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Life Sciences - Social Sciences - 11.02.2025
Gender and beliefs shape homophobic attitudes
A team from the University of Geneva shows how the interpretation of specific scientific information on sexual orientation differs according to the gender and religiosity of individuals. Sexual orientation is believed to result from complex processes that are still widely debated. However, for several years, a large body of research has sought to identify potential biological factors.

Environment - Life Sciences - 11.02.2025
Two new fish species discovered in Swiss waters
Two new fish species discovered in Swiss waters
University of Bern, Patrizia Jaeggi The public can take part in a survey to decide on the names of two fish species discovered by Bárbara Calegari and her colleagues.

Health - Life Sciences - 04.02.2025
Omega-3s Can Slow Down Aging Process
A daily intake of one gram of omega-3s can slow down biological aging by up to four months, according to an analysis of clinical data from the international DO-HEALTH study led by the University of Zurich. For the first time, epigenetic clocks were used to measure the aging process. Many people would like to delay or even stop the aging process.

Health - Life Sciences - 04.02.2025
A molecular syringe paves the way to new therapeutic approaches
A molecular syringe paves the way to new therapeutic approaches
A team from UNIGE, the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Physiology in Dortmund, and Heinrich Heine University in Düsseldorf has identified the attack mechanism of the Tc toxin produced by certain bacteria. From the breakthrough of Nobel Prize-winning CRISPR gene-editing methods to the development of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, the ability to manipulate biomolecules has emerged as one of the most significant advancements in science and medicine over the past decade.

Life Sciences - Pharmacology - 30.01.2025
Designing proteins with their environment in mind
Researchers have developed a computational method to explicitly consider the impact of water while designing membrane receptors with enhanced stability and signaling, paving the way for novel drug discovery and protein engineering. Proteins are life's engines, powering processes like muscle movement, vision, and chemical reactions.

Innovation - Life Sciences - 30.01.2025
Bat wings boost hovering efficiency
Bat wings boost hovering efficiency
Researchers have designed flexible, batlike wings that boost lift and improve flight performance. This innovation could lead to more efficient drones or energy-harvesting technologies. In 1934, French entomologist Antoine Magnan wrote that bumblebees "should not be able to fly", as their small wings should theoretically not be able to produce enough lift.

Agronomy / Food Science - Life Sciences - 30.01.2025
Why maggots love rotting fruit
Why maggots love rotting fruit
At the slightest sign of rot on an apple or pear, little flies start swirling around it. No wonder! Drosophila and their larvae love rotting fruit. Researchers at the University of Fribourg have discovered how they can sense when a fruit is 'ripe '. Thanks to taste cells called mechanoreceptors, fly larvae can not only taste food, but also appreciate its consistency.

Life Sciences - Health - 27.01.2025
Some proteins find their 'soulmate' at birth
Some proteins find their ’soulmate’ at birth
A study by UNIGE and the Weizmann Institute reveals how certain proteins assemble as soon as they are synthesized, ensuring their stability and efficiency. Proteins, the pillars of cellular function, often assemble into "complexes" to fulfill their functions. A study by the University of Geneva and the Weizmann Institute, in collaboration with the Technion, reveals why this assembly often begins during the very process of protein synthesis or ''birth''.

Life Sciences - Environment - 21.01.2025
Harnessing proteins to clean contaminated soil
Harnessing proteins to clean contaminated soil
Scientists from EPFL work on sustainable approaches to soil remediation, like the use of naturally occurring microorganisms that can "eat" pollutants found in soil and the water table.

Life Sciences - Environment - 17.01.2025
The two-headed Hydra is not just a myth
The two-headed Hydra is not just a myth
A team from the University of Geneva shows how to produce two-headed and donut Hydras simply by applying pressure to their bodies. The Hydra is a small aquatic species found in freshwater ponds and lakes. This animal fascinates scientists because of its ability to regenerate its head or foot when they are cut off.

Health - Life Sciences - 16.01.2025
Sophisticated early warning system: How bacteria respond to threats
Sophisticated early warning system: How bacteria respond to threats
University of Basel researchers have discovered that bacteria can sense threats in advance through a general danger signal. Bacteria detect when nearby cells are dying and proactively form a protective biofilm. Understanding how bacteria communicate and respond to threats is crucial for combating infections.

Pharmacology - Life Sciences - 16.01.2025
A deep learning pipeline for controlling protein interactions
A deep learning pipeline for controlling protein interactions
Scientists have used deep learning to design new proteins that bind to complexes involving other small molecules like hormones or drugs, opening up a world of possibilities in the computational design of molecular interactions for biomedicine. In 2023, scientists in the joint School of Engineering and School of Life Sciences Laboratory of Protein Design and Immunoengineering ( LPDI ), led by Bruno Correia, published in Nature a deep-learning pipeline for designing new proteins to interact with therapeutic targets.

Life Sciences - Pharmacology - 15.01.2025
GenAI ushers in a new era of drug research
GenAI ushers in a new era of drug research
The use of generative artificial intelligence in protein design stands to revolutionize new drug development. EPFL ambitions putting together a consortium to further explore this avenue. All living things are made of proteins. They play a key role in cell structure, nourishment and health, as well as in drug-body interactions.

Life Sciences - Physics - 15.01.2025
How cryogenic microscopy could help strengthen food security
How cryogenic microscopy could help strengthen food security
A joint EPFL and University of Lausanne research team reports on a novel observation of a plant protection mechanism in response to salt stress. The study opens new avenues of research to strengthen food security. According to the United Nations, soil salinization affects between 20% and 40% of arable land globally, with human activity and climate change - especially rising sea levels - largely responsible for this process.

Health - Life Sciences - 09.01.2025
Precision gene editing could prevent vision loss from Stargardt disease
Precision gene editing could prevent vision loss from Stargardt disease
Researchers have developed a therapy to treat Stargardt disease, the most common form of inherited macular degeneration, which often leads to vision loss. Their study shows promising results using a precise technique for gene correction. The Stargardt disease affects around 1 in 6500 people and is therefore a rare disease.

Environment - Life Sciences - 08.01.2025
Unique microbiome on our planet's roof
Unique microbiome on our planet's roof
Two EPFL-led articles published in 'Nature' and 'Nature Microbiology' shed light on the uniqueness, complexity and climate-related vulnerability of the world's glacier-fed-stream microbiome. The streams draining the glaciers on our planet's mountaintops harbor a wealth of unique microorganisms, yet little was known about these complex ecosystems until recently.

Life Sciences - 11.12.2024
Empathy and cooperation in rats
Empathy and cooperation in rats
Rats release trapped companions, subsequently enabling them to collaborate for acquiring food. Experiments conducted at the University of Bern established this connection between obliging liberation behaviour and coordinated cooperation. These results may point towards a biological basis for empathy, presenting new perspectives on the evolutionary origins of compassionate behaviour.

Life Sciences - Chemistry - 11.12.2024
Biological diversity is not just the result of genes
Biological diversity is not just the result of genes
A UNIGE study reveals how mechanics, linked to tissue growth, help generate the diversity of biological structures. How can we explain the morphological diversity of living organisms? Although genetics is the answer that typically springs to mind, it is not the only explanation. By combining observations of embryonic development, advanced microscopy, and cutting-edge computer modelling, a multi-disciplinary team from the University of Geneva demonstrate that the crocodile head scales emerge from the mechanics of growing tissues, rather than molecular genetics.

Environment - Life Sciences - 10.12.2024
Tropical forests: human intervention changes tree species diversity
Tropical forests: human intervention changes tree species diversity
An international team of researchers involving the University of Bern has investigated the consequences of deforestation and degradation of tropical forests. They were able to show that there are "winner" and "loser" species, whereby the displacement of the "losers" can lead to a decline in the ecological functions of tropical forests.

Health - Life Sciences - 06.12.2024
How harmless is arsenic in seafood?
How harmless is arsenic in seafood?
An interdisciplinary study from the University of Bern reveals that gut bacteria play a crucial role in converting arsenobetaine into toxic arsenic compounds. Results show that arsenobetaine, commonly found in seafood and previously considered harmless, is partly transformed into toxic arsenic compounds by the action of gut bacteria in the mammalian body.
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