Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
UV cleaning for beverage tanks eliminating the need for water and chemicals (UVT)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Societal Challenges
Programme: Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine and maritime and inland water research and the bioeconomy
Action type: SME instrument
Countries involved: France,United Kingdom
Call: Resource-efficient eco-innovative food production and processing (H2020-SMEINST-1-2014, 2014)
Start date: 2015-05-01
End date: 2015-08-31
Duration (months): 4.0
Total project cost (EUR): 71429.0
EU funding (EUR): 50000.0
Participants: 2
Project status: CLOSED

BlueMorph have developed a unique patented waterless sanitation system for steel vessels and large tanks used in the beverage production process (to be used by wineries, breweries, milk and juice producers,...). The system is based on a UV (UltraViolet) light capable of full sanitisation that fully replaces current chemical, water and steam methods. The system uses germicidal ultraviolet light to inactivate and kill microorganisms. By eliminating the use of water and chemicals BlueMorph is very environmentally friendly and low cost. The innovation project intends to validate the product and business concept through a commercial pilot, and upscale the production supply chain within the EU to support industrial sized production.

Keywords: waterless sanitation,ultraviolet light,germicidal ultraviolet light
Functionalised Organic Complexes for rapid Sensing of Industrial Polluters (FOC4SIP)

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: Information Science and Engineering
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF-EF) (H2020-MSCA-IF-2014, 2014)
Start date: 2015-07-07
End date: 2017-07-06
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 195454.8
EU funding (EUR): 195454.8
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The ultimate target of the project is to create and transfer knowledge on the development of novel functionalised macromolecular complexes for rapid sensing of hazardous industrial polluters. Recent developments of macromolecular complexes and opto-electronic techniques of their study have enabled advances in the formation of molecular probes able to recognize molecules and metal ions. These advances are currently being considered for application in a new generation of sensor technology, and opto-electronic methods have been proved as sensitive and rapid tools for such detection. However the selectivity and sensitivity of such methods requires further improvement. Here, we propose new detection systems combining use of functionalised macromolecules and development of sensor devices by novel micro-fabrication tools as well as training and career development of prospective researcher up to mature Senior Scientist level. The overall objective of this research is to select and characterise sensor/probe macromolecules (polymethine dyes, functionalised carbon nanomaterials, melanins), then to optimise mechanisms of detection due to interaction of macromolecules with industrial polluters, and finally to develop sensing devices. Performance and usability of the novel sensors will be evaluated in collaboration with industrial partner. This is an ambitious research initiative having strong interdisciplinary approach that combines physics, chemistry, materials science, engineering, and biology. Its success is upheld by combination of complementary expertise of the Fellow, Host and Partners in preparation and characterisation of functionalised macromolecules as well as development of sensing devices. The project will provide benefits in monitoring and detection of hazardous compounds, and optimisation of cleaning routine after industrial pollution. Therefore, positive impact on safety of ambient environment and public health care sector is anticipated.

Keywords: materials science,sensors,functionalised macromolecules,polymethine dyes,carbon nanomaterials
Role of volume-regulated anion channels in liver physiology and metabolism (VOLIV)

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: Life Sciences
Countries involved: Germany
Call: Individual Fellowships (H2020-MSCA-IF-2017, 2017)
Start date: 2019-08-01
End date: 2021-07-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 159460.8
EU funding (EUR): 159460.8
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

A fundamental property of animal cells is the ability to maintain their volume constant to face changes in osmolarity and during division, migration and transepithelial transport. There is emerging evidence that cell swelling also initiates signaling cascades that regulate metabolism, particularly in hepatocytes. However, the basic mechanisms responsible for sensing volume changes and initiating volume-regulated signaling cascades in the liver remain largely unclear. As major player in cell volume regulation, the Volume-Regulated Anion Channel VRAC may influence liver metabolism by controlling hepatocyte volume. VRAC was recently identified by the host laboratory as LRRC8 heteromers. LRRC8A represents the obligatory subunit and forms heteromers with LRRC8B-E isoforms. Depending on the subunit composition, the heteromers present specific electrophysiological properties and transport different substrates. The aim of this proposal is then (i) to investigate the role of VRAC and its different subunits in liver function and particularly (ii) as signal transducer between hepatocyte volume and metabolism. The host laboratory already generated numerous LRRC8 mouse models e.g. tagged-Lrrc8 knock-in mice which are valuable tools to determine the subcellular distribution of the different LRRC8 subunits in the liver. I will also develop hepatocyte-specific knock-out (KO) mice to analyze the liver histology and function. Primary hepatocytes from the different KO will be used to study the potential roles of VRAC in liver physiology at the cellular level e.g. via autocrine signaling cascades. I finally intend to identify the VRAC-dependent hepatic metabolic pathways using large-scale analytical techniques and evaluate the systemic metabolism of the different KO mice. My project is expected to uncover the role of VRAC in liver physiology from molecular to systemic level and thus to provide detailed insights of the molecular coupling between hepatocyte volume and liver metabolism.

Keywords: vrac,cell volume,hepatocytes,metabolism,autocrine pathway
Artificial micro-vehicles with life-like behaviour (ChemLife)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Synthetic Chemistry and Materials
Panel description: New materials and new synthetic approaches, structure-properties relations, solid state chemistry, molecular architecture, organic chemistry
Countries involved: Ireland
Call: ERC Starting Grant (ERC-2018-STG, 2018)
Start date: 2018-10-01
End date: 2024-09-30
Duration (months): 72.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1499887.0
EU funding (EUR): 1499887.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

One of the most interesting properties of living organisms is the way in which they can sense and respond to changes by moving. Movement has been essential to the survival of all life; even units as small as cells can react to different chemicals through movement. This is a phenomenon known as chemotaxis. Bacteria use chemotaxis to find sources of food, while white blood cells use chemotaxis to follow a chemical trail left by a virus, then find it and destroy it. Throughout areas of science, from robotics to drug delivery, if we could mimic a fraction of this fascinating complexity, the possibilities would be endless. Imagine micro-structured vehicles, which could ‘navigate’ through complex fluidic environments, and could effectively ‘recognise’, ‘sense’, ‘diagnose’ and ‘treat’ a variety of conditions. This is exactly what this proposed project, ChemLife, will explore. I will make smart droplets which travel through complicated mazes by chemotaxis, communicate with each other, and move to find their partners or locate and neutralise a ‘droplet intruder’. Other biological systems have much more complicated means of movement, such as swimming, crawling or gliding along surfaces. In an attempt to replicate this, I will fabricate ‘swimmers’ and ‘crawlers’, from soft materials which will move independently and travel through liquids or at the bottom of fluidic channels. Not only will these micro-vehicles be able to travel inside fluids, but they will also be able to detect molecules, signal to other vehicles, and repair problems which they encounter. They underpin a key ambition of ChemLife: the realisation of a Biomimetic Toolbox, a library of adaptable vehicles, which can be demonstrated in a wide range of scenarios. The assembly of these micro-vehicles in to ‘smart’ societies which can perform complicated tasks would be a really exciting achievement, with the potential to become a disruptive foundational breakthrough for movement and transport at the micro-scale.

Keywords: stimuli responsive materials,microfluidics,chemotaxis,3d printing,hydrogels
Treatment against honeybee varroosis based on highly effective application of oxalic acid through sublimation (BEEOXAL)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Societal Challenges
Programme: Climate action, environment,  resource efficiency and raw materials
Action type: SME instrument
Countries involved: Spain
Call: Boosting the potential of small businesses in the areas of climate action, environment, resource efficiency and raw materials (H2020-SMEINST-1-2016-2017, 2017)
Start date: 2017-08-01
End date: 2017-11-30
Duration (months): 4.0
Total project cost (EUR): 71429.0
EU funding (EUR): 50000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Varroosis is the most serious honeybee disease worldwide, causing €197 million loss yearly in the eight main European beekeeping countries, and severe population decline of this main pollination agent, with strong impact on agriculture and wildlife biodiversity. Negative effects are of such extent that the EU provides specific funding (€33.1 M, 2014-16), to support beekeepers applying compulsory annual anti-varroosis treatments, but current medicaments cannot effectively control varroosis because none, either synthetic of organic, guarantee all the features required for optimal pest control: 1) High efficacy; 2) natural and safe for humans, honeybees and environment; 3) no resistance development; 4) Easy-to-use. BEEOXAL outmatches existing solutions by combining these four features. It consists of a treatment kit with (1) easy-to-use mono-dose pellets and (2) a specifically developed device that burns (sublimates) the tablet so it is spread like a cloud inside the hive. BEEOXAL results from the research and vast field experience of Sagavet Soluciones SL, a Spanish SME delivering animal health solutions. Based on a component already present in honey, oxalic acid, BEEOXAL has an efficacy of 96.8%, a large therapeutic margin thanks to improved spot-on formulation and dosage. Unlike synthetic products, BEEOXAL’s organic nature ensures no residue. The ready-for-use mono-dose pellets do not require mixing or handling, and the burner device to directly sublimate the tablet inside each hive allows a homogeneous distribution of the medicament in 30 seconds (x6 times faster than current treatments). This is crucial since it allows beekeepers to work safely and to avoid under/over doses (secure), maximising overall effectiveness. Backed by its international network (Cenavisa, Byopic), Soluciones Apícolas forecasts €6.8 million cumulative revenue for 2020-2022, and payback of 1 year, while generating 12 new jobs.

Keywords: honeybee,varroa destructor,varroosis,oxalic acid,treatment kit,veterinary medicament,sublimation,beekeeping,pollinators,honey,apiculture,hive
Fluorescence and Reactive oxygen Intermediates by Neutron Generated electronic Excitation as a foundation for radically new cancer therapies (FRINGE)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: Future and Emerging Technologies (FET)
Theme: EIC Pathfinder
Destination: Novel ideas for radically new technologies
Action type: Research and Innovation actions
Countries involved: Spain,Spain,Norway,Greece,Switzerland,Norway,Czechia
Call: FET-Open Challenging Current Thinking (H2020-FETOPEN-2018-2019-2020-01, 2018)
Start date: 2019-05-01
End date: 2024-10-31
Duration (months): 66.0
Total project cost (EUR): 3979485.0
EU funding (EUR): 3979485.0
Participants: 8
Project status: SIGNED

Deep lying tumours like aggressive brain cancer remain very difficult to treat and existing therapies offer only marginal increase in survival rates. In the case of photomedical therapies they are very effective, but mainly limited by their insufficient depth of light penetration into tissue. Current neutron-based therapies have sufficient penetration depth but suffer from lack of cancer specificity. In FRINGE we propose a genuinely new hybrid-technology. At its heart are chemical agents (photosensitisers - PS) which preferentially accumulate in the tumours especially in brain cancers where the blood brain barrier is compromised. The PSs designed for FRINGE will contain metal centres like Gadolinium (Gd), to enable interaction with incoming neutrons and facilitate the transfer of neutron energy into electron excitation of the PS, confirmed by concomitant fluorescence emission. Interaction with ambient oxygen will generate reactive oxygen species which will kill the tumour cells. The main scientific breakthrough of this project will be to establish experimental proof-of-principle of this novel neutron-activated therapy. FRINGE will combine the advantages of photomedical therapies (no mutagenic radiation) with the advantages of neutron-based therapies (large penetration depth). The externally-applied neutron beam can be energy-tuned to become therapeutic exactly at the depth of the tumour. Exploiting Gd as a contrast agent, FRINGE can also become a theranostic modality by use of magnetic resonance imaging. FRINGE has the potential of causing immunogenic cell death to cancers which could eliminate occult metastasis and act as a ‘cancer vaccine’. The highly interdisciplinary project team comprises world renowned experts from a unique combination of disciplines: Nuclear physicists, synthetic chemists, photochemists, photobiologists, medical physicists, quantum chemists and radio-oncologists will join forces to lay the foundations for a novel, curative cancer therapy.

Keywords: photobiology,photomedicine,medical physics,porphyrin chemistry,nuclear technology
Temporal Impairment in Mapping Events: linguistic and non-linguistic time in aphasia (T.I.M.E.)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie-Sklodowska-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Individual Fellowships (IF)-Global Fellowships
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Panel: Social Sciences and Humanities
Countries involved: Spain,United States
Call: Individual Fellowships (H2020-MSCA-IF-2020, 2020)
Start date: 2022-03-18
End date: 2025-03-17
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 245732.16
EU funding (EUR): 245732.16
Participants: 2
Project status: SIGNED

Locating events on a timeline allows us to keep track of the past, live the present and plan the future. Some individuals can lose this fundamental aspect of human existence: aphasic patients. Aphasia is a language disorder typically caused by a stroke or a head injury that affects the ability to read, write and speak coherently. The source of the temporal impairment in aphasia is still unknown. Previous accounts focused on the linguistic aspect of this deficit, but data coming from clinical case reports and experimental studies suggest that this temporal impairment may not be exclusively linguistic. The main aim of this project is to carry out a systematic investigation of time processing in aphasic patients across different domains and, for the first time, through the use of structural magnetic resonance imaging. Three questions will be addressed: which aspects of time processing are impaired in aphasic patients? Is this impairment language-specific? What is the neurobiological basis of time processing? Behavioral (neurolinguistics/cognitive science) paradigms testing different aspects of non-/linguistic time processing will be combined with a voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping (VLSM) analysis and diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI). VLSM allows to analyze the relationship between lesioned grey matter and patients’ performance on a voxel-by-voxel basis, without the need of grouping patients based on lesion site or behavioral cut-off scores, while dMRI allows to explore which white matter pathways are also affected. Diffusion indexes will be also used to analyze the relationship between white matter fiber tract integrity and patients' performance. This proposal will provide answers to long-standing questions concerning the nature of the temporal impairment in aphasic patients and the neural underpinnings of time processing. This work will also lay the foundations for the development of new clinical tools for aphasic patients suffering temporal impairment.

Keywords: time,mental timeline,temporal orientation,event location,adverb verb temporal concord,tense,aphasia,voxel based lesion symptom mapping,diffusion mri
Sustainable thermal packaging from waste feathers (pluumo)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Industrial Leadership
Programme: Innovation in SMEs
Action type: SME instrument
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call: SME instrument (H2020-SMEInst-2018-2020-1, 2019)
Start date: 2019-08-01
End date: 2019-11-30
Duration (months): 4.0
Total project cost (EUR): 71429.0
EU funding (EUR): 50000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

• Synthetic materials and plastics used in packaging and insulation products are destroying our planet • At the same time, the global poultry industry produces every day 16.000 tonnes of waste feathers, which are not utilized effectively AEROPOWDER LIMITED propose pluumo, the first fully compostable packaging material made from feathers. It is lightweight and has outstanding thermal insulation. pluumo is made from natural materials (feathers and a bioplastic binder) and is combined with sustainable external packaging materials (such as recycled cardboard or recyclable mailing bags) as a complete delivery solution.
New routes for magnetic resonance spectroscopy of biomolecules by combining EPR and NMR methods (BIO-enMR)

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-2020-ADG, 2020)
Start date: 2021-11-01
End date: 2026-10-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2443125.0
EU funding (EUR): 2443125.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Detection of magnetic nuclei via magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR/EPR) or imaging (MRI) is one of the most important tools to achieve structural and functional information in natural sciences. Latest developments in this field are taking advantage of the larger (about three orders of magnitude) spin polarization of unpaired electrons in paramagnetic molecules to tremendously enhance the sensitivity of nuclear magnetic resonance. However, most protocols still suffer from several bottlenecks and lack of general applicability to bio-macromolecules. This proposal aims at expanding electron-nuclear spin polarization transfer to develop new magnetic resonance tools: 1) EPR-based nuclear spin detection for structural information in the angstrom-to-nanometer scale and 2) hyperpolarized high-field NMR in the liquid state. Research in these two directions will take advantage from concerted investigations of polarization transfer mechanisms and their representative applications to biomolecular systems. Reaching this goal will permit new studies, not feasible with current techniques, for instance understanding the molecular mechanism of enzyme activation, subunits interactions and inhibition in ribonucleotide reductases, which are important targets of cancer drugs. Our laboratory possesses suited expertise and a state-of-the art combination of EPR and NMR instrumentation, by which these questions can be tackled in synergy. The research program encompasses a variety of investigations, from new experimental and instrumental designs up to short and long-term potential applications in biomolecules, for instance in the investigations of enzyme interactions with drugs, which are currently hampered by low sensitivity and resolution. A successful establishment, combined with current progress in magnetic resonance instrumentation, i.e. the age of magnetic resonance in GHz (NMR) and THz (EPR), will offer new opportunities for analytical and biophysical investigations.

Keywords: magnetic resonance,spectroscopy,dynamic nuclear polarization,ribonucleotide reductases
An affordable edge-computing device for high-performance and power-efficient robotics automation (snickerdoodle)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Industrial Leadership
Programme: Innovation in SMEs
Action type: SME instrument
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call: SME instrument (H2020-SMEInst-2018-2020-1, 2019)
Start date: 2019-06-01
End date: 2019-09-30
Duration (months): 4.0
Total project cost (EUR): 71429.0
EU funding (EUR): 50000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Industrial automation is a global trend of today’s industrial landscapes, aiming at increasing quality, flexibility and safety in manufacturing lines by using robotics and IoT technologies to control machinery and manufacturing processes. Setting up manufacturing automation lines is currently a time-consuming and costly process, since it requires to build up complex hardware-software platforms by assembling many different expensive components (e.g., processing units, wireless modules, GPIO, FPGA, etc.). In addition, platform customization for specific use-cases implies some – or all – of these components to be changed, in order to meet the desired requirements (e.g., performance, power, interface, etc.). Krtkl has developed Snickerdoodle, the first full-stack development board for robotic systems that combines functionality, usability and affordability in just one palm-sized device. Snickerdoodle is conceived for high-performance robotics applications, and it can be quickly and easily configured and re-programmed via a companion smartphone application (iOS & Android). Snickerdoodle minimizes the time, effort and cost needed for setting up and maintaining industrial robots. Moreover, it can be used to create local computing networks to use alongside the cloud network, such as edge computing systems. During the Phase 1 feasibility assessment, a go-to-market strategy and a supply chain will be established, as well as further development plan will be drafted.

Keywords: edge computing,industrial automation,robotics,flexible manufacturing,full stack development board