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Bacteria free themselves with molecular “speargun”

Tularemia is an infectious disease that mostly affects rabbits and rodents, but also humans can become infected. The cause of this serious disease is the bacterium Francisella tularensis . The infection biologists led by…


Not necessarily harmful: Protein aggregates in the brain

In the past, amyloids have mainly been associated with neurodegenerative diseases. These solid, insoluble protein clumps damage the nerve cells. The research group led by Prof. Martin Spiess at the Biozentrum of the…


Tim Arni

Testimonial of Tim Arni EPFL Lausanne, Switzerland, Research Group Sebastian Hiller Where are you from and what do you study? I grew up near Bern. It was clear that I would choose a STEM subject and as I really wanted to…


Keep on moving: Sports relieve tumor-associated anemia

The two major symptoms of cancer are muscle atrophy (loss of muscle mass) and anemia (reduced hemoglobin level), leading to weight loss, fatigue, lethargy and reduced physical performance. Moreover, both are also symptoms…


Safeguarding the cell nucleus

The nuclear pore is responsible for regulating the transport of proteins from the cytoplasm into the cell nucleus and for ushering RNA out of it. It works like a molecular sieve that controls the entry and exit of…


Artificial Intelligence Tools shed light on millions of proteins

In the past years, AlphaFold has revolutionised protein science. This Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool was trained on protein data collected by life scientists for over 50 years, and is able to predict the 3D shape of…


Protective shield: How pathogens withstand acidic environments in the body

Each year, thousands of patients in Swiss hospitals become infected with dangerous pathogens that can hardly be controlled with antibiotics. The methicillin-resistant bacterium Staphylococcus aureus , MRSA for short, is…


How bacteria reinforce their protective shield against stress

When infecting a host, pathogens not only need to evade the immune defense but also to survive diverse living conditions, such as the acidic conditions in the stomach or the salty intestinal environment. Gram negative…


A bacterial toxin facilitating chronic infection

When pathogens invade our body the immune system is put on alert. The body’s immune cells are recruited to the site of infection and an inflammatory reaction is initiated to rapidly eliminate the invaders. Some pathogens,…


Yin and Yang: Two signaling molecules control growth and behavior in bacteria

Whether they are pathogens, deep-sea microbes or soil-dwelling organisms, in order to survive, microorganisms must be able to adapt rapidly to diverse changes in their environment, including nutrient depletion. Bacteria owe…