March 2019

Scientists at ETH Zurich have developed a new method that greatly simplifies the production of large DNA molecules containing many hundreds of genes. With this method, they have built the first genome of a bacterium entirely designed by a computer algorithm. The method has the potential to revolutionise biotechnology.

Medicine has great hopes for personalised cancer immunotherapy. The idea is to have a vaccine prompt the immune system to fight a tumour. Scientists at ETH Zurich have developed a method that allows them to determine which molecules are suited to patient-specific immunisation.

Researchers from the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI in Villigen and the ETH Zurich have discovered a special phenomenon in magnets. This phenomenon takes place at the nanoscale and enables magnets to be assembled in unusual configurations, which could also be useful for computer technology and data storage. 

Using artificial intelligence in drug design would give pharmaceutical research a boost, says Gisbert Schneider. In the medium term, computers could even carry out experiments autonomously.

French biochemist Emmanuelle Charpentier, one of the scientists who discovered the Crispr gene editing tool, is being honoured with ETH Zurich’s Richard R. Ernst Gold Medal.

Network effects promote an alarming concentration of power within social media. Standards offer an alternative but require user initiative, blogs Ulrik Brandes.

The ETH Foundation received donations and bequests to the value of CHF 130.1 million from the generosity of private persons, foundations and the business community.

ETH Zurich provides an official comment on articles published recently in the online magazine Republik.

What does it mean when the first professor recommended for dismissal in 164 years is female? Eawag Director Janet Hering addresses three areas to develop in terms of ETH governance.

Related individuals of a soil bacterial species live in cooperative groups and exhibit astonishing genetic and behavioural diversity. ETH researchers recently published these findings in Science.