EPFL

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.

A new "artificial skin" simulates a sense of touch via tiny air bladders.

Scientists from the EPFL research institute are developing new technology, in which a computer takes over certain functions of prosthetic hands.

New technology promises to make the 3D-bioprinting process quicker and thus more practical than ever.

Researchers at EPFL have developed a new biodegradable circuit that can be implanted to deliver painkillers in the body on demand. When the device is heated up from a source outside the body, it releases a controlled dose of a drug, before safely dissolving away when it’s no longer needed.

​The shorter a drone's propellers, the less efficient they are at keeping it airborne. That factor, along with compact, low-capacity batteries, is the reason that small drones can't fly very long. A new two-prop drone, however, is claimed to deliver twice the flight time as same-sized quadcopters.