news from the lab 2016

28. By administering nicotinamide riboside to elderly mice, EPFL researchers restored their organs' ability to regenerate and prolonged their lives. This method has potential for treating a number of degenerative diseases. Nicotinamide riboside (NR) is pretty amazing. It has already been shown in several studies to be effective in boosting metabolism.

22. EPFL scientists have elucidated for the first time how a notoriously elusive serotonin receptor functions with atom-level detail. The receptor transmits electrical signals in neurons and is involved in various disorders, meaning that the discovery opens the way for new treatments. Serotonin is a major neurotransmitter, regulating mood, appetite, sleep, memory, learning, and other functions by binding to dedicated receptor proteins.

In the last century, the natural reproduction of whitefish and Arctic char in several Swiss lakes was adversely affected by high levels of nutrient inputs. So far, stocking measures have been implemented in efforts to support fish populations and maintain yields. The effectiveness of these measures varies according to the particular species and lake.

12. EPFL scientists propose a new way of understanding of how the brain processes unconscious information into our consciousness. According to the model, consciousness arises only in time intervals of up to 400 milliseconds, with gaps of unconsciousness in between. The driver ahead suddenly stops, and you find yourself stomping on your breaks before you even realize what is going on.

Moths and other nocturnal insects are attracted by artificial light sources. Swiss zoologist study how this behavior differst in animals from areas with high and low light pollution (Image: A. Bieger). The globally increasing light pollution has negative effects on organisms and entire ecosystems.

Media releases, information for representatives of the media Media Relations (E) Variation in social organization and behavior of of highly social animals like cichlids is primarily explained by predation risk and related ecological factors.

Injuries to the spinal cord partially or completely disrupt the neural pathways between the brain and the limbs. The consequences for the representation of the affected limbs in the brain can be drastic. ETH researchers have now measured how severely this representation is affected. A strange sensation, but familiar to anyone who has ever been given local anaesthesia and watched while a doctor operated on their leg or arm: in that moment, your own body part seems foreign, as if it doesn't belong to your body.

17. In a cutting-edge treatment for Alzheimer's disease, EPFL scientists have developed an implantable capsule that can turn the patient's immune system against the disease.

We are not all equal when it comes to viral infections. Some people end up out of action for weeks, whilst others recover spontaneously.

Genetic sequencing is in widespread use today, but until now has not been accurate enough to identify an antibody immune response. Now, thanks to a new control system based on genetic barcodes, the technique is far more reliable - and ready for use in the development of vaccines and antibody drugs. Researchers in the Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering at ETH Zurich in Basel have developed a new method that allows them to record the vast range of antibodies in an individual, genetically in one fell swoop.

Individual bacterial cells have short memories. But groups of bacteria can develop a collective memory that can increase their tolerance to stress. This has been demonstrated experimentally for the first time in a study by Eawag and ETH Zurich scientists published in PNAS. Bacteria exposed to a moderate concentration of salt survive subsequent exposure to a higher concentration better than if there is no warning event.

Nearly every second woman suffers from a bladder infection at some point in her life. Researchers from ETH Zurich and the University of Basel have now discovered how the intestinal bacterium E. coli attaches itself so successfully to the surface of the urinary tract. Many women have already experienced how painful a bladder infection can be: a burning pain during urination and a constant urge to urinate are the typical symptoms.

Often, it is hard to understand why people behave the way they do, because their true motives remain hidden. Researchers at the University of Zurich have now shown how peoples' motives can be identified as they are characterized by a specific interplay between different brain regions. They also show how empathy motives increase altruistic behavior in selfish people.

ETH researchers develop an integral control loop for living cells extending established tools from control engineering.

25. A new generation of biological infection-fighting bandages could reduce the death rate among victims of serious burns. This technology, which EPFL helped develop, is the result of close collaboration among Swiss burn specialists. Serious burn victims are immunocompromised and may be missing skin on parts of their body, and this makes them highly vulnerable to bacteria.

Media releases, information for representatives of the media Media Relations (E) We do not always say what we think: we like to hide certain prejudices, sometimes even from ourselves. But unconscious prejudices become visible with tests, because we need a longer time if we must associate unpleasant things with positive terms.

Media releases, information for representatives of the media Media Relations (E) Japanese Encephalitis (JE) virus causes serious inflammation of the brain in people and fertility problems in pigs. Mosquitoes were previously the only known transmission route. However, the virus can also be spread from pig to pig by direct, and this could enable it to circulate in pigs during the mosquito-free winter season.

19. Researchers led by EPFL have found how lactate, a waste product of glucose metabolism can protect neurons from damage following acute trauma such as stroke or spinal cord injury. Stroke or spinal cord injury can cause nerve cells to receive excessive stimulation, which ultimately damages and even kills them.

Media releases, information for representatives of the media Media Relations (E) Researchers from Bern, England and Australia have observed the "Princess of Lake Tanganyika" cichlid in territorial conflicts and made an astonishing discovery; the conflicts distract the animals from their surrounding environments to such an extent that they notice lurking dangers only very late - yet the fish have a strategy which saves their lives: instead of trying to escape from predators, they defend themselves.

15. An innovative tool allows researchers to observe protein aggregation throughout the life of a worm. The development of these aggregates, which play a role in the onset of a number of neurodegenerative diseases, can now be monitored automatically and in real time. This breakthrough was made possible by isolating worms in tiny microfluidic chambers developed at EPFL.