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The genome differs from person to person in thousands of positions. In some cases, this means that proteins have a different building block in certain regions, rendering some antibody-based therapies ineffective, report researchers from the University of Basel. Antibody-based therapies are used to treat numerous diseases, from cancer to rheumatic disorders and multiple sclerosis.

Caltech is a place unlike any other, an Institute that is truly "small but mighty." Its small size and the expertise of its community enable interdisciplinary connections and collaborative projects at all scales, sometimes in rapid response to devastating need. Here, physicists and mathematicians easily and regularly interact with biologists and chemists, astronomers and engineers, and collegiality and shared interests lead to fruitful, sometimes world-changing developments.

Ultra-light, super-flexible, highly insulating: An aluminum-coated polymer film is used to shield satellites from temperature extremes. Researchers at Empa have succeeded in making the material even more resistant by implementing an ultra-thin intermediate layer. The technology could in future also be used to improve flexible electronics and medical sensors.

Although the new MRI scanner of Erasmus University Rotterdam and Erasmus MC has already been in full use for almost a year, the joint MRI facility was officially and ceremonially opened last week. During a gathering at Erasmus MC, researchers, administrators and students came together to reflect on what the facility has already delivered, as well as on the promising research plans for the years ahead.

Researchers at Leipzig University's Carl Ludwig Institute for Physiology, working in collaboration with Johns Hopkins University in the US, have achieved an important breakthrough in brain research. The so-called zap-and-freeze technique, which allows processes of signal transmission between nerve cells to be visualised within milliseconds, has now been successfully applied for the first time to acute brain slices from both mice and humans.

Solid-state batteries could store electricity more efficiently and safely in the future than today's batteries with liquid electrolytes. Space charges that form in solid-state batteries have so far impaired their performance. Space charges form primarily at the positive pole of the batteries. This provides a starting point for preventing their formation by modifying the structure or material of the electrode.

Six particular depressive symptoms when experienced in midlife predict dementia risk more than two decades later, finds a new study led by UCL researchers. Midlife depression has long been considered a risk factor for dementia in later life. However, new findings published in The Lancet Psychiatry suggest that this relationship is driven by a small cluster of specific symptoms rather than by depression overall.

Astronomers have captured the most detailed images ever taken of a jet launched by a young star, confirming a theoretical model that has remained untested for three decades. Published today in Nature Astronomy , the images reveal a series of delicate, ring-like structures that record decades of violent outbursts during the star's early life.

A study by the University of Zurich, based on policy changes in Spain, shows that teenagers drink significantly less alcohol when the minimum legal drinking age is raised. In addition, a reduction in drinking also leads to improved academic performance and mental health. These findings could be relevant for Switzerland as well.

Biodiversity Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have discovered that moss acts as a natural trap for environmental DNA. This discovery opens the door to using moss as a simple, gentle and inexpensive method of monitoring biodiversity - from birds and mammals to fungi, insects and microbes. Right now, many of us have a bit of moss sitting in our Christmas decorations at home.

Researchers at TU Wien and the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) have demonstrated an unexpected effect: in a quantum system that is highly disordered, coherent microwave radiation can suddenly emerge. Two candles emit twice as much light as one. And ten candles have ten times the intensity.

A study suggests that it may be possible to alleviate this autoimmune disease by preventing platelets from binding to white blood cells Certain autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus could be alleviated, or even cured, by preventing blood platelets from binding to immune system cells.

A new study reveals for the first time how certain cyanobacteria can stabilize a type of calcium carbonate mineral that is generally extremely unstable. This discovery, made by Neha Mehta, FNRS researcher in the Faculty of Science's Biogeochemistry and Earth System Modeling (BGeoSys) department, and her team, opens up new perspectives in materials science and environmental research.

The H5N1 avian influenza virus - commonly known as bird flu - has been causing outbreaks in dairy cows in the United States since March 2024. Now, scientists studying the adaptation of the avian H5N1 viruses to cows, have found that some of the more recent variants are more able to infect cow cells and tissues than some older variants.

Scientists have identified a molecular pathway that protects cells from lipid oxidation and ferroptosis, a regulated form of cell death involved in aging and several diseases. Our cells constantly face oxidative stress, a natural byproduct of metabolism that can damage DNA, proteins, and lipids. Every cell must strike a delicate balance between using oxygen for life-sustaining reactions and avoiding the damage it can cause.

How much longer will glaciers survive? A new study from researchers offers the first detailed projection of how many glaciers could vanish by 2100 due to global warming - and why regions such as Switzerland will be most affected. This approach could also help policymakers, the tourism industry and natural hazard management plan for the future.

AI and plants Using a new AI method, researchers from the University of Copenhagen have rediscovered 51 old pea varieties that are no longer used in agriculture but may prove promising for the production of plant-based foods. The method is a shortcut to finding new resources in the green treasure troves that gene banks' enormous seed collections represent.

If gut bacteria are too similar to the protective layer of nerves, they can misdirect the immune system and cause it to attack its own nervous system. This mechanism can accelerate the progression of multiple sclerosis, as researchers at the University of Basel, together with colleagues in Bonn, have shown in trials with mice.

A study carried out under the direction of the University of Fribourg in collaboration with the University of Lausanne and the University of Geneva shows that the majority of food supplements based o

The yeast Candida albicans colonizes mucosal surfaces and is usually harmless. However, under certain conditions it can cause dangerous infections.