Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Shaping functional ecosystems of the future (FutureNature)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Environmental B iology, Ecology  and E volution
Panel description: For all organisms : Ecology, biodiversity, environmental change , evolutionary biology, behavioural ecology, microbial ecology , marine biology, ecophysiology, theoretical developments and mod elling
Countries involved: Belgium
Call: ERC STARTING GRANTS (ERC-2022-STG, 2022)
Start date: 2023-11-01
End date: 2028-10-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1414937.0
EU funding (EUR): 1414937.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Accelerating climate change is moving ecosystems rapidly beyond the bounds of historical variability. Many of the traditional conservation approaches trying to maintain a status quo are no longer effective. Rather than resisting change, we need to guide transforming ecosystems towards preferred ecological outcomes. Assisted migration, the active translocation of species to mimic range expansion under climate change, is a widely proposed adaptive management strategy. But it is also controversial, as it disrupts long-held views on biological conservation. Focusing on risks and ignoring benefits has hampered scientific research on assisted migration and halted necessary conservation innovation. Yet, the costs of inaction are too high and time is running out. In FUTURENATURE, I will approach the assisted migration of plant species from an innovative functional perspective, shifting the focus from minimising the impact of translocated species to maximising their contribution to the functioning of novel communities. I will advance our understanding of how assisted migration can safeguard functioning ecosystems by combining the wealth of large observational databases, state-of-the-art joint species distribution models and a cutting-edge climate change experiment. Specifically, I will (1) study the contribution of non-invasive alien species to ecosystem functioning; (2) incorporate species interactions and traits into species distribution modelling to simulate novel grassland communities; and (3) experimentally test the functionality of the best performing communities under future climate scenarios. With the knowledge gained, we will be able to shape ecosystems that will not only survive, but thrive under climate change. FUTURENATURE will provide a “greenprint” to study assisted migration across species groups and ecosystems, and, ideally, enable a paradigm shift in conservation thinking by lifting the psychological barriers preventing changes in natural ecosystems.

Keywords: assisted migration,adaptative management strategies,ecosystem functioning,plants
Development & characterisation of a pre-vascularised tubular scaffold for tracheal regeneration that supports the formation of an iPSC-derived epithelium (iTRACH)

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: Information Science and Engineering
Countries involved: Ireland,United States,Sweden
Call: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2022 (HORIZON-MSCA-2022-PF-01, 2022)
Start date: 2024-09-01
End date: 2028-02-29
Duration (months): 42.0
Total project cost (EUR): 328494.96
EU funding (EUR): 328494.96
Participants: 3
Project status: CLOSED

Tracheal damage is often life-threatening, and its incidence has increased due to invasive mechanical intubation of COVID-19 patients. Short defects undergo a surgical procedure (anastomosis), but this is not feasible for extensive defects. While bioengineered approaches for such defects have been investigated, there has been little translation into the clinic as implants weaken over time and fail to support the formation of neotracheal tissues. I aim to solve this problem by developing and characterising 3D printed tubular scaffolds for use as medical devices for tracheal restoration via a Global Fellowship involving Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and Boston University, followed by a non-academic placement in CellInk. Scaffolds will be designed to mimic tracheal biomechanics and will be extensively characterised. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) will be used to develop a pre-vascularised mature respiratory epithelium on disc scaffolds in combination with endothelial progenitors and human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). The tri-culture will then be moved into the tubular design and the pre-vascularised mucosal substitute will be grown and assessed in vitro as an approach for ex vivo seeding of tracheal grafts prior to implantation. The ability of the tubular scaffold to support the growth of cartilage tissues will be assessed using a combination of bioprinting and differentiation of hMSCs. iTRACH will provide me with crucial training in advanced research skills (iPSCs, stem cell biology, biomaterials & 3D printing) and transferrable skills (Intellectual Property, Project Management, Entrepreneurship, Professional Enhancement and Science Communication). This fellowship will provide me with the required technical and complementary skills to enhance my employability and to allow me to transition into a research position in a leading biomedical company, while also allowing for the possibility of me staying in an academic role with links to industry.

Keywords: trachea,3d printing,airway progenitors,hydrogels,vascularisation,cartilage,bioreactor,bioprinting,airway regeneration,induced pluripotent stem cells,medical device,respiratory epithelium
Uncovering the human subcortical pathway for auditory threat detection (HumanSUBthreat)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Consolidator grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: The Human Mind and Its Compl exity
Panel description: Cognitive science, psychology, linguistics
Countries involved: Spain
Call: ERC CONSOLIDATOR GRANTS (ERC-2022-COG, 2022)
Start date: 2023-10-01
End date: 2028-09-30
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1900285.0
EU funding (EUR): 1900285.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Fast detection of threats is one of the most important abilities for survival, as it allows efficiently responding to potential harms. In humans, such advantage extends well into other cognitive domains, including social communication. Threat detection is paramount in all sensory modalities, but is probably most adaptive in audition. However, research on the neural substrates of fast threat detection in humans has been almost exclusively dedicated to vision. The key neural pathway for visual fast threat detection is the so-called subcortical route for emotion. Having pulled through millions of years of evolution, this shortcut conveys crude direct sensory inputs from the thalamus to the amygdala, facilitating a prompt emotional response. In the auditory domain, evidence from non-human animals suggests that a similar fast route may exist, but it has never been described in humans. Here, I aim at testing the hypothesis that this auditory subcortical route indeed exists in our species, with neuroanatomical and functional properties that support an optimal response to threat. Using state-of-the-art electrophysiological and neuroimaging techniques (scalp and intracranial electroencephalography, functional magnetic resonance and diffusion-weighted imaging), I will identify a pathway compatible with this route and test its functional and temporal dynamics, relative to a cortical route. Each technique will provide essential information for thoroughly depicting the route. Beyond its function, I will examine its link to traits associated to psychiatric conditions. Then, to confirm its anatomical existence in humans, I will microscopically track its connections directly in postmortem brains. HumanSUBthreat will restructure current dominant models of human affective neuroscience, strongly biased towards vision, and provide a novel view towards the understanding of disorders associated to amygdala dysfunction.

Keywords: emotion,auditory cognition,amygdala,scalp electroencephalography,intracranial electroencephalography,functional magnetic resonance imaging,diffusion weighted imaging,human postmortem brain
The evolution of cis and trans-regulators in eukaryotes (RegEvol)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Environmental B iology, Ecology  and E volution
Panel description: For all organisms : Ecology, biodiversity, environmental change , evolutionary biology, behavioural ecology, microbial ecology , marine biology, ecophysiology, theoretical developments and mod elling
Countries involved: France
Call: ERC ADVANCED GRANTS (ERC-2022-ADG, 2022)
Start date: 2024-01-01
End date: 2028-12-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2499911.0
EU funding (EUR): 2499911.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Gene regulation plays an essential role in shaping species differences and modulating phenotypes across development and environmental conditions. It essentially works through the recruitment of trans-acting intermediates to cis-acting DNA sequences affecting the expression of the nearby gene. While gene expression regulation is central in molecular, cellular, developmental, and system biology, its detailed mechanisms have relatively little been incorporated into modern evolutionary theory. I previously discovered two processes specific to gene expression evolution in diploids, cis-regulator runaway and divergence. They arise because of (i) transient dominance modifications that automatically occur following the evolution of cis-acting regulatory elements and (ii) coevolution of these cis-acting elements with trans-acting regulators. I have shown that accounting for these processes calls into question a half-century of theory on sex chromosome evolution and may rejuvenate empirical and theoretical work in this field. Here, I will develop the evolutionary theory of cis- and trans-regulators at full scale and empirically test its core features and predictions. Specifically, there are sound reasons to believe that this new theory also has the potential to strongly advance our understanding of other fundamental and enigmatic features of eukaryotic life. It may be a crucial missing element to explain the origin of eukaryotic regulatory complexity and how and why sex – asex transitions fail or succeed and, therefore, why eukaryotic sex is maintained. RegEvol offers a new and original approach to important problems in evolutionary biology. If successful, it will significantly advance our understanding of eukaryotic life-forms and provide a general framework for gene expression evolution in eukaryotes.

Keywords: sex chromosomes asexuality gene regulation diploid expression theory genomics
Circular Economy Resource Information System (CE-RISE)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness
Programme: Digital, Industry and Space
Theme: Industry
Destination: Increased Autonomy in Key Strategic Value Chains for Resilient Industry
Action type: Research and Innovation actions
Partnership: Processes4Planet (co-programmed)
Countries involved: Norway,Switzerland,Netherlands,Germany,Hungary,Greece,Ireland,United Kingdom,Italy,Belgium,France,Slovenia
Call: Circular and low emission value chains through digitalisation (Processes4Planet Partnership) (RIA) (HORIZON-CL4-2022-RESILIENCE-01, 2022)
Start date: 2023-01-01
End date: 2026-12-31
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 7651441.25
EU funding (EUR): 7651440.75
Participants: 29
Project status: SIGNED

The rising demand and limited supply of critical raw materials (CRMs) impair the ability to rapidly adopt technological change toward green and sustainable technologies, which directly affect the resilience of EU industries seeking to achieve Green Deal objectives for an equitable, zero-emission, and digitalized Europe. In response to these challenges, the European Commission aims to minimize the loss of secondary raw materials (SRM) and optimize their reuse across value chains. CE-RISE will develop and pilot an integrated framework and an ensuing resource information system to identify optimal solutions for the effective reuse, recovery, and/or recycling of materials by (a) defining a set of criteria (RE criteria) to evaluate the extent to which products and embedded components can be reused, repaired, refurbished and/or recycled; (b) incorporating information on RE criteria and material composition of products into the Digital product passport (DPP) to enable traceability of materials in the supply chain; (c) integrating DPP with information on the environmental footprint of products (PEF), socio-economic and environmental (SEE) impacts of RE processes; (d) enabling confidential and anonymized information sharing among actors throughout value chains; (e) providing open-access software application to disseminate information on the assessment of RE criteria, PEF and SEE impacts of products to all stakeholders including consumers and policymakers. The results will be piloted on four case studies. CE-RISE will contribute to bridging the digital divide in society by supplying affordable second-hand ICT devices, and supporting access to digital education and job opportunities. Ultimately, CE-RISE will foster a dynamic ecosystem geared toward prolonging the use of materials in the economy and stimulating circular business models to reduce waste generation while optimizing the reuse of SRMs.

Keywords: digital product passport,secondary raw materials,optimal reuse,waste reduction,circular economy,digitalization,low emission value chains
Dissecting the Brain Basis of Obesity-Induced Pubertal Alterations: A View to a Kiss (DOPA-Kiss)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing
Panel description: Organ and tissue physiology, comparative physiology, physiology  of ageing , pathophysiology, inter - organ and tissue communication, endocrinology, nutrition,  metabolism, interaction with the microbiome, non -communicable diseases including cancer (and except disorders of the nervous system  and immunity -related diseases)
Countries involved: Spain
Call: ERC ADVANCED GRANTS (ERC-2022-ADG, 2022)
Start date: 2023-09-01
End date: 2028-08-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2499995.0
EU funding (EUR): 2499995.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Child obesity is a worrying condition, affecting 20% adolescents. Among its comorbidities, early obesity is linked to disturbed puberty, which is more evident in girls, but bound to adverse health outcomes in both sexes. Yet, how our brain decodes nutritional info to finely control puberty remains unsolved. Genetic data suggest obesity is largely an hypothalamic disease. Puberty is also hypothalamic-driven and governed by complex neuronal circuits. Among them, Kiss1 neurons have emerged as key elements in the brain control of puberty and its metabolic regulation, likely in cooperation with other central signaling systems, as POMC/melanocortins. Yet, the mechanisms whereby early obesity impacts on different Kiss1 neuronal populations and pubertal timing are ill-defined. The global aim of DOPA-Kiss is to unveil the brain basis of obesity-induced pubertal alterations in both sexes, with a major focus on Kiss1 neurons. An integral research plan will be implemented based on (i) Multidimensional integration of omics data, including hypothalamic global and spatial metabolomics, as well as transcriptomic and epigenomic profiling of Kiss1 neuronal subpopulations during pubertal maturation in conditions of obesity; (ii) Analysis of the molecular mechanisms for nutrient & metabolic sensing at the hypothalamus, and particularly in Kiss1 neurons; and (iii) Functional genomic dissection of key metabolic pathways in Kiss1 neurons using Cre/LoxP- & CRISPR-based genome editing in vivo. Sex differences in the impact of early obesity on subsets of Kiss1 neurons and puberty, and, when relevant, parallel changes in POMC neurons, will be explored. Putative human correlates of our experimental data will be scrutinized using public databases. DOPA-Kiss will not only surface unsolved aspects of the metabolic control of puberty, but will reveal also groundbreaking info on pathophysiological mechanisms and putative targets of intervention in conditions of altered puberty due to early obesity.

Keywords: puberty,child obesity,kisspeptins,kiss1 neurons,hypothalamus,lipid and nutrient sensing
Pathways to(wards) carbon neutrality for climate, environment, health and socio-economic co-benefits (PANTHEON) (PANTHEON)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness
Programme: Climate, Energy and Mobility
Theme: Climate
Destination: Climate sciences and responses for the transformation towards climate neutrality
Action type: Research and Innovation actions
Countries involved: Netherlands,Spain,Germany,China,United Kingdom,Poland
Call: EU-China international cooperation on data and model development for pathways to carbon neutrality: focusing on decarbonisation, energy efficiency and socio-economic implications of the transition (HORIZON-CL5-2023-D1-02, 2023)
Start date: 2024-03-01
End date: 2028-02-29
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1958285.0
EU funding (EUR): 1958285.0
Participants: 11
Project status: SIGNED

Pathways to(wards) carbon neutrality for climate, environment, health and socio-economic co-benefits (PANTHEON) offers a participatory integrated modeling approach, developed via an iterative, co-learning process among researchers, private and public stakeholders, to assess how different mature and future (TRL4) technologies in crucial economic and energy sectors can be morphed into successful (economically, socially and environmentally sustainable), joint decarbonization pathways. The kernel of the project is a two-tier innovative integrated assessment modelling framework that reconciles I) goals for improving energy efficiencies & decarbonization along the supply chain, with ii) socio-economic impacts and challenges (including health and labour); and iii) insights from informed stakeholders’ deliberations on a granular level (national-regional-sectoral-firm public stakeholders, and stakeholders from sectors along the global supply chain.

Keywords: participatory modelling stakeholder engagement integrated assessment modeling mrio
Cracking the Synaptic Memory Code (MemCode)

Framework: Horizon Europe — 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 – In humans and all other organisms
Countries involved: Netherlands
Call: ERC STARTING GRANTS (ERC-2022-STG, 2022)
Start date: 2023-03-01
End date: 2028-02-29
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1500000.0
EU funding (EUR): 1500000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Despite their role in long-term information storage, synapses are highly dynamic and composed of rather short-lived components. In the adult mouse brain, it takes a couple of days for half dendritic spines to be replaced. Similarly at the molecular level most synaptic proteins have half-lives in the order of a week meaning they constantly need to be replaced by freshly produced ones. Thus, understanding how long-term memory can arise from unstable elements is one of today’s neuroscience’s greatest challenges. Overturning an old dogma, I discovered using in vivo and in vitro approaches that most synapses produce their own proteins locally at both the pre- and postsynaptic sites. Interestingly, classic plasticity paradigms produce unique patterns of rapid pre- and/or postsynaptic translation. This finding is driving a paradigm shift in our understanding of synaptic function. It is now possible to decode pre- and postsynaptic memory traces formed during learning. I am now in the unique position to combine omics, cytometry, super-resolution and live-imaging techniques, and behavioral learning tasks to unravel how local production of new proteins contributes to information storage at synapses. Firstly, using live-imaging, I want to understand how and when protein synthesis is recruited in excitatory boutons. Secondly, using next generation sequencing and imaging, I will investigate how mRNA find their way to presynapses. Finally, using a genetically encoded neuronal activation tracker, I will follow the molecular changes and thus uncover the synaptic memory traces in the hippocampus and cortex after learning. Altogether, these experiments will tackle from molecules to neural networks the unresolved question of memory encoding in the brain. With an unprecedented resolution, we will gain critical insights into how memories are stored at synapses. Such a fundamental understanding of brain function is needed to provide new avenues against neurodegenerative diseases.

Keywords: presynapse,memory,local protein synthesis