Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Repower Democracy: How grassroots energy initiatives are changing the face of democracy in Europe (Repower Democracy)

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: Social Sciences and Humanities
Countries involved: Norway
Call: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF-EF) (H2020-MSCA-IF-2014, 2014)
Start date: 2015-05-04
End date: 2017-05-03
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 196400.4
EU funding (EUR): 196400.4
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

When in 2013, a multinational energy corporation started to set up a drilling site in Żurawlów – a village in eastern Poland– residents sprang into action to protest the plans to use fracking (an unconventional method of shale gas extraction). Like social movements in the recent global wave of protest (such as Occupy, Indignados), they engaged in egalitarian organising. Finally, the corporation abandoned the village but the residents' activism did not end. Like the citizens in Żurawlów, similar anti-fracking groups in Europe are working on initiatives to build democratically-run renewable energy solutions. This project investigates the potential of such groups for a repowering of democracy, i.e. a reformulation of democratic models and a reorganisation of energy production along more egalitarian lines. The main objectives of the research are: (1) to investigate the forms of politicisation and imaginaries of egalitarianism in Polish and British communities and (2) to build interdisciplinary, inter-sectoral collaborations and draw up research-led strategies for local and systemic social innovation in the field of democratic self-organisation of energy initiatives. I will employ ethnographic research, local historical and rural sociological investigation to identify best democratic practice models of the communities. Through participatory action research and together with research participants we will develop and implement a framework for the assessment of community's energy potential. The projects' interdisciplinary nature contributes to critical enquiry into the possibilities of more democratic futures and their interrelationship with transitions of energy systems. The core focus is on the local dynamics of grassroots organising and its intersections with (inter)national structures. The overarching aim is to repower democracy in Europe– to help its citizens to be actively engaged in democratic processes by taking responsibility for tackling major societal challenges.

Keywords: community activism,renewable energy,egalitarianism,direct democracy,direct action
What makes leaves fall in autumn? A new process description for the timing of leaf senescence in temperate and boreal trees (LEAF-FALL)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution
Panel description: Ecology, biodiversity, environmental change, evolutionary biology, behavioural ecology, microbial ecology, marine biology, ecophysiology, theoretical developments and modelling
Countries involved: Belgium
Call: ERC Starting Grant (ERC-2016-STG, 2016)
Start date: 2017-02-01
End date: 2024-01-31
Duration (months): 84.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1499250.0
EU funding (EUR): 1499250.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Leaf phenology is a key component in the functioning of temperate and boreal deciduous forests. The environmental cues for bud-burst in spring are well known, but little is known about the cues controlling the timing of leaf fall in autumn. Leaf fall is the last stage of leaf senescence, a process which allows trees to recover leaf nutrients. We urgently need to understand the controls timing leaf senescence to improve our projections of forest growth and climate change. I propose a new general paradigm of the onset of leaf senescence, hypothesizing that leaf senescence is triggered by the cessation of tree growth in autumn. I expect that: (i) in the absence of growth-limiting environmental conditions, tree growth cessation directly controls leaf-senescence onset; and (ii) in the presence of growth-limiting conditions, photoperiod controls leaf-senescence onset – this prevents trees from starting to senesce too early. I will test these hypotheses with a combination of: (i) manipulative experiments on young trees - these will disentangle the impact of photoperiod from that of other factors affecting tree growth cessation, namely: temperature, drought and soil nutrient availability; (ii) monitoring leaf senescence and growth in mature forest stands; (iii) comparing the leaf senescence dynamics of four major tree species (Fagus sylvatica, Quercus robur, Betula pendula and Populus tremula) in four European locations spanning from 40º to 70º N; and (iv) integrating the new paradigm into a model of forest ecosystem dynamics and testing it for the major forested areas of Europe. The aim is to solve the conundrum of the timing of leaf senescence in temperate and boreal deciduous trees, provide a new interpretation of the relationship between leaf senescence, tree growth and environment, and deliver a modelling tool able to predict leaf senescence and tree growth, for projections of forest biomass production and climate change.

Keywords: plant functioning,relationships plant environment,eco physiology,phenology,leaf senescence,seasonal tree growth,temperate and boreal deciduous trees
Nanostructuring graphene under electrochemical control (NGUEC)

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: Belgium
Call: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF-EF) (H2020-MSCA-IF-2015, 2015)
Start date: 2016-03-01
End date: 2018-06-13
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 172800.0
EU funding (EUR): 172800.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Graphene, a single atom thick sheet of sp2-hybridized carbon, has recently attracted tremendous interest in both fundamental studies and potential applications due to its unique electronic, optical, mechanical and thermal properties. Despite these exceptional qualities however, some inherent characteristics of graphene itself preclude its widespread usage in technological applications. A prerequisite for the use of graphene in several low- as well as high-end applications is its controlled and reproducible functionalization in a nanostructured fashion, towards doping and band gap opening. Therefore, NGUEC aims to develop experimental protocols for controlled and reproducible functionalization and characterization of graphene in a nanostructured fashion by using chemisorption (covalent) strategies in combination with physisorption (non-covalent) approaches, relying on the power of electrochemical control. The efficiency of these approaches will be followed by combined cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical scanning tunnelling microscopy (EC-STM) and electrochemical Raman (EC-Raman). This is an interdisciplinary project centered at the interface between Supramolecular Chemistry, Electrochemistry, Materials Science and Nanoscience. The ultimate goal of the project is to allow the fellow to attain a position of professional independence at the forefront of future academic or industrial research efforts through a combination of hands-on experience in diverse research disciplines and training in complementary skills.

Keywords: graphene functionalization,self assembly,covalent grafting,ec stm,ec raman
Pan-cancer functional evaluation of non-coding DNA mutations (PCFENCM)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie-Sklodowska-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Individual Fellowships (IF)-Global Fellowships
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Panel: Life Sciences
Countries involved: United States,United Kingdom
Call: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF-GF) (H2020-MSCA-IF-2015, 2015)
Start date: 2017-01-01
End date: 2019-12-31
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 251857.8
EU funding (EUR): 251857.8
Participants: 2
Project status: CLOSED

The functional evaluation of cancer mutations has been largely restricted to the protein-coding genome, due to our lack of (i) whole-genome sequence data for cancer genomes, and (ii) knowledge about the function of the non-coding genome. However, more recently the function of the non-coding genome has been largely annotated by the ENCODE project, where large consortia are profiling thousands of tumor and matched non-neoplastic tissue samples at the genomic, proteomic and epigenomic levels. Previous studies have shown that (i) over 90% of the disease-associated loci identified with genome-wide association studies (GWAS) lie within the non-coding genome, and (ii) non-coding mutations are frequent in cancer. Nevertheless, few studies have evaluated the role of genetic variation in the non-coding genome in cancer development and progression, and therefore, the landscape of non-coding mutations in cancer remains uncharted territory. Moreover, there are no studies yet relating variation or mutations within the non-coding genome to the sensitivity to drugs, and this is hence the purpose of the work described here. Using genome-wide sequence, epigenomic, transcriptomic, proteomic and eQTL data from (i) over 2,000 whole cancer genomes, (ii) over 10,000 tumor and matched non-neoplastic tissue samples spanning 25 tumor types, and (iii) the ENCODE project, I aim to build a comprehensive map of non-coding mutations across the most prevalent cancer types. Subsequently, this map will be integrated with pharmacological profiles of small molecules in predictive models, thus allowing to identify genetic variants and mutations associated to drug efficacy and resistance across cancers. This work will help unravel the impact of non-coding mutations on genome regulation and gene expression, to disambiguate the contributions of somatic mutations and inherited genetic polymorphisms to cancer susceptibility, and to relate mutations in the non-coding genome to drug efficacy.

Keywords: cancer,cancer mutations,cancer drivers,chemogenomics
Topographically-driven fresh groundwater flow in offshore carbonate platforms. (OFF-GROUND)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Spreading excellence and widening participation
Programme: Widening participation and spreading excellence
Theme: Other Widening
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Countries involved: Malta
Call: Widening Fellowships (H2020-WF-03-2020, 2020)
Start date: 2022-05-02
End date: 2024-08-04
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 160049.28
EU funding (EUR): 160049.28
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Carbonate platforms are geologically complex 3D structures. Their hydrogeology has been investigated via conceptual models, sand box experiments and numerical models. Most of these models are hypothetical, 2D in nature, and based on simplistic assumptions on flow processes and geological characteristics. Recently, topographically-driven meteoric groundwater has been proposed as a key player in driving fluid circulation in carbonate platforms, both onshore and offshore. This project is dedicated to building representative 3D geological and hydrogeological models of offshore freshened groundwater in the Malta Plateau, to specifically address the following questions: what is the 3D geometry, scale and rate of fluid circulation in carbonate platforms, at present and during sea level lowstands? What are the main controlling factors? What are the key processes driving fluid circulation in carbonate platforms, at present and during sea level lowstands? What is the role played by topographically-driven meteoric groundwater? Addressing these knowledge gaps is important for the future use of offshore freshened groundwater as a source of potable water, and provide insights into diagenetic processes. During this research I will have the possibility to widely expand my geoscience knowledge, from Oil & Gas to Water, too, both during the time I will spend working at University of Malta, as host organization, as well as during my secondment c/o Geomar, in Germany. I will dedicate myself to disseminate the results of my research through specific planned actions, and I expect to mature a CV and a research experience strong enough to allow me to start a new carrier in the academic/research world in the near future, based on my previous experience in the industry and on the new skill I will learn.

Keywords: offshore fresh groundwater,carbonate aquifers,malta platform,mediterranean,fractured and karstified carbonate reservoirs,hydro geological model,3d modelling
Engineered bacterial Outer Membrane Vesicles (OMVs) for colorectal cancer immunotherapy (OMVCRC)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Proof of concept grants
Action type: ERC actions
Countries involved: Italy,Italy
Call: ERC-Proof of Concept (ERC-2017-PoC, 2017)
Start date: 2018-01-01
End date: 2019-06-30
Duration (months): 18.0
Total project cost (EUR): 150000.0
EU funding (EUR): 93750.0
Participants: 2
Project status: CLOSED

This proposal originates from recent results obtained in the course of the Advanced ERC Project “OMVac”, the scope of which is to exploit the unique adjuvanticity properties of bacterial Outer Membrane Vesicles (OMVs) for developing innovative vaccines against infectious diseases and cancer. In particular, Synthetic Biology was applied to engineer OMVs with FAT1, a tumour associated antigen expressed in most primary and metastatic colorectal cancers (CRC). Using cancer models in immunocompetent mice, immunization with FAT1-decorated OMVs inhibited subcutaneous growth of FAT1-positive CT26 cancer cells and protection correlated with an increase in tumour infiltration of CD4+/CD8+ T cells and concomitant decrease of Treg and MDSCs. These promising results prompted the submission of the present proposal which has as main objectives: 1) the demonstration that FAT1-OMV immunization can synergise with the protective activity of checkpoint inhibitors, and 2) the development of a scalable FAT1-OMV production and purification process which could allow testing FAT1-OMV/checkpoint inhibitor combination in the clinical setting.

Keywords: cancer vaccines,bacterial outer membrane vesicles,fat1,checkpoint inhibitors,anti cancer combination therapies
Property-Based Modulable Timing Analysis and Optimization for Complex Cyber-Physical Real-Time Systems (PropRT)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Consolidator grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Computer science and informatics
Panel description: Informatics and information systems, computer science, scientific computing, intelligent systems
Countries involved: Germany
Call: ERC Consolidator Grant (ERC-2019-COG, 2019)
Start date: 2021-01-01
End date: 2025-12-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1999055.0
EU funding (EUR): 1999055.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Cyber-physical real-time systems are information processing systems that require both functional as well as timing correctness and have interactions with the physical world. Since time naturally progresses in the physical world, safe bounds of deterministic or probabilistic timing properties are required. PropRT will explore the possibilities to construct timing analysis for complex cyber-physical real-time systems from formal properties. The target properties should be modular so that safe and tight analysis as well as optimization can be performed (semi-)automatically. New, mathematical, modulable, and fundamental properties for property-based (schedulability) timing analyses and scheduling optimizations are needed to capture the pivotal properties of cyber-physical real-time systems, and thus enable mathematical and algorithmic research on the topic. Different flexibility and tradeoff options to achieve real-time guarantees should be provided in a modularized manner to enable tradeoffs between execution efficiency and timing predictability. The success of this project will provide a comprehensive view of the landscape of design, analysis, and optimization options for timing properties in cyber-physical real-time systems. Advanced optimization and analytical frameworks based on the formal properties of scheduling algorithms and schedulability analysis will serve as new ingredients for designing predictable cyber-physical systems, which will trigger a revolution of computer architectures, system modeling, communication mechanisms, and synchronization designs in the near future. The results will bring a new design process to further allow control designers and system integrators in cyber-physical real-time systems to jointly explore different configurations of controllers, computation, and communication parameters for designing timing predictable cyber-physical system applications.

Keywords: real time systems,worst case performance analysis
DeepZyme: Learning Deep Representations of Enzymes for Predicting Catalytically-Beneficial Mutations (DeepZyme)

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: Germany
Call: Individual Fellowships (H2020-MSCA-IF-2019, 2019)
Start date: 2021-01-01
End date: 2022-12-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 162806.4
EU funding (EUR): 162806.4
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

During the course of evolution nature has created and optimized extraordinary protein catalysts, named enzymes, that are fundamental in all reigns of life. Enzymes facilitate complex chemical reactions at physiological conditions, accelerating their rates by several orders of magnitude and being highly selective over alternative –undesired– chemical transformations. Understanding how enzymes work and how to engineer their functions is essential for many disciplines, with applications ranging from medical therapies to biotechnological devices. The main challenge towards the rational control of enzymes is that given their complexity, it is not trivial to predict modifications –known as mutations– that are beneficial for their activity. The DeepZyme project aims to develop a model for the prediction of such modifications, taking advantage of revolutionary techniques in the field of deep learning. We propose to obtain condensed “representations” of enzymes by leveraging their sequence, structure and catalytic information. These representations can be suitably designed to describe enzymatic information that is available in nature, and learn how enzymes have been tuned by selection pressures along evolution. Navigating in the space of enzyme representations will allow us to finely tune their properties, and thereby guide a rational design process. Our model will be used together with other state-of-the-art techniques (including molecular dynamics, Markov state models and quantum mechanics / molecular mechanics) to generate from scratch an enzyme able to catalyze chemical reactions along the synthesis of drug-like molecules.

Keywords: engineering of enzymes,deep learning,all atom molecular dynamics,markov state models,quantum mechanics,molecular mechanics
Accelerating metal-directed assembly, recognition and catalysis with computational methods (MetAccembly)

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: Spain
Call: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF-EF) (H2020-MSCA-IF-2014, 2014)
Start date: 2015-05-01
End date: 2017-04-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 158121.6
EU funding (EUR): 158121.6
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Transition metals (TMs) are found in the core of several phenomena such as catalysis, self-assembly and (bio)molecular recognition and are directly involved in a number of diseases that span from cancer to neurodegenerative disorders. The presence of metal ions or metallocofactors in the active site of enzymes remarkably enhances the diversity of functions displayed by these biomolecules. TMs are also basic elements of approved drugs and MRI contrast agents playing a key role in biomolecular recognition. Metals in biology are extremely important but are also extremely complex to characterize and its role in processes such as protein assembly and molecular recognition is still poorly understood. These important biological processes take place in a broad range of time scales that span from ultrafast bond vibrations occurring in femtoseconds to slow conformational changes that require milliseconds to even seconds to be completed. The long-term goal of this project is to understand how and where these interactions occur. In the first goal of this proposal, we aim to develop a novel computational method (extended aMD) based on accelerated molecular dynamics that can be used to gain insights into metal-directed assembly, molecular recognition and biocatalysis at a reasonable computational cost. The second research goal of the proposal is to combine state of the art techniques of electronic structure with the new computational method to gain insight into the TMs-driven assembly, biomolecular recognition and catalysis mechanism of amyloid formation, inhibition and catalytic power. Extended aMD will be a versatile method that in principle will be applicable to describe assembly of large biomolecules. Applications in the field of enzyme design and drug discovery are expected in the long-term. After the execution of this project, the applicant will acquire a wider perspective on the field, as well as reached a position of full independence and professional maturity.

Keywords: molecular dynamics simulations,enhanced sampling techniques,self assembly,biomolecular recogntion,ab initio molecular dynamics,proteins,amyloids,electronic structure calculations