Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Control of the Structure of Light at the Nanoscale (CONSTANS)

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: Netherlands
Call:  (ERC-2013-ADG, 2013)
Start date: 2014-03-01
End date: 2019-12-31
Duration (months): 70.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2493600.0
EU funding (EUR): 2493600.0
Participants: 2
Project status: CLOSED

In the last decade, the fields of nanoplasmonics and photonic crystals have opened up the nanoscale for optical control. Both the flow and emission of light can be controlled at these small length scales, giving rise to new science and applications. Interestingly, freely propagating light beams can already contain nanoscale features, i.e. optical singularities. Little is known about this nanoscale structure of light. I propose to (1) reveal the structure of light at the nanoscale and its interaction with geometrical structures or other light structures; and (2) achieve full spatio-temporal control of the nanoscale structure of light. Crucial to achieving these goals are technological innovations, which will be crosscutting objectives. These include the first nonlinear vectorial scanning near-field microscope and novel near-field probes allowing access to new combinations of vector fields. This next step in the field of nano-optics is possible due to recent breakthroughs in the control and visualization of light at the nanoscale obtained in my group. I will combine newly acquired access to the vectorial nature of light with its active control to investigate how (deep-) subwavelength structures of light of different frequencies affect each other when coupled through a nonlinear interaction in a nanostructured material. In parallel I will focus on optical singularities. Because of their extreme size, small changes in their position will lead to huge effects in the local light fields, opening up potential for all-optical and therefore ultrafast control. The research will lead to innovations in the visualization and control of light at the nanoscale, access to the magnetic component of light, nanoscale nonlinear optics and coherent control of light fields. The knowledge gain will be crucial for applications like ultrasensitive biosensors based on superchiral light, ultrafast magneto-optics and nanoscale quantum optics.

Keywords: near-field optics,plasmonics,photonic crystals
New experimental therapeutic approaches for Parkinson’s disease by direct DA neuronal reprogramming (REPROPARK)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Diagnostic tools, therapies and public health
Countries involved: Italy,Spain
Call:  (ERC-2013-ADG, 2013)
Start date: 2014-06-01
End date: 2019-12-31
Duration (months): 67.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2415767.0
EU funding (EUR): 2415767.0
Participants: 2
Project status: CLOSED

Neurodegenerative diseases cause a significant burden on the elderly population in Europe. Parkinson’s disease (PD) affects 1.2 million people in Europe and with the increasing life expectancy this number will rise, putting more pressure on health care. Treatment of PD is only symptomatic, and therefore, there is an urgent need for more efficient therapies. Degeneration of mesencephalic DA neurons triggers the initial phases of PD, which raises the concept that cell replacement might represent a long-term restorative option for this neuropathology. Indeed, previous studies in PD patients have indicated that cell therapy has the potential to significantly sustain an enduring symptomatic relief. However, these studies suffered for lacking an ideal source of transplantable human DA neurons. Only recently the generation of induced stem cells (iPSCs) by the reprogramming of somatic cells has disclosed the possibility to generate individual specific neurons with a high therapeutic potential. We have recently developed a methodology that promotes transdifferentiation of mouse and human fibroblasts into functional induced dopaminergic neuronal (iDAN) cells. iDAN cells display sophisticated neuronal properties including pacemaking firing activity, synaptic integration, activity-dependent dopamine release and D2 functional autoreceptors. Therefore, iDAN cells offer an unprecedented cellular source with ideal features for cell therapy in PD, since they can be generated from the patients in high amounts. Here, we propose to strengthen the technology in the human setting and decipher the molecular events. Next, we will elaborate methods of in vivo reprogramming promoting neuronal transdifferentiation locally in the mouse brain. Finally, autologous transplantations of iDAN cells in parkinsonian monkeys will be attempted. Overall, this project will enhance cell reprogramming technologies with the ambition to generate a superior cellular source for transplantations in PD patients.
From birth to action: regulation of gene expression through transcription complex biogenesis (BIRTOACTION)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Molecular and Structural Biology and Biochemistry
Countries involved: France
Call:  (ERC-2013-ADG, 2013)
Start date: 2014-01-01
End date: 2018-12-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2500000.0
EU funding (EUR): 2500000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Transcriptional regulation of protein coding genes in eukaryotic cells requires a complex interplay of sequence-specific DNA-binding factors, co-activators, general transcription factors (GTFs), RNA polymerase II and the epigenetic status of target sequences. Nuclear transcription complexes function as large multiprotein assemblies and are often composed of functional modules. The regulated decision-making that exists in cells governing the assembly and the allocation of factors to different transcription complexes to regulate distinct gene expression pathways is not yet understood. To tackle this fundamental question, we will systematically analyse the regulated biogenesis of transcription complexes from their sites of translation in the cytoplasm, through their assembly intermediates and nuclear import, to their site of action in the nucleus. The project will have four main Aims to decipher the biogenesis of transcription complexes: I) Investigate their co-translation-driven assembly II) Determine their cytoplasmic intermediates and factors required for their assembly pathways III) Uncover their nuclear import IV) Understand at the single molecule level their nuclear assembly, dynamics and action at target genes To carry out these aims we propose a combination of multidisciplinary and cutting edge approaches, out of which some of them will be high-risk taking, while others will utilize methods routinely run by the group. The project builds on several complementary expertise and knowledge either already existing in the group or that will be implemented during the project. At the end of the proposed project we will obtain novel results extensively describing the different steps of the regulatory mechanisms that control the assembly and the consequent gene regulatory function of transcription complexes. Thus, we anticipate that the results of our research will have a major impact on the field and will lead to a new paradigm for contemporary metazoan transcription.

Keywords: imaging,super-resolution microscopy,mrna localization,transcription complex biogenesis
10/66 ten years on – monitoring and improving health expectancy by targeting frailty among older people in middle income countries (LIFE2YEARS1066)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Environment and society
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call:  (ERC-2013-ADG, 2013)
Start date: 2014-08-01
End date: 2020-07-31
Duration (months): 72.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2449461.2
EU funding (EUR): 2449461.2
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Population ageing and the transition from infectious to chronic diseases is occurring more rapidly in middle than it did in high income countries. Chronic diseases are already leading causes of death in all regions, but the focus on preventing premature mortality neglects the societal impact of the emerging epidemic on disability/dependence, particularly in older people. The PIs 12 year program of population research in Latin America, China and India provides uniquely detailed data on the extent, patterning and impact of the epidemic among older people in societies undergoing profound demographic, social and economic change. The focus for this project is the potential to modify trajectories of ageing through prevention and targeted intervention. Whether, in ageing societies, we can add ‘life to years’ as well as ‘years to life’ is an unresolved question. The project will delineate secular trends (2005-2015) in the health of older people by completing a third prevalence wave survey in catchment areas previously surveyed in 2004-2006 and 2007-2009. Health expectancies (HE), summarising effects of morbidity and mortality, provide evidence of direct policy-relevance on the impact of population ageing on health. Inequalities in HE (disability-free and dependence-free life expectancies) will be evaluated within and between countries. Multistate analyses will assess their determinants, unpacking influences of socioeconomic position, chronic disease and underlying frailty on incidence of disability and care-dependence, recovery and mortality, thus identifying priorities for prevention and intervention. Knowledge from the population research will be translated during the project into development of a simple practice-based multidimensional risk assessment tool, which could then be linked to implementation of a new WHO guideline (co-developed by the PI) for prevention/management of care dependence in frail older people in resource poor settings.

Keywords: frailty,chronic disease,dementia,dependence,healthcare,developing countries
Realising Eurasia: Civilisation and Moral Economy in the 21st Century (REALEURASIA)

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: Germany
Call:  (ERC-2013-ADG, 2013)
Start date: 2014-07-01
End date: 2020-06-30
Duration (months): 72.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2229840.0
EU funding (EUR): 2229840.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

In an age of unprecedented globalisation apparently conducive to homogenisation, the laws of economics are inflected not only by localised cultural variation (the familiar argument of the anthropologist) but also by broader traditions for which the most appropriate term (in spite of many difficulties) remains “civilisational”. REALEURASIA is a multidisciplinary comparative project which draws on classical work in several branches of anthropology and sociology to analyse the civilisational diversity and unity of Eurasia in the early 21st century. The research team will draw together the large literatures on moral economy (Thompson) and Wirtschaftsethik (Weber) and apply these concepts at multiple levels within the civilisational frame. The focus will be on the five “world religions” identified by Max Weber a century ago. Ethnographic work will initially be based in a renowned centre of the civilisation, in order to assess the ways in which this heritage is invoked in contemporary processes of identity construction and political legitimation in large, multi-ethnic states. Each fieldworker will then move to a second urban site not directly affected by the civilisational centre to uncover what is much less evident: the extent to which the civilisational economic ethic determines behaviour today. In towns selected to ensure structural comparability, researchers will investigate a spectrum of family-controlled firms and the domestic group per se. It is hypothesised that, civilisational pluralism notwithstanding, the long-term evolution of Eurasia has established a deep unity across the landmass, with far-reaching social and geopolitical implications.
3D Reconstruction and Modeling across Different Levels of Abstraction (ACROSS)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Computer science and informatics
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): 2482000.0
EU funding (EUR): 2482000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Digital 3D models are gaining more and more importance in diverse application fields ranging from computer graphics, multimedia and simulation sciences to engineering, architecture, and medicine. Powerful technologies to digitize the 3D shape of real objects and scenes are becoming available even to consumers. However, the raw geometric data emerging from, e.g., 3D scanning or multi-view stereo often lacks a consistent structure and meta-information which are necessary for the effective deployment of such models in sophisticated down-stream applications like animation, simulation, or CAD/CAM that go beyond mere visualization. Our goal is to develop new fundamental algorithms which transform raw geometric input data into augmented 3D models that are equipped with structural meta information such as feature aligned meshes, patch segmentations, local and global geometric constraints, statistical shape variation data, or even procedural descriptions. Our methodological approach is inspired by the human perceptual system that integrates bottom-up (data-driven) and top-down (model-driven) mechanisms in its hierarchical processing. Similarly we combine algorithms operating on different levels of abstraction into reconstruction and modeling networks. Instead of developing an individual solution for each specific application scenario, we create an eco-system of algorithms for automatic processing and interactive design of highly complex 3D models. A key concept is the information flow across all levels of abstraction in a bottom-up as well as top-down fashion. We not only aim at optimizing geometric representations but in fact at bridging the gap between reconstruction and recognition of geometric objects. The results from this project will make it possible to bring 3D models of real world objects into many highly relevant applications in science, industry, and entertainment, greatly reducing the excessive manual effort that is still necessary today.

Keywords: 3d modeling,3d reconstruction,geometry processing,mesh generation,procedural modeling
Long-term effects of an energy-restricted Mediterranean diet on mortality and cardiovascular disease: the PREDIMED PLUS Study (PREDIMED PLUS)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Diagnostic tools, therapies and public health
Countries involved: Spain
Call:  (ERC-2013-ADG, 2013)
Start date: 2014-05-01
End date: 2019-04-30
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2078969.62
EU funding (EUR): 2078969.62
Participants: 2
Project status: CLOSED

The impact of weight loss on cardiovascular disease risk within the frame of the Mediterranean dietary pattern has not yet been tested using a sufficiently large randomized trial (Malik, Hu, 2007). We propose to run a parallel group, multi-center, randomized, primary prevention trial (PREDIMED PLUS) on men aged 55-75 years and women 65-75 years, with a body mass index ≥27 to <40 kg/m2 and meeting at least 3 criteria for the metabolic syndrome. The objective of the present research is to address the cardiovascular effect of an intensive weight-loss lifestyle intervention based on an energy-restricted traditional Mediterranean diet in comparison with a less intensive program using Mediterranean diet, but with no energy restriction, behavioural intervention or physical activity programme. The end-point is a composite of major hard clinical cardiovascular events. We hypothesize that an intensive weight-loss lifestyle intervention, including physical activity, based on the traditional Mediterranean food pattern is a sustainable long-term approach for weight reduction among overweight/obese adults and that the achieved lifestyle changes will exert beneficial effects on cardiovascular disease incidence, according to our experience (Estruch R et al., 2012) and research by other investigators (Shai et al., 2008). The rationale for the proposed investigation is that it can provide a new, affordable, and sustainable approach to reduce excess cardiovascular morbidity and mortality among overweight/obese adults, beyond what was already observed in the PREDIMED I trial.

Keywords: trial,dietary pattern,cardiovascular prevention,weight loss
Micro-Technologies and Heterogeneous Advanced Platforms for Implantable Medical Systems (ΜTHALYS)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Products and process engineering
Countries involved: Belgium
Call:  (ERC-2013-ADG, 2013)
Start date: 2014-03-01
End date: 2019-02-28
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2452885.18
EU funding (EUR): 2452885.18
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The μTHALYS project aims to create a technology platform that enables a next revolution by bringing microsystem technology to the next level in terms of integration, miniaturization and multifunctionality and applying this development to address pending needs in health care. Several breakthrough materials, basic concepts and fabrication techniques will be developed based on silicon or going far beyond silicon: At the wafer scale integration level, integration of advanced polymers (optics, conductive polymers, ionic polymer-metal composites) will be studied. These will be applied in several novel subminiature actuator and sensor devices with broad application potential, amongst which microfluidic systems, pressure sensing arrays, In order to come to complex 3D systems combining modalities as optics, microfluidics, actuators and electronics, advanced device level fabrication and hybrid assembly technologies will be studied as well. Furthermore, the methods for packaging implants (flex/stretch interconnect technology, advanced interposers,…) will be pushed far beyond the current state of the art. The adoption of soft, and even bioresorbable materials for packaging and interconnects will spectacularly improve the human-implant interface. Another important research line pursued is the study of ultra-low power electronics for medical implants: sensor interfacing, A/D conversion, signal processing, data communication and power transfer. These fundamental research activities will lead to many applied projects and valorization activities during and long afterwards the end of this grant. In the project itself, two main medical applications are targeted directly: a urinary pacemaker to prevent incontinence, and a new generation of implantable electrodes for neurology.

Keywords: implantable electronics,-mems,micro-optics
Institutions and Morality (MORALITY)

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: Germany
Call:  (ERC-2013-ADG, 2013)
Start date: 2015-01-01
End date: 2019-12-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1696470.0
EU funding (EUR): 1696470.0
Participants: 2
Project status: CLOSED

The main objective of the proposed research is to enhance our understanding of the critical role of institutions in affecting moral transgression. I aim at identifying institutional mechanisms operating in markets and organisations that promote immoral outcomes. The key question this project seeks to explain is why “ordinary” people endowed with a given moral conception engage in behaviours they would generally object to. While the focus is on immoral behaviour, the reverse inference is always intended as well: if we understand mechanisms that promote immoral behaviour, we can build on this knowledge to design institutions that limit those outcomes. The importance of studying morality is self-evident. Harmful outcomes resulting from market interactions or organisational design include, e.g., detrimental working conditions, suffering of animals that are kept in inhumane husbandry, or environmental damage. The critical role of institutions has also been pointed out in most extreme cases such as the organisation of the Holocaust. Morality is an elusive term but there exists an academic common sense that immoral behaviour involves harming others in an unjustified way. It is this definition of immoral behaviour that organises the project as reflected in the suggested experimental paradigms. The two main institutional categories I will consider are markets and underlying market mechanisms (WP1) and organisational mechanisms, in particular the role of pivotality, hierarchy, division of labour, delegation, and framing (WP2). In all experiments I causally identify the role of institutions by comparing the distribution of moral values in a baseline condition to the one arising from specific institutional set-ups. WP 3 will complement the analysis from a different angle, studying (i) individual determinants of immoral behaviour, (ii) moral development in children, (iii) and the effects of a randomised intervention (mentoring program) on moral judgment in children.

Keywords: experimantal economics,behavioural economics,morality,organisations,social preferences