News EPFL

Extending the Hands of the Endoscopic Surgeon

Published:02.04.12 — More precision and less cost for endoscopic surgeries: the tool developed by DistalMotion, a spin-off of EPFL, will allow surgeons to reproduce their exact movements. The prototype was just released from the lab, and on the 29th of March, the start-up received 130,000 Swiss francs in the final phase of the Venture Kick prize.

Getting to the Moon on Drops of Fuel

Published:30.03.12 — The first prototype of a new, ultra-compact motor that will allow small satellites to journey beyond Earth’s orbit is just making its way out of the EPFL laboratories where it was built. The goal of the micro motor: to drastically reduce the cost of space exploration.

Natural river networks are essential for biodiversity

Published:28.03.12 — To alter natural waterways is to take a serious risk of endangering species living on the entire length of a river. In a joint project, scientists from EPFL, EAWAG and Princeton University have modeled the flow of organisms living along river networks. Their research will be published this week in the journal PNAS.

Analyzing food quality with an artificial intestine: the NutriChip

Published:26.03.12 — EPFL researchers have developed a miniature on-chip gastrointestinal tract in order to observe the effects of various nutrients on health. The “NutriChip” project’s in vitro tests have already begun, on dairy products.

“Low cost” genome decoding, for better or for worse

Published:23.03.12 — Determining the complete sequence of human DNA will soon cost no more than a simple blood test. What consequences will this have for society? Joint interview with Denis Duboule, a geneticist, and Jacques Neirynck, a national councilor.

Using a cosmic “magnifying glass” to understand black holes

Published:21.03.12 — To determine the mass of a galaxy, you need another galaxy. Using NASA and ESA’s Hubble Space Telescope, EPFL scientists have identified several rare cases of galaxies that contain supermassive black holes acting as gravitational lenses. The discovery will lead to a better understanding of how black holes are formed.

Understanding the propagation of Alzheimer's Disease

Published:19.03.12 — The connections between neurons might play a role in neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). In a pioneering approach to studying how neurodegenerative diseases like AD spread within the brain, researchers at EPFL have developed a novel in vitro experimental method that allows them to connect healthy neurons with “infected” neurons and then observe the results.