Our research stories

All through the year, we communicate regularly about our research results and the achievements of our scientists. If you are interested in finding out more about our work, please read on to learn about the exciting and innovative work being carried out researchers in Fribourg, Lausanne, and Zurich.

Diagnostics 

Detecting cancer biomarkers in blood

Reactive 

Force-responsive probe changes color

Attraction

What binds complex metal nanoparticles

Targeted delivery

Advancing nanomedicine, layer by layer

Tweezer trap

Characterizing bioinspired nanocarriers

Nanoscale characterization

Finding defects in 2D materials

Revealing shapes

Microbe-inspired tools to study proteins

Circular approach

Plastic recycling inspired by food digestion 

Force-sensing probe

Signaling when a material is about to fail

Photonics

Creating structural color with polymers

Light-trapping materials

Cracking the puzzle of white

Nanocarriers

Milk digestion inspires shuttles for drugs

Shifting colors

Better sensors from 'chameleon’ material 

3D-printing

Producing stronger and tougher hydrogels

Bioluminescent

Force-responsive nanoreactors

Quantum leap

Building optical antennas at the nanoscale

Three dimensional

A novel printing technique for glass

Microfluidics

Simulating embryo formation

Energy

Solar thermal gets a dopamine boost

Cell life

Separation with no boundaries

Multiplier effect

Special funding has wide impact 

Biomimetics

Fine-tuning basic inorganic building blocks

Tougher

Mother of pearl inspires better composites

New mechanism

Weevil hints at more vivid colors

Melanoma

Hybrid nanoparticles to target cancer cells

Mechanochromic

A new approach for self-reporting materials

Blue halo

Nanostructure guides bees to flowers

Quick switch

Sea creatures inspire color-changing system

Spider stealth

Delivering vaccines to the heart of cells

Stretching molecules

Using theory to predict reality