Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
An Integrated Chemical Platform to Elucidate Eukaryotic Sensing of Bacterial Crosstalk (QUORUMPROBES)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Materials and Synthesis
Countries involved: Israel,Netherlands,Netherlands
Call:  (ERC-2009-StG, 2009)
Start date: 2009-12-01
End date: 2014-11-30
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1392000.0
EU funding (EUR): 1392000.0
Participants: 4
Project status: CLOSED

The term quorum sensing (QS) describes the ability of a population of unicellular bacteria to act as a single multicellular organism in a cell-density-dependent manner. Bacteria achieve this feat by the use of small diffusible molecules to exchange information among themselves. Examples of QS-controlled behaviors are bioluminescence, virulence factor expression and biofilm formation. These processes are advantageous to a bacterial population only when they are carried out simultaneously by its members. In recent years, a surprising new role has been found for several QS molecules diverse eukaryotes have been found to react strongly to the presence of these compounds. My aim is to examine the hypothesis that diverse eukaryotic species have developed mechanisms to react to the presence of specific bacterial QS molecules in a receptor-mediated fashion. Specifically, we aim to identify receptors that are highly specific for the Pseudomonas aeruginosa QSM 3-oxo-C12-AHL, as no receptor has been identified yet. This is a significant challenge, that we will address developing an innovative platform of chemical, biochemical and microbiological investigations. Identification of specific QSM receptors in eukaryotes will allow us to further understand the complex mechanisms of coexistence and evolution of coexistence between prokaryotes and eukaryotes. The insight obtained from these experiments could lead to: a) an increased understanding of important principles that guide the evolution of symbiotic relationships between competing species; b) new approaches in the treatment of P. aeruginosa infections, as well as to potential new drugs for the treatment of autoimmune diseases; c) the development of an integrated platform that will enable the discovery of unknown receptors for small hydrophobic bioactive compounds.

Keywords: quorum sensing,bacterial crosstalk,chemical probes
Mesoscopic heattronics: thermal and nonequilibrium effects and fluctuations in nanoelectronics (HEATTRONICS)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Condensed matter physics
Countries involved: Finland,Finland
Call:  (ERC-2009-StG, 2009)
Start date: 2010-01-01
End date: 2015-12-31
Duration (months): 72.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1322371.2
EU funding (EUR): 1322371.2
Participants: 2
Project status: CLOSED

Few systems in nature are entirely in equilibrium. Out of equilibrium, there are heat currents, and different degrees of freedom or parts of studied systems may be described by entirely different temperatures if the concept of temperature is at all well defined. In this project we will study the emergence of the subsystem temperatures in different types of small electronic systems, and the physical phenomena associated with those temperatures. Our emphasis is on the mesoscopic effects, residing between the microscopic world of individual atoms and electrons, and the macroscopic everyday world. In particular, we will research thermometry methods, different types of relaxation, magnitudes of fluctuations and effects at high frequencies. We will explore these effects in a wide variety of systems: normal metals and superconductors, carbon nanostructures, nanoelectromechanical and spintronic systems. Besides contributing to the understanding of the fundamental properties of electronic systems, our studies are directly relevant for the development of thermal sensors and electron refrigerators. The improved understanding of the thermal phenomena will also benefit the study of almost any type of a nonlinear phenomenon in electronics, for example the research of solid-state realizations of quantum computing or the race towards quantum limited mass and force detection.

Keywords: nonequilibrium,fluctuations,noise,thermal effects,thermoelectrics,electron refrigeration,superconductivity,spintronics,nanoelectromechanical systems,thermal detectors,bolometry,calorimetry
Electromechanical quantum coherent systems (NEMSQED)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Condensed matter physics
Countries involved: Finland
Call:  (ERC-2009-StG, 2009)
Start date: 2010-01-01
End date: 2014-12-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1372999.99
EU funding (EUR): 1372999.99
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

At a low temperature, nearly macroscopic quantum states can be sustained in superconducting (SC) Josephson junctions. Recently, these superconducting qubits have been coupled to electromagnetic resonators, in a manner analogous to cavity Quantum Electro Dynamics (QED) which describes the interaction between atoms and quantized oscillation modes in the quantum limit. On the other hand, there is yet no experimental evidence of a mode of a mechanical oscillator, such as that of a miniaturized vibrating string, to be chilled down to its quantum ground state. The main part of the proposal involves the use the coupling of Nanomechanical Resonators (NR) to SC qubits employed as artificial atoms in order to address the quantum-classical interface in mechanical motion. Similarly as the SC qubit can exchange quanta with electrical oscillators, it can, in principle, communicate with mechanical modes. The research will begin with demonstrating this kind of electromechanical interaction. In order to tackle experimental surprises, I plan on launching two parallel paths, one with a charge qubit, the other using a phase qubit. The formidable main goal is to experimentally reach the quantum ground state of a mechanical mode. I will investigate the following routes: Make a 1 GHz frequency NR, corresponding to 50 mK, which will reach the ground state at accessible temperatures. On the other hand, I propose to side-band cool a lower-frequency NR via the attached SC qubit. Near the quantum limit, I will start taking advantage of the NR as a building block of electromechanical quantum information. I also propose to push the QED setup of SC qubits coupled to electrical cavities towards more and more complicated states in order to test quantum mechanics in the nearly classical limit.

Keywords: superconducting qubits,nanomechanics
Controlled fusion of liposomes and cells: a new pathway for direct drug delivery (DIRECTDELIVERY)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Materials and Synthesis
Countries involved: Netherlands
Call:  (ERC-2009-StG, 2009)
Start date: 2009-10-01
End date: 2014-09-30
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1392262.0
EU funding (EUR): 1392262.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Inspired by the natural membrane fusion machinery, the aim of this research line is to design a synthetic analogue in order to: 1) Understand the process of the peptide-controlled fusion of two membranes at the atomic, molecular and mesoscopic level. 2) Developing a new generic method for the controlled delivery of any (bio)molecule directly into the cytoplasm of a cell thereby omitting endocytotic pathways. This new paradigm opens many new applications in the fields of functional proteomics, genomics and siRNA-technology. Studying, imitating and dissecting processes from Nature and applying the underlying principles has been highly successful approach for many years and opened up new lines of research and applications which were previously unimagineable. Examples are the aptamer and antibody technology. I will use this learning-from-Nature approach to design synthetic analogues of the membrane fusion machinery to create new functions and/or applications which are currently non-existent. Membrane fusion is a key process in all living cells as it facilitates the transport of molecules between and within cells. A primary mechanism by which molecules are conveyed to the appropriate location is to encapsulate them in liposomes that deliver the cargo by fusing with the lipid membrane of the target cell or compartment. I will use synthetic analogues of the membrane fusion machinery to induce the controlled fusion between 1) specific liposomes and 2) liposome-cell. This approach opens up a new paradigm for the direct introduction of (bio)molecule into the cytoplasm of living cells omitting the endocytotic pathways for which the applications are only limited by one s imagination.

Keywords: lipidated peptides
Technologies and psychophysics of spatial sound (TEPESS)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Systems and communication engineering
Countries involved: Finland
Call:  (ERC-2009-StG, 2009)
Start date: 2009-09-01
End date: 2014-08-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1879458.0
EU funding (EUR): 1879458.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Spatial audio is a field, which investigates technologies to capture and reproduce sound in a way that the spatial properties of it are either preserved or modified depending on application. For example, modern surround sound techniques try to reproduce the sound scene perceived by a human listener in the same way than in the original occasion. The principal investigator (PI) has been able to develop a number of technologies in spatial audio field and to transfer them to the industry. The project would have two work packages, one concentrating on development of technology (WP1) and the other on perceptual studies (WP2). The perceptual studies are assumed to help technology development, and new technologies are assumed to reveal new phenomena in perception. The main issue for WP1 is the development of generic audio format. In future all music records and movie audio tracks are targeted to be in this format, which would be suitable for listening with any loudspeaker setup and also with headphones, always with optimal spatial and timbral quality. The development of the format is based on a technique by the PI, which is extended in this work for enhanced playback over loudspeakers and over headphones. Also, new techniques are developed for sound input from different types of microphones and from existing audio formats. The perceptual issues studied in WP2 would be the functioning of spatial hearing with wide sources and complex sound scenarios, together with computational modeling of brain mechanisms devoted to binaural hearing. The crossmodal effects between vision and auditory systems would also be investigated in the anechoic chamber specially equipped for spatial sound research. As the final task, the perceptual quality of developed generic audio format in different listening scenarios would be evaluated with subjective and objective tests.

Keywords: audio,spatial sound,perception of space,audio coding
Nano-engineered high performance Thermoelectric Energy Conversion devices (NANO-TEC)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Products and process engineering
Countries involved: Spain
Call:  (ERC-2009-StG, 2009)
Start date: 2010-03-01
End date: 2016-02-29
Duration (months): 72.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1228000.0
EU funding (EUR): 1228000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Providing a sustainable supply of energy to the world s population will become a major societal problem for the 21st century. Thermoelectric materials, whose combination of thermal, electrical, and semiconducting properties, allows them to convert waste heat into electricity, are expected to play an increasingly important role in meeting the energy challenge of the future. Recent work on the theory of thermoelectric devices has led to the expectation that their performance could be enhanced if the diameter of the wires could be reduced to a point where quantum confinement effects increase charge-carrier mobility (thereby increasing the Seebeck coefficient) and reduce thermal conductivity. The predicted net effect of reducing diameters to the order of tens of nanometres would be to increase its efficiency or ZT index by a factor of 3. The objective of this five year proposal is to investigate and optimise the fabrication parameters influencing ZT in order to achieve a power conversion efficiency of &gt;20%. For that, low dimensional nanowires arrays of state of art n and p-type materials will be prepared by cost-effective mass-production electrochemical methods. In order to obtained devices with a ZT &gt;2 for application in energy scavenging and as cooler/heating devices, three approaches will be followed: a) determination of the best materials for each temperature range (n and p type) optimizing composition, microstructure, shapes (core/shell, nanowire surface texture, heterostructures), interfaces and orientations, b) advanced characterization, device development and modeling will be used iteratively during nanostructures and materials optimization, and c) nano-engineering less conventional thermoelectric like cage compounds by electrodeposition methods. This proposal aims to generate a cutting edge project in the thermoelectric field and, if successful, a more efficient way to harness precious, but nowadays wasted energy.

Keywords: thermoelectrics,nanowires,quantum confinement,energy harvesting
Understanding high-temperature superconductivity from the foundations: Superconductivity as a cure of bad metallic behaviour (SUPERBAD)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Condensed matter physics
Countries involved: Italy
Call:  (ERC-2009-StG, 2009)
Start date: 2009-10-01
End date: 2015-09-30
Duration (months): 72.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1000000.0
EU funding (EUR): 1000000.0
Participants: 2
Project status: CLOSED

The origin of "high-temperature" superconductivity is definitely one of the most elusive topics in modern solid-state physics. The twenty years that followed the discovery of unprecentedly high critical temperatures in copper oxides have been dominated by a dychotomy between the "standard"; superconductors, normal metals in which electron-phonon interaction drives the superconducting pairing, and "high-temperature"; superconductors, complex compounds in which superconductivity is most likely of electronic or magnetic origin. Even if the number of proposals in this regard is enormous, we believe that at the present stage we can move one big step forward. The positive circumstances are the appearance of a new player in the field, the iron-based materials discovered in 2008, and the development of theoretical tools able to deal with the main physical ingredients of the different supeconducting materials. The aim of this project is to overcome the electron-phonon/electronic dualism in the "glue", and prove that the key to high-temperature superconductivity is the anomaly of the normal state. More precisely, high-temperature superconductivity is the way in which the pathologies of anomalous metallic states are "healed". In this project we will build a theoretical approach to study ab initio superconductors beyond Migdal-Eliashberg theory, namely a combination of Density Functional Theory and Dynamical Mean-Field Theory extended to the superconducting state. In this way we will put the above physical idea on solid ground, and we will first show that it is actually realized in the already known superconductors by comparing normal state and superconducting states.The results obtained in the process can be used in a second step to design new superconductors, either in the same families as the existing ones and in principle even in other yet unknown families.

Keywords: superconductivity,strong correlations,metal-insulator transitions,dynamical mean-fied theory
Turbulent Transport in the Atmosphere: Fluctuations and Extreme Events (ATMOFLEX)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Condensed matter physics
Countries involved: France,Germany
Call:  (ERC-2009-StG, 2009)
Start date: 2009-11-01
End date: 2014-10-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1200000.0
EU funding (EUR): 1200000.0
Participants: 2
Project status: CLOSED

A major part of the physical and chemical processes occurring in the atmosphere involves the turbulent transport of tiny particles. Current studies and models use a formulation in terms of mean fields, where the strong variations in the dynamical and statistical properties of the particles are neglected and where the underlying fluctuations of the fluid flow velocity are oversimplified. Devising an accurate understanding of the influence of air turbulence and of the extreme fluctuations that it generates in the dispersed phase remains a challenging issue. This project aims at coordinating and integrating theoretical, numerical, experimental, and observational efforts to develop a new statistical understanding of the role of fluctuations in atmospheric transport processes. The proposed work will cover individual as well as collective behaviors and will provide a systematic and unified description of targeted specific processes involving suspended drops or particles: the dispersion of pollutants from a source, the growth by condensation and coagulation of droplets and ice crystals in clouds, the scavenging, settling and re-suspension of aerosols, and the radiative and climatic effects of particles. The proposed approach is based on the use of tools borrowed from statistical physics and field theory, and from the theory of large deviations and of random dynamical systems in order to design new observables that will be simultaneously tractable analytically in simplified models and of relevance for the quantitative handling of such physical mechanisms. One of the outcomes will be to provide a new framework for improving and refining the methods used in meteorology and atmospheric sciences and to answer the long-standing question of the effects of suspended particles onto climate.

Keywords: turbulence,out-of-equilibrium systems,particulate pollution,cloud microphysics
Capitalizing on Gravitational Shear (COGS)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: ERC Starting Grant Interdisciplinary Panel
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call:  (ERC-2009-StG, 2009)
Start date: 2010-04-01
End date: 2016-03-31
Duration (months): 72.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1400000.0
EU funding (EUR): 1400000.0
Participants: 2
Project status: CLOSED

Our Universe appears to be filled with mysterious ingredients: 25 per cent appears to be dark matter, perhaps an as-yet undiscovered particle, and 70 per cent seems to be a bizarre fluid, dubbed dark energy, for which there is no satisfactory theory. Solving the dark energy problem is the most pressing question in cosmology today. It is possible that dark energy does not exist at all, and instead Einstein s theory of General Relativity is flawed. Cosmologists hope to measure the properties of the dark energy using the next generation of cosmological observations, in which I am playing a leading role. I believe the most promising technique to crack the dark energy problem is gravitational shear, in which images of distant galaxies are distorted as they pass through the intervening dark matter distribution. Analysis of the distortions allows a map of the dark matter to be reconstructed; by examining the dark matter distribution we uncover the nature of the apparent dark energy. However to capitalize on the great potential of gravitational shear we must measure incredibly small image distortions in the presence of much larger image modifications that occur in the measurement process. I am proposing a fresh look at this problem using an inter-disciplinary approach in collaboration with computer scientists. This grant would enable my team to play a central role in the key results from the upcoming Dark Energy Survey. We would further capitalize on the gravitational shear signal by moving away from the current dark energy bandwagon by instead focusing on testing General Relativity using novel approaches. Our work will produce results which will lead the next Einstein to solve the biggest puzzle in cosmology, and arguably physics.

Keywords: gravitational lensing
Modulation of oligodendrocyte precursor cells differentiation fate during CNS remyelination. (MODOPCFATE)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: European Re-integration Grants
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: Poland
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2009-RG, 2009)
Start date: 2009-10-01
End date: 2013-03-03
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 45000.0
EU funding (EUR): 45000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The aim of this project is to identify the microenviromental factors and their downstream cellular effectors determining the fate of adult CNS precursor cells which could be modulated in order to control remyelination process. Remyelination is the best example of regenerative processes in adult CNS, in which new myelin sheaths are restored to axons that have been demyelinated as a result of oligodendrocyte death. However, the efficiency of remyelination decreases with age and in multiple sclerosis, a disease that can afflict a patient for several decades, there is a progressive decline in remyelination. The consequence of remyelination failure is progressive loss of the chronically demyelinated axons. Therefore, there is an urgent need to understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in remyelination. New oligodendrocytes are derived from proliferating oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs). However, we have demonstrated, in the lineage fate mapping study, that this name does not fully reflect their differentiation potential; under appropriate conditions they can also give rise to astrocytes and Schwann cells. We demonstrated that Schwann cells, derived form OPCs, occupied almost exclusively the tissue around blood vessels in astrocyte-deficient areas. Therefore the hypothesis postulating the occurrence of specific niches creating microenvironment that regulate or determine the alternative fate of precursor cells during remyelination arises. Our vascular-niche hypothesis, which will be investigated, predicts a causative role of BMP pathway in prompting OPCs to differentiation into Schwann cells or in blocking them in the proliferation phase.

Keywords: precursor,oligodendrocyte,myelin,demyelination,remyelination,repair,intracellular signaling,multiple sclerosis,regeneration,stem cell,animal model,schwann cell,astrocyte