Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Portable air analysis device for on-site pest detection during plants import controls (senseApest)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness
Programme: Food, Bioeconomy Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment
Theme: Bio-Environment
Destination: Fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly food systems from primary production to consumption
Action type: Innovation actions
Countries involved: France,Norway,Netherlands,Italy,United Kingdom,Germany,Ireland,Switzerland
Call: Tools to increase the effectiveness of EU import controls for plant health (HORIZON-CL6-2024-FARM2FORK-02, 2024)
Start date: 2025-09-01
End date: 2029-08-31
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 4829171.25
EU funding (EUR): 4499700.0
Participants: 11
Project status: SIGNED

The current plant inspection process is labour intensive due to visual assessments, low detection throughput and the need for physical sampling for molecular- or antibody-based detection kits. SenseApest will address these challenges by screening imported plant material systematically and efficiently with a non-contact portable detection unit (PDU), based on volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions. Plants release VOCs in response to pest attacks, while pests emit their own distinctive VOCs. In senseApest, we propose to exploit these VOC biomarkers to develop a high throughput PDU equipped with VOC sensors, an algorithm, and a database. The PDU will enable rapid (<15 min), non-invasive and non-destructive screening of imported plant material for serious pests. The project emphasizes high-accuracy, user-friendliness, cost and time-efficiency, and portability in the design of the PDU. Two analytical modules will be developed to detect a wide range of VOCs, adding a layer of specificity to broaden the spectrum of detectable pests. Miniaturized components will be integrated into the PDU, ensuring high analytical performance while maintaining portability. The PDU will be validated into operational environments (TRL7). The collected data will train an algorithm in recognizing pest specific VOC biomarkers, enhancing diagnostic accuracy and applicability. The project aims to reduce false positives and false negatives in pest diagnostics while providing a method prioritizing efficiency in terms of analysis time and unit cost. Ultimately, the PDU is intended to be a cost-effective, user-friendly, adaptable, and efficient tool for plant health inspectors during import controls. To achieve this, a multi-actor interdisciplinary approach will be implemented. Adopting the PDU is expected to save the EU €0.31–1.08 billion a year, while inspecting 90% of imported plants to limit the risk of plant pest invasions.

Keywords: gas and liquid sensors portable detection unit volatile organic compounds pests diagnostic expanded pest knowledge machine learning demonstration in simulated and real environments
CoEvoLens: Disentangling the microevolutionary mechanisms of coevolution (CoEvoLens)

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: Environment and Geosciences
Countries involved: Sweden
Call: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2023 (HORIZON-MSCA-2023-PF-01, 2023)
Start date: 2025-01-01
End date: 2026-12-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 206887.68
EU funding (EUR): 206887.68
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Coevolution, characterized by reciprocal trait changes driven by mutual selection between interacting species, is pivotal in shaping biodiversity. However, understanding the genetic basis and mechanistic processes underlying coevolution in natural populations remains challenging. This project aims to bridge this gap and connect coevolutionary theory to empirical data by using the well-established Lithophragma-Greya moth pollination system as a study model. By identifying and quantifying the genetic variance of key traits mediating this interaction, we will assess their potential to evolve, a critical aspect in coevolutionary dynamics. Additionally, we will investigate natural selection in this system, considering both female (seed set) and male (siring success) fitness components, and examine how ecological context, including the presence of copollinators, affects selection. We will employ ecological network analysis and interaction effectiveness measurements to determine the significance of specific interactions in driving coevolutionary processes. This research will enhance our understanding of the genetic underpinnings and ecological factors influencing trait coevolution in pollination interactions, shedding light on the evolutionary dynamics within complex ecological networks. CoEvoLens will provide valuable insights into a species’ ability to adapt to a changing world, where the loss of species interactions is a major concern.

Keywords: lithophragma spp greya spp evolvability,plant pollinator interaction,evolution through natural selection
Molecular Imaging to Guide Repair and Advance Therapy: Targeting the inflammation-fibrosis axis in ischemic heart disease and remote organs (MIGRATe)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Consolidator grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Prevention,  Diagnosis and T reatment of Human Diseases
Panel description: Medical technologies  and tools for prevention, diagnosis and treatment of human diseases, therapeutic approaches and interventions , pharmacology, preventative  medicine, epidemiology and public health , digital medicine
Countries involved: Germany
Call: ERC CONSOLIDATOR GRANTS (ERC-2024-COG, 2024)
Start date: 2025-04-01
End date: 2030-03-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1933148.0
EU funding (EUR): 1933148.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Myocardial infarction triggers a complex interplay between inflammation and fibroblast activation, which contributes to success or failure of adequate repair. Targeted therapeutic approaches to modulate these processes have not yet been implemented clinically. The dynamic and multicellular nature of the inflammatory and fibrotic repair process in the heart is thought to be variable among individuals. Additionally, cardiac injury and treatment affect distant organs through systems-based interaction. In MIGRATe, I will explore non-invasive molecular imaging approaches to interrogate inflammatory cell populations and fibroblast activation in the heart and networking organs, for precise guidance of targeted therapeutic interventions. Imaging will delineate optimal timing and/or targeting of treatment to support endogenous healing and prevent heart failure progression. MIGRATe will also bring together imaging methods and molecular biology to decode the tissue microenvironment and identify novel biomarkers amenable to imaging and treatment. A combination of in vivo molecular imaging, single cell sorting, and transcriptome data from regions with elevated and/or suppressed imaging signal will be exploited to identify disproportionate cell subpopulations that contribute to the prognostic signal and may be targeted by therapy. Whole body imaging will simultaneously reveal the impact of cardiac cell directed therapy on the heart, alongside distant organ function, providing new insights into inter-organ communication and supporting a wholistic approach towards repair. Experimental work in mouse models will be complemented by a proof-of-concept clinical study, establishing a translational environment. Taken together, MIGRATe is designed to optimize new imaging-guided, molecular-targeted treatment strategies to improve cardiac outcome after acute myocardial infarction with corresponding benefit for reciprocal organ systems.
SpikeZip: a retinomorphic encoding method for low-latency and loss-less data compression and telemetry of large-scale in-vivo neural recordings (SpikeZip)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Proof of concept grants
Action type: ERC actions
Countries involved: Netherlands
Call: ERC PROOF OF CONCEPT GRANTS (ERC-2023-POC, 2023)
Start date: 2023-11-01
End date: 2025-04-30
Duration (months): 18.0
Total project cost (EUR): 150000.0
EU funding (EUR): 150000.0
Participants: 2
Project status: CLOSED

In-vivo neural recording and transmission of a vast number of neurons is essential in comprehending the brain and nervous system. However, the core challenge in the field of high-channel-count in-vivo neural recording is the limitation in transferring data posed by the bandwidth and energy consumption, which currently lacks a viable telemetry solution to effectively address this challenge. This PoC project introduces a novel retinomorphic encoding method, SpikeZip, which offers several advantages over existing approaches for processing neural data, such as low information loss, minimal latency, and reduced hardware overhead. The technical advances demonstrated in this project will have significant impacts on various applications areas, such as neuroscience research with free-moving small animals, low-latency closed-loop neuromodulation, implantable brain-computer interfaces, and cognitive prosthetics. The proposed method has the potential to revolutionize the way we record and process neural data, enabling us to better understand the brain's cognitive functions and develop new therapies for various neurological disorders. This PoC project will develop a robust demonstration system and rigorously validate it in small animal studies, with settings that can be effectively applied and translated across a diverse range of neuroscience and neurotherapeutic applications. SpikeZip will develop a go-to-market strategy that highlights the technology's unique features and benefits, with a focus on IP and licensing opportunities, and engaging with industry partners to identify promising commercialization opportunities.

Keywords: brain computer interfaces,neural interfaces,neural data processing,compression,neural decoding,low latency,event based
The next generation of railway crossing asset management technology (XCROSS)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness
Programme: Climate, Energy and Mobility
Theme: Public-private partnerships
Destination: Europe's Rail
Action type: Research and Innovation actions
Partnership: EU-RAIL (JU-JTI)
Countries involved: Netherlands,United Kingdom,Germany,Hungary,France,Spain,Italy
Call: DISRUPTIVE ASSETS MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS, INCLUDING URBAN USE CASES (HORIZON-JU-ER-2023-01, 2023)
Start date: 2024-10-01
End date: 2027-03-31
Duration (months): 30.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2331336.98
EU funding (EUR): 2037787.7
Participants: 10
Project status: SIGNED

Railway crossings degrade significantly faster than plain line track, with lifespans commonly lasting less than 5 years despite their design lives typically being 15 years. This results in Billions of Euros being spent on unplanned corrective maintenance, crossing renewals and delay-minutes, which would not occur if they could be better managed to reach their design lives. XCROSS will develop a suite of integrated disruptive technologies which combine to provide a technological process for the monitoring, inspection, and maintenance intervention of crossing surface profiles. To achieve the objectives, new crossing inspection techniques will be developed using 3D laser scanning technology and computer vision to allow for fast, repeatable and high accuracy crossing measurement. These 3D scans will then be used to create digital twins (DT) of the crossing, embedded with advanced wheel-rail interaction calculation algorithms. Considering these wheel forces and also on-site practical maintenance constraints, the digital twin will use optimisation strategies to calculate the optimal geometry profile achievable via on-site welding and grinding techniques in terms of lifecycle cost. Then, to enable practical implementation of the calculated optimum crossing profile geometries, Augmented Reality (AR) and 3D printing techniques will be developed to provide visualisation guides for on-site welding and grinding. These technologies will allow the maintenance engineers to see their welding and grinding progress ‘live’, and thus be an enabler for a step-change in the quality control of crossing interventions. Lastly, an early warning system will also be developed to act as the initial trigger for the deployment of the 3D scanning, AR and 3D printing. It is vital for detecting the early signs of degradation and thus initiating the deployment of the new maintenance process before the onset of irreparable degradation.

Keywords: railway asset management,switches and crossings,sandc maintenance,digital twin,3d scanning,augmented reality,3d printing
The political (in)significance of extreme weather events (Weather Events)

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: Social Sciences and Humanities
Countries involved: Belgium
Call: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2021 (HORIZON-MSCA-2021-PF-01, 2021)
Start date: 2022-09-01
End date: 2024-08-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 175920.0
EU funding (EUR): 175920.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Tackling the climate crisis in an appropriate way - making governments sign international climate agreements and letting citizens live up to them - proves difficult. A much-given explanation for this problem is the fact that many of the crisis' consequences are only about to happen in a distant future complicates making them visible and tangible in the present. However, extreme weather events (e.g., floods, heatwaves, hurricanes) might have the potential to break this pattern. This project investigates this potential, through analyzing the political impact of extreme weather in the American, Dutch, and Austrian public spheres. It will include three sub-studies: 1) mixed-method analyses (computational and qualitative investigations) of a wide variety of extreme weather events in newspapers, parliamentary debates, and policy documents from the three country contexts, to research to what extent, how, and why they impact political perceptions of the climate crisis; 2) a comparison of these results to analyses (based on similar data and methods) of the impact of terrorist events, occurrences which often seem to invoke more immediate and substantial political impact than extreme weather events; 3) interviews with public actors (journalists, politicians, scientists), to research the cultural and institutional opportunities and constrains they face in the (non-)creation of extreme weather event impact. All together, this project adds to two relatively under-developed sociological fields: environmental sociology and the sociology of events. On a societal level, it can potentially help politicians and policy makers with how they can, through their responses to extreme weather events, better handle the climate crisis.

Keywords: events,extreme weather,climate crisis,social change,public spheres,mixed methods,content analysis,interviewing
Unraveling the role of spinal GABApre neurons in presynaptic modulation during locomotion (GabaLoco)

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: Life Sciences
Countries involved: France
Call: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2024 (HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01, 2024)
Start date: 2025-06-01
End date: 2027-05-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 226420.56
EU funding (EUR): 226420.56
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Presynaptic modulation is a cornerstone of neural function, shaping everything from basic motor control to sensory processing and motor learning. It is a powerful mechanism that allow the fine tuning of a neuron selected target through an axonal modulation. In the spinal cord, this potent modulation is mediated by "GABApre" neurons. However, although widely studied ex-vivo, their function during naturalistic behaviors remains poorly understood due to technical challenges limiting in vivo access to spinal neurons. By leveraging advanced methodologies, such as in vivo electrophysiological recordings with Neuropixel probes during naturalistic locomotion, this project aims to uncover mechanisms that have so far remained elusive. Combining genetic manipulation, viral targeting, and high-resolution 3D kinematic analysis, this project will investigate the activity of GABApre neurons and their impact on motoneuron dynamics and locomotor performance across movement phases and muscle recruitment. Additionally, we will explore the recently observed dual effect of GABApre neurons and determine whether they consist of distinct subpopulations and whether they exhibit distinct context-dependent functions. By examining GABApre function during natural locomotion, this work will bridge the gap between previous non-physiological studies and the real-world relevance of presynaptic modulation, offering new insights into sensorimotor integration and adaptive motor behavior. While fundamental, this project’s discoveries will provide a crucial foundation for the design of innovative therapeutic approaches.

Keywords: sensorimotor control,spinal cord,circuit dissection,electrophysiology,behavior
Quantum Entanglement from Superradiance and the Hawking effect in Fluids of Light (QuESHeFol)

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: Physics
Countries involved: France
Call: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2024 (HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01, 2024)
Start date: 2026-07-01
End date: 2028-06-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 242260.56
EU funding (EUR): 242260.56
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Our understainding of superradiance regards it as a phenomenon of classical amplification. Leveraging techniques from Quantum Field Theory in Curved Spacetimes and Gaussian quantum information, I will provide a theoretical proof that superradiance generates entanglement and is inherently quantum, calling for a revision of the current paradigm. It is believed that a horizonless system displaying rotational superradiance is unstable. Given that horizons generate Hawking radiation, this prevents the study of superradiance in isolation from the latter, which also generates entanglement and hinders a clean observation of our novel prediciton. I propose to overcome this difficulty through dissipative dynamics. Polariton fluids are dissipative quantum fluids that allow for homodyne detection, thus being ideal platforms to test our predictions. I will quantify the entanglement generated by an isolated ergoregion in a rotating polariton fluid, and characterize it as a function of relevant experimental parameters. I will follow by extending our methods to quantify, for the first time, the entanglement generated by rotating black hole analogues, assessing the interaction between the Hawking effect and superradiance in full detail, and encoding it into new testable observables. I will then theoretically characterize these observables in terms of the relevant parameters for a polariton fluid experiment, such as the local properties of the flow, ambient thermal noise and detection losses -- decoherence --. I will also show how stimulating the polariton fluid with one-mode squeezed states enhances entanglement production by the ergoregion, thus optimizing the signal-to-noise ratio. The results of this theoretical project will shed light into the quantum properties of field theories and their entanglement structure. Thus, they will have a major impact in the fields of analogue quantum simulators, Quantum Field Theory in Curved Spa and, potentially, Relativistic Quantum Information.

Keywords: entanglement,analogue gravity,superradiance,hawking effect,black holes,quantum simulators,quantum field theory in curved spacetimes
Safety and Mobility Optimization via Virtual Environments Lab (SafeMoVE)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Proof of concept grants
Action type: ERC actions
Countries involved: Sweden
Call: ERC PROOF OF CONCEPT GRANTS (ERC-2025-POC, 2025)
Start date: 2025-11-01
End date: 2027-04-30
Duration (months): 18.0
Total project cost (EUR): 150000.0
EU funding (EUR): 150000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

SafeMoVE addresses critical gaps in road safety assessment methods, particularly as they pertain to mixed traffic scenarios involving connected and automated vehicles, vulnerable road users, and conventional road users. Building on the scientific advancements of SUperSAFE, SafeMoVE aims to validate and commercialize a universal, proactive methodology for traffic safety analysis. Unlike traditional approaches reliant on historical accident data, the proposed framework employs Extreme Value Theory and Surrogate Measures of Safety to analyse road user interactions, enabling predictions of accident risk without requiring prior crash data. The project encompasses four integrated phases: Data Collection (A1): Using stationary cameras, drones, and simulations to gather detailed exposure and interaction data in real-world and virtual environments; Data Analysis (A2): Extracting and analysing trajectories and interactions to compute SMoS, facilitating safety assessments for both existing and future infrastructures; Framework Development (A3): Validating a proactive methodology for accident prediction and road safety assessment in diverse traffic compositions and automation levels; and Exploitation and Market Exploration (A4): Commercializing the validated methodology through spinouts, targeting stakeholders such as car manufacturers, road authorities, and policymakers. SafeMoVE’s innovative framework aligns with the EU’s Vision Zero target to eliminate road fatalities by 2050. Its proactive approach enables timely safety evaluations, mitigating risks before accidents occur. The project introduces scalable solutions for infrastructure and vehicle safety assessments, fostering advancements in traffic safety research, policy, and industry practices. By integrating multidisciplinary expertise and addressing the challenges of mixed traffic systems, SafeMoVE aspires to revolutionise road safety methodologies and contribute to safer, more efficient transportation systems globally.