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Memories help animals survive by guiding them toward what to seek and what to avoid, such as remembering the smell of food or warning signs of danger. But in a constantly changing world, memories must also remain flexible. If a reward or threat no longer holds the same meaning, the brain needs ways to update what it has learned without completely forgetting the past.

Mouse geneticist Antoine Peters and his team investigate how information beyond the DNA sequence - shaped by chemical marks on the DNA molecule - controls the earliest steps of life. By revealing how errors in these mechanisms can silence essential genes and prevent embryos from implanting, this work may shed light on the molecular causes of infertility.

Researchers from Friedrich Miescher Institute have uncovered how the freshwater polyp Hydra decides whether a cell becomes part of its stinging tentacles or its anchoring foot, shedding light on some of the fundamental rules of body patterning - or how cells organize into distinct tissues. Body patterning is fundamental to development, and Hydra - with its simple tube-like body, stinging tentacles and anchoring foot - offers a clear view of this process.

Researchers at the Friedrich Miescher Institute have shed new light on one of biology's most intriguing mysteries: how identical strands of DNA give rise to such a dazzling variety of cell types, from neurons to muscle fibers. By zeroing in on proteins called transcription factors - molecular switches that turn genes on and off - the team identified hidden patterns that determine exactly where these proteins bind along the genome and how they shape a cell's destiny.

What happens in the brain when our senses don't match our expectations - for example, when we take a step, but there's no sound or the sound is delayed or distorted? A new study led by FMI neuroscientists sheds light on how the brain detects and processes these moments of sensory surprise. The findings could not only deepen our understanding of how the brain interprets the world, but might also open new avenues for diagnosing and tracking psychiatric conditions.

Gene regulation underpins nearly every biological process-from cell development to responses to environmental changes, and understanding it can provide insights into cancer and other diseases. Now, FMI researchers have made significant progress in uncovering how transcription factors-proteins that control gene expression-work in fission yeast, a key model organism for studying gene regulation.

Understanding how proteins interact is essential to decoding cellular processes and communication. In a groundbreaking study, researchers at the Friedrich Miescher Institute (FMI) have explored how every possible mutation in a protein affects its ability to bind with its partners, shedding light on how mutations influence cellular functions and the evolution of proteins.

Researchers at the Friedrich Miescher Institute (FMI) have developed an innovative tool that maps how proteases—enzymes that process proteins—interact with their targets. This tool sheds light on the highly selective nature of proteases, which were previously thought to be indiscriminate in their function.

To grow and survive, tiny organisms such as yeast must sometimes adapt their nutrient sources in response to changes in the environment. FMI researchers have now found that yeast cells communicate with each other to use less favorable nutrients if they foresee a shortage of their favorite food. This communication is facilitated by secreted molecules that interact with a protein in mitochondria, the cells' energy factories.

Regenerating damaged tissues or organs has been a dream of scientists for decades. Now, researchers at the FMI and Novartis Biomedical Research have discovered a new molecule that activates a protein involved in regeneration. The tool holds promise for advancing our understanding of how organisms repair damaged tissue.

The placenta provides oxygen and nutrients to a growing baby, but its early interactions with a mother's uterus remain an enigma.

Influenza and other viruses pack their genetic material into a protein shell, which must be disassembled for the viruses to efficiently replicate. But how viruses 'uncoat' their genes remains largely unknown. Now, FMI researchers have identified crucial features of this uncoating process - work that may inform the development of new antiviral treatments.

When our expectations differ from reality, specific sets of brain cells are activated. Working in mice, FMI researchers have characterized these neurons based on their gene-expression patterns, paving the way for a better understanding of some of the neuronal deficits associated with neuropsychiatric conditions.

A symphony of electrical signals and a dynamic tangle of connections between brain cells help us to make new memories. Using AI-powered models of groups of neurons, FMI researchers are working towards unlocking how the brain orchestrate this dance. Their latest study has achieved a major advance in accurately simulating the changes in the connections between neurons that sense the external environment, opening the door to a greater understanding of how countless brain cells transform sensations into perceptions and thoughts.

Despite leaving behind thousands of deformed infants, thalidomide — and newer drugs derived from it — have proved effective cancer treatments. Researchers in the group of Nicolas Thomä at the FMI provided key insights into the mechanism of action of thalidomide-like drugs. Their work could help develop molecules that target and destroy disease-causing proteins, thus enabling the treatment of uncurable conditions.

Antipsychotic drugs are used to treat and manage symptoms of many psychiatric disorders, but their mechanisms of action remain a mystery. FMI researchers found that antipsychotics reduce long-range communication within a specific layer of the brain cortex — a finding that may explain how these medications work.

Craniofacial birth defects, including cleft lip and palate, are among the most common human congenital malformations. Now, FMI researchers have identified a DNA region containing multiple regulatory elements that interact with genes across distant chromosomal neighborhoods, ensuring that specific facial structures develop in the right place.

An organism's body plan arises through a process called gastrulation, during which the embryo forms three distinct layers of cells that will later give rise to all organs. Now, FMI researchers have mapped the development of three-dimensional clusters of cells that mimic aspects of gastrulation, providing important insights into the molecular mechanisms that regulate early embryonic development and cell fate determination.

Scientists have known that when a mouse embryo is developing, the cells that will become its spine and muscles switch specific genes on and off repeatedly, in a synchronous fashion. However, there are deep mysteries about how these cells synchronize. FMI researchers have now developed a mathematical model that not only better explains how spontaneous synchronization arises in a developing mouse embryo, but may also offer some fundamental clues about how other biological systems sync up.

For the first time, researchers have mapped the full trajectory of placental development. Their work could offer new insights into pregnancy disorders and help develop better experimental models of the human placenta. Researchers from the FMI led by Margherita Yayoi Turco, the Wellcome Sanger Institute, the University of Cambridge and EMBL's European Bioinformatics Institute have created an in-depth picture of how the placenta develops and communicates with the uterus.