Biology

The latest CRISPR-based genome editing systems function more like molecular taxis rather than a pair of molecular scissors. This makes them much safer for patients who will soon benefit from gene therapies, as Eric Aird explains.

EPFL spin-off Alithea Genomics has developed a system that allows scientists to easily tag bulk RNA samples with molecular barcodes so they can be processed by the hundreds in one single tube. The technology promises to dramatically shorten and streamline sample preparation for RNA sequencing, which will enable new applications for this technology, such as biomarker discovery and drug development.

A new study shows that breast cancer metastases form more efficiently while patients are sleeping. This finding, in a study led by researchers at ETH Zur-ich, could significantly change the way cancer is diagnosed and treated in future.

Nature is not a ‘nice to have’ – it’s our life support system. Dwindling biodiversity endangers the very foundation of our existence. A turnaround is possible, but only if we all want it, says Christoph Küffer.

Cyanobacteria are ancient organisms. The most varied types of shells without a core, which, at high density in warm waters, can secrete complex substances and also toxins. Some are toxic to both humans and animals. Elisabeth Janssen is on the trail of these natural toxins: applied research, the results of which can be incorporated into water protection or water management.

Plastic waste is now polluting all of the world's ecosystems, even those located far from civilisation. The impact of this on the food chain is still unclear. A laboratory study by the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest Snow and Landscape Research WSL published in iForest has now shown that forest trees also take up plastic particles through their roots and transport them to the above-ground tissues of the plant.