Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Mechanistic and therapeutic implications of microRNA deregulation for drug resistance in bile duct cancer (MiRCHOL)

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: Life Sciences
Countries involved: Denmark
Call: Individual Fellowships (H2020-MSCA-IF-2016, 2016)
Start date: 2017-12-01
End date: 2020-07-23
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 200194.8
EU funding (EUR): 200194.8
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a dismal type of liver cancer which incidence has more than doubled the last 20 years and mortality rate in Europe alone increased 37%, reflecting the limited treatment options. In >70% of patients CCA is unresectable due to advanced stage of disease at diagnosis, resulting in a 5% 5-year survival rate. CCA is characterized by molecular and clinical heterogeneity, complicating therapy and assessment of drug efficacy. Tumor heterogeneity is emphasized in limited response of therapy (drug resistance) and besides genomic instability a likely consequence of deregulated pathways under control of microRNAs (miRs). Each miR can regulate multiple genes/pathways, directly linking them to tumor heterogeneity. Deregulation of miRs can cause/control chemoresistance in other cancers, but in CCA their role is yet unclear. Thus, detailed characterization of miRs in CCA, focusing on their impact in drug resistance is urgently needed. Hence, I have 3 specific aims of this proposal: to 1) characterize the deregulated expression pattern of miRs involved in CCA pathogenesis and integrate this data with transcriptomes obtained from matched patients; 2) determine the role of deregulated miRs in control of chemoresistance, and 3) modulate by genome-editing key deregulated miR(s) targeting chemoresistant genes using the novel `CRISPR-Mir’ method. Achievement of these aims will yield key new insights into the role of miRs in orchestrating CCA progression and metastasis, as well as their involvement in drug resistance. My findings will have an impact on the society and in particular in patient outcome. Dr. Andersen, a world-wide expert in the molecular pathogenesis of CCA with a vast experience in genome medicine, will supervise the project. Successful completion of this proposal will enable me to expand my scientific expertise (plus technical and transferable skills) and to establish myself as an independent researcher in hepatobiliary and translational research.

Keywords: bile duct cancer,tumor heterogeneity,drug resistance,micrornas mirs,crispr mir genome editing
Genocide Commemoration in the Rwandan Diaspora (CommGenRwa)

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: Social Sciences and Humanities
Countries involved: Belgium
Call: Individual Fellowships (H2020-MSCA-IF-2017, 2017)
Start date: 2018-09-01
End date: 2020-08-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 160800.0
EU funding (EUR): 160800.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

This project explores commemorative responses to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, seeking to build an understanding of the forms of commemoration taking place among Rwandan genocide survivors living in the diaspora. Focusing on three European case study areas – Belgium, France and the UK – it will examine the myriad ways in which community groups, authors, artists and creative practitioners are communicating their experiences of violence and exile to the host societies, and will investigate the impact of place and displacement on commemorative practices within diasporic communities. As the 25th anniversary of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda approaches, this project will make an important and timely contribution to the field of Cultural Memory Studies, advancing new critical paradigms – conceptualised in terms of a particular form of ‘exilic memory’ – for understanding the articulation and transcultural circulation of memory in specific diasporic locations. It is significant that the project will be completed in Belgium, given the colonial history shared by the two countries. The primary outputs of the project will include the completion of a monograph, the organisation of an interdisciplinary symposium and the curation of an exhibition at the Royal Museum for Central Africa in Brussels, which will feature the work of Rwandan diasporic artists and writers. These dissemination and outreach activities, combined with the personalised training offered by Ghent University’s Postdoctoral Talent Management programme, will enable the researcher to acquire new competencies and multidisciplinary knowledge and to further enhance her scholarly profile and publications, which will be crucial for reaching a position of professional maturity. The MSCA-IF at Ghent University will also offer the researcher the opportunity to establish international collaborations in her field and will facilitate outstanding intellectual exchange.

Keywords: rwanda,diaspora,commemoration,cultural memory,trauma
Support to the Vice-Presidents of the ERC Scientific Council 2020 (ERC VP CSA)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: ERC other
Action type: Coordination and support actions
Countries involved: Italy,Germany,Netherlands
Call: Support to the Vice-Chairs (H2020-IBA-ERC-VPRES-SUP-20, 2020)
Start date: 2020-01-01
End date: 2020-12-31
Duration (months): 12.0
Total project cost (EUR): 282563.75
EU funding (EUR): 282563.75
Participants: 3
Project status: CLOSED

The European Research Council (ERC) provides a competitive platform for investigator-driven frontier research at the European level. It is led by a Scientific Council (ScC) consisting of 21 eminent scientists and their President, and it is this council that independently establishes and oversees theERC's scientific management and the implementation of its Work Programme. This project aims to support the ERCVice-Presidents, who act on an honorary basis, in the efficient and timely achievement of the ScC's goals in 2020. This project will provide local administrative and advisory support to the three ERC Vice-Presidents.The staff supported by this project will provide analysis of the output of the ERCand the ScC to the Vice-Presidents, preparatory work for the meetings of the ScC, support with scientific outreach and representation, as well as maintaining a clear and efficient channel of communication between the Vice-Presidents and the ERC's Executive Agency. A key duty of the Vice-Presidents is maintaining the integrity of the ERC's evaluation panels, and the staff supported by this grant will facilitate this by providing detail information and analysis of potential panel members to the Vice-Presidents to allow them to take informed decisions on recruitment.The staff will also coordinate the invitation of new panel members and communicate with them during the recruitment process. The impact of the project will be to ensure the efficient and well-managed operation of the ScC. This support is required, as the duties of the Vice-Presidents demand a considerable portion of their time. By allowing the Vice- Presidents to effectively and efficiently perform their duties, this project will contribute significantly to the continued implementation of the ERC under Horizon 2020.

Keywords: erc scientific council,advisory support,administrative support,panel member recruitment,scientific outreach,liason with the erc executive agency
Stem cell isolation and transplantation in Hexacorallia: Toward cell-therapy for corals (CoralStem)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Biotechnology and Biosystems Engineering
Panel description: Biotechnology using all organisms, biotechnology for environment and food applications, applied plant and animal sciences, bioengineering and synthetic biology, biomass and biofuels, biohazards
Countries involved: Israel
Call: ERC STARTING GRANTS (ERC-2020-STG, 2020)
Start date: 2021-03-01
End date: 2026-02-28
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2045900.0
EU funding (EUR): 2045900.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Reef corals are the foundation of ecosystems that host much of the ocean’s biodiversity, making them a significant component of economies and communities around the world. They are under severe threat from anthropogenic stressors, particularly global warming. Some parts of the world’s oceans have already lost the majority of their corals. Efforts to mitigate the damage are informed by research on understanding and transferring naturally-occurring resilient genotypes. This has a direct parallel in medicine; cell- or gene-therapy, which is founded on an ability to isolate and then transplant progenitor/stem cells. This technology does not exist for any coral species. In this research program we will develop robust tools for the isolation, characterization, and transplantation of coral progenitor cells. The tools will be species non-specific, and therefore widely applicable. We will develop generalized strategies for isolating cell-type enriched cell populations, especially progenitor cells, in four species of anemones and stony corals. We will develop cell transplantation techniques for engraftment in non-model species. We will then characterize the engraftment potentials of candidate progenitor cell populations in these species. This technology will have an impact on basic and applied research. Because of the broad applicability, it will become a valuable tool for researchers seeking a more complete cell biology in non-classical invertebrate species. Being able to isolate, manipulate, and replace progenitor cells in diverse species will assist in efforts to understand how the developmental programs that construct or regenerate an organism function and change during evolution. Being able to transfer progenitor cells from a stress-resilient coral to a sensitive one will assist in understanding the mechanisms governing stress tolerance. With this research, and using the tools developed here, it may become possible to confer resilience in the wild.

Keywords: stem cell transplantation,coral conservation,chimerism,cell therapy
Measuring the IMPACTS of the transition to the CIRCULAR economy (CIRCULAR IMPACTS)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Societal Challenges
Programme: Climate action, environment,  resource efficiency and raw materials
Theme: Enabling the transition towards a green economy and society through eco-innovation
Action type: Coordination and support actions
Countries involved: Germany,Belgium,Netherlands
Call: Macro-economic and societal benefits from creating new markets in a circular economy (H2020-SC5-2016-OneStageB, 2016)
Start date: 2016-10-01
End date: 2018-09-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 501280.0
EU funding (EUR): 501280.0
Participants: 3
Project status: CLOSED

The EU 2020 targets of the European Union and international commitments of the EU make it mandatory for the EU to reduce its environmental impact while at the same time to make its economy more productive and more competitive. One important pathway to achieve both objectives is making the European economy more circular, meaning that the use of non renewable material resources is reduced, while at the same time the European economy is further developed and more jobs are created. CIRCULAR IMPACTS aims to provide European policy makers with the knowledge to guide and foster the transition to a more circular economy by developing an overarching impact assessment of that transition and at the same time make the evidence base available for policy makers to develop impact assessment for their own specific policy proposals. As the circular economy is an ambition with a very wide and not precisely defined application area, CIRCULAR IMPACTS will start by defining the circular economy, identifying the most important application areas, understanding the policy needs of the area and developing a methodology for assessing the macroeconomic and societal impacts. It will then focus on assembling the available evidence for impact assessments and make this evidence base available for policy makers and the project itself with a web based search tool. This search tool will also help to make several relevant information collections funded by past EU research framework programs visible again, by connecting their evidence base to the circular economy agenda. The project will then collect missing information in case studies in order to understand the processes of the circular economy and the processes it might replace in more detail. To achieve that CIRCULAR IMPACTS has already assembled a Steering group of industry experts which will be able to provide the connections and the industry knowledge to the impact assessment.

Keywords: circular economy,transition,impact assessment
Spatial-temporal information processing for collision detection in dynamic environments (STEP2DYNA)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie-Sklodowska-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Research and innovation staff exchange
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Panel: Information Science and Engineering
Countries involved: Germany,Argentina,Germany,China,Malaysia,United Kingdom,Japan,United Kingdom
Call: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Research and Innovation Staff Exchange (RISE) (H2020-MSCA-RISE-2015, 2015)
Start date: 2016-07-01
End date: 2021-12-31
Duration (months): 66.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1228500.0
EU funding (EUR): 1008000.0
Participants: 11
Project status: CLOSED

In the real world, collision happens at every second - often results in serious accidents and fatalities. For example, there are more than 3560 people died from vehicle collision per day worldwide. On the other sector, autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have demonstrated great potential in serving human society such as delivering goods to households and precision farming, but are restricted due to lacking of collision detection capability. The current approaches for collision detection such as radar, laser based Ladar and GPS are far from acceptable in terms of reliability, energy consumption and size. A new type of low cost, low energy consumption and miniaturized collision detection sensors are badly needed to not only save millions of people’s lives but also make autonomous UAVs and robots safe to serve human society. STEP2DYNA consortium proposes an innovative bio-inspired solution for collision detection in dynamic environments. It takes the advantages of low cost spatial-temporal and parallel computing capacity of visual neural systems and realized it in chip specifically for collision detection in dynamic environments. Realizing visual neural systems in chips demands multidisciplinary expertise in biological system modelling, computer vision, chip design and robotics. This breadth of expertise is not readily possessed within one institution. Secondly, the market potential of the collision detection system could not be well exploited, unless by a dedicated partner from industry. Therefore, this consortium is designed to bring neurobiologists, neural system modelers, chip designers, robotics researchers and engineers from Europe and East of Asia together and complement each others’ research strengths via staff secondments, jointly organised workshops and conferences. Through this project, the partners will build up strong expertise in this exciting multidisciplinary area and the European SME will position well as a market leader in collision detection.

Keywords: bio inspired,visual neural systems,modelling,realization,spatial temporal information processing,collision detection,dynamic environments
Boss Ex Machina: Mapping and Understanding the Technological Transformation of Managerial Prerogatives in Workplaces Driven by Machines, Artificial Intelligence and Algorithms (Boss Ex Machina)

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: Social Sciences and Humanities
Countries involved: Spain
Call: Individual Fellowships (H2020-MSCA-IF-2019, 2019)
Start date: 2020-09-01
End date: 2022-08-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 160932.48
EU funding (EUR): 160932.48
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Machines, artificial intelligence (AI) and algorithms are reshaping work and power relationships in a large number of fields, with far-reaching societal and legal consequences. For instance, workers can receive instructions through a digital app, be tracked by a wristband collecting sensitive information, while employers can take screenshots on a smartphone and use metrics and customer reviews to set variable remuneration. Today, cyber-physical devices make it possible to implement new practices of organizing, executing, monitoring and evaluating employees’ performance – in each and every industry. These tools determine a “genetic mutation” of prerogatives legitimately exercised by bosses. While such technologies have the potential to create a flexible environment for workers and managers, they can also strengthen authoritative tendencies. This study will map new “boss ex machina” practices, evaluate their legal compliance, and assess the resilience of the existing normative framework at the EU level. This work will be qualitative in nature and adopt an innovative and pragmatic approach, by reviewing concrete examples where these modern practices have been implemented. I will collect a number of cases showing how the tech industry, social partners and policy-makers are addressing this phenomenon; then, I will consider the impact of new technologies of digitized management on contractual templates, labour regulation and social institutions. Finally, I will examine if and how the legal framework can accommodate these models without stifling innovation. The resulting theory will serve as a timely regulatory fitness and performance study to evaluate policy interventions recently put forward or implemented by several governments and institutions. This project aligns with the European Commission approach to AI and robotics, and the multiple initiatives taken by EU institutions in the context of the Pillar of Social Rights aimed at building a sustainable future of work.

Keywords: labour regulation,managerial prerogatives,algorithmic management,employment relationship,digital transformation,internal flexibility,workforce analytics,control power,artificial intelligence
Chemical synthesis of a new drug family to treat glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the highest global unmet need in oncology (chemGLIO)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Industrial Leadership
Programme: Innovation in SMEs
Action type: Coordination and support actions
Countries involved: Norway
Call: European SME innovation Associate - pilot (H2020-INNOSUP-2020-02, 2020)
Start date: 2020-11-01
End date: 2021-10-31
Duration (months): 12.0
Total project cost (EUR): 170050.0
EU funding (EUR): 119035.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Survival rates are increasing for most cancers but remain dismal for brain tumours in adults and children. Gliomas constitute 60% of all brain tumours and 50% of these are considered aggressive malignant tumours. Among aggressive gliomas, glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the deadliest and remains largely incurable. Our goal is to develop the first GBM drug for both adults and children, to improve its «universally miserable outcomes». We have discovered a novel family of compounds that are cytotoxic to cancer cells, especially to GBM. In our preclinical studies, our lead drug from these proprietary compounds (GLIX1) showed total elimination of GBM tumour mass in 50% of mice, and tumour regression in all mice. We now need to further develop GLIX1 in order to reach human clinical trials, and ultimately approval for clinical use. The critical aspects of this development includes: the establishment and optimization of a chemical synthesis method for GLIX1; synthesis of small batches and subsequent large-scale production for pre-clinical and clinical studies; and chemistry, manufacturing, and controls (CMC) related regulatory affairs. Hemispherian does not have these skills in-house, albeit they are extremely critical for the success of any drug. In that regard, the SME Innovation Associate Programme fits perfectly into our plan of boosting R&D activities within chemical synthesis. Through the recruitment of an Innovation Associate and implementation of the chemGLIO project, we will develop our novel chemical synthesis method and utilise it in the development of our ground-breaking treatment for GBM.

Keywords: pharmaceuticals,drugs,chemicals,chemical synthesis,biological synthesis,cancer,glioblastoma
Designing Novel Efficient Catalytic Strategies for the Transformation of Lignocellulose into Lignin-derived Chemicals and Valorisable Carbohydrates (CATLIGCAR)

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: Belgium
Call: Individual Fellowships (H2020-MSCA-IF-2016, 2016)
Start date: 2017-10-01
End date: 2019-09-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 172800.0
EU funding (EUR): 172800.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The utilization of renewable lignocellulose biomass (composed of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin) alternative to fossil fuels is crucial for long-term economic and social stability. In this context, the catalytic reductive lignocellulose fractionation (CRLF) process has received tremendous research interest as this strategy enables one-pot conversion of lignocellulose into useful lignin-derived chemicals, while retaining a solid (hemi)cellulose fraction that can be used for the production of fuels, chemicals or paper. The development of promising heterogeneous catalysts having abundant redox and acid properties, along with the application of a proper solvent is a great challenge for efficient CRLF process. Nanoscale palladium-nickel (Pd-Ni) and ruthenium-nickel (Ru-Ni) particles dispersed on shape-controlled zinc oxide (ZnO) are considered to be a unique class of heterogeneous catalysts due to the size- and shape-tuned catalytic properties. The integration of Ni with Pd and Ru can provide new, enriched, selective redox sites and simultaneously minimizing the use of noble metals. As well, controlling the shape of ZnO particles allows a selective exposure of reactive crystal planes, resulting in enhanced Lewis acidic strength. Thus, the synergistic interactions of Pd-Ni and Ru-Ni nanoparticles with the shape-controlled ZnO will provide superior redox and acid properties that can show a promising effect in CRLF process. Therefore, this project aims to develop a family of novel multifunctional M-Ni/ZnO (M = Pd, Ru) catalysts by varying the ZnO shape (spheres, rods and polyhedra). A range of analytical techniques will be used to understand the catalysts’ properties and aid catalyst design. The efficiency of developed catalysts will be tested for one-pot CRLF process using ethanol as both the solvent and the H2-donor. In-depth catalysts’ reusability and kinetic/mechanistic studies will be conducted to determine structure-activity relationships in the CRLF process.

Keywords: heterogeneous catalysis,biomass utilisation,pd ni,ru ni,shape controlled metal oxides,redox and acid properties,lignocellulose,lignin,hemi cellulose,aromatic compounds