The École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) is one of the two Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology and is located in Lausanne, Switzerland. The school was founded by the Swiss Federal Government with the stated mission to: The sister institution in the German-speaking part of Switzerland is the Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich (ETH Zürich or ETHZ). Associated with several specialised research institutes, the two sister institutes form the ETH Domain, which is directly dependent on the Federal Department of Home Affairs. EPFL is ranked among the top universities in the world. Founded in 1853 as a private school under the name École Spéciale de Lausanne, it became the technical department of the public Académie de Lausanne in 1869. When the latter was reorganized and acquired the status of a university in 1890, the technical faculty changed its name to École d'Ingénieurs de l'Université de Lausanne. In 1946, it was renamed the École polytechnique de l'Université de Lausanne (EPUL).
Using mobile data to model the drinking habits of Swiss youth
Researchers from Idiap Research Institute and EPFL have carried out a study using smartphone data from young Swiss people to better understand the circumstances in which they are most likely to drink. A computer model developed ...
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Controlling chemical reactions near absolute zero
It is an understatement to say that chemical reactions take place everywhere, constantly. In both nature and the lab, chemistry is ubiquitous. But despite advances, it remains a fundamental challenge to gain a complete understanding ...
A study to maintain food security in Uganda
By identifying the genes involved in resisting Africa's most widespread cattle disease, researchers at EPFL have developed a map of Uganda showing cattle farmers where the riskiest areas are.
A rare star opens a window on the beginning of time
EPFL astrophysicists actively participated in the discovery of a very rare star, which is particularly old and metal-poor. As a messenger from the distant past, it will allow the scientists to learn more about the young universe, ...
New tool helps scientists better target the search for alien life
Could there be another planet in the universe with a society at the same stage of technological advancement as ours? To find out, EPFL scientist Claudio Grimaldi, working in association with the University of California, ...
Super-resolution microscopy builds multicolor 3-D from 2-D
Super-resolution microscopy is a technique that allows researchers to see beyond the diffraction limit of light. The technique has garnered increasing interest, especially since its developers won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry ...
Microresonators offer a simpler approach to sensing with light pulses
Ultrashort optical pulses are becoming increasingly relevant in a number of applications, including distance measurement, molecular fingerprinting and ultrafast sampling. Many of these applications rely not only on a single ...
The gene code of growing limbs
When a fetus develops, cell division and differentiation, gene expression, cell-to-cell signaling, and morphogenesis must be carefully coordinated to occur in the correct sequence and for the proper amount of time. Failures ...
New method more than doubles sugar production from plants
Producing fuels and chemicals from biomass (wood, grasses, etc.) is one of the most promising solutions for building a renewable economy. The process involves deconstructing plants to produce single carbohydrates, mostly ...
Scientists sketch out the foundations of a colony on Mars
EPFL scientists have mapped out the steps required to build a self-sustaining research base on Mars that would be habitable for the long term. Their work can help researchers set priorities for space programs exploring Mars ...
