ETH News

Organoids grown from human stem cells can help provide answers to important medical questions. In a partnership that looks set to profit both sides, ETH professor Barbara Treutlein has teamed up with pharma giant Roche to advance research in this area.

ETH students are mapping the groundwater in an area of forest near Bern. This fieldwork will give them the skills they need for a career in environmental engineering.

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?

Pulmonary surfactant is a special fluid released by cells in the lungs. For premature babies and COVID-19 patients in intensive care, it can mean the difference between life and death. An ETH materials scientist hopes to shed some light on this complex substance.

Mental health disorders can only be diagnosed on the basis of symptoms – and individual outcomes cannot be accurately predicted. An ETH scientist hopes to change that with the help of mathematical models.

Colours can be created in surprisingly different ways. And in addition to being pleasing to the eye, colour can also serve a useful purpose.

He might have been known to the general public as the “Chocolate Professor”, but the newly retired ETH professor Erich Windhab was interested in much more than just indulgence. He also dedicated himself to issues of global food security and sustainability.

Once of interest only to enthusiasts, ETH Zurich’s Entomological Collection now offers researchers a treasure trove of hidden knowledge.  

With Markus Aebi’s retirement, ETH is losing a great scientist. The microbiologist has also made a name for himself as a teacher and mentor well beyond his own discipline. His passion for research and teaching is reflected in his involvement in many university institutions – and in a series of prestigious awards.

Protecting citizens in the face of disaster often requires far-reaching decisions to be made. Any assistance is welcome – including from AI.

Claudia Breidbach was born without a left forearm. She now wears a powered prosthesis, which she will be using for the powered prosthetic arm race at Cybathlon 2020.

Guy Landolt had just begun a run of solo stand-up shows when, completely out of the blue, he was hit by two strokes within 24 hours. Among other things, the comedian lost the ability to speak. Following intensive training, he’s now back on the stage.

Heinz Frei is one of the most successful Swiss athletes of all time. He has been in a wheelchair since an accident over 40 years ago. Having originally trained as a surveyor, he now works at the Swiss Paraplegic Centre in Nottwil and serves as a Cybathlon Ambassador.

Algae and insects are rich sources of protein for humans and livestock alike. Getting them on restaurant menus and into animal diet formulations still requires a lot of work – but it’s worth the effort.

ETH alumna Xi Zhang did her Bachelor's degree in Architecture in Shanghai, and her Master's degree in Zurich at ETH. Today, she still works in both places: She runs an international architectural firm.

Smartphones, not identification keys; biodiversity, not species memorisation: Environmental scientists’ field trips are now a lot more practical. The fact that they can go on field trips at all comes down to the students’ own persistence.

Two years ago, ETH physicist Tilman Esslinger experimentally realised a theoretical model of a new material with unusual properties in his laboratory. Today, the father of the model received the Nobel Prize.