EPFL

Researchers at EPFL have found a way to implement an optical sensing system by using spatial multiplexing, a technique originally developed in optical-fiber communication. The method, which produces three independent streams of ultrashort optical pulses using a single continuous-wave laser and a single optical microresonator, is far simpler than existing technologies. Ultrashort optical pulses are…

EPFL scientists have developed new nanotube biosensors using synthetic biology, which improves their sensing capabilities in complex biofluids, such as blood and urine. The study is published in the Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters. Biosensors are devices that can detect biological molecules in air, water, or blood. They are widely used in drug development, medical…

Chemical engineers at EPFL have demonstrated for the first time that an atom-thick graphene membrane can separate gas mixtures with a high-efficiency. The “ultimate” membrane is scalable, making it a breakthrough for industrial gas separation. Separating mixed gases, such as air, into their individual components is a process with multiple industrial applications, including biogas production,…

OCUVIS, a visualization software developed by a soon-to-be-launched EPFL spin-off, lets architects simulate 3D building models to assess the performance of natural light indoors. After specifying the ambient conditions, architects can view the visual and non-visual characteristics of the resulting natural light in their designs. A building’s architecture should be designed to take advantage of…

 EPFL researchers have created nanoparticles that attract viruses and, using the pressure resulting from the binding process, destroy them. This revolutionary approach could lead to the development of broad-spectrum antiviral drugs.  HIV, dengue, papillomavirus, herpes and Ebola – these are just some of the many viruses that kill millions of people every year, mostly children…

EPFL scientists from the Center for Neuroprosthetics have used functional MRI to show how the brain re-maps motor and sensory pathways following targeted motor and sensory reinnervation (TMSR), a neuroprosthetic approach where residual limb nerves are rerouted towards intact muscles and skin regions to control a robotic limb. Targeted motor and sensory reinnervation (TMSR) is…

A new miniature robot developed by EPFL researchers can swim with fish, learn how they communicate with each other and make them change direction or come together. These capabilities have been proven on schools of zebrafish. Researchers at EPFL’s Robotic Systems Laboratory (LSRO), which is headed by Professor Francesco Mondada, have developed a miniature robot…

Researchers at EPFL have developed a new device and analysis method that let doctors measure the neurochemicals in a patient’s brain. The Microsystems Laboratory 4(LMIS4)’s system involves collecting microdroplets of cerebral fluid and analyzing them to obtain chemical data that can help doctors diagnose and treat neurodegenerative diseases. Neurologists often use electrical impulses to stimulate and read brain…

Scientists at EPFL’s Laboratory for Processing of Advanced Composites (LPAC) and the University of Freiburg’s Botanical Garden have studied how the flax plant heals itself after it has been wounded. As part of a cross-disciplinary EU research project, they measured changes in the plant’s mechanical properties, like stiffness and damping, and examined the plant’s self-repair mechanisms. Because…

Intelligent vehicles get their intelligence from cameras, Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) sensors, and navigation and mapping systems. But there are ways to make them even smarter. Researchers at EPFL are working to improve the reliability and fault tolerance of these systems by combining the data they gather with that from other vehicles. This can,…

 EPFL scientists have greatly improved the operational stability of perovskite solar cells by introducing cuprous thiocyanate protected by a thin layer of reduced graphene oxide. Devices lost less than 5% performance when subjected to a crucial accelerated aging test during which they were exposed for more than 1000 hours to full sunlight at 60°C. Perovskite solar…

Six months after the Antarctic Circumnavigation Expedition ended, the teams that ran the 22 scientific projects are hard at work sorting through the many samples they collected. Some preliminary findings were announced during a conference in Crans Montana organized by the Swiss Polar Institute, who just appointed Konrad Steffen as new scientific director (see the…

A new drone developed at EPFL uses cutting-edge technology to deliver parcels weighing up to 500 grams. The device will never get stuck in traffic, it’s programmed to avoid obstacles, and it can reach destinations on steep or uneven terrain. Its protective cage and foldable design mean that it can be carried around in a…

Physical and biological sciences increasingly require the ability to observe nano-sized objects. This can be accomplished with transmission electron microscopy (TEM), which is generally limited to 2D images. Using TEM to reconstruct 3D images instead usually requires tilting the sample through an arc to image hundreds of views of it and needs sophisticated image processing…

Summer Series: Edward Honein has joined EPFL’s Laboratory of Nanobiotechnologyfrom the American University of Beirut. His summer project, supervised by Professor Ardemis Boghossian, aims to develop a nanotube-based biosensor. Biosensors are devices that can detect biological molecules (“analytes”) in air, water, or blood. They are used widely in drug development, medical diagnostics, biological research, and even…

Adhesive wear occurs when two surfaces – such as a brake pad and a wheel’s disc, or a car tire and the road – rub against each other. Why is this a concern? Because the rubbing action generates millions of fine particles that can cause serious problems, such as respiratory illnesses. The formation of this…

Materials classified as “nanoporous” have structures (or “frameworks”) with pores up to 100 nm in diameter. These include diverse materials used in different fields from gas separation, catalysis, and even medicine (e.g. activated charcoal). The performance of nanoporous materials depends on both their chemical composition and the shape of their pores, but the latter is…