Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Untangling the Evolution of a Balanced Lethal System (BALANCED LETHALS)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution
Panel description: Ecology, biodiversity, environmental change, evolutionary biology, behavioural ecology, microbial ecology, marine biology, ecophysiology, theoretical developments and modelling
Countries involved: Netherlands
Call: ERC Starting Grant (ERC-2018-STG, 2018)
Start date: 2019-02-01
End date: 2025-01-31
Duration (months): 72.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1499869.0
EU funding (EUR): 1499869.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Natural selection is supposed to keep lethal alleles (dysfunctional or deleted copies of crucial genes) in check. Yet, in a balanced lethal system the frequency of lethal alleles is inflated. Because two forms of a chromosome carry distinct lethal alleles that are reciprocally compensated for by functional genes on the alternate chromosome form, both chromosome forms – and in effect their linked lethal alleles – are required for survival. The inability of natural selection to purge balanced lethal systems appears to defy evolutionary theory. How do balanced lethal systems originate and persist in nature? I suspect the answer to this pressing but neglected research question can be found in the context of supergenes in a balanced polymorphism – a current, hot topic in evolutionary biology. Chromosome rearrangements can lock distinct beneficial sets of alleles (i.e. supergenes) on two chromosome forms by suppressing recombination. Now, balancing selection would favour possession of both supergenes. However, as a consequence of suppressed recombination, unique lethal alleles could become fixed on each supergene, with natural selection powerless to prevent collapse of the arrangement into a balanced lethal system. I aim to explain the evolution of balanced lethal systems in nature. As empirical example I will use chromosome 1 syndrome, a balanced lethal system observed in newts of the genus Triturus. My research team will: Reconstruct the genomic architecture of this balanced lethal system at its point of origin [PI project]; Conduct comparative genomics with related, unaffected species [PhD project]; Determine gene order of the two supergenes involved [Postdoc project I]; and Model the conditions under which this balanced lethal system could theoretically have evolved [Postdoc project II]. Solving the paradox of chromosome 1 syndrome will allow us to understand balanced lethal systems in general and address the challenges they pose to evolutionary theory.

Keywords: balanced polymorphism,linkage map,genomics,phylogeny,supergene
Development of Robust and Innovative Vaccine Effectiveness (DRIVE)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Societal Challenges
Programme: Health, demographic change and wellbeing
Theme: Public-private partnerships
Destination: Innovative Medicines Initiative 2
Action type: Research and Innovation actions
Partnership: IMI2 (Art-187)
Countries involved: Italy,Italy,Spain,Spain,Belgium,Finland,Belgium,France,France,France,France,Netherlands,United Kingdom,United Kingdom,United Kingdom,United Kingdom
Call: JOINT INFLUENZA VACCINE EFFECTIVENESS STUDIES (H2020-JTI-IMI2-2016-09-two-stage, 2016)
Start date: 2017-07-01
End date: 2022-06-30
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 9999937.5
EU funding (EUR): 8999812.5
Participants: 20
Project status: CLOSED

Influenza is a major public health problem. In a conservative estimate, influenza infects annually 60 of the 500 million inhabitants of the EU. Vaccines are the cornerstone for preventing influenza and its consequences. Current influenza vaccines have a moderate variable effect, given the mismatch between vaccine and circulating strains, waning immunity and interference from previous vaccination, among others. The single most important challenge in achieving VE studies for the various influenza vaccines put every year on the European market is the ability of the different stakeholders to work in collaboration. To enable a sustainable network of influenza vaccine VE studies, the Development of Robust and Innovative Vaccines Effectiveness (DRIVE) main goal will be the development of a governance model between public and private entities. This model will ensure scientific independence in the studies and full transparency, allowing different stakeholders to fulfill their needs taking into account their respective obligations and statutes. A second challenge will be to reach the capacity to perform vaccine brand- specific effectiveness studies, which is agile enough to deliver the needed outputs in timely manner, and robust enough to provide results by different age and risk groups and flexible enough to utilize novel tools while at the same time aims to be sustainable. Combining these outputs, DRIVE will establish a sustainable platform for joint influenza vaccine effectiveness evaluation which will have a positive impact on European citizens public health.

Keywords: influenza vaccines,effectiveness,public private,public health,governance
Neurogenesis-related changes in hippocampal new neurons and circuits after traumatic brain injury (Newron-TBI)

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: Life Sciences
Countries involved: Spain
Call: Individual Fellowships (H2020-MSCA-IF-2017, 2017)
Start date: 2018-04-01
End date: 2020-03-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 158121.6
EU funding (EUR): 158121.6
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) affects millions of people representing a major public health concern, however, treatment options are limited. Even after mild TBI many individuals suffer from long term neuropsychological impairments such as memory loss and learning deficits. We hypothesize that some of the observed impairments are related to the alterations in adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN), the life-long capability of the hippocampus to generate new neurons from neural stem cells (NSCs). Alterations in AHN lead in turn to modifications of neuronal circuits and behavior. The hippocampus is essential for learning, memory consolidation and mood control and is highly vulnerable to TBI. We propose that the population of NSCs and the process of AHN is significantly altered, which might account for some of the symptoms associated with TBI. We hypothesize that TBI induces long term changes in, both NSCs and in differentiating neurons (inducing “aberrant” neurogenesis). As a result the electrophysiological properties of newborn and preexistent neurons in the hippocampal circuitry are changed, altering brain functioning. Proposed research is aimed at examining on how altered NSCs and “aberrant” neurogenesis impacts hippocampal neuronal activity after TBI. In proposed study we will combine neuron activity modification, quantitative neuroimaging anlysis and intracellular patch-clamp recordings in order to evaluate the effects of TBI on NSC proliferation, immature neuron number, and electrophysiological properties of post – TBI born neurons once they fully mature. We believe that the proposed research will contribute to better understanding the pathophysiology of TBI and that has the potential to help develop novel therapeutic strategies, targeting NSCs and newborn neurons, to improve the outcome of the millions of people impacted by TBI each year. The applicant will emerge from the project with new skills, and the experience to launch her own research group in the future.

Keywords: adult neurogenesis,traumatic brain injury,electrophysiology,neural stem cells,dentate gyrus,functional neuronal integration,hippocampal circuitry,transgenic mice,dreadds,neuroimaging
NAnopatterning for Thermal Engineering in Layered Materials (NATELM)

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: Physics
Countries involved: France
Call: Individual Fellowships (H2020-MSCA-IF-2019, 2019)
Start date: 2020-05-01
End date: 2022-04-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 184707.84
EU funding (EUR): 133892.4
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

As modern devices shrink, thermal management become increasingly critical. The need for better understanding and control of thermal transport at the nanoscale thus arise and has been in the spotlight for several years for semiconductors such as silicon in particular. Recently, layered and 2D materials have been the focus of much research for their promising optical and electronic properties, and will be the core of many future devices in the field of Information and Communication Technologies. Their thermal properties need to be understood and controllable. Due to experimental challenges, they have remained largely unexplored. We propose the first experimental realization of thermal and phononic devices in 2D and layered materials that are expected to function at temperatures exceeding 300K. Our approach is based on engineering defects, pores or inclusions, in suspended 2D materials by focused ion beam and electron-beam lithography. These method would allow fabrication of desired (periodic, asymmetric, gradient) patterns with close to atomic precision and characteristic length scale of ~10 nm. That is smaller than the mean free path and coherence length of phonons in materials such aWe propose the first experimental realization of phononic devices in 2D materials that are ex-pected to function at temperatures exceeding 300K. Our approach is based on engineering de-fects in suspended 2D materials by focused ion beam. This method would allow fabrication of desired (periodic, asymmetric) patterns with close to atomic precision and characteristic length scale of ~10 nm. That is smaller than the mean free path and coherence length of phonons in materials such as graphene. This would provide fundamentally new opportunities to study ballis-tic and coherent thermal transport phenomena, for which such dimensions are a requirement, and to design novel thermal devices. If successful, it would represent a major step forward in the field of thermal management at the nanoscale.

Keywords: 2d materials,phonon transport,thermal rectification,thermal management,nanoscale energy management
Cell-specific vascular protection by CXCL12/CXCR4 (PROVASC)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing
Panel description: Organ and tissue physiology, comparative physiology, physiology of ageing, pathophysiology, interorgan and tissue communication, endocrinology, nutrition, metabolism, interaction with the microbiome, non-communicable diseases including cancer (and except disorders of the nervous system and immunity-related diseases)
Countries involved: Germany
Call: ERC Advanced Grant (ERC-2015-AdG, 2015)
Start date: 2016-10-01
End date: 2023-03-31
Duration (months): 78.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2498250.0
EU funding (EUR): 2498250.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Cardiovascular disease including coronary heart disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide. Atherosclerosis as the underlying pathology is a lipid-driven inflammatory disease of arteries giving rise to vulnerable lesions prone to rupture and thrombotic occlusion. Lesions develop at predilection sites with disturbed flow, where endothelial damage promotes intimal retention of lipoproteins and inflammatory leukocyte recruitment. Past research has largely focused on atherogenic factors and their inhibition but not on boosting a counterbalance by protective mechanisms. We have recently found that the CXCL12/CXCR4 chemokine-receptor axis protects against atherosclerosis by controlling neutrophil homeostasis and facilitating endothelial regeneration in mice. This is supported by genome-wide association studies, identifying genetic variants near CXCL12 associated with the risk of coronary heart disease. The protective regulation of endothelial repair by microRNAs also involves CXCL12/CXCR4. However, the causal and cell-specific impact of this axis remains unclear. To balance the ongoing expansion of genetic risk variants, PROVASC aims to discover/elucidate novel mechanisms for protective cell homeostasis and regeneration counteracting atherosclerosis in depth. To this end, we will dissect cell-specific effects of the CXCR4-CXCL12 axis using an array of mouse lines for conditional deletion and bone marrow chimeras to compare resident versus hemato-poietic cell compartments. We will validate a role of coding and non-coding genetic risk variants affecting CXCL12/CXCR4 in different cell types and humanized mouse models. By identifying relevant microRNAs targeting CXCL12/CXCR4, we will unravel a regulation of this axis by cell type-specific microRNAs. Given the ubiquitous relevance of CXCL12/CXCR4, we expect that the impact of such new mechanisms will extend to other chronic inflammatory diseases, allowing for tailored strategies of tissue protection and regeneration.

Keywords: atherosclerosis,chemokines,micrornas
Open Sea Operating Experience to Reduce Wave Energy Cost (OPERA)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Societal Challenges
Programme: Secure, clean and efficient energy
Theme: Low-cost, low-carbon energy supply
Action type: Research and Innovation actions
Countries involved: Ireland,Spain,Spain,United Kingdom,United Kingdom,United Kingdom,Portugal,United Kingdom,United Kingdom
Call: Developing the next generation technologies of renewable electricity and heating/cooling (H2020-LCE-2015-1-two-stage, 2015)
Start date: 2016-02-01
End date: 2019-07-31
Duration (months): 42.0
Total project cost (EUR): 5741263.75
EU funding (EUR): 5741263.75
Participants: 13
Project status: CLOSED

Europe is endowed with abundant wave energy which could cover some 10% of its electricity needs with a clean, predictable and job-creating resource, which EU companies are at the forefront exploiting with little dependence on foreign suppliers. There remain important technical challenges to bring down costs to within investors’ reach, as a top priority open-sea operating experience must be analysed to permit the focus of R&D efforts on identifying and solving problems uncovered in open-sea deployments. However, to this day, most wave energy R&D does not have access to open-sea operating data as they are not shared by the companies that sponsored open-sea tests. OPERA will remove this roadblock by collecting and sharing two years of open-sea operating data of a floating oscillating water column wave energy converter. In addition the project will be the first open-sea deployment for four cost-reducing innovations that will be advanced from TRL3-4 to TRL5. Together, these four innovations have a long-term cost reduction potential of over 50%. These are: a 50% more efficient turbine, latching and predictive control, a shared mooring system for wave energy similar to those that have reduced mooring costs 50% in aquaculture, and an elastomeric mooring tether that reduces peak loads at the hull-mooring connection 70% and thus addresses one of the most pressing challenges for structural survivability of wave energy devices. Documenting and sharing this open-sea experience will also induce a step-change in our knowledge of risk and uncertainties, costs and societal and environmental impacts of wave energy. The consortium brings together world leaders in wave energy research from four European countries and the IPR owner and most advanced teams to exploit each of these innovations. Last but not least, the project brings national in-cash co-financing of over €2 million to directly fund the open-sea testing.

Keywords: wave energy,oscillating water column
dIagnoSIs app for regular aTrial arrhytmia like Flutter (isitFlutter)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Proof of concept grants
Action type: ERC actions
Countries involved: Germany,Germany
Call: ERC-Proof of Concept-2016 (ERC-2016-PoC, 2016)
Start date: 2016-10-01
End date: 2018-03-31
Duration (months): 18.0
Total project cost (EUR): 150000.0
EU funding (EUR): 142500.0
Participants: 2
Project status: CLOSED

We have been developing a new diagnosis tool for cardiac arrhythmia. Our clients are expert cardiologists. They can use our Mobile App with a Smartphone or Tablet, easily and cost-efficiently. The App records the beeps of a heart rate monitor or takes a picture of the printout of an electrocardiogram (ECG), communicates with a server, and displays the result of the calculations as decision support for the medical expert. Depending on the diagnosis of the medical expert either a long-term treatment with drugs or an operation follows. The correct diagnosis and proper treatment implies an increased life quality and a reduction of unnecessary drug side effects (for patients); avoidance of legal disputes and higher success rates (for doctors); reduced costs (for health insurance companies); and an increase in the number of profitable procedures (for providers of ablation technology). Alas, the misdiagnosis rate of expert cardiologists and of competing diagnosis tools so far is high. Studies report success rates of 50%. We showed in a peer-reviewed study that our success rate is almost 90%. We have received preliminary feedback from cardiologists in hospitals that our prototype works well and that they want to use it in their daily work. The diagnosis is a daily task for cardiologists in Europe, with an estimated number of one million diagnoses per year. We have unique selling points and market entry barriers for competitors: our approach is based a) on a deep understanding of electrophysiological processes and the integration of the team into clinical practice and b) on sophisticated mathematical algorithms that are not easy to reimplement and further enhanced in the ERC Consolidator Grant MODEST and c) on a comfortable IPR situation (granted patent). With isitFlutter we want to perform a multi-center test and adapt our product accordingly, evaluate competition and IPR, and extend our contacts with future customers, investors, and players in the market.

Keywords: atrial fibrillation,atrial flutter,supra ventricular tachycardia,automatic diagnosis,algorithm,app development
A new avenue in the hunt for dark energy (DhostHunt)

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: Physics
Countries involved: Denmark
Call: Individual Fellowships (H2020-MSCA-IF-2019, 2019)
Start date: 2021-02-01
End date: 2023-01-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 207312.0
EU funding (EUR): 207312.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Currently, General Relativity (GR) and the standard model of particles physics are severely challenged by their inability to explain the late-time accelerated expansion of the Universe, known as the “dark energy” problem. The most promising scenarios aiming to explain it are the so--called scalar-tensor theories, corresponding to extensions of GR where gravity is enhanced through a new gravitational force mediated by a scalar field. The quest for phenomenological imprints of new scalar gravitational forces has been a central effort in cosmology and astrophysics over the last decade. My goal is to introduce helioseismology as a test of unprecedented accuracy in the search for new gravitational forces in Nature. The focus will be on the most general scalar-field extensions of GR, known as “DHOST” scalar-tensor theories. The unique ability of solar pulsations to probe the finest details of gravity in the solar interior, combined with the extreme accuracy of helioseismic observations, promises an orders-of-magnitude improvement of previous constraints. I will formulate the theoretical framework for adiabatic stellar pulsations in this context, and with sophisticated numerical techniques, I will model the associated solar pulsation eigenspectrum. A systematic statistical analysis will be devised to confront the predictions against observations making use of powerful helioseismic inversions, and derive the tightest constraints on the most general scalar-tensor theories up to date. The cosmological implications will be predicted, in accordance with ESA’s upcoming Euclid satellite mission. The project will introduce a genuinely novel, interdisciplinary line of research that will strongly impact a broad spectrum of cosmology and astrophysics. The new constraints will be pivotal for our understanding of scalar-gravity interactions in Nature, and are expected to guide the future modelling of dark energy, and scalar field theories in general.

Keywords: helioseismology,scalar tensor theories,dark energy,solar physics,cosmology