Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
MRI diagnosis using a single-shot imaging technique with unprecedented robustness to field inhomogeneities (X-Imaging)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Proof of concept grants
Action type: ERC actions
Countries involved: Israel
Call: ERC-Proof of Concept-2016 (ERC-2016-PoC, 2016)
Start date: 2017-07-01
End date: 2018-12-31
Duration (months): 18.0
Total project cost (EUR): 150000.0
EU funding (EUR): 150000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

This project seeks to exploit cross-term spatiotemporal encoding (xSPEN), a single-shot MRI modality that we introduced last year as part of our efforts to develop new ultrafast techniques in nuclear magnetic resonance. Besides delivering single-shot images in tens of milliseconds, xSPEN exhibits an unprecedented resilience to field inhomogeneities enabling it to access regions that have so far never been scanned by single-scan MRI. Over the last year we have confirmed this and further developed these single-shot measurements, combining it with sequences and algorithms enabling their use in kinetic and diffusivity studies. This PoC proposes to employ these new methods to tackle three problems that pose open challenges in diagnostic radiology, due to their involvement of tissue-metal and tissue-air interfaces subject to strong susceptibility distortions. These include (i) accessing physiological information in the proximity of metal implants; (ii) diagnosing cholesteatomas, a middle-ear growth of chronic recurrence with characteristic diffusion parameters; and (iii) examining and diagnosing optic nerve neurofibromatosis tumours by diffusion and by dynamic contrast enhanced MRI. By enabling non-invasive, mostly diffusion-based characterisations of these challenging radiological problems, xSPEN will provide hitherto unavailable opportunities to perform repetitive, differential diagnoses of diseases whose permanent solution demands invasive radiation and/or surgery procedures. This can in turn free patients from what could be unnecessary, highly invasive and dangerous operations, preserving a normal lifestyle, and alleviating associated healthcare costs. Furthermore, as despite its uniqueness xSPEN is compatible with thousands of contemporary clinical MRI machines, validating its diagnostic use on a suitable cohort of volunteers and patients should open a world-wide market of radiological imaging applications, with a life time of decades.

Keywords: diffusion mri,susceptibility distortions,metal tissue interfaces,cholesteatomas,optic nerve tumours,non invasive radiology
MEDIKURA: Digital Infrastructure for Drug Safety in Europe (MEDIKURA)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Industrial Leadership
Programme: Innovation in SMEs
Action type: SME instrument
Countries involved: Germany
Call: SME instrument (H2020-SMEInst-2018-2020-1, 2018)
Start date: 2018-08-01
End date: 2019-01-31
Duration (months): 6.0
Total project cost (EUR): 71429.0
EU funding (EUR): 50000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The mission of MEDIKURA is to digitize drug safety: our process innovation helps pharma companies to capture, enrich, and analyze drug-related data provided by patients and doctors. We address the societal problem that more than 200,000 European citizens die from Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs, colloquially referred to as drug side-effects) every year, whereas less than 1% of ADR cases are officially reported by patients and doctors. To improve drug safety, the new EU regulation ICH E2B(R3) came into effect in late 2017 - as a result, pharma companies are subject to increasing cost and time pressure in ADR monitoring. Our solution is to build the digital infrastructure for ADR data – to improve drug safety, enable more targeted therapies, and accelerate data-driven drug discovery. We streamline the process of capturing, enriching, and analyzing ADR data through a cloud-based platform that connects pharma companies with patients and doctors. Our goal is to replace the decentralized, analogue drug safety process with a transparent, centralized, and digital system. The resulting value proposition to pharma companies is three-fold. In terms of time savings, we reduce the timespan to close a ADR case and report it to public authorities by more than 50%. In terms of money, we can save processing cost of more than 50% per ADR case and reduce liability risk significantly. In terms of data quality, we provide comprehensive information through a digital backchannel to both patients and doctors that allows to enrich drug-related data and prepare it for subsequent analyses.
Pavement Building System based on Detachable and Embedded Blocks (4SBLOCK)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Societal Challenges
Programme: Smart, green and integrated transport
Action type: SME instrument
Countries involved: Spain
Call: Small business innovation research for Transport and Smart Cities Mobility (H2020-SMEINST-1-2016-2017, 2016)
Start date: 2016-12-01
End date: 2017-04-30
Duration (months): 5.0
Total project cost (EUR): 71429.0
EU funding (EUR): 50000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Cities are in urgent need of a new paradigm for envisioning and implementing sustainable transport: roads are among the most important public assets in many countries. Existing pavements systems are typically designed from the unique perspective of engineering materials regardless concepts such as suitability for use of the space that will cover, and much less ergonomic/biomechanical criteria and even the expectations of people who inhabit those spaces. 4SBLOCK project aims to identify and specify the requirements in the field of road engineering to guarantee comfortable and reliable urban mobility. The innovative system aims to improve the safety and integrity of pedestrian and enhance the driving experience, while also increasing the pavement lifetime and reducing maintenance. The feasibility study output of this project aims to validate assumptions and first estimations presented, regarding the strategic innovation and business plan for the global market introduction as well as the operational and financial model for the next 5 years of the 4SBLOCK innovative pavement and its technological roadmap. 4SBLOCK is placed under the topic SMEInst-10-2016-2017: Small business innovation research for Transport and Smart Cities Mobility, as its main objective is the commercialisation of an innovative solution aims to facilitate the mobility, both traffic and pedestrian, that should become an integral part of urban mobility and infrastructure design, having a positive impact on economic growth, creating wealth and jobs, and enhancing trade, accessibility and the mobility of people. The project is totally aligned with the 2011 Transport White Paper, as mobility is vital for the internal market and for the quality of life of citizens.

Keywords: sustainable transport,urban mobility,infrastructure design,inclusive growth
INDI, world’s first 100% dairy free, soy-free infant-formula. (INDI)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Societal Challenges
Programme: Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine and maritime and inland water research and the bioeconomy
Theme: Sustainable agriculture and forestry
Action type: SME instrument
Countries involved: Israel
Call: Stimulating the innovation potential of SMEs for sustainable and competitive agriculture, forestry, agri-food and bio-based sectors (H2020-SMEINST-1-2016-2017, 2017)
Start date: 2018-01-01
End date: 2018-04-30
Duration (months): 4.0
Total project cost (EUR): 71429.0
EU funding (EUR): 50000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

All paediatric associations worldwide recommend breast feeding as the Gold Standard for the first month of life. If, for any reason, this is not possible, the next best choice is Infant Formula (IF) based on cow’s milk. Some infants are not fed with IFs due to allergies, certain metabolic disorders, or parental decision to follow a vegan diet. For these infants, the choice is soy-based IF. Other consumer products, such as “soy milk”, “almond milk”, are not suitable for feeding infants, and are not considered a substitute for breast milk or IF. These foods can severely affect the growth and development, and may lead to serious conditions of malnutrition. Approximately 2.5% of all the children are allergic to cow's milk. Allergy to cow’s milk is indeed the most common food allergy in infants and young children. 65% or more of the total human population are lactose intolerant (main carbohydrate in milk). Plus, as many as 10-35% of babies with cow's milk allergy are also allergic to soy. Our solution is the world’s first 100% vegan dairy and soy free infant, toddlers and children formula that provides a complete source of nutrition. INDI meets the Gold Standard of breast milk composition and performance compliance of baby’s formula without the harmful effects, plus the ability of being scalable, available, affordable, and patentable. INDI is a patented breast milk nutritional equivalent and can be used as the sole food source of an infant. It is composed with 2 plants (which makes it 100% vegan), contains full amino and fatty acid profiles, required for a proper nutrition and body function.

Keywords: infant formula,dairy free,soy free,allergens,nutrition,analogue,breast milk
Value-added Innovation in fooD chAins (VIDA)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Industrial Leadership
Programme: Innovation in SMEs
Action type: Innovation actions
Countries involved: Spain,Italy,Germany,Germany,Czechia,Netherlands,Denmark,Portugal
Call: Cluster facilitated projects for new industrial value chains (H2020-INNOSUP-01-2017-twoStage, 2017)
Start date: 2018-04-01
End date: 2021-09-30
Duration (months): 42.0
Total project cost (EUR): 5031141.25
EU funding (EUR): 4988766.25
Participants: 10
Project status: CLOSED

Value-added Innovation in fooD chAins (VIDA) will nurture and harness the growth and innovation potential of SMEs working across European food c hains, bringing together four complementary and mutually dependant sectors; food, energy, water and key enabling technologies (KET). VIDA will strengthen current and develop new cross-sectoral industrial value chains within the food production and processing industries through a combination of direct and indirect innovation actions, as well as support and capacity building measures. These will include open-innovation and virtual collaboration tools, mentoring and knowledge-sharing activities and a 'twin-track' innovation voucher scheme which will support the realisation of high-TRL, large-scale, demonstration and commercialisation projects across Europe. We will effect change among more than 6200 organisations, primarily SMEs. VIDA combines expertise from four complementary European Strategic Cluster Partnerships (ESCPs): FoodPackLab, EU4Food, Energy in Water and AdPack, with a direct reach of over 700 SMEs across the partner clusters (and 2100 SMEs across the collaborating ESCPs). The collaborating partners have been carefully selected to ensure a complementary balance of geographies, knowledge, experience and expertise within VIDA's four sectors, and maximise the potential for cross-sectoral and cross-disciplinary exchanges to create new industrial value chains. VIDA will operate for 3.5 years with a total budget of €5,031,141.25. VIDA will allocate more that 81% of the total project budget for innovation in SMEs. €3,355,000 of the budget will be used to provide specialist innovation vouchers, and catalyse large-scale demonstrations with commercialisation innovation projects, involving >100 beneficiaries.

Keywords: food processing,food production,innovation,energy,water,resource efficiency,key enabling,technologies,new industrial value chains,smes,clusters
Catch Bond Cross-linked Hydrogels (CatchGel)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie-Sklodowska-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Individual Fellowships (IF)-Career Restart panel
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Panel: Chemistry
Countries involved: Switzerland
Call: Individual Fellowships (H2020-MSCA-IF-2018, 2018)
Start date: 2020-10-01
End date: 2024-11-14
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 304724.16
EU funding (EUR): 304724.16
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Catch bonds are one of Nature’s truly remarkable designs, which exhibit increased adhesive force as tensile force is applied, in contrast to traditional slip bonds whose adhesive force decreases under similar conditions. On reaching a maximum applied force, the catch bond then reverts to traditional slip bond behaviour resulting in a catch-and-roll type action that bacteria and cells use to move in a targeted fashion along a particular surface. The current research project aims to transplant this behaviour from bacterial systems into bio-based synthetic polymer networks, allowing the development of truly biomimetic mechanically adaptable materials. The aims of the project will be achieved by exploring a number of recently identified bacterial catch bonds, isolating the specific amino acid sequence responsible for this behaviour and using them to functionalise bio-based polymer chains. Using the receptor-ligand complexes specific to each bacterial adhesive, dynamic polymer networks will be constructed that display an adaptable response to force as observed in bacterial catch bonds. This represents an important area of research, for whilst the observation of ‘catch’ bond behaviour is relatively recent, their ability to revolutionise biomimetic materials is enormous. Their behaviour under stress is reminiscent of that of smooth muscle during peristaltic motion and materials mimicking this behaviour have the potential to drive new developments in synthetic organ and disease model research. Thoughout this project, fundamental insights will be gained into the intrinsic workings of bacterial catch bonds, specifically environmental factors affecting their behaviour, as well as how their behaviour is modified or scaled by inclusion in a macroscale material. The interdisciplinary project aims to push the boundaries of biology and materials science, from the molecular to the macroscale.

Keywords: molecular interactions,single molecule force spectroscopy,bio based polymers,hydrogel,catch bonds
Heart Damper: a revolutionary device for Heart Failure (HD4HF)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Industrial Leadership
Programme: Innovation in SMEs
Action type: SME instrument
Countries involved: Italy
Call: SME instrument (H2020-SMEInst-2018-2020-1, 2018)
Start date: 2018-12-01
End date: 2019-05-31
Duration (months): 6.0
Total project cost (EUR): 71429.0
EU funding (EUR): 50000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

This project supports the market introduction of the Heart Damper (HD), a very innovative implantable cardiac device, intended to provide a simple, quick and cost-effective solution to treat patients affected by systolic heart failure. Heart Failure (HF) is a growing epidemic and a major public health issue: only in EU and US it affects today about 15 million people, with an expected growth of about 38% by 2030. 2 million of these patients are affected by advanced heart failure: a phase in which the pharmacological therapies alone are no longer sufficient to manage the symptoms. Late stage treatments, such as Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) or Total Artificial Heart (TAH) are indeed inevitably associated with high risk of rejection and low quality of life. HF has no actual cure apart from heart transplantation, which is very rare and impossible for people over 65 (80% of HF patients). In addition, HF has a significant social cost, as it doesn’t affect only the individual patient, but also his family and his community. In the US, for example, the costs related to the loss of work and household productivity are estimated at $ 8.2 billion/year (by 2030, $12.3 billion/year). The Heart Damper, a minimally invasive cardiac device, will make it possible to give patients a longer and better life expectancy, independently from their age, at the same time reducing the staggering associated healthcare costs. Designed to be stably fitted into the left ventricle by a simple transapical surgical procedure, once implanted it moves upwards exploiting the residual contractile cacapacity of the heart, without any need of external energy sources. The device is protected by a patent fully owned by Eucardia, which has been granted in Europe, US and other major countries worldwide. The SME 1 Instrument will enable Eucardia to assess in detail the technical feasibility and economic viability of its innovation, in order to ease HD market penetration, in respect of HF market segment.

Keywords: systolic heart failure,implantable cardiac device,life expectancy,healthcare costs
Novel molecular spectroscopies by nanoconfined light shaping and ab initio quantum dynamics (NanoLight-QD)

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: Germany
Call: Individual Fellowships (H2020-MSCA-IF-2019, 2019)
Start date: 2020-04-01
End date: 2022-03-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 162806.4
EU funding (EUR): 162806.4
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

This is a project that explores the interface among nanooptics, nanomaterials and molecular spectroscopy. This project will be developed in collaboration with three top experimental groups at different research institutions, and will be carried out by Dr. Franco Bonafé under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Angel Rubio, Director of the Theory Department of MPSD. The main goal of the project is to demonstrate that the spatial and temporal resolution of different spectroscopies can be improved by utilizing the ultra-strong confinement of structured light down to the nanoscale. To this purpose, we will optimize the shape and arrangement of plasmonic nanostructures using machine learning algorithms, combining real-time time-dependent density functional theory simulations coupled fully self-consistently to Maxwell's equations. The work is divided into three main parts with clear interdependent tasks and goals, namely: 1) geometry optimization of plasmonic nanostructures to enhance the confinement of light, and its application in photoelectron emission; 2) development of a frequency-domain linear-response technique to increase the resolution of tip-enhanced Raman spectra of molecular vibrations in nanocavities; and 3) study of near-field structured light for attosecond photoelectron spectra of 2D materials. Our predictions will be experimentally tested by our network of experimental groups. Overall, the aim of the project is to push the limits of state-of-the-art molecular spectroscopy techniques by ab initio computer simulations, increasing our ability to understand the properties of matter both at the scales of molecular vibrations and of attosecond electron dynamics in 2D materials. The researcher will clearly benefit from gaining training in non-equilibrium ab initio methods and from the world-wide top level network of experimental collaborators, that will bring him to a new stage in his career towards becoming an independent group leader in theoretical spectroscopy.

Keywords: plasmonic materials,nanostructures,beam shaping,near field,photoelectron emission,tip enhanced raman spectroscopy,attosecond photoemission spectroscopy,tddft,first principles calculations
Focused Ultrasound and RadioTHERapy for Noninvasive Palliative Pain Treatment in Patients with Bone Metastasis (FURTHER)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Societal Challenges
Programme: Health, demographic change and wellbeing
Theme: Treating and managing disease
Action type: Research and Innovation actions
Countries involved: Germany,Italy,Italy,Italy,Finland,Netherlands,United States,Netherlands,United Kingdom
Call: Novel patient-centred approaches for survivorship, palliation and/or end-of-life care (H2020-SC1-2018-Single-Stage-RTD, 2018)
Start date: 2019-01-01
End date: 2023-12-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 4018187.5
EU funding (EUR): 3998125.0
Participants: 10
Project status: SIGNED

Bone metastases are a common manifestation of advanced cancer, with pain as a devastating consequence. Due to rising cancer incidence rates and improving survival, the number of cancer patients living long enough to develop bone metastases is increasing rapidly. Metastatic bone pain is difficult to manage and has a detrimental impact on quality of life of patients, their partners and care-givers. Radiation therapy (RT), the standard treatment for palliation of metastatic bone pain, is easy to administer and well tolerated. However, RT is only effective in 60-70% of patients and usually takes four weeks before inducing pain response. Inadequate pain relief is therefore common and alternative treatment options are urgently needed. Pain palliation may be substantially improved by including MR-HIFU as alternative or in addition to RT. Preliminary studies suggest that MR-HIFU induces rapid pain relief (within days), and may palliate pain in patients in whom RT is not effective. Currently, strong evidence and context is lacking for wide-spread implementation of MR-HIFU into routine care. The FURTHER project aims to demonstrate (cost)effectiveness of MR-HIFU as an alternative or additional treatment option to relief metastatic bone pain. For this purpose, a three arm international randomized controlled trial (RCT) including 216 patients will be conducted comparing early and late pain response in patients treated with RT only, MR-HIFU only, and RT with MR-HIFU. A prediction model will be developed to identify patients who are likely to benefit from MR-HIFU in order to allow (cost-) effective use of the treatment. In addition, a registry will be set up in which we will run the pain education study Educate-FURTHER, henceforth "the Pain Education study", to evaluate the effectiveness of adding pain education to the pain management strategy. Finally, FURTHER will map and analyse socio-economic barriers for integration of MR-HIFU in routine care in the wider European context and make recommendations on how to provide equal access to this promising new treatment.

Keywords: mr guided focused ultrasound,hifu,pain palliation,bone metastases,health care economics,cost effectiveness,clinical adoption,radiotherapy