Project acronym HYMNS
Project High-sensitivitY Measurements of key stellar Nucleo-Synthesis reactions
Researcher (PI) Cesar Domingo Pardo
Host Institution (HI) AGENCIA ESTATAL CONSEJO SUPERIOR DEINVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICAS
Country Spain
Call Details Consolidator Grant (CoG), PE2, ERC-2015-CoG
Summary The origin of the heavy elements in the Universe is one of the main open questions in modern science. Beyond iron the two main mechanisms of nucleosynthesis are the slow (s) and rapid (r) neutron capture processes operating in giant stars and explosive stellar environments, respectively. Modern s-nucleosynthesis studies are based on the combination of i) stellar models, ii) observed abundances and iii) neutron capture rates measured over many years using several techniques. HYMNS is aimed at a paradigm shift in the sensitivity of s-process neutron capture measurements; The most advanced and accurate methods allow one to measure the neutron capture rate as a function of the neutron energy by combining the time-of-flight technique with radiation detectors, either calorimeters or total energy detectors. These systems are sensitive only to the radiation energy, which ultimately limits the attainable detection sensitivity. State-of-the-art detection systems require drastic innovation if we are to access the stellar (n,g) rates of several key radioactive nuclei, where only small amounts of sample material are available. Such unstable nuclides are of pivotal importance for nucleosynthesis studies because they act as branching points in the s-path and are thus extremely sensitive to the stellar physical conditions. The aim of HYMNS is to develop and apply a novel detection system in the field of (n,g) measurements called total-energy detector with imaging capability (i-TED), which is capable of measuring both the energy and the trajectory of the g-rays, thus enabling a superior level of background discrimination. HYMNS is structured to enable the first measurements for key s-process branching nuclei over the stellar energy range. The first application will be to determine the neutron capture cross section of 79Se, which will provide the most stringent constraint for the thermal conditions and their time-dependence in state-of-the-art evolution models of massive stars.
Summary
The origin of the heavy elements in the Universe is one of the main open questions in modern science. Beyond iron the two main mechanisms of nucleosynthesis are the slow (s) and rapid (r) neutron capture processes operating in giant stars and explosive stellar environments, respectively. Modern s-nucleosynthesis studies are based on the combination of i) stellar models, ii) observed abundances and iii) neutron capture rates measured over many years using several techniques. HYMNS is aimed at a paradigm shift in the sensitivity of s-process neutron capture measurements; The most advanced and accurate methods allow one to measure the neutron capture rate as a function of the neutron energy by combining the time-of-flight technique with radiation detectors, either calorimeters or total energy detectors. These systems are sensitive only to the radiation energy, which ultimately limits the attainable detection sensitivity. State-of-the-art detection systems require drastic innovation if we are to access the stellar (n,g) rates of several key radioactive nuclei, where only small amounts of sample material are available. Such unstable nuclides are of pivotal importance for nucleosynthesis studies because they act as branching points in the s-path and are thus extremely sensitive to the stellar physical conditions. The aim of HYMNS is to develop and apply a novel detection system in the field of (n,g) measurements called total-energy detector with imaging capability (i-TED), which is capable of measuring both the energy and the trajectory of the g-rays, thus enabling a superior level of background discrimination. HYMNS is structured to enable the first measurements for key s-process branching nuclei over the stellar energy range. The first application will be to determine the neutron capture cross section of 79Se, which will provide the most stringent constraint for the thermal conditions and their time-dependence in state-of-the-art evolution models of massive stars.
Max ERC Funding
1 886 558 €
Duration
Start date: 2016-06-01, End date: 2022-05-31
Project acronym METACELL
Project Artificial metabolic cells for biomanufacturing of bio-based chiral fine chemicals
Researcher (PI) Fernando Lopez Gallego
Host Institution (HI) ASOCIACION CENTRO DE INVESTIGACION COOPERATIVA EN BIOMATERIALES- CIC biomaGUNE
Country Spain
Call Details Consolidator Grant (CoG), LS9, ERC-2018-COG
Summary One of the major challenges of sustainable chemistry is expanding the palette of bio-based chemicals that can replace, or at least ameliorate, the exploitation of fuel-based chemicals. Cell-free metabolic engineering using soluble enzymes is an emerging and versatile approach that seeks to increase the selectivity and productivity of chemical biomanufacturing processes. However, soluble and isolated enzymes present major issues in terms of efficiency, stability and re-usability that hamper industrial applications.
To solve these problems, enzymes can be rationally immobilized on smart materials resulting in robust, efficient and self-sufficient heterogeneous biocatalysts, but immobilization is still restricted to simple enzyme cascades. METACELL mission is developing self-sufficient artificial metabolic cells (AMCs) by immobilizing complex metabolic networks on hierarchical porous materials. To this aim, the solid surfaces must play an active role in the chemical process rather than just being a mere immobilization support.
This integrative proposal will exploit protein engineering, surface chemistry, bio-organic chemistry and protein immobilization tools for the successful development of 1) a cell-free artificial metabolism, 2) innovative engineering tools to modify both enzyme and material surfaces and 3) continuous synthesis of industrially relevant fine chemicals catalyzed by AMCs packed into flow reactors. The resulting technology of METACELL will serve as a prototyping platform to test artificial biosynthetic pathways with application in combinatorial chemistry (e.g drugs discovery). METACELL may also offer long-term solutions for the on-demand production of drugs at the point-of-care.
In addition to the technological outputs, METACELL will also provide essential information to understand how spatial organization of multi-enzyme systems affect the performance of in vitro biosynthetic pathways confined into artificial chassis (solid materials).
Summary
One of the major challenges of sustainable chemistry is expanding the palette of bio-based chemicals that can replace, or at least ameliorate, the exploitation of fuel-based chemicals. Cell-free metabolic engineering using soluble enzymes is an emerging and versatile approach that seeks to increase the selectivity and productivity of chemical biomanufacturing processes. However, soluble and isolated enzymes present major issues in terms of efficiency, stability and re-usability that hamper industrial applications.
To solve these problems, enzymes can be rationally immobilized on smart materials resulting in robust, efficient and self-sufficient heterogeneous biocatalysts, but immobilization is still restricted to simple enzyme cascades. METACELL mission is developing self-sufficient artificial metabolic cells (AMCs) by immobilizing complex metabolic networks on hierarchical porous materials. To this aim, the solid surfaces must play an active role in the chemical process rather than just being a mere immobilization support.
This integrative proposal will exploit protein engineering, surface chemistry, bio-organic chemistry and protein immobilization tools for the successful development of 1) a cell-free artificial metabolism, 2) innovative engineering tools to modify both enzyme and material surfaces and 3) continuous synthesis of industrially relevant fine chemicals catalyzed by AMCs packed into flow reactors. The resulting technology of METACELL will serve as a prototyping platform to test artificial biosynthetic pathways with application in combinatorial chemistry (e.g drugs discovery). METACELL may also offer long-term solutions for the on-demand production of drugs at the point-of-care.
In addition to the technological outputs, METACELL will also provide essential information to understand how spatial organization of multi-enzyme systems affect the performance of in vitro biosynthetic pathways confined into artificial chassis (solid materials).
Max ERC Funding
1 995 894 €
Duration
Start date: 2020-01-01, End date: 2024-12-31
Project acronym MyeRIBO
Project Deconstructing the Translational Control of Myelination by Specialized Ribosomes
Researcher (PI) Ashwin WOODHOO
Host Institution (HI) ASOCIACION CENTRO DE INVESTIGACION COOPERATIVA EN BIOCIENCIAS
Country Spain
Call Details Consolidator Grant (CoG), LS5, ERC-2019-COG
Summary The myelin sheath is essential for neuronal function and health: myelinating glial cells speed up propagation of axonal potentials, fuel the energetic demands and regulate the ionic environment of neurons. Lesions to the myelin sheath thus result in devastating neurological disorders that include multiple sclerosis, diabetic neuropathy and Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. Myelination involves a striking expansion of the glial cell membrane that relies on an exceptional increase in protein and lipid synthesis rates. Decades of dedicated research has uncovered a complex transcriptional program that drives this process, whereas translational control mechanisms, on the other hand, have received little attention. There is emerging evidence, enabled by modern techniques, that ribosomes, typically viewed as invariant, passive molecular machines, may instead be heterogeneous in composition, with particular ribosomal components having a ‘specialized’ regulatory capacity for preferential translation of specific mRNAs. In MyeRIBO, I propose that translation control by specialized ribosomes is a novel layer of regulation that shapes the proteome of the myelinating glial cell. I will exploit advances in cryo-EM and quantitative proteomics analyses to discover the nature and diversity of ribosomes in myelinating cells, employ genome-wide ribosome profiling to obtain mechanistic insights into selective mRNA translation by heterogeneous ribosomes, and generate genetic mouse models to determine the functional consequences of this specialization for myelination in vivo. Notably, I will study the implication of this mechanism in pathogenesis of injury-induced demyelination and diabetic neuropathy, and evaluate the targeting of specialized ribosomal components as a preclinical strategy. MyeRIBO will push further the boundaries of our current understanding of the molecular control of myelination, which could have a profound impact for understanding neural development and myelin disorders.
Summary
The myelin sheath is essential for neuronal function and health: myelinating glial cells speed up propagation of axonal potentials, fuel the energetic demands and regulate the ionic environment of neurons. Lesions to the myelin sheath thus result in devastating neurological disorders that include multiple sclerosis, diabetic neuropathy and Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. Myelination involves a striking expansion of the glial cell membrane that relies on an exceptional increase in protein and lipid synthesis rates. Decades of dedicated research has uncovered a complex transcriptional program that drives this process, whereas translational control mechanisms, on the other hand, have received little attention. There is emerging evidence, enabled by modern techniques, that ribosomes, typically viewed as invariant, passive molecular machines, may instead be heterogeneous in composition, with particular ribosomal components having a ‘specialized’ regulatory capacity for preferential translation of specific mRNAs. In MyeRIBO, I propose that translation control by specialized ribosomes is a novel layer of regulation that shapes the proteome of the myelinating glial cell. I will exploit advances in cryo-EM and quantitative proteomics analyses to discover the nature and diversity of ribosomes in myelinating cells, employ genome-wide ribosome profiling to obtain mechanistic insights into selective mRNA translation by heterogeneous ribosomes, and generate genetic mouse models to determine the functional consequences of this specialization for myelination in vivo. Notably, I will study the implication of this mechanism in pathogenesis of injury-induced demyelination and diabetic neuropathy, and evaluate the targeting of specialized ribosomal components as a preclinical strategy. MyeRIBO will push further the boundaries of our current understanding of the molecular control of myelination, which could have a profound impact for understanding neural development and myelin disorders.
Max ERC Funding
1 874 996 €
Duration
Start date: 2020-10-01, End date: 2025-09-30
Project acronym NANOPDICS
Project Optoelectrical Dynamics of Ion channel Activation in Calcium Nanodomains
Researcher (PI) Teresa Giraldez Fernandez
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSIDAD DE LA LAGUNA
Country Spain
Call Details Consolidator Grant (CoG), LS5, ERC-2014-CoG
Summary In neurons, sites of Ca2+ influx and Ca2+ sensors are located within 20-50 nm, in subcellular “Ca2+ nanodomains”. Such tight coupling is crucial for the functional properties of synapses and neuronal excitability. Two key players act together in nanodomains, coupling Ca2+ signal to membrane potential: the voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels (VDCC) and the large conductance Ca2+ and voltage-gated K+ channels (BK). BK channels are characterized by synergistic activation by Ca2+ and membrane depolarization, but the complex molecular mechanism underlying channel function is not adequately understood. Information about the pore region, voltage sensing domain or isolated intracellular domains has been obtained separately using electrophysiology, biochemistry and crystallography. Nevertheless, the specialized behavior of this channel must be studied in the whole protein complex at the membrane in order to determine the complete range of structures and movements critical to its in vivo function. Using a combination of genetics, electrophysiology and spectroscopy, our group has measured for the first time the structural rearrangements accompanying whole BK channel activation at the membrane. From this unique position, our first goal is to fully determine the real time structural dynamics underlying the molecular coupling of Ca2+, voltage and activation of BK channels in the membrane environment, its regulation by accessory subunits and channel effectors.
BK subcellular localization and role in Ca2+ nanodomains make these channels perfect candidates as reporters of local changes in [Ca2+] restricted to specific nanodomains close to the neuronal membrane. In our laboratory we have created fluorescent variants of the channel that report BK activity induced by Ca2+ binding, or Ca2+ binding and voltage. Our second aim in this proposal is to optimize and deploy this novel optoelectrical reporters to study physiologically relevant Ca2+-induced processes both in cellular and animal mode
Summary
In neurons, sites of Ca2+ influx and Ca2+ sensors are located within 20-50 nm, in subcellular “Ca2+ nanodomains”. Such tight coupling is crucial for the functional properties of synapses and neuronal excitability. Two key players act together in nanodomains, coupling Ca2+ signal to membrane potential: the voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels (VDCC) and the large conductance Ca2+ and voltage-gated K+ channels (BK). BK channels are characterized by synergistic activation by Ca2+ and membrane depolarization, but the complex molecular mechanism underlying channel function is not adequately understood. Information about the pore region, voltage sensing domain or isolated intracellular domains has been obtained separately using electrophysiology, biochemistry and crystallography. Nevertheless, the specialized behavior of this channel must be studied in the whole protein complex at the membrane in order to determine the complete range of structures and movements critical to its in vivo function. Using a combination of genetics, electrophysiology and spectroscopy, our group has measured for the first time the structural rearrangements accompanying whole BK channel activation at the membrane. From this unique position, our first goal is to fully determine the real time structural dynamics underlying the molecular coupling of Ca2+, voltage and activation of BK channels in the membrane environment, its regulation by accessory subunits and channel effectors.
BK subcellular localization and role in Ca2+ nanodomains make these channels perfect candidates as reporters of local changes in [Ca2+] restricted to specific nanodomains close to the neuronal membrane. In our laboratory we have created fluorescent variants of the channel that report BK activity induced by Ca2+ binding, or Ca2+ binding and voltage. Our second aim in this proposal is to optimize and deploy this novel optoelectrical reporters to study physiologically relevant Ca2+-induced processes both in cellular and animal mode
Max ERC Funding
1 999 742 €
Duration
Start date: 2015-09-01, End date: 2021-08-31
Project acronym NEWSPIN
Project A New Spin on Quantum Atom-Light Interactions
Researcher (PI) Darrick Chang
Host Institution (HI) FUNDACIO INSTITUT DE CIENCIES FOTONIQUES
Country Spain
Call Details Consolidator Grant (CoG), PE2, ERC-2020-COG
Summary A central goal of quantum optics is to realize efficient, controlled quantum interfaces between atoms and photons. Such interfaces enable broad applications from quantum information processing to quantum nonlinear optics to metrology, and also open a route toward creating exotic quantum states of light and matter. Today, our major paradigm for realizing an efficient interface is based upon the concept of collective enhancement, where using a large number of atoms creates an enhanced coupling to a preferred optical mode over undesired emission into other directions. However, our known error bounds for applications decrease very slowly as a function of system resources, such as the optical depth, thus posing a great challenge for future technologies.
In NEWSPIN, we propose a remarkable new way forward, based upon the realization that these conventional error bounds are derived without accounting for multiple scattering and wave interference between emitting atoms. We aim to establish that interference in light emission is in fact a much more powerful resource than the level that we currently exploit it. In particular, beyond the usual collective enhancement, it can simultaneously enable a much stronger collective suppression of emission into undesired directions, and which can yield exponentially better error bounds than was previously known.
Underlying this powerful paradigm shift will be the development of a quantum many-body theory of multiple scattering involving photons and atoms, which takes advantage of state-of-the-art tools from condensed matter physics. Beyond robust new routes toward applications, our theory will also reveal exotic new quantum phenomena and lead to new insights into fundamental questions in optics, such as the physical limits to how large the refractive index of an optical material can be. In total, we anticipate that NEWSPIN could greatly enrich our understanding of atom-light interactions and their realm of possibilities.
Summary
A central goal of quantum optics is to realize efficient, controlled quantum interfaces between atoms and photons. Such interfaces enable broad applications from quantum information processing to quantum nonlinear optics to metrology, and also open a route toward creating exotic quantum states of light and matter. Today, our major paradigm for realizing an efficient interface is based upon the concept of collective enhancement, where using a large number of atoms creates an enhanced coupling to a preferred optical mode over undesired emission into other directions. However, our known error bounds for applications decrease very slowly as a function of system resources, such as the optical depth, thus posing a great challenge for future technologies.
In NEWSPIN, we propose a remarkable new way forward, based upon the realization that these conventional error bounds are derived without accounting for multiple scattering and wave interference between emitting atoms. We aim to establish that interference in light emission is in fact a much more powerful resource than the level that we currently exploit it. In particular, beyond the usual collective enhancement, it can simultaneously enable a much stronger collective suppression of emission into undesired directions, and which can yield exponentially better error bounds than was previously known.
Underlying this powerful paradigm shift will be the development of a quantum many-body theory of multiple scattering involving photons and atoms, which takes advantage of state-of-the-art tools from condensed matter physics. Beyond robust new routes toward applications, our theory will also reveal exotic new quantum phenomena and lead to new insights into fundamental questions in optics, such as the physical limits to how large the refractive index of an optical material can be. In total, we anticipate that NEWSPIN could greatly enrich our understanding of atom-light interactions and their realm of possibilities.
Max ERC Funding
1 921 067 €
Duration
Start date: 2021-06-01, End date: 2026-05-31
Project acronym PERSISTDEBT
Project Debt and Persistence of Financial Shocks
Researcher (PI) Jose Luis Peydro Alcalde
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSIDAD POMPEU FABRA
Country Spain
Call Details Consolidator Grant (CoG), SH1, ERC-2014-CoG
Summary In 2007 the US and Europe were overwhelmed by a banking crisis, which was followed by a severe economic recession. Historical studies show that financial crises are followed by periods of substantially stronger contraction of aggregate output and employment than non-financial recessions. Those studies also point out that the best predictor of financial crises is an ex-ante strong credit boom which, after the beginning of the crisis, followed by negative overall credit growth. Lastly, financial crises take a long time until recovering the pre-crisis levels.
Why are the effects of credit shocks so strong and persistent over time? Is this effect explained by costly household deleveraging? What is the effect of household debt on consumption, savings and employment? Are there any benefits of debt in crises? Do some effects of the financial crisis work through a reduction in credit supply to firms and projects with high innovative content and productivity (high overall return, but with high credit and liquidity risk for the lenders)? Or are the cleansing effects in financial crises concentrated on the less productive firms? Can macroprudential policies based on strict control of loan-to-value ratios stop the building up of excessive household debt?
We plan to construct several new datasets to study these issues by merging information from different sources. For some issues, like the analysis of the effect of household debt on consumption and employment, we can take advantage of a natural experiment of randomized allocation of debt among individuals derived from the use of lotteries to allocate the rights to buy housing in Spain. In comparison to the existing literature, we can exploit the exogenous variation generated by these lotteries and some other combination of data (including exhaustive credit data) to obtain causal evidence and quantification on the interaction between debt, systemic risk, crises, and the new macroprudential policy.
Summary
In 2007 the US and Europe were overwhelmed by a banking crisis, which was followed by a severe economic recession. Historical studies show that financial crises are followed by periods of substantially stronger contraction of aggregate output and employment than non-financial recessions. Those studies also point out that the best predictor of financial crises is an ex-ante strong credit boom which, after the beginning of the crisis, followed by negative overall credit growth. Lastly, financial crises take a long time until recovering the pre-crisis levels.
Why are the effects of credit shocks so strong and persistent over time? Is this effect explained by costly household deleveraging? What is the effect of household debt on consumption, savings and employment? Are there any benefits of debt in crises? Do some effects of the financial crisis work through a reduction in credit supply to firms and projects with high innovative content and productivity (high overall return, but with high credit and liquidity risk for the lenders)? Or are the cleansing effects in financial crises concentrated on the less productive firms? Can macroprudential policies based on strict control of loan-to-value ratios stop the building up of excessive household debt?
We plan to construct several new datasets to study these issues by merging information from different sources. For some issues, like the analysis of the effect of household debt on consumption and employment, we can take advantage of a natural experiment of randomized allocation of debt among individuals derived from the use of lotteries to allocate the rights to buy housing in Spain. In comparison to the existing literature, we can exploit the exogenous variation generated by these lotteries and some other combination of data (including exhaustive credit data) to obtain causal evidence and quantification on the interaction between debt, systemic risk, crises, and the new macroprudential policy.
Max ERC Funding
1 308 676 €
Duration
Start date: 2015-07-01, End date: 2021-12-31
Project acronym PRIORS
Project Neural circuit dynamics underlying expectation and their impact on the variability of perceptual choices
Researcher (PI) Jaime de la Rocha Vazquez
Host Institution (HI) CONSORCI INSTITUT D'INVESTIGACIONS BIOMEDIQUES AUGUST PI I SUNYER
Country Spain
Call Details Consolidator Grant (CoG), LS5, ERC-2015-CoG
Summary Just as our experience has its origin in our perceptions, our perceptions are fundamentally shaped by our experience. How does the brain build expectations from experience and how do expectations impact perception? In a Bayesian framework, expectations determine the environment’s prior probability, which combined with stimulus information, can yield optimal decisions. While the accumulation-to-bound model describes temporal integration of sensory inputs and their combination with the prior, we still lack electrophysiological evidence showing neural circuits that integrate previous events adaptively to generate advantageous expectations.
I aim to understand (1) how circuits in the cerebral cortex integrate the recent history of stimuli and rewards to generate expectations, (2) how expectations are combined with sensory input across the processing hierarchy to bias decisions and (3) whether the dynamics of the expectation can dominate neuronal and choice variability. I will train rats in a new auditory discrimination task using predictable stimulus sequences that, once learned, are used to compute adaptive priors that improve discrimination. I will perform population recordings and optogenetic manipulations to identify the brain areas involved in the computation of priors in the task. To reveal the circuit mechanisms underlying the observed dynamics I will train a computational network model to classify fluctuating inputs and, by adapting its dynamics to the statistics of the stimulus sequence, accumulate evidence across trials to maximize performance. The model will generalize the accumulation-to-bound model by integrating information across various time scales and will partition choice variability into that caused by the dynamics of the prior or by fluctuations in the stimulus response. My proposal points at a paradigm shift from viewing neuronal variability as a corrupting source of noise to the result of our brain’s inevitable tendency to predict the future.
Summary
Just as our experience has its origin in our perceptions, our perceptions are fundamentally shaped by our experience. How does the brain build expectations from experience and how do expectations impact perception? In a Bayesian framework, expectations determine the environment’s prior probability, which combined with stimulus information, can yield optimal decisions. While the accumulation-to-bound model describes temporal integration of sensory inputs and their combination with the prior, we still lack electrophysiological evidence showing neural circuits that integrate previous events adaptively to generate advantageous expectations.
I aim to understand (1) how circuits in the cerebral cortex integrate the recent history of stimuli and rewards to generate expectations, (2) how expectations are combined with sensory input across the processing hierarchy to bias decisions and (3) whether the dynamics of the expectation can dominate neuronal and choice variability. I will train rats in a new auditory discrimination task using predictable stimulus sequences that, once learned, are used to compute adaptive priors that improve discrimination. I will perform population recordings and optogenetic manipulations to identify the brain areas involved in the computation of priors in the task. To reveal the circuit mechanisms underlying the observed dynamics I will train a computational network model to classify fluctuating inputs and, by adapting its dynamics to the statistics of the stimulus sequence, accumulate evidence across trials to maximize performance. The model will generalize the accumulation-to-bound model by integrating information across various time scales and will partition choice variability into that caused by the dynamics of the prior or by fluctuations in the stimulus response. My proposal points at a paradigm shift from viewing neuronal variability as a corrupting source of noise to the result of our brain’s inevitable tendency to predict the future.
Max ERC Funding
2 000 000 €
Duration
Start date: 2016-09-01, End date: 2021-08-31
Project acronym QITBOX
Project Quantum Information Theory with black BOXes
Researcher (PI) Antonio AcIn
Host Institution (HI) FUNDACIO INSTITUT DE CIENCIES FOTONIQUES
Country Spain
Call Details Consolidator Grant (CoG), PE2, ERC-2013-CoG
Summary "With QITBOX we aim to develop a novel device-independent framework for quantum information processing. In this framework, devices are seen as black boxes that only receive inputs and produce outputs. Our main objective is to understand what can and cannot be done for information processing using only the observed correlations among the devices. We will structure our effort along three main research lines: (i) Characterization of quantum correlations: the general objective will be to characterize those correlations that are possible among quantum devices; (ii) Protocols based on correlations: the general objective will be to understand how quantum correlations can be exploited in order to construct relevant information protocols and (iii) Applications to physical setups: here the previous results to concrete physical setups will be applied, such as the quantum-optical realizations of the protocols or the study of the non-local properties of many-body systems. The expected results of QITBOX are: (i) Novel methods for the characterization of quantum correlations, (ii) Improved or novel device-independent protocols, (iii) Proposals for feasible experimental implementations of these protocols and (iv) Novel methods for the study of many-body systems based on correlations. QITBOX is a highly-interdisciplinary project with implications in Physics, Mathematics, Computer Science and Engineering. The execution of the planned research work will provide a unifying framework for a Quantum Information Theory with black BOXes (hence the acronym). Such a framework will bring quantum information processing to an unprecedented level of abstraction, in which information protocols and primitives are defined without any reference to the internal physical working of the devices. This, in turn, will lead to much more robust practical implementations of quantum information protocols, closing the mismatch between theoretical requirements and experimental realisations."
Summary
"With QITBOX we aim to develop a novel device-independent framework for quantum information processing. In this framework, devices are seen as black boxes that only receive inputs and produce outputs. Our main objective is to understand what can and cannot be done for information processing using only the observed correlations among the devices. We will structure our effort along three main research lines: (i) Characterization of quantum correlations: the general objective will be to characterize those correlations that are possible among quantum devices; (ii) Protocols based on correlations: the general objective will be to understand how quantum correlations can be exploited in order to construct relevant information protocols and (iii) Applications to physical setups: here the previous results to concrete physical setups will be applied, such as the quantum-optical realizations of the protocols or the study of the non-local properties of many-body systems. The expected results of QITBOX are: (i) Novel methods for the characterization of quantum correlations, (ii) Improved or novel device-independent protocols, (iii) Proposals for feasible experimental implementations of these protocols and (iv) Novel methods for the study of many-body systems based on correlations. QITBOX is a highly-interdisciplinary project with implications in Physics, Mathematics, Computer Science and Engineering. The execution of the planned research work will provide a unifying framework for a Quantum Information Theory with black BOXes (hence the acronym). Such a framework will bring quantum information processing to an unprecedented level of abstraction, in which information protocols and primitives are defined without any reference to the internal physical working of the devices. This, in turn, will lead to much more robust practical implementations of quantum information protocols, closing the mismatch between theoretical requirements and experimental realisations."
Max ERC Funding
1 487 505 €
Duration
Start date: 2014-01-01, End date: 2018-12-31
Project acronym ReadCalibration
Project Phonemic representations in speech perception and production: Recalibration by readingacquisition
Researcher (PI) Clara, Dominique, Sylvie Martin
Host Institution (HI) BCBL BASQUE CENTER ON COGNITION BRAIN AND LANGUAGE
Country Spain
Call Details Consolidator Grant (CoG), SH4, ERC-2018-COG
Summary The main goal of this project is to demonstrate that reading acquisition (RA) drastically reshapes our phonemic inventory, and to investigate the time-course and fine-grained properties of this recalibration. The main innovative and ground-breaking aspect of this project is the merging of two research fields, (1) reading acquisition and (2) phonemic recalibration, together with a deep and extensive exploration of the (3) perception-production link, which results in a new research line that pushes the boundaries of our understanding of the complex interactions between auditory and visual language perception and production.
We will demonstrate that phonemic representations (PRs) become more stable (less dispersed) during the process of learning to read, and that this recalibration varies according to the grapheme-phoneme conversion rules of the reading system. We will explore such recalibration by means of the first cross-linguistic longitudinal study examining the position and dispersion of PRs, both in perception and production of phonemes and words. Secondly, we will explore how recalibration develops when RA is impaired as is the case in dyslexic children –informing the research field on (4) dyslexia– and when pre-reading PRs are unstable as is the case in deaf children with cochlear implants –informing the research field on (5) deafness. Finally, the research will also be extended to PR recalibration during RA in a second language –informing the research on (6) bilingualism.
This proposal provides the first systematic investigation of phonemic recalibration during literacy acquisition, and will provide important insight for pragmatic research and theoretical accounts of language perception and production and phonemic recalibration. This project will also have major implications for the clinical field (theories and remediation of dyslexia and deafness) and for social policies and education (bilingualism, spoken and written language teaching).
Summary
The main goal of this project is to demonstrate that reading acquisition (RA) drastically reshapes our phonemic inventory, and to investigate the time-course and fine-grained properties of this recalibration. The main innovative and ground-breaking aspect of this project is the merging of two research fields, (1) reading acquisition and (2) phonemic recalibration, together with a deep and extensive exploration of the (3) perception-production link, which results in a new research line that pushes the boundaries of our understanding of the complex interactions between auditory and visual language perception and production.
We will demonstrate that phonemic representations (PRs) become more stable (less dispersed) during the process of learning to read, and that this recalibration varies according to the grapheme-phoneme conversion rules of the reading system. We will explore such recalibration by means of the first cross-linguistic longitudinal study examining the position and dispersion of PRs, both in perception and production of phonemes and words. Secondly, we will explore how recalibration develops when RA is impaired as is the case in dyslexic children –informing the research field on (4) dyslexia– and when pre-reading PRs are unstable as is the case in deaf children with cochlear implants –informing the research field on (5) deafness. Finally, the research will also be extended to PR recalibration during RA in a second language –informing the research on (6) bilingualism.
This proposal provides the first systematic investigation of phonemic recalibration during literacy acquisition, and will provide important insight for pragmatic research and theoretical accounts of language perception and production and phonemic recalibration. This project will also have major implications for the clinical field (theories and remediation of dyslexia and deafness) and for social policies and education (bilingualism, spoken and written language teaching).
Max ERC Funding
1 875 000 €
Duration
Start date: 2019-10-01, End date: 2024-09-30
Project acronym RememberEx
Project Human Subcortical-Cortical Circuit Dynamics for Remembering the Exceptional
Researcher (PI) Bryan STRANGE
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSIDAD POLITECNICA DE MADRID
Country Spain
Call Details Consolidator Grant (CoG), LS5, ERC-2018-COG
Summary Our memory system is optimised for remembering the exceptional over the mundane. We remember better those events that violate predictions generated by the prevailing context, particularly because of surprise or emotional impact. Understanding how we form and retrieve long-term memories for important or salient events is critical for combating the rapidly growing incidence of pathologies associated with memory dysfunction with huge socio-econonomic burden. Human lesion and non-invasive functional imaging data, motivated by findings from animal models, have identified subcortical structures that are critical for upregulating hippocampal function during salient event memory. However, mechanistic understanding of these processes in humans remains scarce, and requires better experimental approaches such as direct intracranial recordings from, and focal electrical stimulation of, these subcortical structures.
This project will characterise human subcortico-cortical neuronal circuit dynamics associated with enhanced episodic memory for salient stimuli by studying direct recordings from human hippocampus, amygdala, nucleus accumbens, ventral midbrain and cortex. Within this framework, I will elucidate the electrophysiological mechanisms underlying amygdala-hippocampal-cortical coupling that lead to better memory for emotional stimuli, extend the hippocampal role in detecting unpredicted stimuli to define its role in orchestrating cortical dynamics in unpredictable contexts, and discover the neuronal response profile of the human mesolimbic dopamine system during salient stimulus encoding. The predicted results, based on my own preliminary data, will offer several conceptual breakthroughs, particularly regarding hippocampal function and the role of dopaminergic ventral midbrain in memory. The knowledge gained from this project is a fundamental requirement for designing therapeutic interventions for patients with memory deficits and other neuropsychiatric disorders.
Summary
Our memory system is optimised for remembering the exceptional over the mundane. We remember better those events that violate predictions generated by the prevailing context, particularly because of surprise or emotional impact. Understanding how we form and retrieve long-term memories for important or salient events is critical for combating the rapidly growing incidence of pathologies associated with memory dysfunction with huge socio-econonomic burden. Human lesion and non-invasive functional imaging data, motivated by findings from animal models, have identified subcortical structures that are critical for upregulating hippocampal function during salient event memory. However, mechanistic understanding of these processes in humans remains scarce, and requires better experimental approaches such as direct intracranial recordings from, and focal electrical stimulation of, these subcortical structures.
This project will characterise human subcortico-cortical neuronal circuit dynamics associated with enhanced episodic memory for salient stimuli by studying direct recordings from human hippocampus, amygdala, nucleus accumbens, ventral midbrain and cortex. Within this framework, I will elucidate the electrophysiological mechanisms underlying amygdala-hippocampal-cortical coupling that lead to better memory for emotional stimuli, extend the hippocampal role in detecting unpredicted stimuli to define its role in orchestrating cortical dynamics in unpredictable contexts, and discover the neuronal response profile of the human mesolimbic dopamine system during salient stimulus encoding. The predicted results, based on my own preliminary data, will offer several conceptual breakthroughs, particularly regarding hippocampal function and the role of dopaminergic ventral midbrain in memory. The knowledge gained from this project is a fundamental requirement for designing therapeutic interventions for patients with memory deficits and other neuropsychiatric disorders.
Max ERC Funding
2 000 000 €
Duration
Start date: 2019-05-01, End date: 2024-04-30
