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EPFL researchers have developed a transistor based on excitons - a type of particle most people have not heard of - that is able to function at room temperature. This breakthrough could lead to a new breed of faster, more energy efficient and smaller electronics. Excitons could revolutionize the way engineers approach electronics.

Your torso is more intuitive - and more precise - than joysticks for piloting drones, both simulated and real, according to a recent study by EPFL scientists. Work is already underway to implement this new body-machine-interface technology for search and rescue with drones. Imagine piloting a drone using the movements of your torso only and leaving your head free to look around, much like a bird.

Physicists at EPFL used Scanning Tunneling Microscopy to successfully test the stability of a magnet made up of a single atom. Despite the rise of solid-state drives, magnetic storage devices such as conventional hard drives and magnetic tapes are still very common. But as our data-storage needs are increasing at a rate of almost 15 million gigabytes per day, scientists are turning to alternative storage devices.

MIT and EPFL researchers have developed a highly targeted and non-toxic method for battling cancer through immunotherapy. Their nanoparticle gel acts only on immune cells surrounding the tumor, without affecting the rest of the body. Immunotherapy is a highly promising and innovative approach to battling cancer that works by enlisting the body's natural defenses to attack cancer cells.

EPFL scientists have discovered two small-molecule compound series that can effectively block a central pathway of the innate immune system, offering a promising new way for treating autoinflammatory diseases. The innate immune system is the first line of defense, with cells that quickly identify "foreign" motifs from viruses and bacteria and mount up a counterattack to eliminate them.

EPFL researchers have found a way to make materials that are normally opaque to sound waves completely transparent. Their system involves placing acoustic relays at strategic locations so that sound waves can propagate at a constant amplitude - regardless of what may lie in their path. This method could eventually be used to make it possible to hide objects like submarines.

EPFL researchers have developed a simulator that can calculate the performance of wind farms over 30 years while also factoring in the need to preserve local biodiversity. Tested at a site in the Carpathian Mountains in Romania, the simulator could be applied to the Swiss Jura region, which has a similar landscape.

Thanks to an unorthodox approach being proposed by EPFL researchers, patients may soon be able to track their illness simply by drinking a solution containing millions of tiny electronic sensors disguised as bacteria. Imagine being able to track the development of diseased cells in real time, simply by having patients drink a glass of water containing millions of tiny electronic biosensors.

An EPFL study has shown that Amazonian trees measuring more than 30 meters are more resistant to precipitation variations than other, shorter trees. This information is key to more accurately predicting how the rainforest, which is an important component of the carbon cycle, will react to climate change.

A study led by researchers in Switzerland has revealed a new cell type that resides in the body's fat depots where it can actively suppress fat cell formation. This discovery was made using single-cell transcriptomics and opens entirely new avenues to combat obesity and related diseases such as diabetes.

EPFL scientists have shown that combining a brain-computer interface (BCI) with functional electrical stimulation (FES) can help stroke victims recover greater use of their paralyzed arm - even years after the stroke. Paralysis of an arm and/or leg is one of the most common effects of a stroke.

Palm oil has become part of our daily lives, but a recent study by EPFL and the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) serves as a reminder that intensive farming of this crop has a major impact on the environment. Both shortand long-term solutions exist, however. Indonesia and Malaysia together account for nearly 85% of global palm oil production.

Neuroscientists at EPFL have located the cells that help reprogram long-lasting memories of traumatic experiences towards safety, a first in neuroscience. Memories of traumatic experiences can lead to mental health issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which can destroy a person's life.

Scientists from EPFL and the University of Wisconsin-Madison have carried out one of the most extensive lipidomics studies to date, connecting almost 150 different lipid species to their respective genetic regulators, revealing signatures of metabolic health and disease. Published in two papers in Cell Systems, the study is a landmark for metabolic health science.

In Neuchâtel (Switzerland), researchers from EPFL and CSEM have combined siliconand perovskite-based solar cells. The resulting efficiency of 25.2% is a record for this type of tandem cell. Their innovative yet simple manufacturing technique could be directly integrated into existing production lines, and efficiency could eventually rise above 30%.

A new system developed at EPFL can detect and analyze molecules with very high precision and without needing bulky equipment. It opens the door to large-scale, image-based detection of materials aided by artificial intelligence. Infrared spectroscopy is the benchmark method for detecting and analyzing organic compounds.

Researchers compared the geographical distribution of nearly 3,700 Lausanne residents suffering from daytime sleepiness with the noise caused by road and railway traffic in those parts of the city at night. They found a clear correlation between the amount of sleepiness reported by residents and the level of nighttime noise in their neighborhoods.

EPFL researchers have developed an innovative label-free method for studying the behavior of single cells continuously and in real time. By placing a cell in a small chamber containing nanosensors and observing it over many hours, it is possible to identify the cell's unique personality and understand how it communicates.

EPFL scientists have found a fast and simple way to make super-elastic, multi-material, high-performance fibers. Their fibers have already been used as sensors on robotic fingers and in clothing. This breakthrough method opens the door to new kinds of smart textiles and medical implants. It's a whole new way of thinking about sensors.

A handful of EPFL laboratories teamed up to compare three energy-transition scenarios that vary in their use of fossil fuels and renewable energy and their energy efficiency. The study found that greater use of renewable energy, combined with more measures to enhance energy efficiency, would create more jobs in Switzerland and increase the country's energy independence without having any impact on the overall cost.