news

When our expectations differ from reality, specific sets of brain cells are activated. Working in mice, FMI researchers have characterized these neurons based on their gene-expression patterns, paving the way for a better understanding of some of the neuronal deficits associated with neuropsychiatric conditions.

By analyzing genomes up to 40,000 years old, a team from the University of Geneva has traced the history of migrations between Sapiens and Neanderthals. About 40,000 years ago, Neanderthals, who had lived for hundreds of thousands of years in the western part of the Eurasian continent, gave way to Homo sapiens, who had arrived from Africa.

Researchers shed light on the axolotl's unparalleled limb regeneration abilities, challenging long-held beliefs and offering new insights into potential mammalian limb regrowth. In the serene waters of Mexico, the axolotl - a type of salamander - has long fascinated scientists with its remarkable ability to regrow lost limbs.

Scientists have developed an unprecedented simulation that allows the last 120,000 years of glacier evolution in the Alps to be visualized in 80 seconds.

By comparing the dreams of Western and non-Western populations, a study by the University of Geneva and the University of Toronto shows that dreams can have a variable emotional function. Why do we dream? A product of our brain's neurophysiology, dreaming is a complex experience that can take on many emotional tones and simulate reality to varying degrees.

To assess biodiversity goals, reports are typically based on entire countries. Researchers from the Global Mountain Biodiversity Assessment at the University of Bern and the University of Lausanne challenge this country-level analysis regarding conservation efforts for mountain biodiversity. They emphasize that significant sub-national differences are being overlooked and highlight the need for cross-country conservation initiatives.

In most diseases caused by a single gene, the deleterious mutation could be corrected by another mutation, called a "genetic suppressor". This is what researchers at the University of Lausanne, led by Jolanda van Leeuwen, have discovered, opening up potential new therapeutic avenues. Genetic mutations are constantly appearing in the DNA of our cells.

To study muscle diseases, scientists rely on the mouse as a model organism. Researchers at the University of Basel have now developed a new method that is not only faster and more efficient than conventional ones but also greatly reduces the number of experimental animals needed for studying the function of genes in muscle fibers.

After their production, which emits a lot of carbon dioxide, cement-based building materials such as concrete absorb the climate gas again - a process that takes decades and can hardly be controlled. What if it could be accelerated to protect the climate? researchers are collaborating with numerous partners in an elaborate project to find a solution that already takes place in the concrete production plant.

A team from the University of Geneva has developed an electrical device that makes it easy to activate chemical reactions in a 'greener' way. New pharmaceuticals, cleaner fuels, biodegradable plastics: in order to meet society's needs, chemists have to develop new synthesis methods to obtain new products that do not exist in their natural state.

A symphony of electrical signals and a dynamic tangle of connections between brain cells help us to make new memories. Using AI-powered models of groups of neurons, FMI researchers are working towards unlocking how the brain orchestrate this dance. Their latest study has achieved a major advance in accurately simulating the changes in the connections between neurons that sense the external environment, opening the door to a greater understanding of how countless brain cells transform sensations into perceptions and thoughts.

A collaborative study with EPFL builds a novel theory to explain the puzzling collective behavior of glass-forming liquids at low temperatures, a phenomenon with widespread implications in fields like material science and biology. Glass, despite its apparent transparency and rigidity, is a complex and intriguing material.

Alpine solar plants can produce up to four times as much electricity in the winter half-year as plants in the Central Plateau.

Without political measures for zero-emission technologies, a significant proportion of heavy goods vehicles will still run on diesel in 2035. This result is shown in a new ETH Zurich study on the decarbonisation of truck traffic. Without political incentives, heavy goods vehicles will probably continue to run on diesel in the future.

Researchers from the Department of Oncology UNIL-CHUV published a new study in Immunity, showing that machine learning improves the prioritization of cancer specific mutations for cancer immunotherapy. The study *, published in Immunity , was conducted by Markus Müller, a senior scientist in the Immunopeptidomics group headed by Michal Bassani-Sternberg, within the Human Integrated Tumor Immunology Discovery Engine (Hi-TIDe), part of the Ludwig Lausanne branch, which is directed by Pr George Coukos.

Professor Annegret Hannawa from USI Faculty of Communication, Culture and Society will conduct one of the sessions of the upcoming Arctic Circle Assembly in Reykjavík, Iceland. The conference is the largest annual international meeting on the Arctic, and over 700 speakers and more than 2000 participants from 60 countries are expected.

Basel-Landschaft schoolchildren say "ah": every year, the school dental service teaches proper dental hygiene and offers free examinations. A long-term study has now shown the effects these preventative measures have had on dental health and which children continue to be at risk. The first cavity-prevention programs in Switzerland go back to the 1960s.

Cancer cells are chameleons. They completely change their metabolism to grow continuously. University of Basel scientists have discovered that high levels of the amino acid arginine drive metabolic reprogramming to promote tumor growth. This study suggests new avenues to improve liver cancer treatment.

Parithera, an EPFL spin-off, has developed a system that lets doctors detect drug resistance in cancer patients early on, saving precious time and preventing the unnecessary use of treatments with onerous side effects. Drug resistance is a major problem in the treatment of cancer. Some cancer cells demonstrate resistance right at the start of a new therapy, while others develop it over the course of several months or years.

Around 45 percent of the Swiss population is considering moving. More than half of them would like more living space. This is shown by a study conducted by the ZHAW in collaboration with the Federal Office of Housing, the Fédération Romande Immobilière, the Swiss Homeowners Association and Raiffeisen Switzerland .