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Life Sciences - Physics - 22.03.2023 
How vision begins
Researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI have deciphered the molecular processes that first occur in the eye when light hits the retina. The processes - which take only a fraction of a trillionth of a second - are essential for human sight. The study has now been published in the scientific journal Nature .
Life Sciences - 21.03.2023 
Can we learn without a brain?
Some animals do not need a brain to be able to learn. This is what Professor Simon Sprecher of the University of Freiburg has revealed in a study that has just been published. With his team, the biologist taught a sea anemone to adapt its behavior according to past experiences . We spontaneously associate the faculties of learning and memorization with the existence of a brain.
Life Sciences - Environment - 16.03.2023 
Genetics as a tool to protect endangered chimpanzees
West African chimpanzees in Guinea are threatened by mining. Using a novel genetic approach, researchers together with an international team have collected information on the population size and community structure of the threatened species. These data provide an important basis for assessing the impact of mining .
Life Sciences - Psychology - 14.03.2023 
Detecting hidden brain states
Mental health disorders can only be diagnosed on the basis of symptoms - and individual outcomes cannot be accurately predicted. An ETH scientist hopes to change that with the help of mathematical models. Why do we have emotions? Klaas Enno Stephan, a professor at ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich, considers the question carefully before answering: "It seems very plausible that the purpose of the emotions is to make us aware of unconscious processes in the body." As a doctor and researcher, Stephan is particularly interested in the interaction between brain and body.
Life Sciences - Health - 14.03.2023 
The legacy of trauma
Emotional trauma can have far-reaching ripple effects and may even reverberate across generations. Professors Isabelle Mansuy and Katharina Gapp study how the effects of trauma can be inherited through epigenetic mechanisms. Our parents and grandparents form part of who we are. They reared us and served as our role models, and they also passed on their genes.
Life Sciences - Innovation - 09.03.2023
Life Sciences - Environment - 07.03.2023 
An internal thermometer tells the seeds when to germinate
A team from the University of Geneva has discovered the mechanisms by which the seed decides to remain in 'hibernation' or to trigger its germination depending on the outside temperature. Germination is a crucial stage in the life of a plant as it will leave the stage of seed resistant to various environmental constraints (climatic conditions, absence of nutritive elements, etc.) to become a seedling much more vulnerable.
Life Sciences - Computer Science - 07.03.2023
Life Sciences - Chemistry - 03.03.2023 
How plants communicate at a distance
Plants have a powerful warning system in case of attack, based on a sophisticated communication mode. In a study published in the journal "Cell", the group of Prof. Edward Farmer of the University of Lausanne details the mechanism of propagation of the electrical signal essential to this defense process .
Environment - Life Sciences - 02.03.2023 
Scientists monitor wildlife to boost preservation efforts
To mark the tenth annual UN World Wildlife Day, we compiled a sample of EPFL research projects that are using technology to protect and preserve wildlife. Everywhere you look, biodiversity is under threat. According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), wildlife populations have plummeted by 69% since 1970.
Life Sciences - Health - 01.03.2023 
How to generate new neurons in the brain
A team of biologists led by UNIGE and UNIL has discovered how to awaken neural stem cells and reactivate them in adult mice. Some areas of the adult brain contain quiescent, or dormant, neural stem cells that can potentially be reactivated to form new neurons. However, the transition from quiescence to proliferation is still poorly understood.
Life Sciences - 28.02.2023 
Male aggression is a threat to the survival of species
A fan-shaped tail with shimmering colors in the peacock, eyes perched at the ends of long stems on either side of the head in the Diopsidae flies. The different finery that males use to distinguish themselves is the "seductive" part of mating. The aggressiveness they show to each other, and especially to females, can have an extremely deleterious effect on the biology of populations.
Life Sciences - Chemistry - 23.02.2023 
Where do toxins from tobacco attack DNA?
It is known that toxins in tobacco smoke can change our DNA - but where exactly in the genome they do this has been a mystery. A new approach developed by researchers at ETH Zurich now brings light into the darkness. In the future, this could make it easier than ever to determine the safety of many chemical substances.
Health - Life Sciences - 21.02.2023
Health - Life Sciences - 20.02.2023 
Oral bacteria may increase heart disease risk
Researchers at EPFL have found that infection with a common bacterium that is linked to periodontal disease, oral cancers, and bad breath may cause a small increase in the risk of cardiovascular disease. A combination of genetic and environmental risk factors contributes to heart disease, which is responsible for about a third of all deaths worldwide.
Life Sciences - Physics - 17.02.2023 
Achieving a better understanding of how the blood-brain barrier works
Up to now, the use of models to research the barrier that separates the circulatory from the nervous system has proven to be either limited or extremely complicated. Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a more realistic model that can also be used to better explore new treatments for brain tumours.
Life Sciences - 15.02.2023 
A cell atlas to map different types of neurons
After four years of research, EPFL's Blue Brain Project shares an enriched version of their 3D digital cell atlas of the mouse brain which includes more neuron types. The new approach can be extended to any other cell type, and provides a resource to build tissue-level models of the mouse brain.
Health - Life Sciences - 07.02.2023 
How age and sex influence our body clocks
Researchers have uncovered the intricacies of gene expression rhythms in humans, shedding new light on how sex and age influence our body clocks. The human body runs on a finely tuned clock synchronized to the 24-hour cycle of Earth's rotation, known as the circadian clock, which controls various physiological processes such as the sleep-wake cycle, hormone production, and metabolism.
Life Sciences - 06.02.2023 
Translating an RNA boosts its degradation
In the cell, messenger RNAs — or mRNAs — are translated into proteins and eventually degraded, but the relationship between translation and mRNA decay remains cloudy. FMI researchers developed an innovative tool to control and visualize mRNA translation and decay, one molecule at the time.
Life Sciences - Innovation - 02.02.2023
Life Sciences
Results 1 - 20 of 1229.
Researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI have deciphered the molecular processes that first occur in the eye when light hits the retina. The processes - which take only a fraction of a trillionth of a second - are essential for human sight. The study has now been published in the scientific journal Nature .
Some animals do not need a brain to be able to learn. This is what Professor Simon Sprecher of the University of Freiburg has revealed in a study that has just been published. With his team, the biologist taught a sea anemone to adapt its behavior according to past experiences . We spontaneously associate the faculties of learning and memorization with the existence of a brain.
West African chimpanzees in Guinea are threatened by mining. Using a novel genetic approach, researchers together with an international team have collected information on the population size and community structure of the threatened species. These data provide an important basis for assessing the impact of mining .
Mental health disorders can only be diagnosed on the basis of symptoms - and individual outcomes cannot be accurately predicted. An ETH scientist hopes to change that with the help of mathematical models. Why do we have emotions? Klaas Enno Stephan, a professor at ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich, considers the question carefully before answering: "It seems very plausible that the purpose of the emotions is to make us aware of unconscious processes in the body." As a doctor and researcher, Stephan is particularly interested in the interaction between brain and body.
Emotional trauma can have far-reaching ripple effects and may even reverberate across generations. Professors Isabelle Mansuy and Katharina Gapp study how the effects of trauma can be inherited through epigenetic mechanisms. Our parents and grandparents form part of who we are. They reared us and served as our role models, and they also passed on their genes.
A new tool for protein sequence generation and design
Researchers have developed a new technique that uses a protein language model for generating protein sequences with comparable properties to natural sequences. The method outperforms traditional models and offers promising potential for protein design. Designing new proteins with specific structure and function is a highly important goal of bioengineering, but the vast size of protein sequence space makes the search for new proteins difficult.
Researchers have developed a new technique that uses a protein language model for generating protein sequences with comparable properties to natural sequences. The method outperforms traditional models and offers promising potential for protein design. Designing new proteins with specific structure and function is a highly important goal of bioengineering, but the vast size of protein sequence space makes the search for new proteins difficult.
A team from the University of Geneva has discovered the mechanisms by which the seed decides to remain in 'hibernation' or to trigger its germination depending on the outside temperature. Germination is a crucial stage in the life of a plant as it will leave the stage of seed resistant to various environmental constraints (climatic conditions, absence of nutritive elements, etc.) to become a seedling much more vulnerable.
Novel computer components inspired by brain cells
Researchers at Empa, ETH Zurich and the "Politecnico di Milano" are developing a new type of computer component that is more powerful and easier to manufacture than its predecessors. Inspired by the human brain, it is designed to process large amounts of data fast and in an energy-efficient way. In many respects, the human brain is still superior to modern computers.
Researchers at Empa, ETH Zurich and the "Politecnico di Milano" are developing a new type of computer component that is more powerful and easier to manufacture than its predecessors. Inspired by the human brain, it is designed to process large amounts of data fast and in an energy-efficient way. In many respects, the human brain is still superior to modern computers.
Plants have a powerful warning system in case of attack, based on a sophisticated communication mode. In a study published in the journal "Cell", the group of Prof. Edward Farmer of the University of Lausanne details the mechanism of propagation of the electrical signal essential to this defense process .
To mark the tenth annual UN World Wildlife Day, we compiled a sample of EPFL research projects that are using technology to protect and preserve wildlife. Everywhere you look, biodiversity is under threat. According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), wildlife populations have plummeted by 69% since 1970.
A team of biologists led by UNIGE and UNIL has discovered how to awaken neural stem cells and reactivate them in adult mice. Some areas of the adult brain contain quiescent, or dormant, neural stem cells that can potentially be reactivated to form new neurons. However, the transition from quiescence to proliferation is still poorly understood.
A fan-shaped tail with shimmering colors in the peacock, eyes perched at the ends of long stems on either side of the head in the Diopsidae flies. The different finery that males use to distinguish themselves is the "seductive" part of mating. The aggressiveness they show to each other, and especially to females, can have an extremely deleterious effect on the biology of populations.
It is known that toxins in tobacco smoke can change our DNA - but where exactly in the genome they do this has been a mystery. A new approach developed by researchers at ETH Zurich now brings light into the darkness. In the future, this could make it easier than ever to determine the safety of many chemical substances.
Modeling liver and kidney disease
In two separate studies, researchers at EPFL have carried out extensive tests to develop the best mouse models for studying kidney and liver diseases. The findings provide crucial insights into both conditions, and are expected to open up new avenues of research and treatment. "In these two studies we investigated how the mouse's genetic background affects the susceptibility to fatty liver disease and the transition from acute kidney injury to chronic kidney disease," says Professor Johan Auwerx at EPFL.
In two separate studies, researchers at EPFL have carried out extensive tests to develop the best mouse models for studying kidney and liver diseases. The findings provide crucial insights into both conditions, and are expected to open up new avenues of research and treatment. "In these two studies we investigated how the mouse's genetic background affects the susceptibility to fatty liver disease and the transition from acute kidney injury to chronic kidney disease," says Professor Johan Auwerx at EPFL.
Researchers at EPFL have found that infection with a common bacterium that is linked to periodontal disease, oral cancers, and bad breath may cause a small increase in the risk of cardiovascular disease. A combination of genetic and environmental risk factors contributes to heart disease, which is responsible for about a third of all deaths worldwide.
Up to now, the use of models to research the barrier that separates the circulatory from the nervous system has proven to be either limited or extremely complicated. Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a more realistic model that can also be used to better explore new treatments for brain tumours.
After four years of research, EPFL's Blue Brain Project shares an enriched version of their 3D digital cell atlas of the mouse brain which includes more neuron types. The new approach can be extended to any other cell type, and provides a resource to build tissue-level models of the mouse brain.
Researchers have uncovered the intricacies of gene expression rhythms in humans, shedding new light on how sex and age influence our body clocks. The human body runs on a finely tuned clock synchronized to the 24-hour cycle of Earth's rotation, known as the circadian clock, which controls various physiological processes such as the sleep-wake cycle, hormone production, and metabolism.
In the cell, messenger RNAs — or mRNAs — are translated into proteins and eventually degraded, but the relationship between translation and mRNA decay remains cloudy. FMI researchers developed an innovative tool to control and visualize mRNA translation and decay, one molecule at the time.
Artificial Intelligence Improves Efficiency of Genome Editing
Researchers at the University of Zurich have developed a new tool that uses artificial intelligence to predict the efficacy of various genome editing repair options. Unintentional errors in the correction of DNA mutations of genetic diseases can thus be reduced. Genome editing technologies offer great opportunities for treating genetic diseases.
Researchers at the University of Zurich have developed a new tool that uses artificial intelligence to predict the efficacy of various genome editing repair options. Unintentional errors in the correction of DNA mutations of genetic diseases can thus be reduced. Genome editing technologies offer great opportunities for treating genetic diseases.
