Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death worldwide. Chronic treatments of CVDs are scarce because of poor predictivity of current two-dimensional (2D) pre-clinical models. State-of-the-art 3D-tissue models based on human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) can be more predictive of human genetics but fail to replicate the 3D cardiac muscle structure. In fact, the heart evolved to ensure efficient emptying of the chambers via a 3D chiral organization of muscle tissue not yet recapitulated in organoids or engineered ventricles. In CARdiac tissue Design, beating INduction, and Assessment using multiwavelength Light (CARDINAL), I will replicate the native chiral architecture of the heart in a minimal 3D model of the heart muscle and validate the resulting assay for drug screening. Our objectives will tackle three main challenges in the field: 1) Create the chiral scaffold to host the hiPSC-derived cardiac muscle cells (hiPSC-CMs). I will use cavitation molding - a light-based 3D-structuring method I previously developed - to obtain chirally organized micro-channels in soft hydrogels. 2) Populate these scaffolds with high-purity hiPSC-CMs that can be triggered and assayed with optical methods. I will leverage the host lab's engineered hiPSC line that features structural and functional fluorescent sensors. To that line, we will add optogenetic actuators and antibiotic resistance to directly control the final hiPSC-CM yield, trigger contraction, and image cell structure and function volumetrically. 3) Validate the predictivity of our new 3D chiral platform in drug screening applications. To do that, we will test a panel of cardiac drugs with known safety/efficacy profiles with our new platform, 2D hydrogels, and traditional glass slides. The CARDINAL project will provide the drug screening field with a more biomimetic tissue-engineered model of the heart muscle that can be extended to vascularized models and the full organ, eventually.

The COSMICC consortium gathers key industrial and research partners with world-leading positions in the fields of Silicon photonics, CMOS electronics, Printed Circuit Board-Packaging, Optical transceivers and Data-Centers around a strong vision: mass commercialization of Si-photonics-based transceivers is possible starting in 2019 by enhancing the existing photonic integration platform of one of the partners, STMicroelectronics. COSMICC will develop optical transceivers that will be packaged on-board. Combining CMOS electronics and Si-photonics with innovative-high-throughput fiber-attachment techniques, the developed solutions are scalable to meet the future data-transmission requirements in data-centers and Super computing systems. With performances improved by an order of magnitude as compared with current VCSELs transceivers, COSMICC developed technology will answer tremendous market needs with a target cost per bit that the traditional WDM transceivers cannot meet. The early setting up of a new value chain will enable exploitation of the developed technologies. In a first high reward step-modification of the fabrication platform, COSMICC consortium will achieve mid-board optical transceivers in the [2Tbit/s -2pJ/bit- 0.2€ per Gbit/s]-class with ~200Gbit/s per fiber: the introduction of one process brick (SiN layer) in the photonic process will enable low-cost packaging techniques (up to 2x12 fiber channels) and practical coarse WDM implementation (4 wavelengths with no temperature-control requirements). The built demonstrators will be tested in lab and field environments. In compliancy with the enhanced-fabrication platform, lasers will be developed by heterogeneous integration of III-V material, targeting improved temperature behavior, and doubled-bit-rate payback. A second step-modification of the fabrication platform will consist in evaluating a disruptive process that enables SiGe layers with tunable Si-composition for achieving micrometer-scale devices.

SCORE brings together interdisciplinary and inter-sectorial research and innovation teams involved in sustainable conservation of built cultural heritage from 4 European (France, Italy, Spain, Denmark) and 2 Latin America (Colombia, Mexico) countries. Consortium includes academics, governmental institutions, SME and NGO. The goal is to develop international partnerships and to exchange highly qualified expertise in order to propose solutions for green restoration and rehabilitation works. These conservation materials and methods must minimize their ecological footprint according to the EU circular economy action plan and be durable in a changing climate. In order to propose solutions for a large variety of built cultural heritage, two kinds of application cases have been selected, archaeological sites in Yucatan peninsula with an equatorial climate, and vernacular built cultural heritage in different types of warm temperate climates in Europe, using different building materials and techniques. The future development of buildings conservation must be founded on previous experience cumulated during thousands of years and must take advantage of recent progress in technology. Thanks to the emission scenarios and climate models, future environments may be considered to increase the durability of the materials and methods proposed. Main pillars underpinning the SCORE project are: • Circular economy principles • Heritage management including valorisation of built cultural heritage • Development of sustainable and durable conservation techniques for vernacular and monumental architecture • All masonry materials are concerned, traditional and non-traditional ones • Life Cycle Assessment techniques to estimate and minimize ecological footprint • Service life prediction to ensure the durability in present and future climate conditions • Improvement in the techniques to characterise the conservation degree