Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Short, weakly interacting RNA ligands for the development of high-concentration monoclonal antibody therapeutics (SWIRL)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Proof of concept grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Physical and analytical chemical sciences
Panel description: Analytical chemistry, chemical theory, physical chemistry/chemical physics
Countries involved: Austria
Call: ERC Proof of Concept Grant (ERC-2018-PoC, 2018)
Start date: 2018-06-01
End date: 2019-11-30
Duration (months): 18.0
Total project cost (EUR): 150000.0
EU funding (EUR): 150000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Usage of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) has over the past 20 years become one of the most powerful pharmacological strategies in the treatment of various types of cancer, cardiovascular diseases and autoimmune disorders. Importantly, a central challenge in developing the required high protein concentration formulations of mAb therapeutics is the issue of protein solubility. The current approaches for addressing this challenge typically involve using different osmolyte excipients such as salts, carbohydrates, amino acids or surfactants, but they suffer from various problems including insufficient activity, low specificity, allergenic reactivity and others. Clearly, there exists an unmet need for novel strategies to increase the solubility of mAbs in pharmaceutical formulations in an efficient, cost-effective, target-specific manner. We propose to address this challenge by exploiting one of the central biological interaction partners of proteins, the RNA molecules. Specifically, we will: 1) bring to a product stage a computational software suite for designing short, weakly interacting RNA ligands (SWIRLs) that improve the solubility of aggregation-prone mAb therapeutics in a sequence- specific manner, and 2) commercialize the software for usage in a biopharmaceutical context. The designed SWIRLs increase the solubility of target proteins and shield them from unwanted aggregation through weak, specific interactions and a simultaneous alteration of solvent structure. Moreover, a major advantage of using short, standard unmodified RNAs is that they are non-immunogenic and are degradable in the blood, which makes them a unique material for formulation development. Importantly, the sequence-specific design of SWIRLs for a particular target protein will be based on fundamental physicochemical principles of RNA-protein interactions, recently elucidated by us in the context of our ERC Starting Independent grant project.

Keywords: monoclonal antibodies,therapeutics,protein solubility
Vaccines as a remedy for antimicrobial resistant bacterial infections (vAMRes)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced 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: Italy
Call: ERC Advanced Grant (ERC-2017-ADG, 2017)
Start date: 2018-11-01
End date: 2023-10-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2432500.0
EU funding (EUR): 2432500.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is perhaps the most emerging alarm in health. It already causes 700,000 deaths per year and the forecast for 2050 is 10 million deaths, more than cancer today. WHO, UN General Assembly, World Bank, G20, EU, UK and USA governments call for new antibiotics, but the pipeline for new antibiotics is not very promising. Here we propose to use new technologies to develop human monoclonal antibodies and vaccines against three AMR bacteria such as gonococcus, pneumococcus and E.coli. The technology defined as reverse vaccinology 2.0, already successful for viral infections, will be used for bacterial vaccines. Taking advantage of the recent possibility of high throughput cloning of human B cells from convalescent or vaccinated people we aim to find targets difficult or impossible to be discovered using conventional technologies. B cells will be cloned from people convalescent from target infections and from people vaccinated with Men B vaccine which confers some protection against gonococcus. The antibodies produced by the clones will be screened for their ability to bind, intoxicate or kill bacteria using a novel high-throughput microscopy platform that rapidly captures digital images and also with conventional, lower throughput technologies such as bactericidal, opsono-phagocytosis and FACS assays. The selected antibodies, will be expressed as full length and used for passive immunization in animal models and tested for protection in vivo. Finally, those antibodies that will provide the best protection in the above assays, will be used to identify the recognized antigens. Selected antigens will be expressed and tested in vaccine formulations. Fab fragments can be used to make co-crystals with the antigen and determine the crystal structure of the new antigens, for the development of structure-based antigen design. In conclusion we expect to enable development of human monoclonal antibodies and vaccines against AMR.

Keywords: vaccines,infectious diseases,monoclonal antibodies,antimicrobial resistance amr
HIgh PERformance Journal Bearing Technology for new geared TurboFAN generations (HIPERFAN)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Societal Challenges
Programme: Smart, green and integrated transport
Theme: Public-private partnerships
Destination: Clean Sky 2
Action type: Research and Innovation actions
Partnership: CS2 (Art-187)
Countries involved: Austria,Austria,Austria,Austria,Germany
Call: VHBR Engine – Journal Bearing Technology (H2020-CS2-CFP06-2017-01, 2017)
Start date: 2018-03-01
End date: 2022-02-28
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2999526.64
EU funding (EUR): 2999526.6399999997
Participants: 7
Project status: CLOSED

The development of new journal bearing materials is viewed as key enabler for future geared turbofan engines where extreme operational conditions- out of industry experience- exist. The challenging conditions are not met by state of the art journal bearing materials and new journal bearing material concepts are demanded. Therefore, HIPERFAN aims for the development of the most robust and reliable high performance journal bearing materials and associated manufacturing processes, and will support the optimization of the entire tribological journal bearing system in order to enable the new Ultrafan™ and consequently the Very High Bypass Ratio (VHBR) engine technology. In order to fulfill this aim, HIPERFAN will follow a new direct coated multilayer/graded coatings approach that will take the status quo of current established journal bearing materials to a new level. Gradually tailored composition and/or morphology of the materials will combine maximum fatigue strength with maximum adaptability and will lower risks and limitations of todays journal bearing (material) technology significantly. Simulation assisted design and production of the coating architecture combined with sub scale tribometer testings over the entire stribeck curve and under emergency running conditions (already in the early development stage) will enable a fast screening of multiple material combinations and will develop a comprehensive understanding of the underlying tribological system. Within the frame of HIPERFAN new (systematically analyzed, characterized and optimized) journal bearing materials will be developed. Including the development of a process simulation assisted Magnetrontechnology to a maturity level of TRL6 and MCRL4 respectively.

Keywords: journal bearing material,graduated coatings,bore coatings,graded coatings
(Harmonised Amphenol Radiall Project) - A next generation high density modular electrical interconnect solution. (HARP)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Societal Challenges
Programme: Smart, green and integrated transport
Theme: Public-private partnerships
Destination: Clean Sky 2
Action type: Innovation actions
Partnership: CS2 (Art-187)
Countries involved: France,France
Call: High density Electrical connectors (H2020-CS2-CFP06-2017-01, 2017)
Start date: 2018-03-01
End date: 2021-12-31
Duration (months): 46.0
Total project cost (EUR): 900500.0
EU funding (EUR): 499999.0
Participants: 2
Project status: CLOSED

To answer the need for high density, cost effective interconnection solutions for future avionics products, the two European connector suppliers, Radiall and Amphenol have united their expertise to define, develop and demonstrate an innovative family of connectors able to meet the equipment and aircraft requirements of the 6U Line Replacement Module (« blades »).Driven by cost effectiveness, weight saving, modularity, cabinet assembly flexibility and easy of manufacture, this family will cover a large range of avionics operational requirements. Both companies will call upon their significant experience of previous project such as CORAC and PRIMAE, their ARINC 600 and EN4165 products coupled with in-house innovations and existing technological mature solutions from other product ranges. Key innovations will include new design features such as universal connector cavity size, reduced parts and easy and flexible mating / locking approaches and reversible contact configurations. These will be accompanied by ambitious manufacturing processes (multi cavities monobloc moulding of complex parts, wafer manufacturing of inserts, selective plating on thermoplastic parts and right angle press fit stamped & formed contacts rather than machined parts. The project will produce a 6U blade connector demonstrator as well as two harness connectors (multi-cavity for cost effective high runner production and mono cavity for additional harness segregation and assembly features). These will be subjected to environmental testing by Radial and extensive functional testing by the equipment supplier Zodiac Aerotechnics. In parallel to the demonstrator activity, the project will de-risk the potential manufacturing process showstoppers to ensure a smooth industrialisation of the connectors beyond the end of the project. The partners will also initiate the necessary actions to promote this family of connectors as the next aeronautical standard to accompany the future deployment of LRM cabinets.

Keywords: avionics,connectors,lrm architecture,ewis,harness,integrated modular avionics,thermoplastic moulding,plating on thermoplastic,stamp press fit contacts,equipment,standardisation
YUFE Transforming Research and Innovation through Europe-wide Knowledge Transfer (YUFERING)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Science with and for Society
Action type: Coordination and support actions
Countries involved: Germany,Spain,Italy,Cyprus,Belgium,Finland,Croatia,Poland,Netherlands,United Kingdom
Call: Support for the Research and Innovation Dimension of European Universities (Part I) (H2020-IBA-SwafS-Support-1-2020, 2020)
Start date: 2021-03-01
End date: 2024-02-29
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1999997.5
EU funding (EUR): 1999997.5
Participants: 11
Project status: SIGNED

As part of the European Research Area vision, the European Commission is aiming to see the necessary transformations in R&I that will include the promotion of citizen science and societal engagement, the mainstreaming of Open Science practices, the fostering of brain and knowledge circulation, strengthening of academia-business collaboration and embodiment in a glocal Research and Innovation (R&I) ecosystem. The YUFE (Young Universities for the Future of Europe) alliance embraces in YUFERING this challenge by effectively contributing to pilot these needed transformations to improve and harmonise the conditions for R&I in Europe. Focusing on key elements of the ERA and in full alignment with the relevant SwafS call for proposals, YUFERING proposes ground-breaking transformation actions that will bring the partners one step closer to creating and realising a shared robust R&I vision. These transformations comprise community engaged R&I, flipped knowledge transfer to the enterprise sector and the society at large, shared R&I agendas, support structures and research infrastructures, as well as common open science strategies and new incentive and reward schemes for researchers based on the new open science era. The European cooperation and transformation in R&I (next to education) that is objective of the European Universities Initiative is unavoidably dependent on multilateralism, synergy and support from the EU as well as Member States. In YUFERING, the YUFE partners will also work towards assessing the legal, regulatory and financial conditions that are relevant towards the creation of a stronger ERA and will identify recommendations towards transformation needed to make sharing of capacity and resources possible and attractive for academics and institutional/private funders. Within YUFERING, the alliance will explore synergies with other ‘European Universities’ to facilitate collaboration in relevant activities and towards addressing shared challenges and barriers.

Keywords: randi policy,european universities,randi agenda,community engaged randi,flipped innovation,open science,research infrastructures,reward scheme for researchers
Earth Observation Value Adding Services – Earth Observation Design and Publishing Service (EO-VAS)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Industrial Leadership
Programme: Space
Action type: SME instrument
Countries involved: Austria,Slovenia
Call: Engaging SMEs in space research and development (H2020-SMEINST-2-2016-2017, 2016)
Start date: 2017-02-01
End date: 2019-01-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2851217.5
EU funding (EUR): 1995852.25
Participants: 2
Project status: CLOSED

The proposed project (hereafter: EO-VAS project) will RESHAPE Earth Observation Value Chain by BREAKING “DOWNSTREAM” component and significantly SIMPLIFYING development and delivery of Earth Observation Adding Value Services (hereafter: EO VAS). Project foundation is built around SINERGISE’s award-winning (2016 Copernicus Masters Award) Sentinel Hub Operational Prototype (world-first engine for archiving, processing and distribution of Sentinel data) and GEOVILLE’s extensive set of processing algorithms (applied in over 100 existent EO VAS). Main project delivery, EO-Toolset has an ambition to become: - First virtual market place for EO VAS, introducing completely NEW BUSSINESS MODEL in the area of EO services = model, benefiting all participants in EO value chain - from data providers, through service providers to end-users. - EO VAS innovation hub: fostering development of EO services, becoming a virtual meeting place for the exchange of new ideas and encouraging EO VAS experimenting - Virtual business incubator for emerging earth-observation oriented start-ups, that lack the means to commercialise their EO services by themselves. - Pre-processing engine for other EO domain services, helping them to reduce pre-processing costs and to turn their attention into domain expertise and higher quality of their products. EO-VAS will focus on the agriculture and non-life insurance as high revenue entry markets, with the entire optical EO space industry application domain field as revenue market. Conservative investment ROI turning point is 2022 with project’s 15-year’s Net present value of almost € 11,2 MIO, Internal rate of return of 46%. Importantly, due to the setup of EO-VAS enabling customer processing capacities, an significant economic benefit is expected to the entire EO application market, with an estimated leverage effect of 30, putting the effective value of EO-VAS at € 336 MIO.

Keywords: sentinel,copernicus,downstream services
Cyclic Arylenevinylene Polymers (CyclAr)

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-2015, 2015)
Start date: 2016-03-01
End date: 2018-06-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 195454.8
EU funding (EUR): 195454.8
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Research work at the University of Manchester (UNIMAN) has developed an efficient synthetic method to prepare arylenevinylene polymers with control of molecular weight and end-group functionality by the ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of strained 1,9-cyclophanedienes. The CyclAr project will use this methodology to deliver conjugated polymers of novel topologies, including rings, 8-shapes, trefoils and others. Macromolecular rings will be prepared by ring expansion metathesis polymerization (REMP) using a tethered ruthenium carbene complex and more complex topologies from telechelic polymers prepared from a bifunctional ruthenium carbene complex. Electron rich (p-type) and electron poor (n-type) polymer topologies will be prepared from the appropriate functionalised cyclophanedienes and topological heterojunctions examined. These molecules will be screened for their photovoltaic performance as the novel molecular topologies can lead to an enhanced charge separation and fewer loss mechanisms - key factors in achieving higher power conversion efficiency in OPVs. The synthetic methodology to be adopted is novel and application of these topological arylenevinylene polymers as semiconducting materials in device fabrication is unprecedented. The overall aim of the project is to develop novel topologies for arylenevinylene polymers and to investigate the influence of the molecular shape on the physical, optical and electronic properties.

Keywords: organic electronics
Wound healing ILYA-style (WHILYAS)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Societal Challenges
Programme: Health, demographic change and wellbeing
Theme: Treating and managing disease
Action type: SME instrument
Countries involved: Sweden
Call: Supporting innovative SMEs in the healthcare biotechnology sector (H2020-SMEINST-2-2016-2017, 2017)
Start date: 2018-03-01
End date: 2019-08-31
Duration (months): 18.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2992575.0
EU funding (EUR): 2992575.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The objective of the project is to develop the EV100 drug candidate to heal chronic wounds in patients with diabetes in a better, faster, and cheaper manner than any method available today. We have chosen to target wounds in patients with diabetes, due to a large unmet medical need in this group. Today, 18% of people with diabetes have a chronic wound which translates into at least 6 million people in Europe alone. One of the complications of diabetes, diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) often result in limb amputation. The mortality rate after an amputation is 30% within the first year, which is similar to several cancers. Even more alarming, treatment is today limited to mechanical debridement, use of different dressings, and a substantial overuse of antibiotics. Industrialized countries spend 2-4% of total healthcare budget on chronic wounds. The market for wound care is EUR 15 billion and the segment of DFUs is in the range of EUR 1.5 billion, with 11% CAGR 2011-2014. We have designed and built genetically modified lactic acid bacteria that accelerate wound healing with a unique efficiency. Human therapeutic proteins endogenously involved in tissue regeneration are continuously delivered on site in wounds by the lactic acid bacteria that act like small local bioreactors. EV100 is one of the candidate drugs in our library using Ilya100TM technology and is Lactobacillus expressing the human chemokine CXCL12. The Lactobacillus are freeze-dried and revived with water just prior to topical administration. The innovation stems from world-leading medical research in immunophysiology and microbiology at Uppsala University and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. With EV100 chronic wounds could possibly be healed approx. 66% faster, implying annual cost savings of EUR 6 billion in the US and Europe and tackling all the personal and social difficulties associated with chronic wounds, increasing the quality of life of patients all around the world.

Keywords: chronic wounds healing,diabetic foot ulcer,lactic acid bacteria,human therapeutic,protein,human biological drugs,immune cells,topical application,freeze dried probiotics
ERA Chair in Mathematical Statistics and Data Science for the University of Luxembourg (SanDAL)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Spreading excellence and widening participation
Programme: ERA chairs
Theme: Attracting and mobilising the best talents
Action type: Coordination and support actions
Countries involved: Luxembourg
Call: ERA Chairs (H2020-WIDESPREAD-03-2017-ERAChairs, 2017)
Start date: 2019-01-01
End date: 2024-06-30
Duration (months): 66.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2498500.0
EU funding (EUR): 2498500.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

SanDAL aims to create at the University of Luxembourg (UL) a high-level research group in Mathematical Statistics and Data Science (MS&DS). This will fill an identified gap between UL’s current research activity in mathematics (including probability theory but also geometry and mathematical physics), which developed well in recent years, and a number of applications of particular importance both for other academic research fields and for Luxembourg’s economic development. The ERA Chair will be offered a permanent full professorship at UL to ensure a sustainable structural change and improvement of Luxembourg’s Research and Innovation landscape. The project will also fund two postdoctoral positions for its full duration, and three PhD positions will be UL-funded. The main scientific directions of the project (to be precisely defined by the future ERA Chair Holder) will be High-Dimensional Data Analysis (including Probabilistic Aspects of High-Dimensional Data and Topological Data Analysis) and New Mathematical Tools for Contemporary Statistics (including Signal Reconstruction and the Mathematics of Sparsity, and Non-Parametric Bayesian Methods). In addition to the development of a strong and sustainable new direction of research at UL, SanDAL will permit the development of new teaching programs at MSc and PhD levels in MS&DS. It will therefore ensure a steady flow of MS&DS graduates that will be of value not only for mathematics but also for academic and non-academic research in other fields and in other economic areas. SanDAL will build on the existing expertise in mathematics (in particular probability theory, but also discrete geometry and topology) at UL. The contribution of an external Scientific Steering Committee, made of top experts in MS&DS, will be essential to its scientific success, while a National Advisory Board, made of some of the main users of MS&DS at the Luxembourg level, will ensure that it is relevant to the economy and other academic fields.

Keywords: statistics,data science,data analysis,topological data analysis,signal reconstruction,sparsity,non parametric,bayesian methods