news 2024

The groundbreaking discovery at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB) in Bellinzona, affiliated with USI, has revealed, through the study of DNA repair mechanisms, a function of a protein with the ability to fight specific cancerous formations. This discovery has garnered significant interest and was recently featured on the RSI television programme "il Quotidiano." In Professor  Petr Cejka 's laboratory, a team of ten researchers has been studying the mechanisms of DNA repair, a crucial process for preventing diseases such as cancer.

Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a laser that produces the strongest ultra-short laser pulses to date. In the future, such high power pulses could be used for precision measurements or materials processing. The word laser usually conjures up an image of a strongly concentrated and continuous light beam.

Researchers developed a rating system to evaluate the plausibility of climate model simulations in the IPCC's latest report, and show that models that lead to potentially catastrophic warming are to be taken seriously. What will the future climate be like? Scientists around the world are studying climate change, putting together models of the Earth's system and large observational datasets in the hopes of understanding - and predicting over the next 100 years - the planet's climate.

Catalysts belonging to the zeolite family help to remove toxic nitrogen oxides from industrial emissions. Researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI have now discovered that their complex nano porous structure is crucial. Specifically, individual iron atoms sitting in certain neighbouring pores communicate with each other, thereby driving the desired reaction.

During heavy rainfall, sewage systems are frequently overloaded, leading to untreated wastewater being discharged into surface waters. Modelling techniques used by researchers now show that the volume of such combined sewer overflows could more than triple as a result of climate change However, these studies also reveal that this increase could be avoided through the use of Blue-Green Infrastructure, such as infiltration basins, retention ponds, and porous pavements.

Its preservation benefits many others: the umbrella species. This is the role played by the white-backed woodpecker for beetles that feed on dead wood. This rare bird is therefore an indirect indicator of biodiversity, as researchers at BFH-HAFL have shown. Deciduous or mixed forests with lots of dead wood - this is the preferred habitat of the White-backed Woodpecker.

Materials researchers have created a new composite material that combines two incompatible properties: stiff yet with a high damping capacity. A compressor hums, an air conditioning system rattles, a railway carriage chassis clatters, sending reverberations through its passengers. Vibrations are not only annoying but can also be harmful.

An EPFL study has revealed the impact of five common personal care products when they're used in enclosed spaces. Surprisingly, when they come into contact with ozone, the products spark chemical reactions generating new air pollutants. The personal care products we use on a daily basis significantly affect indoor air quality, according to new research by a team at EPFL.

Researchers have discovered molecules capable of limiting the side effects of opioids by blocking the receptor responsible for their action. Opioid drugs are highly effective at relieving pain but come with severe drawbacks. Their side effects range from dizziness to potentially fatal respiratory depression.

How does the increasingly heated public discourse on feminist and LGBTIQ+ issues affect individuals and communities in everyday life? What difficulties do they face in Germany and how do they confront them? The Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts investigated these questions as part of the European Horizon project RESIST.

With the help of VR glasses and playful exercises, tele-rehabilitation of patients is to be made more effective and attractive.

Researchers at EPFL have uncovered a new class of transcription factors that play a crucial role in gene regulation, offering fresh perspectives on how cells maintain their identity and function. Every cell in our body contains the same DNA, yet liver cells are different from brain cells, and skin cells differ from muscle cells.

A team from the University of Geneva and EPFL has demonstrated how Hsp70 chaperone proteins help proteins move within cells. Proteins control most of the body's functions, and their malfunction can have severe consequences, such as neurodegenerative diseases or cancer. Therefore, cells have mechanisms in place to control protein quality.

A team of scientists has provided insight into the mechanisms at work in geothermal reservoirs located deep underground, known as supercritical reservoirs. Through a combination of computer simulations and lab experiments, they showed that rocks located between five and eight kilometers deep in the Earth's crust are also permeable to fluids.

Pesticides aren't always necessary: researchers at the University of Zurich have conducted a comprehensive field study showing that damage from herbivores can be reduced by using biodiversity within a plant species. Different plant genotypes can cooperate to help fend off herbivorous insects. Just like humans, plants interact with the individuals around them.

Engineers at EPFL and ETH Zurich have come up with a new approach for reducing traffic congestion in large cities during rush hour. Their system is designed to be both fair and effective. Rush-hour traffic congestion is a major headache for commuters and a real problem for city planners. Worldwide, a huge amount of time is wasted stuck in traffic.

Aquatic invertebrates are used as bioindicators to evaluate the quality of Swiss watercourses. However, climate change is also leading to changes in the species composition of these organisms. Eawag has now investigated the impacts of increasing temperatures on water body evaluations on behalf of the FoeN.

EPFL professor's passion for sustainable flying and expertise in machine learning and computer vision drives innovation in green aviation design and beyond. Aerodynamic shape optimization (ASO) is a key technique in aerodynamic design aimed at enhancing an object's physical performance while adhering to specific constraints.

An organism as a tenant in another - in biology, this often works quite well. researchers have now shed light on how such a partnership of a cell in a cell can establish. Endosymbiosis is a fascinating biological phenomenon in which an organism lives inside another. Such an unusual relationship is often beneficial for both parties.

An AI research collaboration led by EPFL professor Alexander Mathis creates a model which provides deep insights into hand movement, which is an essential step for the development of neuroprosthetics and rehabilitation technologies.