wire - news in brief

Throughout their lifespan, cells must continuously activate and deactivate genes. This process is regulated by transcription factors, a class of proteins that control gene expression by binding to DNA.

Research areas at ETH Zurich span barriers in a wide variety of fields, including cell biology, drug delivery and spatial planning.

Mélina Lasfargues has the honor of being the first student to finish the Neuro X Masters. She completed her master's project on thermal illusions earlier this year.

Chromatin is a structure in the cell nucleus that helps pack DNA tightly by wrapping it around proteins called histones.

Biodiversity is not a political programme: Only just 1.6 % of all documents searched at federal level make reference to the term.

Biodiversity is dwindling rapidly, while measures to protect it are lagging behind the targets. Only one thing can help: utilising scarce resources as efficiently as possible where they are most effective. The "Lanat-3" research project lays the foundation for this with the help of the latest data and AI-supported models.

On Saturday, June 15th, the second edition of the National Day of Information on Laboratory Animals will be held. This event is promoted by the Swiss Association of Veterinarians in Industry and Research (SAVIR) in collaboration with the Swiss Society for Laboratory Animal Science (SGV) and Forschung für Leben (FfL).

The Aquascope underwater camera has been installed in Lake Zug. It is the second permanent measuring station for plankton in Swiss water bodies.

A large-scale interdisciplinary research project on sleep at the University of Bern came to an end this year.

Rare diseases like the deficiency of alpha1-antitrypsin or lysosomal storage disorders are caused by degradation of mutant proteins.

ETH Zurich's new BSS teaching and research building on the Schällemätteli life science campus in Basel will officially open its doors today.

Researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI have for the first time precisely characterised the enzyme styrene oxide isomerase, which can be used to produce valuable chemicals and drug precursors in an environmentally friendly manner. The study appears today in the journal Nature Chemistry . Enzymes are powerful biomolecules that can be used to produce many substances at ambient conditions.

A survey of 99 small Swiss streams reveals that the majority of the studied streams have significant deficits in their ecological condition and can only fulfil their function as a habitat for animals to a limited extent. Insect larvae and other small animals that react sensitively to pesticides are missing in over 70% of the streams examined.

In a new study published in "Nature Communications" the Cejka laboratory and collaborators identified the molecular mechanisms by which the HROB protein enhances the DNA unwinding function of the MCM8-9 helicase, crucial for DNA repair and replication processes.

With over 600,000 deaths in 2022, malaria remains one of the biggest health threats particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.

The Basel spin-off company Bottneuro is developing a personalized treatment helmet - the Miamind neurostimulator.

A Swiss collaboration has been designated a member of the WHO's CoViNet network for the detection and surveillance of coronaviruses.

A study by BEAM researchers, published in "Science of Learning", offers new insights into brain mechanisms linked to differences in associative learning. This research explores how attentional processes influence learning performance, shedding light on our understanding of how the brain works to create relationships between information .

Bioengineer Randall Platt engineers bacteria that can assess the state of our guts. It is hoped this non-invasive technique could eventually be used to develop more effective interventions against malnutrition among children in the Global South.

An international team of researchers including the University of Bern shows in a new study that male glassfrogs that care for their offspring have smaller testes than males of species that do not provide any brood care. This indicates an evolutionary trade-off between sperm production and parenting.

Gene expression is controlled by numerous small RNA molecules called microRNAs, or miRNAs. However, specific functions of most miRNAs remain poorly understood. Working in worms, FMI researchers created an encyclopedia of miRNA dynamics during development, uncovering mechanisms of their regulation. The findings help to better understand typical development and may reveal how these tiny molecules contribute to disease when they become dysfunctional.

Roughly one in two wearers of ventricular assist devices are diagnosed with an infection. The reason for this is the thick cable for the power supply.

Scientists uncover how cancer cells use certain proteins to shield themselves from immune attacks, offering new treatment perspectives with immediate application. A study led by the group of Didier Trono at EPFL has revealed a crucial survival tactic employed by cancer cells. The scientists have identified a group of proteins, known as "KRAB zinc finger proteins" (KZFPs), that help cancer cells maintain genetic stability and avoid immune system detection.

The University of Neuchâtel publishes all of Jean-Jacques Rousseau's herbariums online. The recently inaugurated lesherbiersderousseau.org website brings together the dried plant collections of the Genevan writer and philosopher of the Enlightenment.

Guillain-Barré Syndrome is a rare condition in which a person's immune system attacks the peripheral nerves. People affected suffer from muscle weakness and paralysis. A research team led by ETH Zurich has now clarified the mechanism of this autoimmune disease. Patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) face a rare and heterogeneous disorder of the peripheral nervous system that is often triggered by preceding infections and causes severe muscle weakness.