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A team from the UNIGE has demonstrated that cells self-organise to generate forces that model the shapes of our tissues. How are the different shapes of our organs and tissues generated? To answer this question, a team from the University of Geneva , Switzerland, forced muscle cells to spontaneously reproduce simple shapes in vitro .

A team from the University of Geneva has developed a new material that improves the performance of solid-state sodium batteries, a less dangerous and more durable alternative to lithium. The future of battery technologies lies in sodium. More sustainable than lithium - which currently powers most of our devices and vehicles - sodium is also abundant on the earth's surface.

Scientists from the University of Geneva and Université Grenoble Alpes have shown that women from under-privileged cultural backgrounds are less likely to take physical exercise in adulthood. It has now been demonstrated that the socio-economic conditions in which children grow up in will have an impact on their health behaviour- particularly physical activity - in adulthood.

A team from the University of Geneva demonstrates how genes and environment interact in autistic disorders, thus explaining the vast variability of the disease's symptoms. People with autism spectrum disorders all have characteristic behavioural difficulties. Nevertheless, the important heterogeneity of their symptoms remains one of the major questions for scientists and physicians.

A multidisciplinary team at the University of Geneva has succeeded in explaining the complex distribution of scales in the ocellated lizard by means of a simple equation. The shape-shifting clouds of starling birds, the organization of neural networks or the structure of an anthill: nature is full of complex systems whose behaviors can be modeled using mathematical tools.

A team from the UNIGE demonstrates that certain soft incentive techniques, known as «nudges», are effective in getting people to change their behaviour. To get through challenges such as the pandemic or the climate change, citizens must change their habits and behaviors. But how can this be achieved without resorting to coercive measures? The answer to this question may be the «nudges» that have been gaining popularity over the last decade.

 An Italian-Swiss team demonstrates children reading skills can be improved through a novel child-friendly action video game. What if video games, instead of being an obstacle to literacy, could actually help children improve their reading abilities? A team from the University of Geneva has joined forces with scientists from the University of Trento in Italy to test an action video game for children, which would enhance reading skills.

Scientists from the University of Geneva have discovered that fat may help the pancreas adapt to excess sugar, thereby slowing down the onset of diabetes. With nearly 10% of the world's population affected, type 2 diabetes is a major public health issue. An excessively sedentary lifestyle and a too-caloric diet encourage the development of this metabolic disease by altering the functioning of pancreatic cells and making blood sugar regulation less effective.

A research team from the UNIGE and the HUG has succeeded in identifying certain signals produced by our brain when we speak to ourselves. What if it were possible to decode the internal language of individuals deprived of the ability to express themselves? This is the objective of a team of neuroscientists from the University of Geneva and the University Hospitals of Geneva (HUG).

A research team involving the Universities of Bern and Geneva has identified the strong tidal influence on WASP-103b. With the help of the CHEOPS space telescope, an international team including researchers from the Universities of Bern and Geneva as well as the National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) PlanetS, was able to detect the deformation of an exoplanet for the first time.

A multidisciplinary team led by researchers from the University of Geneva and MPIPKS has solved with a mathematical equation the mystery of how an organ changes its size depending on the size of the animal. The smallest fish in the world, the Paedocypris, measures only 7 millimeters. This is nothing compared to the 9 meters of the whale shark.

UNIGE Scientists have discovered how the absence of a genetic switch can lead to malformations during embryonic development. Embryonic development follows delicate stages: for everything to go well, many genes must coordinate their activity according to a very meticulous scheme and tempo. This precision mechanism sometimes fails, leading to more or less disabling malformations.

Chemists at the University of Geneva have developed a new technique for selecting assemblies of molecules, making it possible to find the best combinations for each protein to be combated quickly and cheaply. Our body must constantly defend itself against bacteria and viruses. It generates millions of different antibodies, which are selected to recognise the enemy and trigger the best possible immune response.

Researchers from the University of Geneva identified that the amount of food regulate the gut size and its capacity to absorb calories, thus shedding light on a fundamental mechanism at the very origin of obesity. With more than 10% of the world's population obese and 40% overweight, obesity constitutes one of the most crucial health challenges.

A team from the UNIGE has discovered that neurons linked to the reward system are responsible for motivating us to interact with our fellow human beings. Human beings, like most mammals, need social interactions to live and develop. The processes that drive them towards each other require decision making whose brain machinery is largely misunderstood.

Scientists from the University of Geneva show that during development, the different populations of neurons needed for connections between brain areas share similar genetic programs, but which unfold at different speeds. The cerebral cortex, located at the surface of the brain, handles the cognitive, language, and complex functions that allow us to represent the world or project ourselves into the future.

A team from the University of Geneva has implemented a new way to secure data transfers based on the physical principle of relativity. The volume of data transferred is constantly increasing, but the absolute security of these exchanges cannot be guaranteed, as shown by cases of hacking frequently reported in the news.

Researchers from the UNIGE and USI have analysed the impact of the Swiss motorway network on the evolution of household composition among the country's municipalities. The development of transport infrastructure is a central issue for states, which spend billions to connect cities. But what is their real effect on the municipalities concerned? Researchers from the University of Geneva and the Università della Svizzera italiana (USI) looked at the evolution of the income composition of the population of cities in Switzerland once they are connected to the motorway network.

Geologists from the UNIGE and Peking University have developed a technique that makes it possible to estimate the maximum size of a future super-eruption of Toba volcano in Sumatra. It is estimated that about 5-10 volcanoes worldwide are capable of producing a super-eruption that could catastrophically affect global climate.

Astronomers led by the UNIGE have discovered exoplanets that orbit in planes at 90 degrees from each other. When planets form, they usually continue their orbital evolution in the equatorial plane of their star. However, an international team, led by astronomers from the University of Geneva , Switzerland, has discovered that the exoplanets of a star in the constellation Pisces orbit in planes perpendicular to each other, with the innermost planet the only one still orbiting in the equatorial plane.