Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Next-gen ultrasound imaging by closing the perception-action loop (US-ACT)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Systems and Communication Engineering
Panel description: Electrical, electronic, communication, optical and systems engineering
Countries involved: Netherlands
Call: ERC STARTING GRANTS (ERC-2022-STG, 2022)
Start date: 2023-04-01
End date: 2028-03-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1812500.0
EU funding (EUR): 1812500.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Ultrasound (US) can revolutionize and democratize medical imaging if it offers: (1) access for everyone, and (2) excellent Image Quality (IQ). MRI offers (2) but is expensive and will thus not likely be able to provide (1). Low-cost US hardware technology will enable (1) in the future but is not expected to yield the needed breakthrough for (2). Consequently, any paradigm-shifting advance in signal processing technology that achieves US with excellent IQ will have a huge impact. I propose a conceptually new and highly-unconventional approach that I believe can lead to a new generation of US technologies with excellent IQ. I will formally describe US systems as intelligent autonomous agents that perform actions and perception using probabilistic inference: the action is the acquisition, probing the world, and the perception is the reconstruction that infers what anatomy most likely generated the acquired US data. I conclude that current US systems are in essence flawed agents since (1) actions are not driven by perception, i.e. the perception-action loop is broken, and (2) their generative perception models are naive. My proposal will address this by closing the perception-action loop and offering strong perception models based on advanced deep generative networks. This breaks a fundamental tenet in US imaging, where I put forth the important concept that the acquisition and perception should work together to identify the point on the low-dimensional manifold of pure anatomy (described by the generative model) that is being imaged. My intelligent US agents will pursue excellent IQ under the heading of a single probabilistic principle: minimization of ``surprise’’ under the agent’s own prior belief (the generative model) that such high-quality images can indeed be achieved. With this, we open a new frontier within active imaging (in US and beyond) where data acquisition and information processing are treated jointly based on expressive generative density functions.

Keywords: ultrasound imaging,beamforming,signal processing,neural network ultrasound beamforming,deep algorithm unrolling,speckle reduction neural networks,active acquisition imaging,machine learning
Comprehensive STRategIes to tacKlE malignant tumors: from nanomedicine and theranostics to precision medicine (STRIKE)

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: Italy,Ireland,Czechia,Spain,Austria,Germany,Hungary,France
Call: MSCA Doctoral Networks 2021 (HORIZON-MSCA-2021-DN-01, 2021)
Start date: 2023-01-01
End date: 2026-12-31
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2326010.4
EU funding (EUR): 2106835.2
Participants: 12
Project status: SIGNED

STRIKE-DN will raise excellence in research and training in nanomedicine/precision medicine creating new generation of entrepreneurial and innovative multidisciplinary doctoral candidates. New experimental aspects on design and synthesis of nanostructured magnetic materials will be applied to the development of innovative magnetic field-responsive nanotherapeutics for osteosarcoma (OS) combinational therapy. Moreover, the peculiar features of STRIKE nanomaterials will be exploited for liquid biopsy using biological samples of BRCA+ breast cancer (BC) patients. The cooperation among outstanding universities, research institutes and industries will provide the DCs with trans-national exchanges and the most innovative research trainings in novel anticancer therapeutic strategies, including in vivo biological evaluation, imaging in OS and early diagnosis in BC. STRIKE will provide enhanced career perspectives in academic and non-academic sectors for 8 DCs in highly innovative fields by interdisciplinary mobility among 12 institutes/companies in 8 EU countries. STRIKE aims to: 1) develop 8 highly skilled employable doctoral candidates; 2) enhance interdisciplinary capacity and cooperation within the EU nanomedicine and precision medicine research networks; 3) strengthen EU’s competitiveness and growth in nanomedicine and precision medicine through the translation of the consortium research/innovation outputs. The consortium will fulfill its goals through: a) achieving research excellence; b) providing a complete cutting edge research and innovation training program with some of the European top research institutes and industry partners; c) hosting interdisciplinary and commercial workshops, seminars and outreach events; d) maximizing knowledge transfer using Open Science and patents; e) delivering highly trained professionals, whose profiles fit within the requirements of academia, industry and public/private institutions, fostering their employability and promoting the innovation of EU research.
Sámicosmologies: Exploring Indigenous Knowledge Cultures and Practices of Star-Gazing (ExploringCosmologies)

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: Norway
Call: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2023 (HORIZON-MSCA-2023-PF-01, 2023)
Start date: 2025-06-01
End date: 2027-05-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 210911.04
EU funding (EUR): 210911.04
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

This project offers increased understanding of arctic Indigenous cosmologies as a form of environmental knowledge and traces their significance for communities in times of environmental crisis. With a special focus on traditional Sámi cosmologies and Sámi contemporary art, the goal is to explore and trace the appearance of human and non-human protagonists within Indigenous stories, especially about the starry polar night skies. By reappearing each night, these more-than-human figures became haunting entities which provided abstract nature-human relationships with a concrete, sensual and alluring form. Today, Sámi artists refer to these haunting figures to draw attention to their troubled cultural history and the present reality of climate-affected regions. The integration of traditional, recurring ghostly figures from Sámi storytelling – that migrate between the celestial and the earthly, as well as the human and the non-human – stresses the urgency of changing the way humans relate to nature. What is more, these fascinating, haunting and visionary figures provoke speculative futures, in which nature is regarded as a non-human subject. As this concept is becoming increasingly crucial in eco-philosophical debates and policy decisions on environmental justice, this project aims to show that Sámi cosmologies – especially when mediated through art – can play a vital role in changing humans’ perspective on nature. In recent years, contemporary art has been called upon to give a sensual form to the abstract systematic connections of climate change; the extent of the current crisis is difficult for people to grasp. As a consequence, art is gaining a central role within our societies; it stands at the threshold between sciences, politics and culture. This project deals with art that is engaged in the severe environmental changes of this planet and that stands on the threshold between communicating urgency and being more than a mere messenger of environmental research.

Keywords: environmental humanities,environmental arts,indigenous knowledges,posthuman,phenomenology,arctic
Unlocking the potential of comammox Nitrospira for sustainable wastewater treatment (UniCoN)

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: Netherlands
Call: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2024 (HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01, 2024)
Start date: 2026-02-01
End date: 2028-01-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 232916.16
EU funding (EUR): 232916.16
Participants: 2
Project status: SIGNED

Nitrogen (N) pollution contributes to the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste. Sustainable nitrogen management is, therefore, urgently needed. To this end, nitrogen removal from wastewater plays a key role. Current N removal technologies suffer from high energy consumption and greenhouse gas (nitrous oxide) emissions, underscoring the need for more sustainable and efficient nitrogen removal technologies. The UniCoN project aims to unlock the potential of recently discovered complete ammonia oxidizing (comammox) bacteria for more sustainable and efficient N removal from wastewater. To achieve this, I will employ a multidisciplinary approach of integrating engineering principles with multi-omics analyses and advanced modeling techniques to 1) first provide a comprehensive physiological and kinetic characterization of diverse comammox bacteria; 2) foster their synergistic partnership with other microorganisms to develop a novel process in biofilm reactors; and 3) identify optimal system configurations and operational strategies to harness the potential of comammox bacteria in future and existing wastewater treatment plants. The anticipated results will 1) enable novel sustainable biotechnologies with the potential of complete N removal and zero nitrous oxide production, 2) improve existing engineered applications of biological nitrogen removal, and 3) deepen our understanding of the importance of comammox bacteria both in natural and engineered systems. This project’s interdisciplinary nature will also allow me to expand my expertise in molecular biology while combining my expertise in process engineering and mathematical modeling with the host.

Keywords: wastewater treatment,nitrogen removal,anammox,nitrogen cycle,microbial ecology,biofilm,nitrous oxide,bioprocess modeling
Early Earth, Mars and Venus as Exoplanets (EASE) (EASE)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Consolidator grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Universe Sciences
Panel description: Astro -physics/ -chemistry/ -biology; solar system; planetary systems; stellar, galactic and extragalactic astronomy; cosmology; space sciences; astronomical instrumentation and data
Countries involved: Austria
Call: ERC CONSOLIDATOR GRANTS (ERC-2023-COG, 2023)
Start date: 2024-09-01
End date: 2029-08-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1985871.0
EU funding (EUR): 1985871.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

The era of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has opened a new chapter in exoplanetary research. We cannot understand exoplanets without looking back at the cradle of life as we know it - the Earth. Why did the Earth become a habitable planet? Why did Mars and Venus evolve differently? What would JWST see if it looked at the solar system planets as they were billions of years ago? My team will investigate the long-term evolution of the atmospheres and spectral fingerprints of Earth, Venus, and Mars. I propose a unique joint evolutionary study of volcanism, atmospheric escape to space, and spectroscopy. My team will use numerical models at the cutting edge of modern development and connect their outputs to the growing list of JWST spectra of exoplanets. The team will model interior processes, the evolution of lower and upper atmospheres, and the evolving atmospheric spectra of Earth, Venus, and Mars and their possible exoplanetary analogues. Our predictions of spectral features of these three planets at different evolutionary stages will be critical for the astrophysics community to identify potential habitable worlds outside the solar system, and forecast their future evolution. My deep expertise in stellar and planetary evolution makes me uniquely well-placed to lead this project. This project will not only significantly expand our current knowledge of the evolution of the Earth, Venus, and Mars, but will also place much better constrains on the probability for a terrestrial planet to evolve into a habitable world. The team will in particular characterize possible “failed” analogues of Earth and investigate if they could have become habitable planets under slightly different conditions. By studying for the first time this unique combination of factors that are crucial for the evolution of Earth-like worlds, my project will break new ground in the study of exoplanetary habitability.

Keywords: early earth,mars,and venus,evolution of planetary atmospheres,spectroscopy
Isopropenyl esters (iPEs) as building blocks for the synthesis and recycling of renewable polyethers with tunable properties (IMPULSE)

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: Chemistry
Countries involved: Spain
Call: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2023 (HORIZON-MSCA-2023-PF-01, 2023)
Start date: 2025-06-01
End date: 2027-05-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 165312.96
EU funding (EUR): 165312.96
Participants: 2
Project status: SIGNED

The synthesis of novel monomers that combine a bio-origin, scalability, low cost, and structural modularity merged with the synthesis of custom-degradable plastics is one of the major objectives in sustainable development. Realization of these goals can contribute to a circular rather than a linear economy. Within this context, the IMPULSE project aims to develop novel strategies for the catalytic synthesis of renewable polyethers featuring tunable properties using isopropenyl esters (iPEs) as biobased and inexpensive precursors. The key polymerization strategy that is used entails ring-opening polymerization (ROP) through proper activation of iPE-derived oxides using Host-developed catalysts with known potential. The epoxide monomers are obtained through enzymatic epoxidation to streamline the green efforts of this research program. The main strengths of IMPULSE are the versatility of the starting precursors, the possibility of modulating the polyether structures and their properties before or after their synthesis, and the potential for degradation of the polyethers through controlled depolymerization, thereby creating a circular atom approach by repurposing the degradation products. The creation of a wider range of commercially attractive polyether macromolecules can boost a transition to biobased analogues with a significantly expanded application potential, and an increased tunability of the mechanical, thermal and optical properties while enabling an improved carbon footprint.

Keywords: functional macromolecules,chemical recycling,ring opening polymerization,renewables,catalysis,epoxides,sustainability
Shedding light on three-dimensional gene regulation (3D-REG)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Integrative B iology : from Genes and Genomes to S ystems
Panel description: For all organis ms: Genetics, epigenetics, genomics  and other ‘omics studies , bioinformatics, systems biology , genetic diseases , gene editing, innovative methods and modelling,  ‘omics for personalised  medicine
Countries involved: Germany
Call: ERC STARTING GRANTS (ERC-2023-STG, 2023)
Start date: 2024-01-01
End date: 2028-12-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1500000.0
EU funding (EUR): 1500000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

The orchestration of precise gene expression patterns during differentiation and development is dependent on the cis-regulatory elements of the genome, which interact and communicate in three-dimensional (3D) chromatin structures. It is not well understood how these interactions are formed and influence gene expression. Our ability to identify the molecular mechanisms involved is hampered by a lack of tools that provide control over the function of regulatory proteins with high temporal precision and that measure 3D chromatin interactions at high resolution. In this project, we will overcome these hurdles by utilizing an ultra-fast optogenetic system that allows for efficient and reversible nuclear depletion of mammalian proteins upon blue light exposure. We will combine this approach with a range of high-resolution genomic tools to investigate the context-specific functions of transcription factors, co-activators, and architectural proteins throughout erythroid differentiation. Importantly, our set-up does not only allow for characterisation of acute protein depletion, but also enables us to map the molecular events triggered by restoration of regulatory proteins to the nucleus. This unique approach will therefore provide detailed insight into their molecular functions. Moreover, to get a more complete overview of the proteins involved in gene activation, we will implement a locus-specific proteomics approach that enables unbiased identification of the proteome of regulatory regions. This innovative integrated research program has strong potential to transform our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that shape the genome and drive gene activation during cellular differentiation. Furthermore, it will lead to the development of cutting-edge tools to analyse gene regulation in its 3D context at high temporal and spatial resolution.

Keywords: enhancers enhancer promoter interactions genome organisation 3d genome
The impact of chromatin on the evolution and adaptation of eukaryotes (EvoChromoAdapt)

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: Austria
Call: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2023 (HORIZON-MSCA-2023-PF-01, 2023)
Start date: 2024-05-01
End date: 2026-04-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 262287.09
EU funding (EUR): 183600.96
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

MAIN HYPOTHESIS: Changes in chromatin drive evolution and adaptation in eukaryotes. MAIN OBJECTIVE: This project aims to understand the impact of epigenetic regulation on the evolution of eukaryotes adapted to extreme environments. To achieve this objective, I will use two approaches involving extremophilic eukaryotes: 1) Identify chromatin signatures to evaluate the potential roles of chromatin in adapting to extreme environments. 2) Use experimental evolution to examine how chromatin affects their capacity for adaptation. BACKGROUND: My previous research identified genome size reduction as a broad signature of adaptation strategies in extremophilic eukaryotes. In particular, an unanticipated loss of several canonical epigenetic pathways took place during the evolution of extremophilic red algae. I hypothesize that global changes in chromatin features have influenced the adaptation to extreme environments in eukaryotes. STRATEGIES: I will apply orthogonal strategies to investigate the function of chromatin in environmental adaptability. I will use multi-omics to reveal adaptation signatures based on the comparison of the composition and maps of chromatin features between extremophilic and mesophilic groups. Genetic engineering in model red algae will identify the chromatin machinery that impacts adaptation to extreme environments. Finally, experimental evolution will be used to characterize how the specific chromatin composition of extremophilic red algae impacts adaptation capacity. IMPACT: This work will establish how chromatin influences the evolution of eukaryotes with direct experimental evidence. It will demonstrate how specific chromatin components impact eukaryotic adaptations and eventually identify some macro-evolutionary trends that participate in the emergence of new eukaryotic lineages.

Keywords: evolutionary biology,epigenomics,adaptability,chromatin,extremophiles
Unifying meta-omics data and biogeochemical modelling to improve future predictions of marine nitrogen fixation (UNIT-FIX)

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: United Kingdom,France
Call: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2024 (HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01, 2024)
Start date: 2026-01-01
End date: 2027-12-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 276187.92
EU funding (EUR): 276187.92
Participants: 2
Project status: SIGNED

Marine microbes, while only representing 1% of the photosynthetic biomass on Earth, contribute nearly half of global net primary production. Nitrogen (N) is one of the most limiting nutrients in the ocean, controlling marine phytoplanktonic growth and carbon storage. The primary source of nitrogen in the ocean is nitrogen fixation, a process achieved by diazotrophs using the nitrogenase enzyme. Over the last 20 years, the biological knowledge on nitrogen fixation has significantly evolved with the advent of meta-omics data (i.e., high-throughput sequencing of full communities). It is now clear that diazotrophs are a diverse group with various lifestyles, growth strategies and metabolisms, allowing them to occupy a wide range of ecological niches. Yet, climate models models fail to capture diazotroph diversity, leading to uncertainty in predictions of future marine primary production. The advent of marine big data, including large scale environmental meta-omics datasets, offers a chance to bridge biological diversity observations with biogeochemical modelling to enhance marine ecosystem future predictions in a changing climate. In UNIT-FIX, I aim to take advantage of the wealth of public meta-omics data to achieve three overarching goals: (1) develop a holistic and data-driven description of diazotroph diversity, (2) implement diazotroph diversity into data-driven modelling frameworks, and (3) improve predictions of the future states of diazotrophs and associated impacts on marine productions in a changing climate. These goals will be reached by bridging genome-level omics data and state-of-the-art modelling methods, including niche modelling, metabolic modelling and biogeochemical modelling. Highlighting key actors from marine microbial ecosystems and paving the way for their integration in climate models, UNIT-FIX will contribute to Sustainable Development Goals 13 and 14 of the United Nations: Climate Action and Life Below Water.

Keywords: biogeochemical modelling meta omics diazotrophy nitrogen