Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Balancing brain chemicals for boosting meta-control (CHEMCONTROL)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: The Human Mind and Its Compl exity
Panel description: Cognitive science, psychology, linguistics
Countries involved: Netherlands
Call: ERC ADVANCED GRANTS (ERC-2021-ADG, 2021)
Start date: 2023-04-01
End date: 2028-03-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2625000.0
EU funding (EUR): 2625000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Cognitive control enables us to flexibly adapt behaviour to achieve our goals given a constantly changing environment. It is a hallmark of the human mind and exquisitely vulnerable in health and disease. Cognitive control often implies goal-directed instrumental effort to inhibit unwanted, yet hardwired or overlearnt biases, and is commonly associated with the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and dopamine (DA). However, the mechanisms of the broader construct of flexible cognitive control remain unclear. The urgency of addressing this is evidenced by robust predictive associations between flexible control and consequential life outcomes for health, wealth and well-being. CHEMCONTROL approaches the problem from a novel angle, reconceptualizing it as meta-level decision-making between distinct control strategies. I propose to shift attention away from the classic focus on instrumental effort, implicating PFC and DA, towards a richer meta-control framework that takes into account outcome controllability. CHEMCONTROL radically upgrades the value of an opponent, cognitively effortless strategy that releases hardwired Pavlovian biases, implicating serotonin (5-HT). It redefines PFC function as making meta-level decisions between expensive dopaminergic versus frugal serotonergic strategies based on estimating outcome controllability. We have recently validated a computational procedure for quantifying controllability estimates. I will combine this procedure with (i) high-resolution fMRI to compare neural activity in DA and 5-HT systems and (ii) novel PET designs to compare DA and 5-HT release. Next, I will use (iii) psychopharmacology and (iv) ultrasound neuromodulation, to causally manipulate key model components. CHEMCONTROL will unravel the mechanisms of (boosting) meta-control, revolutionizing strategies for promoting efficacy and resilience in a rapidly changing world.

Keywords: cognitive control,dopamine,serotonin,functional neuroimaging,psychopharmacology,brain stimulation
Silicon-Rich Materials for Advanced Semiconductor Fabrication (IO-PR)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Innovative Europe
Programme: The European Innovation Council (EIC)
Theme: EIC Accelerator
Destination: Open to supporting projects in all areas of science, technology,...
Action type: EIC actions
Countries involved: Finland
Call: EIC Accelerator Open 2023 (HORIZON-EIC-2023-ACCELERATOR-01, 2023)
Start date: 2023-08-01
End date: 2025-12-31
Duration (months): 29.0
Total project cost (EUR): 3553200.0
EU funding (EUR): 2487240.0
Participants: 3
Project status: SIGNED

Semiconductor chips empower all modern digital technology and are an integral part of our lives. Only a handful of companies can produce them in their advanced forms or equipment and materials for the nanometers-scale precision required for their manufacture. To further improve semiconductor chips performance, a process called Extreme Ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) is required. PiBond is one of two companies globally who have innovated inorganic EUVL materials meeting future needs. Yet, the development of materials, which enable the formulation chip structures below 3nm node, is extremely challenging. It requires extreme molecular material control and outstanding quality and there is a myriad of challenges to overcome for a successful material and process. This high-risk project enables us to unlock a significant portion of advanced chips market of >500Bn€ and SAM of >3Bn€ in photoresist materials. Our project is critical for the EU goals in semiconductor manufacturing (Chips Act).

Keywords: novel materials,production technology,process engineering,semiconductors,materials engineering,photoresist materials,lithography,euvl lithography
Glycoprotein (Glyco+protein) of the biomineralized eggshell in birds (GlycoEggshell)

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: Denmark,Italy
Call: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2022 (HORIZON-MSCA-2022-PF-01, 2022)
Start date: 2023-06-01
End date: 2025-05-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 214934.4
EU funding (EUR): 214934.4
Participants: 2
Project status: CLOSED

Bird eggshell is a remarkable specimen for proteins analysis in archaeology and palaeontology as it can be used to understand how biominerals form and how they survive into deep time and elucidate phylogeny of the extinct birds. Proteins are known to survive best in association with minerals and proteins can persist in >6 million years old eggshell. Protective shell of eggs serves a crucial role for birds’ terrestrial adaptation as eggshell provides physical barrier to protect embryo, prevents desiccation during embryonic development, allows gas diffusion and provide calcium source for embryonic bone development. Organic matrix of eggshells is mainly made up of glycoproteins (glycan (sugar) + protein). The glycan study in archaeology and palaeontology is scarce and the application of glycoproteomics and glycomics in ancient eggshells will be a milestone in science, opening a new avenue to analyse sugar. The glycoprotein role in eggshell remains elusive and the GlycoEggshell project intends to describe and investigate specific roles of glycosylation on eggshell proteins across birds and evolutionary time, using modern and sub-fossil samples. GlycoEggshell project has three research objectives: characterise the glycosylated proteins in eggshells, identify the compositions and structures of the glycosaminoglycan (GAG), and determine the GAG-protein interactions. The modern eggshell from diverse bird clades will be used for glycoproteomics analysis to assess the glycosylation status among birds. Glycomics approach will be used to identify the GAG structures and compositions across modern and sub-fossil eggshells while the novel cell-based glycosaminoglycan array developed by my supervisor team in Copenhagen Center for Glycomics will be used to elucidate the interactions of protein and GAG. GlycoEggshell project will enhance our understanding of the glycosylated proteins’ role in the formation of the eggshell, the fastest biogenic calcification process known in nature.

Keywords: eggshell,palaeo,sugar,glycomics,glycoprotein,avian
Archimedes Drive: Driving Innovation in the Robotics Industry (Archimedes Drive)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Innovative Europe
Programme: The European Innovation Council (EIC)
Theme: EIC Accelerator
Destination: Open to supporting projects in all areas of science, technology,...
Action type: EIC actions
Countries involved: Netherlands
Call: EIC Accelerator Open (HORIZON-EIC-2022-ACCELERATOR-01, 2022)
Start date: 2022-12-01
End date: 2025-05-31
Duration (months): 30.0
Total project cost (EUR): 3516508.75
EU funding (EUR): 2461556.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

IMSystems has created the Archimedes Drive (AD), a proprietary, patented and revolutionary speed reducer based on smooth, rolling contact by cylinders that solves the problems of existing speed reducers, all based on gear teeth: lack of performance for universal applicability (all axes, all robots), expensive manufacturing, lack of responsiveness, and dependency on Japanese suppliers. Our primary targeted market is the industrial robotics market. Due to their high impact on industrial productivity, robotics companies are in dire need of ultra-precise, robust, lightweight, but still affordable speed reducers. We will strategically focus first on European robotics makers (e.g. ABB, Comau).With ABB as our likely launching customer and Linamar as our manufacturer (both investors in IMSystems), we have already established the right structure to set the company up for growth. With the AD, IMSystems aims to become the leader of speed reducer technologies for the global robotics market by 2035

Keywords: mechanical transmission,speed reducer,gearbox
DNA Repair State Machines (RepState)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Doctoral Networks
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Panel: Life Sciences
Countries involved: Netherlands,Germany,United Kingdom,France,Finland,Sweden
Call: MSCA Doctoral Networks 2021 (HORIZON-MSCA-2021-DN-01, 2021)
Start date: 2023-02-01
End date: 2027-01-31
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2764144.8
EU funding (EUR): 2764144.8
Participants: 14
Project status: SIGNED

The Doctoral Network RepState aims to train a new generation of innovative scientists in biochemistry and biophysics to address central questions in biology concerning the mode of action of critical DNA Repair proteins that act as state machines. RepState consists of a highly collaborative consortium consisting of 14 participants coming from academia, industry and the creative sector, representing the natural sciences as well as the social sciences. Participating laboratories in RepState are part of established research schools within renowned research organizations and universities. This environment of excellence offers a multidisciplinary PhD program to 13 young researchers, through training in the fundamental chemical and physical principles that underlie biology and human health. In addition, training will focus on method development using technology and experience provided by the academic participants as well as by the two small technology-driven companies. Training incorporates a local program, rotations within partner laboratories, exposure to the non-academic sector and annual meetings. Fellows will follow scientific workshops, courses in transferable skills and career development, and will disseminate and communicate their projects to a diverse audience in close collaboration with the creative sector. The RepState fellows will form a new generation of mature and innovative European scientists with a thorough understanding of fundamental quantitative principles underlying biology, with experience in technique development, career perspectives in multiple sectors and an understanding of the importance of the role of fundamental science for society and human health.

Keywords: dna mismatch repair,transcription coupled repair,single molecule analysis,electron microscopy,live cell imaging
Hsp-associated proteasomal plastid pre-protein degradation as a regulatory and quality control mechanism in plants (HAPPY-QC)

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: United Kingdom
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): 260347.92
EU funding (EUR): 260347.92
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Protein homeostasis is a delicate process which keeps the synthesis, folding, trafficking and degradation of proteins in balance. Its disruption is linked to various diseases, including neurodegenerative disorders, cancer, and ageing in metazoan species. In plants, protein homeostasis is critical for survival under environmental stresses like extreme temperatures, drought, and pathogen infections. As the global population nears 8 billion, ensuring an adequate food supply is paramount, especially while coping with the adverse effects of climate change. Chloroplasts (plastids), crucial organelles in plant cells, are responsible for producing most of the world's food, and require the import of over 3000 different proteins for their proper function. My research objective is to investigate the evolutionarily conserved CHIP-Bag1-Hsp70 system (CHIP), a vital quality control mechanism for chloroplast protein import and clearing of unimported and misfolded precursor proteins. CHIP is part of the larger Ubiquitin-Proteasome System (UPS). Despite its significance, CHIP's interactions and substrates in plants are poorly understood. The goal of my research is to (1) identify CHIP interactors and substrates in plants, using techniques like affinity purification, proximity labeling, and proteomics; (2) study the structural organization of these complexes and their interactions with substrates through structural mass spectrometry; and (3) determine how these complexes interact with the proteasome using cryo-electron microscopy. This research sheds light on an inadequately understood system crucial for chloroplast regulation and various biological processes. It also lays the foundation for studying the UPS in important plant models. Ultimately, this work indirectly contributes to enhancing crop resilience against diseases and heat stress, which is increasingly relevant in the context of global warming.

Keywords: proteasome,chloroplasts,protein homeostasis,mass spectrometry
Comprehensive Cartography of the Circum-galactic medium Using aBsorption and Emission lineS in 3D datasets (C3UBES)

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 2022 (HORIZON-MSCA-2022-PF-01, 2022)
Start date: 2024-09-01
End date: 2026-08-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 211754.88
EU funding (EUR): 211754.88
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Galaxies form, grow and evolve by exchanging gas with their environment. Information about gas flows in and out of galaxies is encoded in their circumgalactic medium (CGM). Studying the CGM is therefore crucial to understand galaxy formation and evolution. However the detection of the CGM is challenging because of its low density. Historically, the CGM has been detected using absorption lines techniques providing only local information about the gas distribution and limited to rare cases where a bright source is in the background. Until very recently, the 2D mapping of the CGM was only possible for rare and massive nearby galaxies or required the use of, often criticized, stacking methods. The arrival of 3D spectrographs have revolutionized the study of the CGM by enabling the detection of low surface brightness diffuse gas. By leveraging the exquisite MUSE deep fields data, the C3UBES project aims at providing a comprehensive 3D-mapping of the CGM for an unprecedented statistical sample of distant galaxies. By exploiting the complementarity between absorption and emission line studies in the MUSE deep cubes as well as the magnification power of gravitational lensing, my project will shed light on the CGM gas content, its morphology and the gas kinematics around galaxies. Connecting the CGM to the host galaxy properties will help us understand how the CGM regulates galaxy growth. The unprecedented C3UBES sample will allow me to statistically study the evolution of this relationship over almost half the history of the universe. The excellence of the research environment at CRAL (host institute) and the expertise of my supervisor will give me the best opportunities to enhance and expand my career possibilities. Finally, coming back to Europe and increasing my national and European visibility thanks to the MSCA fellowship appear like the next logical steps to pursue my career.

Keywords: circumgalactic medium
Advancing Europe's Next Generations on the Path to Sustainability – Expanding the Universe of Enzymatic Halogenation Chemistry (HaloVerse)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Doctoral Networks
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Panel: Chemistry
Countries involved: Netherlands,Germany,Greece,Italy,Spain,Sweden,Switzerland,Austria,United Kingdom
Call: MSCA Doctoral Networks 2024 (HORIZON-MSCA-2024-DN-01, 2024)
Start date: 2026-01-01
End date: 2030-12-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 3869142.72
EU funding (EUR): 3869142.72
Participants: 21
Project status: SIGNED

The mission of the HALOVERSE double doctorates PhD programme is to train 13 PhD students in a synergistic multidisciplinary environment to lead Europe's next generations towards sustainability in halogenation, a highly polluting chemical process. Enzyme catalysis contributes to sustainability through efficient use of natural resources and energy, minimising environmental impact and supporting the European Green Deal, the MSCA Green Charter and the UN SDGs. HALOVERSE will develop powerful enzymatic systems for selective halogenation to revolutionise 21st century chemistry. It aims to overcome the limitations of enzymatic halogenation by discovering and engineering biocatalysts with broad catalytic scope, substrate diversity and robustness, and by developing new process strategies for the functionalisation of complex molecules. HALOVERSE will bridge academic proof-of-concept knowledge with industrial applications by integrating the predictive power of computational biology and novel continuous process strategies on three classes of halogenases to produce versatile pharmaceuticals, fine- and agrochemicals. The scientific approach of the double degree programme will provide in-depth training in complementary disciplines, combining advanced enzymology and computational biology with the engineering challenges posed by halogenases in industrial settings. Industrial partners will lead innovation, scale up commercially relevant processes focusing on continuous synthesis and contribute to the training programme, ensuring technology transfer and development strategies, both career and product oriented. HALOVERSE will ensure European leadership in industrial biotechnology, paving the way for bio-based materials and products with a low environmental footprint, preventing and mitigating pollution. 12 non-academic partners and 10 academic institutions provide a synergistic environment and offer 13 PhD students excellent employability profiles in the European biotechnology sector.

Keywords: biocatalysis,biotechnology,halogenases,protein engineering,enzyme promiscuity
Nerve Growth Factor Delivery into the Brain – focus on therapeutic potential in Alzheimer’s disease and In Vivo Evaluation via PET (Beyond the BBB)

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: Denmark
Call: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2022 (HORIZON-MSCA-2022-PF-01, 2022)
Start date: 2023-04-01
End date: 2025-03-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 214934.4
EU funding (EUR): 214934.4
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease affecting the aged population and is projected to increase 3-fold in the next 30 years. Treatment options in AD are limited due to complex pathological processes and the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which restrict entry molecules into the brain. A finding in AD is the loss of cholinergic neurons. Tropomyosin receptor kinase A (TrkA) and its substrate, the nerve growth factor (NGF), are involved in neuronal survival and have been evaluated in small clinical trials as a therapeutic intervention in AD. Advances in BBB shuttling methods, in which antibodies and enzymes can be transported over the BBB, make NGF a possible treatment option in AD. Within this proposal, I will develop novel methods for the delivery of NGF into the brain. Two different approaches for BBB delivery of NGF will improve the success rate. In one approach, NGF will be delivered into the brain by transferrin receptor (TfR)-mediated transcytosis. NGF will be chemically conjugated to a TfR binding antibody using a linker that selectively and quantifiably can release NGF in its native form in the brain, ensuring retained biological activity. An alternative approach, BBB will be opened with focused ultrasounds allowing passage of NGF into the brain. Positron emission tomography occupancy studies with [18F]TRACK, a TrkA selective tracer, will be used to evaluate in vivo binding of NGF to TrkA. The above-described BBB transport methods for NGF will be evaluated in long-term therapeutic study using 5xFAD mice. Pharmacodynamic readouts will be changes in brain amyloid-beta levels, neuroinflammation parameters and improved memory and cognitive functions. In this project, I will expand my knowledge in BBB delivery of macromolecules, learn new radiolabeling techniques from a world-leading radiochemist, and novel develop the necessary skills to take my career to the next level.

Keywords: blood brain barrier transport,transferrin receptor,alzheimer s disease,tropomyosin receptor kinase a,nerve growth factor,positron emission tomography