Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
ANTIcipating the Global Onset of Novel Epidemics (ANTIGONE)

Framework: FP7 — Cooperation
Programme: Health
Destination: Translating research for human health
Action type: Collaborative project
Countries involved: Netherlands,France,United Kingdom,Germany,United Kingdom,Spain,Netherlands,Germany,Greece,Czechia,Germany
Call:  (FP7-HEALTH-2011-two-stage, 2011)
Start date: 2011-11-01
End date: 2016-10-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 15686260.87
EU funding (EUR): 11997709.0
Participants: 14
Project status: CLOSED

In recent years, an increased number of zoonotic viruses and bacteria have crossed the species barrier to humans and caused or threatened to cause human pandemics with high morbidity and mortality. Because of our inability to predict the emergence of these pathogens, it is difficult to take preventive measures. It is known that zoonotic pathogens need to cross barriers at the animal-human interface, at the pathogen-host interface within humans, and at the human-human interface before they can cause a human pandemic. However, it is poorly understood which pathogen, host, arthropod vector, and environmental factors allow zoonotic pathogens to successfully cross these barriers. Therefore, our overall objective is to identify the key factors that render zoonotic pathogens prone to cross the species barrier and gain efficient transmissibility among humans. ANTIGONE has a two-pronged approach to reach this objective. First, we will perform primary research studies to fill important gaps in our understanding of how zoonotic pathogens can gain pandemic potential. These studies will focus on selected viruses and bacteria, including SARS coronavirus, , Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus, Nipah virus, Ebola virus, E. coli, M. bovis, B. burgdorferi, C. burnetii and S. suis. Integral to these activities will be a cross-disciplinary training programme for young scientists (Young ANTIGONE) and a web-based pathogen information sharing platform. Second, we will organize Dahlem studies where experts from the human and veterinary fields, from within and outside ANTIGONE, will discuss key issues in infectivity, pathogenicity, and transmissibility of zoonotic pathogens and determine general criteria to assess the risk of these pathogens to gain human pandemic potential. Together, the results of these activities will improve our ability to model and predict potential human pandemics of zoonotic origin and to develop effective and timely preventive measures.

Keywords: zoonoses,disease outbreaks,communicable diseases,emerging,species specificity,evolution
DROPLETS AND EMULSIONS: DYNAMICS AND RHEOLOGY (DROEMU)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Condensed matter physics
Countries involved: Italy
Call:  (ERC-2011-StG_20101014, 2011)
Start date: 2011-12-01
End date: 2016-11-30
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1170923.64
EU funding (EUR): 1170923.64
Participants: 2
Project status: CLOSED

The applications of micro- and nanofluidics are now numerous, including lab-on-chip systems based upon micro-manipulation of discrete droplets, emulsions of interest in food and medical industries (drug delivery), analytical separation techniques of biomolecules, such as proteins and DNA, and facile handling of mass-limited samples. The problems involved contain diverse nano- and microstructures with a variety of lifetimes, touching atomistic scales (contact lines, thin films), mesoscopic collective behaviour (emulsions, glassy, soft-jammed systems) and hydrodynamical spatio-temporal evolutions (droplets and interface dynamics) with complex rheology and strong non-equilibrium properties. The interplay of the dynamics at the different scales involved still remains to be fully understood. The fundamental research I address in this project aims to set up the unified framework for the characterization and modelling of interfaces in confined geometries by means of an innovative micro- and nanofluidic numerical platform. The main challenging and ambitious questions I intend to address in my project are: How the stability of micro- and nanodroplets is affected by thermal gradients? Or by boundary corrugation and modulated wettability? Or by complex rheological properties of the dispersed and/or continuous phases? How these effects can be tuned to design new optimal devices for emulsions production? What are the rheological properties of these new soft materials? How confinement in small structures changes the bulk emulsion properties? What is the molecular-hydrodynamical mechanism at the origin of contact line slippage? How to realistically model the fluid-particle interactions on the molecular scale? The strength of the project lies in an innovative and state-of-the-art numerical approach, based on mesoscopic Lattice Boltzmann Models, coupled to microscopic molecular physics, supported by theoretical modelling, lubrication theory and experimental validation.

Keywords: complex fluids,nano- and microfluidics,soft rheology,emulsions,lattice boltzmann numerical methods
Plasma penetration into porous materials for biomedical, textile and filtration applications. (PLASMAPOR)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Products and process engineering
Countries involved: Belgium
Call:  (ERC-2011-StG_20101014, 2011)
Start date: 2012-06-01
End date: 2017-05-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1518800.0
EU funding (EUR): 1518800.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

My group will explore the undeveloped field of penetration of non-thermal plasma into porous structures. Porous materials are an exciting class of materials with a wide range of applications. However, given the narrow dimensions of the porous network, modifying in a homogeneous way an entire porous material is a challenging task. This project is based on the use of non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasmas for an effective internal surface modification of 3D porous structures. To make plasma technology reach this desired level of controlled penetration into porous structures, a far better understanding of the penetration of chemical active species into porous structures is required. Therefore, my project envisages a thorough study of the interactions between a non-thermal plasma and a second phase, the second phase being a porous substrate. Through diagnostics of the process-relevant plasma parameters and a quantitative analysis of the plasma-induced effects, the knowledge on the physics and chemistry of such hybrid plasma systems will be enhanced and, in most cases, newly founded. My group will start exploring this exciting field by focussing on three cornerstone research lines. Firstly, I will develop new plasma reactor concepts enabling effective plasma penetration. Secondly, these newly developed plasma reactors will be employed for the internal surface modification of porous biodegradable polyester scaffolds used in tissue engineering. Thirdly, besides the development of biomedical implants, the possibilities for the design of functional porous textiles and advanced filter materials will also be explored. Realisation of these three cornerstones would result in a major breakthrough in their specific field which makes this proposal inherently a relatively high risk/very high gain proposal. I therefore strongly believe that my research program will open a whole new window of opportunities for porous materials with a large impact on science and society.

Keywords: plasma technology,penetration,porous materials
Compact Multifuel-Energy To Hydrogen converter (COMETHY)

Framework: FP7 — Cooperation
Programme: Joint Technology Initiatives (Annex IV-SP1)
Theme: Public-private partnerships
Destination: Fuel Cells and Hydrogen
Action type: Collaborative project
Partnership: FCH (Art-185)
Countries involved: Italy,Israel,Germany,Italy,Greece,Netherlands,Germany,Italy
Call:  (FCH-JU-2010-1, 2010)
Start date: 2011-12-01
End date: 2015-12-31
Duration (months): 49.0
Total project cost (EUR): 4933250.39
EU funding (EUR): 2484095.0
Participants: 12
Project status: CLOSED

Sustainable decentralized hydrogen production requires development of efficient fuel-flexible units adaptable to renewable sources. CoMETHy aims at developing a compact steam reformer to convert reformable fuels (methane, bioethanol, glycerol, etc.) to pure hydrogen, adaptable to several heat sources (solar, biomass, fossil, refuse derived fuels, etc.) depending on the locally available energy mix. The following systems and components will be developed: • a structured open-celled catalyst for the low-temperature (< 550°C) steam reforming processes • a membrane reactor to separate hydrogen from the gas mixture • the use of an intermediate low-cost and environmentally friendly liquid heat transfer fluid (molten nitrates) to supply process heat from a multi fuel system. Reducing reforming temperatures below 550°C by itself will significantly reduce material costs. The process involves heat collection from several energy sources and its storage as sensible heat of a molten salts mixture at 550°C. This molten salt stream provides the process heat to the steam reformer, steam generator, and other units. The choice of molten salts as heat transfer fluid allows: • improved compactness of the reformer; • rapid and frequent start-up operations with minor material ageing concerns; • improved heat recovery capability from different external sources; • coupling with intermittent renewable sources like solar in the medium-long term, using efficient heat storage to provide the renewable heat when required. Methane, either from desulfurized natural gas or biogas, will be considered as a reference feed material to be converted to hydrogen. The same system is flexible also in terms of the reformable feedstock: bioethanol and/or glycerol can be converted to hydrogen following the same reforming route. The project involves RTD activities ion the single components, followed by proof-of-concept of the integrated system at the pilot scale (2 Nm2/h of hydrogen) and cost-benefit analysis.

Keywords: low temperature steam reforming,fuel-flexible system,methane,biogas,bioethanol,glycerol,membrane reformer,open foam catalyst,molten salts heat carrier
Smart Systems for Small Molecule Activation and Sustainable Homogeneous Catalysis (EURECAT)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Materials and Synthesis
Countries involved: Netherlands
Call:  (ERC-2011-StG_20101014, 2011)
Start date: 2012-01-01
End date: 2016-12-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1498471.0
EU funding (EUR): 1498471.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

This proposal addresses currently unresolved fundamental questions concerning the activation and functionalization in homogeneous catalysis of challenging, inherently unreactive substrates like NH3, CO2 or water. Responsive ligands in combination with earth-abundant first row transition metals may hold the key to selective bifunctional activation of these small molecules. This innovative, bioinspired concept, utilizing ligand-metal cooperativity to enhance, tune and control the reactivity of base metals, mimics and circumvents the use of expensive and/or toxic 2nd and 3rd row transition metals. A comprehensive tool-box of readily accessible smart ligand systems with cooperative, redox noninnocent or adaptive features will be used for stoichiometric and ultimately catalytic reactivity studies with Fe, Co, Ni and Cu. This will result in mechanistic understanding of novel pathways for selective N-H and O-H activation on well-defined mono- and dinuclear cooperative complexes. Coupling and insertion reactions with alkenes to yield efficient C-N and C-O bond forming processes and CO2 functionalization will be investigated. This fundamental knowledge is then applied for unprecedented cooperative catalysis with first row transition metals. The project will ultimately result in important leads for the direct intermolecular hydroamination of alkenes, including with ammonia, which is one of the top-ten challenges in catalysis, and the efficient, sustainable production of carboxylic acids from CO2 and alkenes. Also relevant contributions to the oxidative activation of water for hydration reactions with alkynes are foreseen. When successful, my initiatives will enable significant breakthroughs in the design of unique, smart ligand systems for the cooperative activation and functionalization of small molecules with base metals. An ERC starting grant greatly strengthens my position in the emerging field of cooperative homogeneous catalysis.

Keywords: sustainable chemistry - catalyst concepts - ligand design - hydroamination - co2 conversion - hydrofunctionalization reactions
Biomimetic process design for tissue regeneration: from bench to bedside via in silico modelling (BRIDGE)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Products and process engineering
Countries involved: Belgium,Belgium
Call:  (ERC-2011-StG_20101014, 2011)
Start date: 2011-12-01
End date: 2016-11-30
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1191440.0
EU funding (EUR): 1191440.0
Participants: 2
Project status: CLOSED

Tissue engineering (TE), the interdisciplinary field combining biomedical and engineering sciences in the search for functional man-made organ replacements, has key issues with the quantity and quality of the generated products. Protocols followed in the lab are mainly trial and error based, requiring a huge amount of manual interventions and lacking clear early time-point quality criteria to guide the process. As a result, these processes are very hard to scale up to industrial production levels. BRIDGE aims to fortify the engineering aspects of the TE field by adding a higher level of understanding and control to the manufacturing process (MP) through the use of in silico models. BRIDGE will focus on the bone TE field to provide proof of concept for its in silico approach. The combination of the applicant's well-received published and ongoing work on a wide range of modelling tools in the bone field combined with the state-of-the-art experimental techniques present in the TE lab of the additional participant allows envisaging following innovation and impact: 1. proof-of-concept of the use of an in silico blue-print for the design and control of a robust modular TE MP; 2. model-derived optimised culture conditions for patient derived cell populations increasing modular robustness of in vitro chondrogenesis/endochondral ossification; 3. in silico identification of a limited set of in vitro biomarkers that is predictive of the in vivo outcome; 4. model-derived optimised culture conditions increasing quantity and quality of the in vivo outcome of the TE MP; 5. incorporation of congenital defects in the in silico MP design, constituting a further validation of BRIDGE’s in silico approach and a necessary step towards personalised medical care. We believe that the systematic – and unprecedented – integration of (bone) TE and mathematical modelling, as proposed in BRIDGE, is required to come to a rationalized, engineering approach to design and control bone TE MPs.

Keywords: in silico modelling
Ovarian Cancer Therapy – Innovative Models Prolong Survival (OCTIPS)

Framework: FP7 — Cooperation
Programme: Health
Destination: Translating research for human health
Action type: Collaborative project
Countries involved: Austria,Germany,Belgium,United Kingdom,United Kingdom,Netherlands,France,Israel,Germany,United Kingdom
Call:  (FP7-HEALTH-2011-two-stage, 2011)
Start date: 2012-01-01
End date: 2015-12-31
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 3964946.79
EU funding (EUR): 2999302.0
Participants: 11
Project status: CLOSED

About 75% of advanced epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) patients respond to first-line surgery and chemotherapy but most relapse and ultimately acquire platinum resistance which soon leads to death. Relapsed high grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) is the single main cause of EOC-related morbidity and mortality (despite the fact that HGSOC is highly chemosensitive). We hypothesize that the primary tumour includes a small population of resistant cells that are ultimately responsible for relapse and that by targeting this population front-line we may prolong disease-free survival or even achieve cure. OCTIPS will use unique retrospective and novel prospective paired tumour samples collected at the time of diagnosis and relapse to identify and validate molecules and pathways responsible for relapse. This identification will employ cutting edge high throughput multiplatform analyses such as next generation sequencing, mRNA and miRNA expression arrays and SNP array. Known and newly defined molecules or pathways will be evaluated in innovative integrated cancer model systems, utilising cell lines and avian egg and murine xenografts. New therapies to target these molecules and pathways will be developed and validated in these model systems. In order to translate these findings into patient benefit, agents that target the relapsing cell population will be tested for tolerability, efficacy, ability to combine with first line chemotherapy and then in randomised first line trials by the OCTIPS consortium. By translating the clinical observation of treatment failures into innovative cancer models that mimic relapsed ovarian cancer, we will validate improved front-line therapeutic strategies to help prolong patient survival. The impact of this application is that it defines a highly rigorous approach to integrate the bedside to bench to bedside paradigm, leading to novel prognosis-changing strategies for the treatment of ovarian cancer patients.

Keywords: ovarian cancer,therapeutic target,model systems,acquired platinum resistance
Demonstration of FC-Based integrated generator systems to power off-grid cell phone towers, using ammonia fuel (TOWERPOWER)

Framework: FP7 — Cooperation
Programme: Joint Technology Initiatives (Annex IV-SP1)
Theme: Public-private partnerships
Destination: Fuel Cells and Hydrogen
Action type: Collaborative project
Partnership: FCH (Art-185)
Countries involved: Germany,Belgium,United Kingdom,United Kingdom,United Kingdom
Call:  (FCH-JU-2010-1, 2010)
Start date: 2011-11-01
End date: 2014-10-31
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 9403106.0
EU funding (EUR): 4936631.0
Participants: 5
Project status: TERMINATED

The Cell Phone industry is a recent major business success story, with the EU significantly contributing and gaining from this opportunity. (Three of 4 cell phone network equipment manufacturers are European (Ericsson; Nokia-Siemens; and Alcatel-Lucent) and many global cell phone companies are based in the EU (e.g. Vodafone, Orange, Telefonica etc). The developed markets are saturated, and growth is focussed in developing countries (Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe), where the operators’ success has out-paced the electrical grid, and power for cell phone towers is provided by inefficient, high maintenance, polluting and expensive diesel generators. This consortium has developed a low-cost, FC-based integrated generator system (the PowerCube™), together with the relevant fuelling capability (using ammonia as the fuel), to cost-effectively replace diesel generators in this market and with an 80% reduction in greenhouse gases. The market is worth €8.5Bn per annum. This project will deploy a field demonstration project comprising 40-60 PowerCubes to demonstrate: • Integrated FC based systems with sufficient power generation capacity and redundancy to power 40-60 off-grid cell phone sites. • Proof of suitable supply chain (maintenance, spare parts, and fuel) and field support capabilities • Capability of systems to integrate with the existing power systems requirements • Advantages over incumbent technologies (twin diesel generators) and advantages over wind/solar battery prototypes • Compliance with all relevant Regulatory Codes and Standards Feedback from the demonstration project will be fed into additional RD&D activities to mitigate any potential barriers or risks preventing subsequent full implementation An environmental sustainability assessment will be completed by means of Life Cycle Assessments studies. The results and benefits will be widely disseminated to a wider audience including potential customers and industrial stakeholders.

Keywords: fuel cell integrated power generation system tele-communications demonstration powercube
Novel Bone Morphogenetic Protein-6 Biocompatible Carrier Device for Bone Regeneration (OSTEOGROW)

Framework: FP7 — Cooperation
Programme: Health
Destination: Biotechnology, generic tools and medical technologies for human health
Action type: Collaborative project
Countries involved: Croatia,Sweden,Czechia,Austria,Bosnia and Herzegovina,Germany,United Kingdom,United Kingdom
Call:  (FP7-HEALTH-2011-two-stage, 2011)
Start date: 2012-01-01
End date: 2017-12-31
Duration (months): 72.0
Total project cost (EUR): 7368570.5
EU funding (EUR): 5683089.3
Participants: 11
Project status: CLOSED

Goals: We will carry out a regenerative medicine clinical trial of the therapeutic system OSTEOGROW for regenerating bone through harnessing a novel bone regenerative product to accelerate and enhance bone repair. The osteogenic regenerative product is composed of an autologous carrier and a biologically active recombinant human protein offering a therapeutic solution in bone regeneration superior to currently available options. The autologous carrier is a whole blood coagulum derived (WBCD) from the peripheral blood of a patient, which will act as an endogenous biocompatible material causing significantly less inflammatory reactions than currently used bone devices. The bone inducing molecule is the recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein 6 (rhBMP6) which binds to WBCD and is more potent than other BMPs in stimulating bone formation in preclinical animal models. The consortium members will scale-up the production of rhBMP6 from an already developed working cell bank to enter clinical trials on bone regeneration. The bone diseases we will treat locally with OSTEOGROW are acute radius fractures and healing of distraction gap in high tibial osteotomy (HTO). These conditions are widespread and highly debilitating diseases for which such therapy holds great promise. Workflow: Preliminary pre-clinical data are already available, and clinical grade (GMP) rhBMP6 will be available before the beginning of the project to perform toxicology studies and to determine the final formulation of OSTEOGROW. Clinical trials will start within 18 months from the start of the project funding. Business strategy: SMEs Genera Research, Vitrology Limited and Meditox will test and validate the rhBMP6 production in their facilities. Consortium members from Medical University of Vienna, Sarajevo University Clinical Centre, Linkoping University Faculty of Health Sciences, Zagreb University Trauma Clinic, SMART Medico and Paul Regulatory Services will perform, monitor and coordinate clinical trials. OSTEOGROW will find a wide use in human and veterinary medicine.

Keywords: bone regeneration,bone morphogenetic protein-6,bmp,biocompatible carrier,osteogenic device,recombinant protein production,acute bone fracture clinical trial,tibia non-unions