Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Efficient Photoelectrochemical Transformation of CO2 to Useful Fuels on Nanostructured Hybrid Electrodes (HybridSolarFuels)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Physical and analytical chemical sciences
Panel description: Analytical chemistry, chemical theory, physical chemistry/chemical physics
Countries involved: Hungary
Call: ERC Starting Grant (ERC-2016-STG, 2016)
Start date: 2017-01-01
End date: 2022-03-31
Duration (months): 63.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1498750.0
EU funding (EUR): 1498750.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Given that CO2 is a greenhouse gas, using the energy of sunlight to convert CO2 to transportation fuels (such as methanol) represents a value-added approach to the simultaneous generation of alternative fuels and environmental remediation of carbon emissions. Photoelectrochemistry has been proven to be a useful avenue for solar water splitting. CO2 reduction, however, is multi-electron in nature (e.g., 6 e- to methanol) with considerable kinetic barriers to electron transfer. It therefore requires the use of carefully designed electrode surfaces to accelerate e- transfer rates to levels that make practical sense. In addition, novel flow-cell configurations have to be designed to overcome mass transport limitations of this reaction. We are going to design and assemble nanostructured hybrid materials to be simultaneously applied as both adsorber and cathode-material to photoelectrochemically convert CO2 to valuable liquid fuels. The three main goals of this project are to (i) gain fundamental understanding of morphological-, size-, and surface functional group effects on the photoelectrochemical (PEC) behavior at the nanoscale (ii) design and synthesize new functional hybrid materials for PEC CO2 reduction, (iii) develop flow-reactors for PEC CO2 reduction. Rationally designed hybrid nanostructures of large surface area p-type semiconductors (e.g., SiC, CuMO2, or CuPbI3) and N-containing conducting polymers (e.g., polyaniline-based custom designed polymers) will be responsible for: (i) higher photocurrents due to facile charge transfer and better light absorption (ii) higher selectivity towards the formation of liquid fuels due to the adsorption of CO2 on the photocathode (iii) better stability of the photocathode. The challenges are great, but the possible rewards are enormous: performing CO2 adsorption and reduction on the same system may lead to PEC cells which can be deployed directly at the source point of CO2, which would go well beyond the state-of-the-art.

Keywords: photoelectrochemistry,co2 utilization,renewable energy,nanoscience
Toxin mimetics of human peptides as novel tools for drug discovery and design (ToxMim)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases
Panel description: Medical technologies and tools for prevention, diagnosis and treatment of human diseases, therapeutic approaches and interventions, pharmacology, preventative medicine, epidemiology and public health, digital medicine
Countries involved: Denmark
Call: ERC STARTING GRANTS (ERC-2020-STG, 2020)
Start date: 2021-01-01
End date: 2025-12-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1498598.0
EU funding (EUR): 1498598.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SUSPENDED

Venomous animals use a myriad of toxins to specifically disrupt the physiology and behavior of their prey. Because of their high stability, potency, and specificity, toxins are important tools for biomedical research and have been developed as therapeutics for various human diseases. However, contributions to date pale in comparison to future prospects. We hypothesize that a small and essentially overlooked group of toxins, “ToxMims”, represent the most promising candidates for drug discovery and development. ToxMims potently disrupt the prey’s physiology by specifically mimicking the action of endogenous signaling peptides. Because many of these signaling peptides are critical players in human health and disease, ToxMims are exceptionally promising drug leads. Proof-of-concept is provided by our recent discovery of a toxin mimetic of insulin that is used by a marine cone snail to induce dangerously low blood sugar in fish prey. Because of its advantageous properties over human insulin, the venom insulin has rapidly become a novel drug lead for the treatment of diabetes. Despite their significant biomedical potential, ToxMims are rare and difficult to systematically detect using currently available methodologies. By leveraging recent advances in next-generation sequencing combined with our proven expertise in computational and experimental venom discovery and pharmacology, this project aims to develop a set of tools to enable the systematic identification and characterization of any ToxMim of the ~350 human signaling peptides with an emphasis on those implicated in disease. If successful, this research will not only identify a set of unique drug leads with profound impact on human health but elucidate previously unknown mechanisms of receptor activation, inhibition and signaling. Furthermore, this project will foster European excellence in venom research and develop scientific leadership competences for an independent, early-career researcher returning to Europe.

Keywords: animal venoms,toxins,natural products,drug discovery,hormones
Small HeteroAromatic Ring Synthesis: A Unified Approach (SHARS)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie-Sklodowska-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Individual Fellowships (IF)-Standard European Fellowships
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Panel: Chemistry
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF-EF) (H2020-MSCA-IF-2014, 2014)
Start date: 2015-08-01
End date: 2017-07-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 195454.8
EU funding (EUR): 195454.8
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Five-membered ring heteroaromatics such as pyrroles, furans, thiophenes and isoxazoles form a cornerstone of medicinal and agrochemical research. Despite this importance, the predominant methods used by both academic and industrial researchers to access these frameworks still rely on chemistry developed up to a century ago, which suffers from several drawbacks. Chief amongst these is the restriction on substituent pattern that is intrinsic to these classical routes, which prevents decoration of the ring with a full range of contemporary functionality. This project seeks to address these shortcomings by developing a unified catalytic approach to these heterocycles through a fundamentally new ring synthesis mechanism. This chemistry can access, with ease, previously unattained substitution patterns, and permits the positioning of substituents at any or all of the 2-, 3- and 5-positions around the ring. Equal to the value of this reactivity and its products is the facility with which the key reaction substrates are prepared – in 2-5 steps from cheap, commercial alkyne and carbonyl building blocks. Alongside method development, an industrial engagement platform is planned which will allow the Experienced Researcher to interface directly with industrial partners in Europe via a secondment programme.
Smart Control of the Climate Resilience in European Coastal Cities (SCORE)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Societal Challenges
Programme: Climate action, environment,  resource efficiency and raw materials
Theme: Fighting and adapting to climate change
Action type: Research and Innovation actions
Countries involved: Spain,Ireland,Ireland,Italy,Spain,Ireland,Italy,Italy,Spain,Spain,Italy,Italy,Italy,Belgium,Switzerland,Türkiye,Poland,Slovakia,Slovenia,Greece,France,Netherlands,Portugal
Call: Climate resilience of European coastal cities and settlements (H2020-LC-CLA-2020-2, 2020)
Start date: 2021-07-01
End date: 2025-06-30
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 9980831.0
EU funding (EUR): 9980831.0
Participants: 31
Project status: SIGNED

The intensification of extreme weather events, coastal erosion and sea-level rise are major challenges to be urgently addressed by European coastal cities. The science behind these disruptive phenomena is complex, and advancing climate resilience requires progress in data acquisition, forecasting, and understanding of the potential risks and impacts for real-scenario interventions. The Ecosystem-Based Approach (EBA) supported by smart technologies has potential to increase climate resilience of European coastal cities; however, it is not yet adequately understood and coordinated at European level. SCORE outlines a co-creation strategy, developed via a network of 10 coastal city ‘living labs’ (CCLLs), to rapidly, equitably and sustainably enhance coastal city climate resilience through EBAs and sophisticated digital technologies. SCORE will establish an integrated coastal zone management framework for strengthening EBA and smart coastal city policies, creating European leadership in coastal city climate change adaptation in line with The Paris Agreement. The Coastal City Living Lab (CCLL) is a new concept that expands the Living Lab approach to coastal cities and settlements. CCLLs will be set up to address specific climate challenges, and their effectiveness will be assessed by different stakeholders through innovative monitoring systems and cutting-edge modelling approaches. SCORE will develop CCLLs in a network of 10 cities which learn from each other in different frontrunner and follower roles. SCORE will involve citizen science in providing prototype coastal city early-warning systems and will enable smart, instant monitoring and control of climate resilience in European coastal cities through open, accessible spatial ‘digital twin’ tools. SCORE will provide innovative platforms to empower stakeholders’ deployment of EBAs to increase climate resilience, business opportunities and financial sustainability of coastal cities.

Keywords: ecosystem based approaches eba,climate change,resilience,data fusion,digital twin prototypes,adaptation,co design,coastal cities,early warning system,smart sensing
The localization frontier---from many-body localization to amorphous topological matter via the landscape (LOCFRONT)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Consolidator grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Condensed matter physics
Panel description: Structure, electronic properties, fluids, nanosciences, biological physics
Countries involved: Sweden
Call: ERC CONSOLIDATOR GRANTS (ERC-2020-COG, 2020)
Start date: 2021-06-01
End date: 2026-05-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1815978.0
EU funding (EUR): 1815978.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

The last decade has seen impressive progress in the control and understanding of closed many-body quantum systems, propelled by the drive towards quantum technology. This progress, especially in understanding nonequilibrium many-body quantum dynamics, is now severely hampered by the limited toolbox available for studying such systems. This is especially true in systems far from their absolute zero temperature ground states and where disorder or imperfections play a crucial role. Such systems are at the core of some of the most fundamental open questions in quantum physics, including how and when such systems become thermal and behave according to classical expectations, and when they do not. The many-body localization transition is a poorly understood, unconventional dynamic phase transition that is believed to prevent many-body quantum systems form thermalizing. The underlying mechanism for this transition is localization of particles due to quantum interference induced by scattering of imperfections. As a result of the localization, quantum information that otherwise would become inaccessible due to thermalization, can in principle be retained indefinitely. The major objective of this project is to significantly enhance and enlarge the toolbox for study of quantum-many body dynamics and localization physics in general, and by applying the new tools address open fundamental questions about quantum physics. The problem is hard, and most approaches to new tools are at the outset likely to fail. The project therefore takes a multipronged approach by developing several new methods in addition to improving and applying old ones in new directions. This includes conceptually new approaches to localization (the localization landscape), inspired by recent advances in mathematics, which will be broadly applicable to localization physics in general. This broad applicability will be demonstrated by also applying it to the physics of amorphous topological matter.

Keywords: many body localization,quantum thermalisation,computer simulations,density matrix quantum dynamics,localization landscape,amorphous topological insulators
Increasing the Spatial Correlation of Logical Units of Data to Enable an Ultra-Low Latency Internet (ULTRA)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Consolidator grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Computer science and informatics
Panel description: Informatics and information systems, computer science, scientific computing, intelligent systems
Countries involved: Sweden
Call: ERC Consolidator Grant (ERC-2017-COG, 2017)
Start date: 2018-06-01
End date: 2024-11-30
Duration (months): 78.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2000000.0
EU funding (EUR): 2000000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

The cloud computing infrastructure that logically centralizes data storage and computation for many different actors is a prime example of a key societal system. A number of time-critical applications deployed in the cloud infrastructure have to provide high reliability and throughput, along with guaranteed low latency for delivering data. This low latency guarantee is sorely lacking today, with the so-called tail-latency of slowest responses in popular cloud services being several orders of magnitude longer than the median response times. Unfortunately, simply using a network with ample bandwidth does not guarantee low latency because of problems with congestion at the intra-and inter-data center levels and server overloads. All of these problems currently render the existing cloud infrastructures unsuitable for time-critical societal applications. The reasons for unpredictable delays across the Internet and within the cloud infrastructure are numerous, but some of the key culprits are: 1) slow memory subsystems limit server effectiveness, and 2) excess buffering in the Internet further limits correlation of data requests. The aim of this project is to dramatically change the way data flows across the Internet, such that it is more highly correlated when it is to be processed at the servers. The overarching goal is to enforce a large degree of correlation in the data requests (logical units of data), both temporally (across time) and spatially (as server work units require correlation to achieve high cache hit rates). The result is that the logical units of data will be processed at almost the maximum processing speed of the cloud servers. By doing so, we will achieve an ultra-low latency Internet. This project will produce the tools and knowledge that will be key to dramatically reducing the latency of key societal services; these include cloud services used by a large number of users on a daily basis.

Keywords: internet,low latency,spatial correlation,scheduling,services,networks,servers,data storage,cache
Plastic ceramic films to improve safety of modern nuclear energy (PLASTICERA)

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: Environment and Geosciences
Countries involved: Italy
Call: Individual Fellowships (H2020-MSCA-IF-2018, 2018)
Start date: 2019-04-16
End date: 2020-04-15
Duration (months): 12.0
Total project cost (EUR): 91736.64
EU funding (EUR): 91736.64
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Aim of the project PLASTICERA is to prevent nuclear accidents similar to Fukushima Daiichi from happening in Europe. Primary objective of PLASTICERA is to develop a new accident tolerant fuel (ATF) concept for modern nuclear light water reactors (LWR). Today, nuclear energy is an essential environmental issue as it is one of the key scalable technologies to battle climate change. Promoting the use of nuclear energy is largely based on public opinion and therefore creating safer and more sustainable ways to produce nuclear energy is more important than ever. The concept of PLACTICERA relies on amorphous oxide thin films to protect the primary fuel cladding from catastrophic damage during nuclear accident conditions. The oxide thin film can provide unique combination of a strong oxygen diffusion barrier with the capability to accommodate the plastic strain originating from the fuel bar thermal expansion. This functional coating could significantly delay the onset of uncontrollable degradation of the primary fuel cladding, allowing timely emergency cooling, and preventing the release of radioactive substances. The primary objective will be achieved by training Dr. Erkka J. Frankberg (fellow) with new skills in disruptive material manufacturing technologies capable of producing ceramic materials, especially amorphous oxides, with prerequisites for low temperature plasticity. These materials will then be tested for mechanical and corrosion properties in relevant environment resembling LWR normal operating conditions and conditions occurring during “loss of cooling water” (LOCA) -type accident.
New Catalytic Reactions using Sulfur Dioxide (CATSO)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie-Sklodowska-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Individual Fellowships (IF)-Standard European Fellowships
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Panel: Chemistry
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call: Individual Fellowships (H2020-MSCA-IF-2018, 2018)
Start date: 2020-02-24
End date: 2022-02-23
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 224933.76
EU funding (EUR): 224933.76
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Sulfur dioxide is produced in millions of tonnes per annum, and represents an abundant and low-cost feedstock for chemistry. Despite a varied and useful range of reactivity as a reagent for organic synthesis, the use of sulfur dioxide as a feedstock for catalytic processes was extremely limited with only a handful of reactions reported before 2010. This is particularly striking when the wide occurrence of the sulfonyl motif is considered, as it features in a variety of useful organic functional groups such as sulfones and sulfonamides. Together these functional groups appear in an enormous range of intermediates and final compounds used in the pharmaceutical, agrochemical and fine chemical industries. In earlier work we have show that use of an SO2 surrogate, such as DABSO, allows a variety of catalytic reactions to be developed. The take-up of these reactions, particularly the catalytic methods for sulfinate synthesis from aryl halides or aryl boronic acids, has been significant, and these reactions are being used in industrial laboratories. This is a great start, but there are a number of limitations to the chemistry, as well as opportunities to develop exciting related chemistry that we believe will have significant impact. The vast majority of catalytic reactions developed employ Pd catalysts and pre-functionalised “activated” substrates, such as aryl halides, boronic acids, or diazonium salts. These are useful reactions, but the reliance on precious metal catalysts and activated substrates is limiting, both from a sustainability perspective, but also in terms of reactivity, as the majority of these reactions all proceed by 2-electron processes. Accordingly, the main objective of this Fellowship is to develop catalytic reactions for SO2 incorporation that employ more sustainable catalysts, and also to show that readily available feedstocks, such as carboxylic acids and alcohols can be used as substrates.

Keywords: organosulfur chemistry
Gold-Functionalized Devices and Engineered Nanoparticles: Bioorthogonal Tools for Unprecedented Biomedical Applications (GOLDEN)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie-Sklodowska-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Individual Fellowships (IF)-Standard European Fellowships
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Panel: Chemistry
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call: Individual Fellowships (H2020-MSCA-IF-2018, 2018)
Start date: 2019-10-07
End date: 2021-10-06
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 212933.76
EU funding (EUR): 212933.76
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Despite recent advances in cancer therapy, many challenges remain to reduce the systemic adverse effects of antineoplastic therapeutics. A major goal in the field is to make nanomedical devices that could bypass the metabolic machinery of cells and perform tasks that are not possible with biological entities, such as the manufacture of bioactive molecules at specific locations in a continuous, atomically precise manner. The use of metallic nanoparticles (NPs) as biocompatible catalysts provides the opportunity to carry out abiotic catalysis inside cancer cells or tissues. Such bioorthogonal reactivity opens up new unprecedented ways of mediating artificial transformations in complex biological systems. Solid supported Au-NPs have recently demonstrated a novel, very promising role as heterogeneous catalysts able to generate bioactive compounds in biological environments. Herein I propose an innovative approach to develop catalytically- active Au-NPs immobilized within implants or "protected" under self-assembling monolayers to enable the activation of systemically-administered bioactive precursors at specific locations via novel Au-mediated deprotection chemistry. To confirm the in vivo functional capabilities of the devices, I will test the capacity of the novel devices to activate dyes and neuromodulators in the brain of zebrafish. This highly innovative multidisciplinary approach could offer a unique and safe method to release bioactive molecules in exact anatomical locations for the treatment of localized disorders including cancer or chronic pain and, in doing so, promote Scientific Excellence in Europe. As the recipient of the advanced training required to perform such a novel programme of research and developer of such tools, at the end of this fellowship I will reach a privileged position for establishing myself as an independent researcher and starting cross-disciplinary collaborations with academics and Pharma across Europe.

Keywords: gold catalysts,bioorthogonal catalysis,heterogeneous catalysis,bioinspired nanostructures,self assembled monolayers,prodrug therapy