Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
AdaptiveTarget: Accessing haplotype variation at complex loci with optimized targeting and adaptive sampling (AdaptiveTarget)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Proof of concept grants
Action type: ERC actions
Countries involved: Sweden
Call: ERC PROOF OF CONCEPT GRANTS (ERC-2023-POC, 2023)
Start date: 2024-01-01
End date: 2025-06-30
Duration (months): 18.0
Total project cost (EUR): 150000.0
EU funding (EUR): 150000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Genetic variation at resistance loci is crucial for sustained crop yield, given the challenges and increased pest and pathogen pressures resulting from a warming climate. Despite recent advances in massively parallel sequencing, disease resistance loci and other complex genomic regions of great practical, economical and scientific importance remain challenging to study. The severe limitations of current methods pose a major problem for fully understanding and harnessing genetic variation for crop improvement. We will develop AdaptiveTarget as a bioinformatic method based on targeted long-read sequencing, that will allow researchers and breeders to quickly, efficiently and inexpensively obtain population-level haplotype information for complex genomic regions such as resistance genes and self-incompatibility loci in plants. To explore the innovation potential of our ERC-funded research we will first undertake research to test and validate the project idea. Validation will benefit from known haplotype data for the complex S-locus supergene, produced in the ERC-funded project SuperGenE. To demonstrate the general utility of the method we will apply it to real-world examples consisting of complex loci of agronomic importance. Once the method is validated, we will investigate options for patenting and licensing the method. Our AdaptiveTarget method for fast and efficient targeted sequencing of complex genomic regions could greatly facilitate assessment of genetic variation at complex genomic regions of outstanding scientific, practical and economic interest. Therefore, our method could help drive innovation in several ways, by allowing the development of more efficient methods to conduct precision breeding for disease and pest resistance.
Oncolipidomics: Why is lipidomic dysregulation pattern in blood similar for various cancers? (ONCOLIPID)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced 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: Czechia
Call: ERC ADVANCED GRANTS (ERC-2022-ADG, 2022)
Start date: 2023-08-01
End date: 2028-07-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 3499413.0
EU funding (EUR): 3499413.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Lipids are involved in numerous pathways of human metabolism that are related to pathological states. Alterations of lipid concentrations in the blood of cancer patients have been reported but the biological origin is still unknown. Deciphering the mechanisms of the lipid dysregulation mechanism could dramatically change oncology because it can open new avenues for cancer detection with subsequent effective treatment and drug development targeting dysregulated pathways. Early cancer diagnosis is one of the main unmet needs in medicine, which can improve the unfavorable prognosis of patients. The potential of lipidomics has not been fully explored yet, because analytical workflows have limitations in terms of accurate molar quantitation and insufficient coverage of the lipidome. Biologists predict up to 100,000 lipid species in nature, but current methods typically report less than 1% of this number. Here, we will develop novel approaches for quantitation of more than 2,000 lipids from >80 classes using 13C stable isotope labeled internal standards and ultrahigh-resolution methods in liquid or supercritical fluid chromatography, mass spectrometry, and ion mobility. The comprehensive characterization of lipidome will allow us to construct Cancer Lipidome Atlas (WP1). We will develop new Bayesian software for automated data processing and statistical evaluation applicable to the main lipidomic and metabolomic workflows (WP2). We will correlate lipidomics data with metabolomics, proteomics, and transcriptomics data to unravel why lipidomic dysregulation in blood has a similar pattern for various cancers (WP3). This strategy will be applied for the comparison of ten types of cancer with control samples in cell lines, animal models (mice and pigs), human samples (tissues and plasma), and extracellular vesicles. Our initial hypothesis is that the lower activity of CERS2 triggered by cancer cells can downregulate very long fatty acyl ceramides and other sphingolipids.

Keywords: cancer biomarkers lipidomic quantitation mass spectrometry chromatography
Structural and functional characterization of different states of the arginine vasopressin V2 receptor (3D-V2R)

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: Life Sciences
Countries involved: France
Call: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2021 (HORIZON-MSCA-2021-PF-01, 2021)
Start date: 2023-02-01
End date: 2025-01-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 211754.88
EU funding (EUR): 211754.88
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR) are the largest superfamily of cell surface signaling membrane proteins and the targets of 30% of marketed drugs for many human diseases. They respond to diverse extracellular stimuli by transmitting the signal across the membrane and activating a number of intracellular signaling pathways. To sense these stimuli and couple to signaling partners such as G proteins, these transmembrane domains have a high conformational flexibility, representing a challenge for structure determination. Both improvements of GPCR expression and purification, and the cryo-EM revolution have led to structurally characterized GPCR to better understand these signaling key players. However, defining active states of a given receptor is still a difficult challenge that led to success only for a dozen different GPCR. This project focus on the characterization of different states of the arginine vasopressin (AVP) V2 receptor (V2R). The V2R is considered as a receptor model for small peptides and hormones and is a crucial therapeutic target. The atomic resolution data will contribute to a better knowledge of the V2R transmembrane signaling. The comparison of the different active states of the V2R to the inactive state of V2R will provide key information for deciphering the molecular events leading to receptor activation. Then, blocking the V2R with antagonists is a validated therapeutic avenue for two unmet medical needs, hyponatremia and autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. V2R interacts not only with Gs protein but also with arrestins, the development of biased agonists that selectively activate or inhibit one signaling cascade among all triggered by the natural hormone is also a very promising therapeutic line. Keeping in mind the interest of antagonists/inverse agonists and biased agonists of the V2R for human health, we expect our data will have a major impact on drug discovery, in addition to be of general interest in terms of scientific impact.

Keywords: gpcrs,cryo em,antagonists,drug design,vasopressin,active or inactive state
Hyperloop, for smarter, faster, greener and better transportation starting with freight (Hyperloop for sustainable freight transport)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Innovative Europe
Programme: The European Innovation Council (EIC)
Theme: EIC Accelerator
Destination: Challenges
Action type: EIC actions
Countries involved: Netherlands
Call: Green Deal innovations for the Economic Recovery (HORIZON-EIC-2021-ACCELERATORCHALLENGES-01, 2021)
Start date: 2022-01-01
End date: 2024-03-31
Duration (months): 27.0
Total project cost (EUR): 3679375.0
EU funding (EUR): 2500000.0
Participants: 2
Project status: CLOSED

Hardt was founded by the winners of Elon Musk’s hyperloop competition and has grown towards 40 people. The dream is realizing the Europan Hyperloop Network. A 10,000 kilometre hyperloop network crossing national borders: we are realizing a world where distance doesn´t matter, where opportunities are open to everyone. If Europe wants to go climate neutral in 2050, now is the time to invest in future-proof transportation. In the coming decades, the passenger and freight demand will triple. To handle these enormous traffic flows, infrastructure investments of up to 70 trillion Euros are needed. Hardt introduces the hyperloop: - A reliable and fast mode of transportation - The cleanest alternative for transportation - The safest and most convenient way of transportation We are Hardt Hyperloop. We envision a world, where you can live, work, and be, wherever you want, whenever you want. Join us in building future-proof transportation for a sustainable and hyper-connected Europe.

Keywords: smart mobility,magnetic levitation,cargoloop,engineering and technology,propulsion systems engineering,transport engineering,hyperloop,environmental and green technologies,energy efficiency
An intelligent agent for general-purpose protein engineering (ATHENA)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Biotechnology and Biosystems E ngineering
Panel description: Biotechnology using all organisms , biotechnology for environment  and food applications, applied plant and animal sciences , bioengineering and synthetic biology , biomass and biofuels , biohazards
Countries involved: Spain
Call: ERC STARTING GRANTS (ERC-2024-STG, 2024)
Start date: 2025-01-01
End date: 2029-12-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1498680.0
EU funding (EUR): 1498680.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Proteins offer an exciting path to address a multitude of biotechnological challenges. Capable of working under non-toxic, mild conditions and performing a myriad of functions, their controllable design has been sought-after for decades. However, to gain a technological advantage in a world with pressing demands in sustainability and healthcare, we must accelerate the development of custom-tailored, proficient proteins. In this proposal, we will develop an intelligent system capable of efficiently engineering functional proteins tailored to user-defined specifications. Artificial Intelligence (AI) advancements are promoting a fresh wave of enthusiasm across many fields, providing solutions to problems that escape human intuition. Recently, protein language models (pLMs) are showing unprecedented performance in generating novel, efficient proteins. We have trained three advanced pLMs, demonstrating promising preliminary results in experimental settings. In this proposal, we will train an agent that will learn from combined sequence, structural, functional, and dynamic data to perform multiple protein engineering tasks. The agent will iteratively improve from experimental feedback using Reinforcement Learning, and explainable AI will allow us to ‘open the black box’ and understand its decision process. A vital component of this work will be its rigorous experimental validation, progressing through increasingly challenging tasks with biotechnological applications. This project will deliver an intelligent agent with continuous learning capabilities, accessible through user-friendly interfaces, empowering researchers worldwide with an easy-to-use tool to design custom-tailored proteins. In addition, by incorporating explainability, it will offer a novel angle to understanding complex sequence-to-function relationships. Lastly, comprehensive experimental validation will assess the reliability and applicability of these novel approaches in real-world contexts.

Keywords: artificial intelligence,intelligent systems,protein design,enzyme engineering,reinforcement learning,explainable artificial intelligence
Heritage Language Processing: Pinning down the sources of individual variability (HeLP)

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: Social Sciences and Humanities
Countries involved: Norway
Call: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2022 (HORIZON-MSCA-2022-PF-01, 2022)
Start date: 2024-06-01
End date: 2026-05-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 210911.04
EU funding (EUR): 210911.04
Participants: 1
Project status: TERMINATED

This project aims to advance, theoretically and methodologically, our understanding of language development and outcomes in heritage language bilingualism (HLB). This research seeks to document and interpret the significance of differences in linguistic competencies and performances across individual heritage speakers (HSs) themselves. While typically HS aggregates are compared to homeland native speakers, it is at least of equal importance to unpack the degree and source of intra-group HS individual variation. Yet, this remains poorly investigated, much less understood. Limited research in this vein suggests that HS variation is largely modulated by individual-level factors, e.g., HL input, patterns of/opportunities for HL use, HL literacy and/or individual differences in cognitive abilities. However, individual/joint effects of these factors are not always observed depending on the specific linguistic (sub-)domains. This suggests an interaction between individual-level and language-internal factors. To understand this latter relationship more fully, HeLP examines Mandarin as a HL in pre-teenage (8-14) HSs, an understudied HL at an understudied time in HLB. Crucially, we include participants with varied language experience, testing narrow syntax of anaphoric dependencies, juxtaposed to contexts modulated by where they are moderated by discourse appropriateness. Rising to contemporary calls advocating for an expansion of HLB into more online methods, we employ electroencephalography, an effectively untapped method in HLB studies. As such, HeLP probes deeper into how HLs develop the way they do with neurolinguistic measures, which also bears social and economic impacts, e.g., guiding HSs and public and private sectors involved to better support HL development/maintenance. The training I receive in this project will also significantly benefit my career development not only by equipping me with new experimental methods but also by training in many transferrable skills.

Keywords: bilingualism,heritage language,online processing,eeg,mandarin,individual differences
Targeting RNA as an approach for treating retinal disease (RETORNA)

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: Spain,Germany,Türkiye,Netherlands,Ireland,Italy
Call: MSCA Doctoral Networks 2021 (HORIZON-MSCA-2021-DN-01, 2021)
Start date: 2023-02-01
End date: 2027-01-31
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2568425.56
EU funding (EUR): 2568425.56
Participants: 17
Project status: SIGNED

Today, vision impairment up to total blindness represents an increasing global problem with significant social and economic impact upon affected patients and society as a whole. Despite the advancing of knowledge on their genetic basis, there is no effective cure for retinal diseases (RD) to date and therefore there is an urgent need to fill this gap. The present DN “Targeting RNA as an approach for treating retinal disease” (RETORNA) aims to treat RD by using RNA therapy. Among the research objectives, we will study different types of RNA that are expressed in retinal cells. By observing bioinformatic models, cell and tissue cultures, animal models, and human patients, we will be able to create RNA profiles for different RD. This screening will identify several targets that will be used as therapeutic approaches. Then, selected RNAs will be used to treat different RD, such as macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa. Furthermore, the potential economic and social impact of such strategies upon European countries will be studied, and the possibility of commercialization will be assessed. RETORNA proposes breakthrough research, distributed in 10 individual projects, performed by 10 Doctoral Candidates (DCs). Some of the most highly qualified European scientists of the field will supervise those DCs, who will be awarded with a PhD at the end of the program. Moreover, DCs will be provided with different transferable skills, necessary for starting successful careers in academia, but also in other areas: industry, public organizations, non-profit organizations, consultancy, etc. The RETORNA consortium consists of 8 beneficiaries, including 7 Universities and 1 Research Institute. The consortium will be managed by 5 different boards (research, managing, training, communication, and quality), all of them in continuous communication with the coordinator and with the general assembly.

Keywords: retinal degeneration,rna therapies,micro rna,rna aptamers
Software enabled Fiber optic multisensing Network (SoFiN)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness
Programme: Digital, Industry and Space
Theme: Digital
Destination: Digital & Emerging Technologies for Competitiveness and Fit for the Green Deal
Action type: Research and Innovation actions
Partnership: Photonics (co-programmed)
Countries involved: Cyprus,Germany,Denmark,Estonia
Call: Advanced multi-sensing systems (Photonics Partnership) (RIA) (HORIZON-CL4-2022-DIGITAL-EMERGING-01, 2022)
Start date: 2022-12-01
End date: 2026-11-30
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 3694302.5
EU funding (EUR): 3694302.5
Participants: 8
Project status: SIGNED

Today’s fiber optical sensor systems show very promising performance and are well suited for numerous sensing tasks. Despite the enormous progress that has been made for fiber sensors, these systems are still more of a niche solution. Adaptive, modular sensor systems with flexibility regarding the sensing concept, fiber-based sensor type, sensor or sensor network configuration and measured quantities are highly desired but not available at this time. For example, already installed fiber infrastructure along railroad tracks or in buildings are hardly used in such systems. Nevertheless, there is an enormous potential to realize sensing networks by using the existing fiber infrastructure for both purposes, carrying data and perform sensing. Furthermore, a cloud-based digital control software defined setup, advanced signal processing with methods of machine learning, digital twin technologies and cloud-based interfacing to monitor the system performance are required and motivate further research and development in this field. There are though specific challenges to be addressed: SoFiN addresses these challenges, contributing to adaptive photonic multi-sensing systems with focus on: a)developing & testing a novel flexible, adaptive, modular, software-defined sensor platform b)studying ways to establish sensing options in existing communication fiber networks c)developing new laser types, sensor elements & sensing approaches compatible with fiber sensing d)studying concepts for ML-based signal processing and digital twin sensor system modelling e)developing machine learning tools that can handle large amounts of incoming data f)researching on ML tools that can enhance the signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) and provide ultimate sensitivity g)developing centralized processing unit that integrates all sensory input data h)developing and implementing concepts for cloud-based system control i)performing a system test in a near to operational environment in different case studies

Keywords: fiber sensing,machine learning
Panoramic optical manipulation of cardiac electrical dynamics: a novel tool to study complex arrhythmias (OPTOCARD)

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: Life Sciences
Countries involved: Italy
Call: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2022 (HORIZON-MSCA-2022-PF-01, 2022)
Start date: 2023-06-01
End date: 2025-05-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 172750.08
EU funding (EUR): 172750.08
Participants: 2
Project status: CLOSED

Cardiovascular diseases are the most common cause of death worldwide, and a substantial number of these deaths are caused by cardiac arrhythmias. Heterogeneities in repolarisation time (RT), which are caused by prolongation or abbreviation of action potential duration (APD) in certain areas of the heart can underly arrhythmias. Inherited disease, as well as acquired heart disease such as myocardial infarction can induce RT heterogeneities (RTH). While recent studies shed some light on how RTH drive arrhythmias, current experimental techniques lack flexibility of affected area size, and the conditions facilitating arrhythmias therefore remain elusive. Recently, a novel method to generate RTH was described, applying low-intensity optical stimulation in murine hearts expressing the light-activated ion channel channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2), depolarising resting membrane potential (RMP) and prolonging APD in a spatially specific manner. While this intriguing approach would allow to study the impact of RTH on arrhythmogenesis in a highly flexible manner, current experimental platforms lack the abilities to perform this assessment. Therefore, we propose to construct a novel panoramic optical platform, consisting of 4 cameras and 4 digital projectors, to allow for optical stimulation as well as recording across the entire ventricular surface. In addition, we explore pharmacological approaches to enhance the RT gradient between the optically stimulated and non-stimulated area, identifying drugs prolonging APD in an RMP-modulated manner. The capability of manipulating RT across the whole heart surface with unprecedented spatio-temporal resolution will be employed to understand the mechanisms underlying arrhythmia induction and rotor maintenance. The development of this ground-breaking methodology will provide fundamental insights in cardiac disease, boosting new therapeutic strategies and will represent a whole new approach for the investigation of cardiac physiology in general.

Keywords: cardiac arrhythmias,optogenetics,optical epicardial mapping,panoramic,whole heart