Yesterday D-BIOL hosted students from Kantonsschule Rämibühl at @ethz.ch. Intro to biology studies and great research performed in our department, then tours of the Aceto and Stoffel groups — lots of cool science and lab vibes. Hope to see you soon!

Cells drastically downregulate mRNA translation to save energy during stress. A study by the Weis lab (IBC) shows that mRNAs transcribed after stress escape repression while pre-existing mRNA don’t, in a timing mechanism that is independent of mRNA sequence. More: biol.ethz.ch/en/news-and-...

The paper by Pia Lavriha, Carina Fluri, Jorge Hernández González and Volodymyr Korkhov, published in @natcomms.nature.com provides molecular insights into lipid-mediated conformational changes in Cx32 gap junction channels. More: biol.ethz.ch/en/news-and-...

The Department of Biology warmly congratulates Dr. Alexander Leitner on his appointment as Adjunct Professor! His pioneering work in mass spectrometry and his strong commitment to teaching and collaboration enrich our community. More: imsb.ethz.ch/research/lei...

Congrats to Michal Wieczorek (wieczorekgroup.ethz.ch/research.html, IMBB) on being selected as an @embo.org Young Investigator. The 2024 cohort highlights excellence across the life sciences, and this recognition reflects Michal’s outstanding scientific contributions.

Pathogenic beginnings of partnership: cell-in-cell implantation turns a free-living bacterium into a vertically transmitted tenant of a fungus, revealing a trajectory from antagonism to commensalism. Experimental endosymbiosis from @ETH Zurich #VorholtLab. More: biol.ethz.ch/en/news-and-...

Researchers from the Sunagawa lab (IMB) join the Tara Coral expedition to explore the Coral Triangle’s remarkable resilience and unparalleled coral biodiversity—and to turn this knowledge into stronger strategies for safeguarding coral ecosystems. More: biol.ethz.ch/en/news-and-...

Researchers from the @piellab.bsky.social @ethz.ch Zurich and international collaborators linked bioactive compounds from marine sponges to uncultivated ‘Entotheonella’ symbionts, uncovering vast biosynthetic potential. #DrugDiscovery #NaturalProducts More: biol.ethz.ch/en/news-and-...

Intracellular Salmonella require T3SS effectors to cause infection. A study by the Hardt lab @ethz.ch ETH Zürich gives new insights into which bacterial factors are critical for infection in vivo, and provides new tools for researchers to further explore. More: biol.ethz.ch/en/news-and-...

D-BIOL joined Switzerland’s national Future Day at ETH Zurich again! Five projects, dozens of curious kids, and loads of inspiration. It was inspiring to see their enthusiasm and creativity — who knows, maybe some of them will be our future researchers! #FutureDay #STEM #NextGeneration #Research

Dr. Fabienne Wiederkehr (Postdoc in der Gruppe von Prof. Shinichi Sunagawa, Institut für Mikrobiologie, D-BIOL) gibt im "Wissenschaftsmagazin" von SRF als Expertin auf diesem Gebiet Auskunft zu hitzeresistenten Korallen im Korallendreieck in Indonesien. www.srf.ch/audio/wissen...

We were delighted to host last Friday’s Bachelor graduation celebration at the ETH Hönggerberg campus! Congratulations to all graduates on this important milestone. The Department of Biology wishes you continued success and fulfillment in all that comes next! 🥳

Treatment of triple-negative breast cancer is clinically challenging. A recent study from the Bodenmiller at ETH Zurich proposes a new patient stratification method to better predict recurrence risk and direct therapy. More: biol.ethz.ch/en/news-and-...

Treatment of triple-negative breast cancer is clinically challenging. A recent study from the Bodenmiller lab @bb-lab.bsky.social @ethz.ch proposes a new patient stratification method to better predict recurrence risk and direct therapy. More: biol.ethz.ch/en/news-and-...

Natural transformation is a key mechanism in the spread of pathogenicity traits. A recent study by the Hospenthal lab @ethz.ch Zurich combines biochemical and structural data to provide a model for the mechanism of DNA translocation. More: biol.ethz.ch/en/news-and-...

The centriole is crucial for cilia formation, but its molecular architecture is not known. Research from the @Wieczorek Group at ETH Zurich reports structures of the centriole’s A-C linker, revealing how it crosslinks neighboring microtubule triplets. More: biol.ethz.ch/en/news-and-...

The @barrallabeth.bsky.social shows in a paper in "Molecular Cell" how biomolecular condensates process information to adapt the proliferative behavior of cells to the cells’ age. More: biol.ethz.ch/en/news-and-...

Polysomes and mRNA control the biophysical properties of the eukaryotic cytoplasm. A recent study by the Weis lab shows that intracellular diffusion is enhanced when polysomes are disassembled or when mRNA levels are reduced in eukaryotic cells. More: biol.ethz.ch/en/news-and-...

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-...