School of Life Sciences

Fosters education, research and innovation at the interface of engineering and biology to advance the understanding of the living world and solve biomedical problems.

3D model of dendritic spines (purple) making synapses with axons containing vesicles (yellow). Background shows electron microscope image of brain tissue. ©EPFL-Graham Knott — 3D model of dendritic spines (purple) making synapses with axons containing vesicles (yellow). Background shows electron microscope image of brain tissue. ©EPFL – Graham Knott

Andrea Ablasser. Credit: EPFL - Alain Herzog

Andrea Ablasser wins Friedrich Miescher Award

Published:25.01.21 — EPFL Professor Andrea Ablasser has won one of the two Friedrich Miescher Awards for 2021.

NAD+ can restore age-related muscle deterioration

Published:20.01.21 — Scientists at EPFL have discovered that Alzheimer’s-like protein aggregates underly the muscle deterioration seen in aging. But the aggregates can be reversed by boosting the levels of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), which turns on the defense systems of mitochondria in cells and restores muscle function.

© From left to right: Marine Vallez, Daniel Alpern, Riccardo Dainese, Pierre Yves Helleboid, Mustafa Demir, Bart Deplancke and Fiona Joseph. Photo by Marjan Biocanin

Mapping out the future of drug discovery via gene expression analysis

Published:19.01.21 — Developing a new drug is a lengthy and costly process. Daniel Alpern, Bart Deplancke, and Riccardo Dainese have developed a new technology – MERCURIUS – which offers a quick and cost-efficient way to analyse multiple gene expressions. These Innogrant winners discuss how their cutting-edge approach will help bring essential therapy to patients sooner.

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Our Mission

EPFL students working on portable biosensor

Education

We train engineers in Life Sciences with a solid polytechnic foundation. Our students acquire a multi-disciplinary education and study biology jointly with engineering, basic and computer sciences. We offer a Bachelor and Master program in Life Sciences Engineering, as well as four Doctoral programs in biotechnology and bioengineering, computational and quantitative biology, molecular life sciences and neurosciences.

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Research

Our research groups operate at the interface of biology, basic sciences, computer sciences and engineering. This interdisciplinary environment stimulates innovative research to address essential questions in biological sciences. Cutting-edge core facilities and infrastructure support our scientists to push the boundaries of knowledge in development, neurosciences, immunology, cancer, infectious diseases and bioengineering.

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Innovation

We cultivate a climate of exploration and translation of knowledge and technologies to a sustainable benefit of humankind. The life sciences flagship innovation encouragement program, Catalyze4Life, facilitates the advancement of scientific know-how towards applications. We maintain a constructive and open dialogue between science, industry and society.

Discover our innovation initiative

PhD student with virtual reality goggles during stress test

Virtual reality helps measure vulnerability to stress

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Behavioral scientists at EPFL have developed a virtual reality test that assesses a person’s vulnerability to stress while exploring immersive environments. The resulting model offers the field of stress research one of the first such tools that does not rely on subjective evaluations.

Institute of Bioengineering

ISREC – Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research

Cholerae bacteria by electron microscopy

Global Health Institute

Neuroscience – Brain Mind Institute

Center for Neuroprosthetics

Blue Brain Project

Academic events

Contacts