Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Novel approaches to the generation of artificial spider silk superfibers (ARTSILK)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Consolidator grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Biotechnology and Biosystems Engineering
Panel description: Biotechnology using all organisms, biotechnology for environment and food applications, applied plant and animal sciences, bioengineering and synthetic biology, biomass and biofuels, biohazards
Countries involved: Sweden
Call: ERC Consolidator Grant (ERC-2018-COG, 2018)
Start date: 2019-05-01
End date: 2024-10-31
Duration (months): 66.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2000000.0
EU funding (EUR): 2000000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Spider silk is Nature’s high performance material that has the potential to revolutionize the materials industry. However, production and spinning of artificial spider silk fibers are challenging, and current methods to produce silk fibers include denaturing conditions which prevent the silk proteins from assembling into fibers in the same complex way as native silk proteins do. In order to fulfill the potential of spider silk we need to increase our understanding of the silk formation process and decipher how protein folding and interactions relate to mechanical properties of the resulting silk fiber. Recent insights into the physiology and molecular mechanisms of the spinning process has made it possible to develop a biomimetic artificial spider silk spinning device (see our publications Andersson et al. Nat Chem Biol. 2017; Otikovs et al. Angew Chemie Int Engl Ed. 2017). We are, for the first time, able to spin artificial silk fibers in which the proteins adopt correct secondary, tertiary and quaternary structures. The overall objective of ARTSILK is to build on these recent technical leaps and use state-of-the-art technologies to generate artificial silk fibers that are equal or superior to native spider silk in terms of toughness and tensile strength. To reach the overall objective we will use the recently mapped spider genome, protein engineering and single cell RNA (ScRNA) sequencing to design novel silk proteins for fiber production. We will also study the relationship between protein secondary structure formation and fiber mechanical properties in order to decipher the ques that determine mechanical properties of the fiber. This knowledge will be important also for the basic understanding of how soluble proteins covert into b-sheet rich fibrils in, e.g., Alzheimer’s disease. Finally, we will use microfluidic chips to engineer the next generation spinning device and 3D-printing techniques to make reproducible three-dimensional structures of spider silk.

Keywords: biomaterial,protein engineering,biomimetics,protein structure function,fiber
Adhesive Connection for Secondary Structures in Offshore Wind Installations (ASSO)

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: France
Call: Individual Fellowships (H2020-MSCA-IF-2018, 2018)
Start date: 2019-09-01
End date: 2022-07-02
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 184707.84
EU funding (EUR): 184707.84
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The development of floating (offshore) wind turbines on a commercial scale is expected to grow considerably over the next few years after that different countries have recognized them as the best solution for the production of sustainable energy. In order to satisfy the required needs of safety, serviceability, durability and affordability, the actual connections and the secondary structures have to be replaced by a new ones based on the bonding technique. The ASSO project has the principal purpose to establish a sound framework for the feasibility and assessment of adhesive connections for offshore wind installations in the marine environment, including experimental tests and accurate numerical procedures. In this framework, the ASSO project aims to develop: an innovative non-linear mechanical model able to investigate the influence of seawater on the performance of adhesive connections in the presence of leading causes of degradation, ageing and vibrations (due to the waves); an experimental database in order to predict their service life investigating the long-term behaviour and resistance in seawater environment. Consequently, in order to increase the knowledge of adhesive connections in the marine environment, the project is composed of the following three different levels: experimental tests, non-linear mechanical model and FEM analysis. The multidisciplinary nature of the project is strong, involving aspects of mechanical engineering, structural engineering, environmental engineering, applied mathematics, numerical analysis and advanced materials design. The proposal includes both the transfer of knowledge to the host institution and the training of the candidate in new advanced techniques. Results have the potential capacity to increase the diffusion of offshore wind installations for sustainable energy production, an ambitious target in line with the EU strategy.

Keywords: adhesive connection,composite material,offshore structures,seawater enviroment
A cancer vaccine to boost body’s natural defences to fight chordoma and head and neck cancer (MaxONCO)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Industrial Leadership
Programme: Innovation in SMEs
Action type: SME instrument
Countries involved: Switzerland
Call: SME instrument (H2020-SMEInst-2018-2020-2, 2019)
Start date: 2020-01-01
End date: 2022-12-31
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 3979000.0
EU funding (EUR): 2785300.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

MaxiVAX a private Swiss clinical-stage biotech company with a novel cancer immunotherapy product in development (MaxONCO) will perform Phase 2 clinical trial in Head & Neck indication and prepare the commercialization of MaxONCO, its first immuno-therapy product. The objective of the Phase II clinical trial is to demonstrate efficacy and safety of MaxONCO in the patients treated and compare the results to the current standard of care. MaxONCO is a biological product acting as a cancer vaccine and composed of (i) an immune boost agent released in situ by a genetically modified cell line and (ii) cancer autologous cells, which are the source of antigens. A Phase 1 trial in 25 patients with a range of cancer types at an advanced stage showed encouraging efficacy data and a benign safety profile of the treatment. Head and Neck cancer is a group of cancers that develops in the areas of the head and neck which include the mouth, throat and salivary glands; accounting for 650,000 new cases in 2018 diagnosed globally. With the approval of Swissmedic, MaxiVAX has initiated the Phase 2 clinical trial to evaluate MaxONCO in 40-45 patients with Head & Neck cancer. The study will be conducted across 4-6 different sites in Switzerland. Encouraging clinical results show that among 4 initial Head & Neck patients treated with MaxONCO all survived beyond the 6-month time point (primary efficacy end point). Currently accounting for 8 employees, the company plans to grow up to 25 employees by the end of the SME phase 2 project, creating up to 30 indirect jobs.

Keywords: orphan disease,cancer vaccine
Understanding mechanisms of membrane tension loss and recovery using small-molecule tools (MEMTOR)

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: Switzerland
Call: Individual Fellowships (H2020-MSCA-IF-2020, 2020)
Start date: 2021-05-01
End date: 2023-04-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 203149.44
EU funding (EUR): 203149.44
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Maintenance of membrane tension at the plasma membrane (PM) is an important yet understudied aspect of cellular homeostasis. Dysregulated membrane tension homeostasis has roles in cancer, neurodegeneration, and metabolic syndrome but its study has been limited by a lack of tools to measure and manipulate it. The Target of Rapamycin Complex 2 (TORC2), an important signaling hub regulating cell growth, has an unexpected role in maintaining PM tension homeostasis. A screen for TORC2-specific inhibitors identified the lipophilic molecule palmitoylcarnitine (PalmC) which induces a reversible loss in PM tension. It is currently unknown how PalmC is able to induce this tension loss, but understanding both its mode-of-action and how cells are able to recover from its effects are important for its development as a potential membrane-targeting drug. In this proposal, we aim to reveal key proteins involved in the effects of PalmC (Aim 1). We expect that a specific plasma membrane-localized transporter will mediate its uptake. Both by identifying this protein and solving its structure in a native-like lipidic environment and/or in complex with PalmC, we hope to reveal new insights into how PalmC might be tailored for therapeutic potential. We will also investigate the recovery process post-PalmC treatment, starting from the observation that the TORC2-activating protein Slm1 co-localizes with TORC2 and forms very large clusters at sites of PalmC-induced membrane invaginations (Aim 2). Previous observations of TORC1 regulation suggest that clustering is correlated with the formation of ordered polymers. To investigate whether this is a conserved mechanism of regulation, we will attempt to isolate a Slm1-TORC2 superstructure and determine its structure using cryoEM with the expectation that structural details about the interactions between these proteins within the superstructure will reveal mechanistic insights into the regulation of TORC2, as well as membrane tension.

Keywords: membrane tension,plasma membrane homeostasis
Empowering Rare Disease Patients: Integrated Personalized Cloud Patient Monitoring Platform (uMonitorRare)

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: 2015-02-01
End date: 2015-04-30
Duration (months): 3.0
Total project cost (EUR): 71429.0
EU funding (EUR): 50000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

We own and run a cloud patient monitoring platform that consists of one part for healthcare professionals: uClinics and another one for patients: uPatient. uClinics allows doctors to prescribe and assess the patient and uPatient empowers patients to understand their health treatment. We want to adapt the design of these two applications through Phase I and II funding to rare diseases and call the project uMonitorRare. uClinics and uPatient are fully functional and being used by our three largest customers in over 70 countries and 5 continents. For Phase II, the overall objective is the technical re-design and upgrade of our uClinics and uPatient suites for rare disease patients (integration of new monitoring protocols for rare diseases, integration of new devices adapted to new diseases, integration of the Platform to Health Information Systems, multi-source data aggregation, benchmarking technology). In Phase I, we need to conduct a Technical Feasibility Study and complete a Business Plan. The uMonitorRare breakthrough ICT product will create a new market by offering an integrated rare diseases monitoring and management tool for rare disease patients. This is going to have a transformatory impact on rare disease patients who will become the universal patient at the center of attention. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are nearly 7,000 rare diseases affecting 7% of world population. This means that 3 million people are affected by rare diseases throughout Spain and 30 million people are affected by rare diseases throughout Europe. Not only does this represent a major market potential, but also can it have a major impact on the way patients are treated.

Keywords: integrated care,rare disease monitoring,universal patient,e health,health management software,integrated e health software
Cryopreservation of marine planktonic crustacean nauplii for innovative and cost-effective live feed diet in fish juvenile aquaculture (CryoPlankton2)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Societal Challenges
Programme: Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine and maritime and inland water research and the bioeconomy
Action type: SME instrument
Countries involved: Norway
Call: Supporting SMEs efforts for the development - deployment and market replication of innovative solutions for blue growth (H2020-SMEINST-2-2015, 2015)
Start date: 2016-02-01
End date: 2018-04-30
Duration (months): 27.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2004250.0
EU funding (EUR): 1402975.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The SME Planktonic has succeeded in cryopreserving marine crustacean nauplii (hereafter called CryoProduct) in large user-friendly entities, and to revive them as live individuals after thawing. The ease-of-use CryoProduct meets the nutritional requirements of fish larvae. A doubling in growth rate and a 25-30% shortening of the live feed period compared to a diet of the suboptimal live feed diets commonly used at marine hatcheries have been demonstrated (large-scale industrial trial, TRL6). With a well-functioning feeding protocol to be developed in the project period, it is expected that performances of the fish larvae will be even better. It will be put effort on optimizing the cryopreservation protocols to achieve a CryoProduct with even better quality than today for improving the performances of fish juveniles. A bio-security evaluation will be performed, and a screening of microorganisms will be needed for the registration of the CryoProduct. To successfully launch the CryoProduct into the EU market, it will be of major importance to scale up the production, to establish efficient logistic systems, identify end-users needs and to provide a reliable commercialisation plan for the best possible market introduction. As the CryoProduct has outstanding performances compared to today’s alternatives, we expect a market share of 50% of the live feed market on a longer term. This corresponds to a revenue of more than 100 million €. As the market grows 3-4% per year, the market size will double in about 20 years. It is a considerable aquaculture production in the EU. If the product meet the expectations, it will most probably be a major contribution to realize the production potential of marine fish in aquaculture in the EU. This will result in many thousand new jobs, and primarily in the Mediterranean region. The business innovation project fits well to the business strategy of Planktonic, and to the Horizon2020 SME-2 programme under the topic BG-12-2015.

Keywords: aquaculture,larviculture,copepods,rotifers,artemia,live feed,fish larvae,fish juveniles,ballan wrasse,sole,plankton,cryobiology,cryopreservation,marine,seafood
Meta-biomaterials: 3D printing meets Origami (BIO-ORIGAMI)

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-2015-STG, 2015)
Start date: 2016-02-01
End date: 2022-01-31
Duration (months): 72.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1499600.0
EU funding (EUR): 1499600.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Meta-materials, best known for their extraordinary properties (e.g. negative stiffness), are halfway from both materials and structures: their unusual properties are direct results of their complex 3D structures. This project introduces a new class of meta-materials called meta-biomaterials. Meta-biomaterials go beyond meta-materials by adding an extra dimension to the complex 3D structure, i.e. complex and precisely controlled surface nano-patterns. The 3D structure gives rise to unprecedented or rare combination of mechanical (e.g. stiffness), mass transport (e.g. permeability, diffusivity), and biological (e.g. tissue regeneration rate) properties. Those properties optimize the distribution of mechanical loads and the transport of nutrients and oxygen while providing geometrical shapes preferable for tissue regeneration (e.g. higher curvatures). Surface nano-patterns communicate with (stem) cells, control their differentiation behavior, and enhance tissue regeneration. There is one important problem: meta-biomaterials cannot be manufactured with current technology. 3D printing can create complex shapes while nanolithography creates complex surface nano-patterns down to a few nanometers but only on flat surfaces. There is, however, no way of combining complex shapes with complex surface nano-patterns. The groundbreaking nature of this project is in solving that deadlock using the Origami concept (the ancient Japanese art of paper folding). In this approach, I first decorate flat 3D-printed sheets with nano-patterns. Then, I apply Origami techniques to fold the decorated flat sheet and create complex 3D shapes. The sheet knows how to self-fold to the desired structure when subjected to compression, owing to pre-designed joints, crease patterns, and thickness/material distributions that control its mechanical instability. I will demonstrate the added value of meta-biomaterials in improving bone tissue regeneration using in vitro cell culture assays and animal models
Two-dimensional Uniform Gas with tunable interactions (TwUnaGas)

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: Physics
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF-EF) (H2020-MSCA-IF-2015, 2015)
Start date: 2016-03-01
End date: 2018-02-28
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 183454.8
EU funding (EUR): 183454.8
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The overall idea behind this project is to study condensed matter physics and many-body effects via an ultra-cold gas of Potassium-39. In particular, this project aims to study the effect of interactions and gas homogeneity on the BKT transition. Studies of homogeneous gases are difficult to realize in the cold atom community where most ultra-cold samples are obtained in harmonic traps, which leads to a spatially varying density. However, recent work performed at the hosting institution on creating box potentials, led to the first realization of a 3D homogeneous BEC. The atoms are, in this case, surrounded by repulsive light and lie in a “dark” region of space leading to an uniform density. Such a system realizes the usual theoretical picture of a vanishing potential and is ideally suited to study phase transitions for which the inhomogeneity of the gas can blur or change the predicted effects. One of the most unique tools in the field of ultra-cold atoms is the ability to tune interactions. In this project, the algebraic decay of the gas coherence will be investigated for different interaction strengths. This project corresponds to the very philosophy of cold atom experiments which is to simulate quantum phenomena and to connect their extreme regimes leading to a better understanding of the overall phenomenon.

Keywords: cold atoms,bkt transition,uniform gas
Exploiting the Nonlinear Fiber-Optical Channel (ENFOC)

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: Germany
Call: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF-EF) (H2020-MSCA-IF-2015, 2015)
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 171460.8
EU funding (EUR): 171460.8
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The demand for bandwidth in optical fiber communication systems is increasing at a steady rate. In order to keep up with the demand, techniques to overcome the limit determined by the nonlinear nature of optical fiber transmission have attracted a lot of research attention. Recently, transmission using the nonlinear Fourier transform (NFT) was proposed as a promising technique to take advantage of fiber nonlinearities for data transmission. The technique uses signal states which are invariant to the fiber optical channel in certain system configurations. However, many challenges and open questions remain concerning NFT transmission in particular regarding suitable signal processing algorithms and coding strategies for such systems. It is currently unknown how NFT transmission performs with practical coded modulation and detection schemes and how its computational complexity and practical feasibility compares to other options for nonlinearity mitigation such as digital back-propagation. Furthermore, the impact of inter-channel nonlinearities and co-propagating wavelength channels has not yet been investigated. The only experimental demonstrations to date consider single-channel transmission. The project aims to address the aforementioned questions by first investigating coded modulation schemes for nonlinear channels based on existing commercial architectures. One of the key aspects is to gain insight in the signal statistics for the nonlinear channel and learn how to utilize this information for increased signal processing and decoding performance. Based on these results, the applicability and performance of coded modulation concepts for NFT transmission will be quantified for practical system scenarios. Furthermore, the impact of co-propagating WDM channels on coded NFT transmission will be studied and WDM NFT transmission demonstrated. Together with our industrial partners the practical feasibility of these concepts is evaluated.

Keywords: optical communication,wavelength division multiplexing,coded modulation,information theory,kerr effect,fiber nonlinearity,digital signal processing