news

For children, the world is full of surprises. Adults, on the other hand, are much more difficult to surprise. And there are complex processes behind this apparently straightforward state of affairs. Researchers at the University of Basel have been using mice to decode how reactions to the unexpected develop in the growing brain.

Influenza and other viruses pack their genetic material into a protein shell, which must be disassembled for the viruses to efficiently replicate. But how viruses 'uncoat' their genes remains largely unknown. Now, FMI researchers have identified crucial features of this uncoating process - work that may inform the development of new antiviral treatments.

Matabele ants are able to detect and treat infected wounds in their fellow ants. The work carried out at the University of Lausanne's Department of Ecology and Evolution on this African species is the subject of a publication in "Nature Communications" and a documentary.

Light in the evening is thought to be bad for sleep. However, does the colour of the light play a role? Researchers from the University of Basel and the Technical University of Munich (TUM) compared the influence of different light colours on the human body. The researchers' findings contradict the results of a previous study in mice.

In a study comparing human brain communication networks with those of macaques and mice, researchers found that only the human brains transmitted information via multiple parallel pathways, yielding new insights into mammalian evolution. When describing brain communication networks, EPFL senior postdoctoral researcher Alessandra Griffa likes to use travel metaphors.

A team from the University of Geneva shows that the human brain is capable of identifying the vocalisations of certain primate species, if they are close to us and if the frequencies used are also close to our own. Are we able to differentiate between the vocal emissions of certain primates? A team from the University of Geneva asked volunteers to categorise the vocalisations of three species of great apes ( Hominidae ) and humans.

PSI researchers have discovered a surprising trick that could expand the possibilities for medical use of botulinun toxin A1, better known under the name Botox, as an active agent. They have developed antibody-like proteins that speed up the enzyme's effect on the transmission of nerve signals. This suggests that Botox might, for example, be able to relief pain more quickly than before.

Scientists show that breathing may be used to control a wearable extra robotic arm in healthy individuals, without hindering control of other parts of the body. Neuroengineer Silvestro Micera develops advanced technological solutions to help people regain sensory and motor functions that have been lost due to traumatic events or neurological disorders.

Neuropsychology Physical and social activities in old age have a protective effect on the entorhinal cortex, researchers at UZH have shown. This important area of the brain, which plays a central role in memory, is impaired in patients with Alzheimer's disease, even in the early stages. Physical exercise is associated with a variety of positive health aspects.

Researchers develop an AI-driven, label-free method for studying protein aggregates, offering new perspectives in neurodegenerative disease research. Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's, are a growing challenge in healthcare, affecting millions globally. They are characterized by a progressive decline in neural function and manifest in a range of debilitating symptoms.

Numerous microorganisms, including Legionella, live in biofilms in shower hoses. A team from the aquatic research institute Eawag has now investigated and characterised such microbial communities and analysed their interaction with this pathogen. The results may contribute to a better understanding of the ecology of Legionella and support the possible development of a probiotic approach for the control of Legionella.

Researchers have shown for the first time that microvehicles can be steered through blood vessels in the brains of mice using ultrasound. They hope that this will eventually lead to treatments capable of delivering drugs with pinpoint precision. Brain tumours, brain haemorrhages and neurological and psychological conditions are often hard to treat with medication.

EPFL and Harvard scientists have developed a pioneering new method that uses deep learning and a new technique called 'targeted augmentation' to track neurons in moving and deforming animals. Recent advances allow imaging of neurons inside freely moving animals. However, to decode circuit activity, these imaged neurons must be computationally identified and tracked.

Researchers at PSI and ETH Zurich have taken connective tissue cells that have been mechanically reprogrammed to resemble stem cells and transplanted them into damaged skin. In their laboratory experiment, they were able to show that this can promote wound healing. Mature somatic cells can be turned back into youthful, stem-cell-like cells by means of a surprisingly simple mechanical stimulus.

Paleontology Sharks, rays and skates are the ocean's most threatened vertebrate group. Research led by the University of Zurich into their functional diversity has now revealed previously overlooked, critical conservation priorities, thereby underscoring the urgent need for targeted action to safeguard the threatened species.

Protein-like aggregates known as amyloids can bind to molecules of genetic material. It is possible that these two types of molecules stabilised each other during the development of life - and that this might even have paved the way for the genetic code. How organisms develop from inanimate matter is one of the biggest questions in science.

A groundbreaking study reveals how Mycobacterium tuberculosis forms resilient cords within host cells, opening the way for a deeper understanding and innovative treatment of tuberculosis. Tuberculosis is a lung disease caused by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacterium (Mtb). According , tuberculosis afflicts 10 million people globally and claims 1.5 million lives.

With no visual organs, how can a plant know where light is coming from? In an original study combining biological and engineering expertise, the team led by Prof. Christian Fankhauser at the University of Lausanne, in collaboration with colleagues at EPFL, has deciphered a novel mechanism using the interface between air and water to generate a gradient of light "visible" to the plant.

Pregnancy and motherhood lead to brain remodeling. A research team at the University of Basel has now discovered through experiments with mice that distinct pools of stem cells in the adult brain are turned on during pregnancy. They give rise to specific types of olfactory bulb neurons, the team reports in "Science".

Global warming is causing extensive changes to peatland vegetation in Europe and Western Siberia, with consequences for soil composition and the peatlands' ability to sequester carbon. An EPFL-led study has examined the mechanisms behind these complex processes. Peatlands are significant carbon sinks, meaning they're potential time bombs when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions.