Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Slotted-Waveguide Antenna for 5G and 6G Wideband Communications (SWAWCom)

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: Information Science and Engineering
Countries involved: Spain,Japan
Call: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2022 (HORIZON-MSCA-2022-PF-01, 2022)
Start date: 2023-07-01
End date: 2026-06-30
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 262599.84
EU funding (EUR): 262599.84
Participants: 2
Project status: SIGNED

This project aims to develop an antenna technology for the new communication systems at millimetre-wave frequencies (over 60 GHz). The new technology must comply with all the requirements that these new systems need, such as low cost, small size, reconfigurability, etc., in a wider bandwidth than state-of-the-art solutions already proposed. The combination of all these factors at such a high frequency is a significant challenge for the antenna research community. Specifically, an antenna array with a large number of wideband slots and a low-complexity reconfigurability system made in waveguide technology is proposed. First, a wideband radiating element made in waveguide technology will be researched. The applicant and the beneficiary already have experience in wideband slot antennas, which combined with the extensive experience in waveguides and slots of the associated partner for the outgoing phases, assures success. Among techniques that allow the reduction of simulation times of the arrays with a large number of elements, finding an equivalent circuit for the proposed element can greatly help in the design and improvement of both the single element and the array as a whole and is another aim of this work. The proposed research also involves the design of the array architecture and feeding network. In this area, the project aims to obtain a new hybrid feeding technology based on subarrays that will be suitable for wideband applications and allows reconfigurability. Lastly, the project pursues to implement and experimentally characterize the proposed designs to verify the results and contribute to the further training of the candidate in fabrication and measurement techniques in the mm-wave band. The results of the project will contribute to improving the bitrate and reducing the latency of mobile communications by using a wider bandwidth in the mm-wave region of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Keywords: 5g,6g,antenna,beamforming,equivalent circuit,slot,waveguide,wideband
The PomXYZ cluster in the bacterium Myxococcus xanthus: Self-assembly, translocation, and fission of an active protein complex that guides cell division (PomXYZ)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Postdoctoral Fellowships
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Panel: Physics
Countries involved: Germany
Call: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2021 (HORIZON-MSCA-2021-PF-01, 2021)
Start date: 2022-10-01
End date: 2024-09-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 189687.36
EU funding (EUR): 189687.36
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

In my research project I will theoretically model a fundamental process in the cell division of the model bacterium Myxococcus xanthus, namely the process for guiding the machinery for cell division to midcell. In M. xanthus, a cluster comprised of the proteins PomX, PomY, PomZ self-assembles on the nucleoid surface and in an ATP-consuming reaction cycle translocates to midcell, to guide the cell division machinery there. During cell division the Pom cluster undergoes fission, and the resulting two Pom clusters on the daughter cells again translocate to the respective midcell to induce further cell divisions. I will consider a mesoscopic model which combines spatial dynamics with locally stimulated reactions, to study the formation, translocation, and fission of the Pom cluster. My model is informed, and will be further refined, using experimental results of the group of Lotte Søgaard-Andersen at the MPI for Terrestrial Microbiology, an established collaborator of my supervisor Erwin Frey. I will quantify the constraints imposed on the protein-protein and protein-nucleoid interactions by the tasks the Pom cluster needs to fulfill (self-assembly, translocation, fission), and relate my mesoscopic model both to previously proposed heuristic models on Pom cluster translocation and to (stochastic) reaction-diffusion models. My project will lead to a deeper understanding of how biological systems actively create and maintain order. My mesoscopic model combines spatial dynamics with locally stimulated reactions, which are the two conceptual building blocks needed for spatial organization driven by energy consumption. My model will therefore be applicable also in other instances of biological self-organization, as well as in self-assembly of artificial nanostructures, both of which are active and growing research directions. My project will therefore make my research profile more impactful, which will help me to reach my goal of becoming an independent group leader.
Tracing virus-specific CD8+ T cell clonotype zonation and function in humans (TRACE)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Immunity, Infection and I mmunotherapy
Panel description: The immune system , related disorders  and their mechanisms , biology of infectious agents and infection, biological basis of prevention and treatment of infectious diseases , innovative imm unological tools and approaches , including  therapies
Countries involved: Sweden
Call: ERC STARTING GRANTS (ERC-2021-STG, 2021)
Start date: 2022-06-01
End date: 2027-05-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1499932.5
EU funding (EUR): 1499932.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

The current Covid-19 pandemic highlights the need to gain better understanding of precise mechanisms that enable immune control of viral infections. Although it is established that CD8+ T cells are required to suppress viremia, most view these cells simply as ?killer T cells? based almost exclusively on studies of blood. I recently discovered that efficient immune control of HIV is mediated primarily by non-killer resident memory CD8+ T cells, whereas CD8+ T cells with high ?killer instinct? are mainly confined to the vasculature. These observations force a reevaluation of how antiviral CD8+ T cells are distributed anatomically and function in the tissue spaces where most viruses replicate. Using cutting-edge single-cell technologies on unique paired tissue samples from human organ donors, my aim here is to challenge prevailing concepts in the field of adaptive immunology and reassess how and where CD8+ T cells actually target viruses in the human body. My group will first use single-cell barcoding techniques to establish a reference map of CD8+ T cell clones specific for multiple viruses across tissue sites. We will then dissect this information to determine whether distinct resident memory CD8+ T cell clones and/or subsets exhibit differential antiviral functions across tissue sites. In parallel, we will use more mechanistic approaches to define the epigenetic imprints and functional properties of antiviral CD8+ T cells, aiming to determine to what extent these features are shaped by subset fate, anatomical location, and/or the nature of the expressed T cell receptor. A specific emphasis throughout this project will be to translate the emerging knowledge to the field of Covid-19, aiming to understand how CD8+ T cells control SARS-CoV-2. This ambitious but technically feasible project will establish a systematic foundation for future studies of antiviral T cells in humans and inform the development of more effective vaccine platforms to combat future viral threats.

Keywords: t cells,clonotypes,location,function,virus
Pre-clinical validation and demonstration of PeptiCHIP: an immunopurification microfluidic device and software for (neo)antigen identification and prioritization (PeptiCHIP)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Innovative Europe
Programme: The European Innovation Council (EIC)
Theme: EIC Transition
Destination: Open to supporting projects in all areas of science, technology,...
Action type: EIC actions
Countries involved: Finland
Call: EIC Transition Open 2022 (HORIZON-EIC-2022-TRANSITION-01, 2022)
Start date: 2023-04-01
End date: 2025-09-30
Duration (months): 30.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2226280.0
EU funding (EUR): 2226280.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Clinical translation of cancer immunotherapies remains very challenging since 60-80% of patients fail to respond. The challenge stands in identifying specific tumour-fingerprints – the neoantigens - that are peptides expressed uniquely by cancer cells and that are capable of triggering an efficient immune response against cancer. Currently there is no standard method to identify antigens and the few methods available have significant limitations by being quite long, complicated and resource demanding. In response to this clear technological and market gap, Valo Therapeutics (ValoTx, an immunotherapy development company) is introducing PeptiCHIP, i.e. an innovative microfluidic immunopurification device and a peptide prioritisation algorithm to identify the most relevant (neo)antigens to stimulate the immune system and thus increase the chance of success of the immunotherapy. PeptiCHIP can be adapted and used to identify antigens related to any disease. The Proof of Concept (PoC) was successfully demonstrated at University of Helsinki. The IP was protected and ValoTx has full rights to further develop, exploit, and commercialize PeptiCHIP. This EIC Transition project will allow further technology development, testing, validating, and demonstrating it pre-clinically, generating evidence to convince investors and stakeholders, as well as to prepare an extensive and solid transition-to-market plan (T2MP). By being accurate, fast, low-cost, easy to use and working with very small amounts of samples, PeptiCHIP will have great impact in: 1) Research: for discovery & new therapies development since identification of antigens allows the understanding of diseases & immune response mechanisms; 2) Industry: for therapy development & translation into clinical use since the antigens identification & prioritization is a critical step to produce therapies tailored for each patient to ensure responsiveness; 3) Clinic: for patient assessment & immunotherapy tailoring.

Keywords: neoantigens,oncology,immunotherapy,cancer treatment,immune response,immunopeptidomics,proteomics
Uncovering immunoediting strategies underlying malignant transformation in breast tissues (EVOBREAST)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Postdoctoral Fellowships
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Panel: Life Sciences
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2024 (HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01, 2024)
Start date: 2025-07-01
End date: 2027-06-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 260347.92
EU funding (EUR): 260347.92
Participants: 2
Project status: SIGNED

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in women worldwide. Despite intense research that has led to improved clinical outcomes, a significant number of patients treated with standard therapies suffer from high toxicity and remain unresponsive. In parallel, Immune-Checkpoint Inhibitors (ICI) have transformed cancer treatment by unleashing patients' immune system to combat cancer cells through immunoediting, a natural evolutionary process of removal of antigenic tumor clones. However, application of ICIs for breast cancer remains a challenge as we currently have limited knowledge of the immunoediting strategies and the mechanisms of immune evasion occurring in healthy and malignant tissues. We hypothesize that immunoediting shapes genetic heterogeneity and immunogenicity in healthy mammary cells, driving malignant transformation and response to clinical interventions. To test our hypothesis, we will investigate the mechanisms and influence of immune selection in mammary cells by exploiting novel genomic technologies, providing critical insight into the interplay between the immune system and breast cancer initiation. Our research project will focus on (1) exploring immune selection in healthy and premalignant breast tissues, (2) characterising immune cell populations and their spatial distribution, and (3) determining which interactions prevail during tumour progression. To achieve these goals, we will employ a combination of advanced molecular and high-throughput technologies, including laser microdissection, whole exome sequencing, RNA sequencing, and spatial transcriptomics. Our research has the potential to significantly advance our understanding of breast cancer occurrence and spread, ultimately leading to the development of novel prevention strategies, early detection methods, and personalised treatment approaches that harness the power of the immune system to fight more effectively breast tumorigenesis.

Keywords: immune selection,cancer evolution,clinical trials,immunogenomic metrics,mutational signatures
Linking time encoded in neural stem cells to neuronal networks through development and evolution (TimeToConnect)

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: France
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): 195914.88
EU funding (EUR): 195914.88
Participants: 2
Project status: SIGNED

Several neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia have their roots in aberrant circuit formation. Hence, understanding the principles underlying neuronal connectivity bears fundamental implications for the treatment of these diseases. However, these principles are not well understood, partly due to the lack of information about how developmental processes affect connectivity. While previous research has primarily relied on the study of wiring genes, it has become increasingly clear that expression of these alone cannot explain circuit formation, and hence developmental time (i.e., when neurons are born) is likely to play an important role. To address the role of developmental time in circuit formation, I will perform the first comprehensive study of how birth date relates to connectivity in an entire neuronal structure. To do so, I will use the genetically accessible Drosophila visual system and study how neurons generated at the same time from two different progenitor regions connect to each other during development. I will use cutting-edge single-cell RNA sequencing of one of these regions at neurogenesis stages to determine the identity of the neurons generated and their birth order. Taking advantage of the existing whole fly brain connectome, I will identify their synaptic partners from the other progenitor region, for which the birth order is known. Performing precise genetic manipulations to uncouple birth date and molecular identity, I will address the role of both components in correct partner matching. Moreover, I will generate the first scRNA-seq datasets of Musca domestica and Aedes aegypti visual systems during neurogenesis and perform circuit mapping to determine whether the mechanisms uncovered in Drosophila are conserved. This ambitious project will shed light into the mechanisms of circuit connectivity during development and evolution, likely providing insights into the regulators that go awry in disease.

Keywords: brain development,neuronal connectivity,temporal patterning,drosophila,neuronal birth date,neural stem cells,visual system
Coalition of Waterfront Cities, Regions and Islands (CO-WATERS)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness
Programme: Mission
Theme: Ocean, seas and waters
Destination: Ocean, seas and waters
Action type: Coordination and support actions
Countries involved: Norway,Netherlands,Belgium,Germany,France,Greece,Spain,Italy,Bulgaria
Call: Support for the Coalition of waterfront cities, regions and islands for Mission Ocean and Waters (HORIZON-MISS-2024-OCEAN-02, 2024)
Start date: 2025-06-01
End date: 2029-05-31
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 3999516.25
EU funding (EUR): 3999516.25
Participants: 18
Project status: SIGNED

Making the bridge from the first to the second implementation phase of the Mission Ocean and Waters (MOW), CO-WATERS will strengthen the growing momentum by developing and animating a Coalition of waterfront cities, regions, islands and third parties (e.g. universities, NGOs, investors etc) supporting these in their local journeys to reach the MOW objectives. CO-WATERS will deliver to the Coalition a wide range of networking, knowledge exchange and support services (twinning, working groups, interactive trainings, advisory support) to further empower Coalition members to think and act systemically, engage citizens and local stakeholders and enhance access to funding and financing streams that will support their MOW transition journey (WP1, WP2, WP3, WP5), as per their needs (modular approach). At the same time, in close collaboration with the EC Mission Ocean and Waters Secretariat and in line with existing labelling schemes (e.g. Cities Mission Label, Sustainable Island Label), CO-WATERS will develop the MOW Label (WP4) and will pilot the Label application process with two waves of applicants, who will receive tailored support. The services provided by CO-WATERS will be appropriately sequenced so that Coalition members receiving these can also smoothly apply for the MOW Label – without having to follow new processes / trainings / courses of action which will stretch their limited resources. In order to maximise value for Coalition members and ensure alignment and coherence, the project will strongly align and build on key actors and activities in the EU COM and the EU Missions’ space, as well as other related EU and international initiatives and projects (including investor networks).
Enhanced Urban Nature Plans for Biodiversity Mainstreaming in Society (UNPplus)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness
Programme: Food, Bioeconomy Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment
Theme: Bio-Environment
Destination: Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services
Action type: Research and Innovation actions
Countries involved: Italy,Germany,Finland,Spain,Sweden,Serbia,France,Bulgaria,United Kingdom,Ireland
Call: Biodiversity loss and enhancing ecosystem services in urban and peri-urban areas (HORIZON-CL6-2023-BIODIV-01, 2023)
Start date: 2024-01-01
End date: 2026-12-31
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 4513727.5
EU funding (EUR): 4513727.5
Participants: 17
Project status: SIGNED

It is now widely acknowledged that to make adequate and timely progress in the direction of biodiversity mainstreaming, three critical aspects – previously overlooked or insufficiently handled by supranational policies – need to be emphasised and further explored in their transformative potential: 1) The establishment and operation of bottom-up and especially City- and Community- driven initiatives, which may adequately complement the Country level National Sustainable Development Plans and Green Growth Strategies; 2) The introduction and refinement of appropriate methodologies, and capacity-building activities, to enable the engagement of all key societal stakeholders (notably including market players, citizens and local government actors) in concerted actions to restore the most compromised elements of the natural environments; 3) Continuous work on enabling nature-based solutions by identifying the connections, and addressing the disconnects, between biodiversity conservation and social, economic, and technological challenges. To meet the requirements of the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 and of the recent Commission proposal for a Nature Restoration Regulation, the UNP+ consortium proposes a 3-year long action research plan, engaging 11 academic partners and 5 European Cities as “Lighthouse” and “Greening” testbeds, ready to share knowledge and scale up from their ongoing experiences in UNP design and NBS implementation & scaling, to a next-generation strategy for urban and periurban ecosystem transformation, mainstreaming biodiversity, ecosystem services, and natural capital in urban policies and economies through adopting a whole of society approach.

Keywords: policy mainstreaming,ecosystem services,whole of society
Defining the role of stromal cells in determining HCC patient response to immunotherapies at single-cell resolution (STRIM-HCC)

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: Spain
Call: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2024 (HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01, 2024)
Start date: 2025-04-01
End date: 2027-03-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 194074.56
EU funding (EUR): 194074.56
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), remains a critical global health challenge, with limited treatment efficacy, particularly in advanced stages. The rising incidence of HCC is intricately linked to metabolic dysfunctions, such as metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) and its severe form, metabolic-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), highlighting an urgent need for enhanced precision oncology approaches. Despite recent advances, the lack of effective biomarkers and precision therapies for HCC underscores the complexity and heterogeneity of the disease. This proposal aims to address these gaps by integrating cutting-edge bioinformatics tools and genomic data to uncover novel mechanisms of HCC progression and treatment resistance. We will focus on three primary objectives: (1) Characterizing the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) in HCC, emphasizing cell-type-specific regulatory programs and enhancer-promoter interactions that influence tumor progression and immune evasion. (2) Identifying specific cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF) subtypes and their role in patient response to immune-based combination therapies, particularly atezolizumab and bevacizumab. (3) Leveraging whole-genome sequencing (WGS) to pinpoint targetable mutations in regulatory regions, which can guide personalized treatment strategies and improve patient outcomes. By analyzing single-cell data and integrating it with whole-genome and RNA sequencing, this project aims to develop a comprehensive understanding of HCC's molecular underpinnings and its interaction with the TME. The expected outcomes include identifying new biomarkers for patient stratification, elucidating the role of CAFs in therapy response, and proposing actionable genomic targets for precision treatment. This research promises to revolutionize HCC management by providing innovative strategies for better-targeted therapies and improving clinical outcomes through enhanced precision oncology methodologies.

Keywords: research interests translational oncology,liver cancer,hcc,single cell genomics,transcriptional regulation