NCCR-Synapsy

The Synaptic Bases of Mental Diseases

A new tool for discovering nanoporous materials

nanoporous

EPFL scientists have developed a mathematical “face-recognition” method for identifying and discovering nanoporous materials based on their pore size. Materials classified as “nanoporous” have structures (or “frameworks”) with pores up to 100 nm in diameter. These include diverse materials used in different Read more…


Caring touch helps premature brains mature

Caring touch

Every year 15 million preterm infants are born, and most spend their first weeks in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Although essential for the support and survival of these infants, the sensory environment of a NICU is dramatically different from Read more…


Deciphering the emergence of neuronal diversity

Inhibitory interneurons labelled with a fluorescent molecule (in green) are distributed in the cerebral cortex. These cells were individually isolated and single cell transcriptomics revealed markers (in white) specifically expressed in distinct sub-groups of interneurons. The development of cerebral cortex Read more…


FBM 2016 Grant to Philipp Baumann (et al.)

Philipp Baumann, Pascal Steullet (basic neuroscience) and Meritxel Bach Cuadra (bioengineering) are the happy beneficiaries of the 2016 FBM Interdisciplinary Grant of CHF 200’000 for their research : “Thalamus abnormalities : towards biomarkers in early psychosis”. The Faculty of Biology Read more…


Impaired regulation of serotonin affects positioning of brain cells

Serotonin cells

In a study of infant mice, researchers have found that the positioning of brain cells is affected by early-life impairment of the system that regulates serotonin — a key brain chemical targeted by antidepressants and known to regulate mood. Like Read more…


Regulating the brain’s redox state to prevent schizophrenia

brain redox

Kim Q. Do’s group show that cell-specific regulation of redox state balances critical periods of brain plasticity; essential as disruption of natural critical periods in brain development may be at the root of schizophrenia. Prof. Kim Q. Do’s team from Read more…


The tragic death of Professor Dominique Muller

Dominique Muller

It is with heavy hearts that we learned that Professor Dominique Muller, Head of the Department of Basic Neurosciences in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Geneva and co-director of the NCCR-Synapsy sadly died after a gliding accident Read more…


Towards a new diagnostic tool for autism and schizophrenia

Autism

Professor Draganski’s team analysed brains from people at risk of developing autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia. This led to the discovery of a potential biomarker for preclinical use. Autism spectrum disorder, schizophrenia and obesity all have in common a ‘bad’ Read more…


Schizophrenic brains take indirect paths

schizophrenia in the brain

Regions with altered (yellow) brain connectivity in schizophrenia patients. Analysis of the structural connectivity in the brains of 16 schizophrenia patients reveals several zones affected by the disease and their reduced network connectivity. The brain of a schizophrenia patient shows Read more…