Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
RNAi-mediated Epigenetic Gene Regulation (REpiReg)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Consolidator grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems
Panel description: Genetics, epigenetics, genomics and other ‘omics studies, bioinformatics, systems biology, genetic diseases, gene editing, innovative methods and modelling, ‘omics for personalised medicine
Countries involved: Switzerland
Call: ERC Consolidator Grant (ERC-2015-CoG, 2015)
Start date: 2017-01-01
End date: 2022-06-30
Duration (months): 66.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1998557.0
EU funding (EUR): 1998557.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

RNAi refers to the ability of small RNAs to silence expression of homologous sequences. A surprising link between epigenetics and RNAi was discovered more than a decade ago, and I was fortunate enough to be involved in this exciting field of research from the beginning. It is now well established that endogenous small RNAs have a direct impact on the genome in various organisms. Yet, the initiation of chromatin modifications in trans by exogenously introduced small RNAs has been inherently difficult to achieve in all eukaryotic cells. This has sparked controversy about the importance and conservation of RNAi-mediated epigenome regulation and hampered systematic mechanistic dissection of this phenomenon. Using fission yeast, we have discovered a counter-acting mechanism that impedes small RNA-directed formation of heterochromatin and constitutes the foundation of this proposal. Our goal is to close several knowledge gaps and test the intriguing possibility that the suppressive mechanism we discovered is conserved in mammalian cells. We will employ yeast and embryonic stem cells and use cutting-edge technologies (i.e., chemical mutagenesis combined with whole-genome sequencing, genome editing with engineered nucleases, and single-cell RNA sequencing) to address fundamental, as yet unanswered questions. My proposal consists of four major aims. In aim 1, I propose to use proteomics approaches and to perform yeast genetic screens to define additional pathway components and regulatory factors. Aim 2 builds on our ability to finally trigger de novo formation of heterochromatin by synthetic siRNAs acting in trans, addressing many of the outstanding mechanistic questions that could not be addressed in the past. In Aims 3 and 4, experiments conducted in yeast and mouse cells will elucidate missing fragments critical to our understanding of the conserved principles behind RNAi-mediated epigenetic gene regulation.

Keywords: chemical mutagenesis,whole genome sequencing,single cell rna sequencing,chromatin profiling,genome engineering
Narrating the Mesh: Ecology and the Non-Human in Contemporary Fiction and Oral Storytelling (NARMESH)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Cultures and cultural production
Panel description: Literary studies, cultural studies, study of the arts, philosophy
Countries involved: Belgium
Call: ERC Starting Grant (ERC-2016-STG, 2016)
Start date: 2017-02-01
End date: 2022-07-31
Duration (months): 66.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1130000.0
EU funding (EUR): 1130000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Today’s ecological crisis prompts us to rethink our attitude towards physical and natural realities that have traditionally been seen as opposed to human subjectivity and agency. What emerges from this “non-human turn” is a sense of our interdependence on things like the bacteria in our intestines or the carbon atoms supporting life on Earth. Ecological theorist Timothy Morton uses the metaphor of the “mesh” to express this idea of human/non-human interconnectedness. This project will map the formal and thematic strategies through which contemporary narrative practices engage with the non-human and envisage this interconnectedness. Storytelling is an indispensable tool for making sense of experience by establishing temporal and causal relations. But it is also biased towards the human-scale realities of action and social interaction. How can narrative overcome this bias? How does it convey phenomena that challenge our belief in the ontological and material self-sufficiency of the human? Comparing fictional narratives in print (novels and short stories) and conversational storytelling, we will systematically explore the ways in which narrative can forge connections across levels of reality, weaving together the human and the non-human into a single plot. The assumption is that narrative is a field where fictional practices are in constant dialogue with the stories told in everyday conversation—and with the culture-wide beliefs and concerns those stories reflect. Through its three sub-projects, the proposed research charts this complex dialogue while greatly advancing our understanding of how stories can be used to heighten people’s awareness of the mesh and its significance. The project builds on a combination of methods (close readings of novels, qualitative analysis of interviews), aiming to open up a new field of study at the intersection of literary scholarship and the social sciences—with narrative theory serving as a catalyst for the interdisciplinary exchange.

Keywords: narrative theory,narratology,the novel,science and literature,ecocriticism,narrative methods in the social sciences,qualitative research,anthropocene,ecological crisis,interconnectedness
Novel Compound Rotary Engine Range Extender for Electric Vehicles (CREEV)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Societal Challenges
Programme: Smart, green and integrated transport
Action type: SME instrument
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call: Small business innovation research for Transport (H2020-SMEINST-1-2015, 2015)
Start date: 2015-07-01
End date: 2015-12-31
Duration (months): 6.0
Total project cost (EUR): 71429.0
EU funding (EUR): 50000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

This project seeks to successfully demonstrate and scale up for market readiness, a completely novel, high efficiency, low emission, compact rotary engine range extender for electric vehicles. According to the EC, transport is the only major sector in the EU where greenhouse gas emissions are still rising, with road transport contributing about one-fifth of the EU's total CO2 emissions. Despite the existence of environmentally friendly electric vehicles, CO2 emissions continue to rise in the sector. This is because of range anxiety, the single greatest obstacle to the widespread adoption of electric vehicles (EV) and the environmental benefits they offer. As a result, while 44% of drivers consider emissions & environmental friendliness as important factors when buying a car, only 5% would consider buying an electric car due to range concerns. Whilst automotive manufacturers have sought to address the issue of range anxiety through the installation of range extenders, these existing extenders are limited in performance and do not fully meet vehicle manufacturers (OEM) needs. The clear business opportunity is to provide tier 1 automotive powertrain providers and OEMs with breakthrough innovation in EV range extender technology that meets all of their needs. These include; high efficiency, low fuel consumption, low emissions, low noise, compact size, light weight and low vibration. The rotary (Wankel) type engine lends itself extremely well to this application, but has a number of inherent limitations. The key innovations in our solution (refer section 1.3) eliminate the disadvantages of the rotary engine whilst building upon its inherent strengths. Our breakthrough solution is novel, patent protected and lab tested/demonstrated at prototype stage. We initially require help to undertake a feasibility study to elaborate and de-risk our business plan. The successful exploitation of the technology will result in cumulative revenue of €79m after 6 years on the market.

Keywords: range extender,hybrids,hybrid electric vehicles,co2 emissions,rotary engine,environment,wankel engines,sparcs,creev,exhaust expansion
An Ontology-based Visual Analytics Approach to Big Data from Agricultural Monitoring Infrastructure (OB-VISLY)

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: Information Science and Engineering
Countries involved: Italy
Call: Individual Fellowships (H2020-MSCA-IF-2019, 2019)
Start date: 2020-10-05
End date: 2024-04-28
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 171473.28
EU funding (EUR): 171473.28
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Increasing challenges for agricultural production such as climate change, environmental concerns, energy demands, and growing expectations from consumers triggered the necessity for innovation using data-driven approaches such as visual analytics. OB-VISLY extends the visual analytics approach with a structural way of data organization (ontologies), data mining, and visualization techniques to retrieve knowledge from the agricultural monitoring data. The latest advances in data visualization and analytics made it possible to fully exploit the potential of the proposed approach and gain insights into high complexity datasets (multi-source, multi-scale, and different stages). In OB-VISLY, I will carry out state-of-the-art research that unites two strands of recent, significant inquiry: Big Data analytics in the agricultural sector and visual methods. OB-VISLY aims to (1) establish a regionally significant dataspace enabled to synthesize information about fruit-growing apple orchards and vineyards and derive insight from massive, dynamic, and often conflicting data by providing up-to-date, consistent, and credible assessments; (2) create a single visual analytics user interface that can turn the data into knowledge for users of different information retrieval proficiency. OB-VISLY will establish and implement an innovative visual analytics-enabled dataspace within the European agricultural sector. The findings will contribute to European priority in building a digital single market and tackle obstacles that hinder the exploitation of big data and digital tools. Thus OB-VISLY will serve social and environmental well-being by uncovering hidden patterns from big agricultural data for future sustainable and environmentally friendly development. Such an endeavor aims to pave a way towards strengthening precision and conservation agriculture methods and create an added value to sustain under competitive conditions and increase agricultural potential in Europe.

Keywords: visual analytics,data driven decision systems,ontology,fruit growing agriculture,fair,big data
Queer Muslim Asylum Spaces: Between Righfulness and Rightlessness within Germany's Hetero- and Homonormative Asylum System (Queer Muslim Spaces)

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: United Kingdom
Call: Individual Fellowships (H2020-MSCA-IF-2017, 2017)
Start date: 2018-09-01
End date: 2020-08-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 195454.8
EU funding (EUR): 195454.8
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

This project will develop an intersectional approach to the study of queer asylum in Europe focussing on the experiences of people from a Muslim background. Muslim queer, trans, and intersex (LGBTQI) refugees are among the least visible and most marginalized constituents within Germany’s asylum system. This is despite the EU classifying LGBTQI refugees as a social group in need of special protection in 2011. Heteronormative and homonormative immigration and asylum policies combined with the global and domestic war on terror perpetuate the insecurity of Muslim LGBTQI refugees and asylum seekers in Europe. Migration and gender studies, however, largely ignore the intersectionality of queerness, Islam, and the securitization of migration and of the few studies that concentrate on queer migration in continental Europe and none are on Germany. This project will provide new empirical insights into the experiences of LGBTQI asylum seekers with Muslim background. Drawing on the theory of intersectionality, it will enhance our understanding of how both hetero- and homonormativity in Germany’s asylum system, i.e. the ‘protection’ and production of trans and queer asylum seekers, is tied to institutional and societal expectations of sexuality and Islam. In this way the study will map how homo- and heteronormative asylum practices and laws create temporal socio-political spaces where rightlessness and rightfulness meet and converge. Methods will include: semi-structured interviews with LGBTQI Muslim asylum seekers police, immigration officials, LGBTQI activists, and LGBTQI organizations; legal and discourse analysis; non-participant observation, and case studies. The project will use the data and analysis to propose strategies that will help the European Commission, and state and non-state actors to develop policies and politics based on a better understanding of the wide range of experiences of Muslim LGBTQI asylum seekers.

Keywords: asylum laws,queerness,islam,war on terror,germany,migration,race
BestTreat – Building a Gut Microbiome Engineering Toolbox for In-Situ Therapeutic Treatments for Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (BestTreat)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie-Sklodowska-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Innovative Training Networks (ITN)-European Training Networks
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Panel: Life Sciences
Countries involved: Germany,Austria,Finland,China,Sweden,Netherlands,Netherlands,Denmark,Denmark,Denmark
Call: Innovative Training Networks (H2020-MSCA-ITN-2018, 2018)
Start date: 2018-09-01
End date: 2022-08-31
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 4134155.76
EU funding (EUR): 4134155.76
Participants: 14
Project status: CLOSED

BestTreat fosters education of ESRs in a project to uncover microbiome signatures for risk prediction and monitoring of NAFLD and to contribute to the development of therapeutic treatments based on metabolically beneficial microbial consortia. It trains 15 ESRs at world-leading academic institutions and companies, thus forming strong interdisciplinary links between industry, life and medical sciences, and end-users. BestTreat aims to train a new generation of highly qualified ESRs with entrepreneurial competencies in modern Life Sciences through state-of-the-art research projects. The projects focus on the identification and functional characterization of microbial consortia that contribute to metabolic control, and the application of this knowledge to develop novel leads for drug discovery and therapies for NAFLD. The new field on microbiome based therapeutics requires highly skilled scientists with interdisciplinary knowledge on medicine, systems biology and computer science, as well as hands-on experience with several types of tissue samples and model organisms that can optimally translate their research findings into sustainable improvements in clinical practice. BestTreat overcomes current barriers by establishing a strong, multidisciplinary and inter-sectoral training network, developing technologies tailored to solve key questions in human metabolism, microbiology and bioinformatics. The BestTreat programme will exploit recent developments in high-throughput and genome-wide screening technologies, combine these with modern molecular cell biology and systems biology approaches and ultimately translate the data into new leads for the discovery of live biotherapeutics. This specific cross-disciplinary training program will educate young scientists to the next level needed to advance this research field for the upcoming decennium. The training programme will be complemented with a complete set of transferable skills.

Keywords: gut microbiome,bio engineering,metabolomics,metagenomics,metatranscriptomics,cytokines,obesity
GREen Advanced TEchnologies for the Retrofitting of masonry Structures (GRE.A.TE.R.S.)

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: Information Science and Engineering
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call: Individual Fellowships (H2020-MSCA-IF-2018, 2018)
Start date: 2019-11-01
End date: 2021-10-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 212933.76
EU funding (EUR): 212933.76
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Unreinforced masonry (URM) buildings constitute more than 70% of the existing building stock worldwide and make up the vast majority of the world’s cultural and architectural heritage. Although masonry has proven to be a highly versatile and durable construction material, much of the existing building stock in Europe and developing countries are non-engineered URM buildings, often built with weak materials and following poor construction practices. As a result, the majority of the existing building stock is in dire need of structural rehabilitation and strengthening. Traditional strengthening and rehabilitation techniques include grout or epoxy injections, crack stitching, surface overlays with mesh-reinforced concrete, chicken-wire or reinforced plaster, reinforced concrete jacketing as well as external/internal post tensioning. However, all of these techniques can affect significantly the dynamic response characteristics of the structure and can be costly, labour-intensive and highly obtrusive. In recent years, the use of advanced composite materials in civil engineering applications has increased exponentially, and the various retrofitting solutions that have been developed based on the implementation of these materials have proven to be very effective. However, the high performance of these advanced materials would not be effectively exploited on the less demanding masonry structures and the high material and installation costs would render them prohibitive in most European and developing countries. The proposed project aims to develop a novel strengthening solution that uses natural fibre meshes embedded in an inorganic lime-mortar matrix. The new system will provide a more sustainable and cost‐effective alternative and will provide a more reliable solution that can be engineered to meet the specific performance criteria of masonry buildings.

Keywords: strengthening,rehabilitation,natural fibres,ntrm,masonry structures,composite materials,sustainability
Inclusive Design Rating (IDR) Toolkit. The design and assessment tool for tailoring environments for everyone. (IDR TOOLKIT)

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: Information Science and Engineering
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call: Individual Fellowships (H2020-MSCA-IF-2018, 2018)
Start date: 2020-08-01
End date: 2022-11-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 212933.76
EU funding (EUR): 212933.76
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Europe is ageing and the changing needs of the population are constantly shaping the way we live and interact in communities and environments. Accessibility, sustainability and inclusivity are now prominent keywords that are driving the design of products and of the built environment. The United Nations, the World Health Organisation and the European Commission (through the H2020 Programme) have supported the idea that accessible solutions for improving environments can effectively support well-being & socialisation of all members of society. Despite the proliferation of guidelines, design approaches and regulations, there is still a significant gap in the current awareness among the general public, of accessible, inclusive designed buildings that has yet to be covered. This proposal, will contribute to filling this gap by developing an Inclusive Design Rating (IDR) Toolkit that will enable stakeholders to design and certify accessible, inclusive dwellings. The project will be deployed through a framework for analysing the stakeholders’ point of view that will be used to co-design a certification toolkit for assessing inclusive, smart age-friendly environments. This IDR Toolkit will be used by professionals to assess the accessibility, usability and fitness for purpose of dwellings and by individuals to enable them to make decisions about how best to adapt their home to their specific needs. The research will be carried out at University of Cambridge by using the Inclusive Design and the Quality Function Deployment approaches which enable the constant involvement of stakeholders in the co-design process, avoiding a top-down approach. The project will have impact by increasing awareness of inclusive dwellings with a scientifically validated methodology for designing, re-designing and assessing environments suitable for the changing needs of a growing ageing population and by communicating that knowledge to a wide audience in a striking, accessible way.

Keywords: inclusive design,smart age friendly environments,user engagement,co design,assessment toolkit,user experience design,infographics,accessible dwellings,barrier free architecture,sustainability
Algorithm for healthy eating habits (MENUTERRANEUS)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Industrial Leadership
Programme: Information and Communication Technologies
Action type: SME instrument
Countries involved: Spain
Call: Open Disruptive Innovation Scheme (implemented through the SME instrument) (H2020-SMEINST-1-2014, 2014)
Start date: 2015-06-01
End date: 2015-11-30
Duration (months): 6.0
Total project cost (EUR): 71429.0
EU funding (EUR): 50000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

MENUTERRANEUS aims to improve the quality of life of European citizens, fighting a growing problem in Europe and very present in the policies of the World Health Organization, OECD and the European Commission. Specifically, Menuterraneus intends to help European families to plan their meals, using an algorithm that functions according to nutritional parameters, promoting healthy eating habits. The project is a pioneering solution in Europe, where the systems developed by the competitors are based on templates. In addition, many of them belong to food Companies or groups, so have and have a dependence on their brands when setting the menus. For the moment, a limited technical concept (a basic algorithm) has been developed and tested geographically: the Spanish market. The results have been so far positive, with 83,000 registered users, using a free application, and 3 market channels have been explored: discount coupons, publicity regarding supermarkets or food groups by integrating shopping lists and licensed products. The present study aims to study the feasibility of the project from 3 perspectives: - Geographical: from a global European perspective, although, the study is to focus initially in Germany, the UK and France, these countries being considered representative. - Technological: by developing a complex algorithm, which collects the habits of different European countries, and includes special features such as vegetarian diets, celiac, etc. - Economical: by the exploration of the 3 marketing channels already mentioned, and other possibilities (freemium model). To start the study, a significant effort will be devoted to know and compare the eating habits of the different selected European countries. To do so, partners, that have already been identified, will be contacted (nutritionists associations), they also may assist the implementation of the project in Phase II.

Keywords: health,food,family,nutrition