Researchers developed a novel x-ray technique to observe molecular motion in real time, allowing better understanding of structural evolution during chemical reactions. This discovery has promising prospects for applications in magnetic data storage, solar energy, and biology.
A study by EPFL researchers found that a family of genes known as KRAB-ZFP plays a crucial role in regulating the brain's response to stress. Genetically altered mice lacking these genes exhibited increased anxiety and impaired cognitive function, highlighting the importance of epigenetic regulation in behavior.
A new synthetic chemical entity activates the SIRT1 pathway, improving glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, and exercise endurance in mice fed a high-fat diet. The study demonstrates that this activation primarily promotes fat consumption in skeletal muscle, liver, and brown adipose tissue.
Researchers have developed a numerical model to recreate the Rhône Glacier's state in 1874 and predict its future evolution. The model predicts a significant increase in equilibrium line altitude due to climate change, leading to a 50% loss of volume by 2060 and complete disappearance by 2100.
Research shows corneal epithelium contains stem cells that generate two different epithelial tissues, contradicting prevailing opinion. These cells are activated in everyday renewal, while limbal stem cells respond to serious injuries.
Researchers have developed a new method to fabricate borosilicate glass nanoparticles with increased stability, overcoming limitations of current nanoparticle materials. These nanoparticles could enable applications in diagnostic tests, targeted drug therapy, photonic devices, ultrasonic microscopy, and chemical filtration membranes.
A new LIDAR system developed by EPFL will provide continuous data on atmospheric humidity for Western Switzerland's weather forecasting headquarters. The system offers excellent spatial and temporal resolution, outperforming traditional LIDAR systems in stability and reliability.
The novel microscope combines high penetration power with spatial resolution, allowing for the detailed composition of semiconductor devices and cellular structures to be analyzed. This breakthrough technique has far-reaching implications for improving semiconductor production and life science microscopy.
Researchers have achieved a record light conversion efficiency of 8.2% in solvent-free dye-sensitized solar cells, paving the way for large-scale outdoor applications. The development of an electrolyte mixture made from three solid salts replaces volatile organic solvents, making it possible to produce lightweight and inexpensive flexi...
Researchers developed a biomimetic jumping robot inspired by grasshoppers, capable of jumping 1.4 meters and navigating rough terrain with ease. The tiny robot can be fitted with sensors and solar cells to aid in search and rescue operations or explore remote areas on Earth or other planets.
Researchers demonstrate that a simple method using river network geometry and rainfall data can accurately predict fish species diversity patterns in the Mississippi-Missouri basin. The model, which uses just four parameters, captures complex biodiversity patterns without referencing individual fish species.
Researchers developed a novel method to produce dark-field x-ray images using nanostructured gratings, enabling diagnosis of osteoporosis, breast cancer, and Alzheimer's disease. This technology can be adapted to existing medical equipment, improving image clarity and sensitivity.
Fibroblasts, key cells in wound healing, transform into powerful contractile cells through a mechanical process. This new understanding could help prevent fibrosis and improve tissue engineering by controlling the rigidity of cell cultures.
The Swiss Experiment brings together experts to tackle climate change, natural hazards, and sustainable resource use with innovative data collection and analysis. The project aims to improve models predicting floods, avalanches, and landslides, while documenting environmental degradation and change.
A Swiss research team used soft condensed matter physics techniques to demonstrate the importance of a finely tuned balance between attractions and repulsions in maintaining lens transparency. The study found that even small changes in this balance can lead to protein aggregation, resulting in cataract formation.
Researchers discovered that telomeric RNA is transcribed from DNA on the telomere, challenging previous theories. This finding may uncover new targets for attacking telomere function in cancer cells.
Researchers at EPFL have developed a nanoparticle vaccine that delivers vaccines more effectively with fewer side effects, at a fraction of the cost. The technology targets dendritic cells to trigger a strong immune response, and has potential applications for diseases like hepatitis and malaria.
Researchers used virtual reality to manipulate bodily self-consciousness, demonstrating that spatial unity and bodily self-awareness depend on brain mechanisms. The study indicates that humans' sense of the embodied self relies on brain activity at the temporo-parietal junction.
Researchers found a marked resemblance between molecular etiology of neurons in animal models and humans with HD, making them relevant for studying the disease and testing treatments. The study's findings have important consequences for preclinical drug testing.
Researchers at EPFL discovered how tumor cells exploit slow fluid flow in the lymphatic system to migrate to functional vessels. The study highlights the importance of biophysical environment and continuous slow flow in tumor cell migration.
An international team of mathematicians has factored a 307-digit number, shattering the previous record. The achievement was made possible by advances in distributed computing and refined algorithms.
The stability of cellular oscillators depends on specific biochemical processes, reflecting recent association studies. The researchers' mathematical model identified the molecular parameters responsible for the stability of internal body clocks.
A group of European researchers developed a spinal cord model and implemented it in an amphibious salamander-like robot. The robot changes its speed and gait in response to simple electrical signals, suggesting that the distributed neural system in the spinal cord holds the key to vertebrates' complex locomotor capabilities.
Researchers at EPFL create polariton Bose-Einstein condensate in solid state, exhibiting macroscopic order and long-range coherence. This breakthrough could lead to new technologies like quantum computing and advanced electronics.
Researchers at EPFL discovered a new metabolic pathway that helps cells survive bacterial pore-forming toxins. The pathway triggers an inflammatory response and lipid metabolism to repair the cell membrane and protect against further damage.
Researchers from ISREC discovered that the Nodal protein, involved in embryonic development, maintains stem cells while also providing cues for their differentiation. This understanding is crucial for coaxing stem cells to grow into specific tissues outside the body and may hold the key to controlling cancerous stem cell behavior.
Neurons make fickle friends as the brain rapidly forms and reconfigures connections in response to new experiences. This process allows the brain to adapt quickly to changing situations, strengthening and pruning circuits to optimize information processing.
Researchers discovered a cancer triad involving Ras, c-myc, and p21 genes. Mice lacking the c-myc gene showed resistance to skin cancer, while mice with both missing genes regained sensitivity to mutated Ras. This study provides new insights into epithelial tumor development.
Researchers Paolo De Los Rios and Pierre Goloubinoff identified a simple mechanism for molecular chaperones to facilitate protein folding and translocation, resolving a long-standing controversy. Their 'Entropic Pulling' theory combines thermodynamic principles with the laws of physics to explain Hsp70's activity.
A new lentiviral vector combines multiple gene manipulation techniques to efficiently regulate gene expression in cells. This versatile tool has potential applications in studying human genetic diseases, cancer research, and tissue engineering.
Scientists have created a machine that can track the passage of an electron in a nanostructure at a time scale of ten picoseconds and a spatial resolution of 50 nanometers. This innovation will improve our understanding of nanoscale dynamics and enable the study of previously intractable materials.
Research reveals that tiny biophysical forces play a critical role in tissue formation, enabling cells to migrate and organize into functional structures. The study used computational models and in vitro experiments to demonstrate the importance of slow biophysical flows in establishing morphogen gradients.
EPFL researchers used Photonic Force Microscopy to track Brownian fluctuations of a single particle at microsecond time scales and nanometer length scales, validating the corrected form of the standard theory. This validation underlines the importance of dynamical effects in Brownian motion at very small time scales.
Researchers at EPFL discover that stem cells within hair follicles can develop into various cell types needed for hair growth and follicle replacement. This breakthrough has significant implications for regenerative medicine and could potentially be used to regenerate hair on patients with severe burns.
Researchers have developed a novel solar antenna that combines antenna functions and solar cells on a single surface, reducing weight and increasing efficiency. The technology has the potential to power homes and send/receive signals, improving data gathering capabilities in remote regions.
Researchers at EPFL successfully demonstrate controlling the speed of light in an optical fiber, slowing it down by a factor of 3.6 and speeding it up to exceed the speed of light without violating relativity. This breakthrough has significant implications for optical computing and telecommunications.
Researchers used RNA interference to silence mutated SOD1 genes in ALS mice, reducing disease progression and improving neuromuscular function. This breakthrough suggests gene silencing as a potential therapy for incurable progressive neurological diseases like ALS and Parkinson's.
Hexaminolevulinate, a fluorescence-inducing compound, enables early detection of superficial bladder cancer lesions. This increases the five-year survival rate to 90% and reduces recurrence rates.
Researchers found that viral delivery of a parkin gene protected dopamine-producing neurons from degeneration, offering new hope for treating Parkinson's disease. The study demonstrates the feasibility of gene therapy in a genetic model of the disease.