Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Transgressive Inheritance in plant Breeding and Evolution (TRIBE)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Genetics, Genomics, Bioinformatics and Systems Biology
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call:  (ERC-2013-ADG, 2013)
Start date: 2014-02-01
End date: 2019-01-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2487857.0
EU funding (EUR): 2487857.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

New varieties of plant and animal are produced by hybridisation of closely related varieties or species. This process generates "transgressive" traits that are outside the parental range. Transgressive phenotypes in hybrids may involve complementation of genetic differences between the two parents, heterozygous advantage, genetic rearrangements and, from our recent work, epigenetic effects associated with RNA silencing. TRIBE will investigate these effects using tomato for which there is a recently published full genome sequences and for which there are well characterised genetic resources based on hybrids between cultivated tomato and its wild relatives. We propose to map the genome and epigenome of F2-F4 generation hybrids between S. lycopersicum and its wild relative S. pennelli and, in parallel, to find out the level of expression of all genes including those producing small silencing RNAs. These data will provide the first systematic analysis of genomes, their expression and epigenetic modifications in the four post hybridisation generations. TRIBE will also explore details of epigenetic mechanisms associated with transgressive traits with a view to their enhancement or suppression to facilitate conventional plant breeding involving wide crosses between crops and their wild relatives. It will also explore the possibility that there is a legacy of epigenetic marks in tomato that have been induced by ancestral hybridisation events. The final outcome of TRIBE will be a test of the hypothesis that hybridisation is important in evolution because it allows not only the formation of new combinations of genes: it is also a process that induces new heritable variation via epigenetic and RNA silencing based mechanisms. It will generate information that will be central to the the exploitation of hybrids in breeding of crops.It will also generate new information about evolutionary mechanisms that can be integrated into our understanding of the tree of life.

Keywords: hybrid organisms,evolution,plant breeding,tomato
Tuning Disorder in Chalcogenides to realize Advanced Functional Devices (DISORDER CONTROL)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Materials and Synthesis
Countries involved: Germany
Call:  (ERC-2013-ADG, 2013)
Start date: 2014-03-01
End date: 2019-02-28
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2186000.0
EU funding (EUR): 2186000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Better performance of future computers and communication equipment requires substantially higher speeds of switching devices at lower energy consumption. Those requirements can only be achieved by substantial improvement of the transport properties of the materials employed. The transport of charge and heat is strongly influenced by disorder. In recent years we have found a unique class of crystalline materials which combines an exceptionally high, yet tuneable degree of disorder with remarkable transport properties. This class includes the best phase change materials, superconductors with an unconventional coupling mechanism, good thermoelectrics, as well as known topological insulators. For these different phenomena disorder is either very beneficial or – if unconditioned - rather detrimental. Hence we need to be able to control disorder in these materials to tailor their properties. Exploring this concept requires the ability to understand, eliminate or harness the effects of disorder. Recently we have demonstrated an Anderson-type transition from insulating to metallic behaviour upon annealing. However, to fully utilize these ideas it is mandatory to realize devices with a more directly controllable degree of disorder. Within the framework of this project, we will develop a tuneable Anderson insulator to delocalize charge carriers. This allows us to address a) the transition from an insulator to a metal, the impact of disorder on superconductors (b) and topological insulators (c) and finally d) the ability to control thermoelectric properties by tuneable electronic disorder. From the results to be obtained we expect consequences for a wide range of materials listed in our “treasure map”, with promising new technological applications in various devices.

Keywords: novel materials and devices,tunable metal - insulator transition
Challenging the gaps in global cancer concepts by a real life tumor: human childhood neuroblastoma (REALLIFECANCER)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Physiology, Pathophysiology and Endocrinology
Countries involved: Netherlands
Call:  (ERC-2013-ADG, 2013)
Start date: 2014-03-01
End date: 2019-02-28
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2499802.8
EU funding (EUR): 2499802.8
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The successes of cancer research stem from the identification of oncogenes and tumour suppressor genes and the study of their pathways in animal and cell line models. Confronting these models with ‘real life’ human cancer has often been a challenge. This grant aims at integral understanding of the aggressive childhood tumor neuroblastoma. Starting point is a huge database for this tumor. We established mRNA, miRNA, CGH and SNP profiles for a series of neuroblastoma, and sequenced their whole genomes. Over 1500 mRNA profiles of cell lines with manipulated gene expression complete this resource. A novel bioinformatic platform integrated all molecular and clinical data. Several research topics have emerged: (1) Recurrent mutations were detected in neuronal growth cone genes. We will investigate whether failed neuritogenesis is oncogenic; (2) Contrary to the paradigm that cancer is caused by gene mutations, our data suggest that human tumours equally much result from chromosomal gains and losses. They proportionally change the expression of hundreds of otherwise intact genes. We will investigate how copy number changes activate oncogenic pathways. (3) Each neuroblastoma includes two cell types, which at low frequency convert into each other. They differ in mesenchymal and neuro-epithelial character, cancer pathway activation, motility and drug sensitivity and thereby are at the crossroads of cancer stem cell-, drug resistance- and metastasis-research. Transgene expression could induce transitions between both cell types in vitro, which will allow us to elucidate the wiring of both states. (4) Neuroblastoma can go in remission upon treatment, but often relapse as fatal therapy resistant tumour. This plasticity may stem from resistant mesenchymal cells, inter-conversion of cell types and continued chromosomal copy number changes. We will target pathways essential to each cell type to contain plasticity and identify therapeutic options to prepare for clinical testing.
Morphogenesis of proliferative epithelial tissue (TIMORPH)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Cellular and Developmental Biology
Countries involved: France
Call:  (ERC-2013-ADG, 2013)
Start date: 2014-03-01
End date: 2019-08-31
Duration (months): 66.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2419521.0
EU funding (EUR): 2419521.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Shape is a conspicuous and fundamental property of living multicellular organisms. Questions related to embryo shape or morphogenesis have naturally haunted developmental biologists for decades. Recent advances have highlighted that the understanding of the morphogenesis of proliferative tissue will require (i) the dissection of how subcellular cytoskeleton dynamics controls cellular processes such as cell division orientation and adherens junction formation; (ii) the study of the interplay between biochemical and mechanical processes regulating collective cell behaviours and thus tissue movements. In addition, whole tissue imaging has revealed that distinct local cell dynamics account for tissue shape regulation. Yet, it remains poorly explored how gene expression patterns specify distinct local cell dynamics within a proliferative epithelium. To decipher the mechanisms of Drosophila epithelial tissue morphogenesis, we aim to apply a series of complementary, state of the art methods (quantitative measurement of cell and tissue morphogenesis, mechanical stress inference, opto-genetics, computer simulation and advanced statistics) in order to: 1. Dissect the molecular and mechanical mechanisms regulating cytoskeleton and cell dynamics by focusing on mitotic spindle orientation and de novo adherens junction formation during cell division and cell rearrangement. 2. Link cytoskeleton organization, cell dynamics and mechanics to the regulation of large-scale tissue deformation. 3. Introduce a ‘morphogenomics’ approach to understand how combinatory gene expression patterns can account for distinct cell dynamics observed in the different regions of a tissue. By exploring the mechanisms of tissue morphogenesis at different time-scales and length-scales, as well as by focusing both on its genetic and mechanical regulation, these complementary aims should advance the understanding of morphogenesis in animals.
Chromatin states in neurogenesis – from understanding chromatin loops to eliciting neurogenesis for repair (CHRONEUROREPAIR)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Cellular and Developmental Biology
Countries involved: Germany
Call:  (ERC-2013-ADG, 2013)
Start date: 2014-02-01
End date: 2020-01-31
Duration (months): 72.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2376560.0
EU funding (EUR): 2376560.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The mechanisms regulating neural stem cells and their progression to neurogenesis are important not only to understand brain development and evolution, but also to elicit neurogenesis after brain injury. Our recent findings imply novel chromatin-associated proteins in the regulation of neural stem cell fate and neurogenesis. Therefore this project aims to understand the molecular mechanisms of how these factors regulate neurogenesis in developing and adult mice (Aim1) and implement this knowledge for reprogramming glia into neurons after brain injury (Aim2). This will be pursued in mouse models in vivo (2.1) and with human glial cells derived from patient brain resections in vitro (2.2). It is well known that transcription factors need to alter the chromatin structure to achieve transcriptional regulation, but the factors involved in this regulation in neural stem and progenitor cells are still ill understood. Therefore the molecular function of the novel chromatin interacting protein Trnp1 with essential roles in neural stem cell (NSC) fate and the chromatin conformation mediated at neurogenic target genes by Pax6/Brg1-containing BAF complexes will be addressed in Aim1. Combined with genome-wide approaches to determine changes in chromatin conformation at neurogenic target gene sites this will greatly further our understanding of key roles of chromatin conformation in neural stem cells and neurogenesis. In Aim2 Trnp1 promoting neural stem cells fate and later acting neurogenic transcription factors will be used to improve neuronal reprogramming after stab wound injury in the murine brain in vivo and in patient-derived glial cells in vitro. Together with novel strategies to induce chromatin looping in a sequence-specific manner this project will not only advance our knowledge at the frontier of transcriptional regulation in neurogenesis, but also implement highly innovative approaches to utilize this knowledge for neuronal repair by direct reprogramming.

Keywords: neurogenesis,neural stem cells,neural repair,brain injury,transcription factors,neuronal fate specification,pax6
Cooperation and competition in vertical relations: the business strategies and industry oversight of supply agreements and buying patterns (COOPETITION)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Individuals, institutions and markets
Countries involved: France
Call:  (ERC-2013-ADG, 2013)
Start date: 2013-12-01
End date: 2019-11-30
Duration (months): 72.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2068920.0
EU funding (EUR): 2068920.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The application proposes to revisit the economics of cooperation and competition in industry vertical chains and develop new tools for industrial organization (IO). Modern IO theory treats firms as unitary, profit-maximizing entities, characterized by well-identified perimeters of activity, and clearly identified either as competitors or as complementors. Yet in practice: - Industry structures are increasingly complex: Firms distribute for example their activities among partners across the globe, and moved to multiple, interlocking relationships. - Firms competing for customers or suppliers are also cooperating in other dimensions, e.g., by setting-up common platforms, or by adopting joint common rules within which to compete. - Supplier -customer relations often involve transaction costs other than pure search costs: adoption costs, learning or shopping costs, or expensive strategies to protect sensitive information. Understanding the interplay between competition and cooperation is key to designing business strategies, but it has also implications for industry oversight: When should cooperation among competitors be limited or encouraged? Over which dimensions? This application proposes to cover three topics: 1. Allocation of tasks and the choice of partners. 2. Multilateral interlocking relations. 3. Cooperation and competition. 4. Transaction costs, buying patterns and business strategies While the project falls primarily in the field of applied theory, some of the developments require new tools and interaction with game theorists. Furthermore, empirical validation will require the use of structural econometric modelling (based in particular on consumer panel data) and laboratory experiments. The project has also an interdisciplinary flavour and will benefit from work of and interactions with legal scholars and marketing experts.

Keywords: industrial organization,competition policy,regulation,competition law,vertical relations,consumer behaviour,business strategies,transaction costs,procurement,information,marketing
The Individualisation of War: Reconfiguring the Ethics, Law, and Politics of Armed Conflict (IOW)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Institutions, values, beliefs and behaviour
Countries involved: Italy,United Kingdom
Call:  (ERC-2013-ADG, 2013)
Start date: 2014-05-01
End date: 2019-04-30
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2397577.0
EU funding (EUR): 2397577.0
Participants: 2
Project status: CLOSED

This path-breaking interdisciplinary project critically analyses the impact of the increased prominence of the individual in the theory and practice of armed conflict. The ‘individualisation of war’, while based on powerful normative and technological developments, places enormous strain on the actors most actively engaged in contexts of conflict: the governments and armed forces of states, international security organisations, and humanitarian agencies. Individualisation has generated new kinds of ‘humanitarian’ wars and peacekeeping missions, as well as precision weapons which enable both the targeted killing of those individuals deemed most liable for acts of war or terror, and the protection of innocent civilians caught up in armed conflict or acts of state suppression. It has also facilitated the injection of human rights law into the law of armed conflict, and a new class of international crimes for which individuals can be held accountable. We hypothesise that efforts to operationalise protection, liability, and accountability are all underpinned by a tension between the newly privileged moral and legal claims of individuals and the more traditional ones of sovereign states. The ethical, legal, and political dilemmas raised by these efforts demonstrate just how contested the process of individualisation remains, and how uncertain is its eventual endpoint. The research of our distinguished inter-disciplinary team will produce two main outcomes: the first integrated conceptual framework for explaining and resolving the dilemmas raised by the individualisation of war; and concrete recommendations for policy actors - both on how to respond to particular ethical, legal, or political challenges and on how to shape the longer term trajectory of individualisation.

Keywords: civilian protection,peacekeeping,international criminal justice,international humanitarian law,just war,drones,international criminal court,united nations security council,combatants
Quantum Metamaterials in the Ultra Strong Coupling regime (MUSIC)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Condensed matter physics
Countries involved: Switzerland,Italy
Call:  (ERC-2013-ADG, 2013)
Start date: 2014-04-01
End date: 2019-03-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2496560.0
EU funding (EUR): 2496560.0
Participants: 2
Project status: CLOSED

Due to their mixed photon-electronic excitation character, cavity polaritons have highly interesting properties. Especially interesting is the so-called ultrastrong coupling regime, reached when the strength of the photon-two-level system coupling is larger than the energy of the resonant state. We have recently demonstrated that terahertz metamaterials coupled to high-mobility two-dimensional electron gases is an almost ideal, field-tunable system that enables the exploration of this ultra-strong coupling regime. In this project, we want to explore four key physical questions opened by this new approach. First we plan to explore the limit of ultra-strong coupling in our systems, including the emission of Casimir-like squeezed vacuum photons upon non-adiabatic change in the coupling energy and parametric generation of light. Secondly we would like to test a theoretical prediction anticipating, in the ultra-strong coupling regime, a quantum phase transition to a Dicke superradiant state upon substitution of the GaAs/AlGaAs two-dimensional electron gas by a graphene layer or multilayers. Thirdly, we claim that our metamaterial-based system also enables the study of coupled polaritons by either direct meta-atom electromagnetic coupling or using a waveguide bus and superconducting circuits. Finally, we want to explore polaritonic emitters and non-linear elements.

Keywords: 8.67.-n optical properties of low-dimensional,mesoscopic,and nanoscale materials and structures
High Precision Simulation of particle collisions at the LHC (MCATNNLO)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Fundamental constituents of matter
Countries involved: United Kingdom,Switzerland
Call:  (ERC-2013-ADG, 2013)
Start date: 2014-03-01
End date: 2019-02-28
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1941144.0
EU funding (EUR): 1941144.0
Participants: 3
Project status: CLOSED

The recent discovery of a Higgs-boson like resonance at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN is a major landmark in the quest to understand the fundamental nature of the Universe. Precise measurements of the properties of the new boson are now mandatory and must be reflected in a similar quest for higher precision from the theory side. We aim to meet this challenge by developing a theoretical framework together with suitable high-precision tools that will guarantee the continued success of the LHC programme. The aim of this proposal is therefore to develop and establish a new standard of theoretical precision in the description of physical observables at the LHC and other particle collider experiments, thereby leading to a more precise extraction of fundamental physics parameters, such as the couplings of the Higgs boson to other fundamental particles. The necessary theoretical precision will be achieved by systematically including the next-to-next-to leading order (NNLO) corrections in the perturbative expansion in the relevant simulation tools, focusing on crucial experimental benchmark processes. The techniques and frameworks we will develop will be applicable to other processes and in particular, will be very relevant to searches for physics beyond the Standard Model, and in the further interpretation of any signals that would indicate such a discovery. To achieve this ambitious goal, the PI will work very closely with a team of carefully chosen scientists with relevant overlapping and complementary expertise in precision calculations and event simulation: Professor Dr Thomas Gehrmann (University of Zürich), Professor Dr Aude Gehrmann-De Ridder (ETH Zürich) and Dr Frank Krauss (Durham University).

Keywords: high energy physics,large hadron collider,strong interactions