Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Development of high-resolution, high-throughput microscopy (InstantScope)

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: France
Call: ERC-Proof of Concept-2016 (ERC-2016-PoC, 2016)
Start date: 2017-03-01
End date: 2018-08-31
Duration (months): 18.0
Total project cost (EUR): 149788.0
EU funding (EUR): 149788.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Current 3D microscopy methods are limited in speed due to the need to scan the sample in the optical axis. Multifocus microscopy - or MFM- is a method that allows for the instant acquisition of a 3D volume without scanning, thus increasing acquisition speed by a factor of 10-100. MFM based on diffractive optics allows for easy optimization of the total volume acquired and the sampling rate. In our ERC-StG project, we developed an important expertise in the design and construction of diffractive elements key to MFM and invented a novel super-resolution imaging method based on this technology (patent pending). In this project, we propose to further improve the conception and fabrication methods of MFM’s diffractive elements to considerably improve acquisition speed and resolution. In addition, we will employ these technologies in conjunction with valve-based microfluidics to develop and validate a microscopy-based high-resolution, high-throughput cell profiler (Hi2M). Hi2M will allow for the 3D acquisition of complete cell volumes in <10 ms, enabling the high-resolution, multi-color imaging of millions of cells/hour without the need for cell adhesion. Because of these important advantages over existing microscopies, we anticipate that the technologies developed in InstantScope should have a large impact in many fields of cell biology.

Keywords: 3d fluorescence microscopy,microfluidics,diffractive optics,epigenetics,chromosome structure
ADAMtx: Development of Alzheimer’s immunotherapy by harnessing the natural reparative properties of microglia (ADAMtx)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Proof of concept 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: Israel
Call: ERC Proof of Concept Grant (ERC-2019-PoC, 2019)
Start date: 2019-10-01
End date: 2021-03-31
Duration (months): 18.0
Total project cost (EUR): 150000.0
EU funding (EUR): 150000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a heterogeneous disease in which multiple detrimental factors contribute to cognitive loss and disease escalation. Currently there are no effective therapies for AD. Targeting any single symptom of disease-escalating factor (e.g. amyloid beta, tau, neuroinflammation etc.), even if successful, is not sufficient to modify the disease, as seen in the multiple failures of recent phase-III clinical trials. Thus, there is a desperate need for new approaches for development of AD therapeutics, which will be more comprehensive and not etiology-specific. Using single cell genomic analysis of the immune system in AD mouse models, we discovered a novel microglia type, disease associated microglia (DAM), intrinsic immune cells of the brain that fight AD and neurodegenerative disease. There are several revolutionary aspects to our approach to modify AD course. Fundamentally, based on our unique DAM pathways and target discovery platform we will develop novel AD-immunotherapy for boosting the brain’s innate neuroprotective mechanisms that fight neurodegeneration in AD. Development of targets that boost DAM cells is a major activity of this PoC plan, and we are in different phases of development of several targets that increase DAM activity including advanced stages of the targets Trem2 and P2ry12. The first goal of this PoC grant is to develop and strengthen our IP around AD immunotherapy targets. The second goal is to design a viable and scalable business model with venture capital and establish a startup (ADAMtheraputics) that will translate our novel technology for effective AD-immunotherapy for Alzheimer patients. We believe that our unique approach of targeting the brain’s intrinsic protective immune cells, to boost their activity and numbers, will dramatically impact AD therapy.

Keywords: alzheimer,therapy,drug development,microglia
Improving Local Energy and climate policy through quality management and certification (IMPLEMENT)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Societal Challenges
Programme: Secure, clean and efficient energy
Theme: Reducing energy consumption and carbon foorpint by smart and sustainable use
Action type: Coordination and support actions
Countries involved: Germany,Greece,Poland,Croatia,Belgium,Switzerland
Call: Engaging and activating public authorities (H2020-EE-2016-CSA, 2016)
Start date: 2018-02-01
End date: 2022-04-30
Duration (months): 51.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1389615.0
EU funding (EUR): 1389615.0
Participants: 7
Project status: CLOSED

Climate change is a global problem and to solve it, we need to start on local level. To effectively implement energy and climate policies, concerted and strong action is needed. Municipalities often have ambitious goals and political will, but lack the harmonized, interdepartmental and long-term structures to successfully implement their climate and energy strategies and thus reach their goal. This is the starting point for the project, which focuses on capacity building in municipalities. By introducing the quality management and certification programme European Energy Award (eea) in Belgium, Croatia, Greece and Poland, the project aims at setting up the necessary structures in municipalities. During the project, 30 pilot municipalities will further develop and implement their climate and energy strategy by using the eea standards and criteria catalogue. External advisors will guide and monitor the continuous progress. Its certification will ensure that municipalities implement their climate and energy plans to high quality standards. The certification process is ongoing and ensures that municipal climate action progress. Their experiences and successes will pave the way for more municipalities in the target regions to join the eea. IMPLEMENT’s objective is to set up the necessary structures for a long-term roll-out of the eea in the partner countries. Partners will translate and adapt all eea tools to national context, receive adequate training to become skilled eea advisors, able to advice and guide pilot municipalities through the eea process. The consortium together with regional authorities will develop, based on experience exchange with eea expert regions, feasibility studies and business plans, tailor-made support schemes for the participating countries.

Keywords: local climate policy implementation,covenant of mayors,co2 reduction
Circadian Clock Gating of the Shade Avoidance Response Optimises Plant Fitness (TIME_FOR_SHADE)

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: Netherlands
Call: Individual Fellowships (H2020-MSCA-IF-2020, 2020)
Start date: 2021-09-01
End date: 2023-08-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 187572.48
EU funding (EUR): 187572.48
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

As arable land becomes scarcer and the human population continues to grow, we need to focus our efforts on increasing yield. The goal is to rethink agriculture to ensure food security. One way to do so is to lower yield loss due to light limitation by neighbouring shade or high-density planting. Phytochrome (phy) photoreceptors play a critical role in plant survival under vegetation shade conditions, by initiating a switch to a shade avoidance response (SAR) growth strategy. Although SAR reconfigures overall architecture for optimal light capture, it results in elongation of growth of stem-like tissue, at the expense of harvestable organs. Central to this adaptive response is an interaction between the plant's internal circadian clock and the phy pathways which restricts or gates the response to dusk. As the clock was previously shown to have a general role in optimising fitness, this proposal will establish whether circadian gating of SAR confers a fitness advantage and delineate the underlying molecular mechanisms that link the clock to altered leaf cellular responses under SAR. Bioluminescence reporters, optogenetic tools and the PS-plant 3D imaging platform will enable the capture of dynamical data from molecular to whole plant levels. Further, pennycress, a novel oilseed crop and a close relative of Arabidopsis will be developed as a model to facilitate the direct translation of novel findings in this proposal, to increase plant fitness and yield to this new crop species.

Keywords: circadian clock,gating,phytochrome,light signalling,shade avoidance,arabidopsis,leaf,leaf growth
Understanding substrate delivery for cell wall biosynthesis in plants (NSTree)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie-Sklodowska-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Individual Fellowships (IF)-Reintegration panel
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Panel: Life Sciences
Countries involved: Sweden
Call: Individual Fellowships (H2020-MSCA-IF-2019, 2019)
Start date: 2021-08-01
End date: 2023-07-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 191852.16
EU funding (EUR): 191852.16
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Plant cell walls are essential for plant growth and provide us with food, clothing, shelter, and renewable energy. Nevertheless, key aspects of cell wall structure and the molecular players involved in its biosynthesis remain poorly understood. In particular, about the mechanisms that underpin the formation of secondary walls, which constitute the bulk of biomass in plant cells, little is known. To narrow this gap in our knowledge this project attempts to characterise and manipulate transporters essential for the delivery of the building blocks required for the biosynthesis of cell walls and their precursors in tree species. Furthermore, recent studies in the model plant Arabidopsis revealed that the transport mechanisms required for polysaccharide biosynthesis are regulated and controlled by as yet unknown mechanisms. To uncover these mechanisms and new components that are required to make the plant cell wall, I will combine bioinformatics, biochemistry, molecular genetics, immunochemistry and quantitative cutting-edge microscopy and investigate the model plant species Arabidopsis, poplar and Norway spruce. Thereby this research will contribute to our fundamental understanding of plant biomass production, leverage translational opportunities and develop knowledge that can be used to exploit these processes in woody species. The project supports exciting fundamental research and research training, aims at reintegrating an experienced researcher in Europe, and has clear potential for improved human health via climate change mitigation, enhanced plant biomass production and improved fuel security.

Keywords: cell wall,golgi apparatus,nucleotide sugar transport,protein complex formation
Scoring crops with Agricultural Artificial intelligence Technologies (SAAT2020)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Industrial Leadership
Programme: Innovation in SMEs
Action type: SME instrument
Countries involved: Germany
Call: SME instrument (H2020-SMEInst-2018-2020-1, 2019)
Start date: 2019-12-01
End date: 2020-05-31
Duration (months): 6.0
Total project cost (EUR): 71429.0
EU funding (EUR): 50000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

By 2050, our planet will be home to more than ten billion people, resulting in an estimated 50% increase in the amount of food, feed, and biofuel required. This year, farmers around the world will produce 30 million tons less grain than required to feed everyone. As a society, we need to move towards smarter data-driven crop production systems that are able to better utilize soil, time, and resources. Modern-day plant breeding uses only a fraction of the available information about genetics and the environment to select new crops. Computomics is a bioinformatics company founded in 2012 that tackles these challenges. Our software-as-a-service (SaaS) technology platform xSeedScore® provides bioinformatics solutions, powered by artificial intelligence algorithms. We work with clients worldwide to solve their most complex crop-related challenges. With over 100 projects, € 1.1m in revenue (2018), and a client retention rate of 80%, our goal is to have our data analysis pipelines used globally. Our solution, xSeedScore, helps medium-sized family-owned seed companies, and large agricultural companies alike to accelerate their breeding program by reducing the time and area necessary for breeding crops by 50%-67% and doubling the predictive value of current statistical methods. Our 2022 revenues are projected at € 5.5m. This growth is fueled by our vision of a more equitable, healthy, and sustainable food system in which EU agriculture can stay globally competitive while still upholding its values on crop protection and genetic regulation. Our team is unique in its combination of innovation and expertise, bringing together bioinformatics, plant genetics, machine learning in biology, and artificial intelligence. Computomics is ready to scale its breeding performance prediction services and expand it across multiple markets. With the right understanding of potential partners and market conditions, access to Phase I funding will give us the ability to reach large clients.

Keywords: genomic selection,plant breeding,machine learning,bioinformatics,genetics
BRIGHT-NIGHT Researchers’ impact in everyday Life (BRIGHT-NIGHT)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie-Sklodowska-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: European researchers' Night
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Countries involved: Italy,Italy,Italy,Italy
Call: European Researchers' Night (H2020-MSCA-NIGHT-2020, 2020)
Start date: 2020-06-01
End date: 2021-05-31
Duration (months): 12.0
Total project cost (EUR): 100000.0
EU funding (EUR): 100000.0
Participants: 7
Project status: CLOSED

The BRIGHT-NIGHT project aims to improve the visibility and image of researchers among the common people in the Tuscany Region, simultaneously with all the initiatives of the European Researchers' Night (ERN). The name BRIGHT, coined in 2013 and used in the subsequent ERN editions, was kept for the 2020 project because it is now established and recognizable throughout the entire academic community, the media and the population of Tuscany at large. Nonetheless, after 6 years it was deemed advisable to refresh the brand for the new edition adding “NIGHT” for playing on the concept that it will be a night in which the future will seem brighter thanks to the outcome of research and the passion of researchers. The project is scheduled for the year 2020 and will last from Friday to Saturday on the date scheduled for ERN. In these two days there will be hundreds of fun and exciting activities that will involve the main Tuscan cities, that will follow on from a set of preparatory events. The 20th anniversary of the European Charter of Rights and the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations constitute the framework within which the topics will be developed and declined in the directions of social and environmental sustainability. BRIGHT-NIGHT will involve the population, and in particular young students from primary and secondary schools, through the project of some scientific citizens and through pre-events spread throughout the period. This long-term involvement aims to create a strong link between researchers (who will also participate in a course on scientific communication), young students and the general population in order to make researchers more "familiar" and better understand to people how researchers work and live and why to trust them. The locations of the activities are: university premises, museums, botanical gardens, institutional buildings and especially streets and squares in the city centres.

Keywords: research,researchers,innovation,daily life,sustainability,environment,climate,planet,rights,poverty,inclusiveness,health,quality of life,communication,culture,participation
Culture And RISkmanagement in Man-made And Natural Disasters (CARISMAND)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Societal Challenges
Programme: Secure societies - protecting freedom and security of Europe and its citizens
Action type: Coordination and support actions
Countries involved: Germany,Italy,Spain,Italy,Malta,Romania,Serbia,Romania,Bulgaria,France,Netherlands,United Kingdom,Portugal,United Kingdom
Call: Ethical/Societal Dimension topic 2: Better understanding the links between culture, risk perception and disaster management (H2020-DRS-2014, 2014)
Start date: 2015-10-01
End date: 2018-09-30
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 3788526.25
EU funding (EUR): 3788526.25
Participants: 20
Project status: CLOSED

As risks are not “objective” but socially and culturally constructed, disaster management which is aware, respects, and makes use of local cultural aspects will be not only more effective but, at the same time, also improve the community’s disaster coping capacities. CARISMAND is setting out to identify these factors, to explore existing gaps and opportunities for improvement of disaster policies and procedures, and to develop a comprehensive toolkit which will allow professional as well as voluntary disaster managers to adopt culturally-aware everyday practices. This goal will be achieved by approaching the links, and gaps, between disaster management, culture and risk perception from the broadest possible multi-disciplinary perspective and, simultaneously, developing a feedback-loop between disaster management stakeholders and citizens to establish, test, and refine proposed solutions for culturally-informed best practices in disaster management. Whilst experts from a variety of fields (in particular legal, IT, cognitive science, anthropology, psychology, sociology) will undertake a comprehensive collation of existing knowledge and structures, a number of Citizen Summits and Stakeholder Assemblies will be organised. Systematically, CARISMAND will use an approach that examines natural, man-made and technical disasters, placing at the centre of attention specific aspects that affect culturally informed risk perceptions, eg whether disasters are caused intentionally or not, the different “visibility” of hazards, and various time scales of disasters such as slow/fast onset and short- and long-term effects. By organising six Citizen Summits (two per disaster category per year in two separate locations) where such disaster risks are prevalent , and three Stakeholder Assemblies (one per year) where the results are discussed through a wide cross-sectional knowledge transfer between disaster managers from different locations as well as from different cultural backgrounds.

Keywords: citizen summits
Go-Lab Goes Africa, Deploying Contextually Engaging Digital Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Educative Content in Africa by Adapting the Proven Go-Lab Ecosystem to Local Needs (GO-GA)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Industrial Leadership
Programme: Information and Communication Technologies
Action type: Innovation actions
Countries involved: Germany,Italy,Switzerland,Netherlands,Benin,Kenya,Nigeria,Portugal
Call: International partnership building in low and middle income countries (H2020-ICT-2017-1, 2017)
Start date: 2018-01-01
End date: 2020-12-31
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1987022.5
EU funding (EUR): 1586530.76
Participants: 9
Project status: CLOSED

Go-Lab goes Africa: GO-GA’s main objective is to adapt and implement the successful Go-Lab Learning Ecosystem in Africa, first piloting in 3 countries and then scaling up to more users and more countries. The Go-Lab ecosystem, as developed in the FP7 Go-Lab project and now being further developed and implemented in Europe in the ongoing H2020 Next-Lab project, offers students rich, challenging, and socially embedded science and technology experiences that shape their science and technology knowledge, together with reflective and social abilities. By starting at a young age, Go-Lab intends to increase the enrollment in science and technology education, by offering engaging instruction its aims to decrease the level of dropout of students, and by combining inquiry and 21st century skills it expects to contribute to a better-equipped workforce. All these benefits are dearly needed in Africa too; therefore thanks to the opportunity of call ICT-39-2016-2017, the purpose of the GO-GA project is to take Go-Lab outside of Europe, to adapt its ecosystem to African requirements and to roll it out on the African continent, which cannot go without an extensive training of teachers in pedagogical and technical skills. For the technical and pedagogical aspects, GO-GA builds on the developments as achieved in the Go-Lab project and currently continued in the H2020 Next-Lab project. Increasingly, resources/content available for STEM Education are designed for the developed world. Effective adoption in the developing world will mean adapting the content to fit within the constraints of developing countries; such as taking into consideration availability and type of devices, lack of steady power supply and affordable and reliable internet access. Thus, the GO-GA project will see the effective adaptation of the Go-Lab ecosystem, delivered by a community of trained, local teachers, and piloted in Nigeria, Kenya and Benin Republic, and subsequently scaling to 4 other African countries.

Keywords: digital education,science technology engineering and mathematics,pilot,human capital development,transfer of innovation,virtual laboratories,youth employability