Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Ancient Virus-like Transposons: from Horizontal Gene Transfer to the Evolution of Novelty (TOP-GUN)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Consolidator grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Integrative B iology : from Genes and Genomes to S ystems
Panel description: For all organis ms: Genetics, epigenetics, genomics  and other ‘omics studies , bioinformatics, systems biology , genetic diseases , gene editing, innovative methods and modelling,  ‘omics for personalised  medicine
Countries involved: Austria
Call: ERC CONSOLIDATOR GRANTS (ERC-2024-COG, 2024)
Start date: 2025-03-01
End date: 2030-02-28
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2000000.0
EU funding (EUR): 2000000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

From antiparasitic toxins in butterflies to antifreeze proteins in fish, horizontal gene transfer (HGT)—the non-sexual exchange of genes between species—has been observed in all major eukaryotic lineages. However, one of its most fascinating aspects, the transfer mechanism, remains a mystery despite decades of research. How can DNA leave the donor species, come in close contact with the germline of a second species, and integrate in the genome of its new host? Our lab made a significant breakthrough in our understanding of this process that now allow us to address these questions experimentally. We discovered that Mavericks, ancient eukaryotic transposable elements related to giant viruses and adenoviruses, have mediated the widespread transfer of genes between highly divergent nematode species on a global scale. The gene content of Mavericks suggests that they have a dual lifestyle: both as transposons and as infective enveloped viruses. Yet how they accomplish HGT at the molecular level is unknown. Having pioneered the identification of the first HGT vector in animals, the objectives of the TOP-GUN proposal are to dissect the molecular basis of HGT, elucidate its impact on evolution, and reveal general principles of HGT across eukaryotes. To achieve this, I propose the following aims: 1. To uncover the life cycle of Mavericks and reconstitute Horizontal Gene Transfer in the lab 2. To dissect the impact of Mavericks and their cargos on molecular innovation and genome evolution 3. To systemically discover vectors of Horizontal Gene Transfer across eukaryotes in silico My team and I will pursue these objectives by applying a multidisciplinary approach combining genetics, functional genomics, biochemistry, and structural biology. We believe that TOP-GUN will ignite HGT as a new experimental research field and catalyse the development of new payload delivery systems for parasitic nematodes, most of which cannot be genetically modified due to their complex life cycle

Keywords: horizontal gene transfer,selfish genetic elements,genomic conflict,toxin antidote element,transposons,gene drive,evolution of novelty
Diversification of the Eukaryotic Plankton in the Sunlit Ocean (PlankDiv)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Environmental B iology, Ecology  and E volution
Panel description: For all organisms : Ecology, biodiversity, environmental change , evolutionary biology, behavioural ecology, microbial ecology , marine biology, ecophysiology, theoretical developments and mod elling
Countries involved: France
Call: ERC ADVANCED GRANTS (ERC-2024-ADG, 2024)
Start date: 2026-01-01
End date: 2030-12-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2495782.0
EU funding (EUR): 2495782.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Oceanic plankton constitute a diverse array of organisms crucial to Earth’s carbon cycle, climate regulation, and the functioning of the ecosystems. A key biological challenge lies in understanding the build-up of planktonic diversity in the global oceans. Two primary limitations are the scarcity of robust (phylo)genetic data for most plankton groups, and the lack of computational tools designed to explore diversification in the ocean, continually shaped by currents. Here, I propose to characterize the patterns and drivers of diversification across present-day eukaryote plankton groups by harnessing three main resources: i) recent global-scale surveys of oceanic samples, ii) emerging long-read metabarcoding technologies, and iii) my team’s expertise in developing innovative modeling tools. First, we will generate long-read metabarcoding data for over 800 plankton samples worldwide. We will characterize the diversity and distribution of major eukaryotic plankton groups above and below the species level. Second, we will develop an evolutionary model in the global open ocean, providing predictions on the mode and tempo of diversification. We will evaluate the role of current-mediated dispersal constraints and environmental selection in driving genetic differentiation and speciation. Third, we will construct taxonomically rich phylogenetic trees for the major eukaryotic plankton groups and analyze variations in diversification rates through time and across oceans. Fourth, we will reconstruct paleo-oceans throughout the Cenozoic era and elucidate how past environmental changes have influenced diversification dynamics. This proposal represents the first endeavor to conduct a comparative analysis of diversification across eukaryote plankton groups, from microevolutionary to macroevolutionary scales. The results will provide a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms underpinning diversity patterns in the global oceans.

Keywords: speciation,population genetics,microevolution,macroevolution,earth systems
Chip production without friction (CHIPFRICTION)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Products and Processes Engineering
Panel description: Product and process design, chemical, civil, environmental, mechanical, vehicle engineering, energy processes and relevant computational methods
Countries involved: Netherlands
Call: ERC STARTING GRANTS (ERC-2023-STG, 2023)
Start date: 2024-01-01
End date: 2028-12-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1500000.0
EU funding (EUR): 1500000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Friction contributes to the global computer chip shortage: friction and wear limit the positioning accuracy and throughput in chip production. As future positioning requirements approach the atomic scale, contact, friction and wear need to be understood at this scale to inspire new positioning solutions which are more urgently needed than ever before. CHIPFRICTION will focus on a key interface in chip production: carbon based material-on-silicon subjected to nanoslip in a hydrogen-rich environment. How nanoscale elasticity, plasticity and adhesion control rough contact formation will be revealed by matching contact models to ground-breaking fluorescence microscopy contact observations. How a local frictional stability criterion translates into the nanometre partial slip that characterizes the onset of multi-contact sliding will be modelled and observed through unique pre-sliding experiments. The oxidation, interfacial bonding and mechanical mechanisms that lead to wear of the carbon based material will be exposed through a combination of environmental control, new nanowear visualization methods and ex-situ XPS characterization. I am uniquely suited to conduct this work because I have fuelled the development of these experimental techniques, and I have experience in conducting the associated physical modelling. Macroscopic friction emerges from generic physical ingredients such as elastic deformation of surface topography and shearing of interfacial covalent bonds. How friction emerges, creates a scientific challenge with major impact: Friction is responsible for 25% of the world's energy consumption. I will address this long-standing challenge by experimenting and modelling the complex interplay between contact mechanics, frictional slip and wear of the specific interface. The transfer of new friction manipulation strategies for chip production without friction is facilitated by having an institutional link to the lithography industry.

Keywords: in situ,interface,multiscale,adhesion,pre sliding,contact mechanics,wear,friction
Citizen Assemblies in Europe: window dressing or transformative instruments? (CITIZEN_IMPACT)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Institutions, Governance and Legal Systems
Panel description: Political science, international relations, law
Countries involved: Belgium
Call: ERC STARTING GRANTS (ERC-2022-STG, 2022)
Start date: 2024-01-01
End date: 2028-12-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1499398.0
EU funding (EUR): 1499398.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

To improve and even to save contemporary democracies under huge pressure and attack, a remedy has been attracting a large amount of attention: the strengthening of ordinary citizens’ opportunities to deliberate on and directly participate in politics. In this regard, many citizens’ assemblies (CAs) have been implemented by public authorities, especially since the 2010s. Convened through random selection, these assemblies are diversified groups of citizens that deliberate on a public problem and make policy recommendations. Existing research provides detailed descriptions of the internal dynamics of CAs and shows that most citizens are able to deliberate on complex issues. Nevertheless, they fail to identify and explain their more external impacts. In the context of the growing appeal for such mechanisms, CITIZEN_IMPACT asks the fundamental question: are CAs mere window dressing or do they lead to transformations in the functioning of the political system? It radically changes the dominant perspective on CAs by taking stock of several decades of research on policy studies, governance and institutional dynamics. It offers a systematic account of whether, how and why CAs matter in contemporary European countries by elaborating a new multidimensional conceptualisation of their impact: direct impact on policies, indirect impact on civil society and discursive impact on the public sphere. To address these three dimensions, the research design combines different methods to compare macro national trends (frame analysis of the media, survey with civil society organisations) and to disentangle complex processes (process tracing, interviews). Hence, CITIZEN_IMPACT provides a new horizon to tackle, both in the scientific community and the broader society, the role and contribution of such participatory and deliberative procedures in contemporary representative democracies.

Keywords: participatory democracy deliberative democracy policy making impact public sphere civil society
'Machinery Rooms' of the Mediterranean, 1800-present: Images and Visual Archives of Movement and Acceleration (MEDMACH)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Consolidator grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Texts and Concepts
Panel description: Literary studies , literature,  philosophy
Countries involved: Germany
Call: ERC CONSOLIDATOR GRANTS (ERC-2021-COG, 2021)
Start date: 2023-04-01
End date: 2028-03-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2000000.0
EU funding (EUR): 2000000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

The aim of MEDMACH is to write a new history of the Mediterranean after 1800 through images of movement: infrastructures and machineries of acceleration such as airports, train stations, motorway bridges, industrial ports, and engine-driven ships. These sites are often overlooked in overarching narratives of the region. The Mediterranean after 1800 typically appears either in decline or romanticized, therefore this ‘machinery room’ of modernity has never been at the center of attention. However, these sites of movement are connected to all the aspects which make the Mediterranean an emotive, politically relevant place today: migration, colonization and decolonization, the relation between Europe and the Islamic world, environmental and economic crisis. Conceptualizing the modern and contemporary Mediterranean through its ‘machinery rooms’ of movement will slice through the divisions of fragmented national histories, and provide a basis for the differentiated, yet connective history that is needed to face those challenges. This history will be based on images and image archives: In the modern period after 1800, images are increasingly made for distribution and circulation. They are entangled with the ambivalent modern notions of movement and acceleration. They are also ideal carriers of transnational and transregional knowledge. MEDMACH will advance epistemic knowledge about the modern and contemporary Mediterranean. Moreover, it will work with a visual approach to establish a new, systemic historical understanding which is urgently needed in current debates on travel, transit, migration, environment, and cultural encounter. Key words: Mediterranean, visual archives, infrastructure, mobility, acceleration, migration, modernity, circulation

Keywords: mediterranean,visual archives,infrastructure,mobility,acceleration,migration,modernity,circulation
Mimicking Enzymatic Active Site Environment on Heterogeneous Electrodes: A Catalyst-Polymer Hybrid System for Selective CO2 Reduction Reaction in Water (MEASURE-CO2RR)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Postdoctoral Fellowships
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Panel: Chemistry
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2024 (HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01, 2024)
Start date: 2026-01-15
End date: 2028-01-14
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 276187.92
EU funding (EUR): 276187.92
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Surging energy needs and fossil fuel reliance have triggered a concerning rise in CO2 emissions, raising the frequency of devastating climate-related disasters. Despite expanding renewable energy sources like solar and wind, their intermittent nature has spurred demand for better storage technologies due to the limitations of current batteries. Heavy industries and transport sectors still rely on fossil-based fuels. Although H2 appears as an alternative, challenges remain regarding its transport. Electrocatalytic CO2 reduction (eCO2R) emerges as a solution, turning CO2 into valuable chemicals and fuels (compatible with existing industrial frameworks) using green electricity. Metal-based heterogeneous eCO2R catalysts exhibit notable stability but they face product selectivity issues, requiring energy-intensive downstream separation methods. Inspired by the active site of [NiFe]-CODH enzyme which efficiently converts CO2 to CO, many 2nd-sphere-modified molecular complexes (MCs) have been developed, showing elevated selectivity, efficiency, and stability. But most of them function within organic media, limiting their integration into devices. Moreover, synthesizing these 2nd sphere-modified MCs is highly resource-intensive. MEASURE-CO2RR aspires to mimic the enzymatic active site on heterogeneous electrodes. This is achieved by encapsulating MCs within commercially available polymers, introducing both the 2nd-sphere (stabilizing intermediates) and tertiary-sphere effects (precise H+ delivery). Aiming to achieve high selectivity, catalytic current, and stability within an aqueous medium, MEASURE-CO2RR stands out by encompassing the development of hybrid catalytic systems, thorough mechanistic studies utilizing in-situ spectroscopic techniques, and eventual integration of these hybrid systems into CO2-electrolyzers. This marks a significant stride towards the essential industrial implementation of eCO2R, effectively aligning with the objectives of the EU Green Deal.

Keywords: electrocatalytic co2 reduction,heterogeneous electrocatalysis,in situ spectroscopy,intermediates,hybrid materials,renewable chemicals fuels,tandem systems,co2 electrolyzer,waste reforming
Management of avian influenza in a vaccination context (VIVACE)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Doctoral Networks
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Panel: Life Sciences
Countries involved: France,Belgium,Netherlands,Morocco,Italy,Lebanon,Egypt,United Kingdom
Call: MSCA Doctoral Networks 2023 (HORIZON-MSCA-2023-DN-01, 2023)
Start date: 2024-12-01
End date: 2028-11-30
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 3142137.6
EU funding (EUR): 3142137.6
Participants: 22
Project status: SIGNED

While outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIV) in Europe used to be rare and geographically contained, the situation has dramatically changed in the last few years with thousands of outbreaks reported in domestic poultry and wild birds. Despite being an intensive field of research, many unknowns remain as we are still struggling to predict HPAIV emergence, avoid viral spread and limit the socio-economic impact entailed predominantly by control measures. Vaccination of domestic poultry against avian influenza, is now being given full consideration, as it is becoming clear that traditional prevention and control approaches alone will not curb the accelerating pace of occurrence of devastating HPAIV epidemics. On 1 October 2023, France became the first EU country to implement a nation-wide vaccination campaign in ducks. However, vaccinating domestic poultry does not come without important challenges. VIVACE therefore aims at putting together a doctoral network to contribute to fully integrate poultry vaccination approaches into efficient management strategies for HPAIV. We will do so by unravelling the impact current and upcoming EU vaccination policies will have on avian influenza virus evolution, surveillance and control strategies and societal burden of HPAI. This will be done through a combination of disciplines from life sciences, epidemiology, computer sciences and social and behavioural sciences. The training program proposed here includes scientific and transferrable skill sessions, builds on the integrated added values of complementing expertise (virology, immunology, modelling, spatial and molecular epidemiology, social psychology, economics and policy), and full access to state-of-the-art technologies in excellent environments. The consortium gathers 15 universities or research institutes and 5 private companies, securing both inter-sectoriality and wide geographic distribution with tailored epidemiological and vaccination contexts.

Keywords: avian influenza virus immunology pandemic preparedness one health surveillance disease management acceptability society economics
Detoxifying alcohol in the wild- Investigating convergent evolution among butterflies feeding on fermenting fruits (DrunkButterflies)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Postdoctoral Fellowships
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Panel: Environment and Geosciences
Countries involved: Sweden
Call: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2022 (HORIZON-MSCA-2022-PF-01, 2022)
Start date: 2024-09-01
End date: 2026-08-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 206887.68
EU funding (EUR): 206887.68
Participants: 2
Project status: SIGNED

Key innovations allow organisms to exploit novel resources fuelling rapid diversification. Fermenting fruits have higher nutritional value, for example, than nectar, and their consumption provides higher fitness benefits. However, the high alcohol concentration in fermenting fruits reaching up to 8% can be detrimental, making them a challenging resource. Nevertheless, diverse animals feed and breed on fermenting fruits using the alcohol detoxification system, yet little is known about how this convergent phenotype evolved. Such systems allow addressing key questions at the heart of evolutionary biology: what ecological drivers triggered shifts to feeding on fermenting fruits? Are such shifts key innovations? At what level of genetic mechanism do the diverse animals feeding on fermenting fruits show convergence in the alcohol detoxification system? These questions can only be answered using a large-scale, integrative and comparative evolutionary framework, yet studies remain focused on within populations of few taxa. My proposal seeks to answer these outstanding questions using the rich model system of butterflies, to quantify the ecological and genetic mechanisms underlying diet evolution (fermenting fruits vs nectar). My three main objectives are to: (1) Unravel the macroevolutionary patterns of convergence in dietary shifts and quantify impacts on diversification, (2) Conduct a comparative sequence analysis of the alcohol dehydrogenase gene and its enzyme across fruit and nectar feeders, and (3) Test hypotheses on the effects of dietary alcohol on fitness and gene expression in a fruit and nectar feeder. I will integrate information on butterfly natural history with methods from comparative phylogenetics, genomics, and experimental approaches to achieve my objectives. This fellowship will train me in precisely the technical and analytical techniques required for carrying out interdisciplinary research and advancing my career development as a leading scientist.

Keywords: evolutionary ecology,macroevolution,butterflies,alcohol,alcohol dehydrogenase,comparative phylogenetics,genomics,rnaseq
Hide and Seek: Exploring PFAS Accumulated in Urban Sludge (HASPS)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Postdoctoral Fellowships
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Panel: Environment and Geosciences
Countries involved: Denmark,Singapore
Call: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2023 (HORIZON-MSCA-2023-PF-01, 2023)
Start date: 2024-09-01
End date: 2026-08-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 214934.4
EU funding (EUR): 214934.4
Participants: 2
Project status: SIGNED

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) threats to human health as “forever chemicals” and a key issue addressed by the European Commission. Urban sludge in wastewater treatment plants has become a sink from PFAS, the final “end of the pipe”. However, the accumulation process of PFAS in urban sludge and the intricate interplay between PFAS and sludge components are still unknown. Here, the HASPS project aims to comprehensively investigate the binding of PFAS with various structural features to individual EPS components such as proteins, polysaccharides, humic acids, and nucleic acids, a task previously unexplored. To achieve this, we will comprehensively characterize the EPS present in sludge samples from different countries, such as Denmark and Singapore, and its importance on PFAS adsorption in sludge. A new extraction method for each EPS component will be established through a combination of physical and chemical treatments. Further, we will unveil the interaction mechanism between each EPS component and PFAS with diffident chains and functional groups using extracted EPS and model EPS components. A novel adsorption mechanism approach will be established based on spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, surfactant techniques, and computational models. This new knowledge of exploring PFAS accumulated in sludge is essential for implementing effective pollution control strategies to minimize the entry of PFAS into the environment. With this project, I am aiming to combine my background in organic pollutant control with the distinguished expertise of the host research group focusing on PFAS and EPS in sludge at Aarhus University.

Keywords: per and polyfluoroalkyl substances pfas,urban sludge,extracellular polymeric substances eps,interaction mechanism