News EPFL

A new path for killing pathogenic bacteria

Published:24.08.16 — Bacteria that cause tuberculosis, leprosy and other diseases, survive by switching between two different types of metabolism. EPFL scientists have now discovered that this switch is controlled by a mechanism that constantly adapts to meet the bacterium’s survival needs, like a home’s thermostat reacting to changes in temperature.

A tiny wire with a memory to diagnose cancer

Published:17.08.16 — EPFL researchers have used a nanowire to detect prostate cancer with greater accuracy than ever before. Their device is ten times more sensitive than any other biosensor available.

Identifying pesticides in hair

Published:15.08.16 — Summer series on student projects – For her Master’s project in environmental sciences, Christelle Oltramare collected 110 hair samples in Burkina Faso and came up with a process for identifying several types of pesticides.

All brawn, little brains: EPFL students' table-football robot

Published:11.08.16 — A robot developed by EPFL students was able to compete against human players with average skills in table football. The next step will be to program the robot with some strategy and organise a competition among robots.

Acoustic Prism Invented at EPFL

Published:09.08.16 — EPFL scientists have invented a new type of “acoustic prism” that can split a sound into its constituent frequencies. Their acoustic prism has applications in sound detection.

Studying more eco-friendly mobility in a Fribourg neighborhood

Published:05.08.16 — Summer series on student projects (5) – Charles Jeanbart's semester project brings the question of mobility into the Solar Decathlon, an inter-university competition to design an autonomous solar house.

Warm enough? Lake Geneva forecasts now online

Published:03.08.16 — A new web service provides real-time information and forecasts of water temperature and surface water currents. First and foremost a tool for scientists, the map could help you find just the right beach for your next swim.