Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
The role of temperature and transmission route on parasite epidemiological, ecological and evolutionary dynamics (EpiEcoEvo)

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: Switzerland
Call: Individual Fellowships (H2020-MSCA-IF-2020, 2020)
Start date: 2021-09-01
End date: 2023-08-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 191149.44
EU funding (EUR): 191149.44
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Despite their clear importance and potential to broadly influence host populations, little is known about pathogen interactions within a broader ecosystem. This project will use the well-studied Daphnia magna-Pasteuria ramosa host-parasite system as a model to investigate how various factors (temperature, route of transmission and selection for host resistance) interact to influence the repeatable seasonal epidemic dynamics observed in nature in order to further understand the ecological and evolutionary drivers of epidemics. The novelty offered by this project is that it will be using a combination of field observations, mesocosm and laboratory experiments along with mathematical modelling, aiming to quantify and measure the relative importance of factors that are often recognised to be important for epidemic dynamics, but not well understood. The originality offered by this project is that it will allow us to disentangle the complex relationships between hosts, parasites, the broader ecological community, and the abiotic environment and gain further insight to the rules that govern epidemic cycles and ecological feedback loops. By doing so, it allows to estimate the effect of climate change (in particular warmer summers) on the future dynamics of this host-parasite system. Understanding the drivers of infectious disease dynamics and the complex mechanisms of transmission and their relationship to the biotic and abiotic environment are more important than ever as we face the dual and linked challenges of global change and emerging infectious diseases.

Keywords: host parasite dynamics,community ecology,epidemiology,temperature
Neural mechanisms of learning in the infant brain : from Statistics to Rules and Symbols (Babylearn)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: The Human Mind and Its Complexity
Panel description: Cognitive science, psychology, linguistics, theoretical philosophy
Countries involved: France
Call: ERC Advanced Grant (ERC-2015-AdG, 2015)
Start date: 2016-09-01
End date: 2022-02-28
Duration (months): 66.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2554923.9
EU funding (EUR): 2554923.9
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Infant is the most powerful learner: He learns in a few months to master language, complex social interactions, etc. Powerful statistical algorithms, simultaneously acting at the different levels of functional hierarchies have been proposed to explain learning. I propose here that two other elements are crucial. The first is the particular human cerebral architecture that constrains statistical computations. The second is the human’s ability to access a rich symbolic system. I have planned 6 work packages using the complementary information offered by non-invasive brain-imaging techniques (EEG, MRI and optical topography) to understand the neural bases of infant statistical computations and symbolic competence from 6 months of gestation up until the end of the first year of life. WP1 studies from which preterm age, statistical inferences can be demonstrated using hierarchical auditory oddball paradigms. WP2 investigates the consequences of a different pre-term environment (in-utero versus ex-utero) on the early statistical computations in the visual and auditory domains and their consequences on the ongoing brain activity along the first year of life. WP3 explores the neural bases of how infants infer word meaning and word category, and in particular the role of the left perisylvian areas and of their particular connectivity. WP4 questions infant symbolic competency. I propose several criteria (generalization, bidirectionality, use of algebraic rules and of logical operations) tested in successive experiments to clarify infant symbolic abilities during the first semester of life. WP5-6 are transversal to WP1-4: WP5 uses MRI to obtain accurate functional localization and maturational markers correlated with functional results. In WP6, we develop new tools to combine and analyse multimodal brain images. With this proposal, I hope to clarify the specificities of a neural functional architecture that are critical for human learning from the onset of cortical circuits.

Keywords: brain imaging,brain development,infants,learning,neural mechanisms
Peroxisome Interactions and Communication (PERICO)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie-Sklodowska-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Innovative Training Networks (ITN)-European Training Networks
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Panel: Life Sciences
Countries involved: Germany,Germany,Germany,Israel,Austria,Austria,Germany,Belgium,Switzerland,Netherlands,Netherlands,United Kingdom,Canada,Denmark
Call: Innovative Training Networks (H2020-MSCA-ITN-2018, 2018)
Start date: 2018-10-01
End date: 2023-03-31
Duration (months): 54.0
Total project cost (EUR): 3974527.44
EU funding (EUR): 3974527.44
Participants: 16
Project status: SIGNED

PERICO fosters education of ESRs in a project to uncover how a central metabolic organelle, the peroxisome, participates in controlling cellular metabolism. It trains 15 ESRs at world-leading academic institutions, including university hospitals, and companies, thus forming strong interdisciplinary links between industry, life and medical sciences, and end-users. PERICO aims to train a new generation of highly qualified ESRs with entrepreneurial competencies in modern Life Sciences through state-of-the-art research projects focusing on the communication between peroxisomes and the rest of the cell – required to enable optimal metabolic decisions - and to use this knowledge to develop novel leads for drug discovery and therapies for a growing list of serious human diseases in which peroxisomes have been implicated. The new field on organelle communication requires highly skilled scientists who have expert knowledge on more than one discipline (e.g. cell biology, biochemistry, systems biology and medical sciences), more than one type of cell organelle or more than one model organism to optimally translate their research data to other disciplines and sectors, including medicine. PERICO overcomes current barriers by establishing a strong, multidisciplinary and inter-sectoral training network, developing technologies tailored to solve key questions in organelle biology. The PERICO programme will exploit recent developments in high throughput and genome wide screening technologies, combine these with modern molecular cell biology and systems biology and ultimately translate the data into new leads for drug discovery and therapy. This specific cross-disciplinary training program will educate young scientists to a next level, which is needed to advance this research field for the upcoming decennium and to efficiently translate findings into applications. The training programme will be complemented with a complete set of transferable skills.

Keywords: peroxisome,glycosome,yeast,mammals,trypanosomes,organelle interactions,contact sites,systems biology,high content screening,redox signalling,human disease,drug discovery,metabolism
Multi-scale model of bacterial cell-cell interactions (T6S)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions
Panel description: Molecular biology, biochemistry, structural biology, molecular biophysics, synthetic and chemical biology, drug design, innovative methods and modelling
Countries involved: Switzerland
Call: ERC Starting Grant (ERC-2015-STG, 2015)
Start date: 2017-01-01
End date: 2021-12-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1751853.0
EU funding (EUR): 1751853.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Transporting selected proteins across the cell envelope in a controlled manner is a fundamental property of all cell types. For bacteria, secretion systems play a central role in the translocation of effectors that mediate interactions with other cells. The bacterial Type VI Secretion (T6S) system is one of the most widespread secretion systems and, in a cell-cell contact-dependent fashion, it injects effectors into eukaryotic and bacterial targets. The T6S system utilizes a cytoplasmic phage tail-like apparatus that is anchored to the cell envelope. A contractile sheath propels a macromolecular effector-loaded tube/spike-complex outside the cell and into the target. Here, we will establish a model of T6S-mediated cell-cell interactions by integrating information from the molecular, cellular and intercellular scales. The model will reveal answers to three paramount questions of the field: Aim 1 (molecular scale) will elucidate an atomic model of the T6S membrane-anchoring complex in loaded and fired conformational states. Aim 2 (cellular scale) will identify the mechanisms and relevance of clustering multiple T6S machines in a confined region of the cell. Aim 3 (intercellular scale) will resolve T6S actively engaged in cell-cell interactions to clarify the in vivo structure and significance of the inner tube in effector translocation and target cell penetration. Electron cryo-tomography (ECT) will be used as the key technique to resolve unique structures in their cellular context, in a native state, in three dimensions and at the crucial nanometer-to-micrometer range. Cryo-focused ion beam milling will be established to prepare samples thin enough for ECT imaging. ECT data will be complemented by high-resolution structural information of sub-complexes (in vitro) and low-resolution fluorescence light microscopy data on dynamics (in vivo). In the future, our approach will prove useful to study other types of bacterial cell-cell interactions.

Keywords: bacterial cell biology,cell cell interactions,protein secretion,cryo electron microscopy,tomography,sub tomogram averaging,focused ion beam milling,fluorescence light microscopy,phage tail
Upgrading a commercially-available Fault Current Limiter to a more cost-effective device for enabling additional capacity and improving energy efficiency, by limiting destructive fault currents (FCL)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Societal Challenges
Programme: Secure, clean and efficient energy
Action type: SME instrument
Countries involved: Israel
Call: Stimulating the innovation potential of SMEs for a low carbon energy system (H2020-SMEINST-2-2014, 2014)
Start date: 2015-06-01
End date: 2017-05-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1512500.0
EU funding (EUR): 1050000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Electricity networks are required to accommodate additional generation sources, which increase the exposure to fault currents; causing damages of billions of euros, and impacting millions of people. Utilities are forced to invest hundreds of millions in order to prevent catastrophic consequences. GridON is offering Fault Current Limiters (FCL) for transmission, distribution and industrial grids, which enable capacity growth, while improving energy efficiency and network stability. By suppressing excessive faults, FCLs enable grid meshing and cost-effective connection of additional power generation and renewable low-carbon energy sources. FCLs eliminate network upgrades and early retirement of fit-for use equipment, reducing capex by 10s-100s of millions of euros. FCLs reduce the overall impedance across a meshed grid, hence reducing losses and offsetting millions of tonnes of carbon emissions. GridON has successfully installed FCLs in live grids. Our FCL at UK Power Networks has proven extremely effective in clamping many faults during the past 18 months. It has proven extremely robust, reliable and easy to operate and maintain. Another commercial unit is now being installed in Western Power Distribution’s primary substation in UK. GridON’s FCL has received very strong recognition from its customers, who plan to install additional FCLs. Following discussions with prospective customers in EU and ROW, GridON has been realizing a multi-billion euros potential for FCLs. That said, we’ve realized that a smaller device would dramatically impact FCL adoption. GridON has gained extensive experience in designing and manufacturing FCL technology, and we trust our ability to reduce the size and cost of our existing technology by 25-50%. GridON has reached preliminary proof of concept stage (TRL4) for the required improvements. GridON is seeking funding under the SME Instrument program to design, build and test a demonstration unit that will be ready for commercial scaling.

Keywords: distributed generation connection,carbon emissions reduction,asset cost reduction,network meshing,renewable energy sources
Chiral aqueous-phase chemistry (AQUACHIRAL)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Physical and analytical chemical sciences
Panel description: Analytical chemistry, chemical theory, physical chemistry/chemical physics
Countries involved: Germany
Call: ERC Advanced Grant (ERC-2019-ADG, 2019)
Start date: 2021-01-01
End date: 2025-12-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2490250.0
EU funding (EUR): 2490250.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Most chemical reactions in lifeforms take place in aqueous environments and probing biochemical molecules and their reactions in the aqueous phase is indispensable for advancing fundamental and applied science. Equally, intermolecular effects involving chiral complexes are highly relevant to life sciences, where hydration and chiral recognition are fundamental biochemical processes, typically occurring at aqueous interfaces. All of these processes are driven by electronic structure interactions with water molecules and are intimately connected with aqueous-phase electron binding energies. The prime experimental tool to access these properties is photoelectron spectroscopy (PES). With the recent invention of liquid-microjet-(LJ) PES, compatible with highly volatile liquid water and aqueous solutions, this technique has significantly contributed to modern water research, providing important insights into formerly elusive water properties, such as absolute energetics and solute interfacial distributions. I propose to explore chirality in aqueous solution using a novel aspect of photoelectron emission: photoelectron circular dichroism (PECD). It is site-specific and sensitive to chemical environment and structure. Furthermore, PECD exceeds absorption-based chiroptical signals by orders of magnitude, allowing application to dilute samples, potentially including interfacial layers, akin to PES. PECD has been demonstrated for isolated chiral molecules and clusters, and measurement of PECD effects in aqueous solution would mark a scientific breakthrough. The aim of AQUACHIRAL is to combine LJ-PES with PECD to (1) probe aqueous-phase chirality using enantioselective electronic-structure fingerprints of solutes and to (2) follow the stereochemistry of prominent chemical reactions in aqueous solution, e.g. slow glucose mutarotation. To achieve this, experimental technology must be extended, with novel liquid jets and electron detection systems being developed and optimized.

Keywords: physh gas liquid interfaces,physh chirality
ADAPTOS - Changing the way bone voids are treated (ADAPTOS)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Industrial Leadership
Programme: Innovation in SMEs
Action type: SME instrument
Countries involved: Finland
Call: SME instrument (H2020-SMEInst-2018-2020-2, 2019)
Start date: 2019-10-01
End date: 2024-09-30
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 3212500.0
EU funding (EUR): 2248750.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

There are 4 million operations performed annually that require a bone graft. This makes bone the second most common tissue transplant in the world, trailing only blood transfusions. There are three options where to source the bone today. Directly from the patient (autograft), from a bone bank (allograft) or using a substitute. The dominant method today is autografting. This is because human’s own bone is easy to use and offers plentiful regeneration properties. However, autografting is painful and risky, causing complications in 50% of harvests. This has caused orthopaedic surgeons to regard autografting as a trade-off between sourcing a suitable bone at the cost of a minor disability for the patient. This is where Adaptos comes in. Adaptos is the only bone graft substitute that mimics bone by being resilient and bioactive. Adaptos gives surgeons the freedom to operate, as they were using autografts, without the drawbacks. Today, Adaptos is already in use across 9 animal clinics. By collaborating with numerous surgeons, we have validated our technology as the best bone graft substitute on the market. We will initially enter the synthetic bone graft substitute market valued at €2.1 billion. We aim to penetrate the less complex markets first (animals, craniomaxillofacial & orthopaedic applications). Through these applications, we will build reference cases to meet the high burden-of-proof required to enter the most complex applications (e.g. Spinal fusion). Our cross-disciplinary founding team will use the SME-project to scale up Adaptos’ production line, build reference cases across 3 hospitals via a multi-country clinical trial and improve our onboarding of orthopaedic surgeons in the process. Thanks to the SME-project, we estimate that we will reach €17 million in revenue by 2023 while employing 35 high-quality employees.

Keywords: bone graft substitute,bone
Pre-commercialization of stable and compact lasers for atom based quantum technologies (SLAQ)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Proof of concept grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Fundamental constituents of matter
Panel description: Particle, nuclear, plasma, atomic, molecular, gas, and optical physics
Countries involved: Italy
Call: ERC Proof of Concept Grant (ERC-2019-PoC, 2019)
Start date: 2020-05-01
End date: 2022-04-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 150000.0
EU funding (EUR): 150000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Optical transitions in atoms and ions are used in precise interferometry, quantum computation (QC) and accurate clock applications, and the research in these fields has led the birth of a laser spectroscopy industry. Currently, this industry is growing, and smaller lasers are already finding their way into exciting transportable applications, such as rockets. QC possesses extensive market potential, and is expected to surpass the $2 billion mark over the next five years. QC industry is a forerunner in adopting tomorrow’s technologies, and the demand they create for new high-tech will also benefit other domains. Currently, QC is facing an enormous bottleneck – computers occupy large spaces in a way reminiscent of the 1960’s, when personal computers filled entire rooms but could carry out only the simplest operations. At the heart of miniaturization efforts for quantum computers are compact, reliable and inexpensive laser systems. In our laboratory, we faced the very same problem with our laser spectroscopy setup and were frustrated by the amount of time we had to devote to maintenance. We made an exciting innovation to overcome the current challenges. The key lies on the design of our Extended-Cavity Diode Laser (ECDL)-based setup, which combines the best features of current laser configurations (Littrow/Cateye). We use a novel design which makes the operation of the ECDL virtually free from any mechanical hysteresis-related problems. We can also fit the laser inside a miniaturized power supply, and achieve a considerably smaller volume for the unit. Therefore, we can create a compact, reliable and cost-effective laser system attractive for various applications. In the PoC, we will carry out a technology PoC and a commercialization PoC to improve the time to market of our exciting approach to laser spectroscopy.

Keywords: extended cavity diode laser,optical spectroscopy,quantum technologies
Coherent multidimensional spectroscopy of controlled isolated systems (COCONIS)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Physical and analytical chemical sciences
Panel description: Analytical chemistry, chemical theory, physical chemistry/chemical physics
Countries involved: Germany
Call: ERC Advanced Grant (ERC-2015-AdG, 2015)
Start date: 2016-09-01
End date: 2022-02-28
Duration (months): 66.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2295000.0
EU funding (EUR): 2295000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Fundamental quantum mechanical processes determine the properties of matter and their functionality. In order to understand complex processes such as light harvesting in photosynthesis and photovoltaics, a detailed knowledge of coherent effects in excitation and charge transfer processes and related dynamics is required. To a large extent, the complexity of the systems induces too many interactions and perturbations of the processes to isolate and understand individual mechanisms. Advanced experimental methods, capable of detecting quantum coherences, so far are not applicable to quantum state controlled molecular complexes isolated from the perturbing environment, due to the low density of such targets. In this project we will for the first time employ coherent femtosecond multidimensional spectroscopy to dilute isolated molecular complexes. For a specific heterogeneous synthesis we will use aggregation in superfluid helium at millikelvin temperatures. In order to reach the needed sensitivity we will setup a novel phase modulation technique including lock-in demodulation in combination with mass-resolved ionization and photoelectron detection. Advanced mathematical methods will furthermore be developed and applied, boosting efficient collection of multidimensional datasets. We will be able to (a) identify processes and coherent dynamics of excitation and charge transfer in fundamental heterogeneous complexes, in particular van der Waals bound donor acceptor complexes (b) elucidate coherence and dissipation effects in contact with tailored external baths, (c) investigate microsolvation, i.e. measure the evolution of dynamic properties as a function of attached solvent molecules, (d) determine collective effects like autoionization in dilute atomic gases or exciton annihilation in semiconductor systems, (e) implement compressed sensing in multidimensional data acquisition, (f) implement largely parallelized phase-cycling into real-time data acquisition.