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EPFL

·October 29, 2025·5 min read

Epigenetic Switch to Turn Memories On and Off Created

Researchers have shown for the first time that flipping an epigenetic “switch” in specific memory-holding neurons can directly alter memory strength. By targeting the gene Arc—which helps neurons adjust their connections—scientists used CRISPR-based tools to either boost or silence its activity in engram cells within the hippocampus.

This shows a glowing network of neurons.

Featured Neuroscience

·August 26, 2025·6 min read

Bimodularity Adds Direction to Social and Neural Network Maps

Researchers have developed a new tool, bimodularity, that adds directionality to community detection in networks. Unlike traditional methods that only cluster nodes, this approach groups edges, making it possible to distinguish senders from receivers and uncover bicommunities.

Featured Neuroscience

·May 13, 2025·5 min read

Soft Robots Learn to Grasp with Human-Like Flexibility

A new study reveals how a soft, compliant robotic hand—built with silicone skin, springs, and bendable joints, can self-organize grasps without needing precise environmental data or complex programming. The ADAPT hand succeeded in grasping 24 different objects with a 93% success rate using only four programmed motions, adapting naturally through mechanical flexibility.

This shows lines in the shape of a brain to define networks.

Featured Neuroscience

·February 18, 2025·5 min read

AI Finds Shared Neural Patterns Across Minds

Researchers have developed a geometric deep learning approach to uncover shared brain activity patterns across individuals. The method, called MARBLE, learns dynamic motifs from neural recordings and identifies common strategies used by different brains to solve the same task.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·December 2, 2024·6 min read

Brain Stimulation Aids Walking Recovery After Spinal Cord Injury

Researchers have identified the lateral hypothalamus (LH) as a key brain region for walking recovery in spinal cord injury (SCI) patients, demonstrating that deep brain stimulation (DBS) can significantly enhance mobility and autonomy. Unlike traditional DBS applications, targeting the LH promotes long-term neurological improvements, even when stimulation is off. A clinical trial showed dramatic outcomes in participants, with restored walking ability and improved daily independence.

Featured Neuroscience

·November 21, 2024·10 min read

3D Brain Models Unlock New Insights Into Memory and Connectivity

Researchers have developed the most detailed 3D computational models of key brain regions, including the hippocampus and sensory cortices, to better understand their roles in memory formation and connectivity. These models integrate anatomical and physiological data, capturing synaptic plasticity and long-range interactions. By simulating brain activity, the models enable predictions about cortical processing and provide tools for future experimental validation.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·August 27, 2024·5 min read

Miniaturized Brain-Machine Interface Translates Thoughts Into Text

Researchers developed a compact, low-power brain-machine interface (BMI) called MiBMI, designed to enhance communication for individuals with severe motor impairments. The device translates neural activity into text with 91% accuracy, using a highly miniaturized system that processes data in real-time. This innovation opens the door to practical, implantable BMIs, promising significant improvements in quality of life for patients with conditions like ALS and spinal cord injuries.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·July 28, 2024·6 min read

Epigenetics Unlocks Secrets of Memory Formation

A new study reveals that the epigenetic state of neurons determines their role in memory formation. Neurons with open chromatin states are more likely to be recruited into memory traces, showing higher electrical activity during learning. Researchers demonstrated that manipulating these epigenetic states in mice can enhance or impair learning. This discovery shifts the focus from synaptic plasticity to nuclear processes, offering potential new avenues for treating cognitive disorders.

Featured Neuroscience

·April 30, 2024·5 min read

Robot Masters Terrain with Animal-Like Gait Transitions

Researchers leveraged deep reinforcement learning (DRL) to enable a robot to adaptively switch gaits, mimicking animal movements like trotting and pronking, to traverse complex terrains effectively. Their study explores the concept of viability—or fall prevention—as a primary motivator for such gait transitions, challenging previous beliefs that energy efficiency is the key driver.

Featured Neuroscience

·March 21, 2024·4 min read

Deciphering Proprioception: How the Brain Maps Movement

A new study reveals the mechanisms behind proprioception, our body's innate ability to sense limb position and movement, critical for movement without visual cues. Utilizing musculoskeletal simulations and neural network models, researchers have advanced our understanding of how the brain integrates sensory data from muscle spindles to perceive bodily position and motion.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Psychology

·March 12, 2024·6 min read

Hallucinations Enhance Social Number Misjudgment

Hallucinations, particularly presence hallucinations often experienced by individuals with Parkinson's disease, can lead to an increased overestimation of social numbers, such as the number of people in a room. This phenomenon does not extend to inanimate objects like boxes, underscoring the social nature of this overcounting.

Featured Neuroscience

·March 11, 2024·5 min read

Revolutionizing Softness Perception in Robotics

Researchers developed SORI, a groundbreaking Softness Rendering Interface that can accurately simulate the perception of softness, addressing a long-standing challenge in robotics. By distinguishing between cutaneous and kinesthetic cues, SORI can replicate the softness of various materials, from marshmallows to beating hearts, offering vast applications in medicine, deep-sea exploration, and robot-assisted agriculture. This innovation not only advances the field of robotics but also provides a novel way to digitally transfer the sensation of touch, bridging a gap in human-robot interaction.