News and Events
Spin-off InSphero enters a new chapter in human-relevant drug development
Since its beginnings as an ETH Zurich spin-off, InSphero has worked to bring human-relevant 3D in vitro biology into pharmaceutical research. Recent developments mark a new chapter in that journey, expanding the company’s capabilities across spheroids, organoids, imaging, and phenotypic analysis at a time when New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) are gaining momentum across drug development.
Swiss OphthAWARD 2026 for Best Experimental Work
Annalisa Bucci, postdoctoral researcher in the Bio Engineering Lab led by Andreas Hierlemann, has received the Swiss OphthAWARD 2026 in the category "Best Experimental Work" at the annual meeting of the Swiss Society of Ophthalmology (SSO) in Lausanne.
Upcoming Event: Next-gen Seminar on 24 September
On 24 September, the next public seminar organised by the ETH Zürich - Roche partnership Next-gen Bioengineers will take place at the ETH Basel premises. Sascha Fauser, Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Cologne, Germany, and Global Head of Ophthalmology at Roche Pharma Research & Early Development in Basel, will talk about new treatments in ophthalmology.
Young bioengineers recognised for advancing human cell-based biomedical research
The 2026 Young 3Rs Investigators Awards have been awarded to Blandine Clément and Amanzhol Kurmashev, two postdoc-researchers from the Bio Engineering Lab led by Andreas Hierlemann. Their work advances innovative human cell-based models that improve the relevance of biomedical research whilst reducing the need for animal testing. The awards recognise outstanding contributions to the principles of the 3Rs: Replacement, Reduction and Refinement of animal use in research.
National Future Day at ETH Zürich in both Zurich and Basel
D-BSSE again participates in the National Future Day with five dedicated
scientific programmes which are embedded in the ETH programme. This
year, National Future Day is taking place on 12 November, when 5th and
7th grade pupils will have the opportunity at D-BSSE to delve into the
diverse professional world of science and technology.
From the fractal structure of the lungs to diagnosing pulmonary disease
Researchers from the Computational Biology group led by Dagmar Iber aim to understand how the lungs develop in the foetus so they are fully functional by the time the baby is born. The group’s computer-based method could, in the future, help improve the diagnosis of certain respiratory diseases and reduce animal experiments.
How the gut rebuilds order after injury
Researchers around Prisca Liberali, Professor at D-BSSE and the Friedrich Miescher Institute (FMI), and their collaborators have shown how regenerating intestinal tissue turns small initial differences between cells into stable patterns. The findings reveal a general principle for how tissues rebuild order after injury, with possible implications for regenerative medicine.
Congratulation on your promotion to Full Professor!
Today, upon the recommendation of ETH Zurich President Joël Mesot, the ETH Board appointed seven new professors and promoted four existing faculty members. Among those promoted was D-BSSE faculty member Dagmar Iber, Head of the Computational Biology lab, who was appointed Full Professor. Congratulations, Dagmar!
Memo Therapeutics’ clinical potravitug programme acquired by Ipsen
Potravitug, a first-in-class monoclonal antibody designed to prevent BK polyomavirus reactivation in kidney transplant recipients, has demonstrated promising results in Phase II clinical trials. Following its acquisition by the French biopharmaceutical company Ipsen, the therapy is now advancing to Phase III trials – the final stage of clinical testing before potential regulatory approval and market launch.
Rethinking molecular binding and drug discovery
The partnership between CSCS, the Swiss National Supercomputing Centre, and the Botnar Institute of Immune Engineering (BIIE) has led to a promising new approach to drug discovery: a novel AI model architecture that appears capable to predict antibody-antigen binding with unusually high data efficiency. Should the results be confirmed experimentally, the approach could accelerate not only antibody development, but also the discovery of small-molecule drugs.