ETH News
All stories that have been tagged with Research
Pesticide-free as a new pathway for agriculture
- News
- Zukunftsblog
We can transition to pesticide-free agriculture without converting to organic farming. Robert Finger outlines the advantages and challenges involved.
ANYmal can do parkour and walk across rubble
News
The quadrupedal robot ANYmal went back to school and has learned a lot. ETH Zurich researchers used machine learning to teach it new skills: the robot can now climb over obstacles and successfully negotiate pitfalls.
A new ion trap for larger quantum computers
News
Researchers at ETH have managed to trap ions using static electric and magnetic fields and to perform quantum operations on them. In the future such traps could be used to realize quantum computers with far more quantum bits than have been possible up to now.
Cutting-edge research from Basel
- Globe magazine
- Homehero
From new tests and therapies to the fundamental principles of biology: five compelling examples of the benefits of new bioengineering technologies.
Recycling plastic is not a quick fix
- News
- Zukunftsblog
Recycling is an accepted formula for sustainable resource use, but in the case of plastic it can have serious side effects, says Helene Wiesinger – and uses the example of plastic flooring in Switzerland to illustrate the dilemma.
The man for freak events
News
Christoph Schär is one of the Swiss climate scientists who have shaped high-resolution climate modelling. He is now retiring after more than 35 years at ETH Zurich. In this portrait, he explains why he himself never tires of researching climate change.
ETH students accelerate private sector innovation
News
Students at ETH Zurich are working together with engineers from the technology firm Bühler to accelerate innovation and minimise the attendant risks. It's a fruitful collaboration that other companies are also poised to benefit from.
Cost of direct air carbon capture to remain higher than hoped
News
The cost of removing large quantities of CO2 from the air will fall in the medium term, but not as much as previously hoped. This is the conclusion reached by ETH researchers on the basis of new calculations. Efforts to reduce carbon emissions should therefore continue at pace, says the research team.
Turning waste into gold
News
ETH Zurich researchers have recovered the precious metal from electronic waste. Their highly sustainable new method is based on a protein fibril sponge, which the scientists derive from whey, a food industry byproduct.
Do we have cosmic dust to thank for life on Earth?
News
It might be that what set prebiotic chemistry in motion and kept it going in the early days of the Earth was dust from outer space accumulating in holes melted into ice sheets. Researchers at ETH Zurich and the University of Cambridge have used a computer model to test this scenario.
Earth as a test object
News
Physicists at ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich wanted to know whether the planned LIFE space mission could really detect traces of life on other planets. Yes, it can. The researchers reached this conclusion with the help of observations of our own planet.
Bio-inspired neuroprosthetics: sending signals the brain can understand
News
Prostheses that connect to the nervous system have been available for several years. Now, researchers at ETH Zurich have found evidence that neuroprosthetics work better when they use signals that are inspired by nature.
A sustainable fuel and chemical from the robotic lab
News
Artificial intelligence and automated laboratory infrastructure are massively accelerating the development of new chemical catalysts. With these tools, researchers at ETH Zurich are developing catalysts for efficiently and cost-effectively synthesising the energy source methanol from CO2.
What can bulls tell us about men?
News
Researchers have found genes in the reproductive organs of bulls that influence fertility. The findings can be transferred to humans, as these genes are also present in men.
Pain relief without dependence
Globe magazine
ETH researchers have teamed up with Kantonsspital Baden to find ways of preventing patients from becoming dependent on opioid painkillers.
ETH Zurich logistics tool saves ICRC millions
News
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) provides medical supplies to people in need. A planning tool developed by researchers at ETH Zurich will make this complex task more efficient in future and save the ICRC millions.
Mario Kart in a wheelchair
News
The new “Mobility and Inclusion” exhibition at ETH Zurich lets people find out first-hand the obstacles faced by people with impairments along with the technical aids available. From 2025, it will be on display as a permanent exhibition at the Swiss Museum of Transport in Lucerne.
A new solution for energy transfer to heart pumps
News
Roughly one in two wearers of ventricular assist devices are diagnosed with an infection. The reason for this is the thick cable for the power supply. ETH Zurich researchers have now developed a solution to mitigate this problem.
Innovative coating prevents limescale formation
News
Wherever hot water flows, limescale is never far away. In households, this is a nuisance; in thermal power stations, it’s an expensive problem. Now researchers at ETH Zurich have found an answer.
Why olivine and diamonds are best friends
News
Hardly any gemstone is more difficult to find than diamonds. Geologists from ETH Zurich and the University of Melbourne have now established a link between their occurrence and the mineral olivine. This could make the search for diamonds easier in the future.
Visualising multiple sclerosis with a new MRI procedure
News
The loss of myelin sheaths in the brain is a hallmark of multiple sclerosis. Researchers at ETH Zurich have now developed an MRI method that maps the condition of this nerve insulation layer more accurately than before.
Scientists successfully simulate protein complex that initiates fertilisation
News
Researchers at ETH Zurich recently developed highly realistic simulations of the proteins on sperm and egg cells coupling together before they fuse. These findings enabled the research team to solve several mysteries of fertilisation at once, which could help to accelerate development of more targeted infertility treatments.
Midday sun at the touch of a button
News
At ETH Zurich, there is a room where the sun shines at the touch of a button; one hour it’s noon in the Sahara, the next it’s January in Berlin. Researchers use it to test newly developed building systems, components and materials.
How to make bright quantum dots even brighter
News
Researchers at Empa and ETH Zurich have developed methods for making perovskite quantum dots faster and more efficient emitters, thereby significantly improving their brightness. This is relevant for applications in displays as well as in quantum technologies.
Artificial muscles – lighter, safer, more robust
News
Researchers at ETH Zurich have recently developed artificial muscles for robot motion. Their solution offers several advantages over previous technologies: it can be used wherever robots need to be soft rather than rigid or where they need more sensitivity when interacting with their environment.
Green Light for LISA
News
The European Space Agency’s most expensive and complex mission, the LISA space antenna, has reached a major milestone: it has passed the stage of intensive testing by experts in the Mission Adoption Review process - a significant step for the LISA consortium.
Groundwater levels are sinking ever faster around the world
News
A global study shows that the world’s groundwater resources are dwindling: levels are falling sharply worldwide, and the decline has accelerated in the 21st century. Nevertheless, there is still reason for hope.
New agent blocks stress response
News
If the body’s natural stress response gets knocked off balance, it can result in physical and mental health disorders. Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed an agent capable of selectively inhibiting this response.
Clarifying the cause of Guillain-Barré Syndrome
News
Guillain-Barré Syndrome is a rare condition in which a person’s immune system attacks the peripheral nerves. People affected suffer from muscle weakness and paralysis. A research team led by ETH Zurich has now clarified the mechanism of this autoimmune disease.
A virus that kills sleepers
News
ETH Zurich researchers have found a virus that kills dormant bacteria. This rare discovery could help to combat germs that can’t be treated with antibiotics alone.
A navigation system to combat bottlenecks in medication supply
News
A new model designed by ETH Zurich researchers measures how flexible medication distribution systems are in real time. It shows that supply shortages can be eased if pharmaceutical wholesalers coordinate their inventories and reroute scarce products as flexibly as possible along existing supply chains.
Brumadinho dam collapse: The danger emerged after the decommissioning
News
In 2019, the tailings dam at a Brazilian iron ore mine failed. The mudslide caused a catastrophe for people and the environment. A team of researchers at ETH Zurich has now uncovered the physical mechanism that may have triggered the accident.
Capturing greenhouse gases with the help of light
News
Researchers at ETH Zurich are developing a new method to remove CO2 from the atmosphere. It involves molecules that become acidic when exposed to light. Their new process requires much less energy than conventional technologies.
Watt d’Or for efficient and sustainable power supply with photovoltaics
- News
- Homehero
ETH Zurich researchers from the Automatic Control Laboratory and the electricity supplier AEW Energie AG have won the 2024 Watt d’Or award in the Energy Technologies category. Their algorithm, which was implemented at AEW Energie, makes it possible to optimise electricity grid operations.
Three strategies to boost green electricity in Switzerland
News
Climate neutrality and nuclear phase-out: Switzerland's ambitious green electricity targets are realistic if the electricity supply is profoundly and rapidly transformed, as a study by the SWEET EDGE consortium shows. The researchers developed three strategies for expanding renewable energies.
“The days of à la carte cooperation are over”
News
Oliver Thränert was head of the think tank of the Center for Security Studies (CSS) at ETH Zurich for almost twelve years. On the occasion of his retirement, we spoke to him about the future challenges of Swiss security and defence policy.
The rocky road to the beginning
News
Craig Walton is the first NOMIS Fellow at the Centre for Origin and Prevalence of Life at ETH Zurich. With an unconventional idea, he wants to find out the conditions under which life originated on Earth.
From high-speed electric cars to ETH in space
News
With its highly qualified graduates, cutting-edge research and knowledge transfer, ETH Zurich exists to serve Swiss society. The university demonstrated this once again in 2023. ETH News looks back at an eventful year.
A picking robot for the greenhouse
News
Working in a greenhouse is both strenuous and time-consuming. The picking robot from ETH spin-off Floating Robotics takes on particularly repetitive tasks, thereby alleviating the strain on human pickers. It is currently undergoing testing at Beerstecher AG in Hinwil.
The magnificence of objectivity and a couple of solid proofs
News
Raphael Steiner received his doctorate in mathematics at the age of 21. Now the Swiss National Science Foundation is funding his research at ETH Zurich in the field of graph theory. Among other things, this involves proving a conjecture that is over 80 years old.
Accurate snow measurement thanks to AI and satellites
News
Snow measurement has never been so fast and accurate: ETH Zurich researchers have developed an artificial intelligence capable of determining snow depth across Switzerland using satellite images.
Artificial intelligence for safer bike helmets and better shoe soles
News
Researchers have trained an artificial intelligence to design the structure of so-called metamaterials with desired mechanical properties for a wide range of applications.
A big step in joint research
Globe magazine
Surprisingly little is actually known about how the knee works. ETH professor Bill Taylor plans to change this with a unique technology and a new 22-metre-long experimental facility.
Riding sound waves in the brain
News
ETH Zurich researchers have shown for the first time that microvehicles can be steered through blood vessels in the brains of mice using ultrasound. They hope that this will eventually lead to treatments capable of delivering drugs with pinpoint precision.
What should be done with all the carbon dioxide?
Press release
Capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and storing it either in recycled concrete aggregate or in geological reservoirs in Iceland is not only technically feasible, but also has a positive carbon footprint. These are the findings of a pilot project lead by ETH Zurich and commissioned by the Swiss confederation.
Therapeutic success thanks to determination and robots
- Globe magazine
- Homehero
After suffering a severe case of Covid-19, Roger Gassert discovered for himself how important a role rehabilitation plays in recovery. The ETH Professor of Rehabilitation Engineering now plans to waste no time ensuring that patients profit from his developments.
From registered nurse to biomedical engineer
- Globe magazine
- Homehero
Marianne Schmid Daners was already fascinated by the human-technology interface when she worked as a registered nurse. Since graduating with a degree in mechanical engineering and a doctorate in biomedical engineering, she has been developing biomedical devices for the treatment of heart failure and hydrocephalus.
Watching electrons at work
News
Researchers from ETH Zurich, Empa - Swiss Federal Laboratory for Materials Science and Technology, and Stanford have taken snapshots of the crystal structure of perovskite nanocrystals as it was deformed by excited electrons. To their surprise, the deformation straightened out the skewed crystal structure rather than making it more disordered.
Replicating the structure of bird feathers
News
Modelled on nature: researchers have developed a new material that replicates the structure responsible for the blue feathers of the North American song bird, among many other birds. It also has other striking advantages.
How Zurich has to change its roads to have more e-bikes than cars
News
What happens when cities gear their road space primarily to the needs of cyclists and e-bikers? On a new popular-science website, ETH researchers use examples from the city of Zurich to show what such an “E-Bike City” could one day look like.
Lightweight insulating building elements from a 3D printer
News
A doctoral researcher studying architecture at ETH Zurich is using 3D printing to produce lightweight insulation building components from cement-free mineral foams derived from recycled industrial waste. These could cut heating and cooling costs for buildings, and encourage more efficient use of construction materials.
Digital emblem for humanitarian law in cyberspace
News
Warfare is increasingly spreading to the realm of cyberspace. In response, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) wants to protect its digital infrastructure and that of humanitarian organisations with a digital emblem. The Information Security Group at ETH Zurich has developed a standard for this along with initial pilots.
Molecular cooperation at the threshold of life
News
Protein-like aggregates known as amyloids can bind to molecules of genetic material. It is possible that these two types of molecules stabilised each other during the development of life – and that this might even have paved the way for the genetic code.
Artificial intelligence finds ways to develop new drugs
News
A new AI model developed by chemists at ETH Zurich can not only predict where a pharmaceutically active molecule can be chemically modified, but also how best to do it. This makes it possible to identify new pharmaceutical ingredients more quickly and improve existing ones in a targeted manner.
Measuring earthquakes and tsunamis with fibre-optic networks
News
Geophysicists at ETH Zurich have shown that every single wave of a magnitude 3.9 earthquake registers in the noise suppression system of fibre-optic networks. This method can be used to set up close-meshed earthquake and tsunami early warning systems at low cost.
Autonomous excavator constructs a six-metre-high dry-stone wall
News
ETH Zurich researchers taught an autonomous excavator to construct dry stone walls itself using boulders weighing several tonnes and demolition debris.
Halting a malformation of the heart
News
Researchers at ETH Zurich have now shown that a previously unknown protein plays a key role in a congenital malformation of the heart. Their findings point the way towards new treatment options.
These researchers have received Starting Grants
News
Of the 13 scientists receiving an SNSF Starting Grant for projects at ETH Zurich this year, 11 are women.
Pioneers of medical materials innovation
News
The ETH Zurich Latsis Prize goes to Professor Inge Herrmann, and the Lopez-Loreta Prize to researcher Alexandre Anthis. The two scientists have been working together for five years to develop new materials and applications for medicine.
ETH Zurich boosts networking with Europe’s top universities
News
ETH Zurich will join the League of European Research Universities (LERU) on 1 January 2024. This will boost its networking with the European university landscape.
When growth becomes a weakness
News
ETH Zurich researchers are illuminating what can happen when cells exceed their normal size and become senescent. Their new findings could help to optimise cancer treatments.
A new kind of magnetism
News
ETH Zurich researchers have detected a new type of magnetism in an artificially produced material. The material becomes ferromagnetic through minimization of the kinetic energy of its electrons.
Printed robots with bones, ligaments, and tendons
- Homehero
- News
For the first time, researchers have succeeded in printing a robotic hand with bones, ligaments and tendons made of different polymers using a new laser scanning technique.
Natural coasts protect against tropical cyclones
News
People living on the in low-lying coastal areas will be at even greater risk from cyclones in the future. Natural ecosystems offer protection, but this protection has decreased in recent years and is expected to continue to decline. This is a finding of a model study by an international team of researchers led by ETH Zurich.
Diverse forests hold huge carbon potential, as long as we cut emissions
- Press release
- News
New study estimates that natural forest recovery could capture approximately 226 Gigatonnes (Gt) of carbon, but only if we also reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Achieving these results requires community-driven efforts to conserve and restore biodiversity.
Green change in a grey industry
- News
- Homehero
ETH researchers are developing a low-carbon cement with a significantly lower embodied CO2 content than traditional cement. The Ultra Green Concrete project aims to make low-carbon, high-performance concrete widely accessible.
An excellent pavilion for circular construction
News
In a practical teaching project, ETH students used materials from the demolished Huber Pavilions to construct a building in the spirit of the circular economy. The Re-Use Pavilion on the ETH Hönggerberg campus has now been honoured with an Arc Award.
Why business should embrace digital responsibility
- News
- Zukunftsblog
As society increasingly expects the responsible use of digital technologies, firms with better practices will have a distinct advantage, says Tomoko Yokoi. Digital responsibility should not only be seen as a duty to comply with regulations but also as an activity that generates value.
Humans are far superior to robots
News
A new ETH study compares 27 humanoid robots with humans and comes to the conclusion that while robots have better components, they are still not capable of achieving as much. However, according to the authors of the study, the machines are catching up.
Two projects launched to connect error-corrected qubits
News
ETH Zurich is participating in two quantum computing projects that are being financed by IARPA, the US research funding agency, with up to 40 million dollars. Both projects aim to connect two error-corrected qubits with one another and thus lay the foundation for future quantum computers.
Reducing anxiety and stress with pupil feedback
News
The brain’s state of arousal is the key to many stress- and anxiety-related disorders. Researchers at ETH Zurich have now found a way to influence it with a new biofeedback method.
Two ERC Synergy Grants for ETH Zurich researchers
News
ERC Synergy Grants have been awarded to Barbara Treutlein from the Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering and Nicolas Noiray from the Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, together with their European partners.
3D printed reactor core makes solar fuel production more efficient
News
Using a new 3D printing technique, researchers at ETH Zurich have developed special ceramic structures for a solar reactor. Initial experimental testing show that these structures can boost the production yield of solar fuels.
Mystery of the Martian core solved
News
Mars’s liquid iron core is smaller and denser than previously thought. Not only is it smaller, but it is also surrounded by a layer of molten rock. This is what ETH Zurich researchers conclude on the basis of seismic data from the InSight lander.
Tackling water stress in the Swiss Alps
- News
- Zukunftsblog
The Alps are being increasingly affected by floods and droughts. According to Manuela Brunner, we can do something about this problem: use water more sparingly and think about hazard protection in broader terms.
Better cancer diagnosis thanks to digital 3D images
News
How to bring a diagnostic process that has endured for 100 years into the digital age? Two researchers from ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich are developing a robotic platform that enables a more accurate diagnosis of cancer cells by rapidly quantifying tissue samples in their entirety.
Generating clean electricity with chicken feathers
News
Turning unused waste from food production into clean energy: Researchers at ETH Zurich and Nanyang Technological University Singapore are using chicken feathers to make fuel cells more cost-effective and sustainable.
ETH Zurich researchers study one of the world’s darkest rivers
News
They set out to study the Congo Basin’s carbon cycle and in the process have become aware of one of the world’s darkest blackwater rivers: the Ruki. In the first study on this major jungle river, an international research team led by ETH Zurich explains how this blackness comes about and what it says about the river system’s carbon balance.
Research that provides sustainable and nutritional benefits
News
ETH Zurich is present at the Olma trade fair in St Gallen. Using spin-offs and games, the ETH booth illustrates how research can contribute to making Swiss food and agriculture sustainable.
Heavy trucks likely not zero-emission in the near future
News
Without political measures for zero-emission technologies, a significant proportion of heavy goods vehicles will still run on diesel in 2035. This result is shown in a new ETH Zurich study on the decarbonisation of truck traffic.
“We’re living in yesterday’s future scenarios”
News
ETH Professor Sonia Seneviratne has been elected as Vice-Chair of the Working Group I of the Bureau of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). In order to take on this new responsibility, she is stepping down as Associate Vice President for Sustainability at ETH Zurich. In this interview she talks about her old and new positions.
Increased deep sleep benefits your heart
News
Stimulating the brain with gentle sounds during deep sleep significantly enhances cardiac function, according to a new study. This discovery could have implications not only for cardiovascular diseases but also for competitive sports, among other areas.
Predictions of the effect of drugs on individual cells are now possible
News
Experts from ETH Zurich, the University of Zurich, and the University Hospital Zurich have used machine learning to jointly create an innovative method. This new approach can predict how individual cells react to specific treatments, offering hope for more accurate diagnoses and therapeutics.
Reflecting on one’s values increases success in job search
News
ETH Zurich researchers show in a new study that a short reflection exercise to boost self confidence increases job search success. This holds true even for the long-term unemployed and people over 50.
A hygiene program for chromosomes
News
Cell biologists at ETH Zurich describe a new organelle present in mammalian cells that is made of rings of DNA. This container could potentially play a role in autoimmune diseases, and it could help researchers to understand how cell nuclei evolved.
Cloëtta Jubilee prize awarded to two ETH professors in Basel
Professors Tanja Stadler and Barbara Treutlein awarded the Cloëtta Jubilee Prize for their outstanding achievements in biomedical and developmental biology research.
How a suction cup delivers medications to the bloodstream
News
Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a suction cup that allows medications to be absorbed through the mucosal lining of the cheeks. This new approach could spare millions of patients the pain and fear associated with injections.
ETH Zurich again in 11th place in the newest world ranking
News
ETH Zurich maintains its top ranking in 11th place on the Times Higher Education World University Rankings for 2024.
The seas are in extremis
- News
- Zukunftsblog
An extraordinary heat wave is assailing the world’s oceans with an intensity that is surprising climate researchers. Environmental physicist Nicolas Gruber provides some context.
Five professors appointed
News
At its meeting of 20 and 21 September 2023 and upon application of Joël Mesot, President of ETH Zurich, the ETH Board appointed five professors and awarded the title of professor three times.
Genetically modifying individual cells in animals
News
Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a method that lets them genetically modify each cell differently in animals. This allows them to study in a single experiment what used to require many animal experiments. Using the new method, the researchers have discovered genes that are relevant for a severe rare genetic disorder.
How Europe’s forests regenerate – without any human interference
News
Forests renew themselves naturally. There has been very little research into how exactly this happens – until now. Researchers at ETH Zurich and WSL have set themselves the task of solving this puzzle.
A human model for autism
News
The CRISPR-Cas gene scissors enable researchers to study the genetic and cellular causes of autism in the lab – directly on human tissue.
Ocean acidification in coloured stripes
News
Our oceans are acidifying rapidly. Climate researchers from ETH Zurich are now illustrating these chemical changes with colour-coded stripes. Global observations of ocean acidification over the last four decades serve as the basis.
Cacao “fingerprints” for better chocolate
News
Using a new analytical method, ETH Zurich doctoral student Julie Lestang aims to determine the chemical profile of cacao beans reliably and quickly. This forms the basis for controlled fermentation – and high-quality chocolate.
Heatwaves are becoming more frequent and more deadly
News
The risk of fatal heatwaves has risen sharply over the past 20 years. In the future, such extreme weather will become more frequent and heat-related excess mortality will increase. Europe will be particularly affected, as ETH Zurich researchers show.
Being human
Globe magazine
With its ability to write text and generate images, artificial intelligence is making inroads into many areas of life. Perceived as threatening, enriching or just plain gimmicky, AI also raises a fundamental question: what is it that makes us human?
Biodiversity protects against invasions of non-native tree species
News
For the first time, researchers combined human and ecological factors to analyse the global scale of non-native tree species invasions. Human activity in hotspots of global trade, such as maritime ports, is linked to an increased likelihood of non-native tree species invasions. However, a high diversity of native tree species can help to curb the intensity of such invasions.
Cells with an ear for music release insulin
News
"We will rock you": ETH Zurich researchers are developing a gene switch that triggers insulin release in designer cells by playing certain rock and pop songs.
Valuable raw materials from olive waste
News
ETH spin-off Gaia Tech transforms waste from olive oil production into high-quality antioxidants for use in cosmetics or food. This turns waste into valuable raw materials.