Neurosciences
Neurons that explain why no two movements are ever the same
02.07.2026
Every time we reach for a cup of coffee, the movement is never quite the same. A team of neuroscientists at the University of Fribourg (Unifr) has shown that this variability relies on neurons that allow the brain to correct each movement in a unique way. Their results, published in the journal Current Biology, reveal that these neurons act as the brain's «optimal estimators», combining sensory input with internal predictions. When they are inact...
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Immune system
New bacterial weapon against the immune system
09.07.2026
University of Fribourg researchers discover that hydrogen cyanide, produced by dangerous bacteria, helps the bacteria evade the patients' immune defenses.
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Physics
A world first: light pulses create a new state of matter
06.07.2026
By applying ultrafast light pulses to a semiconductor, physicists at the University of Fribourg in collaboration with an international team of scientists have succeeded for the fir...
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Award
Studying wild animals without capturing them
01.07.2026
Thanks to new DNA-analysis techniques, it is possible to study the genetic makeup of a population of kangaroos without bothering the hopping marsupials in their habitats: one can j...
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Antibiotics
Designing a new generation of antibiotics with quantum technologies
24.06.2026
Antimicrobial resistance is one of the most urgent global health challenges. A new project, Q ARMOR, led in part by researchers from the University of Fribourg, aims to develop a n...
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Vision
A glimmer of hope for age-related vision loss
02.06.2026
Age-related macular degeneration is one of the main causes of vision loss after 50 in industrialized countries. Scientists from the University of Fribourg have shown in two recent...
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01.06.2026
The Adolphe Merkle Foundation Board has appointed Prof. Hans Jörg Limbach as the new Director of the Adolphe Merkle Institute at the University of Fribourg. He will be taking over...
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Medicine
When the immune system says “Stop”
21.05.2026
Only 20–40% of cancer patients show a durable response to immunotherapy. A major reason is immune exhaustion: when immune defenses are mobilized too long, they lose effectiveness....
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History
Ancient genome identify the Early Middle Ages as a melting pot
01.05.2026
School textbooks teach us that waves of “barbarian hordes” hastened the fall of the Western Roman Empire. A team of German and Swiss scientists has just shown genetically that the...
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Antibiotics
Resistance genes that boost the pathogenic potential of bacteria
23.04.2026
Resistance to antibiotics leads to nearly one million deaths worldwide each year. Combating that resistance is naturally a global health priority. Scientists from the University of...
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