Biological Engineering

Turning drug discovery into speed dating

EPFL spin-off ArcoScreen has developed a platform that turns the discovery of new drugs for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, diabetes and cancer from a marathon into a sprint. The firm’s microfluidic readout system assesses the response of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) to new substances, delivering significant time and financial gains for pharmaceutical companies.

NeuroMechFly: a digital twin of Drosophila

EPFL scientists have developed a digital model of the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, which realistically simulates the movements of the animal. The twin is a big step towards reverse engineering the neuromechanical control of animal behavior, and developing bioinspired robots.

Genomics can help restore coral reefs in the Indian Ocean

Two EPFL scientists are putting their expertise in coral reefs to work in Mauritius and Seychelles. The pair has joined a United Nations program that aims to restore reefs affected by human and environmental pressure using a method known as seascape genomics.

DisCo: boosting the efficiency of single-cell RNA sequencing

Bioengineers at EPFL have found a way to radically increase the efficiency of single-cell RNA-sequencing, a powerful tool that can “read” the genetic profile of an individual cell.

Blocking sphingolipids counteracts muscular dystrophy

EPFL scientists have made the first link between muscular dystrophy and a group of bioactive fats, the sphingolipids, which are involved in numerous cell functions and other diseases.

Neutral mutants can prevail in gut microbiota, enhancing diversity

Scientists at EPFL and Sorbonne propose a new model of the diversity and evolution of gut bacteria that shows how the gut environment helps neutral mutations become prevalent, with significant potential implications on health and metabolic diseases.

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