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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.

Ensuring growth and development, sometimes sustained, without risking fragility. This is the delicate balance facing plants.

Scientists have developed an unprecedented simulation that allows the last 120,000 years of glacier evolution in the Alps to be visualized in 80 seconds.

In most diseases caused by a single gene, the deleterious mutation could be corrected by another mutation, called a "genetic suppressor". This is what researchers at the University of Lausanne, led by Jolanda van Leeuwen, have discovered, opening up potential new therapeutic avenues. Genetic mutations are constantly appearing in the DNA of our cells.

Researchers from the Department of Oncology UNIL-CHUV published a new study in Immunity, showing that machine learning improves the prioritization of cancer specific mutations for cancer immunotherapy. The study *, published in Immunity , was conducted by Markus Müller, a senior scientist in the Immunopeptidomics group headed by Michal Bassani-Sternberg, within the Human Integrated Tumor Immunology Discovery Engine (Hi-TIDe), part of the Ludwig Lausanne branch, which is directed by Pr George Coukos.

A research team from the University of Lausanne and the Wyss Center has discovered a new type of cell essential to brain function. Hybrid in composition and function between the two hitherto known types of brain cells - neurons and glial cells - these cells of a new order are found in several brain regions from mice to humans.

As we age, our bodies face many challenges, including declining immune system function and increased vulnerability to various health problems. A study conducted within the UNIL-CHUV Department of Oncology has recently shed light on these challenges. It unveils a potential solution that could have far-reaching implications for aging individuals.

A study published on August 2, 2023 in "Cell" by a team from the University of Lausanne reveals that the way DNA folds back on itself directly influences the development and functioning of the nervous system. DNA is like a thread of wool which, during development, twists around itself to form a chromosome, a ball of yarn.

A study published on June 5, 2023 in Neuron by a team from the University of Lausanne lifts part of the veil on the autophagy mechanism in neurons and glial cells . Autophagy is an essential process in cellular life: it cleans up the waste produced by the cell's machinery, eliminating useless, defective or toxic components, and recycling those that can be.

A research group at the University of Lausanne has carried out the largest genome-wide study of weight gain induced by psychotropic drugs. This work has identified 4 new genetic variants associated with this metabolic disorder. Interindividual variability in psychotropic drug-induced weight gain The prevalence of metabolic disorders in the psychiatric population is a cause for concern, and particularly high among patients taking psychotropic drugs that induce weight gain.

Scientists have discovered that cells can use RNA and its constituent uridine as alternative energy sources to sugar. For better or for worse, as shown by their publication in "Nature Metabolism ". Each cell contains the genetic material necessary for the activity of the organism. RNA, or ribonucleic acid, is an important molecule for making proteins from the instructions contained in the genes.

First empirical validation of a new diagnostic framework for laboratory identification of super-recognizers and their value to law enforcement . Professor Meike Ramon and Dr. Maren Mayer, researchers at the University of Lausanne and the Leibniz Institute for Media Research, respectively, have published their findings in the journal PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences).

A recent study is shaking up what is known about this condition, which is considered incurable, and could lead to a treatment. Orexin (also called hypocretin, or HCRT) is one of the most versatile neurotransmitters in the brain. It plays a role in motivation, energy metabolism and sleep/wake rhythms.

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 .

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.

Contrary to warnings in the academic literature and public debate, modest financial incentives for vaccination can be used without fear of serious unintended consequences. This is the result of a scientific study, published in "Nature", conducted by the University of Zurich, Lund University and Unisanté.

A recent study from the University of Lausanne unveils a new method to measure oxytocin in the brain using a bioengineered fluorescent sensor. The applications of this sensor are novel and promising for psychiatry . Oxytocin Oxytocin is a neuropeptide produced by the hypothalamus, an area at the base of the brain that regulates many of the body's physiological processes as well as instinctive brain behaviors.

A research team at the University of Lausanne has succeeded in preserving the memory of Alzheimer's mice by boosting the metabolic functions of glial cells rather than neurons, a striking shift in treatment strategies. The results can be found in the journal "Glia". Alzheimer's disease progressively affects the memory until the loss of autonomy of individuals.

An international team of scientists has made a groundbreaking discovery at a major new fossil site in Morocco: giant arthropods - relatives of modern animals such as shrimps, insects and spiders - would have dominated the seas 470 million years ago. The excavations were carried out in Taichoute, in Morocco, on a site formerly underwater but today desert.

In order to secure a place in the sun and to guarantee their growth, plants have developed different strategies. But what happens when plant density is so high that resources, especially light, run out? Plants go into survival mode and activate a recycling mechanism: autophagy. This process is at the heart of a study published on October 10, 2022 in "Nature Communications" by the team of Prof. Christian Fankhauser at the Integrative Genomics Center of UNIL .