EPFL

The influenza virus has proven a very tricky foe to fight. Now, researchers at EPFL have developed synthetic molecules that can kill the flu virus by mimicking human cells, and putting the squeeze on the virus when it attaches itself to the decoy.

EPFL scientists have demonstrated a new method to make immunotherapy more effective and directed against cancer. The team designed microparticles containing drugs that are only released when T cells physically squeeze them, on contact with cancer.

Engineers at EPFL have created a new computer chip that can both process and store data in the same circuit. It’s made using a two-dimensional material called molybdenum disulfide, paving the way for smaller and more energy efficient electronics.

Back in 2016 we saw researchers take inspiration from birds to produce a feathered drone with unique capabilities. The team has continued refining this design to introduce more moving parts, enabling the drone to now fly with “unparalleled agility.”

Treatments for blood clots in the body naturally come with a risk of excessive bleeding from an injury. But a new synthetic blood thinner bypasses this side effect, fighting thrombosis while still allowing blood to clot normally in a wound.

Researchers at Empa and EPFL have created one of the smallest motors ever made. It’s composed of just 16 atoms, and at that tiny size it seems to function right on the boundary between classical physics and the spooky quantum realm.

There are now several experimental "smart fabrics," capable of detecting the wearer's respiration or heartbeat via deformations in the material. A new one is claimed to work better, by utilizing transmission lines instead of individual sensors.

Peptides could be a useful type of drug, but they can’t be taken orally because stomach acids destroy them. Now, researchers have developed a new method of testing and creating therapeutic peptides that can survive this degradation.

Immunotherapy involves supercharging the immune system to better root out cancer from its hiding places, and now researchers at EPFL have discovered a sneaky new tactic the disease uses, and suggested a way to overcome it.

Ideally fighting cancer would be as simple as a vaccine, and scientists are taking steps towards that. Now, researchers have developed a way to make vaccine molecules bigger, so they don’t disperse in the blood stream before reaching their target.

As promising as immunotherapy is against cancer, these therapies aren’t entirely without risk. But now scientists have developed an emergency brake drug that can switch off the treatment if it begins to spiral out of control.

Viruses are difficult to kill – most of the drugs and chemicals that do are also harmful to human health. But now, scientists have developed a new virucidal substance derived from sugar, making it deadly to a wide range of viruses but safe for us.