Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Blood Vessel Development and Homeostasis: Identification and Functional Analysis of Genetic Modifiers (ZMOD)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced 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: Germany
Call: ERC Advanced Grant (ERC-2015-AdG, 2015)
Start date: 2016-10-01
End date: 2021-09-30
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2500000.0
EU funding (EUR): 2500000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The vascular system is a complex network of blood vessels that transports gases, nutrients and hormones throughout the organism. Most blood vessels that form during development and growth arise by the sprouting of new capillaries from pre-existing vessels, a process termed angiogenesis. An imbalance in angiogenesis contributes to the pathogenesis of numerous disease states: insufficient angiogenesis limits tissue recovery in ischemic disease, whereas stimulation of angiogenesis by cancer cells promotes tumor vascularization and growth. Angiogenesis inhibitors are already in clinical use for anti-tumor therapy; however, multiple reports of resistance are calling for the identification of additional targets. Furthermore, vascular malformations are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. While the genetic basis for some vascular malformations is known, many genetic factors, including modifiers that affect the age-of-onset and severity of phenotypes, remain to be identified. Identifying modifier genes is important not only to fully assess genetic risk, but also to provide novel targets for therapy; however, identifying modifier genes has proven challenging. We recently uncovered a novel and simple way to identify modifier genes. By investigating gene and protein expression differences between knockout (mutant) and knockdown (antisense treated) zebrafish embryos, we found that mutations in specific genes, including some encoding angiogenic factors, lead to the upregulation of compensating (i.e., modifier) genes while knocking down these same genes does not. We hypothesize that the modifier genes identified through this approach in zebrafish also play important roles in humans. Thus, we will use this simple strategy to identify new genes that regulate vascular formation and homeostasis, and subsequently analyze their function in zebrafish as well as in mammalian models, as they are likely to play key roles in vascular development and disease.

Keywords: vascular malformations,tumor angiogenesis,zebrafish
Full-scale COmputational design of Porous mesoscale MATerials (COPMAT)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Products and processes engineering
Panel description: Product and process design, chemical, civil, environmental, mechanical, vehicle engineering, energy processes and relevant computational methods
Countries involved: Italy,Italy
Call: ERC Advanced Grant (ERC-2016-ADG, 2016)
Start date: 2017-10-01
End date: 2023-03-31
Duration (months): 66.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1880060.0
EU funding (EUR): 1071635.05
Participants: 2
Project status: SIGNED

The last decades have witnessed major progress in our understanding of the basic physics of soft matter materials. At the same time, microfluidics has also undergone spectacular theoretical and experimental progress. The confluence of such major advances spawns unprecedented opportunities for the design and manufacturing of new soft mesoscale materials, with promising applications in tissue engineering, photonics, catalysis and many others. COPMAT is targeted at making the most this opportunity through the pursuit of a single general goal: the full-scale simulation at nanometric resolution of micro-reactors for the design and synthesis of new tunable porous materials. In particular, we shall focus on the microfluidic design of: multi-jel materials, trabecular porous media and soft mesoscale molecules. We shall also explore new designs concepts based on unexplored microscale phenomena, such as the interaction between plasticity and nano-rugosity. The complex interplay between the highly non-linear rheology of soft materials and the major experimental control parameters leads to an engineering design of formidable complexity, characterized by a strong sensitivity of the macroscale material properties on the details of nanoscale interfacial interactions. COPMAT will tackle this formidable multiscale challenge through the deployment of an entirely new family of multiscale techniques, centered upon highly innovative extensions of the Lattice Boltzmann method and its combinations with Immersed Boundary Method, Dissipative Particle Dynamics and Dissipative Voronoi Dynamics. The success of COPMAT will be gauged by its capability of inspiring and realizing the design of microfluidic devices for the synthesis of novel families of porous materials for bio-engineering applications. The new paradigm established by COPMAT for the computational design of soft materials is expected to extend well beyond the time-horizon of the project.
mid infraREd Fully Integrated CHemical sensors (REDFINCH)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Industrial Leadership
Programme: Information and Communication Technologies
Action type: Research and Innovation actions
Partnership: Photonics (cPPP)
Countries involved: Austria,Ireland,Germany,Germany,France,France,France,Czechia
Call: Photonics KET 2017 (H2020-ICT-2017-1, 2017)
Start date: 2017-12-01
End date: 2021-12-31
Duration (months): 49.0
Total project cost (EUR): 3993211.25
EU funding (EUR): 3993211.25
Participants: 12
Project status: CLOSED

Mid-infrared photonic integrated circuits (mid-IR PICs) are the subject of increasing interest due to the large amount of sensing applications in the 2-20 µm wavelength range. Most molecules exhibit absorption fingerprints in the mid-IR range corresponding to their rotational/vibrational energies. Tunable-diode laser absorption spectroscopy thus allows detection and concentration measurements of many biological and chemical species. This is of crucial interest for many societal applications such as health monitoring and diagnosis, detection of biological compounds, monitoring of toxic gases, or of greenhouse gas emission responsible for global warming, to name but a few. However, state of the art sensing systems are large and delicate which greatly hampers potential applications. REDFINCH will use hybrid and monolithic integration of III-V diode and Interband Cascade/Quantum Cascade materials with silicon to create high performance cost effective sensors based on Photonic Integrated Circuits. Integration creates extremely robust systems, in which discrete components are replaced by on-chip equivalents, giving a simultaneous improvement in ease of use and a reduction in cost. Silicon photonics leverages the advantages of high performance CMOS technology, providing low cost mass manufacture, high fidelity reproduction of designs, and access to high refractive index contrasts that enable high performance nanophotonics. REDFINCH will realise three fully-integrated PIC-based chemical sensor demonstrators for; 1) Process gas analysis in refineries 2) Gas leak detection in petrochemical plants 3) Liquid sensor for protein analysis in the dairy industry.
CarbON Valorisation in Energy-efficient Green fuels (CONVERGE)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Societal Challenges
Programme: Secure, clean and efficient energy
Theme: Alternative fuels and mobile energy sources
Action type: Research and Innovation actions
Countries involved: Spain,Italy,Italy,Romania,Slovakia,Norway,Slovenia,Sweden,Netherlands,Netherlands
Call: Development of next generation biofuels and alternative renewable fuel technologies for road transport (H2020-LC-SC3-2018-RES-SingleStage, 2018)
Start date: 2018-11-01
End date: 2022-12-31
Duration (months): 50.0
Total project cost (EUR): 5087031.25
EU funding (EUR): 5087031.25
Participants: 10
Project status: SIGNED

The CONVERGE project will validate an innovative value chain for the production of green biodiesel. The innovative configuration will reduce the total number of unit operations needed to achieve the conversion of secondary biomass and waste streams into green biodiesel, while simultaneously producing additional intermediate green refinery products. The CONVERGE project will demonstrate 5 unit operations in 3 grouped processing steps (pre-processing, valorization & enhanced methanol), taking these new combinations from the discovery stage (TRL3) to development stage (TRL5). The combination of these technologies will increase the biodiesel production from secondary biomass by 12% together with biodiesel production will be reduced by up to 2100 M€ across Europe. In this project, risks are mitigated from the very start; each unit can be implemented as a stand-alone function within a modified state-of-the-art technology chain and thus provide immediate performance and energy efficiency improvements. Moreover, the units when used together have synergies that allow even more efficiency gains. The new units to be taken from discovery to development are: CCT: Catalytic cracking of tars from a gasifier to below green C8, integrated with BITS: Recovery of refinery products including aromatics for green C6-C8 fraction (BTX). Then, SER: Sorption-Enhanced Reforming is adopted for H2 and CO2 separation, integrated with EHC: Highly efficient electrochemical compression of green H2 with by-product fuel EMM: Enhanced Methanol Membrane synthesis to ensure green biodiesel production. The technology will be validated for more than 2000 cumulated hours. The CONVERGE consortium covers the whole value chain from secondary biomass supply to biodiesel production, demonstrating the new unit operations on site within an ambitious 50 months period.

Keywords: bbiodiesel,green methanol,tar cracking,btx recovery,sorption enhanced reforming,co2 removal,electro chemical compression,enhanced methanol membrane,process intensification
Whales, waste and sea walnuts: incorporating human impacts on the marine ecosystem within life cycle impact assessment (ATLANTIS)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Institutions, Governance and Legal Systems
Panel description: Political science, international relations, law
Countries involved: Norway
Call: ERC Starting Grant (ERC-2019-STG, 2019)
Start date: 2020-04-01
End date: 2025-03-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1500000.0
EU funding (EUR): 1500000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

The marine ecosystem covers around 70% of the planet. Today, every single part of this vast ecosystem is affected by at least one anthropogenic driver of change. This fact should cause us to pause and think: such a huge space, yet habitat and species loss are occurring at an unprecedented rate. The marine ecosystem provides us with a wealth of services and has an economic value exceeding 20 trillion US Dollars. In addition, the marine ecosystem is considered crucial for our sustainable future and is often regarded as the “next economic frontier”. However, despite its importance for humankind, the marine ecosystem is significantly underrepresented in sustainability research. We currently have no holistic approach to quantify the impacts caused by a large number of human pressures in the marine ecosystem. A powerful tool for identifying such impacts is life cycle assessment (LCA). LCA is the best available tool to assess potential environmental impacts of products and processes in a comprehensive way. However, methods have never been properly developed for including marine impacts in LCA results. I will contribute to closing this substantial research gap by developing novel models for quantifying impacts on ecosystem service losses (“whales”), as well as impacts of marine plastic debris (“waste”) and of marine invasive species (“sea walnuts”) within the LCA framework. These models will be developed based on impacts on species richness and ecosystem service potential. Including ecosystem services will be a paradigm extension and a substantial advancement for the LCA framework. All models will be tested in an overarching case study. Currently we are unable to determine whether planned marine activities and processes are sustainable. By developing these models, we will be able to do so with a holistic perspective. This is of unprecedented importance, if we want to manage this vital ecosystem in a sustainable way and preserve it for future generations.

Keywords: life cycle assessment lca,life cycle impact assessment lcia,marine ecosystem,impact modelling,eosystem services,invasive species,plastic debris
Understanding the functions of the BRCA protein complexes in DNA break repair and in replication stress (BRCA INSIGHTS)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions
Panel description: Molecular biology, biochemistry, structural biology, molecular biophysics, synthetic and chemical biology, drug design, innovative methods and modelling
Countries involved: Switzerland
Call: ERC ADVANCED GRANT (ERC-2020-ADG, 2020)
Start date: 2022-04-01
End date: 2027-03-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1868152.5
EU funding (EUR): 1868152.5
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

BRCA1, BRCA2 and associated factors are frequently mutated in familial and sporadic cancers of the breast and ovary. The BRCA proteins have canonical functions together with the RAD51 recombinase in DNA double-strand break repair by homologous recombination. More recently, it was discovered that the same proteins have separate, recombination-independent roles in the metabolism of challenged replication forks. It is currently debated whether defects in the canonical and/or non-canonical functions of BRCA contribute to tumorigenesis. As BRCA1 and BRCA2 function in various processes, interact with numbers of co-factors, and can be extensively post-translationally modified, phenotypes associated with their defects are often very pleiotropic. Here I propose to use a biochemical approach, which will allow us to study the precise functions of these proteins with defined substrates and co-factors in controlled systems. BRCA1 and BRCA2 represent some of the largest factors in human proteome. Using state-of-the-art protein expression strategies, we are now able to produce sufficient quantities of the respective complexes in their native or post-translationally modified states to make biochemistry feasible. We aim to define how the BRCA proteins help couple the initial steps in DNA break repair including nucleolytic processing of DNA breaks, RAD51 loading on ssDNA and subsequent invasion of homologous DNA template. We will also determine the precise non-canonical functions of RAD51, RAD52 and BRCA1/2 complexes in fork remodeling, fork protection and fork restart, which prevents pathological degradation of nascent DNA under replication stress. We anticipate that these diverse functions of BRCA proteins are governed by their co-factors, post-translational modifications and specific substrates. A biochemical approach is uniquely suited to understand the mechanisms how BRCA proteins regulate DNA metabolic pathways to promote genome stability and prevent tumorigenesis.

Keywords: homologous recombination,replication stress,brca1,brca2,rad51
Design study of an innovative high-intensity industrial cyclotron for production of Tc-99m and other frontier medical radioisotopes (InnovaTron)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie-Sklodowska-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Individual Fellowships (IF)-Society and Enterprise panel
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Panel: Information Science and Engineering
Countries involved: Belgium
Call: Individual Fellowships (H2020-MSCA-IF-2019, 2019)
Start date: 2020-08-01
End date: 2022-07-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 166320.0
EU funding (EUR): 166320.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Tc99m is the most widely used isotope in nuclear medicine. Production is almost exclusively done with a few ageing research reactors worldwide. Recent shutdowns of some those reactors have resulted in a worldwide Tc99m shortage. Europe is affected, because it is the second largest consumer of Tc99m worldwide. In response to growing concerns about Tc99m availability and the increasing demand in medicine, alternative production routes are being explored in the community. Direct production by proton cyclotrons looks the most promising solution. Cyclotrons offer several advantages, one of them being the possibility for local production, as is done for other commonly used medical isotopes. Large-scale production of Tc99m requires high proton beam intensities. InnovaTron focuses on a cutting-edge research project in accelerator design. The key challenge is the design of an innovative compact high-intensity cyclotron, named ‘self-extracting cyclotron’. In this machine, the proton beams exit without using an extraction device. Such devices usually prevent the extraction of high beam currents as would be needed for Tc99m production. A prototype machine was built by the company IBA around the year 2000. Self-extraction was successfully proven by extracting a current close to 2 mA. However, rather poor beam quality was observed resulting in too high machine activation and a maximum extraction efficiency not larger than 80%. This was encouraging but not yet good enough for industrial applications. InnovaTron will improve the magnet design and the beam-optics of the self-extracting cyclotron based on new technological solutions. It will be realized using high-level computer-aided design and beam physics studies. Key goals are: i) high currents up to 10 mA or more, ii) extraction efficiency higher than 95%, iii) beam quality at least a factor three better than the prototype. This cyclotron will allow production of high quantities of Tc99m and other frontier medical isotopes.

Keywords: cyclotron,tc 99m,technetium,high intensity,self extraction,beam dynamics,simulation,extraction,design study,proton beam,radio isotopes,isotope production,space charge,magnet
Bioelectrical impedance vector analysis medical device as a novel Internet of Things telemedicine system for monitoring congestive heart failure patients from home (CardioBIVA)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Industrial Leadership
Programme: Information and Communication Technologies
Action type: SME instrument
Countries involved: Spain
Call: Open Disruptive Innovation Scheme (implemented through the SME instrument) (H2020-SMEINST-1-2014, 2014)
Start date: 2015-06-01
End date: 2015-11-30
Duration (months): 6.0
Total project cost (EUR): 71429.0
EU funding (EUR): 50000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

IRIDEON is a Spanish-German SME, which develops and provides Internet of Things (IoT) sensor solutions based on a proprietary framework. We have partnered with HERIM, a distributor leader in the diagnostics market for lifestyle, body composition and vascular monitoring. We have been working in the development of a disruptive way to improve the monitoring of congestive heart failure (CHF) patients from home. We aim to prototype, test and commercialise an IoT telemedicine system based on bioelectrical impedance vector analysis (BIVA): CardioBIVA. One in five people in Europe will experience heart failure. CHF is the most common cause of hospitalization in people aged over 65, and half of these die 5 years after the first hospitalization. Heart problems cause 29% of total global deaths, and in Europe 47% of all deaths- over 4 million/year. CHF costs the EU economy €60 billion a year. We have a clear business opportunity, as an IoT telemedicine system that would enable an easy and frequent monitoring of a reliable physiological indicator to CHF in the home environment is expected to substantially reduce hospitalizations and, as a result, lower medical costs and impact on life. The telemedicine industry has become an integral part of the European economy, investing approximately €200 billion a year. The shipments of telemedicine “gateways” for CHF are expected to reach 561,000 in 2015 and over 3.5 million units by 2020. We already have the primary distribution covered by HERIM’s consolidated sales network in Iberoamerican countries, complemented by IRIDEON’s e-commerce channel. The secondary channel will be other Medical Equipment and Supply companies and Insurance companies. With the exploitation of CardioBIVA we expect to create 35 new job positions, internationalize and enter new markets where telemedicine programmes are limited by resources, and increased revenue from sales generated by CardioBIVA (NPV=€8.9 million, ROI=0.70).

Keywords: internet of things,medical device,telemedicine,congestive heart failure,bioelectrical impedance vector analysis,self assessment,reduce hospitalizations and healthcare costs,prevent deaths