Project description
New error-correcting approaches for modern data storage systems
Transmitting information over noisy communication channels is challenging, especially when the sender and receiver lose synchronisation. For example, in DNA-based data storage, bits of information can be deleted or corrupted, making it harder to accurately retrieve data. These synchronisation errors require entirely new techniques as existing ones for simpler channels break down. The ERC-funded LESYNCH project will study channels where synchronisation is lost and design reliable, nearly optimal codes and efficient procedures to correct errors. The proposed research will help improve data storage systems, opening up new possibilities in communication technology.
Objective
Understanding the limits of reliable information transmission over noisy communication channels and designing efficient
codes for such channels are major cornerstones of information and coding theory. Most techniques developed in this area in the last 75 years have been targeted at discrete memoryless channels, which have the property that the i-th received symbol is an independent noisy function of the i-th transmitted symbol only. As a result, sender and receiver are synchronized, greatly simplifying their analysis. The study of such channels has given rise to a rich theory with many important applications beyond their original motivation.
The project's goal is to tackle fundamental problems in the theory of information and efficient coding for channels which cause a loss of synchronization between sender and receiver. Besides theoretical interest, these channels capture important properties of modern data storage systems, such as DNA-based data storage. Almost all techniques designed for discrete memoryless channels break down when applied to channels with loss of synchronization. Therefore, studying even the simplest such channels (like the Binary Deletion Channel, which independently deletes each input bit with some probability) requires developing conceptually new techniques. I expect these techniques to have groundbreaking influence in other areas, like the techniques developed for discrete memoryless channels did.
In this project, I aim to characterize the capacity of channels with synchronization errors and to design reliable codes with nearly-optimal rate and efficient encoding and error-correction procedures for these channels. This includes multi-trace channels with synchronization errors (that produce multiple corrupted outputs on a given input) and channels with correlated synchronization errors, both motivated by applications to DNA-based data storage.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
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CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2025-STG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
3810-193 GLORIA E VERA CRUZ
Portugal
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.