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Western gorillas move in groups, which means coordinating their movements in the forest between rest periods.

A team from the University of Geneva has discovered the physical properties that generate the grooves found on the noses of many mammals. The noses of many mammals, such as dogs, ferrets and cows, feature grooves forming a multitude of polygons. A team from the University of Geneva has analyzed in detail how these patterns form in the embryo using 3D imaging techniques and computer simulations.

Researchers at ETH Zurich have analysed down to the smallest detail the unusual arsenal of weapons that a predatory marine bacterium has at its disposal. Perhaps one day these weapons could also be put to use in medicine. Countless bacteria call the vastness of the oceans home, and they all face the same problem: the nutrients they need to grow and multiply are scarce and unevenly distributed in the waters around them.

Researchers at the University of Bern have developed a new model for the emergence of consciousness. The model suggests that one day artificial agents, i.e. systems which imitate human thought, could gain consciousness. To regulate our interaction with such systems, the researchers propose an agreement between humans and machines: the 'Human-AI Deal'.

Cancer causes mutations in cellular DNA. Detecting these mutations in a patient's blood enables the most appropriate and effective anti-cancer treatments to be prescribed. However, detection of these mutations is only possible in specialized centers, which is time-consuming and costly. To remedy this situation, scientists at the University of Fribourg have developed nanosensors for cheaper, faster detection of these mutations.

Tiny diatoms in the ocean are masters at capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the environment. They fix up to 20 percent of the Earth's CO2. A research team at the University of Basel has now discovered a protein shell in these algae that is necessary for efficient CO2 fixation. This groundbreaking discovery can provide ideas for bioengineering approaches to reduce CO2 in the atmosphere.

Researchers have developed a novel neural recording device called the "e-Flower" that gently wraps organoids in soft petals. Neural spheroids - 3D clusters of brain cells - are emerging as essential tools for understanding neural networks and studying neurological diseases in the lab. EPFL's e-Flower, a flower-shaped 3D microelectrode array (MEA), allows researchers to monitor the electrical activity of these spheroids in a way that was previously impossible.

Insects and spiders are important elements in the food webs of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. With declines in their biodiversity, the food supply for birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians and small mammals is not only becoming scarcer, but also poorer in important fatty acids, as an international research team led by scientists from Eawag and WSL reports in the journal Science .

Using a new method, researchers at ETH Zurich can measure alterations in the social network of proteins in cells. This work lays the foundation for the development of new drugs to treat diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer's. Inside cells, it's like in a packed dance club: hundreds are partying. Some keep to themselves, others make their way through the crowd, chatting to everyone they meet.

Blocking the enzyme ACMSD can significantly reduce damage caused by metabolic liver disease according to a study from EPFL. Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) - previously known as "non-alcoholic fatty liver disease" - affects about 25% of the global population. Its severe form, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), can lead to liver fibrosis and even liver failure.

The groundbreaking discovery at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB) in Bellinzona, affiliated with USI, has revealed, through the study of DNA repair mechanisms, a function of a protein with the ability to fight specific cancerous formations. In Professor Petr Cejka 's laboratory, a team of ten researchers has been studying the mechanisms of DNA repair, a crucial process for preventing diseases such as cancer.

Researchers have discovered molecules capable of limiting the side effects of opioids by blocking the receptor responsible for their action. Opioid drugs are highly effective at relieving pain but come with severe drawbacks. Their side effects range from dizziness to potentially fatal respiratory depression.

Researchers at EPFL have uncovered a new class of transcription factors that play a crucial role in gene regulation, offering fresh perspectives on how cells maintain their identity and function. Every cell in our body contains the same DNA, yet liver cells are different from brain cells, and skin cells differ from muscle cells.

A team from the University of Geneva and EPFL has demonstrated how Hsp70 chaperone proteins help proteins move within cells. Proteins control most of the body's functions, and their malfunction can have severe consequences, such as neurodegenerative diseases or cancer. Therefore, cells have mechanisms in place to control protein quality.

Pesticides aren't always necessary: researchers at the University of Zurich have conducted a comprehensive field study showing that damage from herbivores can be reduced by using biodiversity within a plant species. Different plant genotypes can cooperate to help fend off herbivorous insects. Just like humans, plants interact with the individuals around them.

An organism as a tenant in another - in biology, this often works quite well. researchers have now shed light on how such a partnership of a cell in a cell can establish. Endosymbiosis is a fascinating biological phenomenon in which an organism lives inside another. Such an unusual relationship is often beneficial for both parties.

An AI research collaboration led by EPFL professor Alexander Mathis creates a model which provides deep insights into hand movement, which is an essential step for the development of neuroprosthetics and rehabilitation technologies.

To estimate the efficacy of antimalarial drugs, distinguishing recurring from new infections is crucial. Researchers from Swiss TPH have now compared five genotyping methods to make this distinction and assessed their impact on drug efficacy. The results, published yesterday in the peer-reviewed journal The Lancet Microbe, could help confirm antimalarial resistance and inform WHO guidelines.

Researchers at the University of Basel have made significant progress in understanding a rare but serious immune disease. The team has uncovered critical mechanisms involved in the cellular recycling process, thus providing novel therapeutic approaches. LRBA deficiency is a rare and severe autoimmune disorder that was first described in 2012.

In a discovery that sheds light on the complex mechanisms of gene regulation, scientists at EPFL have uncovered a critical role for the protein ZNF274 in keeping certain gene clusters turned off by anchoring them to the cell nucleolus. Our DNA is not just a string of genes; it's a complex and dynamic structure where the spatial organization within the nucleus plays a crucial role in regulating which genes are turned on or off.