EPFL

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.

If swarms of tiny robots are ever going to be used for purposes such as exploring disaster sites, then they'd better be rugged. A bot created at the EPFL research institute seems to fit the bill, as it can withstand being squished by a fly swatter.

Concrete is a mix of cement, an aggregate such as gravel, and water. For added strength, steel fibers are often added. Now, scientists are claiming that a new type of fiber-reinforced concrete could soon serve as a lighter and greener alternative.

Scientists have uncovered an unfortunate feedback loop that could make things worse for the climate. According to a new study, ocean acidification seems to increase the amount of nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas, that’s released into the air.

Given how deadly and destructive lightning can be, it would certainly be good to know in advance where and when it was going to strike. A new artificial intelligence-based system could help, utilizing nothing but standard weather-station data.