UNIGE studies elephant trunks for research in robotics

Posted on 24 August 2021 by Audrey Bellier

Flexible and powerful, the elephant’s trunk is capable of delicately lifting a twig, but also of carrying loads of up to 300 kilos. The industry wants to use this ability to develop flexible robots.
An extremely flexible organ, a continuity of muscles able to move infinitely, in all angles without any limit. This is what the robotics industry is trying to reproduce. But to achieve this, it must be understood and studied. Prof. Milinkovitch‘s team has just published its results in the specialized journal Current Biology.

Watch Prof. Milinkovitch’s intervention (in French) on RTS in the 19:30 of August 23, 2021.

Listen to the program CQFD of the RTS of August 24, 2021

Animated video on epigenetics in C. elegans

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Posted on 6 July 2021 by Audrey Bellier

Florian Steiner‘s new paper published in PLOS Biology shows that C. elegans inherit more than just DNA from their parents.

Reinier Prosée, first author of this publication, walks you through the paper in this short animated video.

The loss of the sense of smell explained by Ratatouille and Ivan Rodriguez

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Posted on 25 May 2021 by Audrey Bellier

Loss of smell, also called anosmia, is identified as one of the symptoms of Covid-19. It is estimated that 8 or 9 out of 10 Covid-19 patients suffer from smell disorders. But what is going on in our brain that makes our nose unable to differentiate the smell of a good dish from that of a garbage scent? The details of Ivan Rodriguez, professor at the laboratory of neurogenetics.

Read the article (in French) online and watch the video.

Le clitoris est réhabilité et se dévoile à l’école

Posted on 13 March 2019 by Lara Pizurki

Des schémas présentent désormais cet organe en entier. Ils précisent aussi l’analogie entre le clitoris et le pénis. Un projet du Bioscope, du Service égalité de l’UNIGE, des HUG et du DIP.

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Le clitoris à la conquête des classes d’adolescents

Posted on 11 March 2019 by Lara Pizurki

Les élèves de Genève seront les premiers à étudier des planches anatomiques réalistes, où le clitoris est clairement illustré, grâce à une collaboration entre le Bioscope, le DIP et les HUG.

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Evolved to Crack

Posted on 4 March 2019 by Lara Pizurki

The intricate web of cracks and crevices that gives African elephants their distinctive look is, in fact, an essential adaptation. This article is based on a study to which the team of Michel Milinkovitch collaborated.

See How Cracked Skin Helps Elephants Stay Cool Video

For more, read “Evolved to Crack” in the March 2019 issue of National Geographic Magazine.

Les secrets de l’organisation des plumes des oiseaux

Posted on 25 February 2019 by Lara Pizurki

Émission CQFD

Les plumes ne poussent pas n’importe comment sur le corps des oiseaux. Un processus mécanique dirigé par la génétique organise très précisément leur implantation. Les détails avec le prof. Michel Milinkovitch.

Émission à écouter en ligne

L’Université perce le secret des plumes d’oiseaux

Posted on 22 February 2019 by Lara Pizurki

Cette découverte, à laquelle a contribué le groupe du prof. Michel Milinkovitch, ouvre la porte à des recherches en génétique visant à sélectionner des volatiles mieux adaptés à leur milieu.

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L’immortalité, une chimère

Posted on 4 February 2019 by Lara Pizurki

La professeure Brigitte Galliot s’intéresse aux processus permettant à l’hydre de se régénérer et de résister au vieillissement. Ses découvertes pourraient aider la médecine humaine.