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Archive Research 2019

73 articles
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  • Astrophysics

    Capturing Alien Comets

    There should be interstellar comets hiding in our Solar system after making a journey of many lightyears. Maybe we have already seen one but believed it was a “normal” comet formed in the solar system, says Tom Hands, astrophysicist at the University of Zurich and member of the NCCR PlanetS.
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  • Saving the World

    The Hydrogen Society

    Hydrogen is a clean source of electricity, fuel and fertilizer. The problem is that hydrogen still isn’t produced very sustainably. This could change – thanks to artificial photosynthesis.
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  • New National Center of Competence in Research at UZH

    The Power of Language

    A new National Center of Competence in Research (NCCR) will be based at the University of Zurich. Entitled “Evolving Language”, it will investigate the origins and future of language. UZH linguist Balthasar Bickel will serve as co-director of the research network alongside Anne-Lise Giraud from the University of Geneva. The national network includes numerous other universities and research institutes within Switzerland.
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  • Protein Research

    Trendsetter for New Top Technology

    Biophysicist Ben Schuler will serve as a fellow at the Biophysical Society starting early next year. The US-based organization has recognized Schuler’s innovative contributions to protein research, marking the first time a researcher at the University of Zurich has received this honor.
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  • Robotics

    UZH Drone Wins Silver

    Robotics professor Davide Scaramuzza and his research group finished in second place at the AlphaPilot international drone race. Among the nine finalists, the first three places were all won by university teams.
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  • Education Evaluation

    Learning for Life

    Does our academic performance have an effect on our personal development? A new study by UZH education evaluation specialists has investigated this interesting question.
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  • Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy

    A Roller Coaster Ride

    With hormonal swings and changes in our social situation, life after forty presents distinct challenges. Psychologists Hannah Süss and Jasmine Willi examine the best ways of managing this phase of our life.
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  • Jane Goodall at UZH

    Advocating for Animal Welfare

    Jane Goodall visited UZH and looked back on her eventful life with wild chimpanzees. The famous 85-year-old primatologist remains an energetic campaigner for animal welfare and environmental protection, and considers young people to be the biggest hope for the future.
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  • Medicine

    The Vital Necessity of Gender Medicine

    Men and women not only get sick in different ways, they also react differently to pharmaceutical drugs. UZH visiting professor Vera Regitz-Zagrosek gave a presentation on research into these differences in the field of gender medicine.
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  • Neuropsychology

    Bad Boys, Bad Girls

    Severe emotional disturbances have until now mainly been associated with violent young men. But girls can also display anti-social behavior. Studies show that changes in the brain can play a role.
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  • University Medicine Zurich

    New Immunotherapies to Combat Cancer

    The University Medicine Zurich initiative presented its new flagship project Immuno-TargET at its annual event this week. The project combines the latest technologies in developing immune therapies for specific types of endocrine cancer.
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  • Plant Biology

    Fading Petunias

    Through heat, saline soil or aridity, the environment can directly influence the activity of genes. As the biologist Ueli Grossniklaus has demonstrated, in plants these epigenetic changes can sometimes be inherited.
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  • Reproductive Medicine

    Fertility on Ice

    Specialists at the University of Zurich are thoroughly investigating the topic of social egg freezing — whereby egg cells are frozen as a precautionary measure with a view to a pregnancy at a later date. Increasing numbers of women in Switzerland are also interested in the idea. Legal expert Andrea Büchler and physician Bruno Imthurn discuss reasons and benefits, but also the possible constraints of the new method. Their concern is that women should make well-informed decisions.
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  • Mummy Research

    Analyzing Entrails

    Frank Rühli is an evolutionary medicine expert who is conducting pioneering research on mummified entrails. He recently became the first person to study the Egyptian Museum’s collection of canopic jars from an interdisciplinary perspective.
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  • Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine

    UZH Honorary Doctor Receives Nobel Prize

    In 2017, the University of Zurich bestowed an honorary doctorate on Sir Peter John Ratcliffe – today Ratcliffe, together with William G. Kaelin and Gregg L. Semenza, has been awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for his research into oxygen supply in cells.
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  • Bible Research

    Imperial God

    In the midst of their flight through the desert, the people of Israel received God’s commandments at Mount Sinai. That’s what it says in the Bible. No less dramatic is the historical background of this story. Biblical scholar Konrad Schmid is tracking it down.
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  • Artifical Intelligence

    Artificial intelligence improves biomedical imaging

    Scientists at UZH and ETH Zurich are using artificial intelligence to improve the quality of images recorded through a relatively new biomedical imaging method. Their work paves the way for more accurate diagnoses and cost-effective devices.
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  • Trainee Program

    Local experts for global reports

    Climate change and its consequences pose even greater challenges to developing countries than industrialized countries. But these countries are severely underrepresented in bodies assessing the relevant science. A training program for early career researchers at the Department of Geography takes counteraction.
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  • PRIMA Grantees

    Springboard to Success

    The Swiss National Science Foundation’s PRIMA grants support outstanding female researchers on their way to obtaining professorships. Three recipients of the grant have chosen UZH as the host institution for their research projects.
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  • Spin-off

    Era-107: A Pill to Gently Tame Your Appetite

    Many anti-obesity drugs are not very effective or have unwanted side effects. One UZH spin-off wants to change this: EraCal Therapeutics is developing a potent and highly selective appetite suppressant. Animal models have shown that the therapy is twice as effective at reducing weight than current drugs on the market.
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  • Communication and Media Research

    Pinocchio online

    The internet and social media have become a battleground for the war between facts and fake news. How do we separate fact from fiction? And to what extent should operators of social media platforms and search engines be held responsible?
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  • North-South Cooperation

    Highest precision balance

    Tuberculosis is the world's most common fatal infectious disease, in particular among people with HIV. Tuberculosis therapy plays an important role in the fight against AIDS. Optimizing this treatment is one of the aims of the research partnership between the University of Zurich and the Infectious Diseases Institute in Uganda – with a highly developed analytical machine playing a key role.
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  • Psychiatry

    Fleeing Like Antelope

    What goes on in our brains and bodies when we feel under threat? Psychiatrist Dominik Bach researches how we react to fear and how disturbing memories can be made less painful.
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  • Artificial Intelligence

    Cuddling a Robot Seal

    Humans and machines have a long history of co-existence, but artificial intelligence (AI) threatens to disrupt this delicate balance. Will machines become more intelligent than we are? Will they ultimately take over and enslave us?
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  • Teaching Fund

    Status Update from Kriemhild

    The Teaching Fund project “Siegfried goes YouTube – Alte Mären in neuen Medien” aims to utilize modern media such as video and podcasts in literary analyses. In the first of its four semesters, the project focused on the Nibelungenlied.
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  • Astrophysics

    Giant impact disrupted Jupiter’s core

    New interior models of Jupiter based on data gathered by NASA’s Juno mission suggested that the giant gas planet might not have a small compact core but rather a diluted, “fuzzy” one. Now, an international team with researchers of the University of Zürich and the NCCR PlanetS has found an explanation for this surprising Juno result.
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  • Structural Biology

    On the brink of a revolution

    Structural biology has long played an essential role in drug development. Thanks to enormous progress in recent years, the field is now on the brink of a revolution. A symposium is bringing the stars of the scene together in Zurich.
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  • UZH Summer Quiz

    Take the Plunge

    Are you still looking for a good read for your summer holiday? Take our summer quiz and find out about remarkable, surprising and fun facts from the University of Zurich. The UZH News team is off into the summer break. We hope you enjoy your summer!
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  • History of Art

    How Heidi Was Reinvented in Japan

    An untouched mountain paradise, fresh air, the freedom of life on the alp. The Heidi anime series from 1974 shaped the Japanese image of Switzerland for decades. And the Japanese Heidi also claimed a space in children’s hearts across Europe. Now, Heidi in Japan is the subject of a symposium at UZH and an exhibition at the Swiss National Museum. Masterminding the two events is art historian Hans Bjarne Thomsen.
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  • Criminology

    Telltale Bacteria

    DNA tracing has become an indispensable tool when it comes to solving crimes. And now microbes are expanding the possibilities. A research group at UZH has conducted a study in which they examined bacteria in tissue samples for use in forensics.
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  • Geography

    At a Glacial Pace

    Even though glaciers react relatively slowly to rising temperatures, Switzerland will have to adjust to a future without these magnificent ice masses. We will manage – but the challenges facing Asian countries are far greater.
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  • Media change

    “Selling our data soul”

    Algorithms accompany our every click on the internet. Facebook and Google use them to analyze our online behavior. Communications expert Michael Latzer researches what algorithms do and how they shape our view of the world.
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  • Artificial Photosynthesis

    Splitting Water

    UZH chemist Sandra Luber has set her sights on achieving artificial photosynthesis. A successful outcome could enable major climate issues to be solved in one fell swoop. However, there are still many hurdles to overcome.
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  • Climate Change and Banking

    Can Banking Regulation Address Climate Change?

    Policymakers are tasked with keeping a close eye on systemic risks to financial stability. But banking’s regulators seem to have a blind spot when it comes to climate change and the financial risks it poses.
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  • Syphilis

    Das Bakterium des Kolumbus

    Syphilis sailed back to Europe with the voyagers who discovered America – and stayed. With the use of penicillin, "Cupid's disease" started to die out and gradually fell into oblivion. But not for long. Having reappeared at the turn of the millennium, cases have been recorded in Switzerland too.
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  • Robotics

    Drone Olympiad Ready for Takeoff

    Robotics professor Davide Scaramuzza has qualified to compete in an international drone racing series that will pit autonomous quadcopters against drone pilots. A million dollars await the winner.
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  • Banking and Finance

    Culture Influences Financing Decisions

    The cultural identity of managers can influence the way an organization finances itself. An economist at UZH has shown that companies led by Italian-speaking people take up credit more often than those managed by German-speakers.
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  • Recycling

    Floating power plants

    Huge floating solar islands on the ocean that produce enough energy to enable CO2-neutral global freight traffic - it sounds like science fiction, but researchers have now figured out how it might be possible.
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  • Public Health

    Small or Tall

    Height – and the influence it has on our health – is the topic of an international symposium currently taking place at UZH. For example, research shows that tall women in Switzerland are more likely to develop cancer than shorter women.
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  • Neuropsychology

    The Key to Brain Fitness

    Maintaining mental fitness as we age is a goal we all aspire to. But how can we achieve this? In a recent talk, neuropsychologist Martin Meyer explains why social interaction and physical activity do more to improve your mental performance than brain training exercises.
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  • Astrophysics

    Stolen comets and free-floating objects

    Our Solar System may contain alien comets that were stolen from another star flying past 4.5 billion years ago. Far away in a distant cluster of young stars, a similar close encounter might have also sent the inter-stellar visitor “Oumuamua” flying on its way towards us, and there must be many more of these free-floating objects in the Galaxy. These are results of a new study by astrophysicists at the University of Zurich.
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  • Ecology

    Opening our eyes to nature

    With a range of grasslands, wetlands and woods, Irchel Park is rich in ecosystems and is habitat to a host of plants and animals. A new trail has been designed to give visitors to Irchel Campus the chance to discover the park’s natural environment. Marking International Day for Biological Diversity, the Irchel Nature Trail officially opens today.
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  • International Congress for 200th Anniversary of Gottfried Keller’s Birth

    A Wonderful Legacy

    Gottfried Keller is the most famous Zurich writer of the 19th century. He had close links with UZH and bequeathed the university his complete estate and archive, laying the foundations for modern-day Keller research. A major international congress is now being held on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of Keller’s birth. From 23 to 25 May, congress attendees and speakers will examine Keller’s literary heritage.
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  • Moral Standards

    "Many people feel anxious and disconcerted"

    With her commitment to the environment, 16-year-old Swede Greta Thunberg has provoked a debate on values among young people all over the world. How do values arise, and how do they change? An interview with social ethics expert Monika Wilhelm and economist Martin Kindschi.
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  • Astronomy

    “A village on the moon”

    Fifty years ago, on 21 July 1969, humans stood on the moon for the first time. To celebrate the anniversary of the moon landing, UZH astrophysicist Ben Moore has written a biography of the moon. In this interview he tells us about the new space race, and explains how the Earth’s satellite came into being.
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  • Infectious Tourists

    Chlamydiae are bacteria that can be transmitted from pigs, goats and sheep to humans and can cause infections. We talked to veterinarian Nicole Borel whose work follows these highly adaptable and sometimes mystifying pathogens.
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  • Violence Prevention

    "Prevention works, but only long-term"

    Every third teenager is subject to violence from peers. How can we identify risk factors at an early stage and intervene in time? A UZH study investigated these questions, evaluating data from the Zurich long-term study “z-proso”.
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  • Stalking

    “You belong to me”

    Is better legal protection against stalking needed in Switzerland? UZH doctoral candidate Aurelia Gurt is researching this politically hot topic.
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  • Sociology

    Fear of the Foreign

    Children are mostly open and tolerant towards foreigners but, in contrast to adults, their attitudes are easier to change. Much depends on their friends.
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  • Psychology

    A Steeled Mind

    Many former Verdingkinder suffered a traumatic childhood, but some have managed to cope with the potentially damaging experience. Psychologist Myriam Thoma wanted to know how.
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  • 3R principles

    Improving Animals’ Well-Being

    Paulin Jirkof has been working for around a year as 3R Coordinator for UZH. Her job is to help reduce the number of animal experiments conducted at UZH and to improve the welfare of the animals involved.
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  • Criminal Law

    Shady Dealings in Protected Species

    The illegal trade in animals and plants is a highly profitable and low-risk business. Due to inconsistent application and lax enforcement of laws in many countries, criminals get an easy ride. Students at UZH are looking for solutions to the problem.
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  • New Center of Competence

    Evolution

    How do animals communicate? How do humans acquire language? When humanities scholars and natural scientists join forces, groundbreaking answers to those questions become possible. The new Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Language Evolution at UZH aims to deliver them.
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  • Nanotechnology

    Water that never freezes

    Can water reach minus 263 degrees Celsius without turning into ice? Yes it can, say researchers from the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, if it is confined in nanometre-scale lipid channels.
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  • Climate Change

    Andreas Linsbauer

    As teacher trainer and scientist at the Department of Geography, Andreas Linsbauer communicates on environmental issues with various target groups. The exhibition he has curated, Expedition 2 Grad (Expedition 2 Degrees), opens at the National Park Centre in Zernez today.
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  • Ethnographic Museum UZH

    Exhibition on Wheels: Mobile Dairy Museum Tours Uganda

    A museum on wheels has recently started touring Uganda. The mobile museum is visiting remote towns and villages to give an insight into Swiss and Ugandan dairy practices. This traveling exhibition was co-created by the Ethnographic Museum at UZH. Here we take a closer look.
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  • Gravitational waves

    At the limits of measurability

    The international large-scale project LIGO/VIRGO researches gravitational waves and will start its third measuring period in April. UZH postdocs Maria Haney and Shubhanshu Tiwari are involved in the project – a significant honor for them professionally and for UZH.
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  • Botanical Museum

    Botanical Works of Art

    A mysterious set of dazzlingly beautiful glass diapositives was recently discovered in the university’s Botanical Museum. In her new book, archaeobotanist Christiane Jacquat presents these botanical pictures for the first time and describes the search for their creator.
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  • Linguistics

    How Big Data Is Transforming Linguistics

    The University of Zurich is investing in research into human languages. In the next few years a great deal of equipment will be bought and labs built as part of the LiRI project. With the help of IT specialists, it will be possible to process and analyze large volumes of data.
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  • Developmental Pediatrics

    Giving Children with Heart Defects a Chance

    Children with heart conditions show signs of developmental delays, which become especially noticeable in school. Developmental pediatrician Bea Latal is seeking to help these children in adolescence by means of a dedicated developmental support program.
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  • World Kidney Day

    Kidneys’ Balancing Act

    Our kidneys filter all the blood in our body 36 times a day. How on earth do the kidneys manage this herculean task? That is the question being researched by the National Center of Competence in Research Kidney.CH, for which UZH is the home institution. On World Kidney Day, we take a brief glimpse behind the scenes of Swiss kidney research.
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  • Molecular Biology

    Accelerating Diagnostics of Multi-Resistant Tuberculosis

    UZH molecular biologist Prajwal and a team of researchers have developed a comprehensive rapid diagnostic test for multi-resistant tuberculosis pathogens. He now wants to turn the test into a commercial product with the help of a UZH Entrepreneur Fellowship.
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  • Initiative of the Canton of Zurich

    A Boost to Digitalization

    A pioneering project: The DIZH digitalization initiative of the Canton of Zurich’s institutions of higher education will strengthen the University of Zurich and its partners. Around three dozen new professorships are to be created at UZH, 20 of them assistant professorships.
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  • Film Studies

    Digital Tools for Analog Colors

    Film studies has been remarkably indifferent when it comes to exploring the topic of color. The research project FilmColors wants to change this – and in doing so open up a range of new tools for film studies scholars.
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  • 200 Years of Gottfried Keller

    “He never lost his spark”

    A public lecture series at UZH investigates the many faces of poet, writer, politician and painter Gottfried Keller, who was born 200 years ago. Notable Keller expert Ursula Amrein discusses why his work has remained meaningful to this day and what he had in common with railway pioneer Alfred Escher, who was a contemporary of Keller.
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  • Global History

    Glimpses of East Asia

    UZH’s chair for global history has introduced a podcast series in cooperation with partners from across Europe. It provides listeners with fascinating insights into the history and historiography of East Asia, from the 16th century to the present.
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  • Astrophysics

    All about Jupiter

    Jupiter is the most important planet in our solar system, says Ravit Helled, an astrophysicist who’s investigating how the round giant and other planets were formed.
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  • Ergonomics

    Working flat out

    More lifestyle choices or total exhaustion: There are pros and cons to flexible working hours says ergonomist Georg Bauer. In this interview he talks about the effects of digitalization and how to feel healthy and satisfied at work.
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  • Historic Buildings

    History Seen through Farmhouses and Village Churches

    A research team from UZH is investigating the historically significant buildings of the rural district of Dielsdorf near Zurich. The results will be published in a volume of the book series "Die Kunstdenkmaler der Schweiz".
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  • Arabic Studies

    Alchemical Bestseller

    Didactic poetry combining alchemy and religion: The 12th-century Moroccan manuscript “Splinters of Gold” took the Arabic world by storm. But when Regula Forster was researching its author, she made a surprising discovery.
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