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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.

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.

Scientists from the University of Geneva and HUG have developed CAR-T cells capable of targeting malignant gliomas while preserving healthy tissue. Glioblastoma is the most common and most aggressive primary brain tumour, with an average survival after diagnosis of less than two years, and against which current treatments remain ineffective.

A team from the University of Geneva has discovered the genetic programmes that allow motor neurons to retract from the spinal cord. This discovery opens up prospects for combating neurodegeneration. The motor cortex is made up of neurons responsible for muscle contraction. These neurons have cellular extensions called axons, which project from the cortex into the spinal cord.

An international team, including UNIGE, unveiled the "Neptunian Ridge", an overdensity of Neptunes nestled between the Neptunian Desert and the Neptunian Savanna. Astronomers have uncovered the ''Neptunian Ridge'', a newly identified feature in the distribution of exoplanets. This discovery, led by an international team including members of the University of Geneva, The NCCR PlanetS and the Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), highlights the complex dynamics within the Neptunian Desert, a region with a scarcity of hot Neptunes, and the Neptunian Savanna, where these planets are more commonly found.

Scientists at the University of Geneva, Bern Inselpital and UNIBE have discovered that hidden mutations in non-coding DNA are responsible for the ageing of certain tissues, such as those in the liver. The accumulation of mutations in DNA is often mentioned as an explanation for the ageing process, but it remains just one hypothesis among many.

A team from the University of Geneva and ETH Zurich has shown how the locus coeruleus, a small region of the brain, manages the transition from intense focus to heightened global awareness. What enables our brain to go from intense concentration to a heightened state of alertness? A study carried out by neuroscientists at the University of Geneva , in collaboration with ETH Zurich, shows that a brain region called locus coeruleus (LC) and the neurotransmitter noradrenaline act as conductors, reorganising brain functions according to the mental demands of the moment.

An international team, including the University of Geneva, has discovered that iron winds are blowing on the day side of the planet WASP-76 b. An international team of astronomers, including scientists from the University of Geneva and the PlanetS National Centre of Competence in Research, has identified the presence of iron winds in the atmosphere of the ultra-hot Jupiter WASP-76 b. This planet with its extreme conditions - over 2

Our glycaemic balance is based on the ability of the pancreatic beta cells to detect glucose and secrete insulin to maintain our blood sugar levels. If these cells malfunction, the balance is broken, and diabetes develops. Until now, the scientific community agreed that beta cells needed the other hormone-producing cells of the pancreas to function properly.

The way we memorise information - a mathematical problem statement, for example - reveals the way we process it. A team from the University of Geneva , in collaboration with CY Cergy Paris University (CYU) and Bourgogne University (uB), has shown how different solving methods can alter the way information is memorised and even create false memories.

Previously thought to be negligible, the Sun-s magnetic activity is influencing the determination of its seismic age, as shown by a study published by an international team led by a researcher from the University of Geneva. An international team of astronomers, led by a researcher from the University of Geneva , has shown that the Sun-s magnetic activity has a significant influence on its seismic characterisation, contrary to predictions in the literature.

Scientists have discovered how yeast cells sense physical stresses on the membranes that protect them. Cell membranes play a crucial role in maintaining the integrity and functionality of cells. However, the mechanisms by which they perform these roles are not yet fully understood. Scientists from the University of Geneva , in collaboration with the Institut de biologie structurale de Grenoble (IBS) and the University of Fribourg (UNIFR), have used cryo-electron microscopy to observe how lipids and proteins at the plasma membrane interact and react to mechanical stress.

By identifying mechanisms unique to leukaemia-causing cells, a French-Swiss team has discovered a new way to fight the disease. Acute myeloid leukaemia is one of the deadliest cancers. Leukaemic stem cells responsible for the disease are highly resistant to treatment. A team from the University of Geneva , University Hospital of Geneva (HUG), and Inserm has made a breakthrough by identifying some of the genetic and energetic characteristics of these stem cells, notably a specific iron utilisation process.

A team from the University of Geneva shows that overly strong or weak interconnections between certain brain areas could be a predictive marker of the disease. Is it possible to assess an individual's risk of psychosis? Identifying predictive markers is a key challenge in psychiatry. A team from the University of Geneva , part of the Synapsy Centre for Neuroscience and Mental Health Research, studied a cohort of patients with a 22q11.2DS microdeletion-a genetic anomaly linked to psychotic disorders.

A study highlights the toxicity risks of high-protein diets, which can lead to severe neurological disorders. High-protein diets, known as ''Paleolithic diets'', are popular. Using mouse models, scientists at the University of Geneva have studied their impact. While effective in regulating weight and stabilizing diabetes, these diets are not without risks.

Two biologists from UNIGE determined how bands and then spots are formed on the skin of the leopard gecko. While the patterns and colours of lizards' skin are fascinating, the mechanisms behind them are largely unknown. A team from the University of Geneva studied the leopard gecko, a popular lizard, to understand how the bands on the skin of juveniles turn into spots when they reach adulthood.

A team from the University of Geneva has succeeded in determining the exact moment when the brain detects another person's gaze direction. The gaze plays a central role in everyday social interactions. Our capacity for instant communication relies on the brain's ability to detect and interpret the direction of others' gaze.

A team of Swiss and Greek archaeologists has completed the fourth season of excavations on the wreck of Antikythera, uncovering part of the ship's hull. The 2024 expedition to the Antikythera wreck, carried out from 17 May to 20 June 2024, has led to a breakthrough in the 2021-2025 research program orchestrated by the Swiss School of Archaeology in Greece (ESAG) and supervised by the Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports.

By deciphering the neural response to a possible reward in people suffering from schizophrenia, a team from the University of Geneva and HUG explains the origin of the lack of motivation, one of the symptoms of the illness. Schizophrenia, which affects up to 1% of the population, is a neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by multiple symptoms.

An international team has shown the existence of two distinct populations of sub-Neptunes, resolving a debate in the scientific community. The majority of stars in our galaxy are home to planets. The most abundant are the sub-Neptunes, planets between the size of Earth and Neptune. Calculating their density poses a problem for scientists: depending on the method used to measure their mass, two populations are highlighted, the dense and the less dense.