Project acronym 7TReImHo
Project 7kDa TSLP as a novel type of anti-inflammatory agent to re-establish immune homeostasis
Researcher (PI) Maria RESCIGNO
Host Institution (HI) ISTITUTO EUROPEO DI ONCOLOGIA SRL
Call Details Proof of Concept (PoC), PC1, ERC-2012-PoC
Summary Intestinal homeostasis is a complex event that relies on different interactions between the host and the commensal flora, also called microbiota. The microbiota is a source of gene products that are required for several functions linked to digestion and energy harvest, thus it has to be tolerated, but at the same time controlled. We have shown that the capacity to tolerate the microbiota is linked to a close interaction between epithelial cells, that are the first line of defence against luminal microorganisms, and specialized immune cells called dendritic cells, that acquire a tolerogenic phenotype and drive the development of T regulatory cells, capable to control the development of inflammatory responses to bacteria. We have identified several effectors mediating this control and focused on a cytokine called thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) that is released constitutively by epithelial cells and is strongly downregulated in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). By contrast, in other inflammatory disorders like allergy or asthma, TSLP has been shown to be upregulated and to mediate disease.
This apparent controversy is solved when considering that TSLP comes in two different isoforms: a short (sTSLP) and a long (lTSLP). sTSLP has been completely neglected in the literature as most of the reagents do not distinguish it from lTSLP. Within the ERC project Dendroworld, we have generated all the tools to study the function of these two isoforms. We discovered that in IBD there is an inverse correlation between sTSLP and lTSLP. lTSLP is drastically upregulated by recruited immune cells, while sTSLP is downregulated in epithelial cells. Hence, we hypothesized and confirmed that the two isoforms had different activities, with the sTSLP being anti-inflammatory and lTSLP being inflammatory.
In this POC we propose scientific and commercialization activities to bring sTSLP to the market as a new class of anti-inflammatory drugs capable of re-establishing immune homeostasis.
Summary
Intestinal homeostasis is a complex event that relies on different interactions between the host and the commensal flora, also called microbiota. The microbiota is a source of gene products that are required for several functions linked to digestion and energy harvest, thus it has to be tolerated, but at the same time controlled. We have shown that the capacity to tolerate the microbiota is linked to a close interaction between epithelial cells, that are the first line of defence against luminal microorganisms, and specialized immune cells called dendritic cells, that acquire a tolerogenic phenotype and drive the development of T regulatory cells, capable to control the development of inflammatory responses to bacteria. We have identified several effectors mediating this control and focused on a cytokine called thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) that is released constitutively by epithelial cells and is strongly downregulated in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). By contrast, in other inflammatory disorders like allergy or asthma, TSLP has been shown to be upregulated and to mediate disease.
This apparent controversy is solved when considering that TSLP comes in two different isoforms: a short (sTSLP) and a long (lTSLP). sTSLP has been completely neglected in the literature as most of the reagents do not distinguish it from lTSLP. Within the ERC project Dendroworld, we have generated all the tools to study the function of these two isoforms. We discovered that in IBD there is an inverse correlation between sTSLP and lTSLP. lTSLP is drastically upregulated by recruited immune cells, while sTSLP is downregulated in epithelial cells. Hence, we hypothesized and confirmed that the two isoforms had different activities, with the sTSLP being anti-inflammatory and lTSLP being inflammatory.
In this POC we propose scientific and commercialization activities to bring sTSLP to the market as a new class of anti-inflammatory drugs capable of re-establishing immune homeostasis.
Max ERC Funding
146 917 €
Duration
Start date: 2013-07-01, End date: 2014-06-30
Project acronym ALKVAX
Project Market potentials of ALK vaccination as a new strategy for the cure of ALK positive tumors such as lymphoma, lung carcinoma and neuroblastoma
Researcher (PI) Roberto CHIARLE
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI TORINO
Call Details Proof of Concept (PoC), PC1, ERC-2012-PoC
Summary ALK positive cancer such as Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (ALCL), Non small Cell Lung Carcinoma (NSCLC) and neuroblastoma are important cancers of children and adults, currently treated with standard chemotherapy and radiotherapy, with unpredicatable and poor results, in particular in the case of NSCLC and neuroblastoma. In August 2011, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had an accelerated approval of a novel drug (called Crizotinib) to treat NSCLC that express abnormal ALK protein. Phase II and III clinical trials are ongoing to test the same drug in ALCL and neuroblastoma. However, it is now clear that the treatment with Crizotinib has a good initial efficacy and response, but the cancer inevitably relapses because of the occurrence of drug resistance. This resistance is due to selection of ALK point mutants that no longer bind the inhibitor. New drugs to tame the resistant cells will be probably developed in the future (as happened for Gleevec and second and third generation of BCR-ABL inhibitors), but it is expected that again resistance will emerge.
As part of a research conducted under an ERC Starting Grat, we developed a new therapy for ALK positive ALCL, NSCLC and neuroblastoma based on the generation of a potent and specific anti-tumor response based on the development of an ALK-targeted immune response. This specific anti-ALK immune response is achieved by an anti-ALK vaccination in preclinical mouse models of ALCL and NSCLC. Now, in this Proof-of-Concept grant, we propose to take the next steps to move our invention toward a clinical application in human patients, by testing GLP formulations of the vaccine, its potential toxic effects and by searching the market for companies interested in its development and commercialization. Our goal is to understand and finalize the best strategy to move this experimental therapy to the market and generate a partnership with a pharma company.
Summary
ALK positive cancer such as Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (ALCL), Non small Cell Lung Carcinoma (NSCLC) and neuroblastoma are important cancers of children and adults, currently treated with standard chemotherapy and radiotherapy, with unpredicatable and poor results, in particular in the case of NSCLC and neuroblastoma. In August 2011, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had an accelerated approval of a novel drug (called Crizotinib) to treat NSCLC that express abnormal ALK protein. Phase II and III clinical trials are ongoing to test the same drug in ALCL and neuroblastoma. However, it is now clear that the treatment with Crizotinib has a good initial efficacy and response, but the cancer inevitably relapses because of the occurrence of drug resistance. This resistance is due to selection of ALK point mutants that no longer bind the inhibitor. New drugs to tame the resistant cells will be probably developed in the future (as happened for Gleevec and second and third generation of BCR-ABL inhibitors), but it is expected that again resistance will emerge.
As part of a research conducted under an ERC Starting Grat, we developed a new therapy for ALK positive ALCL, NSCLC and neuroblastoma based on the generation of a potent and specific anti-tumor response based on the development of an ALK-targeted immune response. This specific anti-ALK immune response is achieved by an anti-ALK vaccination in preclinical mouse models of ALCL and NSCLC. Now, in this Proof-of-Concept grant, we propose to take the next steps to move our invention toward a clinical application in human patients, by testing GLP formulations of the vaccine, its potential toxic effects and by searching the market for companies interested in its development and commercialization. Our goal is to understand and finalize the best strategy to move this experimental therapy to the market and generate a partnership with a pharma company.
Max ERC Funding
149 939 €
Duration
Start date: 2013-06-01, End date: 2014-05-31
Project acronym AllYours
Project AllYours, a Distributed Privacy-Aware Instant Item Recommender
Researcher (PI) Anne-Marie KERMARREC
Host Institution (HI) INSTITUT NATIONAL DE RECHERCHE ENINFORMATIQUE ET AUTOMATIQUE
Call Details Proof of Concept (PoC), PC1, ERC-2012-PoC
Summary The goal of this PoC proposal is to boost the creation of a start-up (AllYours) targeting both Internet users as well as small to medium companies (SME) offering full-fledged personalization in notification systems. The Web is now all about users; they are the greediest bandwidth consumers, the ultimate deciders of which applications are actually adopted and also the most prolific content generators. While social networks have taken off at an unexpected scale and speed, Web navigation has radically changed to the point that notification is taking over search: many users now navigate through the links they discover rather than explicit search operations. Yet, users get quickly overwhelmed with the huge amount of information in a click range. For such notification systems to be truly useful, they should be personalized depending on the user activity, operations, posts, interests. Yet, personalization poses several issues such as scalability (it is expensive to store a large amount of information per user) and privacy (users are more and more reluctant to give away their preferences to large companies). At the same time, SMEs are struggling to provide fully personalized services given the expertise and amount of resources such algorithms require.
AllYours is an implicit instant item recommender providing personalization in the notification process without requiring explicit subscriptions to feeds or interests. They only let the system know whether they like the items received or not (eg like/dislike button). In addition, users personal data are stored on their own machine, leaving the space to provide a wide spectrum of privacy guarantees while enabling cross application benefits. Behind the scene, AllYours provides each user with a live social network of participants sharing similar interests, called an implicit social network. AllYours come in two different flavors: (1) Enterprise-AllYours provides a scalable notification and recommendation system targeting all SMEs operating Web content editors & ecommerce sites (2) P2P-AllYours provides a fully decentralized solution without requiring users to ever reveal their private preferences through a clever obfuscation mechanism.
Summary
The goal of this PoC proposal is to boost the creation of a start-up (AllYours) targeting both Internet users as well as small to medium companies (SME) offering full-fledged personalization in notification systems. The Web is now all about users; they are the greediest bandwidth consumers, the ultimate deciders of which applications are actually adopted and also the most prolific content generators. While social networks have taken off at an unexpected scale and speed, Web navigation has radically changed to the point that notification is taking over search: many users now navigate through the links they discover rather than explicit search operations. Yet, users get quickly overwhelmed with the huge amount of information in a click range. For such notification systems to be truly useful, they should be personalized depending on the user activity, operations, posts, interests. Yet, personalization poses several issues such as scalability (it is expensive to store a large amount of information per user) and privacy (users are more and more reluctant to give away their preferences to large companies). At the same time, SMEs are struggling to provide fully personalized services given the expertise and amount of resources such algorithms require.
AllYours is an implicit instant item recommender providing personalization in the notification process without requiring explicit subscriptions to feeds or interests. They only let the system know whether they like the items received or not (eg like/dislike button). In addition, users personal data are stored on their own machine, leaving the space to provide a wide spectrum of privacy guarantees while enabling cross application benefits. Behind the scene, AllYours provides each user with a live social network of participants sharing similar interests, called an implicit social network. AllYours come in two different flavors: (1) Enterprise-AllYours provides a scalable notification and recommendation system targeting all SMEs operating Web content editors & ecommerce sites (2) P2P-AllYours provides a fully decentralized solution without requiring users to ever reveal their private preferences through a clever obfuscation mechanism.
Max ERC Funding
149 236 €
Duration
Start date: 2013-01-01, End date: 2013-12-31
Project acronym Anti-CSC
Project Targeting Cancer Stem Cells (CSC) for the development of more effective treatments to cure cancer patients
Researcher (PI) Joan SEOANE
Host Institution (HI) FUNDACIO PRIVADA INSTITUT D'INVESTIGACIO ONCOLOGICA DE VALL-HEBRON
Call Details Proof of Concept (PoC), PC1, ERC-2012-PoC
Summary Global cancer market is growing at a CAGR of 6.9% with an estimated value of $81bn in 2016. Although the huge R&D investment observed in the past years in the development of new treatments, there is still lack on an effective treatment in many tumour types. In particular, the median survival for glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), a high-grade brain tumour affecting 23,000 patients a year in US and EU, is 14 months and its 5-yr survival less than 5%. It is therefore urgent to develop more effective treatments against this fatal disease.
It has been recently demonstrated that Cancer Stem Cells (CSCs) are responsible from tumour initiation, maintenance, relapse and treatment resistance, and therefore therapies targeting CSC should eradicate the tumour. Our team has discovered a molecular pathway critical in the regulation of CSC. The project presented here entails the proof of concept and pre-clinical development of a humanized antibody blocking this pathway. Our murine version of the antibody blocks CSC development in vitro by 54% and tumour recurrence in a mice model by 50%. At the end of the ERC POC project we will have a patent protected and fully humanized antibody active in vivo and in vitro and ready to enter Phase 1 clinical trials in humans to continue its commercialization process. The forecasted annual peak revenue for this therapeutic antibody is $530M with additional sales coming from line extensions in other cancer indications.
With the ERC POC project we are dramatically increasing the commercial value of the therapeutic antibody, transforming an R&D finding (CSC are critical for cancer development) into a potential new solution to patients (a therapeutic antibody targeting CSC). Hence, we are de-risking the product, advancing it through the commercialization path and creating a product and a commercial data package with a good expectative in the cancer market that is ready to be out-licensed or transferred to a spin-off previous VC investment.
Summary
Global cancer market is growing at a CAGR of 6.9% with an estimated value of $81bn in 2016. Although the huge R&D investment observed in the past years in the development of new treatments, there is still lack on an effective treatment in many tumour types. In particular, the median survival for glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), a high-grade brain tumour affecting 23,000 patients a year in US and EU, is 14 months and its 5-yr survival less than 5%. It is therefore urgent to develop more effective treatments against this fatal disease.
It has been recently demonstrated that Cancer Stem Cells (CSCs) are responsible from tumour initiation, maintenance, relapse and treatment resistance, and therefore therapies targeting CSC should eradicate the tumour. Our team has discovered a molecular pathway critical in the regulation of CSC. The project presented here entails the proof of concept and pre-clinical development of a humanized antibody blocking this pathway. Our murine version of the antibody blocks CSC development in vitro by 54% and tumour recurrence in a mice model by 50%. At the end of the ERC POC project we will have a patent protected and fully humanized antibody active in vivo and in vitro and ready to enter Phase 1 clinical trials in humans to continue its commercialization process. The forecasted annual peak revenue for this therapeutic antibody is $530M with additional sales coming from line extensions in other cancer indications.
With the ERC POC project we are dramatically increasing the commercial value of the therapeutic antibody, transforming an R&D finding (CSC are critical for cancer development) into a potential new solution to patients (a therapeutic antibody targeting CSC). Hence, we are de-risking the product, advancing it through the commercialization path and creating a product and a commercial data package with a good expectative in the cancer market that is ready to be out-licensed or transferred to a spin-off previous VC investment.
Max ERC Funding
150 000 €
Duration
Start date: 2012-12-01, End date: 2013-11-30
Project acronym ARCAS
Project ARCAS: Analysis of the Route to Commercialisation of MVA based influenza vaccines
Researcher (PI) Albertus Dominicus Marcellinus Erasmus OSTERHAUS
Host Institution (HI) ERASMUS UNIVERSITAIR MEDISCH CENTRUM ROTTERDAM
Call Details Proof of Concept (PoC), PC1, ERC-2012-PoC
Summary ARCAS will investigate the commercial potential and commercialization strategy of a platform of continuously updated repository of pandemic influenza vaccine candidates that was developed under the ERC project FLUPLAN. This platform is based on a novel vector technology using recombinant modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) to develop pandemic influenza vaccines. There are two major advantages of the platform in comparison to current pandemic influenza vaccine platforms using adjuvanted-inactivated and live-attenuated influenza vaccines: i) the high immunogenicity induced in the absence of adjuvants, even at very low dosages, and ii) higher and faster vaccine production capacity. This addresses today’s key unmet needs of pandemic influenza vaccines: strong and broad immunogenicity as well as virtually unlimited production capacity for large scale vaccination campaigns needed in the face of an emerging influenza pandemic. While FLUPLAN addresses the technical development of the platform, including one of the promising candidate vaccines (MVA-based influenza A/H5N1 vaccine), ARCAS will focus on the commercial potential and the commercialization strategy for the platform. This will be achieved by conducting an extensive market study to determine the potential for the novel vaccine repository platform, by analyzing the IP position to build a solid IP portfolio, and by conducting a technical evaluation on the potential of the platform. This will provide the basis to determine the commercial potential and subsequently the most viable commercialization strategy for the platform, to be detailed in a strategic business plan. Furthermore, as part of the strategic business plan, we aim to develop a sound factsheet that will allow potential commercial partners to invest in the technology, addressing the current influenza market needs, given the competitive advantage offered by the platform.
Summary
ARCAS will investigate the commercial potential and commercialization strategy of a platform of continuously updated repository of pandemic influenza vaccine candidates that was developed under the ERC project FLUPLAN. This platform is based on a novel vector technology using recombinant modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) to develop pandemic influenza vaccines. There are two major advantages of the platform in comparison to current pandemic influenza vaccine platforms using adjuvanted-inactivated and live-attenuated influenza vaccines: i) the high immunogenicity induced in the absence of adjuvants, even at very low dosages, and ii) higher and faster vaccine production capacity. This addresses today’s key unmet needs of pandemic influenza vaccines: strong and broad immunogenicity as well as virtually unlimited production capacity for large scale vaccination campaigns needed in the face of an emerging influenza pandemic. While FLUPLAN addresses the technical development of the platform, including one of the promising candidate vaccines (MVA-based influenza A/H5N1 vaccine), ARCAS will focus on the commercial potential and the commercialization strategy for the platform. This will be achieved by conducting an extensive market study to determine the potential for the novel vaccine repository platform, by analyzing the IP position to build a solid IP portfolio, and by conducting a technical evaluation on the potential of the platform. This will provide the basis to determine the commercial potential and subsequently the most viable commercialization strategy for the platform, to be detailed in a strategic business plan. Furthermore, as part of the strategic business plan, we aim to develop a sound factsheet that will allow potential commercial partners to invest in the technology, addressing the current influenza market needs, given the competitive advantage offered by the platform.
Max ERC Funding
149 840 €
Duration
Start date: 2012-12-01, End date: 2013-11-30
Project acronym CanSel
Project Highly selective customizable therapy for metastatic tumors
Researcher (PI) Yaakov BENENSON
Host Institution (HI) EIDGENOESSISCHE TECHNISCHE HOCHSCHULE ZUERICH
Call Details Proof of Concept (PoC), PC1, ERC-2012-PoC
Summary The ERC starting grant CellControl awarded to the Principal Investigator Yaakov Benenson funds research directed toward rational design and construction of gene circuits and networks for programmable control of cell physiology. One of the potential applications of this research is in the development of next-generation anticancer treatments that incorporate recently acquired knowledge on the complexity of cancer-related regulatory pathways, tumor development and differentiation, and the rise of cancer clones resistant to standard therapies. These new treatments are necessarily more complex than small molecule drugs, yet they are within reach of latest tools developed in gene therapy and they hold the promise of much higher efficacy and lower toxicity as well as robustness to the emergence of resistant clones. Thus our approach could be of great potential for treating metastatic and primary malignant tumors.
We have already shown an engineered circuit that selectively detects and eliminates specific cancer cells in vitro. Powered by additional developments in the framework of the ERC starting grant, we have designed an even safer and more selective circuit that can serve as a starting point for pre-clinical and eventually clinical testing. In this proposal we describe proof-of-concept experiments that will show feasibility of our approach in a mouse model. Successful demonstration will pave the way to large-scale translational R&D financed by private investors, and eventually to the deployment of these new therapies in the clinic.
Summary
The ERC starting grant CellControl awarded to the Principal Investigator Yaakov Benenson funds research directed toward rational design and construction of gene circuits and networks for programmable control of cell physiology. One of the potential applications of this research is in the development of next-generation anticancer treatments that incorporate recently acquired knowledge on the complexity of cancer-related regulatory pathways, tumor development and differentiation, and the rise of cancer clones resistant to standard therapies. These new treatments are necessarily more complex than small molecule drugs, yet they are within reach of latest tools developed in gene therapy and they hold the promise of much higher efficacy and lower toxicity as well as robustness to the emergence of resistant clones. Thus our approach could be of great potential for treating metastatic and primary malignant tumors.
We have already shown an engineered circuit that selectively detects and eliminates specific cancer cells in vitro. Powered by additional developments in the framework of the ERC starting grant, we have designed an even safer and more selective circuit that can serve as a starting point for pre-clinical and eventually clinical testing. In this proposal we describe proof-of-concept experiments that will show feasibility of our approach in a mouse model. Successful demonstration will pave the way to large-scale translational R&D financed by private investors, and eventually to the deployment of these new therapies in the clinic.
Max ERC Funding
149 499 €
Duration
Start date: 2013-07-01, End date: 2014-12-31
Project acronym CAPNOTCH
Project Capitalising Notch Biomarkers in the Drug Development Market
Researcher (PI) Marc VOOIJS
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITEIT MAASTRICHT
Call Details Proof of Concept (PoC), PC1, ERC-2012-PoC
Summary "CapNotch is the translation from discovery of multimodal cancer biomarkers of the Notch pathway to a strong market proposition. Biomarker products for validating specificity, efficacy and toxicity of preclinical compounds that target this pathway are highly wanted by academia and industry and could fuel progress in this area. One step further lays the opportunity to exploit such biomarkers for patient stratification and treatment monitoring, as well for advancing clinical trials as for supporting clinical decision making. The outcome of CapNotch should guide the selection of the most feasible proposition."
Summary
"CapNotch is the translation from discovery of multimodal cancer biomarkers of the Notch pathway to a strong market proposition. Biomarker products for validating specificity, efficacy and toxicity of preclinical compounds that target this pathway are highly wanted by academia and industry and could fuel progress in this area. One step further lays the opportunity to exploit such biomarkers for patient stratification and treatment monitoring, as well for advancing clinical trials as for supporting clinical decision making. The outcome of CapNotch should guide the selection of the most feasible proposition."
Max ERC Funding
150 000 €
Duration
Start date: 2013-09-01, End date: 2014-08-31
Project acronym CARAT
Project Commercial Applications for RF Arrays of Traps
Researcher (PI) Otto Rainer BLATT
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITAET INNSBRUCK
Call Details Proof of Concept (PoC), PC1, ERC-2012-PoC
Summary "The ERC-funded project CRYTERION has a goal of scaling up simulations and computations with trapped ions. One possible route for this is the use of a 2D array of ion traps. During the development of these 2D arrays, a novel method of being able to address the interactions was conceived, allowing addressing of individual ions and nearest-neighbour interactions between
ions in the array. A patent has been granted on the design and the ERC-POC grant is being applied for so as to develop an implementation with the goal of licensing the patent.
Technical tests of this idea with calcium ions have been performed on a mesoscale array of ion traps. Basic ideas for creating micro-scale traps are under investigation. We propose that this micro-array concept be developed, to the point where traps can be provided to potential customers for evaluation.
Besides the technical realization of the POC it is necessary to analyse the market, i.e. identify customers as well as producers and develop a strategy for how to target these two groups successfully"
Summary
"The ERC-funded project CRYTERION has a goal of scaling up simulations and computations with trapped ions. One possible route for this is the use of a 2D array of ion traps. During the development of these 2D arrays, a novel method of being able to address the interactions was conceived, allowing addressing of individual ions and nearest-neighbour interactions between
ions in the array. A patent has been granted on the design and the ERC-POC grant is being applied for so as to develop an implementation with the goal of licensing the patent.
Technical tests of this idea with calcium ions have been performed on a mesoscale array of ion traps. Basic ideas for creating micro-scale traps are under investigation. We propose that this micro-array concept be developed, to the point where traps can be provided to potential customers for evaluation.
Besides the technical realization of the POC it is necessary to analyse the market, i.e. identify customers as well as producers and develop a strategy for how to target these two groups successfully"
Max ERC Funding
144 860 €
Duration
Start date: 2013-12-01, End date: 2014-11-30
Project acronym carbenergy
Project Mesoionic carbene complexes for water splitting: Harnessing renewable energy sources
Researcher (PI) Martin ALBRECHT
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, DUBLIN
Call Details Proof of Concept (PoC), PC1, ERC-2012-PoC
Summary We have recently discovered a series of carbene iridium complexes that are highly active in water oxidation catalysis (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2010, 49, 9765, see also picture). As the water oxidation half-cycle is the demanding (and thus far prohibitive) step when splitting water to oxygen and hydrogen, these iridium complexes hold great potential for the generation of hydrogen as fuel from renewable, non-fossil sources. A key component for the efficient water oxidation appears to be the mesoionic carbene ligand, which is non-innocent and capable of assisting in proton-coupled electron transfer processes.
Within this proof-of-concept project we now aim at evaluating a range of factors that will be pivotal to move this fundamentally interesting reactivity pattern into a prototypical device for energy generation. The principal goal thus consists of establishing the viability and to address technical issues and overall directions for using carbene iridium complexes in energy conversion processes. Clarification of intellectual property rights and deciding on an appropriate patent/licensing strategy constitutes a primary subaim. A specific and critical point to be addressed pertains to the robustness and activity of the catalyst in order to warrant the costs for using a precious metal in energy conversion and storage processes. Optimized catalysts will thus be essential, and will be combined with a photo-absorbing semiconductor as water reduction catalyst to accomplish full water splitting in a single, eventually light-driven device. In parallel, industrial contacts will be sought to identify domains for application of the catalytic device, in which longevity will be among the key criteria.
Summary
We have recently discovered a series of carbene iridium complexes that are highly active in water oxidation catalysis (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2010, 49, 9765, see also picture). As the water oxidation half-cycle is the demanding (and thus far prohibitive) step when splitting water to oxygen and hydrogen, these iridium complexes hold great potential for the generation of hydrogen as fuel from renewable, non-fossil sources. A key component for the efficient water oxidation appears to be the mesoionic carbene ligand, which is non-innocent and capable of assisting in proton-coupled electron transfer processes.
Within this proof-of-concept project we now aim at evaluating a range of factors that will be pivotal to move this fundamentally interesting reactivity pattern into a prototypical device for energy generation. The principal goal thus consists of establishing the viability and to address technical issues and overall directions for using carbene iridium complexes in energy conversion processes. Clarification of intellectual property rights and deciding on an appropriate patent/licensing strategy constitutes a primary subaim. A specific and critical point to be addressed pertains to the robustness and activity of the catalyst in order to warrant the costs for using a precious metal in energy conversion and storage processes. Optimized catalysts will thus be essential, and will be combined with a photo-absorbing semiconductor as water reduction catalyst to accomplish full water splitting in a single, eventually light-driven device. In parallel, industrial contacts will be sought to identify domains for application of the catalytic device, in which longevity will be among the key criteria.
Max ERC Funding
136 076 €
Duration
Start date: 2012-10-01, End date: 2013-09-30
Project acronym CIPRID
Project Contemporary Indigenous Performance: Resources for Cross-cultural Dialogues
Researcher (PI) Helen Mary GILBERT
Host Institution (HI) ROYAL HOLLOWAY AND BEDFORD NEW COLLEGE
Call Details Proof of Concept (PoC), PC1, ERC-2012-PoC
Summary This project develops and tests two related innovations – an interactive online exhibition and an arts consultancy service – as complementary parts of a package of cultural resources. The package is designed to make the research produced by the Indigeneity in the Contemporary World (ICW) project team accessible to the public, and, also, to stimulate new creative and educational uses of the project’s findings, in collaboration with indigenous artists, intellectuals and communities. The proposed innovations will maximize the reach and social impact of the ICW project by tapping its vast audiovisual records and international networks to foster creative dialogues among indigenous performance makers and cultural-sector workers and audiences, in Europe and beyond. The ICW team possesses a wealth of specialist knowledge about ways in which indigenous performance illuminates social and political debates on a transnational scale. Using this knowledge, the team hopes to build bridges between cultures and art forms. At a broader level, the online exhibition and consultancy service are conceived as building blocks for a new, flexible, open-access archive of interlinked multi-modal resources that will encourage users to engage with contemporary indigenous performance in dynamic ways. Performances are live and embodied, while records of cultural events exist in objects and recordings that can seem staid and unapproachable. The aim of this project is to model a unique, accessible and ethical resource platform that brings the intangible processes of performance making into dialogue with tangible records of specific events. Our objective is to change the ways in which Europe conceives of its colonial pasts and its multicultural futures.
Summary
This project develops and tests two related innovations – an interactive online exhibition and an arts consultancy service – as complementary parts of a package of cultural resources. The package is designed to make the research produced by the Indigeneity in the Contemporary World (ICW) project team accessible to the public, and, also, to stimulate new creative and educational uses of the project’s findings, in collaboration with indigenous artists, intellectuals and communities. The proposed innovations will maximize the reach and social impact of the ICW project by tapping its vast audiovisual records and international networks to foster creative dialogues among indigenous performance makers and cultural-sector workers and audiences, in Europe and beyond. The ICW team possesses a wealth of specialist knowledge about ways in which indigenous performance illuminates social and political debates on a transnational scale. Using this knowledge, the team hopes to build bridges between cultures and art forms. At a broader level, the online exhibition and consultancy service are conceived as building blocks for a new, flexible, open-access archive of interlinked multi-modal resources that will encourage users to engage with contemporary indigenous performance in dynamic ways. Performances are live and embodied, while records of cultural events exist in objects and recordings that can seem staid and unapproachable. The aim of this project is to model a unique, accessible and ethical resource platform that brings the intangible processes of performance making into dialogue with tangible records of specific events. Our objective is to change the ways in which Europe conceives of its colonial pasts and its multicultural futures.
Max ERC Funding
149 934 €
Duration
Start date: 2013-07-01, End date: 2014-06-30
