Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
WhiteRabbit: easily revealing and managing personal information. (WhiteRabbit)

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: Italy,Italy
Call: FET Innovation Launchpad (H2020-FETOPEN-4-2016-2017, 2016)
Start date: 2017-04-01
End date: 2018-07-31
Duration (months): 16.0
Total project cost (EUR): 99750.0
EU funding (EUR): 99750.0
Participants: 2
Project status: CLOSED

WhiteRabbit aims to bring to the market an innovative software platform. The platform will allow to extract value from personal data, while keeping its subjects in the loop and also complying with upcoming regulations. In the last 20 years the use of personal data generated a big but not still well-regulated market; this has resulted in problems to companies and SMEs like the escalating complexity of data privacy management, the misuse of data and its social/legal consequences. The upcoming General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Europe, with its stricter rules, will introduce even higher complexity and costs for the management of personal data. In an ideal comparison with a well-known and regulated sector, the new software platform introduced by WhiteRabbit will work as an automated “tax accountant” helping companies to effectively deal with the complexity of regulations related to “tax returns”. Based on the prototype developed by the University of Trento within the “Smart Society” FET project, the WhiteRabbit project will bring such prototype to a further step of development through a new partnership with META Group, a leading company in the field of exploitation of research results, start-up creation, and access to finance. WhiteRabbit will validate the business model and design a commercialisation roadmap for the new start-up that will be launched by the team who developed the software platform’s original prototype. The consortium will then test the product in a market environment and finally will foster growth opportunities by pitching it to investors and potential customers. WhiteRabbit will generate an impact in terms of an innovation introduced into the market (the platform), the improvement of entrepreneurial mind-set (researchers becoming entrepreneurs within the start-up), and the stimulation of growth and jobs (a new start-up will be created).

Keywords: start up,personal data management,exploitation,privacy regulations,commercialization,investors
A versatile platform for the design of targeting drug delivery vesicles (VesSenDrugDeliv)

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: Chemistry
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF-EF) (H2020-MSCA-IF-2014, 2014)
Start date: 2015-07-01
End date: 2017-06-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 195454.8
EU funding (EUR): 195454.8
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

In the project of Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowship, I will design a versatile molecular platform that is used to construct multifunctional amphiphiles, which co-assemble with amphiphilic gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) to form monodisperse and stable targeting drug delivery vesicles. By incorporating multiple targeting ligands and multiple hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs, I aim to discover efficient vesicle formulation with increased targeting selectivity and potent cytotoxicity to tumor cells. The route of the targeted drug delivery will be followed spontaneously via transiting surface plasmon resonance of AuNPs, and the impact of the targeted drug delivery on the targeted tumor cells will be monitored in real time by live cell Raman micro-spectroscopy. Furthermore, any targeting ligand, hydrophilic and hydrophobic drug can be easily tuned for a variety of different targeted tumour cells.

Keywords: vesicles,targeting drug delivery,plasmonic gold nanoparticles,living cell raman microspectroscopy
Predicting cardiovascular regeneration: integrating mechanical cues and signaling pathways (MechanoSignaling)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Products and processes engineering
Panel description: Product and process design, chemical, civil, environmental, mechanical, vehicle engineering, energy processes and relevant computational methods
Countries involved: Netherlands
Call: ERC Starting Grant (ERC-2018-STG, 2018)
Start date: 2019-01-01
End date: 2024-12-31
Duration (months): 72.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1498526.0
EU funding (EUR): 1498526.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

The key challenge in regenerative medicine is to re-establish a physiological tissue organization as this is conditional for proper tissue functionality. In the cardiovascular field, tissue engineering of blood vessels and heart valves requires the development of a tri-laminar structure. Previous attempts to establish this organization have been mainly trial-and-error based. Therefore, to force breakthroughs and accelerate clinical translation, computational modeling is critical to understand and predict the process of neo-tissue regeneration starting from non-living biodegradable materials (i.e. scaffolds). The main drivers of regeneration are (1) hemodynamic loads that trigger mechanically-driven tissue growth and remodeling, and (2) signaling interactions between cells that control the emergence of global tissue organization (e.g. layering of vessels and valves). While the first aspect currently receives vast attention, the modeling of cell signaling in the context of tissue engineering remains an unexplored area. In this project, I aim to obtain a mechanistic understanding of how a critical pathway in the cardiovascular system, i.e. the Notch signaling pathway, drives the emergence of global tissue organization while interacting with mechanical cues. I will adopt a unique, multi-disciplinary approach, where quantitative in vitro experiments will be performed to inform novel multi-scale computational models of Notch signaling and its consequences on regeneration. I will leverage these models to understand and predict in vivo regeneration of engineered cardiovascular tissues starting from various initial conditions. If successful, this project will have a tremendous impact on the development of rational guidelines for ensuring functional tissue regeneration, which represents a breakthrough towards creating cardiovascular replacements that are superior to current treatment options. Moreover, it enables me to start my own independent research group in this field.

Keywords: computational mechanobiology,growth,remodeling,regenerative medicine,cardiovascular development
A novel cost effective industrial process for dispersion of Carbon Nanotubes on electrode materials for Li-Ion Batteries (IonDrive)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Industrial Leadership
Programme: Innovation in SMEs
Action type: SME instrument
Countries involved: Israel
Call: SME instrument (H2020-SMEInst-2018-2020-1, 2018)
Start date: 2018-08-01
End date: 2018-11-30
Duration (months): 4.0
Total project cost (EUR): 71429.0
EU funding (EUR): 50000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

With industrial and societal demands for lighter, thinner and higher capacity batteries, there has been a lot of ongoing research for novel electrode materials with improved properties. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have shown enormous potential as Lithium-Ion Battery (LIB) electrode materials as they improve LIB power capacity by a factor of >10 and charge acceptance by >200%, reducing energy loses by >15%. However, the extensive use of CNT-based LIBs is being harboured by the lack of an industrially applicable process for dispersing CNTs on electrodes. CNTs aggregate in their formation and current dispersion methods fail to effectively unbundle the, and as such, excessive amounts of CNT are required to achieve homogeneity, which often deteriorates the intrinsic properties of CNTs, degrades electrode properties and lowers battery performance. Additionally, the CNT load increase rises the overall electrode production cost (the average cost of CNT varies from €75-€400/gram). CENS has develop a cost-effective gas-based CNT dispersion process that allows for homogenous CNT application and reduced CNT loads by one order of magnitude. Our innovative approach involves the use of an ultra-sonic media to separate the Carbon Nano-Tubes and disperse them within the powdered electrode material. In this way, the enhanced electrode material, which increases battery capacity by 50%, can be produced without any degradation in the electronic mechanical properties of the battery electrodes. IonDrive is an innovative solution that will release to the world the full potential of CNT-based LIBs. The innovation has the potential to drive LIB market growth through battery cost reductions and opening new market and business opportunities.

Keywords: energy storage,carbon nanotubes,lithium ion batteries,electrodes,battery capacity
Structure and Cellular Dynamics of the Sarcomere (StuDySARCOMERE)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Synergy grants
Action type: ERC actions
Countries involved: Germany,France,United Kingdom
Call: ERC Synergy Grant (ERC-2019-SyG, 2019)
Start date: 2020-02-01
End date: 2026-01-31
Duration (months): 72.0
Total project cost (EUR): 10936440.0
EU funding (EUR): 10936440.0
Participants: 3
Project status: SIGNED

Muscles are specialized tissues that power voluntary, fast and coordinated movements, a hallmark of animal life. The force-generating and load-bearing devices of muscles are called sarcomeres, highly structured ensembles of many proteins. While many sub-components are structurally and functionally characterised, muscle is more than the sum of these parts: its function is highly cooperative and its structure dynamic over time and space. The high-resolution structure of sarcomeres is unknown, yet a precise molecular understanding of how the entire sarcomere machine forms and functions is required to understand its role in health, disease and ageing. This consortium will deploy an unparalleled complementary knowledge and technology base to address these fundamental and translational questions. We will solve the structure of the sarcomere at near-atomic resolution, uMuscles are specialized tissues that power voluntary, fast and coordinated movements, a hallmark of animal life. The force-generating and load-bearing devices of muscles are called sarcomeres, highly structured ensembles of many proteins. While many sub-components are structurally and functionally characterised, muscle is more than the sum of these parts: its function is highly cooperative and its structure dynamic over time and space. The high-resolution structure of sarcomeres is unknown, yet a precise molecular understanding of how the entire sarcomere machine forms and functions is required to understand its role in health, disease and ageing. This consortium will deploy an unparalleled complementary knowledge and technology base to address these fundamental and translational questions. We will solve the structure of the sarcomere at near-atomic resolution, unravel the fundamentals of its force-driven assembly and turnover in health and ageing, and develop the foundations for future basic and translational research including the design and development of new agents to mitigate muscle disease and ageing.

Keywords: muscle,sarcomere,structure,electron cryo tomography,nanobodies,myofibrils,nanostructure,actin,myosin,obscurin,ageing,titin,super resolution microscopy,genome editing,myofibrillogenesis,self organization
Adaptations to temperature regimes in sponges: Genomic insights into the developmental and physiological evolutionary changes of early-branching metazoans (ADAPTOMICS)

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: Environment and Geosciences
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call: Individual Fellowships (H2020-MSCA-IF-2016, 2016)
Start date: 2017-06-01
End date: 2019-05-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 195454.8
EU funding (EUR): 195454.8
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Species which inhabit the Antarctic have evolved to exist in some of the most challenging conditions found anywhere on the planet. Marine creatures must cope with sea temperatures generally ranging between 0 to -1.8 degrees Celsius and a food supply which fluctuates widely from summer to winter, rendering their survival difficult. Nevertheless, species have found the means to thrive in such conditions. Their adaptation to cold environments will have included a host of genetic changes, and to date we still know little about the nature of these molecular adaptations, the way these act in vivo, and the exact benefits such changes confer. I aim to investigate the molecular differences between congeneric species of sponge adapted to vastly differing thermal environments and find the means by which these species adapt to cold conditions. This will be approached in several ways, starting with transcriptomic sequencing of six species of sponges of genera Axinella, Mycale and Phorbas. These are abundant in the Antarctic, Caribbean and Mediterranean seas, and play essential roles in the benthic ecosystems in which they are found. Transcriptomic analyses will be supplemented by genomic sequencing, RNA in situ hybridization, molecular ecological and functional approaches. This will allow me multiple means of assaying the molecular and population-level diversity of these sponges, and, specifically, how they have evolved to live in such cold environments. More broadly, these findings will allow us to begin to determine whether the same adaptive molecular mechanisms to extreme cold are used repeatedly across sponge and animal phylogeny. Any evidence of convergent evolution to extreme cold will suggest constraints on the means of adaptation. Similarly, novel molecular changes would be of great interest to a wide variety of fields. Our findings will therefore add substantially to a nascent area of enquiry, and provide a firm basis for future work both in these species and beyond.

Keywords: porifera,temperature,climate,genomics,evolution
Cerebellar modules and the Ontogeny of Sensorimotor Integration (COSI)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — 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
Countries involved: Netherlands
Call: ERC Starting Grant (ERC-2015-STG, 2015)
Start date: 2016-06-01
End date: 2021-11-30
Duration (months): 66.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1500000.0
EU funding (EUR): 1500000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The perfect execution of a voluntary movement requires the appropriate integration of current bodily state, sensory input and desired outcome. To assure that this motor output becomes and remains appropriate, the brain needs to learn from the result of previous outputs. The cerebellum plays a central role in sensorimotor integration, yet -despite decades of studies- there is no generally excepted theory for cerebellar functioning. I recently demonstrated that cerebellar modules, identified based on anatomical connectivity and gene expression, differ distinctly in spike activity properties. It is my long-term goal to identify the ontogeny of anatomical and physiological differences between modules, and their functional consequences. My hypothesis is that these differences can explain existing controversies, and unify contradicting results into one central theory. To this end, I have designed three key objectives. First, I will identify the development of connectivity and activity patterns at the input stage of the cerebellar cortex in relation to the cerebellar modules (key objective A). Next, I will relate the differences in gene expression levels between modules to differences in basal activity and strength of plasticity mechanisms in juvenile mice (key objective B). Finally, I will determine how module specific output develops in relation to behavior and what the effect of module specific mutations is on cerebellum-dependent motor tasks and higher order functions (key objective C). Ultimately, the combined results of all key objectives will reveal how distinct difference between cerebellar modules develop, and how this ensemble ensures proper cerebellar information processing for optimal coordination of timing and force of movements. Combined with the growing body of evidence for a cerebellar role in higher order brain functions and neurodevelopmental disorders, a unifying theory would be fundamental for understanding how the juvenile brain develops.

Keywords: cerebellum,cerebellar modules,sensorimotor integration,purkinje cell
Humanitarian Optimization through Research by Argusi – Envisioning Shorter Times of delivery (HORA EST)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Industrial Leadership
Programme: Innovation in SMEs
Action type: Coordination and support actions
Countries involved: Netherlands
Call: European SME innovation Associate - pilot (H2020-INNOSUP-02-2016, 2016)
Start date: 2017-09-29
End date: 2018-09-28
Duration (months): 12.0
Total project cost (EUR): 96250.0
EU funding (EUR): 96250.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Argusi is a research driven SME that possesses deep knowledge about supply chain optimization and collaboration in mainly the commercial sector. Argusi’s expertise focuses on designing optimal supply networks in terms of minimized cost or time-to-consumer by using state of the art modelling tools and techniques. With the branch Argusi Aid, Argusi aims to explore a new market opportunity by transferring knowledge and technical models from the commercial sector to the humanitarian sector, while at the same time making a contribution to a better world. To be able to develop Argusi Aid to its full potential, knowledge of and experience from both commercial sector and humanitarian sector supply chains is needed. Besides Argusi’s strong knowledge of supply chain design, optimization and collaboration, specific knowledge is required on the highly uncertain and variable demand, the challenging distribution networks, the influence of donors as an additional supply chain party, and the difference between emergency response and development supply chains. Cultural and regional knowledge is needed for knowing the right way of transferring knowledge and technical models taking into account country and sector specific factors. This knowledge needs to be combined to research and develop an overview of differences and similarities between commercial, emergency response and development supply chains, a visual insight in global supply chain flows and current (in)efficiencies finding synergies between NGO supply chains and technical supply chain models for the different humanitarian supply chains (emergency response and development supply chains) taking into account the uncertainties and additional actor. An internal and external training package and a long term business plan also have to be developed. Knowledge training in Argusi’s topics of expertise and software and skills training in e.g. project management, leadership skills and developing business plans will be provided.

Keywords: development of technical supply chain models humanitarian sector improving efficiency and decreasing response lead times,opportunity new industry sector
Dating Plastid Endosymbiosis and Diversification in Eukaryotic Algae (AlgDates)

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: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF-EF) (H2020-MSCA-IF-2015, 2015)
Start date: 2016-07-01
End date: 2018-06-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 173076.0
EU funding (EUR): 173076.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Eukaryotic algae evolutionary history is still fairly unknown. Thanks to state-of-the-art evolutionary models, next-gen sequencing and high computational capabilities, we are going to shed some light on the matter. Corallinales (red algae) and Dasycladales (green algae) are two extant living groups of calcareous algae with a rich fossil record (~140 and ~500 myr respectively). The lack of sufficient molecular data for these groups makes impossible to use such species in eukaryotic phylogeny and dating studies. This project has been planed to cover 2 objectives or evolutionary questions: The 1st objective aims 1) to generate de novo transcriptomic data for about 10 species corresponding to different Corallinales and Dasycladales lineages in order to perform phylogenomic analyses with 2 established datasets (one of 200 nuclear-coding plastid markers, and the other with 258 non-plastid genes) and the broadest possible eukaryotic taxonomic sampling; and 2) to perform molecular clock analyses using known fossil calibrations and hence provide robust divergence times for the whole eukaryotic tree but focusing on primary and secondary plastid endosymbiotic acquisitions. For both post- phylogenomic analyses (dating and divergence steps), already established collaborations will ensure proper method implementation. Using the results from the first objective, the 2nd one aims 1) to track history of plastid evolution (plastid-based dataset) comparing it with deep eukaryotic speciation events (non-plastid marker tree); and 2) to estimate diversification rates in distinct photosynthetic lineages in order to find if rate shifts correlate among them. AlgDates will allow us to establish the order, timing and correlation of events in such deep evolutionary transitions, but the knowledge acquired during this project will also provide information regarding reef formation and evolution, which can be useful when addressing or predicting calcareous ecosystem adaptations to climate change.

Keywords: phylogenomics,plastid endosymbiosis,molecular clock,fossil record,calcareous algae,divergence rates