Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Light-activatable ruthenium-based anticancer prodrugs (RUPROLIGHT)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Materials and Synthesis
Countries involved: Netherlands
Call:  (ERC-2012-StG_20111012, 2012)
Start date: 2013-06-01
End date: 2018-05-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1418400.0
EU funding (EUR): 1418400.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Chemotherapy is, after surgery, the second most efficient therapy against cancer. However, it has many side effects for cancer patients because anticancer drugs kill cancer cells but also healthy ones. My project aims at synthesizing new metal-containing compounds that 1) are poorly toxic in the dark; 2) can be attached via a light-sensitive bond to liposomes that will carry them into cancer cells; and 3) detach from their carriers and become toxic upon light irradiation, thus killing cancer cells. These new compounds contain ruthenium, a metal combining photochemical and anticancer properties. I will replace the weakly bound chloride ligands of known cytotoxic ruthenium compounds by strongly bound sulfur ligands. By doing so, the DNA- and protein-binding ability of the ruthenium compounds will be lowered, which will lower their toxicity in the dark. Thioether-lipid conjugates will be used to attach the ruthenium prodrugs to liposomes carriers that are well taken up by cancer cells. Techniques to irradiate tumors in vivo are nowadays available in the clinics. By shining light onto the ruthenium-enriched cancer cells photochemical cleavage of the Ru-S bond will take place, thus detaching the metal complex from its carrier and allowing it for binding to biological molecules. Thus, the ruthenium prodrug will be transformed inside cancer cells into a highly toxic molecule that will kill the cells. I will study mononuclear compounds and molecules containing several ruthenium centres; visible light activation and near infrared light activation. The final aim is to obtain ruthenium-functionalized liposomes that are poorly toxic in the dark, preferentially go into cancer cells, and become toxic at the place of irradiation, using light that penetrates well into biological tissues. Because of this unique combination of properties my new light-activatable ruthenium prodrugs will ultimately lead to selective anticancer treatment showing low side effects for cancer patients.

Keywords: liposome photochemotherapy
An Integrated Computer Modelling Framework for Subject-Specific Cardiovascular Simulation: Applications to Disease Research, Treatment Planning, and Medical Device Design (INTEG-CV-SIM)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Products and process engineering
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call:  (ERC-2012-StG_20111012, 2012)
Start date: 2012-12-01
End date: 2018-11-30
Duration (months): 72.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1491592.79
EU funding (EUR): 1491592.79
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Advances in numerical methods and three-dimensional imaging techniques have enabled the quantification of cardiovascular mechanics in subject-specific anatomic and physiologic models. Research efforts have been focused mainly on three areas: pathogenesis of vascular disease, development of medical devices, and virtual surgical planning. However, despite great initial promise, the actual use of patient-specific computer modelling in the clinic has been very limited. Clinical diagnosis still relies entirely on traditional methods based on imaging and invasive measurements and sampling. The same invasive trial-and-error paradigm is often seen in vascular disease research, where animal models are used profusely to quantify simple metrics that could perhaps be evaluated via non-invasive computer modelling techniques. Lastly, medical device manufacturers rely mostly on in-vitro models to investigate the anatomic variations, arterial deformations, and biomechanical forces needed for the design of stents and stent-grafts. In this project, I aim to develop an integrated image-based computer modelling framework for subject-specific cardiovascular simulation with dynamically adapting boundary conditions capable of representing alterations in the physiologic state of the patient. This computer framework will be directly applied in clinical settings to complement and enhance current diagnostic practices, working towards the goal of personalized cardiovascular medicine.

Keywords: cardiovascular diseases
Advanced environmentally friendly chemical surface treatments for cast magnesium helicopter transmission alloys preservation (MAGNOLYA)

Framework: FP7 — Cooperation
Programme: Joint Technology Initiatives (Annex IV-SP1)
Theme: Public-private partnerships
Destination: Clean Sky
Action type: Article 171 of the Treaty
Partnership: CLEAN-SKY (Art-185)
Countries involved: Spain,France
Call:  (SP1-JTI-CS-2011-03, 2011)
Start date: 2012-09-01
End date: 2013-08-31
Duration (months): 12.0
Total project cost (EUR): 200000.0
EU funding (EUR): 150000.0
Participants: 2
Project status: CLOSED

Magnesium alloy castings are used in the fabrication of helicopter gearbox components because the advantages in terms of specific weight / mechanical properties and suitability for the casting process. However, improvements in helicopter performance by the use of magnesium have been offset by corrosion problems. More corrosion resistant alloys and improved protective finishing systems are needed. Besides, these systems must conform to environmental regulations and the use of hazardous substances. Both chemical and electrochemical methods are used for the modification of magnesium surfaces. Despite the many ways to form chromate free chemical conversion layers on the surface of Mg alloys, there are also significant gaps for real implementation and commercial significance of these developments and their use in specific applications such as the protection of cast Mg alloys used in helicopters. TECNALIA and PROMET consortium partners own proprietary formulations for the surface treatment of non-ferrous alloys with already demonstrated properties for the protection of Mg alloys. In the case of TECNALIA, the starting point will be an own patented process for conversion coating of Mg alloys based on phosphates and permanganates chemistry. In the case of PROMET several proprietary formulations based respectively on CrIII, cerium and manganese chemistries will constitute the starting point. A selenious acid self-healing process for brush-application will be also tested. This project aims to readjust and optimize these baseline treatments to extend their application to the helicopter transmission MgWE43 and EV31A Mg casting alloys as required by the addressed topic, fulfilling all the demanded requirements by the aerospace industry.

Keywords: mg alloys,mgwe43,ev31a,corrosion protection,conversion coatings,surface treatments,cr6+ free
Stomatocyte Nanomotors: Programmed Supramolecular Architectures for Autonomous Movement (STOMAMOTOR)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Materials and Synthesis
Countries involved: Netherlands
Call:  (ERC-2012-StG_20111012, 2012)
Start date: 2012-09-01
End date: 2018-05-31
Duration (months): 69.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1500000.0
EU funding (EUR): 1500000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The main goal of this ERC proposal is to harness a completely new approach to constructing biocompatible nanomotors, using supramolecular assembly of amphiphilic block-copolymers for loading the engine and catalysis as the driving force for autonomous movement. Polymersomes assembled from amphiphilic block copolymers can be further re-engineered to perform a controlled shape transformation from a thermodynamically stable spherical morphology to a kinetically trapped stomatocyte structure with controlled opening. These stable structures can selectively entrap catalytically active nanoparticles within their nanocavity making their design ideal for nanoreactor applications. The decomposition of hydrogen peroxide by an entrapped catalyst has been shown to generate a rapid discharge of gases and consequently generate thrust and directional movement. The design of the loaded stomatocytes is a truly miniature monopropellant rocket engine in which the catalytically active nanoparticles are the motor, the hydrogen peroxide is the propellant and the controlled opening of the stomatocyte is the nozzle. Their unique shape allows for added capabilities, extra compartmentalization for loading efficiency, polymeric PEG surface for biocompatibility and entrapped particles for catalytic activity. The supramolecular approach to assembling the motor allows facile alteration of its constituent parts: motor, fuel and cargo to make it more suitable for biological applications (type of catalytic particles, surface modification for cellular uptake or suitable biofuels). The appropriate design of the motor with recognition sites on the surface can facilitate the recognition, isolation and transport of specific type of cells, or can navigate the payloads within the cell via chemotaxis. Besides their initial role to overcome random diffusion, these “ship-in-a-bottle” loaded stomatocytes open interesting possibilities for designing new targeted drug delivery and nanoreactor systems.

Keywords: self-assembly,catalytic nanomotors,polymer stomatocytes,shape transformations,polymersomes
Cold gases with long-range interactions: Non-equilibrium dynamics and complex simulations (COLDSIM)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Fundamental constituents of matter
Countries involved: France
Call:  (ERC-2012-StG_20111012, 2012)
Start date: 2013-02-01
End date: 2018-01-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1496400.0
EU funding (EUR): 1496400.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Cold gases of electronically excited Rydberg atoms and groundstate polar molecules have generated considerable interest in cold matter physics, by introducing for the first time many-body systems with interactions which are both long-range and tunable with external fields. The overall objective of this proposal is (i) the development of theoretical ideas and tools for the understanding and control of non-equilibrium dynamics in these diverse systems and in their mixtures, including dissipative effects leading to cooling, and (ii) to analyse emerging fundamental phenomena in the classical and quantum regimes of strong interactions, leading to innovative simulations and experiments of complex classical and quantum systems. The project is divided into three parts, with strong overlap: 1) Rydberg atom dynamics: The study of complex open-system dynamics in gases of laser-driven Rydberg atoms, including the study of the effects and control of dissipation and decoherence from spontaneous emission in strongly interacting gases. 2) Cooling of complex molecules in atom-molecule mixtures: The theoretical investigation of novel ways to perform cooling towards quantum degeneracy of generic, comparatively complex molecules, beyond bialkali ones, in mixtures of groundstate molecules and of Rydberg-excited atoms. 3) Simulations of strongly interacting many-body systems at the quantum/classical crossover: Atomistic characterization of formation and dynamics of formation of strongly correlated phases with long-range interactions. For each of these subjects, the objectives are at the cutting edge of fundamental atomic and molecular science and technology.

Keywords: rydberg gases,cooling molecules,many-body quantum and classical phases,supersolids,numerical monte-carlo methods
Smart programmable load and source (SPLS)

Framework: FP7 — Cooperation
Programme: Joint Technology Initiatives (Annex IV-SP1)
Theme: Public-private partnerships
Destination: Clean Sky
Action type: Article 171 of the Treaty
Partnership: CLEAN-SKY (Art-185)
Countries involved: Belgium
Call:  (SP1-JTI-CS-2011-03, 2011)
Start date: 2012-06-01
End date: 2016-05-31
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 210000.0
EU funding (EUR): 155475.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

This proposal aims to provide an eco-efficient and highy flexible solution for free programmable loads . It builds further upon the existing 3PExpress product range of Triphase and enables to realise loads in the four quandrants of the V-I matrix. Loads can be configured as power consumers or in power rejection mode and control updates are possible on a 8 kHz time resolution.

Keywords: inverter smart advanced programmable load and source for electrical test bench
3D-Quantum Integrated Optical Simulation (3D-QUEST)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Fundamental constituents of matter
Countries involved: Italy
Call:  (ERC-2012-StG_20111012, 2012)
Start date: 2012-08-01
End date: 2017-07-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1474800.0
EU funding (EUR): 1474800.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Quantum information was born from the merging of classical information and quantum physics. Its main objective consists of understanding the quantum nature of information and learning how to process it by using physical systems which operate by following quantum mechanics laws. Quantum simulation is a fundamental instrument to investigate phenomena of quantum systems dynamics, such as quantum transport, particle localizations and energy transfer, quantum-to-classical transition, and even quantum improved computation, all tasks that are hard to simulate with classical approaches. Within this framework integrated photonic circuits have a strong potential to realize quantum information processing by optical systems. The aim of 3D-QUEST is to develop and implement quantum simulation by exploiting 3-dimensional integrated photonic circuits. 3D-QUEST is structured to demonstrate the potential of linear optics to implement a computational power beyond the one of a classical computer. Such "hard-to-simulate" scenario is disclosed when multiphoton-multimode platforms are realized. The 3D-QUEST research program will focus on three tasks of growing difficulty. A-1. To simulate bosonic-fermionic dynamics with integrated optical systems acting on 2 photon entangled states. A-2. To pave the way towards hard-to-simulate, scalable quantum linear optical circuits by investigating m-port interferometers acting on n-photon states with n>2. A-3. To exploit 3-dimensional integrated structures for the observation of new quantum optical phenomena and for the quantum simulation of more complex scenarios. 3D-QUEST will exploit the potential of the femtosecond laser writing integrated waveguides. This technique will be adopted to realize 3-dimensional capabilities and high flexibility, bringing in this way the optical quantum simulation in to new regime.

Keywords: quantum simulation,integrated photonics,3 dimensional integrated devices,quantum interferometry,laser written waveguides,quantum walks of bosons and fermions
Precision laser spectroscopy of antiprotonic and pionic atoms (SPECAP)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Fundamental constituents of matter
Countries involved: Germany
Call:  (ERC-2012-StG_20111012, 2012)
Start date: 2013-02-01
End date: 2018-01-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1428660.0
EU funding (EUR): 1428660.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

This proposal has two objectives. First, I propose to measure the antiproton mass relative to the electron mass with a fractional precision of 0.1 ppb by carrying out sub-Doppler two-photon laser spectroscopy of antiprotonic helium atoms. The antiproton mass would then be better known than the proton mass. The (anti)proton-to-electron mass ratio is regarded as a one of several fundamental physical constants which, like the fine structure constant α, is a dimensionless quantity of nature that can be measured to ppb-scale precision. The experiment would constitute the highest precision confirmation of CPT symmetry involving atoms containing antiprotons. A new buffer gas cooling technique will be used to cool down the atoms to temperature T<1.5 K, thereby reducing the residual Doppler width of the two-photon resonance signals caused by the thermal motion of the atom in the experimental target. A new quasi-cw laser with high peak power and narrow linewidth will be developed. In the later half of the project, high-quality antiproton beam from the new ELENA storage ring constructed at CERN will be used to reach higher precisions of 10^-11 Second, I propose to measure the pion mass to a precision of <10^-8 by carrying out the first laser spectroscopy of pionic helium atoms, where the pion occupies a Rydberg state and the electron the 1s state. This corresponds to a >300-fold improvement in precision compared to the currently known mass, and approaches the fundamental limit imposed by the 26-ns lifetime of the pion. Past measurements of mπ show a bifurcation, i.e. two groups of experimental results near 139.570 and 139.568 MeV/c^2. The laser spectroscopy of pionic helium will provide an unambiguous value for the pion mass. This will improve the limit on the muon neutrino mass obtained from laboratory experiments, and reduce the uncertainty on the Fermi coupling constant. This will be the first time an atom containing a meson has been studied by laser spectroscopy.

Keywords: exotic atoms,pions,antiprotons,precision laser spectroscopy,cpt symmetry
ShapeForge: By-Example Synthesis for Fabrication (SHAPEFORGE)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Computer science and informatics
Countries involved: France
Call:  (ERC-2012-StG_20111012, 2012)
Start date: 2012-12-01
End date: 2017-11-30
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1301832.0
EU funding (EUR): 1301832.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Despite the advances in fabrication technologies such as 3D printing, we still lack the software allowing for anyone to easily manipulate and create useful objects. Not many people possess the required skills and time to create elegant designs that conform to precise technical specifications. 'By--example' shape synthesis methods are promising to address this problem: New shapes are automatically synthesized by assembling parts cutout of examples. The underlying assumption is that if parts are stitched along similar areas, the result will be similar in terms of its low--level representation: Any small spatial neighborhood in the output matches a neighborhood in the input. However, these approaches offer little control over the global organization of the synthesized shapes, which is randomized. The ShapeForge challenge is to automatically produce new objects visually similar to a set of examples, while ensuring that the generated objects can enforce a specific purpose, such as supporting weight distributed in space, affording for seating space or allowing for light to go through. This properties are crucial for someone designing furniture, lamps, containers, stairs and many of the common objects surrounding us. The originality of my approach is to cast a new view on the problem of 'by--example' shape synthesis, formulating it as the joint optimization of 'by--example' objectives, semantic descriptions of the content, as well as structural and fabrication objectives. Throughout the project, we will consider the full creation pipeline, from modeling to the actual fabrication of objects on a 3D printer. We will test our results on printed parts, verifying that they can be fabricated and exhibit the requested structural properties in terms of stability and resistance.

Keywords: by-example synthesis structure fabrication l-systems grammar
New paradigms for InfraRed modifications of Gravity (NIRG)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Fundamental constituents of matter
Countries involved: France
Call:  (ERC-2012-StG_20111012, 2012)
Start date: 2013-07-01
End date: 2019-06-30
Duration (months): 72.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1471296.0
EU funding (EUR): 1471296.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Our proposal addresses theoretical and phenomenological properties of large distance (“Infra-Red”, IR in the following) modifications of the gravitational interaction. Such modifications are motivated by two main reasons: firstly, to find alternative explanations to the presence of dark matter or dark energy in cosmology; secondly, to better understand the currently well accepted cosmological model, disentangling there what does from what does not depend on the large distance dynamics of gravity and extracting as much as possible new information on gravity from the latest cosmological observations. For the second goal, it matters to have at hand alternatives to the standard cosmological model based on general relativity, to serve as benchmarks. Very recently, new ideas have been proposed to modified gravity in the IR. First, a large class of scalar-tensor theories featuring the “k-mouflaging” of the scalar has been proposed and partly classified. Second, new kinds of massive gravities which might be devoid of the standard pathologies of those models have been discovered. Third, models of non local gravity have been proposed with many interesting features. In this proposal, we intend to better understand those constructions, in which the works of the applicant played a major role, and whose properties are largely unexplored. As transversal goals, we also intend to propose new ways to modify gravity in the IR, as well as to develop schemes to tests IR modifications of gravity against cosmological and gravitational data. The project will be lead by the applicant, four postdocs and two students.

Keywords: gravity,field theories,theoretical cosmology,alternatives to general relativity,tests of general relativity.