Not 100% certain yet what to study? The ETH Study Information Days (yesterday and today @ethz.ch) provide you with all the information you need (curriculum, career paths, individual questions) to make an informed decision. ethz.ch/en/studies/b...

Cancer cells provide healthy neighbouring cells with additional cell powerhouses to put them to work. This has been demonstrated by researchers at ETH Zurich in a new study. In this way, #Cancer is exploiting a mechanism that frequently serves to repair damaged cells.

The Vogel Lab (McGill @mcgill.ca @mcgillscience.bsky.social) and the Barral lab (ETH Zurich @ethz.ch) unveil a groundbreaking mechanism by which living cells efficiently harness the powerful forces generated by shrinking microtubules. More details: biol.ethz.ch/en/news-and-...

For the vast majority of bacterial transcription factors, the input signals are not known. The Sauer lab @ethz.ch developed a systematic workflow to predict such metabolite signals. Read more at biol.ethz.ch/en/news-and-...

We're happy to share that Dr. Gabriel Giger has won the 2025 Origins Federation PhD Prize for his research on lab-induced endosymbiosis, done in the #VorholtLab @ethz.ch. He'll present at the #OriginsFederation annual conference in Chicago this fall. More: copl.ethz.ch/news/COPL-ne...

Our congratulations to the EMBO membership of Wolf-Dietrich Hardt and Martin Pilhofer! Well deserved! biol.ethz.ch/en/news-and-...

The @barrallabeth.bsky.social explores the concepts of replicative aging and rejuvenation in budding yeast, mainly S. cerevisiae, highlighting how these processes aren’t merely detrimental but also offer adaptive advantages at both individual and population levels. More: biol.ethz.ch/en/news-and-...

At @ethz.ch, Jacob Corn and his team are at the forefront of genome editing, developing tools to treat rare genetic diseases and investigating what happens inside our cells when DNA is altered: ethz-foundation.ch/fokus/news-2... #genomeediting #CRISPR #medicalresearch #ETHZurich #startups

New @plosbiology.org study from the Hardt lab: Commensal E. coli 8178 limits Salmonella by outcompeting it for D-galactose. Timing matters - early access to key sugars shapes gut colonization. #Microbiome #Pathogenesis #NutrientCompetition More: biol.ethz.ch/en/news-and-...

How do lipids trigger toxic protein aggregation in Parkinson’s disease? A new ETH Zurich study shows how lipid surfaces start α-synuclein aggregation—and how to block it with small molecules. More: biol.ethz.ch/en/news-and-...

New method devised to produce cell-guiding microporous hydrogels to improve the growth and function of cells in 3D cultures: With PIPS it is now possible to precisely control the tiny pores in these cell-friendly scaffolds. More: biol.ethz.ch/en/news-and-...

Congratulations to Nicola Aceto from our department who won the 2025 Cloëtta Prize for his outstanding research in molecular oncology! The award ceremony will take place on October 31 @ethz.ch. 👏 #CloëttaPrize #ETHZ #MedicalResearch cloetta-foundation.ch

Two researchers from D-BIOL are among the first in Switzerland to receive a prestigious ERC Advanced Grant since early 2022. Our congratulations to Jacob Corn and Julia Vorholt on this great success! ethz.ch/en/news-and-...

The two groups in the D-BIOL did a great job in the final presentations, held in front of parents, teachers and friends on Friday afternoon as a closing event - congrats to this achievement! The event was opened by Rector Günther Dissertori and concluded with an exhibition.

Professor emeritus of ETH Zurich Vladimir Pliska receives the medal NUMISMA HONORIS SOCIETATIS SCIENTIARUM BOHEMICAE, awarded by the Learned Society of the Czech Republic for services to the development of science. Our congratulations!

Since Monday, the Department of Biology is hosting 17 high school students from across Switzerland for ETH’s Study Week! They’re diving into two exciting projects, one on corals, one on cancer, meeting ETH students over pizza, and getting a behind-the-scenes look at cutting-edge research labs.

What if cancer treatment could be tailored to your tumour’s unique biology? A groundbreaking Swiss study is making that a reality. Read more:

For her innovative research on plant microbiomes paving the way for healthier crops and higher yields Julia Vorholt was awarded the Novonesis Biotechnology Prize 2025. Watch the video of the @novo-nordisk.bsky.social on Julia Vorholt's career and research: www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoXj...

Watch the portrait video of Prof Jörn Piel, produced by the Jung Foundation for the presentation of the 2025 Jung Prize for Medicine. www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVt5...

Our lungs rely on alveolar macrophages (AMs) for health. The Koch lab @ethz.ch reports on @cellpress.bsky.social that AMs need #peroxisomes to handle toxic fats, energy, #mitochondrial fitness & lung #immunity. Peroxisomes are vital for lung defense. More: biol.ethz.ch/en/news-and-...

Breaking news and a great honour for D-BIOL professor Jörn Piel: he wins the very prestigious Jung Prize for Medicine! Our congratulations! ethz.ch/en/news-and-...

An ancient process (meiosis) separates pairs of chromosomes to create gametes. But what if there are suddenly more copies? A recent study from the Bomblies lab @ethz.ch Zurich explores what is needed to segregate chromosomes after genome-duplication. More: biol.ethz.ch/en/news-and-...

The IMPB, the last D-BIOL institute not yet located on Hönggerberg, recently moved into the HPT building. The opening ceremony took place yesterday, with words of welcome from Vice President Ueli Weidmann on the renovation and a speech by D-BIOL Chair Markus Stoffel on its future use in research.

Gut microbes talk and compete! A new study shows that E. coli uses AI-2 signaling to compete with Salmonella during colonization. Quorum sensing meets metabolic warfare. More: biol.ethz.ch/en/news-and-...

A new @cp-molcell.bsky.social article depicts how cells regulate ribosome abundance. The Peter lab @ethzurich.bsky.social and collaborators show that Stm1 protects ribosomes during starvation and promotes ribosome biogenesis in nutrient-rich conditions. More: biol.ethz.ch/en/news-and-...

A study from the Truernit group at @ethzurich.bsky.social explores how the OPS/OPL gene family drives root and shoot growth in #Arabidopsis, both directly and through phloem development. More: biol.ethz.ch/en/news-and-...

Mycobacteria require the proteasome to survive under stress. A new study from the @ewb-lab.bsky.social lab shows how the ATP-independent proteasome activator Bpa engages asymmetrically with the α-rings, and identifies Bpa residues critical for substrate degradation. biol.ethz.ch/en/news-and-...

What happens when our #DNA breaks? ETH Zurich scientists mapped over 150,000 gene interactions to reveal how cells fix their DNA - and how #Cancer cells might be stopped in their tracks. A breakthrough in #CancerResearch could be closer than we think. Read more:

Each department at ETH Zurich is evaluated by an external panel of experts every eight years (D-BIOL: now). In addition to discussions with all PIs, the panel meets with students, PhDs, postdocs, employees, and scientific and teaching staff in order to obtain a comprehensive picture of the D-BIOL.

COPL 101 Lunch Seminar with Prof. Klára Hlouchová @hlouchova-lab.bsky.social "Why these amino acids?" The seminar will take place on Wednesday, 2 April 2025, at 12:30pm, in HIT F 23.2, ETH Hönggerberg. copl.ethz.ch/events/detai... @eth-bsse.bsky.social @eth-dbiol.bsky.social

Systemic candidiasis is a life-threatening infectious disease. A recent study by the Kopf lab at @ethzurich.bsky.social reveals different mechanisms by which the multi-functional #cytokine IL-1 controls #Candida infection in the kidney and brain. More: biol.ethz.ch/en/news-and-...

Asgard archaea have actin - but what about microtubules? Where do they come from? 🧐 Our new paper www.cell.com/cell/fulltex... by @xujwet.bsky.social & @florianwollweber.bsky.social, in collaboration with the Schleper & Wieczorek labs, describes tiny Asgard microtubules! #TeamTomo #ArchaeaSky 1/6

Julia Vorholt wins the 2025 Novonesis Biotechnology Prize for her groundbreaking research on plant microbiomes! Our congratulations to this outstanding achievement! 🎉 biol.ethz.ch/en/news-and-...

D-BIOL welcomes Joel Zindel as a new department member! He will start his position as a Tenure Track Assistant Professor of Tissue Damage and Repair on 1 August 2025 in the Institute of Molecular Health Sciences. More: ethz.ch/en/news-and-...

Annette Oxenius has been appointed ETH Vice President for Research. From 1 August 2025, she will assume responsibility for research development and promotion at ETH Zurich. The 56-year-old Swiss national is an esteemed immunologist and professor at the ETH Department of Biology. Read more:

Yesterday, Markus Stoffel as the new D-BIOL chair bid farewell to Sabine Werner as the head of our department during the departmental conference. We sincerely thank Sabine for her dedication and leadership over the last 2 and a half years!

Host synergizes with protective commensal strains to restrict pathogen growth. A recent study by the Hardt lab in collaboration with the von Mering and Vorholt lab demonstrates that host neutrophils predispose Salmonella Typhimurium elimination by commensal E. coli. biol.ethz.ch/en/news-and-...

Salmonella’s Sweet Tooth: A study by the Hardt lab @ethzurich.bsky.social, with the Sauer and von Mering labs, shows that sugars, especially D-glucose, are abundant in the gut and drive Salmonella Typhimurium expansion across murine models. More: biol.ethz.ch/en/news-and-...

Some words from our institute's chair Paola Picotti and from @kathrynslilley.bsky.social in celebration of Women and Girls in Science.

The paper by @BasurajSK, Oneda Leka, Pal Sushant, @KorkhovLab, and Richard Kammerer (@psich_en), published in @NatureComms provides molecular insights in botulinum neurotoxin recognition and pH-dependent conformational transitions relevant to its mechanism of action. biol.ethz.ch/en/news-and-...

A new study from the Weber-Ban lab led by Charlotte Schilling @cm_schilling with support from @rafal_Zdanowicz @Glockshuber_lab reveals the signal linking DNA damage to the activation of the mycobacterial DNA damage response. More: biol.ethz.ch/en/news-and-...

Did you ever wonder what a fluorescent protein tag can do to your favorite protein? In this recent study, this leads to condensates with different behaviors raising concerns for a widespread phenomenon that could also affect your favorite protein. More: biol.ethz.ch/en/news-and-...

The Corn and Bode labs uncovered how cells eliminate damaged proteins using SCF–FBXO31, a complex that targets C-terminally amidated proteins for degradation. This work sheds light on protein quality control and mutations linked to neurodevelopmental disorders. More: biol.ethz.ch/en/news-and-...

Noncanonical protein splicing illuminated. A recent study by the Vagstad and Piel groups at ETH Zurich in collaboration with the Rieher, Broderick, Stocker, and Gugger labs sheds light on the installation of protease-inhibiting ketoamides. More: biol.ethz.ch/en/news-and-...

The mOTUs4 genome database: 2.83M systematically reconstructed, co-abundance binned MAGs and >900K isolate and single cell-assembled genomes, clustered into >124K species-level clusters. More at: biol.ethz.ch/en/news-and-...

A new study from the Jagannathan lab maps the constitutive heterochromatin proteome in Drosophila, linking satellite DNA organization to heritable transposon silencing. Another step toward decoding satellite DNA’s cellular roles! More: biol.ethz.ch/en/news-and-...

I have had the honor to deliver the graduate address for the @ethzurich.bsky.social Department of Biology MSc graduatation ceremony last week. Such a wonderful occasion! All the best for the future to all graduates! 🎓

Asymmetric cell division (ACD) supports the generation of memory precursor CD8 T cells after activation. Barandun et al. show that the mother and daughter centrosomes are inherited in a targeted manner during ACD which promoted the generation of memory precursor cells.