Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Powder Metallurgy Approaches for Next-Generation Bipolar Plate Materials (PERMEABLE)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie-Sklodowska-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Individual Fellowships (IF)-Reintegration panel
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Panel: Information Science and Engineering
Countries involved: Spain
Call: Individual Fellowships (H2020-MSCA-IF-2020, 2020)
Start date: 2021-06-01
End date: 2023-05-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 172932.48
EU funding (EUR): 172932.48
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The proposed 24-month fellowship aims to reintegrate the researcher, Dr. Carlos Romero Villarreal, in Europe after 3.5 years in New Zealand. He will address the feasibility of using powder metallurgy (PM) approaches and coatings to process highly efficient, lightweight bipolar plates (BP) for PEM fuel cells (FC) based on porous flow fields. This fellowship will be carried out in the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M), in Spain, under the supervision of Professor Elena Gordo Odériz. As part of this, the researcher will carry out a 6-month secondment in ArcelorMittal, the world’s leading steel manufacturer, under the co-supervision of Dr. Domínguez and Dr. Botas. The scientific objective of the proposal is to develop materials for metallic BP based on porous flow fields that have low density in order to reduce considerably the weight of PEMFCs while keeping a high performance, to increase the energy efficiency of transportation systems. This contributes to key EU and UN objectives like low-carbon and climate-neutral economies. The low-density candidate materials are titanium and Ti-based MAX phases, which have good mechanical and conductive properties. These materials will be processed using PM techniques that allow the fabrication of dense and porous materials. To improve their performance, corrosion-resistant and electrically-conductive coatings based on TiN and graphene will be developed. The mechanical, conductive and corrosion properties of these materials will be characterised to assess if they achieve the PEMFC target properties. Along with the training in the relevant scientific skills, this proposal also has the objective to establish Dr. Romero as an independent researcher by training in several transferable skills key for academic and industrial environments such as leadership, teaching and supervision, project management, IPR and knowledge transfer and scientific communication (especially to non-specialist audiences).

Keywords: titanium,ceramic,powder metallurgy,porous materials,coatings
Aluminium and Magnesium Alloys Green Innovative Coatings (ALMAGIC)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Societal Challenges
Programme: Smart, green and integrated transport
Theme: Public-private partnerships
Destination: Clean Sky 2
Action type: Research and Innovation actions
Partnership: CS2 (Art-187)
Countries involved: Spain,Germany,Germany,Spain,Netherlands,Netherlands
Call: Substitution of Chromium(VI)-based substances for corrosion protection of Aluminum- and Magnesium alloys (H2020-CS2-CFP04-2016-02, 2016)
Start date: 2017-06-01
End date: 2019-05-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 999526.25
EU funding (EUR): 999526.25
Participants: 6
Project status: CLOSED

The aeronautic industry is constantly striving to reduce the aircraft operating costs, increase their payload and reduce the environmental impact during the whole life of the product. Metallurgy has played a key role in the development of aviation. With the use of light alloys, as aluminium and magnesium, new applications have been found to apply these to fastly improve existing designs. The disadvantage of using these materials is that they are particularly susceptible to corrosion. Environmental degradation is a limiting factor for magnesium–aluminium (Mg–Al) alloys in outdoor applications. An effective way to protect alloys from fast degradation or reduce to the degradation rate is surface treatment. Hexavalent chromium has served as the primary means of corrosion protection in the aircraft industry since 1936 and allowed for the distinctive bare-metal finishes of the World War II era. Hexavalent chromium is a known carcinogen, with the major route of exposure through inhalation of vapours or dust. The chromates are among the current chemicals for which industrial users must find substitutes, or request authorisation from EU regulators to continue their use. In the case of chromium trioxide and the acids, the application deadline is March 2016 and the “sunset” date for the substances is September 2017. Therefore, there is an urgent need facing the aerospace industry to replace the conventional corrosion inhibitor, hexavalent chromium. Regulatory and market drivers are motivating a global effort in the aerospace industry to replace hexavalent chromium-containing materials with hexavalent chromium-free alternatives for various applications. ALMAGIC project is focused on solving the aforementioned problematic by validating the developed innovative alternatives to chromium(VI) coatings for aluminium and magnesium alloys. ALMAGIC will ensure the developed solutions comply with the REACH regulations, while all quality standards are met.

Keywords: corrosion protection,aluminium,magnesium,chromium vi replacement
Dissecting the Function of Multiple Polycomb Group Complexes in Establishing Transcriptional Identity (DissectPcG)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Consolidator grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Cellular, Developmental and Regenerative Biology
Panel description: Structure and function of the cell, cell-cell communication, embryogenesis, tissue differentiation, organogenesis, growth, development, evolution of development, organoids, stem cells, regeneration, therapeutic approaches
Countries involved: Italy
Call: ERC Consolidator Grant (ERC-2016-COG, 2016)
Start date: 2017-11-01
End date: 2023-06-30
Duration (months): 68.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2000000.0
EU funding (EUR): 829932.5
Participants: 2
Project status: SIGNED

The activities of the Polycomb group (PcG) of repressive chromatin modifiers are required to maintain correct transcriptional identity during development and differentiation. These activities are altered in a variety of tumours by gain- or loss-of-function mutations, whose mechanistic aspects still remain unclear. PcGs can be classified in two major repressive complexes (PRC1 and PRC2) with common pathways but distinct biochemical activities. PRC1 catalyses histone H2A ubiquitination of lysine 119, and PRC2 tri-methylation of histone H3 lysine 27. However, PRC1 has a more heterogeneous composition than PRC2, with six mutually exclusive PCGF subunits (PCGF1–6) essential for assembling distinct PRC1 complexes that differ in subunit composition but share the same catalytic core. While up to six different PRC1 forms can co-exist in a given cell, the molecular mechanisms regulating their activities and their relative contributions to general PRC1 function in any tissue/cell type remain largely unknown. In line with this biochemical heterogeneity, PRC1 retains broader biological functions than PRC2. Critically, however, no molecular analysis has yet been published that dissects the contribution of each PRC1 complex in regulating transcriptional identity. We will take advantage of newly developed reagents and unpublished genetic models to target each of the six Pcgf genes in either embryonic stem cells or mouse adult tissues. This will systematically dissect the contributions of the different PRC1 complexes to chromatin profiles, gene expression programs, and cellular phenotypes during stem cell self-renewal, differentiation and adult tissue homeostasis. Overall, this will elucidate some of the fundamental mechanisms underlying the establishment and maintenance of cellular identity and will allow us to further determine the molecular links between PcG deregulation and cancer development in a tissue- and/or cell type–specific manner.

Keywords: polycomb,chromatin modification,histone modifications,cell identity,intestinal stem cells,intestinal cancer,adult stem cell,embryonic stem cells,transcription
FIRST INSTANT, OFF-THE-LAB AND USER-FRIENDLY BLOOD GROUPING TEST (ABOPEN)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Industrial Leadership
Programme: Innovation in SMEs
Action type: SME instrument
Countries involved: Denmark
Call: SME instrument (H2020-SMEInst-2018-2020-1, 2019)
Start date: 2019-05-01
End date: 2019-08-31
Duration (months): 4.0
Total project cost (EUR): 71429.0
EU funding (EUR): 50000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Despite being eradicated from the developed world, the Rhesus Disease or HDFN (Hemolytic Disease of the Fetus and Newborn), a disease where the immune system from the mother attacks the red blood cells from their babies, still kills 141,000 children and mothers in developing regions every year. Deaths that could be easily prevented by screening pregnant women for their RhD factor type. Although 15% of RhD(-) women are at risk, 220 million women in developing countries should be tested, since the majority do not know their RhD factor type. At Eldon Biologicals AS (a Danish company created in 2002), we are a profitable company that has already sold millions of EldonCards (a pioneering off-the-lab dry format grouping test) in more than 44 countries and has built a well-established worldwide network of customers and distributors. We are part of the influential International Federation of Gynecology and Obstretics (FIGO) and founding member of CURhE, an international initiative to stop HDNF. Now, we are moving one step further from EldonCards overcoming its limitations to erase HDNF from developing countries. To do so, we have created ABOPEN, a user-friendly off-the-lab grouping test that can be stored for up to 24 months at 37C and works similarly to pregnancy tests, identifying the RhD factor type in just 1 minute and a single-step procedure. ABOPEN can be performed outside a laboratory setting (does not need electricity) by non-trained personnel, while keeping its affordability (it costs just €4), precision and accuracy. ABOPEN has also a sizeable market in developed countries, as an instant and easy to use device to find out about blood grouping for urgent transfusions (accidents, hospitals, military) or just personal information. By end of 2025, we expect to generate €8 million in turnover (ROI of 2.2), while creating 7 new jobs for the company.

Keywords: blood grouping,rhesus,rhesus disease,hemolytic disease
Nociception and sensory nerves as regulators of type 2 immunity and skin inflammation (IMMCEPTION)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing
Panel description: Organ and tissue physiology, comparative physiology, physiology of ageing, pathophysiology, interorgan 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: France
Call: ERC Starting Grant (ERC-2018-STG, 2018)
Start date: 2019-01-01
End date: 2023-12-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1497441.0
EU funding (EUR): 1497441.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Preserving skin homeostasis depends on complex interactions among structural cells, immune cells, and the environment. Dysregulation of this delicate equilibrium contributes to the development of type 2 immunity-associated skin inflammation (i.e., allergic skin inflammation), including atopic dermatitis (AD). The skin is a complex organ harboring various tissue-resident immune cells (e.g., dendritic cells, mast cells and macrophages) and innervated by a meshwork of sensory nerves, including those involved in nociception (i.e., nociceptors), which respond to injurious or potentially damaging stimuli by transmitting signals to the spinal cord and brain. Despite their role in the transmission of sensation, recent evidences have suggested that nociceptors could be powerful regulators of ongoing immune response. We wish to use sophisticated mouse models and new in vivo imaging approaches to define the roles of subsets of dermal nociceptors, cationic neuropeptide substance P, dermal mast cells expressing the recently discovered receptor for cationic molecules Mas-related G protein-coupled receptor b2 (i.e., Mrgprb2), in a mouse model of AD that has many pathological, immunological, and gene expression similarities with the corresponding human disorder. We also will define the translational relevance of our mouse studies by performing parallel analyzes of nociceptors and mast cells in the lesional skin of patients from USA and France with clinically-established AD. To accomplish these goals, we have proposed herein a body of work that is solidly based on our preliminary data, with four Aims that will test innovative hypotheses by using informative genetic approaches, as well as new intravital imaging systems we recently developed. This work thus will address significant gaps in our knowledge about the pathophysiology of AD and has the potential to identify such neuro-immune interactions as a promising new therapeutic target in AD and perhaps other allergic disorders.

Keywords: allergic skin inflammation,mast cells,sensory neurons,skin barrier and intravital imaging
Soft, Self-responsive, Smart MAterials for RoboTs (SMART)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie-Sklodowska-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Innovative Training Networks (ITN)-European Training Networks
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Panel: Information Science and Engineering
Countries involved: Estonia,Italy,Austria,Switzerland,Türkiye,Belgium,Netherlands,United Kingdom
Call: Innovative Training Networks (H2020-MSCA-ITN-2019, 2019)
Start date: 2020-03-01
End date: 2024-08-31
Duration (months): 54.0
Total project cost (EUR): 3978529.92
EU funding (EUR): 3978529.92
Participants: 8
Project status: SIGNED

The SMART Innovative Training Network is a joint venture between academia and industry, providing scientific and personal development of young researchers in the multidisciplinary fields of soft robotics and smart materials. SMART will realize the technologically and scientifically ambitious breakthroughs to exploit smart, stimuli-responsive material systems with actuation, sensing and self-healing capabilities for intelligent soft devices. This allows the soft robots to interact with dynamic and unknown environments in a smart fashion to avert catastrophic failure and reestablish structural integrity and operational functionality. Control intelligence enables interaction with the outer world and structural health monitoring allows the establishment of autonomous healing procedures, where upon sensing of damage or loss of functionality the system will cease operation and start a repair action, followed by the evaluation of the effective recovery of functionality and finally return to operation, thus expanding the service lifetime. These technologies will be integrated in fully functional and autonomous demonstrators to disseminate, benchmark and exploit the results. There is a need for future leaders with excellence in smart material systems and technologically advanced applications such as robotics and automation. The SMART ITN offers such multidisciplinary training by combining these two emerging fields with meaningful societal and economic impact (T-model). For this purpose, SMART brings together 8 beneficiaries and 11 partner organizations including 2 research institutes and 12 private companies, belonging to 7 EU member states, and to 2 associated states (Switzerland, Turkey). The consortium’s complementarity and multidisciplinarity will enable a top-level educational programme, with special focus on spanning TRL levels from innovative fundamentally new concepts to system prototypes and teaching them in an RRI spirit.

Keywords: stimuli responsive and self healing materials,additive manufacturing,soft robotics,actuators,sensors,control
Flame retardant Nanocontainers (NOFLAME)

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: Chemistry
Countries involved: Germany
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): 159460.8
EU funding (EUR): 159460.8
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Since we live in the polymer age, and polymers are highly inflammable, flame retardants have become a key component in industry to reduce the impact of fires. Flame retardants save people's lives, their property and in some cases even the environment. However, traditional flame retardants like halogenated compounds present some serious disadvantages, like environmental persistence and toxicity, and their use is currently limited by REACH (EC 1907/2006). Halogen-free flame retardants like organophosphorus compounds or metal hydroxides, on the other hand, deteriorate the mechanical properties and have poor effectiveness. In this area, nanotechnology provides us some badly needed new approaches. In NOFLAME, we will explore a new approach based on the development of polymer flame retardant nanocontainers with high thermal stability, low flammability and good compatibility with polymeric matrices. These nanocontainers will help solve the problems of poor dispersion and low interfacial adhesion of the inorganic and hybrid nanomaterials applied so far. Furthermore, the ability to encapsulate a wide range of substances makes them highly attractive to develop multifunctional nanomaterials. The main activities within NOFLAME are: 1) the synthesis of several nanocontainers and the encapsulation of organic and inorganic flame retardant compounds, 2) the introduction of the nanocontainers in the polymer matrix and 3) the evaluation of their influence on the mechanical and flame retardant properties of the final material. Combining their expertise for NOFLAME, the fellow Dr. Maria Velencoso, the host MPIP and the partner BAM will execute a thrilling research project to produce novel flame retardant nanomaterials and meet an urgent need of the European plastics industry.

Keywords: flame retardancy,flame retardant nanomaterials,miniemulsion polymerization,nanocontainers,in situ emulsion polymerization,dopo monomer
Intelligent control system for railway points heating with supreme saving of electicity (IntelHeat)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Societal Challenges
Programme: Smart, green and integrated transport
Action type: SME instrument
Countries involved: Latvia
Call: Small business innovation research for Transport and Smart Cities Mobility (H2020-SMEINST-1-2016-2017, 2017)
Start date: 2017-12-01
End date: 2018-05-31
Duration (months): 6.0
Total project cost (EUR): 71429.0
EU funding (EUR): 50000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

KTN Ltd., a research driven Latvian SME is making innovation in the railways automation proposing a control system IntelHeat for fully automatic management of railway points heating during winters by continuous monitoring of snowing and other weather conditions. IntelHeat will satisfy customers’ needs to optimize heating regimes, will automate the process and will provide effective savings of electricity. That also means less influence to climate via decreased carbon footprints of the systems. The core of IntelHeat is a proprietary innovative optical precipitation sensor for real-time monitoring of snowing both in the atmosphere and remotely near the point. This unique feature accounts possible clogging of the point by blizzard from a passing train. The principle is based on multi-channel acquisition using a combination of diffuse and direct reflection of infrared light from the precipitation particles. Algorithms for electrical heating use inputs of a set of real-time meteorological data from the sensor to manage the regime flexibly. Functional prototypes were built and pass trial exploitation on the Latvian Railways. First positive conclusions about adequacy of detection, reliability of work and savings of energy (up to 80% in critical periods and 50% in average) were obtained. The end-users are national and EU railway companies. The potential market is estimated from initial implementation in Latvia as 800 pieces of precipitation sensor installed at points and 220 IntelHeat systems for heating control cabinets. In Europe: up to 20,000 sensors and 5,000 systems. Globally: up to 50,000 and 15,000 pieces accordingly. The market may start from about 3 M€ in Latvia and reach more than 60 M€ in Europe and 200 M€ worldwide. The project aims at feasibility study in 1st Phase and creation of the commercial product in 2nd Phase. For the implementation of the 1st phase, the applicant will mobilize its own R&D personnel and experts from Latvian universities.

Keywords: railway points heating,intelligent control,optical snow sensors,electricity saving,low carbon footprint
The therapeutic potential of Genipin as a corneal cross-linking agent: Unlocking a new pathway for the treatment of corneal infection and disease. (CORLINK)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie-Sklodowska-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Individual Fellowships (IF)-Global Fellowships
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Panel: Life Sciences
Countries involved: Colombia,United Kingdom
Call: Individual Fellowships (H2020-MSCA-IF-2017, 2017)
Start date: 2019-02-01
End date: 2022-01-31
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 226413.0
EU funding (EUR): 226413.0
Participants: 2
Project status: CLOSED

Keratoconus is an eye disorder in which the normally curved cornea, the clear window of the eye, progressively thins and begins to bulge into a cone-like shape, leading to significant visual impairment. Corneal cross-linking is the gold standard treatment for halting disease progression by using riboflavin activated by ultraviolet light (UVA) to introduce covalent chemical bonds (cross-links) into the cornea. To enhance permeability of riboflavin into the corneal stroma, epithelium removal is required and thus, patients with thin corneas are not eligible for this approach, as several complications have been reported, some temporary and some irreversible. There is, therefore, an urgent need to develop new innovative therapeutic approaches that ideally avoid deepithelialization and the use of radiation. Genipin, is a naturally occurring cross-linking agent that has been proposed to have a biomechanical effect comparable to that of the contemporary cross-linking approach, without the need for deepithelization, and importantly to exhibit anti-inflammatory properties. This research will investigate the potential application of Genipin for the treatment of keratoconus corneas and corneal inflammatory diseases. With the overarching aim to elucidate the efficacy and mechanism of action of Genipin in the cornea and to ascertain its anti-inflammatory activity on resident corneal cells called keratocytes, a combination of biomedical techniques and advanced 3D structural imaging modalities will be integrated, in a drive towards the establishment of a new therapeutic strategy for keratoconus and inflammatory diseases. The results of this study will elucidate the effect of Genipin on corneal keratocytes in vitro and in vivo and will provide the first ever direct measurement of the effect of Genipin on the corneal architecture in 3D, which will importantly serve to propose a new therapeutic approach for keratoconus, particularly advanced cases, and corneal inflammatory diseases.

Keywords: cornea,corneal crosslinking,inflammation,genipin,keratocytes