news from the lab 2012

In Switzerland, there are currently around 12,500 foundations, 76,000 associations and 10,000 cooperatives.

Researchers have developed a miniature on-chip gastrointestinal tract in order to observe the effects of various nutrients on health. The "NutriChip" project's in vitro tests have already begun, on dairy products. What happens in our bodies when we have eaten something? Are "healthy" food products actually good for us, once they have been digested and absorbed? Supported by Nano-Tera and Nestlé, the NutriChip project developed by Martin Gijs's team at the Laboratory of Microsystems at EPFL provides new insights to these questions.

The connections between neurons might play a role in neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's Disease (AD). In a pioneering approach to studying how neurodegenerative diseases like AD spread within the brain, researchers have developed a novel in vitro experimental method that allows them to connect healthy neurons with "infected" neurons and then observe the results.

Elucidating the role of C-terminal post-translational modifications using protein semisynthesis strategies: α-synuclein phosphorylation at tyrosine 125.

A start-up company is putting on the market a thermal regulator that uses neural networks to learn about your house as the seasons change, allowing for savings of up to 65% on fuel.

Scientists describe how the protein phosphatase SHP2 promotes breast cancer with poor prognosis. SHP2 is necessary for the maintenance of the few tumor initiating cells (TICs) in a breast tumor.

A single fiber-optic can light up computer screens. This innovation put in place by a spin-off, brings energy savings of 30% while boosting processors.

Scientists have succeeded in modelling what happens when two bodies slide against each other and thereby release the pressure; a discovery that has implications for the understanding of the magnitude of earthquakes. David Kammer from EPFL has developed a digital model that explains what happens at the interface between two materials when they slide against each other; like a book on a table, rubber soles on linoleum, or - more to the point - tectonic plates.

The proliferation of debris orbiting the Earth - primarily jettisoned rocket and satellite components - is an increasingly pressing problem for spacecraft, and it can generate huge costs.

Researchers have demonstrated a microscopic system in which light can be converted into a mechanical oscillation and back.

Children breastfed for four months or more have better lung function values at school age than children who were not breastfed. On the face of it, things are simple: breastfeeding has many benefits for newborns, for mothers and for society. But a few years ago, data from the United States was published suggesting that for children of asthmatic mothers, being breastfed increased their risk of developing asthma later in life.

Photovoltaic panels made from plant material could become a cheap, easy alternative to traditional solar cells. An entirely novel approach to photovoltaics has been developed. By taking the very protein in plants that allows for photosythesis and engineering it to produce electrical current, researcher Andreas Mershin has opened the door for potentially cheap and easy to reproduce solar energy.

Scientists have developed inertial systems, worn in a full-body swimming suit, which can analyse the strengths and weaknesses of elite-level swimmers during workout sessions. It's a revolutionary new tool for coaches. Will scientists play a role in creating the next Michael Phelps or Laure Manaudou? Researchers from EPFL and University of Lausanne have at least taken the first step, by developing a tool that can help improve elite swimmers' workouts.

A new technology could prevent most breast implant rejections. So far, more than a quarter of all breast implants must be removed within four years, because neighboring tissues develop a rigid envelope of fibrous tissue to protect themselves from the foreign body. A company has developed a protective covering made up of a nanostructured surface and a layer of collagen that will prevent the body from rejecting the implant.

An experiment shows that communication systems can evolve differently within the same species and even the same environment.