New cancer-fighting method leverages the mechanical force of T cells

Published:30.11.20 — EPFL scientists have developed a cancer treatment method that destroys tumor cells using the mechanical force of our bodies’ own T cells. They have just completed a proof of concept for their novel immunotherapy approach.

“Our spin-off will follow in Logitech's footsteps”

Published:27.11.20 — On 17 November, Kandou Bus, an EPFL spin-off, announced that it had raised CHF 92 million in a Series C funding round. This brings the total funds the company has raised since 2011 to over CHF 130 million, placing it in the top five EPFL spin-offs by this measure. Its sophisticated computer chips form an integral part of the race to boost data transfer speed while lowering power consumption. Amin Shokrollahi, the company’s founder and CEO, is convinced that their technology could potentially be used in all types of communication systems, including satellites, within the next decade or so. We spoke with Shokrollahi about his vision for Kandou Bus.

Foreign vs own DNA: How an innate immune sensor tells the difference

Published:26.11.20 — Scientists at EPFL and the Friedrich Miescher Institute have used cryo-electron microscopy to explain how a DNA-sensing biomolecule that is key to our innate immunity response is inactivated when it comes in contact with the cell’s own DNA.

Adaptive structures cut down the carbon footprint of buildings

Published:25.11.20 — Scientists at EPFL have developed new methods to design and control civil structures that are able to automatically adapt to loading. The aim is to reduce the environmental impact of the construction sector.

Study measures Switzerland's potential geothermal heating capacity

Published:24.11.20 — An EPFL PhD student has calculated the maximum amount of geothermal energy that could theoretically be extracted using ground-source heat pumps in the Cantons of Vaud and Geneva. In a study combining data on the area available for such systems with computer modeling techniques, she found stark differences between geothermal energy’s potential in urban versus rural areas.