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GPS for proteins: Tracking the motions of cell receptors

G protein-coupled receptors are embedded in the cell membrane and transmit signals from the outside to the inside of the cell. Because of their vast diversity and crucial role in the body, GPCRs are targeted by many drugs,…


Alex Schier receives prestigious ERC Advanced Grant

The ERC Advanced Grants are intended to support established and excellent principal investigators in pursuing groundbreaking and high-risk projects. On June 17, the ERC announced the 281 recipients of the 2025 ERC Advanced…


Perfect balance: How the brain fine-tunes its sensitivity

We are constantly exposed to a wide range of sensory stimuli, from loud noises to whispers. In order to efficiently process these diverse stimulus intensities, the brain needs to strike a balance in its responsiveness. An…


Everything in balance? How a molecular switch controls lipid metabolism

All organisms need energy to live. We get energy from various components of our food. Our body uses a part of this energy directly and stores the rest. While glucose serves as an immediately available energy source, fats are…


Autism: How gene alteration modifies social behavior

Autism occurs in about one percent of the population and is characterized by alterations in communication, repetitive behavior and social difficulties. There are numerous genetic factors involved in the development of…


GPS for chromosomes: Reorganization of the genome during development

Our body is made up of a wide variety of cells with the most diverse functions. Irrespective of being heart, liver or nerve cells, however, they all contain the same genetic information. The reason why cells develop…


Blood vessel formation: how the vascular cells respond to blood pressure

Throughout our body there is a dense, widely ramified network of blood vessels. It is estimated to be about 150,000 kilometers in length. The vessels supply all cells, even those in most far away regions of the body with…


Researchers discover new anti-cancer protein

The incidence of liver cancer, also known as hepatocellular carcinoma, is steadily increasing. In the last twenty years, the number of cases has almost doubled in Switzerland. Hepatocellular carcinoma is usually diagnosed at…


Neutralizing antibodies control bacterial infection

Bartonella are bacteria that are transmitted from blood-sucking insects to mammals, including humans. There they enter the red blood cells and cause various symptoms. An example of such a human infection with a worldwide…


Enigma of fatty acid metabolism solved: Enzyme shape controls its activity

Fats are highly diverse molecules that serve as fuel and energy storage, and they constitute the building blocks for cell membranes, hormones and messengers. Despite the diversity of fats, all the fatty acids contained…