Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Intelligent neural system for bidirectional connection with exoprostheses and exoskeletons (NerveRepack)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness
Programme: Digital, Industry and Space
Theme: Public-private partnerships
Destination: Chips for Europe Initiative
Action type: Research and Innovation actions
Partnership: CHIPS (JU-JTI)
Countries involved: Romania,Germany,Norway,Italy,Netherlands,Greece,Portugal,Poland,Spain,Switzerland
Call: General according to ECS-SRIA 2022 (RIA) (HORIZON-KDT-JU-2022-2-RIA, 2022)
Start date: 2023-06-01
End date: 2027-05-31
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 15371376.61
EU funding (EUR): 5379981.82
Participants: 29
Project status: SIGNED

The main goal of the proposal is to develop a new generation of bidirectional implantable electrodes connecting the human nervous system with external mechatronic aid devices such as exoskeletons and exoprostheses, thus helping people with arm amputations or leg paralysis regain their motor and sensorial functions. Electrodes will be the primary bidirectional interface to the nerves, followed by the implantable module, comprising an ASIC for signal processing, a microcontroller, an antenna for radio communication, a coil for wireless power charging and a supercapacitor for energy storage. To enable data communication to the mechatronic structures, as well as their power management and control (via AI modules) an embedded system will be designed, fabricated, and tested. This system will then be integrated into the mechatronic structures of exoprosthesis or exoskeletons. Due to the presence of bidirectional implantable electrodes a close loop between the user’s brain and the device’s control system will be created, with the AI module being used to learn and interpret the user’s synaptic signals. All the components and modules will be designed, fabricated, and tested with demonstration being assured by integrating the neural implantable systems with exoprostheses and exoskeletons into three demonstrators aimed at different categories of patients: with forearm amputation, with lower limbs paralysis and with single leg paralysis. A new generation of exoprostheses and exoskeletons controlled by the patient’s brain via the nervous system will change the paradigm of support for people with disabilities and will have an important social, economic, medical, and technological impact. The technology advances including miniaturization, wireless communication and power supply, progresses in medical microsurgery tools and methods, new biocompatible materials and technologies will considerably contribute to the project implementation.

Keywords: implantable neural system,cuff and plug electrodes,wireless data communication and power transmission,exoprostheses,exoskeletons
Uncovering the hidden origin behind the missing heritability (UnMiss)

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: France
Call: ERC ADVANCED GRANTS (ERC-2024-ADG, 2024)
Start date: 2025-12-01
End date: 2030-11-30
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2499625.0
EU funding (EUR): 2499625.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Understanding the genetic causes of phenotypic diversity in natural populations is a major challenge. While advances have been made in identifying the genetic basis of complex traits, our knowledge remains incomplete. Whole-genome sequencing has enabled genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to link genetic variants to traits, including human diseases. However, even with thousands of causal variants identified, they often account for only a small fraction of phenotypic variation. Uncovering the sources of this "missing heritability" is essential for predicting complex traits from genome sequences. The sources of missing heritability are largely unknown but may include: (i) incomplete variant catalogs focusing on single nucleotide variants (SNVs) while neglecting structural variants (SVs), (ii) limited power to detect rare variants in GWAS, (iii) difficulties in accounting for environmental effects and stochastic phenotypic variation, and (iv) complex gene-by-gene and gene-by-environment interactions. The UnMiss project aims to address these gaps using yeast as a model organism, allowing for systematic exploration of missing heritability. By developing a genetic variant atlas and a phenotype panel from 1,011 natural yeast isolates, we will examine how different variants contribute to trait heritability. Comparative GWAS analyses of these isolates and a panel of 1,000 hybrids will help clarify the role of low-frequency and rare variants. Gene expression data across conditions and single-cell analyses will further explore the genetic basis of environmental and stochastic trait variation. By deeply phenotyping the same population, we ensure that all traits are analyzed in the same individuals, allowing for the integration of data across different trait types. This comprehensive approach sets the foundation for large-scale network integration and mediation analyses, aiming to uncover hidden patterns that can facilitate the prediction of complex traits.

Keywords: population genomics,pangenome,genetic diversity,heritability,structural variants,yeast
What determines the hierarchy of VSG antigen switching in T. brucei? (VSG-SWITCH)

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: Germany
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): 173847.36
EU funding (EUR): 173847.36
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Pathogens use antigenic variation to evade host antibodies and cause diseases in humans. Interestingly, in many species antigen switching occurs non-randomly in a hierarchical manner, with specific antigen genes selected in succession. Trypanosoma brucei is a key model organism for the study of antigenic variation in which antigen switching hierarchies of its Variant Surface Glycoprotein (VSG) genes operate. However, how exactly this hierarchy is determined is unknown. Studies in T. brucei have indicated that the spatial positioning of VSG genes within the nucleus is important for controlling their activation. However, to date no systematic investigation of VSG gene nuclear positioning and antigen switching hierarchies has been performed. In this project, I would test the hypothesis that antigen switching hierarchies in trypanosomes are mediated by the spatial positioning of VSG genes in the nucleus. Using T. brucei cell lines in which different antigen switching pathways can be induced, I will determine whether silent VSGs in close spatial proximity to the active VSG before switch induction are selected next in the antigen switching pathway. This will be investigated by integrating a combination of Micro-C to monitor VSG nuclear positioning before and after switching followed by scRNA-seq. I will also develop a dCas9 artificial tethering system to tether silent VSGs either towards or away from the active VSG before switch induction to create a synthetic VSG switching hierarchy. These experiments will generate important insights into the mechanisms which control antigen switching and provide valuable tools for studying nuclear organisation in kinetoplastid parasites.

Keywords: antigen switching,ngs technologies,crispr cas9,
Advancing mEasures to Reduce aviatiOn imPact on cLimate and enhAnce resilieNce to climate-changE (AEROPLANE)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness
Programme: Climate, Energy and Mobility
Theme: Public-private partnerships
Destination: Single European Sky Air Traffic Management Research
Action type: Research and Innovation actions
Partnership: SESAR (JU-JTI)
Countries involved: Italy,Germany,Belgium,United Kingdom
Call: Fundamental Science and Outreach for Aviation Green Deal (HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-ER-01, 2022)
Start date: 2023-09-01
End date: 2026-02-28
Duration (months): 30.0
Total project cost (EUR): 810918.75
EU funding (EUR): 659000.0
Participants: 5
Project status: SIGNED

The interconnection between Aviation and climate is very tight. On the one hand, air traffic contributes to greenhouse gas emissions that alter the composition of the atmosphere globally, hence driving Climate Change. On the other hand, atmospheric processes significantly impact the whole chain of Aviation: changes in temperature affect infrastructure and aircraft performance, variable wind and precipitation patterns increase delays and cancellations, etc. In recent years, researchers put a strong effort in investigating the impact of Aviation on climate and ways to mitigate it. Putting these knowledge advancements into practice requires further development of the climate impact assessment methodology towards the deployment and implementation phases. In addition to these efforts, new adaptation measures are necessary to make the aviation sector less vulnerable to the unavoidable changes in climate conditions which we are already experiencing, such as heatwaves and other highly-impactful weather phenomena. Objectives: The project aims at developing a toolset for reducing the aviation impact on climate and to enhance the sector’s resilience to climate change. The idea is to advance the knowledge and operationalize the monitoring on the impact of aviation on climate, and, concurrently, to assess the resilience of the aviation sector to the exacerbation of extreme events due to climate change.

Keywords: climate change,mitigation,adaptation,climate metrics,co2 and non co2 effects
Network Trajectory Based Operations (NETWORK TBO)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness
Programme: Climate, Energy and Mobility
Theme: Public-private partnerships
Destination: Single European Sky Air Traffic Management Research
Action type: Research and Innovation actions
Partnership: SESAR (JU-JTI)
Countries involved: Belgium,Denmark,Sweden,France,Germany,Austria,Poland,Italy,Switzerland,United Kingdom,Spain,Bulgaria,Romania
Call: Industrial Research & Validation for Air-Ground Integration and Autonomy (HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-IR-01, 2022)
Start date: 2023-09-01
End date: 2026-08-31
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 16498232.5
EU funding (EUR): 5628987.51
Participants: 22
Project status: SIGNED

The NETWORK Trajectory based operations (NETWORK TBO) project proposes to validate TBO SESAR Solutions covers all aspects of Trajectory management processes involving – but not limited to - Network actors. It covers both planning and execution phases. The proposed SESAR Solutions, with an indication of the Technology Readiness Levels (with the associated EOCVM level) at the end of the project, are: * Solution #1: TBO Planning and Impact on Execution. Taking as baseline FF-ICE/1 implementation in progress, this solution will develop focusing on the planning phase and the transition to execution including the EPP data improvement. (Target = TRL6 (V3)). * Solution NETWORK TBO-2: Strategic trajectory revision in execution. This solution will address trajectory management during the (strategic) execution phase, including a contribution to the development of the ICAO’s FF-ICE 2 TBO concept. (Target = TRL6 (V3)). * Solution NETWORK TBO-3: Improve both ATC and network processes through synchronization of network and local trajectories. This solution will aim in particular at improving information exchanges between the Network Manager and ANSPs in order to enable a reference Network 4D trajectory supporting coordination processes. (Target = TRL6 (V3)). The NETWORK TBO project consortium - with EUROCONTROL as the project coordinator, and with steering from the project management board and the SJU - brings together 9 air navigation service providers, 2 airspace users, 8 airborne and ground industry partners, 2 research establishments. The main 'design', 'development & validation', and 'data pack and maturity gate' phases are planned throughout the second half of 2023, 2024, 2025 and the first half of 2026. The NETWORK TBO IR project will be executed in strong coordination with European initiatives and projects related to TBO implementation as well as the ATMRPP ICAO working group ensuring complementary and maximising the R&D outputs towards implementation and standardisation.

Keywords: network tbo trajectory based operations ffice ff ice sbt rbt business trajectory
Dental morphology across the tooth row: Geometric morphometric analysis of multiple tooth positions, reconstruction of missing teeth, and implications for hominin taxonomy. (TOOTHROW)

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: Austria
Call: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2023 (HORIZON-MSCA-2023-PF-01, 2023)
Start date: 2024-10-01
End date: 2026-09-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 183600.96
EU funding (EUR): 183600.96
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Our understanding of human evolution depends on reliable taxonomic identification of fossils and an understanding of their phylogenetic relationships. Teeth are a key source of evidence: they are well-preserved in the fossil record and their morphology is under strong genetic control. State-of-the-art methods involve 3D morphological analysis of internal dental structures, but due to statistical challenges and fossils frequently missing teeth, these analyses focus on each tooth position individually. This means that important aspects of variation across the tooth row are not captured, and as a result, key issues in hominin systematics remain unresolved. TOOTHROW will overcome these limitations by developing a novel methodological framework to analyse the morphology of the entire tooth row in a single analysis, even in incomplete specimens. I will use cutting-edge geometric morphometrics and multivariate statistics to estimate the morphology of teeth missing from fossil specimens, providing a powerful reconstruction tool. Morphological analysis of the complete dental arcade will be developed and tested on large extant hominoid samples, before being applied to two fossil hominins: Homo habilis and Homo naledi. Both species are central to our understanding of human evolution, yet the relationship between them and other hominins remains unresolved. The R-based analytical toolkit developed by TOOTHROW will advance applications of geometric morphometrics to include multiple skeletal elements, with applications in fields such as palaeontology, vertebrate morphology and forensics. The University of Vienna, home to a leading competence centre in morphometrics, and embedded in large networks of anthropological and evolutionary research, is the ideal host for this project. Results will be disseminated to a broad range of audiences through scientific conferences, publications in high-impact open access journals, an open-source R toolkit and outreach activities.

Keywords: palaeoanthropology,tooth morphology,hominin taxonomy,geometric morphometrics
Harnessing the potential of Archaea – Training Europe’s next visionaries for an innovative and sustainable future (ARCTECH)

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: Netherlands,Denmark,United Kingdom,Germany,Switzerland,Austria,Finland,Italy
Call: MSCA Doctoral Networks 2022 (HORIZON-MSCA-2022-DN-01, 2022)
Start date: 2024-03-01
End date: 2028-02-29
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2900804.91
EU funding (EUR): 2677485.6
Participants: 11
Project status: SIGNED

Archaea form one of the three domains of life, next to bacteria and eukaryotes. Archaea have unique cellular characteristics that allow them to thrive in extreme environments, for example at high pressures, salt concentrations or temperatures. Although their biochemical and metabolic properties show great potential for a wide range of biotechnological applications, our lack of knowledge about the structure and function of the archaeal cell surface and its role in formation of communities, such as biofilms, is currently hampering the large-scale industrial use of these organisms. Indeed, several prominent questions remain unanswered due to the small scientific community working in the field, and the lack of methods and technologies enabling research under extreme conditions. ARCTECH proposes the first training initiative on archaea, aiming to foster the next generation of European visionaries in ‘fundamental archaeal research and their application in biotechnology’. The 11 Doctoral Candidates (DCs) will address key knowledge gaps and develop methods and technologies for archaeal research, which are needed to unleash the industrial potential that archaea hold. The scientific outcomes of ARCTECH will be applicable to several biotech areas, such as Green Energy production, Sustainable Biomaterials, Biocorrosion, Enzyme production and Drug Delivery. This project will directly impact the European Higher Education Sector as the first research training initiative embarking into the unchartered world of archaea. The DCs will be trained by world experts from European academic and industrial institutions, benefiting from strong interdisciplinary exposure (e.g. microbiology, bioimaging, biogas production). These entrepreneurial, innovative, and resilient DCs will be of great value both to the academic and non-academic sectors, bringing unique capacity to inspire/spawn new fields of innovation in European industries.

Keywords: archaea,microbiology,biofilms,cell envelope,surface appendages,glycosylation,biotechnology,virus
Elucidating the phenotypic convergence of proliferation reduction under growth-induced pressure (UnderPressure)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and R egeneration
Panel description: For all organisms : Structure and function of the cell, cell -cell communication, embryogenesis, tissue differentiation, organogenesis, growth, development, evolution of development, organoids, stem cells, regeneration, therapeutic approaches
Countries involved: France
Call: ERC STARTING GRANTS (ERC-2021-STG, 2021)
Start date: 2022-04-01
End date: 2027-03-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1498280.0
EU funding (EUR): 1498280.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Growth-induced pressure necessarily emerges when a cell population, whichever the organism, proliferates in a 3D spatially-limited environment. Growth-induced pressure imposes physical constraints on cell physiology. A reduction of growth and division is observed in evolutionarily distant organisms such as bacteria, fungi, plants, or mammals. However, some cells are more capable of coping with these physical limitations and proliferate than others. This is in particular the case of cancer cells, for which growth-induced pressure participates in tumorigenesis and chemoresistance. Despite its importance, we are still at a loss to identify the basic sensing mechanisms associated with 3D proliferation under pressure. It is notably unclear if the mechanical control of proliferation stems from specific signaling or is a consequence of associated changes in the physical properties of cells. The goal of UnderPressure is to elucidate the phenotypic convergence of the mechanical-control of cell proliferation. We hypothesize that a large part of proliferation reduction comes from the physical limits imposed by the obligatory increase of macromolecular crowding under 3D confinement. Crowding relates to the high fraction of macromolecules in the cell and has the potential to kinetically alter biochemical reactions. We expect crowding to limit key processes associated with growth and division, and to elicit specific signaling essential to circumvent these limitations. Using unique microfluidic devices, we will investigate in bacteria, fungi, and mammalian cells how compressive forces physically limit growth and division and unravel the signaling pathways associated with the control of cell proliferation. We will mainly focus on crowding, investigate its consequences and its link with other physical properties such as membrane tension. We will use this knowledge to control cell proliferation in 3D compressed tumors, with the hope to notably reduce chemoresistance.

Keywords: mechano biology,cancer science,multi organism,compressive stress,growth induced pressure,microfluidic,macromolecular crowding,membrane tension,cell proliferation
N-Heterocyclic Carbenes on Silicon: from Structure to Function (SMARTFACE)

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: Germany
Call: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2023 (HORIZON-MSCA-2023-PF-01, 2023)
Start date: 2024-06-01
End date: 2026-05-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 189687.36
EU funding (EUR): 189687.36
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

The significance of cutting-edge nanoelectronics is inherently tied to the utilization and integration of silicon. The material is embedded as a semiconductor in a multitude of devices, such as nano- and microchips for computing. Given its paramount importance for the high-tech industry, intense research focuses on manipulating and optimising silicon surfaces. Silicon coating efforts aim to increase its resistance against harsh conditions (temperature, high electron potential, UV light, etc.), steer its electric conductivity, or covalently attach (bio)molecules for specific applications (such as biosensing). Depending on the objective, strategies for surface engineering include techniques such as atomic layer deposition or silanization. A fundamentally novel approach to functionalize silicon surfaces has recently been developed by the team of Prof. Frank Glorius from the University of Münster, who described a strategy to immobilize derivatives of N-heterocyclic carbenes on a boron-doped silicon substrate. Transposing this concept to industrially applied silicon surfaces such as Si(100), SMARTFACE aims for the following research objectives: Develop a general strategy for NHC immobilization on silicon, study the connection of the molecular NHC structure and surface coverage, understand the impact of the coating on the material, and, finally, explore the effect of the surface modification on silicon’s relevant properties. The Glorius group has a unique knowledge base in the field of NHCs and surface engineering and simultaneously possesses state-of-the-art hardware to analyze fabricated materials. Given its potentially transformative impact on the field of silicon surface engineering, SMARTFACE perfectly falls within the scope of the HE Work Programme, specifically in the pursuit of ‘developing and mastering the digital and key enabling technologies of the future’.

Keywords: carbene chemistry,silicon,molecular design,nhc,coating,semiconductor,surface,xps