Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Rational and Simulation-Supported Design of Inhalable RNA Nanocarrier (RatInhalRNA)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Consolidator grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Prevention,  Diagnosis and T reatment 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: Germany
Call: ERC CONSOLIDATOR GRANTS (ERC-2022-COG, 2022)
Start date: 2023-04-01
End date: 2028-03-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2000000.0
EU funding (EUR): 2000000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

The overarching goal of RatInhalRNA is to computationally predict and develop efficient formulations for pulmonary RNA therapy. New RNA formulations are imperative for clinical RNA delivery beyond the liver. The lung offers undruggable targets which could be treated with RNA therapeutics. However, approved siRNA formulations are not suited for pulmonary delivery due to instability in lung surfactant and during nebulization. Hence, it is my aim to rationally design inhalable and biocompatible polymer-based siRNA formulations for efficient siRNA delivery to the lung. While biomaterials are commonly optimized empirically via one-variable-at-a-time experimentation, I am the first to combine Design-of-Experiments (DoE) with Molecular Dynamics (MD) Simulations and Machine Learning (ML) to accelerate the discovery and optimization process of siRNA nanocarriers towards the metrics of gene silencing efficacy and biocompatibility at reduced wet-lab resources. In RatInhalRNA, I will synthesize amphiphilic polyspermines and will prepare siRNA-loaded nanoparticles by microfluidic assembly for experimental assessment of physico-chemical parameters as well as in vitro and in vivo gene silencing efficacy in coronavirus infection models. I will assess siRNA binding of the polyspermines via MD simulations and will analyze the contribution of the nanoparticle design factors on experimental and computational readout responses of the DoE. I will train a support vector machine for supervised ML and will generate models to identify areas of interest. Based on the predictions, I will test additional formulations to obtain a validation dataset for the assessment the ability of the ML algorithm to identify design properties of efficient siRNA nanoparticles for pulmonary delivery. RatInhalRNA will enable me to predict favorable siRNA nanoparticle characteristics in the future prior to polymer synthesis thereby reducing experimental work and improving sustainability and animal welfare.

Keywords: sirna,delivery,formulation,nanoparticle,nanomedicine,gene silencing,inhalation,lung,pulmonary,aerosol,air liquid interface,sars cov 2,covid 19,polymer,simulation,design of experiments,machine learning
many(Anti)Bodies (mAB)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Postdoctoral Fellowships
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Panel: Physics
Countries involved: Sweden
Call: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2022 (HORIZON-MSCA-2022-PF-01, 2022)
Start date: 2023-12-01
End date: 2025-11-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 206887.68
EU funding (EUR): 206887.68
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Many of the exceptional breakthroughs in pharmaceutics require the collective and interdisciplinary effort of the scientific community to overcome challenges and shortcomings involved in optimizing the formulation of the final product. Monoclonal antibodies, for instance, have been found to be highly effective for the treatment of various immunological and allergic diseases as well as for cancer treatments thanks to their high specificity. On the other hand, they typically present high viscosities in concentrated solutions, dramatically altering their flow properties. The direct consequence is the difficulty in preparing stable solutions suitable for subcutaneous self-administration which, compared to intravenous infusion, would be advantageous in terms of patient compliance and adherence to the treatment, and reduced healthcare costs. Currently, a univocal framework providing microscopic interpretation to the enhanced viscosity is missing. With my proposal many(Anti)Bodies, I aim to address this issue by putting forward an interdisciplinary approach which exploits soft matter and colloidal science to investigate the molecular origin of the observed macroscopic behavior in antibody solutions. By combining numerical simulations with experiments, I will first design an accurate single-molecule model that accounts for the anisotropic shape of the antibody and include all relevant ingredients that determine intermolecular interactions. Therefore, through advanced computational techniques, I will be able to bring the current understanding of the antibody collective behavior and rheological properties to a new level, by shedding light on their dynamics and self-association in crowded environments. With the direct collaboration of pharmaceutical industries, my proposal will ultimately guide the formulation of novel antibody-based biologics and inspire future studies where the features of the antibody are designed according to the desired solution properties.

Keywords: antibodies proteins machine learning rheology scattering experiments charges molecular dynamics coarse graining colloids anisotropic systems
Understanding, monitoring, and remediating the spread of chemical, microbiological and plastic pollution in drinking water treatment plants (NIAGARA)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness
Programme: Food, Bioeconomy Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment
Theme: Bio-Environment
Destination: Clean Environment and zero pollution
Action type: Research and Innovation actions
Countries involved: Spain,Cyprus,France,Czechia,Slovenia
Call: Securing drinking water quality by protecting water sources against pollution, providing innovative monitoring and treatment solutions and ensuring safe distribution (HORIZON-CL6-2022-ZEROPOLLUTION-01, 2022)
Start date: 2023-11-01
End date: 2027-10-31
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 3601443.0
EU funding (EUR): 3601443.0
Participants: 11
Project status: SIGNED

NIAGARA compiles all the necessary approaches to provide a comprehensive response to the phenomenon of spread of pollution (chemical, microbiological and plastic) from drinking water sources to human exposure, through the Driking Water Treatment Plants. These approaches and their solutions are: (1) Real-time monitoring. NIAGARA will develop multi-analyte biosensors able to quantify simultaneously 4 highly concerning pollutants of very different chemical nature: BPA, imazalil, H. pylori and paracetamol/ibuprofen. Using pre-concentration units, detection limits will reach pg/mL for chemicals and 10-100 viable cells for H. pylori, which are below harmful levels for human exposure. (2) Remediation. A removal and disinfection system based on a tandem formed by two IEDS biofilters (immobilized-enzymes degradation systems) and a UV/TiO2 photoreactor. With this solution, we will achieve total removal of the 4 analytes (concentrations below detection limits of water laboratory techniques) and a Total Organic Carbon removal of >70%, exceeding current State of Art. The DBPs formed will be identified, and their appearance mechanisms and toxicity will be predicted. (3) A fast and cost-effective method for real-time monitoring of the propagation of these 4 contaminants using a hydraulic model that exceeds the performance of current methods (seconds vs weeks, > 60% accuracy). These solutions will be validated up to a pilot scale (TRL=5) in a case study in the city of Valencia, in a DWTP, and using the drinking water supply system of district #9 (Jesús), with the participation of the Municipal Drinking Water Company, and accomplishing safety and sustainability-by-design. Finally, the Communication and Exploitation plan has been specially designed to have an clear projection ouside EU to enhance its competitiveness in the water sector and to foster its position and role in the global water scene, with the participation of previously established EU and non-EU networks.

Keywords: biosensors,immobilized enzyme degradation system,disinfection by advanced oxidation,hydraulic models,water treatment plants
Women Tech EU Grant Application: Improving Hearing Aid Exprience for Hearing Aid users. (Woid IHAE 23-24)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Innovative Europe
Programme: European innovation ecosystems
Theme: Elevating the scalability potential of European business
Destination: Elevating the scalability potential of European business
Action type: Coordination and support actions
Countries involved: Norway
Call: Women TechEU (HORIZON-EIE-2022-SCALEUP-02, 2022)
Start date: 2023-09-01
End date: 2024-06-30
Duration (months): 10.0
Total project cost (EUR): 107142.86
EU funding (EUR): 75000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

WOID AS consists of entrepreneurs; Mariel Ellingsen, the CEO, and Ivanna Ustymenko, the COO. Together they have broad knowledge and expertise regarding tech- and business development. WOID AS is a welfare and tech company. Compassion, inclusion, and social equality are our core values. We must put people at the center of development to create value in society. Hearing aids are often paired with external microphones or speech enhancers for situations with a lot of background noise or multiple speakers. The company creates an application that digitalizes this assistive technology. Taking advantage of smartphones, we remove excess devices while providing a satisfactory sound experience. This is done by implementing cutting-edge technology for audio transfer while utilizing machine learning for noise reduction on commodity hardware. This solution will become more economically and physically accessible than the ones offered on the market today.

Keywords: assistive technology for hearing aid users
Celloop - Centrifugal Perfusion Gut-on-Chip: A Scalable, Pump-Free Platform for Predictive Drug Testing and Preclinical Innovation (Celloop-CPGoC)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Proof of concept grants
Action type: ERC actions
Countries involved: Denmark
Call: ERC PROOF OF CONCEPT GRANTS (ERC-2025-POC, 2025)
Start date: 2025-09-01
End date: 2027-02-28
Duration (months): 18.0
Total project cost (EUR): 150000.0
EU funding (EUR): 150000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

This project aims to validate the Centrifugal Perfusion Gut-on-Chip (CPGoC) system, offering a low-cost, pump-free, and user-friendly alternative to existing microfluidic systems for drug absorption studies. Unlike traditional models, CPGoC uses centrifugal force to drive continuous perfusion, closely mimicking physiological fluid flow and nutrient transport in the human intestine. Thus, it eliminates the need for external pumps and tubing, reducing costs, contamination risks, and technical barriers. Our system is designed to bridge the gap between outdated static cultures and overpriced, complex microfluidic organ chips. By offering an affordable, easy-to-use, and physiologically relevant alternative, CPGoC will accelerate drug discovery, reduce development costs, and shorten development time. CPGoC has the potential to revolutionize drug testing, providing researchers with a more accessible and predictive model to improve human drug evaluation and regulatory approval processes.

Keywords: organ on a chip,centrifugal microfluidic,drug absorption,affordable,easy to use
Food identities: biomolecular archaeology reveals multiple and dynamic social identities (FoodID)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: The Study of the Human Past
Panel description: Archaeology and history
Countries involved: Estonia
Call: ERC STARTING GRANTS (ERC-2024-STG, 2024)
Start date: 2025-09-01
End date: 2030-08-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2404561.0
EU funding (EUR): 2404561.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

The major challenge of archaeological identity studies stems from the dynamic, multidimensional, performative and contextual nature of identities, which are hard to grasp through the material remains alone. To tackle the complexities of different identity manifestations, one possible solution is to investigate the social phenomena that bridge both daily and special events, apply to all members of a community, cover different social categories, and are not limited to material culture. One of these is FOOD! Building on the concept of social foodways, FoodID sets out to reveal how ancient dietary practices reflect individual and group identities through combining cutting-edge biomolecular dietary analysis with an in-depth socio-archaeological contextualisation. This methodological conceptualisation will be applied to eastern Baltic protohistory (1000-1400AD; EBP), serving as a socio-cultural melting pot of multidimensional identity dynamics, due to its diverse foreign contacts, intensified social stratification, different religions and political power-plays. By the systematic integration of well-developed and novel biomolecular methods, applied to human skeletal remains and pottery food residues, the project will reveal a) unique high-resolution individual dietary portraits, and b) intersectional social dietary profiles reflecting multiple and dynamic identity manifestations in different EBP contexts. Furthermore, the diachronic and synchronic inter- and intrasite comparisons will help to reveal the contextual and situational nature identity negotiations. FoodID will validate dietary practices as socially embedded and actively embodied performative phenomena that invigorate multidimensional and dynamic, individual and group identities in past societies. The project will advance social dietary archaeology by building synergetic bridges between the humanities and natural sciences, and highlight cultural legacy of food in identity building in the past as well as today.

Keywords: biomolecular archaeology,ancient dietary reconstructions,social archaeology,identities,early middle ages,protohistory,north eastern europe
Scalable target identification for metabolic liver disease (3DMASH)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Consolidator grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Biotechnology and Biosystems E ngineering
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 GRANTS (ERC-2024-COG, 2024)
Start date: 2025-02-01
End date: 2030-01-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1950000.0
EU funding (EUR): 1950000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) is a prevalent liver disease that affects up to 6% of the general population and 15-40% of obese persons. MASH is characterized by intracellular triglyceride accumulation (steatosis), chronic inflammation and hepatocyte injury. Importantly, MASH is prone to progress into liver fibrosis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma and, even if diagnosed early, the disease is associated with reductions in life expectancy of 2-4.5 years. Despite tremendous efforts, there are currently no approved pharmacological treatments for MASH. MASH is closely linked to obesity, sarcopenia, dyslipidemia and insulin resistance and it has become clear that adipose tissue, pancreas and skeletal muscle produce important signals that orchestrate hepatic metabolism, inflammation and fibrosis. However, the underlying mechanisms in humans remain poorly understood. In the 3DMASH project, we will utilize organotypic cultures isolated from patients with a clinical diagnosis of MASH and matched controls to comprehensively map tissue interactions and to identify novel targets for pharmacological interventions. By combining co-culture of metabolically relevant tissues from healthy and diseased individuals in microphysiological systems (MPS) with network biology approaches, we will identify novel extrahepatic signaling that positively or negatively influence MASH disease phenotypes. Moreover, we will use the established platform to screen chemogenomic libraries of G protein coupled receptors, ion channels and nuclear receptors to identify new pharmacologically accessible targets that activate “healthy” signals or inhibit “disease” cues. This project thus provides a conceptually novel perspective that considers MASH as a complex pathology caused by dysregulated tissue interactions and targets these disease mechanisms, which are neglected by current drug development programs, to finally develop effective treatments.

Keywords: phenotypic screening,chemogenomics
BeeOmetrics: an AI-powered predictive platform based on wild bee activity for targeted environmental management. (BeeOmetrics)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Innovative Europe
Programme: The European Innovation Council (EIC)
Theme: EIC Transition
Destination: Challenges
Action type: EIC actions
Countries involved: Belgium
Call: EIC Transition Challenge: Environmental Intelligence (HORIZON-EIC-2023-TRANSITION-01, 2023)
Start date: 2024-03-01
End date: 2027-02-28
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2485833.75
EU funding (EUR): 2485833.75
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

In response to the EU Green Deal's call for enhanced environmental responsibility, BeeOdiversity's BeeOmetrics project addresses the Environmental Intelligence Challenge. The rising human-induced pollution poses significant risks to ecosystems, soil, water, and air quality. Our innovative solution aims to bridge existing gaps within the EU by introducing cost-effective "green" technologies for environmental monitoring and remediation. BeeOmetrics combines a nature-based, low-cost, on-site monitoring device with a powerful AI platform. It efficiently integrates, aggregates, and interprets data collected from various on-site sources, including biological, chemical, and physical remote sensors. This integrated approach, bolstered by AI, harnesses wild bees found throughout Europe as scalable environmental bioindicators. Our primary focus is monitoring specific pollution and biodiversity metrics, facilitating in-depth ecosystem health analysis, and generating predictive recommendations for remediating environmental contaminants and revitalizing biodiversity. BeeOmetrics is designed to offer decision-ready, information-based guidance to policymakers and land managers. It provides easily understandable and scalable ecosystem metrics and recommendations, empowering them to make informed choices. Our project seeks to reduce environmental pollution by developing safe and sustainable pilot-scale prototypes. In doing so, we aim to raise awareness of the delicate balance between human activities and natural systems. Ultimately, BeeOmetrics contributes to the evolution of an EU "environmental monitoring and remediation-based" economy, simplifying environmental policy-making through environmental intelligence. BeeOmetrics project stands at the forefront of shaping policies for environmental sustainability, preventing biodiversity loss, fostering economic growth, and promoting human health. In this way, we are dedicated to advancing the cause of Environmental Intelligence.

Keywords: environmental monitoring,biodiversity metrics,pollution detection,predictive recommendations,ecosystem health,ai,green technologies,sustainability,environmental remediation,data integration
COMMERCIALISATION OF A NOVEL PROTEIN VARIANT WITH NEURORESTORATIVE EFFECTS FOR AMYOTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS (REGENERA)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Proof of concept grants
Action type: ERC actions
Countries involved: Finland
Call: ERC PROOF OF CONCEPT GRANTS1 (ERC-2022-POC1, 2022)
Start date: 2022-07-01
End date: 2023-12-31
Duration (months): 18.0
Total project cost (EUR): 150000.0
EU funding (EUR): 150000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

REGENERA will assess the technical and commercial feasibility of a novel and optimised C-MANF peptide as a superior treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). ALS is a fatal neurodegenerative disease affecting 450,000 people worldwide where motoneurons (MNs) selectively degenerate in the brain and spinal cord. ALS is characterised by muscle deterioration that rapidly leads to disability and culminates in death 3-5 years after diagnosis. Unfortunately, there is no cure for ALS and current treatments only marginally slow down its progression. Moreover, promising neurotrophic factors (NTFs) with neuroprotective activity show insufficient efficiency, are unable to reach the brain tissue, and have highly invasive administration routes (i.e. brain injections and intrathecal) and high production costs. As a result, all NTFs clinical trials have failed. Ass. Prof. Voutilainen has discovered C-MANF, a novel peptide which, in contrast to classical NTFs, (i) has protective and restorative effects on motoneurons, (ii) penetrates the blood-brain barrier (BBB), (iii) can be subcutaneously administered, and (iv) can be inexpensively produced. Within REGENERA, we will assess whether C-MANF is feasible as an early-therapy option for ALS. Firstly, we will analyse the pharmacokinetic properties and efficacy of C-MANF in ALS animal models and in human MNS. Subsequently, commercial feasibility will be determined by verifying IP position and strategy, performing in-depth market and competitor analyses, and finally consolidating these into a business case to establish the best path to commercialisation. Successful commercialisation of C-MANF could reduce the profound socioeconomic burden of ALS, provide an early-therapy option to delay disease progression and thus extend and improve the patients’ lives, and provide the pharmaceutical industry with a novel therapeutic that can potentially be used for other neurodegenerative diseases.
Fighting Large-Scale Untreated Infectious Diseases with Innovative Treatments (FLUIDITY)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Innovative Europe
Programme: The European Innovation Council (EIC)
Theme: EIC Accelerator
Destination: Open to supporting projects in all areas of science, technology,...
Action type: EIC actions
Countries involved: France
Call: EIC Accelerator Open (HORIZON-EIC-2022-ACCELERATOR-01, 2022)
Start date: 2023-01-01
End date: 2024-12-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 4582237.5
EU funding (EUR): 2500000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SUSPENDED

Founded in 2020, Meletios is developing innovative antiviral strategies to treat existing and emerging acute viral infections. Among those, our lead program, presented at the EIC Accelerator, is an oral Host-Directed Agent targeting cell mechanisms hijacked by viruses. By acting on cell membrane’s fluidity, our antiviral strongly limits cell internalization and intracellular trafficking of viruses. This approach could be effective against broad virus families, conferring our molecule with an advantageous broad-spectrum effect, a key strategy to boost our capacities to ward off outbreaks. Moreover, our agent has immunomodulatory effects enabling to efficiently manage viral diseases by preventing excessive immune system reactions. We will perform an accelerated development process as our molecule has already proved it safety in humans. COVID-19 will be the first demonstrator of our molecule’s efficacy, before targeting diseases induced by other coronaviruses, influenza, flaviviruses.