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Life Sciences - Mathematics - 02.05.2023 
Revealing how an embryo’s cells sync up
Scientists have known that when a mouse embryo is developing, the cells that will become its spine and muscles switch specific genes on and off repeatedly, in a synchronous fashion. However, there are deep mysteries about how these cells synchronize. FMI researchers have now developed a mathematical model that not only better explains how spontaneous synchronization arises in a developing mouse embryo, but may also offer some fundamental clues about how other biological systems sync up.
Health - Life Sciences - 02.05.2023 
Engineering molecular interactions with machine learning
By using deep learning-generated 'fingerprints' to characterize millions of protein fragments, researchers have computationally designed novel protein binders that attach seamlessly to key targets, including the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. In 2019, scientists in the joint School of Engineering and School of Life Sciences Laboratory of Protein Design and Immunoengineering ( LPDI ) led by Bruno Correia developed MaSIF: a machine learning-driven method for scanning millions of protein surfaces within minutes to analyze their structure and functional properties.
Astronomy / Space Science - Life Sciences - 28.04.2023 
Silence reveals insights in search for extraterrestrial life
The search for radio signals from extraterrestrial civilizations has yet to yield evidence of alien technological activity. Research carried out at EPFL suggests we continue searching while optimizing the use of available resources. For over sixty years, amateur and professional astronomers have been monitoring the sky in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI).
Environment - Life Sciences - 20.04.2023 
Improving the microbial quality of recycled water in Bengaluru
In urban India, rising water scarcity and increasing pressure on water supply utilities have prompted the use of treated wastewater as an alternative source. A study of Eawag together with Indian partners explains how the use of sensors and automated chlorination can improve microbial water quality in on-site water reuse systems for increased user safety.
Environment - Life Sciences - 20.04.2023 
Centralized database helps scientists better understand coral reefs
Coral reefs are under a growing threat from climate change and human activity, making it more important than ever to understand their strengths and vulnerabilities. A team of scientists has now taken an important step in this direction with the new RECIFS open-access database on reef environments. The Reef Environment Centralized InFormation System ( RECIFS ) is a web application that provides a single repository of all datasets currently available on reef environments worldwide.
Life Sciences - Health - 18.04.2023 
New embryonic brain circuit discovered
Researchers have identified a new brain circuit in mouse embryos that develops at an unexpectedly early stage. Their findings may provide new insights into circuit abnormalities in autism. A research team led by Professor Botond Roska at the Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel (IOB) and the University of Basel has studied circuits in the brains of living mouse embyros.
Life Sciences - Psychology - 17.04.2023 
How music can prevent cognitive decline
A team from UNIGE, HES-SO Geneva and EPFL shows the positive impacts of musical activities to counteract brain ageing. Normal ageing is associated with progressive cognitive decline. But can we train our brain to delay this process? A team from the University of Geneva , HES-SO Geneva and EPFL has discovered that practicing and listening to music can alter cognitive decline in healthy seniors by stimulating the production of grey matter.
Life Sciences - 13.04.2023 
How do we perceive our own movements?
Even in total darkness, everyone is able to bring a bottle of water to their lips. A feat made possible by a kind of sixth sense that supplements sight: proprioception. Proprioception allows us to perceive the position of our limbs in space. Neuroscientists from the University of Freiburg have highlighted the key role played by certain neurons in the somatosensory cortex.
Life Sciences - Health - 13.04.2023 
Fungi's beneficial effects on coral are not yet fully understood
Until now, most studies of fungi have focused on their role in marine disease. But according to research done at EPFL, these fungi may also help protect coral reefs against climate change. Tropical coral reefs are a crucial element in the diversity of marine ecosystems. They help prevent coastal erosion and are home to numerous micro-organisms whose complex interactions have been fascinating scientists for decades.
Life Sciences - Health - 05.04.2023
Life Sciences - Astronomy / Space Science - 31.03.2023 
Scallop Eyes as Inspiration for New Microscope Objectives
Neuroscientists at the University of Zurich have developed innovative objectives for light microscopy by using mirrors to produce images. Their design finds correspondence in mirror telescopes used in astronomy on the one hand and the eyes of scallops on the other. The new objectives enable high-resolution imaging of tissues and organs in a much wider variety of immersion media than with conventional microscope lenses.
Life Sciences - 30.03.2023 
Cell mapping and ’mini placentas’ shed light onto human pregnancy
For the first time, researchers have mapped the full trajectory of placental development. Their work could offer new insights into pregnancy disorders and help develop better experimental models of the human placenta. Researchers from the FMI led by Margherita Yayoi Turco, the Wellcome Sanger Institute, the University of Cambridge and EMBL's European Bioinformatics Institute have created an in-depth picture of how the placenta develops and communicates with the uterus.
Environment - Life Sciences - 29.03.2023 
Climate change threatens lemurs on Madagascar
Mouse lemurs give birth to their offspring during the 5-month rainy season and lay down a fat cushion to survive the dry season when food is scarce. But what happens when the rainy season becomes drier and the dry season warmer? Researchers at the German Primate Center - Leibniz Institute for Primate Research and the University of Zurich show that climate changes destabilise mouse lemur populations and increase the risk of extinction.
Health - Life Sciences - 28.03.2023 
Adipose tissue as a culprit: How obesity leads to diabetes
A research team at the University of Basel has discovered that a high-fat diet alters the function of adipose tissue, thus impairing its ability to regulate blood sugar. This explains why a high-fat diet poses a significant health risk, particularly for diabetes. Diabetes is a medical condition in which the body is unable to keep blood sugar in a healthy range.
Environment - Life Sciences - 28.03.2023 
Fish diversity documented in Switzerland’s rivers
In a major survey of Swiss rivers and streams, more than 50 different fish species were recorded. For the first time, more than one species was also found in the case of smaller types of fish such as the bullhead. In "Progetto Fiumi", riverine fish were surveyed using standardised methods and both morphological and genetic characteristics were analysed.
Life Sciences - 28.03.2023 
How genome doubling helps cancer develop
Researchers at EPFL and UNIL have uncovered a new way in which cancer can develop: whole genome doubling (WGD) changes the way DNA is organized in the 3D space, leading to the activation of oncogenes that drive cancer growth. A single cell contains 2-3 meters of DNA, meaning that the only way to store it is to package it into tight coils.
Environment - Life Sciences - 27.03.2023 
Sensitive microorganisms in the stream benefit from forested banks
A forest is crucial for life in streams, particularly in the catchment area and in the headwaters. Eawag researcher Rebecca Oester has quantified the extent of this influence of forests in the riparian zone and found a significant effect, particularly for sensitive species. This work shows once again how closely terrestrial and aquatic habitats are linked.
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
Results 21 - 40 of 1267.
Scientists have known that when a mouse embryo is developing, the cells that will become its spine and muscles switch specific genes on and off repeatedly, in a synchronous fashion. However, there are deep mysteries about how these cells synchronize. FMI researchers have now developed a mathematical model that not only better explains how spontaneous synchronization arises in a developing mouse embryo, but may also offer some fundamental clues about how other biological systems sync up.
By using deep learning-generated 'fingerprints' to characterize millions of protein fragments, researchers have computationally designed novel protein binders that attach seamlessly to key targets, including the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. In 2019, scientists in the joint School of Engineering and School of Life Sciences Laboratory of Protein Design and Immunoengineering ( LPDI ) led by Bruno Correia developed MaSIF: a machine learning-driven method for scanning millions of protein surfaces within minutes to analyze their structure and functional properties.
The search for radio signals from extraterrestrial civilizations has yet to yield evidence of alien technological activity. Research carried out at EPFL suggests we continue searching while optimizing the use of available resources. For over sixty years, amateur and professional astronomers have been monitoring the sky in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI).
In urban India, rising water scarcity and increasing pressure on water supply utilities have prompted the use of treated wastewater as an alternative source. A study of Eawag together with Indian partners explains how the use of sensors and automated chlorination can improve microbial water quality in on-site water reuse systems for increased user safety.
Coral reefs are under a growing threat from climate change and human activity, making it more important than ever to understand their strengths and vulnerabilities. A team of scientists has now taken an important step in this direction with the new RECIFS open-access database on reef environments. The Reef Environment Centralized InFormation System ( RECIFS ) is a web application that provides a single repository of all datasets currently available on reef environments worldwide.
Researchers have identified a new brain circuit in mouse embryos that develops at an unexpectedly early stage. Their findings may provide new insights into circuit abnormalities in autism. A research team led by Professor Botond Roska at the Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel (IOB) and the University of Basel has studied circuits in the brains of living mouse embyros.
A team from UNIGE, HES-SO Geneva and EPFL shows the positive impacts of musical activities to counteract brain ageing. Normal ageing is associated with progressive cognitive decline. But can we train our brain to delay this process? A team from the University of Geneva , HES-SO Geneva and EPFL has discovered that practicing and listening to music can alter cognitive decline in healthy seniors by stimulating the production of grey matter.
Even in total darkness, everyone is able to bring a bottle of water to their lips. A feat made possible by a kind of sixth sense that supplements sight: proprioception. Proprioception allows us to perceive the position of our limbs in space. Neuroscientists from the University of Freiburg have highlighted the key role played by certain neurons in the somatosensory cortex.
Until now, most studies of fungi have focused on their role in marine disease. But according to research done at EPFL, these fungi may also help protect coral reefs against climate change. Tropical coral reefs are a crucial element in the diversity of marine ecosystems. They help prevent coastal erosion and are home to numerous micro-organisms whose complex interactions have been fascinating scientists for decades.
New Circuit Model Offers Insights into Brain Function
Scientists at EPFL have developed a computational model of the thalamic microcircuit in the mouse brain, offering new insights into the role this region plays in brain function and dysfunction. The thalamus and thalamic reticular nucleus are situated at the heart of the mammalian brain and are known to play a key role in a wide range of functions, including the transmission of sensory information to the cortex and the transition between brain states such as sleep and wakefulness.
Scientists at EPFL have developed a computational model of the thalamic microcircuit in the mouse brain, offering new insights into the role this region plays in brain function and dysfunction. The thalamus and thalamic reticular nucleus are situated at the heart of the mammalian brain and are known to play a key role in a wide range of functions, including the transmission of sensory information to the cortex and the transition between brain states such as sleep and wakefulness.
Neuroscientists at the University of Zurich have developed innovative objectives for light microscopy by using mirrors to produce images. Their design finds correspondence in mirror telescopes used in astronomy on the one hand and the eyes of scallops on the other. The new objectives enable high-resolution imaging of tissues and organs in a much wider variety of immersion media than with conventional microscope lenses.
For the first time, researchers have mapped the full trajectory of placental development. Their work could offer new insights into pregnancy disorders and help develop better experimental models of the human placenta. Researchers from the FMI led by Margherita Yayoi Turco, the Wellcome Sanger Institute, the University of Cambridge and EMBL's European Bioinformatics Institute have created an in-depth picture of how the placenta develops and communicates with the uterus.
Mouse lemurs give birth to their offspring during the 5-month rainy season and lay down a fat cushion to survive the dry season when food is scarce. But what happens when the rainy season becomes drier and the dry season warmer? Researchers at the German Primate Center - Leibniz Institute for Primate Research and the University of Zurich show that climate changes destabilise mouse lemur populations and increase the risk of extinction.
A research team at the University of Basel has discovered that a high-fat diet alters the function of adipose tissue, thus impairing its ability to regulate blood sugar. This explains why a high-fat diet poses a significant health risk, particularly for diabetes. Diabetes is a medical condition in which the body is unable to keep blood sugar in a healthy range.
In a major survey of Swiss rivers and streams, more than 50 different fish species were recorded. For the first time, more than one species was also found in the case of smaller types of fish such as the bullhead. In "Progetto Fiumi", riverine fish were surveyed using standardised methods and both morphological and genetic characteristics were analysed.
Researchers at EPFL and UNIL have uncovered a new way in which cancer can develop: whole genome doubling (WGD) changes the way DNA is organized in the 3D space, leading to the activation of oncogenes that drive cancer growth. A single cell contains 2-3 meters of DNA, meaning that the only way to store it is to package it into tight coils.
A forest is crucial for life in streams, particularly in the catchment area and in the headwaters. Eawag researcher Rebecca Oester has quantified the extent of this influence of forests in the riparian zone and found a significant effect, particularly for sensitive species. This work shows once again how closely terrestrial and aquatic habitats are linked.
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 .
