does it vary? In macroeconomic models, it is commonly assumed that all promises are backed by only one kind of collateral, i.e. usually that of private borrowers, and that this collateral is ‘fundamental’, i.e. it consists of output. Real-world financial markets, however, rely on many types of collateral to guarantee promises. In this proposal, I focus on three such types. First, collateral may be ‘bubbly’, i.e. promises can be backed by nothing else but the income that the sale of new promises is expected to bring in the future. Second, collateral need not be private, as government promises are sustained by pledging public income. Third, collateral need not be homogenous, as it may differ in quality or type across entrepreneurs, and this quality may not be perfectly observed by all. I address the following broad questions. How do economies produce these different types of collateral? How do they interact with one another? Is there a role for policy in maintaining the efficient level and composition of collateral?

Keywords: bubbles,sovereign risk,credit frictions