Evaluating the risks posed by synthetic biology

Published:16.07.19 — Last week, nearly 70 experts from around the world gathered at EPFL for a workshop on potential threats arising from synthetic biology. Technologies developed in this field aim primarily at treating diseases and combating the effects of climate change, but they can also have unintended consequences or even be used for malicious purposes.

Are fertility apps useful?

Published:16.07.19 — Researchers at EPFL and Stanford have carried out an analysis of the largest datasets from fertility awareness apps. Analyzing data from 200,000 users of the apps Sympto and Kindara, they have been able to make population-level observations regarding user demographics, tracking behavior patterns and accuracy in measuring menstrual health and ovulation.

Automated microscope gives a look inside live cell populations

Published:16.07.19 — From now on scientists can look at how living cells function and react under various experimental conditions, in parallel and throughout a the cell’s lifetime. With the new 3D microscope unveiled today by EPFL spin-off Nanolive, researchers can observe the details of how cells operate – all the way down to their organelles. What’s more, the microscope is fully automated and doesn’t damage the cells being studied.

A new technique to concentrate a fertilizer produced from wastewater

Published:15.07.19 — Summer series: Two EPFL Master’s in Environmental Engineering students have developed a novel method for recovering nitrogen from wastewater. For their semester project, they adapted a system typically used to concentrate fruit juice and tested it out at the Yverdon-les-Bains wastewater treatment plant in Vaud. 

New dual-propeller drone can fly twice as long

Published:12.07.19 — EPFL startup Flybotix has developed a novel drone with just two propellers and an advanced stabilization system that allow it to fly for twice as long as conventional models. That fact, together with its small size, makes it perfect for inspecting hard-to-reach parts of industrial facilities such as ducts.

Nominations of EPFL professors

Published:12.07.19 — The Board of the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology has announced the appointment of eight professors at EPFL.

The way a single neuron processes information is never the same

Published:12.07.19 — How do neurons process information? Neurons are known to break down an incoming electrical signal into sub-units. Now, researchers at Blue Brain have discovered that dendrites, the neuron’s tree-like receptors, work together – dynamically and depending on the workload – for learning. The findings further our understanding of how we think and may inspire new algorithms for artificial intelligence.