Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Cambium genetics in Arabidopsis and Aspen: basic science meets wood production (WOODSofCHANGE)

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: Environment and Geosciences
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF-EF) (H2020-MSCA-IF-2014, 2014)
Start date: 2015-09-01
End date: 2017-12-02
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 195454.8
EU funding (EUR): 195454.8
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Multicellular organisms require an accurate coordination of multiple growth programs to develop. In plants, the lateral growth is the process by which stems and roots grow in diameter. Lateral growth is a pivotal process for plant development that (i) provides the mechanical stability that plants need to expand their growth and sustain their structures and (ii) brings about large amounts of extremely useful plant biomass, especially in the form of wood in trees. Lateral growth is mediated by a specialised group of stem cells collectively called cambium. Remarkably for such a crucial cell-type for plant development and biomass generation, very little is known about the genetic regulation of cambium. Dr. Agusti’s lab has identified new strong potential cambium regulators through a novel approach that combines natural variation and Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Based on the sophisticated skills that I acquired in the field of tree genetics and genomics and on the large experience on genomics techniques held in the lab of Dr. Agusti, I present a project that will: 1) Characterise the role of new potential cambium regulators identified in Dr. Agusti’s lab in Arabidopsis and Aspen trees, using state of the art genetic and molecular techniques. 2) Discover new cambium regulators in Arabidopsis by expanding the natural variation and GWAS approach previously used in Agusti’s lab. 3) Translate the results obtained through 1) and 2) into the generation of new Aspen varieties (using state of the art techniques on tree genetics and genomics that I have extensively used in the past) with the view of enhancing biomass production in Aspen in the form of wood. Results will (i) unravel new and fundamental aspects of the genetic regulation of cambium activity, illuminating our general understanding on plant development and (ii) strongly impact on Europe excellence by enhancing our capacity for plant biomass production.

Keywords: plant biomass production,wood,cambium activity,arabidopsis,aspen,gwas
Insular cortical circuits controlling fear and anxiety (InsularAnxiety)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System
Panel description: Nervous system development, homeostasis and ageing, nervous system function and dysfunction, systems neuroscience and modelling, biological basis of cognitive processes and of behaviour, neurological and mental disorders
Countries involved: Germany
Call: ERC Starting Grant (ERC-2017-STG, 2017)
Start date: 2018-03-01
End date: 2023-02-28
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1498000.0
EU funding (EUR): 1498000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

How do emotions guide our behaviour? For an appropriate behavioural response, an individual has to constantly integrate bodily feelings, emotional states, and cues from the environment to evaluate the risks and benefits of a future action. A growing body of evidence indicates that the insular cortex, as part of a distributed neuronal network, plays a key role in influencing emotional behaviour. However, how neuronal circuits within the insular cortex function mechanistically is not known. In this proposal, I will focus on the largely overlooked role of the insular cortex in mediating fear- and anxiety-related behaviours. I will address how the insular cortex processes sensory information of different emotional valence, whether it predicts risk, and how it influences emotional behaviour and decision-making. I will present a research program relying on modern tools to dissect neuronal circuit architecture and function in the mouse, such as viral tracing techniques, optogenetics, behavioural analysis and in vivo two-photon imaging in awake behaving mice. Taking advantage of the technical expertise of my lab, we will reveal the architecture of connectivity-defined insular cortical microcircuits using monosynaptic viral tracing tools. We will address the necessity and sufficiency of connectivity- and cell-type defined microcircuits to express anxiety and learned safety using optogenetic manipulations. In vivo two-photon calcium imaging in awake behaving animals will allow us to examine how representations of sensory cues predicting danger or safety are processed in the insular cortex, which information amygdala afferents carry to the insular cortex, and whether and how neuronal processing in the insular cortex signals risky or safe outcomes. The ultimate goal of this proposal is to provide novel insights into the function and organization of the insular cortex from a network perspective down to the single cell level.

Keywords: anxiety,insular cortex,optogenetics,microcircuits,two photon calcium imaging,fear conditioning,viral tracing,decision making,risk prediction,conditioned fear inhibition,emotion regulation
iPURXL: Scale-Up of Liquid Nano-reactor for the Destruction of Contaminants in Turbid Fluids (iPURXL)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Societal Challenges
Programme: Climate action, environment,  resource efficiency and raw materials
Action type: SME instrument
Countries involved: United Kingdom,United Kingdom,United Kingdom
Call: Boosting the potential of small businesses for eco-innovation and a sustainable supply of raw materials (H2020-SMEINST-2-2014, 2014)
Start date: 2015-07-01
End date: 2017-06-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1880197.5
EU funding (EUR): 1316137.26
Participants: 4
Project status: CLOSED

The iPURtech Nanoreactor effluent fluid treatment system recycles metal working fluids in an almost closed loop. iPURXL builds on 2 years successful sales and a growing list of enquiries to transfer the technology to other sectors, particularly for the treatment of water and other aqueous liquids. This will required scale up from our current >20-50 Litres per hour systems to those capable of processing >1000 in line with customer demand. This will enable us to sell into both single line and full site effluent treatment, ranging from small meat rendering plants up to full scale municipal waste water treatment. The original system treats fluid in quartz tubes supplied with sufficient UV-C light to operate. A TiO2 photo-catalyst coated auger causes oscillation and scrubs tube walls clean. Conventional systems immerse single lamps in fluid; we use multiple high powered UV-C lamps around tubes to achieve higher volume kill ratios making iPURtech uniquely suitable for scale up. TiO2 reactors are well researched yet little large scale commercial delivery has resulted. To succeed commercially this must be practical. Direct linear scale up is not possible, issues such as coating light weight auger materials over greater surface areas, UV dose, system size and weight and must be addressed. Over summer of 2014, testing was carried out with a range of meat renderers and with the input of a range of technical and commercial specialists. This has resulted in the development of a very strong research, development, supply and sales team and we are confident of our combined abilities to deliver at commercial scale immediately post this demonstration.

Keywords: water treatment,effluent,cold pasteurisation,cod reduction
Living in the diffusive boundary layer of seaweeds a potential refuge habitat from ocean acidification (DBL-OA)

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: Environment and Geosciences
Countries involved: Australia,Germany
Call: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF-GF) (H2020-MSCA-IF-2015, 2015)
Start date: 2017-06-15
End date: 2020-06-14
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 264110.4
EU funding (EUR): 264110.4
Participants: 2
Project status: CLOSED

The world’s oceans are becoming more acidic due to the sustained absorption of excess atmospheric CO2. Ocean acidification (OA) is predicted to affect the physiology of marine organisms at a specific level with calcifying species being particularly threatened because low pH impairs the formation, and causes dissolution, of their calcite skeletons. In temperate coastal communities, seaweeds are ecosystem engineers that modify their local chemical (e.g. pH) and physical (e.g. water flow) environment; this modification might offset the negative effects of OA on calcifiers. Brown seaweeds (Order Fucales) are ecologically dominant primary producers of temperate coastal seas, supplying food and habitat for calcifying fauna living on their blade surface (e.g. bryozoans, tube worms) but also forming dense canopies sheltering understory calcareous algae. At the surface of all seaweeds, there is a thin (mm) layer of seawater called the “diffusive boundary layer” (DBL) whose chemistry, including pH, is controlled by the seaweed’s metabolism. Depending on algal morphology, the DBL thickness varies, forming a sometimes thick (6 cm) DBL associated with the seaweed canopy, thus providing more or less complex microhabitats for associated species. The proposed program will combine field observations with rigorous laboratory experiments to examine the ability of morphologically distinct seaweeds to engineer their hydrodynamic and pH environment, and determine the resultant effects on the growth and physiology of associated invertebrates and calcifying algae. To know species interactions under environmental change is important to understand community functioning in a future ocean. This innovative project will compare the generality of responses by conducting experiments using the same novel methods in Fuclean communities from the southern (Tasmania) and northern (Germany) hemispheres, thereby elucidating the extent to which seaweed-based ecosystems can provide natural refugia from OA.

Keywords: ocean acidification,hydrodynamism,species interactions,seaweed communities,macroalgae
Writing, reading and managing stress with H3K9me (Epiherigans)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems
Panel description: Genetics, epigenetics, genomics and other ‘omics studies, bioinformatics, systems biology, genetic diseases, gene editing, innovative methods and modelling, ‘omics for personalised medicine
Countries involved: Switzerland,Switzerland
Call: ERC Advanced Grant (ERC-2016-ADG, 2016)
Start date: 2017-06-01
End date: 2022-05-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2500000.0
EU funding (EUR): 7023.56
Participants: 2
Project status: CLOSED

Epigenetic inheritance is the transmission of information, generally in the form of DNA methylation or post-translational modifications on histones that regulate the availability of underlying genetic information for transcription. RNA itself feeds back to contribute to histone modification. Sequence accessibility is both a matter of folding the chromatin fibre to alter access to recognition motifs, and the local concentration of factors needed for efficient transcriptional initiation, elongation, termination or mRNA stability. In heterochromatin we find a subset of regulatory factors in carefully balanced concentrations that are maintained in part by the segregation of active and inactive domains. Histone H3 K9 methylation is key to this compartmentation. C. elegans provides an ideal system in which to study chromatin-based gene repression. We have demonstrated that histone H3 K9 methylation is the essential signal for the sequestration of heterochromatin at the nuclear envelope in C. elegans. The recognition of H3K9me1/2/3 by an inner nuclear envelope-bound chromodomain protein, CEC-4, actively sequesters heterochromatin in embryos, and contributes redundantly in adult tissues. Epiherigans has the ambitious goal to determine definitively what targets H3K9 methylation, and identify its physiological roles. We will examine how this mark contributes to the epigenetic recognition of repeat vs non-repeat sequence, and mediates a stress-induced response to oxidative damage. We will examine the link between these and the spatial clustering of heterochromatic domains. Epiherigans will develop an integrated approach to identify in vivo the factors that distinguish repeats from non-repeats, self from non-self within genomes and will examine how H3K9me contributes to a persistent ROS or DNA damage stress response. It represents a crucial step towards understanding of how our genomes use heterochromatin to modulate, stabilize and transmit chromatin organization.
Patented small molecule therapeutics that target cancer stem cells for the treatment of glioblastoma and other brain cancers (Curtana)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Societal Challenges
Programme: Health, demographic change and wellbeing
Theme: Treating and managing disease
Action type: SME instrument
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call: Supporting innovative SMEs in the healthcare biotechnology sector (H2020-SMEINST-1-2016-2017, 2016)
Start date: 2017-02-01
End date: 2017-05-31
Duration (months): 4.0
Total project cost (EUR): 71429.0
EU funding (EUR): 50000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Over 45,000 people die each year in Europe – and 255,000 worldwide – from cancers of the brain and central nervous system. Gliomas are the biggest killer, accounting for a third of all diagnoses and 80% of primary malignant brain tumours. Among these glioblastoma is the most common, most aggressive and deadliest. Standard of care treatment offers little hope for patients diagnosed with gliomas: there is no cure, the median survival is 14.6 months and the 2-year survival rate is 13.5%. Conventional therapies can reduce tumour bulk, but they are ineffective at killing the cancer stem cells that drive tumour progression. Curtana may have found the answer. Its novel approach targets a transcription factor, Olig2, which is instrumental in tumorigenesis, tumour expansion and survival. By inhibiting Olig2, Curtana’s small molecule compound, CT-179, kills cancer stem cells. Pre-clinical results show CT-179 to be cytotoxic in selected tumours, a potent radiosensitiser, orally bioavailable and well tolerated; it also crosses the blood-brain barrier and has a high therapeutic index relative to conventional cancer drugs. Most importantly, it increases survival rates (in early studies, median improvement was 68%). Results indicate it may have benefit for other cancers too – any in which Olig2 is highly expressed, including all gliomas and other cancers such as lung, ovarian and endometrial. The Phase 1 project will address the feasibility of carrying out the further pre-clinical and clinical studies required before Curtana can apply for drug marketing approval. This will include identification of clinical partners for multi-centre trials that would be carried out in Europe in Phase 2, as well as potential investors.

Keywords: drug development,cancer treatment,oncology,neurooncology,brain cancer,glioma,glioblastoma,cancer stem cell
SmartHeat – An eco-innovative solution towards zero-carbon household heating (SmartHeat)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Societal Challenges
Programme: Secure, clean and efficient energy
Action type: SME instrument
Countries involved: Denmark
Call: Stimulating the innovation potential of SMEs for a low carbon and efficient energy system (H2020-SMEINST-2-2016-2017, 2017)
Start date: 2017-11-01
End date: 2021-02-28
Duration (months): 40.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1585900.0
EU funding (EUR): 1110130.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

SUNTHERM has developed a Worlds first 25 kWh thermal storage compact battery, based on salt hydrate dissolved in mineral oil that enables up to 25 hours of heat displacement (patent pending). SUNTHERM’s game-changer integrated heating system for households - SmartHeat - consists of: - Smart heating and heat storage, provided by a 25 kWh thermal battery (60 × 60 × 200 cm), coupled to a module of cloudbased management with an online control unit for real-time control over heat management, acting as a buffer in the grid; - Solar thermal collectors, for higher flexibility and 100% zero-carbon, sustainable heat production; - Heat pump, smart grid enabled, providing the management of energy loads - peak load shaving -, the storage of excess power during low demand periods for release during peak demand periods - load balancing -, and the integrated optimization of the heat pump operation. SmartHeat can effectively cover normal family's daily needs for radiators, floor heating or hot water, with a heat release capacity above any other heating unit available, due to its intelligent and huge storage capacity - equivalent to an oil burner in a utility room and delivery of twice the amount of hot water than a conventional hot water tank. By storing energy from the sun - or when the power is cheap - in our unique battery and delivering it when the house requires heating, we will offer the homeowner the opportunity to reduce the heat bill by 75% in comparison to the use of an oil burner, due to 40% increase in efficiency vs. a stand-alone heat pump. Through the successful development and implementation of SmartHeat WWF award winning technology, SUNTHERM will be in a strong position to exploit a market worth at 34.5 billion € and enhance its profitability by the stream of the sales, with an expected cumulated turnover of 83 million €, 5 years after project completion.

Keywords: energy efficiency,heat pump,sustainable heating,thermal battery
Ultra-fast Graphene Photodetectors (ULTRAPHO)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Industrial Leadership
Action type: Innovation actions
Countries involved: Germany,Spain,Netherlands
Call: Fast Track to Innovation (FTI) (H2020-EIC-FTI-2018-2020, 2020)
Start date: 2021-05-01
End date: 2023-10-31
Duration (months): 30.0
Total project cost (EUR): 3937398.75
EU funding (EUR): 2984842.5
Participants: 5
Project status: SIGNED

Goal of the ULTRAPHO FTI project is to change the market for photonic communication devices by bringing a groundbreaking technology to the market. The final goal is to establish a novel world leading enterprise in the semiconductor industry in the EU. Supported by major players like Nokia, Sony, and GLOBALFOUNDRIES, the consortium members will become worldwide leaders in the emerging field of photonic technologies and devices. The fundamentally new high-speed photonic devices use graphene to increase data transmission capacity of optical fibers. Together with novel fabrication and characterization tools and technology developed and marketed by the consortium the whole value chain from fabrication to the final product is covered. The consortium markets an ultrafast and broadband graphene photodetector which is of increasing importance for datacenters or 5G infrastructure. Moreover, the fabrication technology and tools for automated assembly and characterization will also be commercialized by the consortium. The ULTRAPHO objectives are: • To create a novel ultrafast photodetector that increases the data transmission capacity of optical fibers and validate it for industrial acceptance • Market a mass production process for graphene-on-wafer fabrication • Increase yield of the fabrication process and optimize quality control • Market tools for automated assembly and characterization on wafer level of high-speed photonic devices • Scale the production capacity to 10,000 wafers per year Consortium members patented world-leading technology and with the help of the ULTRAPHO project get the final boost to bring the novel technology to a market worth 41 B€ in 2022 (CAGR 37%).

Keywords: graphene
Cyber physicaL Equipment for unmAnned Nuclear DEcommissioning Measurements (CLEANDEM)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Euratom
Programme: Nuclear fission and radiation protection
Theme: Decommissioning and environmental remediation
Action type: Innovation actions
Countries involved: Italy,Italy,Spain,Germany,Italy,France,France
Call: Fostering innovation in decommissioning of nuclear facilities (NFRP-2019-2020, 2019)
Start date: 2021-03-01
End date: 2024-02-29
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 3414842.5
EU funding (EUR): 2795752.38
Participants: 11
Project status: SIGNED

The CLEANDEM project, with its collaboration of 11 partners from 4 EU countries, proposes a technological breakthrough associated to various dismantling and decommissioning (D&D) operational steps with an Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) Platform. The CLEANDEM strategy will be based on innovative detection technology systems that will constitute a toolbox for equipping an intelligent robotic platform for fully remote operations. The pre-identified technologies are low-cost sensThe CLEANDEM project, with its collaboration of 11 partners from 4 different EU countries, proposes a technological breakthrough for dismantling and decommissioning (D&D) operations of nuclear sites, employing an Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) Platform equipped with innovative radiological sensing probes. The aim of the project is to deliver a cyber physical system which will support the end-users’ operations, initially performing a radiological assessment of the area and then monitoring D&D operations throughout the final characterization of the plant. This will result in a 3D and fully detailed digital twin of the surveyed area augmented with radiological information provided by the sensors, thus enabling an efficient and effective planning of the dismantling actions and optimizing the nuclear waste sorting for reprocessing or for delivery to the final storage. Targeted impacts of the UGV Platform are to: save time, drastically reduce costs, minimize human intervention, improve workers and population safety and be greener; all of those driving the project execution to match the stakeholders’ expectation. The effectiveness of the UGV Platform will be assessed in an extensive testing and validation campaign that will be performed in laboratories, in simulated environment and finally on the field. A demonstration event in a real nuclear site, involving all project partners and external stakeholders, will conclude the three years project activities opening for further exploitation in the D&D market.

Keywords: cyber physical,digital twin,nuclear,dismantling,decommissioning,dandd,radiological sensors,robotic arm,radiological detectors,radiation workers exposure,alara,nuclear measurements