Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Evolutionary genomics of long, non-coding RNAs (NONCODEVOL)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Genetics,Genomics,Bioinformatics and Systems Biology
Countries involved: Spain
Call:  (ERC-2012-StG_20111109, 2012)
Start date: 2013-01-01
End date: 2017-12-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1302113.0
EU funding (EUR): 1302113.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Recent genomics analyses have facilitated the discovery of a novel major class of stable transcripts, now called long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). A growing number of analyses have implicated lncRNAs in the regulation of gene expression, dosage compensation and imprinting, and there is increasing evidence suggesting the involvement of lncRNAs in various diseases such as cancer. Despite recent advances, however, the role of the large majority of lncRNAs remains unknown and there is current debate on what fraction of lncRNAs may just represent transcriptional noise. Moreover, despite a growing number of lncRNAs catalogues for diverse model species, we lack a proper understanding of how these molecules evolve across genomes. Evolutionary analyses of protein-coding genes have proved tremendously useful in elucidating functional relationships and in understanding how the processes in which they are involved are shaped during evolution. Similar insights may be expected from a proper evolutionary characterization of lncRNAs, although the lack of proper tools and basic knowledge of underlying evolutionary mechanisms are a sizable challenge. Here, I propose to combine state-of-the-art computational and sequencing techniques in order to elucidate what evolutionary mechanisms are shaping this enigmatic component of eukaryotic genomes.The first goal is to enable large-scale phylogenomic analyses of lncRNAs by developing, for these molecules, methodologies that are now standard in the evolutionary analysis of protein-coding genes. The second goal is to explore, at high levels of resolution, the evolutionary dynamics of lncRNAs across selected eukaryotic groups for which novel genome-wide data will be produced experimentally using recently developed sequencing techniques that enable obtaining genome-wide footprints of RNA secondary structure. Finally, this dataset will be used to test the impact on lncRNAs evolution of processes known to be important in protein-coding genes.

Keywords: phylogenetics,evolution,lncrnas,orthology,paralogy
The role of loss-of-heterozygosity in cancer development and progression (DELCANCER)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Physiology, Pathophysiology and Endocrinology
Countries involved: Belgium
Call:  (ERC-2012-StG_20111109, 2012)
Start date: 2012-10-01
End date: 2017-09-30
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1498764.0
EU funding (EUR): 1498764.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Somatically acquired loss-of-heterozygosity (LOH) is extremely common in cancer; deletions of recessive cancer genes, miRNAs, and regulatory elements, can confer selective growth advantage, whereas deletions over fragile sites are thought to reflect an increased local rate of DNA breakage. However, most LOHs in cancer genomes remain unexplained. Here we plan to combine a TALEN technology and the experimental models of cell transformation derived from primary human cells to delete specific chromosomal regions that are frequently lost in cancer samples. The development of novel strategies to introduce large chromosomal rearrangements into the genome of primary human cells will offer new perspectives for studying gene function, for elucidating chromosomal organisation, and for increasing our understanding of the molecular mechanisms and pathways underlying cancer development.Using this technology to genetically engineer cells that model cancer-associated genetic alterations, we will identify LOH regions critical for the development and progression of human cancers, and will investigate the cooperative effect of loss of genes, non-coding RNAs, and regulatory elements located within the deleted regions on cancer-associated phenotypes. We will assess how disruption of the three-dimensional chromosomal network in cells with specific chromosomal deletions contributes to cell transformation. Isogenic cell lines harbouring targeted chromosomal alterations will also serve us as a platform to identify compounds with specificity for particular genetic abnormalities. As a next step, we plan to unravel the mechanisms by which particular homozygous deletions contribute to cancer-associated phenotypes. If successful, the results of these studies will represent an important step towards understanding oncogenesis, and could yield new diagnostic and prognostic markers as well as identify potential therapeutic targets.

Keywords: human models of cell transformation
Prevent Rheumatoid Arthritis in Practice (PRACTICE)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Proof of concept grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Countries involved: Sweden
Call:  (ERC-2011-PoC, 2011)
Start date: 2012-09-01
End date: 2013-08-31
Duration (months): 12.0
Total project cost (EUR): 156000.0
EU funding (EUR): 144300.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The idea is to develop vaccines and companion diagnostics for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The idea is built on (i) knowledge that the immune systems harbors a capacity for specific reregulation of its actions, both in increasing its actions (e.g. existing vaccination against polio, measles etc.) and in decreasing its actions (“vaccinations” against autoimmune diseases, which has so far been executed successfully in animal models where enough is known about specificity for disease-inducing immunity); (ii) an insight that a major hurdle for development of “specific immunotherapy” (vaccination) in human autoimmune disease is a lack of enough understanding of the specificity of disease-inducing immune reactions in the human conditions; (iii) very significant progress that is currently being made within my ERC-funded project and in other groups concerning specificity of arthritis-inducing immunity in subsets of RA where these subsets are defined by the combined actions of genes, environment and immunity; most importantly, we have been able to define the specific structures (MHC classII-peptide complexes) that are recognized by potentially disease-inducing Tcells in RA. This has been a major lacking feature for the development of specific immunotherapies in this disease. We will use the ERC PoC funds to improve our understanding of the industry landscape and regulatory requirements, secure strategic collaborations, broaden and strengthen our patent portfolio, set-up a limited IPR based company set up and develop an attractive “investors package”. By the end of the period we will seek financing from private investors. Our team consists of the ERC grant holder (Lars Klareskog), a prominent animal arthritis experimentalist (Rikard Holmdahl), a prominent cell immunologist (Vivianne Malmström), and two colleagues with a large experience in establishing start-ups, IPR management and venture capital funding.

Keywords: 250167
Production of Coatings for New Efficient and Clean Coal Power Plant Materials (POEMA)

Framework: FP7 — Cooperation
Programme: Nanosciences, Nanotechnologies, Materials and new Production Technologies - NMP
Destination: Materials
Action type: Collaborative project
Countries involved: Spain,Georgia,Germany,France,Germany,Germany,United Kingdom,Ukraine,Germany,Italy
Call:  (FP7-NMP-2012-SMALL-6, 2012)
Start date: 2013-01-01
End date: 2016-12-31
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 4619307.09
EU funding (EUR): 3399636.17
Participants: 14
Project status: CLOSED

The overall objective is the development of new coatings for supercritical steam power plants for efficient and clean coal utilization. A significant reduction of emissions is expected by increasing efficiencies to ŋ > 50%. Currently, an efficiencies of 45% have been achieved in the last 30 years from subcritical 180 bar/540ºC to ultra-supercritical 300 bar/600-620ºC corresponding to a specific reduction of 20% of CO2 emissions. Efficiencies of 50% and more can be achieved by further raising the temperature, but conventional ferritic steels are not sufficiently oxidation resistant, since the temperature designed for operation was 550º C. From the mechanical properties perspective, ferritic steels can be used at temperatures up to 650º C and for higher temperatures austenic steels and Ni base alloys are being considered. One of the main objectives of this project is therefore to develop advanced coatings for steam environments which can resist the chemical attack of steam and fireside corrosion at temperatures higher than 620ºC employing materials with the required high temperature mechanical properties in particular creep strength. Ferritic–martensitic steels will be considered as substrate materials for up to 650º C whereas, austenitic steels will be explored for higher temperatures. In general higher temperatures mean higher oxidation rates, in particular when the oxidant is water vapour instead of oxygen. The introduction of carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technologies also aiming to reduce emissions in power generation has also increased the interest in developing new material solutions able to reduce the economical and environmental penalty associated to energy production systems when CO2 is generated. For instance oxy-fuel combustion takes place in a N2 free atmosphere so oxygen is burned in near stoichiometric conditions with the fuel (pulverized carbon) producing and exhaust gases mainly composed of CO2 and H2O.

Keywords: oxycombustion,steam turbines,coatings,oxidation,high temperature corrosion monitoring,inspection,reparability.
Spatial Integration in Cell Cytoskeleton (SPICY)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Cellular and Developmental Biology
Countries involved: France
Call:  (ERC-2012-StG_20111109, 2012)
Start date: 2012-12-01
End date: 2018-09-30
Duration (months): 70.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1435000.0
EU funding (EUR): 1435000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The functional coherence in multicellular arrangements depends on each cell’s ability to adapt its internal organisation to the spatial configuration of their microenvironment. The asymmetric distributions of cell compartments and peripheral domains define the cell polarity. In multicellular animals, the establishment of cell polarity is mainly regulated by the cell’s adhesions to its neighbours and to the surrounding extracellular matrix (ECM). How cells integrate all these cues in space and time to determine the orientation of their polarity is a fundamental but unresolved problem. I hypothesize that the centrosome, which regulates the radial organisation of microtubules throughout the cell, plays a major role in the spatial integration of peripheral adhesive cues. Each type of adhesion induces the assembly of actin filaments into defined dynamic architectures. These architectures produce specific mechanical forces on microtubules. The net force displaces the centrosome-microtubule network and thereby repositions cell compartments and orients cell polarity. I propose to develop a new experimental strategy to manipulate cell adhesions in space and time. Using surface micropatterning and a new laser activation method, the spatial organisation of cell-cell and cell-ECM adhesions in complex multicellular context will be manipulated in real-time. We will quantify the dynamic rearrangements of actin and microtubule networks and measure intracellular forces. These results will allow us to develop a new physical model describing the stability of cell polarisation states. Finally, in the context of this model, we will explore the contribution of polarity reversal to critical morphogenetic events. This work will demonstrate that cell polarisation is a dynamic and mechanical event that is not the final outcome of tissue morphogenesis but instead an active mechanism allowing cells to continually probe and reconfigure tissue architecture.

Keywords: cell polarity,cytoskeleton,mechanical forces
UV-B perception and signalling by the UVR8 photoreceptor (UV-B PERCEPTION)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Molecular and Structural Biology and Biochemistry
Countries involved: Switzerland
Call:  (ERC-2012-StG_20111109, 2012)
Start date: 2012-12-01
End date: 2017-11-30
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1498579.6
EU funding (EUR): 1498579.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Ultraviolet-B (UV-B) is a key environmental signal that is specifically perceived by plants and promotes UV acclimation and survival in sunlight. We discovered recently that the Arabidopsis UVR8 protein is absolutely required for UV-B acclimation and functions as the major UV-B photoreceptor in plants: UVR8 dimer perception of UV-B photons leads to monomerization and direct interaction with the E3 ubiquitin ligase COP1, the central regulator of light signalling. We proposed that the initial UV-B perception step by the UVR8 photoreceptor involves the aromatic amino acid tryptophan as a chromophore. The UVR8 protein contains 14 tryptophans, localized mostly at the top of the predicted UVR8 beta-propeller structure. This hydrophobic surface is probably the surface through which UVR8 dimerizes, generating a tryptophan-rich “interphase” between the two monomers. Although it is clear from our combined genetic, physiological, molecular and biochemical data that UVR8 functions as the long-sought-after UV-B photoreceptor in plants, the mechanism of UV-B absorption and the immediate impact on the UVR8 protein and its interactors remains elusive. We would like to address this current major gap in photobiology in frame of the ERC project “UV-B Perception”. The proposed project will provide mechanistic insights into this newly discovered perception mechanism and photoreceptor pathway, which is of utmost importance for the survival of plants.

Keywords: uv-b radiation photoreceptor photomorphogenesis plant biology photobiology abiotic environment
A common European approach to the regulatory testing of nanomaterials (NANOREG)

Framework: FP7 — Cooperation
Programme: Nanosciences, Nanotechnologies, Materials and new Production Technologies - NMP
Destination: Nanosciences and Nanotechnologies
Action type: Collaborative project
Countries involved: Netherlands,European organisations area,Germany,Denmark,Netherlands,Germany,France,Austria,United Kingdom,Switzerland,Spain,Belgium,Germany,Ireland,Sweden,Norway,Italy,Spain,Belgium,United Kingdom,Italy,Spain,Netherlands,France,Netherlands,France,France,Austria,Sweden,Spain,Germany,United Kingdom,Portugal,Finland,Spain,Sweden,Portugal,Germany,France,France,Czechia,Czechia,Netherlands,Belgium
Call:  (FP7-NMP-2012-LARGE-6, 2012)
Start date: 2013-03-01
End date: 2017-02-28
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 49586318.23
EU funding (EUR): 10000000.0
Participants: 71
Project status: CLOSED

The innovative and economic potential of Manufactured Nano Materials (MNMs) is threatened by a limited understanding of the related EHS issues. While toxicity data is continuously becoming available, the relevance to regulators is often unclear or unproven. The shrinking time to market of new MNM drives the need for urgent action by regulators. NANoREG is the first FP7 project to deliver the answers needed by regulators and legislators on EHS by linking them to a scientific evaluation of data and test methods. Based on questions and requirements supplied by regulators and legislators, NANoREG will: (i) provide answers and solutions from existing data, complemented with new knowledge, (ii) Provide a tool box of relevant instruments for risk assessment, characterisation, toxicity testing and exposure measurements of MNMs, (iii) develop, for the long term, new testing strategies adapted to innovation requirements, (iv) Establish a close collaboration among authorities, industry and science leading to efficient and practically applicable risk management approaches for MNMs and products containing MNMs. The interdisciplinary approach involving the three main stakeholders (Regulation, Industry and Science) will significantly contribute to reducing the risks from MNMs in industrial and consumer products. NANoREG starts by analysing existing knowledge (from WPMN-, FP- and other projects). This is combined with a synthesis of the needs of the authorities and new knowledge covering the identified gaps, used to fill the validated NANoREG tool box and data base, conform with ECHA's IUCLID DB structure. To answer regulatory questions and needs NANoREG will set up the liaisons with the regulation and legislation authorities in the NANoREG partner countries, establish and intensify the liaisons with selected industries and new enterprises, and develop liaisons to global standardisation and regulation institutions in countries like USA, Canada, Australia, Japan, and Russia.

Keywords: manufactured nanomaterials,regulation,legislation,risk analysis,characterisation,toxicity,exposure,regulatory testing,regulatory data,endpoints,repeated dose,in vivo,in vitro
Improved Diagnosis and Management of Heart Disease by 4D Blood Flow Assessment (HEART4FLOW)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Diagnostic tools, therapies and public health
Countries involved: Sweden
Call:  (ERC-2012-StG_20111109, 2012)
Start date: 2013-01-01
End date: 2017-12-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1430131.0
EU funding (EUR): 1430131.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The primary purpose of the cardiovascular system is to drive, control and maintain blood flow to all parts of the body. Despite the primacy of flow, cardiac diagnostics still rely almost exclusively on tools focused on morphological assessment. The objective of the HEART4FLOW project is to develop the next generation of methods for the non-invasive quantitative assessment of cardiac diseases and therapies by focusing on blood flow dynamics, with the goals of earlier and more accurate detection and improved management of cardiac diseases. Recently, a novel moment framework for flow quantification using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been presented which allows for simultaneous measurement of time-resolved, three-dimensional (time + 3D = 4D) blood flow velocity and turbulence intensity. In the HEART4FLOW project, this framework is extended and exploited for assessment of intracardiac blood flow dynamics. A user-friendly quantitative assessment approach is obtained for intracardiac blood flow energetics and wall interaction, as well as stenotic and regurgitant blood flow. Furthermore, the accuracy, measurement time, and robustness of 4D flow MRI acquisition are optimized, allowing its use in large clinical trails. Studying intracardiac blood flow dynamics in patients and healthy subjects at rest and under stress will improve our understanding of the roles of flow dynamics in both health and disease, leading to improved cardiac diagnostics, novel assessments of pharmaceutical, interventional, and surgical therapies, and promoting exploration of new avenues for management of cardiac disorders.

Keywords: blood flow,magnetic resonance imaging,heart,turbulence,cardiovascular disease
Smart nano-structured devices hierarchically assembled by bio-mineralization processes (SMILEY)

Framework: FP7 — Cooperation
Programme: Nanosciences, Nanotechnologies, Materials and new Production Technologies - NMP
Destination: Nanosciences and Nanotechnologies
Action type: Collaborative project
Countries involved: Italy,United Kingdom,Germany,Poland,France,United Kingdom
Call:  (FP7-NMP-2012-SMALL-6, 2012)
Start date: 2012-12-01
End date: 2015-11-30
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 5414489.4
EU funding (EUR): 3996103.0
Participants: 8
Project status: CLOSED

SMILEY aims to develop and apply a "bottom-up" approach to build nano-structured devices with smart multi-functional properties: bio-mineralization, self-assembly, self-organization are an ensemble of concomitant phenomena, inspired by nature, that will be properly directed to generate elementary nano-sized building blocks organized in macroscopic devices for application in EHS (Environment, Health, Safety) Biomedical and Energy fields. SMILEY will exploit the ability of such a cascade of biologically-inspired processes to form complex hybrid nano-composites, starting from abundant and environmentally safe raw materials such as natural polymers and fibres, whose characteristics and organization are mediated by the activation of control mechanisms and structural confinement conferring defined functionalities to the final devices. The processes of self-assembling and mineralization, scaled at pilot plant, will be directed and adjusted to obtain 3-D porous hybrid nano-composites to be used as: i) filters for air purification from nano-particles; ii) biomedical devices exhibiting high mimesis with human hard tissues, addressed to dental regeneration; iii) fibrous integrated photovoltaic devices. The control mechanisms inherent in the whole process will allow to establish a technological platform based on highly repeatable, scalable and cost-effective technology for the manufacturing of multi-functional devices with huge economic, environmental and social impact. This will also represent a proof of concept for further development of smart devices obtained by biologically-inspired self-assembling processes; in this respect, roadmaps addressing wider industrial exploitation will be prepared, basing on the knowledge gained in the development of SMILEY.

Keywords: bio-mineralization,self-assembling,self-organization,nano-hybrid composite,dental scaffold,filtering device,photovoltaic fabric,magnetic scaffold,magnetic filter.