EPFL School of Life Sciences

As 2024 comes to a close, we at the School of Life Sciences would like to thank everyone who has been part of our amazing journey this year! We are excited for a 2025 filled with great science, education, and innovation that will push the boundaries of life sciences and shape the future—together. Wishing you Happy Holidays, a fantastic start to 2025, and the best of luck to our students during the revision period!

A study led by scientists from Friedhelm Hummel's team reveals that the effectiveness of brain stimulation on motor skills is determined by an individual's learning ability rather than age, highlighting the need for a more personalized approach to neurorehabilitation. Read more: https://go.epfl.ch/SoZ-en ---------- Une étude menée par des scientifiques de l’équipe de Friedhelm Hummel révèle que l’efficacité de la stimulation cérébrale sur les capacités motrices d’un individu dépend davantage de ses capacités d’apprentissage que de son âge, soulignant ainsi la nécessité d’une approche plus personnalisée de la neuroréhabilitation. Article en français : https://go.epfl.ch/SoZ-fr

Professor G. Courtine will take over as the new director of the tri-school Neuro X Institute. The outgoing Director, Stephanie Lacour, will continue to be an active member of the Institute, as well as the new EPFL Vice President for Support to Strategic Initiatives.

More than 40 researchers from across the fields of #AI and #biology, including EPFL's Charlotte Bunne, have set out their vision for AI-powered Virtual Cells, arguing that these have the potential to revolutionize the scientific process. #research EPFL School of Life Sciences EPFL AI Center

🎉 Congratulations to Friedhelm Hummel who has been awarded the Fürst Donnersmarck-Stiftung Prize for Neurohabilitation! 🎉 Read more 👇

The emergence of antibiotic resistance is a major global challenge. 🦠💊 A new study published in the journal Nature Microbiology, led by Nazgul Sakenova in Nassos Typas’s research team at EMBL Heidelberg, provides a potential path towards a solution by systematically detecting vulnerabilities of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. 🦠 Bacteria were one of the first life forms to appear on Earth around 4 billion years ago, and today they are found almost everywhere. Humans have trillions of bacteria living on and within us. While most bacteria are helpful or neutral in the context of our health, some of them, called pathogens, cause diseases that require treatment. 💊 The discovery of antibiotics, which can be used to kill pathogenic bacteria, is considered one of the greatest achievements of our civilization. Most antibiotics were found between 1940 and 1960, but bacterial resistance against those antibiotics emerged quickly, rendering them ineffective. In addition, the rate at which novel antibiotics are discovered has decreased. Without any novel treatment strategy, antimicrobial resistance is predicted to become the leading cause of death by 2050. So, what are the possible strategies beyond the discovery of more antibiotics? The answer could be a more informed use of existing antibiotics. 🥼 Typas lab’s recent study, carried out in collaboration with EPFL’s Camille Goemans, proposes a systematic measurement of the vulnerabilities of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Antibiotic resistance trade-offs can result in bacterial drug interactions: while changes in the genetic makeup of bacteria (called mutations) can make them resistant to some antibiotics, it can also lead to increased sensitivity to other antibiotics, which provides treatment opportunities. By developing a fast, systematic, and quantitative framework based on drug-gene relationships, the team could extend the currently known number of collaterally sensitive and cross-resistant drug interactions by several folds and gain deeper genetic insight into bacterial resistance and sensitivity mechanisms. The data have also been made available to the scientific community, who could explore them to reach new genetic insights: https://lnkd.in/epREjAaU. Finally, they demonstrated that applying novel antibiotic combinations can delay the emergence of antibiotic resistance in vitro. 👉 The next step could be to apply this method to other bacteria, primarily pathogens, and evaluate the stability of the interactions in physiological conditions while avoiding cytotoxic effects on human health. This knowledge can pave the way for a rational design of antibiotic treatments, potentially improving their efficacy in clinical settings in the future. Read the original paper here: https://lnkd.in/eA7_VFPJ

We’re hiring an "Adjoint.e de Section" for the Life Sciences Engineering Section! Are you ready to play a central role in shaping the academic journey of future life sciences engineers? The Life Sciences Engineering Section manages all aspects of Bachelor’s and Master’s studies, and we’re looking for a dedicated individual to: 🔹 Coordinate daily activities and administrative tasks within the section 🔹 Provide academic guidance to students 🔹 Support the Director in implementing study plans and regulations 💡 Your profile: ✔️ PhD in life sciences or a related field ✔️ Strong teamwork and coordination skills ✔️ Interest in teaching and supporting students 🌟 What we offer: A varied role in a multicultural and stimulating environment. 🔗 Learn more and apply: https://lnkd.in/etHPvw2i Make a meaningful impact on the future of life sciences engineering!

🎉 Raphael Gottardo and Markus Jeschek have received appointments at the School of Life Sciences! Read more👇

The emergence of antibiotic resistance is a major global challenge. 🦠💊 A new study published in the journal Nature Microbiology, led by Nazgul Sakenova in Nassos Typas’s research team at EMBL Heidelberg, provides a potential path towards a solution by systematically detecting vulnerabilities of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. 🦠 Bacteria were one of the first life forms to appear on Earth around 4 billion years ago, and today they are found almost everywhere. Humans have trillions of bacteria living on and within us. While most bacteria are helpful or neutral in the context of our health, some of them, called pathogens, cause diseases that require treatment. 💊 The discovery of antibiotics, which can be used to kill pathogenic bacteria, is considered one of the greatest achievements of our civilization. Most antibiotics were found between 1940 and 1960, but bacterial resistance against those antibiotics emerged quickly, rendering them ineffective. In addition, the rate at which novel antibiotics are discovered has decreased. Without any novel treatment strategy, antimicrobial resistance is predicted to become the leading cause of death by 2050. So, what are the possible strategies beyond the discovery of more antibiotics? The answer could be a more informed use of existing antibiotics. 🥼 Typas lab’s recent study, carried out in collaboration with EPFL’s Camille Goemans, proposes a systematic measurement of the vulnerabilities of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Antibiotic resistance trade-offs can result in bacterial drug interactions: while changes in the genetic makeup of bacteria (called mutations) can make them resistant to some antibiotics, it can also lead to increased sensitivity to other antibiotics, which provides treatment opportunities. By developing a fast, systematic, and quantitative framework based on drug-gene relationships, the team could extend the currently known number of collaterally sensitive and cross-resistant drug interactions by several folds and gain deeper genetic insight into bacterial resistance and sensitivity mechanisms. The data have also been made available to the scientific community, who could explore them to reach new genetic insights: https://lnkd.in/epREjAaU. Finally, they demonstrated that applying novel antibiotic combinations can delay the emergence of antibiotic resistance in vitro. 👉 The next step could be to apply this method to other bacteria, primarily pathogens, and evaluate the stability of the interactions in physiological conditions while avoiding cytotoxic effects on human health. This knowledge can pave the way for a rational design of antibiotic treatments, potentially improving their efficacy in clinical settings in the future. Read the original paper here: https://lnkd.in/eA7_VFPJ

The Swiss Transparency Agreement on Animal Research (#STAAR) has published its second annual report on swissuniversities' website. The 26 signatories, including EPFL, agreed to openly communicate about their use of animals for research. https://lnkd.in/d6hCsv54