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The Bio-Engineering Lab headed by Andreas Hierlemann receives funding from the European Research Council (ERC) to bring pioneering research closer to market. The group will translate and commercialise drug screening methods, based on the readout of electrical signals of neurons and neuronal networks, which can be obtained with high-density micro-electrode array technology. The "HD-Neu-Screen" project is the 4th project coming out of the Hierlemann group that receives ERC-funding.

The ETH Board appointed Professor Caroline Uhler, currently Associate Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, USA, as Full ETH-Professor of Machine Learning, Statistics and Genomics. Her research investigates the basic principles and applications of graphical models, a class of statistical models for modelling high-dimensional data.

At its last meeting, the ETH Executive Board decided to strengthen the ombudspersons and specialist support units, setting up more contact points and advisory services. It also discussed the feedback from the consultation process for the development of the doctoral programme, and passed a corresponding package of measures with a number of changes.

On invitation of the World Economic Forum, at its July meeting held in Dalian, Republic of China, D-BSSE Professor Randall Platt showcased his research and views on the great potential of bio-engineering technologies at the ETH-session Converging Biological and Digital Worlds. Later, he responded to public questions at the Ask About: Biotechnology session. The WEF meeting was dedicated to the theme: Leadership 4.0 - Succeeding in a New Era of Globalization.

On 25 June, the “Grants Clinic” of the Botnar Research Centre for Child Health took place. Several research groups that had submitted a letter of intent in response to the first call for flagship projects had the opportunity to talk to Georg Holländer and Sai Reddy, the new Heads of the Centre, and discuss their research ideas for innovative healthcare solutions. In an interview with D-BSSE, Holländer and Reddy explain how the Research Centre is shaping up.

Gene- and cell-based therapies rely on controlling gene expression and other processes in engineered cells. Most gene switches, however, have been built from non-human genetic components, which bear the risk of triggering immune responses in humans. In a recent study published by Nature Medicine, D-BSSE researchers around in the team of Professor Martin Fussenegger have now for the first time built gene switches entirely of human origin.

On 16 August, on invitation of the Locarno Film Festival the NCCR Molecular Systems Engineering will give a talk on "Ethical challenges of engineering life and the effects on human identity". Plenary speakers include D-BSSE Professors Daniel Müller and Barbara Treutlein as well as biomedical ethicist Ralf Stutzki from the University of Basel. NCCR-MSE is led by ETH Zurich and the University of Basel.

Life Science Zurich Graduate School offers a variety of cross-disciplinary courses that are of interest to students from different programmes. Check out which courses have places left!

Abstract submissions are now open for the 7th edition of OILS, a research conference organized by postdocs and senior PhD students affiliated with ETH Zurich, University of Zurich and its University Hospital. Taking place on 10 - 11 October 2019 in Zürich, OILS is inviting early career researchers to register before 6 September.

On 28 June, 200 members of the department from research and central facilities participated in this year's biannual retreat, which was organised around 22 workshop sessions conducted by D-BSSE members and a few professionals from other ETH-departments, scientific input talks, sightseeing tours around the FHNW-building in Muttenz, and finally, a summer BBQ. The evaluation clearly reflects the community's great appreciation for exchanging knowledge and ideas with colleagues from other groups.