News 2018

Firing Up the Brain

Tue, 18 Dec 2018 10:53:51 GMT

Children learn to read in playful ways. But it’s not always easy for them to connect the abstract groups of letters with their meaning. Neurobiologist Silvia Brem researches how children learn to read and how those with reading difficulties can be helped.

After the CRISPR babies, what next?

Fri, 14 Dec 2018 09:46:30 GMT

What the Chinese scientist He Jiankui has done is utterly irresponsible, asserts Jacob Corn in the ETH Zukunftsblog. Nonetheless, we should not vilify germline therapy for good.

Turning Up the Heat on Cancer

Tue, 11 Dec 2018 10:14:12 GMT

A new kind of heat treatment could be an effective way of supporting cancer therapy. Caroline Maake heats up tumors using naturally occurring nanoparticles, which has shown to eliminate cancer cells in animal models. Thanks to two funding projects, the UZH professor can continue to develop this promising approach and use it on horses suffering from tumors of the connective tissue.

The protein with the starting gun

Wed, 28 Nov 2018 14:04:34 GMT

Whether dormant bacteria begin to reproduce is no accidence. Rather, they are simply waiting for a clear signal from a single protein in the cell interior. ETH researchers have now deciphered the molecular mechanisms behind this.

Insect Antibiotic Provides New Way to Eliminate Bacteria

Thu, 15 Nov 2018 07:42:28 GMT

An antibiotic called thanatin attacks the way the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria is built. Researchers at the University of Zurich have now found out that this happens through a previously unknown mechanism. Thanatin, produced naturally by the spined soldier bug, can therefore be used to develop new classes of antibiotics.

Inherited Trauma

Thu, 08 Nov 2018 16:58:53 GMT

Traumatic events occurring shortly after birth cause changes to genetic traits that are passed on to offspring over as many as four generations, neuroepigenetics professor Isabelle Mansuy has shown.

On the trail of medication intake

Tue, 06 Nov 2018 10:43:53 GMT

Assistant Professor Andrea Burden investigates the safety of medications to improve patient care. For her research, the scientist also uses her expertise in criminology.

Animals and us

Tue, 02 Oct 2018 22:00:00 GMT

Language, intelligence, cooperation – the things that supposedly set humans apart are increasingly being discovered in the animal kingdom. Animals hold a mirror up to our own nature and help us understand what makes us human.

Biodiversity from Above

Mon, 17 Sep 2018 22:00:00 GMT

Remote sensing expert Michael Schaepman wants to use a new aerial sensing method to investigate the complex interplay between ecosystems, species and genes.

Swiss Agriculture Also Depends on Research Progress

Sun, 09 Sep 2018 22:00:00 GMT

Wilhelm Gruissem argues that modern, effective breeding methods are needed to make our agriculture more ecologically friendly and resilient.

Vontobel Prize for Aging Research

Tue, 11 Sep 2018 22:00:00 GMT

Andrea Loizeau (Harvard Medical School) and Florian Riese (Psychiatrische Universitätsklinik Zürich) are awarded with the Vontobel Prize for Aging Research. Marcello Ienca (ETH Zürich) and Tenzin Wangmo (University of Basel) receive the Recognition Award.

The Wheat Genome Is Five Times Bigger than the Human Genome

Wed, 15 Aug 2018 22:00:00 GMT

Scientists at the UZH, together with international research partners, have been able to sequence the complete genome of common wheat for the first time. The information will enable more effective measures to be taken to combat pests and climate stress in wheat.

Rethinking Our Relationship with Nature

Wed, 15 Aug 2018 22:00:00 GMT

Should we protect nature because it provides us with resources, or do so simply for its own sake? Philosopher and biologist Anna Deplazes Zemp wants to look at this question from a new point of view using an argumentation of environmental ethics.

Lymphatic Vessels Unexpectedly Promote the Spread of Cancer Metastases

Mon, 13 Aug 2018 22:00:00 GMT

Lymphatic vessels actively contribute to the spread of cancer metastases from various organs.

“Our Think Tank Should Be Unavoidable”

Tue, 03 Jul 2018 22:00:00 GMT

Young scientists should participate in direct democracy. To this end, Servan Grüninger founded the think tank ‘Reatch’, which has meanwhile become indispensable in the debate about science policy.

Heyday for Plant Researcher

Mon, 18 Jun 2018 22:00:00 GMT

Until recently Cyril Zipfel was head of the prestigious Sainsbury Laboratory in Norwich, Great Britain. Now he’s taken up a role as professor of plant physiology at UZH – armed with an ERC Consolidator Grant as well as a prestigious Japanese award.

Transporting Micronutrients More Efficiently

Sun, 10 Jun 2018 22:00:00 GMT

ETH researchers have genetically modified a key variety of rice, making it very efficient at enriching its grains with iron and zinc.

Stem-Cell Niche for 10 Billion Colon Cells a Day

Tue, 05 Jun 2018 22:00:00 GMT

UZH Researchers have discovered the identity of the stem-cell niche of the colon. The niche comprises special cells that activate the stem cells.

Diving with Dolphins

Sun, 27 May 2018 22:00:00 GMT

Marine biologist Angela Ziltener’s most important work is done in El Gouna on the Red Sea. It is here that the UZH scientist conducts her research on dolphins and campaigns to save the habitat of these fascinating creatures.

Where Seeds Fall

Sun, 27 May 2018 22:00:00 GMT

The city is a living, breathing ecosystem. If one leaves unpaved ground to itself, it begins to sprout even beside the busiest streets. This is the vitality of nature. In summer, the city air is full of plant seeds landing somewhere, germinating there, and becoming a new plant.

Malaria Detectable in Olfactory Cocktail

Mon, 14 May 2018 22:00:00 GMT

ETH researchers have discovered odour profiles typical of people infected with acute or asymptomatic malaria.

Cell Biology: Burned-Out Cancer Cells

Sun, 25 Mar 2018 22:00:00 GMT

Cancer cells are very resourceful when it comes to evading the body’s repair mechanisms. Cell biologist Matthias Altmeyer researches these strategies, paving the way for novel therapies.

Protein Analysis for Personalised Medicine

Thu, 15 Mar 2018 23:00:00 GMT

New knowledge about proteins helps researchers develop innovative solutions for clinical practice, for example to the benefit of patients with Parkinsons’s disease.

The Million-Dollar Researcher

Tue, 20 Feb 2018 23:00:00 GMT

The ecologist Tom Crowther only recently joined ETH Zurich as assistant professor. Virtually his first achievement was to win a grant offering potential research funding of more than 17 million euros over the next 13 years.

Mix of Bacteria Help Treating Intestinal Diseases

Wed, 14 Feb 2018 23:00:00 GMT

When the intestinal eco system is damaged only a fecal microbiota transplant might help. As this method isn’t without risks a ETH spin off company Pharmabiome, an ETH spin-off, is now developing safer alternative.

Nobel Laureate Martin Chalfie at the Zurich Life Science Day 2018

Wed, 31 Jan 2018 23:00:00 GMT

At this year's Zurich Life Science Day Martin Chalfie talked about GFP lighting up life. Read more about his recent visit in Zurich and his research on flourescent proteins (in German).

Tailing Apes

Wed, 10 Jan 2018 23:00:00 GMT

Anthropologist Carel van Schaik has spent years observing orangutans and tackling the major questions of human evolution. He finds new answers to them time and time again.