Biological Engineering

Bioengineers at EPFL have developed a nanopore-based system that can read data encoded into synthetic macromolecules with higher accuracy and resolution than similar methods on the market. The system is also potentially cheaper and longer-lasting, and overcomes limitations that prevent us from moving away from conventional data storage devices that are rapidly maxing out in capacity and endurance.

Scientists have developed a lung-on-chip model to study how the body responds to early tuberculosis (TB) infection, according to findings published in eLife.

Bioengineers at EPFL have used organoids – tiny lab-grown organs – to mimic the early development of the heart in the mouse embryo. The work is another step towards future bioartificial organs for research and transplants.

Salamanders have a unique superpower – they can regenerate their spinal cords and regain full functionality. Scientists are working under a cross-disciplinary research project to uncover the mechanisms behind this restorative capability.

Researchers from EPFL’s Institute of Bioengineering and the University of Geneva have teamed up to develop new tools for studying water flow across cell membranes.

Studying bacterial biofilms, EPFL scientists have discovered that mechanical forces within them are sufficient to deform the soft material they grow on, e.g. biological tissues, suggesting a “mechanical” mode of bacterial infection.