Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Ready-to-use cell culture plates for gut 3D models (GUT3D-PLATE)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Proof of concept 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: Spain
Call: ERC Proof of Concept Grant (ERC-2019-PoC, 2019)
Start date: 2020-10-01
End date: 2022-06-30
Duration (months): 21.0
Total project cost (EUR): 150000.0
EU funding (EUR): 150000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

3D cell culture models are considered the next-generation in vitro models. Several efforts are being devoted to better mimic human physiology and predict drug efficacy. In case of the intestinal tissue models, the 3D architecture of the intestinal tissue and the soft mechanical properties have been identified as key factors to obtain models with improved predictive capacities. However, there is a lack of low-cost and ease-to-use intestinal tissue models that encompass both elements. In the COMIET ERC project, we developed 3D cell culture scaffolds that accurately mimic the villus and crypt morphologies of the human intestine using soft materials. We used an innovative light-based approach to fabricate hydrogel scaffolds with the proper dimensions and mechanical properties of the tissue, in a reproducible manner. This ERC PoC GUT3D-PLATE will develop further the technology and customize a 3D low cost printing device to be able to fabricate ready-to-commercialize 3D cell culture substrates mimicking the intestinal physiology. These substrates will be provided as ready-to-use cell culture inserts, compatible with conventional assays and without the need of specialized equipment. The scaffolds support the growth of conventional intestinal cell lines and primary-derived cells and can be used as platforms for drug screening, disease modeling and microbiome interactions. GUT3D-PLATE will also explore the commercial feasibility of the product by protecting the IPR, analyzing the market, and designing a business plan that provides the roadmap to attract investors. The intestinal 3D culture models will be attractive not only to the biomedical research community, but also to the pharma industry and CROs as they are increasingly investing in tools that better predict drug treatment efficacy and toxicity at early stages of the drug development process. This will reduce significantly the need for animal models and the overall cost, generating a major societal benefit.

Keywords: cell culture plates,3d in vitro models,drug discovery,toxicology,adme,precise medicine,disease modelling,epithelial tissue
A microfluidic cryofixation method for time-resolved correlative microscopy (umCryofix)

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: Information Science and Engineering
Countries involved: Germany
Call: Individual Fellowships (H2020-MSCA-IF-2016, 2016)
Start date: 2017-06-01
End date: 2020-09-05
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 171460.8
EU funding (EUR): 171460.8
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Correlative microscopy, connecting live-cell fluorescence microscopy with electron microscopy (EM), is a powerful tool to relate a dynamic cellular process to the relevant cellular ultrastructure leading to better understanding of fundamental mechanisms, and further, the underlying cause of disease. This is not only important for fundamental science but can guide diagnostic and treatment efforts for virtually any affliction, ranging from Alzheimer’s disease, to HIV, to cancer. In this work, I propose a novel microfluidic cryofixation method that enables time-resolved correlative microscopy. The new method dramatically improves the time resolution with which live images can be correlated to EM images by eliminating the need to transfer the sample from the light microscope to a dedicated cryofixation machine. Current state-of-the-art systems require at least one second while preparation times up to a few minutes are common. Here I propose a new microfluidics-based paradigm that will overcome this barrier by carrying out cryofixation directly within the field of view of a light microscope. This method allows a dynamic process to be arrested at a known time, so that it can be correlated to cellular ultrastructure in EM images. This new method is a critical advance for studying dynamic processes such as membrane trafficking, cell division, and synaptic transmission. This action opens vast possibilities for multidisciplinary collaborations between microfluidic and engineering specialists, who developed a new method (Burg group), and experts in microscopy for biological sciences (i.e. within histology, cell biology, structural biology) to advance the fundamental understanding of dynamic cellular processes that occur on the time scale of milliseconds. Through this multidisciplinary work I will become well-established in my future field of interest, microfluidic devices for biological applications, ensuring the best possible career opportunities for me as a group leader.

Keywords: microfludics,microfabrication,cryofixation,correlative light and electron microscopy
Assessing the intangibles: the socioeconomic benefits of improving energy efficiency (IN-BEE)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Societal Challenges
Programme: Secure, clean and efficient energy
Theme: Robust decision making and public engagement
Action type: Research and Innovation actions
Countries involved: Austria,Spain,Italy,Italy,Finland,Poland,Bulgaria,United Kingdom
Call: Socioeconomic research on energy efficiency (H2020-EE-2014-2-RIA, 2014)
Start date: 2015-03-01
End date: 2017-03-31
Duration (months): 25.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1020687.5
EU funding (EUR): 1020687.5
Participants: 9
Project status: CLOSED

Improving energy efficiency can deliver a range of benefits to the economy and society. However, energy efficiency programmes are often evaluated only on the basis of the energy savings they deliver, without considering the many other socio-economic and environmental intangible benefits delivered. As a result, the full value of energy efficiency improvements in both national and global economies may be significantly underestimated. The main aim of IN-BEE is to address the theme of energy efficiency and to describe and provide evidence for the many intangible benefits of improving energy efficiency through a multi-disciplinary approach, combining methods, datasets, and techniques from cutting edge research in law and economics, humanities and consumer behavior, regulation and environmental sciences, as well as engineering. The overall outcome of IN-BEE is to consolidate a set of policy recommendations for the EU and public/private institutions in charge of promoting energy efficiency, competitiveness and environmental and social sustainability. IN-BEE will impact on both consumers (residential and companies) and policy makers, by: • Developing a set of indicators to measure intangible benefits of energy efficiency • Developing Key Performance Indicators to assess the impact of energy efficiency strategies • Studying relevant cases and identifying best practices • Bridging policy makers and researchers through a web platform • Involving a vast audience of stakeholders IN-BEE combines a strong scientific base with a concrete and focused approach (based on real-life case studies), aiming to involve primarily regional and local stakeholders and to support them in assessing results of previous plans and initiatives on energy efficiency and, above all, in designing new effective strategies.

Keywords: intangible benefits,trends,energy efficiency financing,multi level governance,policies,policy makers,consumers
Comparative genomics of sugar-eating bats: Implications for the genetics of glucose metabolism and diabetes (CHIROGLU)

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: United Kingdom
Call: Individual Fellowships (H2020-MSCA-IF-2016, 2016)
Start date: 2017-06-01
End date: 2019-05-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 183454.8
EU funding (EUR): 183454.8
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance are major threats to human health. These conditions are linked to obesity and poor diet but also have major genetic components. To date, most knowledge of the genetics of sugar metabolism and diabetes comes from epidemiological studies of humans and lab studies of mice. However, novel powerful insights might also be obtained by studying novel non-model species that have undergone evolutionary adaptations for subsisting on high sugar diets. Among mammals, bats are unique in their range of dietary specialisations with up to eight lineages having independently evolved nectar-feeding (‘nectarivory’). Yet how these bats are able to survive on high sugar diets, and regulate their blood sugar to resist the damaging effects of glucose toxicity, is not understood. To discover the genes and mutations that confer these abilities in bats, we will use state-of-the-art cross-species targeted genome-capture to obtain thousands of orthologous sequences from all nectar-feeding fruit bats and their non-nectar feeding relatives. We will first identify genes showing signatures of molecular adaptation for each key branch associated with the acquisition of nectar feeding. Second, we will compare these sets of genes, and their respective protein-protein interaction networks, to determine whether divergent bats have evolved nectarivory by recruiting the same genes and pathways. Our findings will improve our understanding of how natural selection has driven dietary specialisation in mammals, and will also shed light on whether related metabolic diseases arise via mutations occurring at the same sites, or instead arise from the disruption of more evolutionarily conserved sites that have not been subject to molecular adaptation.

Keywords: genomics phylogeny,evolution
TRANSlating the role of Mitochondria in Tumorigenesis (TRANSMIT)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie-Sklodowska-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Innovative Training Networks (ITN)-European Training Networks
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Panel: Life Sciences
Countries involved: Italy,Germany,Austria,Austria,Italy,Belgium,Sweden,France,United Kingdom,United Kingdom
Call: Innovative Training Networks (H2020-MSCA-ITN-2016, 2016)
Start date: 2017-01-01
End date: 2021-06-30
Duration (months): 54.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2851761.4
EU funding (EUR): 2851761.4
Participants: 14
Project status: CLOSED

The consolidation of the knowledge that cancer is not only a genetic, but also a metabolic disease, has led scientists to investigate the intricate metabolic plasticity that transformed cells must undergo to survive the adverse tumor microenvironment conditions, and the contribution of oncogenes and tumor suppressors in shaping metabolism. In this scenario, genetic, biochemical and clinical evidences place mitochondria as key actors in cancer metabolic restructuring, not only because these organelles have a crucial role in the energy and biosynthetic intermediates production but also because occurrence of mutations in metabolic enzymes encoded by both nuclear and mitochondrial DNA has been associated to different types of cancer. TRANSMIT aims to dissect the metabolic remodeling in human cancers, placing the focus on the role of mitochondria and bridging basic research to the improvement/development of therapeutic strategies. Further, TRANSMIT fosters the communication of this emerging field to the patients and their families. To these aims, TRANSMIT will create a network of seven different countries, among which world-leading basic science and clinical centers of excellence, several industrial partners with up-to-date omics technologies, as well as non-profit foundations and associations who care for cancer patients. By creating the critical mass of scientific excellence, TRANSMIT will allow to transfer the current knowledge into the wide field of cancer research, translating scientific and technical advances into the education and training of eleven Early Stage Researchers. TRANSMIT will implement training-through-research dedicated to unravel the metabolic features of cancer, as well as to provide a full portfolio of complementary skills through the creation of a network of basic, translational and industrial laboratories, devoted to a multidisciplinary/multisectorial education of young scientists.

Keywords: modular training,performance management,developing talent,team building,dissemination project results,cancer,metabolism,mitochondria
Privacy preserving federated machine learning and blockchaining for reduced cyber risks in a world of distributed healthcare (FeatureCloud)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Societal Challenges
Programme: Health, demographic change and wellbeing
Theme: Methods and data
Action type: Research and Innovation actions
Countries involved: Austria,Germany,Germany,Austria,Germany,Germany,Romania,Netherlands,Denmark
Call: Toolkit for assessing and reducing cyber risks in hospitals and care centres to protect privacy/data/infrastructures (H2020-SC1-FA-DTS-2018-1, 2018)
Start date: 2019-01-01
End date: 2023-12-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 4646000.0
EU funding (EUR): 4646000.0
Participants: 10
Project status: SIGNED

The digital revolution, in particular big data and artificial intelligence (AI), offer new opportunities to transform healthcare. However, it also harbors risks to the safety of sensitive clinical data stored in critical healthcare ICT infrastructure. In particular data exchange over the internet is perceived insurmountable posing a roadblock hampering big data based medical innovations. FeatureCloud’s transformative security-by-design concept will minimize the cyber-crime potential and enable first secure cross-border collaborative data mining endeavors. FeatureCloud will be implemented into a software toolkit for substantially reducing cyber risks to healthcare infrastructure by employing the world-wide first privacy-by-architecture approach, which has two key characteristics: (1) no sensitive data is communicated through any communication channels, and (2) data is not stored in one central point of attack. Federated machine learning (for privacy-preserving data mining) integrated with blockchain technology (for immutability and management of patient rights) will safely apply next-generation AI technology for medical purposes. Importantly, patients will be given effective means of revoking previously given consent at any time. Our ground-breaking new cloud-AI infrastructure only exchanges learned model representations which are anonymous by default. Collectively, our highly interdisciplinary consortium from IT to medicine covers all aspects of the value chain: assessment of cyber risks, legal considerations and international policies, development of federated AI technology coupled to blockchaining, app store and user interface design, implementation as certifiable prognostic medical devices, evaluation and translation into clinical practice, commercial exploitation, as well as dissemination and patient trust maximization. FeatureCloud’s goals are bold, necessary, achievable, and paving the way for a socially agreeable big data era of the Medicine 4.0 age.

Keywords: federated machine learning,block chain,health records,bioinformatics,medical informatics
Healing Multiphysics of Asphalt Materials (HMAM)

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: Information Science and Engineering
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call: Individual Fellowships (H2020-MSCA-IF-2017, 2017)
Start date: 2018-10-08
End date: 2020-10-07
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 195454.8
EU funding (EUR): 195454.8
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

HMAM aims to train a talented research Fellow through an interdisciplinary project focused on modelling the coupled healing multiphysics in asphalt materials (AMs) including the processes of chemical bonding, mechanical responses, environmental condition variations and microstructural morphology changes. The primary deliverables resulting from the HMAM include a better understanding of AMs’ healing mechanisms, an accurate performance prediction framework and evaluation protocol for healing-capable AMs, and an implementation of healing materials and technologies in sustainable road construction. Through the research, the Fellow will receive intensive technical training in multidisciplinary field of chemistry (Aston), material science (Aston), computational modelling (Aston, TUD), experimental characterization (UoN) and industrial applications (Nynas and AI). The Fellow will also receive inter-sectoral and professional skills training in project management, outreach, networking and intellectual property protection. The benefits brought by HMAM is represented by strengthening the EU industry leadership in healing material innovation and aiding the EU engineers in asphalt material selections, road structural design and techno-economic analysis. The implementation of healing-capable asphalt materials in road infrastructures will extend the road service life and ultimately reduce the greenhouse gas emissions and save natural resources like petroleum bitumen and mineral aggregates. Uniquely, the project will enable the Fellow to obtain interdisciplinary knowledge and inter-sectoral complementary skills by building a new and exciting research field, which will pave a solid foundation for the Fellow towards his career of being an independent expert researcher in the areas of infrastructure sustainability and construction materials at a top European university.

Keywords: construction materials,road infrastructures,bitumen,asphalt,healing,multiphysics modelling
Mobilising Affects: Politics of Security and the Withdrawal of Citizenship (Affects)

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: United Kingdom
Call: Individual Fellowships (H2020-MSCA-IF-2017, 2017)
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 195454.8
EU funding (EUR): 195454.8
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

This project examines denaturalisation laws that have been enacted as a security measure in Europe, with a comparative focus on withdrawal practices in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. Denaturalisation laws raise fundamental questions about what it means to be a citizen in and of Europe. How do security practices impact democratic processes and the organization of society? Does denaturalisation endanger democratic citizenship? The democratic and societal implications of the withdrawal of citizenship and the emotional politics involved are a particularly urgent concern in Europe today. Security concerns have led to an intense revival of public debates about the legitimacy of withdrawing citizenship and about its consequences, both for the individuals involved and the wider society. The research methods applied are archival research and critical discourse analysis. Empirically innovative as it collects archival material on the underexplored issue of denaturalisation, the project makes a timely intervention in current debates on security and citizenship. By studying norms of citizenship in relation to security practices, it makes a crucial contribution to security studies, in which citizenship remains an under-researched question. Its focus on emotions reveals affective relationships between citizenship and security. The project will take place at the Queen Mary University of London under the supervision of Prof. Jef Huysmans, who is a renowned scholar in critical security studies with a focus on the relationship between citizenship and security. The fellowship will significantly enhance my academic skills and career opportunities, allowing me to join a leading research centre in the social sciences after having worked in the humanities so far. It will allow the scope of my research to grow from a national context to an international and comparative framework, and establish me as an inter-disciplinary expert in citizenship and security.

Keywords: affect,security,citizenship,withdrawal,denaturalisation
SMART POwder and Products (SMART POP)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie-Sklodowska-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Individual Fellowships (IF)-Global Fellowships
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Panel: Information Science and Engineering
Countries involved: New Zealand,France
Call: Individual Fellowships (H2020-MSCA-IF-2019, 2019)
Start date: 2020-11-11
End date: 2024-07-12
Duration (months): 34.0
Total project cost (EUR): 261169.76
EU funding (EUR): 261169.76
Participants: 2
Project status: SIGNED

Plant biomass represents a quasi-unlimited reservoir of functional elements, which are buried within large macrostructure assemblies. Extreme comminution of plant materials is a way to reveal emergent functionalities that can be exploited in highly technical applications such as smart materials designed by additive manufacturing. This dramatic size reduction induces physical and chemical changes whose interconnections have not yet been investigated. The concept of the SMART POP project is to exploit them to prepare powders with enhanced functionalities and flowabilities. By stirring these powders into a polymeric matrix, the final aim is to design, using 4D-printing, environmentally friendly materials that can react to environmental stimuli. By using direct and reverse engineering approaches, the SMART POP project will explore two functionalities that the biomass powder could provide to the materials from grafted-molecules : a fluorescent response to an environmental stimulus and the control of the degradation of the matrix thanks to delayed acid hydrolysis reactions. These functionalities will be studied in close interaction with the different processing steps and related to flowability of the powder. The originality of the SMART POP project relies on a strong interdisciplinary (chemistry, physics, engineering, etc.). Its achievement will be possible thanks to the broad scientific background of Dr Claire Mayer-Laigle and the facilities & skills developed by the host team in SCION Institute (NZ) since more than 10 years. During the outgoing phase, the host team will train Dr Claire Mayer-Laigle to numerous additive manufacturing technologies and conjoint innovative developments are expected. The return phase in the beneficiary institute (INRA) will be devoted to the transfer of the acquired skills, the dissemination of the results, the creation of a strong network and the setting up of ambitious project to carry this thematic at the European level.

Keywords: additive manufacturing,milling,mechanosynthesis,lignocellulosic biomass