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Scientists at EPFL and the University of Southern Denmark have used holographic projections to bring unprecedented resolution to a light-based 3D printing technique. The method allows the fabrication of millimeter-scale objects within seconds using significantly less energy than previous approaches.

Scientists have identified a new property, interface flexibility, that controls how certain molecules naturally self-organize into crystalline supramolecular networks. This significant discovery could change the design of synthetic molecules for network growth at the nanoscale. Covalent bonding is a widely understood phenomenon that joins the atoms of a molecule by a shared electron pair.

Researchers have developed a computational method to explicitly consider the impact of water while designing membrane receptors with enhanced stability and signaling, paving the way for novel drug discovery and protein engineering. Proteins are life's engines, powering processes like muscle movement, vision, and chemical reactions.

Researchers have designed flexible, batlike wings that boost lift and improve flight performance. This innovation could lead to more efficient drones or energy-harvesting technologies. In 1934, French entomologist Antoine Magnan wrote that bumblebees "should not be able to fly", as their small wings should theoretically not be able to produce enough lift.

By applying techniques from explainable artificial intelligence, engineers can improve users' confidence in forecasts generated by artificial intelligence models. This approach was recently tested on wind power generation by a team that includes experts from EPFL. Explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) is a branch of AI that helps users to peek inside the black-box of AI models to understand how their output is generated and whether their forecasts can be trusted.

Researchers have combined injections of a novel hydrogel with systemic osteoporosis drugs in rats, achieving rapid local increases in bone density. The results offer hope for future fracture prevention therapies in osteoporosis patients. Osteoporosis is a disease in which bone resorbs faster than it is formed, gradually weakening its structure over time and leading to fractures.

Researchers have created a new ultra-broadband electro-optic comb that packs 450 nm of light precision into a chip smaller than a coin, paving the way for smarter, more efficient photonic devices. In the world of modern optics, frequency combs are invaluable tools. These devices act as rulers for measuring light, enabling breakthroughs in telecommunications, environmental monitoring, and even astrophysics.

Twenty volunteers spent six months learning about the scientific method through a citizen-science initiative led by EPFL. The initiative was part of a study to determine how the microplastic particles released by tire wear are affecting lakes and rivers in Vaud Canton. The particles of plastic released as our tires rub against the pavement may be just a few millimeters big, but they're a huge source of pollution.

Scientists from EPFL work on sustainable approaches to soil remediation, like the use of naturally occurring microorganisms that can "eat" pollutants found in soil and the water table.

Scientists have used deep learning to design new proteins that bind to complexes involving other small molecules like hormones or drugs, opening up a world of possibilities in the computational design of molecular interactions for biomedicine. In 2023, scientists in the joint School of Engineering and School of Life Sciences Laboratory of Protein Design and Immunoengineering ( LPDI ), led by Bruno Correia, published in Nature a deep-learning pipeline for designing new proteins to interact with therapeutic targets.

The use of generative artificial intelligence in protein design stands to revolutionize new drug development. EPFL ambitions putting together a consortium to further explore this avenue. All living things are made of proteins. They play a key role in cell structure, nourishment and health, as well as in drug-body interactions.

A joint EPFL and University of Lausanne research team reports on a novel observation of a plant protection mechanism in response to salt stress. The study opens new avenues of research to strengthen food security. According to the United Nations, soil salinization affects between 20% and 40% of arable land globally, with human activity and climate change - especially rising sea levels - largely responsible for this process.

Scientists led by EPFL, the University of Copenhagen, and Shanghai University have developed a copper catalyst that can efficiently convert carbon dioxide into acetaldehyde, a key chemical used in manufacturing. The breakthrough offers a green alternative to fossil-fuel-based processes. Acetaldehyde is a vital chemical used in making everything from perfumes to plastics.

Thanks to new high-frequency electrical stimulation that blocks spasticity, two paralyzed patients suffering from muscle stiffness after spinal cord injury benefit from rehabilitation protocols for walking again.

Two EPFL-led articles published in 'Nature' and 'Nature Microbiology' shed light on the uniqueness, complexity and climate-related vulnerability of the world's glacier-fed-stream microbiome. The streams draining the glaciers on our planet's mountaintops harbor a wealth of unique microorganisms, yet little was known about these complex ecosystems until recently.

Scientists have successfully achieved a quantum collective behavior of macroscopic mechanical oscillators, unlocking new possibilities in quantum technology. Quantum technologies are radically transforming our understanding of the universe. One emerging technology are macroscopic mechanical oscillators, devices that are vital in quartz watches, mobile phones, and lasers used in telecommunications.

Scientists at EPFL have developed "lymphomoids," a pioneering cancer model that preserves the structure and multicellular composition of lymphoma tumors in the lab. Lymphomoids offer an innovative way to test the efficacy of lymphoma treatments and better predict individual responses. Cancer is notoriously complex, with each tumor responding to different therapies.

Artificial intelligence (AI) may be a weapon of mass disinformation, but a recent report has demonstrated that its impact thus far has been limited Voters in nearly 100 countries - including Taiwan, the US and Senegal - went to the polls this year, and AI was often used during the election campaigns.

Researchers have built a drone that can walk, hop, and jump into flight with the aid of birdlike legs, greatly expanding the range of potential environments accessible to unmanned aerial vehicles. "As the crow flies" is a common idiom referring to the shortest distance between two points, but the Laboratory of Intelligent Systems , led by Dario Floreano, in EPFL's School of Engineering has taken the phrase literally with RAVEN (Robotic Avian-inspired Vehicle for multiple ENvironments).

For millennia humans have been inspired by the stars but this may soon be a thing of the past due to a significant increase in the numbers of satellites, potentially limiting our view of the night sky.