Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Identifying microbiotal triggers of inflammatory bowel disease through the lens of the immune system (IMMUNOBIOME)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Consolidator grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases
Panel description: Medical technologies and tools for prevention, diagnosis and treatment of human diseases, therapeutic approaches and interventions, pharmacology, preventative medicine, epidemiology and public health, digital medicine
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call: ERC Consolidator Grant (ERC-2014-CoG, 2014)
Start date: 2016-01-01
End date: 2020-12-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2304375.0
EU funding (EUR): 2304375.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis manifest at the host-microbiota interface. The recently revealed genetic underpinning of IBD points towards an aberrant immune response to the intestinal microbiota. The prediction of genetically-impaired microbial handling is exemplified by key risk genes overlapping between leprosy, an infectious disease, and Crohn’s disease. A vigorous search for microbial triggers of IBD, which could also help explain the rising incidence and prevalence of this debilitating condition throughout the world, via high-throughput sequencing studies have indeed revealed structural alterations of the microbiota (‘dysbiosis’) compared to healthy individuals, although it is methodologically impossible to resolve cause-effect relationships of these associations. Here we propose a two-tier strategy to overcome these limitations of current methods to uncover the microbial targets of the ‘inappropriate’ immune response that characterises IBD. The first tier is based on an entirely novel, and potentially disruptive, method (termed MiIP-Seq - Microbial Immunoprecipitation and Sequencing) that we have developed. MiIP-Seq allows directed metagenomic sequencing of microbes complexed with immunoglobulins in patients with IBD, and hence the identification of those microbes within the microbiota that are targeted by the pathological IgG immune response; induction of massive mucosal IgG exceeding IgA that prevails in health is a core characteristic of IBD. The second tier builds on transfer of the microbiota from patients with active IBD harbouring dominant IBD risk genes into mice genetically hypomorphic at the orthologues of these risk genes, and to resolve the hierarchy of immunologically targeted microbes within the humanised microbiota via MiIP-Seq. Hence, via exploiting the lens of the immune system and harnessing genetic insight, this study will unravel the ‘environmental, microbial’ triggers and perpetuators of IBD.

Keywords: aetiology,inflammatory bowel disease,host,microbe mutualism
Lossless information for Emerging Information Technologies (LEIT)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Systems and communication engineering
Panel description: Electrical, electronic, communication, optical and systems engineering
Countries involved: Spain,Finland,France,Portugal
Call: ERC Advanced Grant (ERC-2019-ADG, 2019)
Start date: 2021-01-01
End date: 2026-12-31
Duration (months): 72.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2993625.0
EU funding (EUR): 1641736.25
Participants: 4
Project status: SIGNED

In nanoelectronic circuits, interconnects use more energy than microprocessors, a situation clearly undesirable for e.g. autonomous Internet of Things applications based on charge and other information tokens. Overcoming this issue and minimising overall power consumption will be of paramount importance as we move towards Beyond-CMOS circuits. A novel approach is required. In LEIT I propose to investigate phonons as information carriers with typical ultralow energies of a fraction of a meV. As quanta of lattice vibrations, the high interactivity of phonons presents two key challenges: phonon-phonon scattering and losses in waveguides caused by interaction with e.g. lattice defects. I propose to overcome this by engineering phonon-phonon scattering in custom-designed phononic crystal-based structures moving towards narrow frequencies and non-interacting phonons at room temperature. These structures will exhibit a unique combination of features to allow phonon filtering, reflection and confinement, as well as transmission from one element (source) to another (modulator and waveguides), all of which will serve to direct and guide the phonon waves. Phonon losses will be minimised even eradicated by using topological phononic waveguides to transmit phonons over micrometre distances. The technological platforms will be made from silicon (Si) and Si-compatible materials, also incorporating transition metal dichalcogenides in order to reach the higher frequencies. In LEIT I will draw on my extensive experimental research on phonons in semiconductor nanostructures, Si membranes and phononic crystals to demonstrate the viability of acoustic phonons as low-energy information carriers. By doing so I will lay the scientific and technological foundations of a new phononics-based approach to information processing, offering a means of transmitting information that is extremely low-power and lossless, while also compact and integrable with Si-technologies.

Keywords: phonon signal transmission,phonons in si,si membranes,phononic crystals,low energy phonon transport,phononic interconnects,topological phonon waveguides,surface acoustic waves,brillouin scattering,ir imaging
Radical Solutions for Hysteresis in Single-Molecule Magnets (RadMag)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Consolidator 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: Belgium,United Kingdom,United Kingdom
Call: ERC Consolidator Grant (ERC-2014-CoG, 2014)
Start date: 2015-09-01
End date: 2021-02-28
Duration (months): 66.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1584202.3
EU funding (EUR): 1050608.57
Participants: 3
Project status: CLOSED

Single-molecule magnets (SMMs) display magnetic hysteresis that is molecular in origin, and these materials have huge potential to be developed as nano-scale devices. The big challenge is to create SMMs that function without the need for liquid-helium cooling. This project will develop new SMMs that combine the strong magnetic anisotropy of lanthanide ions with a series of novel radical ligands. Our innovative SMMs will have controllable molecular and electronic structures, which will ultimately enable hysteresis at unprecedented temperatures. Highly unusual di- and tri-metallic Ln-SMMs are proposed in which the metals are bridged by radicals with heavy Group 15 (phosphorus-bismuth) and Group 16 (sulphur-tellurium) donor atoms. Trimetallic SMMs will also be based on hexaazatriphenylene (HAT) radicals, and dimetallic SMMs will also be based on nindigo radicals, both of which are nitrogen-donor ligands. The SMM field is dominated by systems with diamagnetic ligands. Our radical ligands have never been used in SMM studies: their diffuse unpaired spin provides a way of switching off the quantum tunnelling mechanisms that otherwise prevent hysteresis. We will exploit the rich electrochemistry of the target ligands: heavy p-block radicals have huge spin densities on the donor atoms; HAT radicals can have up to three unpaired electrons; reduced or oxidized nindigo radicals allow access to redox-switchable SMMs. In the HAT-bridged SMMs, the use of ligands with more than one unpaired electron is unprecedented. The heavy p-block ligands are themselves are novel. The PI’s approach to SMMs has already established new directions in lanthanide chemistry and in molecular magnetism. He now proposes a new, radical approach to SMMs with potential to re-define the state of the art, and to extend the frontiers of a vibrant multi-disciplinary field. Achieving the aims will provide a major step towards using SMMs for applications at practical temperatures.

Keywords: molecular magnetism,organometallic chemistry
Physical Activity, Inflammation and Respiratory health: an integrative analysis of biological, behavioural and environmental determinants (PAIR)

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: Spain
Call: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF-EF) (H2020-MSCA-IF-2015, 2015)
Start date: 2016-03-01
End date: 2018-02-28
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 170121.6
EU funding (EUR): 170121.6
Participants: 2
Project status: CLOSED

The link between physical activity with respiratory health and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) remains weak and under-investigated. The limited existing research seems to suggest that systemic inflammation could lie in the causal pathway of this relationship, and that inflammatory-related conditions may modify this potential causal mechanism, although these hypotheses remain largely understudied. This project will investigate 1) the effect of physical activity on lung function decline and COPD incidence in European adults, as well as 2) the mediating role of systemic inflammation and 3) the influence of biological (BMI, co-existing chronic inflammatory diseases), behavioural (diet, smoking) and environmental (air pollution, greenness, ultraviolet radiation) factors on this relationship. Data from over 18,000 subjects from 3 large population-based adult cohorts (ECHRS, SAPALDIA and NFBC), for which data on lung function and physical activity were prospectively collected during at least two follow-ups approximately a decade apart, will be included. Lung function was measured by spirometry according to international standards. Physical activity frequency, duration and type was collected using self-reported (ECRHS and NFBC) or interviewer-administered (SAPALDIA) questionnaires. Systemic inflammation will be assessed using C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 levels in serum. Data on the inflammation-related factors of interest were collected by the cohorts or derived from previous/ongoing collaborations. Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations, and potential interactive effects, will be examined by centre/cohort and combined estimates will be derived. Given that lung function is an important determinant of health and that physical activity is one of a very few prevalent individually-modifiable risk factors, the results of the proposed research have the potential for wide-spread implications as well as public health and economic impacts.

Keywords: respiratory health,physical activity,inflammation
The Cultural Experience of International Students: Narratives from North and South Europe (YouthCult)

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: Social Sciences and Humanities
Countries involved: Finland
Call: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF-EF) (H2020-MSCA-IF-2015, 2015)
Start date: 2016-09-01
End date: 2018-08-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 179325.6
EU funding (EUR): 179325.6
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Young people are travelling more than ever before. Studying abroad is a growing and institutionalized practice, as in the Erasmus program. To find out what they’re getting out of this travelling, we have to get them to tell their stories and explore the meanings of their experience within the broader context of their lives. The results of this comparative study can usefully orient EU policymakers in sustaining young people in their transitional challenges – becoming adults, Europeans and citizens of a globalized world – fostering ongoing education in cultural diversity enhancing life for all Europeans. The key question is if and how students’ experiences abroad are contributing to overcoming cultural and social boundaries. Using a mixed-method and interdisciplinary approach, this innovative study investigates the meanings given by a group of 60 international students to their educational, cultural and overall life experience abroad (Finland and Italy). Through analysis of autobiographical-autoethnographical essays, ethnographical observations, focus groups and in-depth interviews I will address topics connected with self-construction processes in another culture: family of origin and its economic, social and cultural capital; perception of European social and cultural identity and sense of belonging to a “Cosmopolitan Generation”; fundamental cultural objects shaping the idea of Italy (South) Finland (North) and Europe in general; interaction with locals and involvement in the host culture; key life passages during students’ stay abroad. The narrative approach yields a clear, in-depth and comprehensive vision of what students abroad are actually doing and what they think about it. Beyond quantitative data, qualitative empirical material of this kind is rare; findings will offer unique insights on human life-span development, cultural globalization, social mobility, migration, tourism and education, enhancing intra-European education and mobility policies.

Keywords: international students,youth,autobiography autoethnography,cultural experience,north and south europe,helsinki and florence
Fast and cost-effective combined remediation technology for the elimination of chlorinated and other hydrocarbons from soil (GroundCLeaner)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Societal Challenges
Programme: Climate action, environment,  resource efficiency and raw materials
Action type: SME instrument
Countries involved: Germany
Call: Boosting the potential of small businesses for eco-innovation and a sustainable supply of raw materials (H2020-SMEINST-1-2014, 2014)
Start date: 2015-01-01
End date: 2015-03-31
Duration (months): 3.0
Total project cost (EUR): 71429.0
EU funding (EUR): 50000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The business of our company, IEG Technologie GmbH is soil remediation by using our groundwater circulation technologies. The GroundCLeaner proposal addresses to increase our competitiveness by developing a disruptive, rapid and costeffective method to remediate soils contaminated by chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOC), representing major threat to the quality of the European environment. The innovative method combines the state of the art ground water recirculation well (GWC) technology, patented by us, and a recently developed electro-biological treatment. Our aim is to further exploit the results of the novel technology proposed by providing a wider range of treatment. We aim at marketing this new combined technology for removal of CVOCs from soil, our services will include design, manufacturing, assembly, startup, maintenance and operation. The proposed technology targets to reduce the operational costs of remediation up to 70 %. The success of our solution would strengthen our international position on the market and would make us grow by becoming market leader for chlorinated compound remediation. During this phase 1 proposal we would like to carry out a technological feasibility study, market assessment, risk assessment, a study on or freedom to operate, develop a detailed work plan for a Phase 2 application and elaborate a business plan. After successful phase 1 application we intend do phase 2 proposal, in which we develop the marketable GroundCleaner technology. The present proposal targets to make a pan-European impact as it will reduce the estimated €17.3 billion spent by EU countries, and 2.2 billion spent by EU Structural Funds for reversing the environmental consequences of soil and water pollution caused by industrial and other activities.

Keywords: soil remediation,chlorinated volatile compounds vocs,electro bioremediation,ground water,recirculation,remediation services
Genetic diversity of cyanobacterial symbionts of lichens and of free-living populations of Nostoc in biological soil crust communities of threatened alvar grasslands (Cyanolichens)

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: Finland
Call: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF-EF) (H2020-MSCA-IF-2014, 2014)
Start date: 2015-06-15
End date: 2017-06-14
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 191325.6
EU funding (EUR): 191325.6
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Contemporary nature conservation policy in Europe has identified the protection of alvars and other semi-natural grasslands to be important for halting biodiversity loss. Loss of biodiversity implies not only species and communities but also loss of genetic diversity. To design effective conservation strategies for threatened biodiversity, the basic biology of the target organisms needs to be understood. Lichens are symbiotic entities consisting of at least two components, a fungus (mycobiont) and algae and/or cyanobacteria (photobionts), living in intimate symbiotic association. The genetic diversity of cyanobacteria will be studied in cyanobacterial lichens (cyanolichens) and in free-living cyanobacteria that form biological soil crusts (BSC) in North European alvars. The main DNA markers used will be tRNALeu (UAA) intron and 16S sequences for cyanobacteria and ITS sequences for lichen mycobionts. Cyanobiont specificity of lichen mycobionts and possible overlap in the cyanobiont spectra of different lichens will be determined. Also free-living Nostoc genotypes from the same habitats will be screened in order to establish their potential role in the symbiont pool. The diversity of lichen cyanobionts and free-living cyanobacteria in alvars, restored alvars and alvar-like substitution habitats will be compared to determine the effects of disturbance history on genotype diversity patterns. This study targets the very poorly known relationships between lichen-symbiotic cyanobacteria and their free-living relatives and will be the first of its kind in any grassland environment. The results will significantly improve our understanding of lichen biology and community ecology, and especially of the role of symbiont specificity in generating and maintaining lichen diversity. The results will have wide practical application in the design of conservation measures to protect the highly specialized BSC communities of the remaining semi-natural grassland in North Europe.

Keywords: lichen,cyanobacteria,nostoc,alvar,genetic diversity,biological soil crust,cyanobiont specifity,habitat disturbance
Tensionless strings of six-dimensional superconformal theories (6D STRINGS)

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: Physics
Countries involved: Netherlands
Call: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF-EF) (H2020-MSCA-IF-2015, 2015)
Start date: 2016-09-01
End date: 2018-08-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 165598.8
EU funding (EUR): 165598.8
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Despite the important role they play in M-theory, six-dimensional superconformal field theories (SCFTs) are to this day not well understood. A characteristic feature of 6d SCFTs is that their degrees of freedom include tensionless strings; while some properties of these strings have been studied in recent years, the 2d SCFTs that govern their behavior have not been constructed. In this proposal I outline a research plan to determine the 2d theories governing the strings, and use this knowledge to study the dynamics of six-dimensional SCFTs. I also explore two important applications of this class of 2d SCFTs. First, I will determine whether a conventional gravity dual to such 2d theories under the AdS3/CFT2 correspondence exists. I will then use the 2d SCFTs to study the properties of their gravity duals and establish whether such gravity duals behave as string theories, thus testing the string universality conjecture for 3d quantum gravity. Second, I will use one of the 2d SCFTs under consideration to investigate the Mathieu moonshine conjecture. This conjecture connects two seemingly unrelated areas of mathematics: mock modular forms and representation theory of the Mathieu group M24. It is expected that this deep mathematical relation will be explained by an appropriate string theory construction; I argue that the 2d SCFT under consideration can be expected to play a role in the proof. The research will take place at the University of Amsterdam’s Institute of Physics. The Institute hosts some of the world’s top experts on the proposed research topics. The project will be conducted by combining techniques from their areas of research with my expertise on six-dimensional SCFTs and their tensionless strings. The research program includes a strong training plan and a clear transfer of knowledge, and will contribute to reinforce European excellence in theoretical high-energy physics.

Keywords: string theory,6d superconformal field theory,tensionless strings,ads3,cft2,mathieu moonshine