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Archive Media Releases 2020

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  • Genetic Engineering without Unwanted Side-Effects Helps Fight Parasites

    Modified CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing scissors are enabling researchers at UZH to make alterations to the genetic material of single-cell organisms that are indistinguishable from natural mutations. This method is making it possible to develop a (harmless) experimental live vaccine for the widespread parasite Toxoplasma gondii.
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  • How Nearby Galaxies Form their Stars

    How stars form in galaxies remains a major open question in astrophysics. A new UZH study sheds new light on this topic with the help of a data-driven re-analysis of observational measurements. The star-formation activity of typical, nearby galaxies is found to scale proportionally with the amount of gas present in these galaxies. This points to the net gas supply from cosmic distances as the main driver of galactic star formation.
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  • Brain Stem Cells Divide over Months

    For the first time, scientists at the University of Zurich have been able to observe stem cells in the adult mouse brain that divide over the course of several months to create new nerve cells. The study shows that brain stem cells are active over a long period, and thus provides new insights for stem cell research.
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  • Female Language Style Promotes Visibility and Influence Online

    A female-typical language style promotes the popularity of talks in the digital context and turns out to be an underappreciated but highly effective tool for social influence. This was shown by UZH psychologists in an international study in which they analyzed 1,100 TED Talks.
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  • COVID-19 Edition of the Science Barometer Switzerland: People Seek Stronger Voice for Science on Pandemic Issues

    The people of Switzerland have confirmed their faith in science in the present COVID-19 pandemic. They would like to see scientists contributing their expertise more vigorously to the public and political debate. And most of them believe that political decisions on dealing with the pandemic should be based on scientific findings and foundations. The views are reflected in the COVID-19 edition of the Science Barometer Switzerland, which is produced by UZH’s Department of Communication and Media Research (IKMZ) in collaboration with the University of Münster, Germany.
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  • ERC Consolidator Grant: vier Millionen Euro für UZH-Forschende

    Two researchers from the University of Zurich have been awarded lucrative Consolidator Grants. The European Research Council has awarded funds to Prof. Judith Burkart for her research on interdependence between humans and apes during human evolution. Equally awarded is Prof. Jason P. Holland for his project that will harness photochemical reactions to make new combinations of drugs.
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  • Natural Selection also Increases the Adaptability of Organism

    Natural selection causes organisms to adapt continuously. Researchers at the University of Zurich now show for the first time that proteins in bacteria develop a new property more rapidly when the selection pressure is high. Natural selection can thus also increase the evolutionary capacity itself.
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  • Wheat Diversity Due to Cross-Hybridization with Wild Grasses

    Bread wheat can grow in highly diverse regional environments. An important reason for its great genetic variety is the cross-hybridization with many chromosome fragments from wild grasses. This is shown by the genome sequences of 10 wheat varieties from four continents, which an international consortium including researchers from the University of Zurich has now decoded.
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  • Honey – Staple Food and Indigenous Cultural Asset

    A new exhibition in the Ethnographic Museum of the University of Zurich delves into the recent history of the Ayoréode, a nomadic people in the forests of Bolivia, who have had to adapt to settled life for decades. How are they preserving their knowledge of wild bees that is passed down orally? How are they developing their skills in their new living environment? Everyday artifacts and voices from the indigenous community shine a light on what happens when two very different world views and ways of life collide.
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  • Prehistoric Shark Hid Its Largest Teeth

    Some, if not all, early sharks that lived 300 to 400 million years ago not only dropped their lower jaws downward but rotated them outwards when opening their mouths. This enabled them to make the best of their largest, sharpest and inward-facing teeth when catching prey, paleontologists at the Universities of Zurich and Chicago have now shown using CT scanning and 3D printing.
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  • The Rise of Emil Bührle as an Industrialist and Art Collector

    A new study by UZH professor Matthieu Leimgruber, commissioned by the City and Canton of Zurich, charts the rise of Emil Bührle to become an industrialist, international art collector and member of the Zurich elite. It is the first time that the links between arms, money and art have been studied together.
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  • Vitamin D und Omega-3-Fettsäuren fördern Gesundheit in Untergruppen von aktiven älteren Menschen

    The DO-HEALTH study led by Zurich-based geriatrician Professor Heike Bischoff-Ferrari has examined the effects of simple measures on the health of healthy adults aged 70 or older. Initial analyses suggest that vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids and strength-training exercises do not significantly improve bone health, leg function and memory. Nevertheless, certain groups of people could still benefit from these measures.
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  • Host Genetic Factors Shape Composition of Virus Communities

    Plants can be infected by multiple viruses at once. However, the composition of the pathogen community varies, even if individuals belong to the same species and the same population. Ecologists at the University of Zurich have now shown that these differences are primarily due to genetic variation among the hosts. The loss of genetic diversity could thus render species more vulnerable to infections and extinction.
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  • Swiss Fatalism Protects Against Negative Feelings in the Pandemic

    Trust or disappointment in government crisis management is an important factor for the general mood, shows a study by the University of Zurich based on surveys in Israel and Switzerland. At the end of April, Israelis were twice as disappointed with their government institutions during the pandemic as Swiss citizens. In Switzerland, a certain fatalism made for less negative feelings.
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  • Corona Crisis Increases Media Usage, Reduces Revenues

    In times of uncertainty, people increasingly return to traditional news media. This increased usage has not, however, resulted in additional revenues. On the contrary, advertising budgets have plummeted and people’s willingness to pay for online news remains low. New payment models are required and direct subsidies for the media industry seem to be inevitable, according to the Yearbook Quality of the Media 2020 published by the UZH Research Center for the Public Sphere and Society (fög).
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  • Multiple Sclerosis as the Flip Side of Immune Fitness

    About half of the people with multiple sclerosis have the HLA-DR15 gene variant. A study led by the University of Zurich has now shown how this genetic predisposition contributes to the development of the autoimmune disease multiple sclerosis in combination with environmental factors. The decisive factor is the shaping of a repertoire of immune cells which – although they are effective in fighting off pathogens such as Epstein-Barr virus – also attack brain tissue.
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  • Cognitive Elements of Language Have Existed for 40 Million Years

    Humans are not the only beings that can identify rules in complex language-like constructions – monkeys and great apes can do so, too, a study at the University of Zurich has shown. Researchers at the Department of Comparative Language Science of UZH used a series of experiments based on an ‘artificial grammar’ to conclude that this ability can be traced back to our ancient primate ancestors.
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  • Early Trauma Influences Metabolism Across Generations

    A study by the Brain Research Institute at UZH reveals that early trauma leads to changes in blood metabolites – similarly in mice and humans. Experiments with mice have show that these potentially harmful effects on health are also passed to the next generation. The researchers have identified a biological mechanism by which traumatic experiences become embedded in germ cells.
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  • Central Asian Horse Riders Played Ball Games 3,000 Years Ago

    UZH researchers have investigated ancient leather balls discovered in the graves of horse riders in northwest China. According to the international research team, they are around 3,000 years old, making them the oldest balls in Eurasia. The find suggests amongst others that the mounted warriors of Central Asia played ball games to keep themselves fit.
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  • Evolution in Action: New Plant Species at Urnerboden

    A new plant species named "Cardamine insueta" appeared in the region of Urnerboden in the Swiss alps, after the land has changed from forest to grassland over the last 150 years. The inheritance of two key traits from its parent plants enabled the newly emerged species to grow in a distinct environmental niche, as researches from the University of Zurich now show.
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  • Woodpeckers’ Drumming: Conserved Meaning Despite Different Structure over the Years

    How do animals produce and perceive biological information in sounds? To what extent does the acoustic structure and its associated meaning change during evolution? An international team led by the University of Zurich and the University of Saint-Etienne reconstructed the evolutionary history of an animal communication system, focusing on drumming signals of woodpeckers.
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  • Zurich and slavery

    The city of Zurich supported slavery and slave trade in the 18th century financially and played a role in the deportation of thousands of Africans. Moreover, the city was linked to slavery through the cotton industry, as a study by historians of the University of Zurich shows.
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  • Post-Lockdown: No Clustering of Coronavirus Infections in Zurich Schools prior to Summer Break

    The University of Zurich tested 2,500 schoolchildren in the Canton of Zurich to determine if they were infected during the period between the onset of the novel coronavirus and early June 2020. The preliminary results show that in the first stage of testing prior to the summer break, there was no clustering of coronavirus infections in schools in the Canton of Zurich. Moreover, children presenting typical COVID-19 symptoms did not test positive for antibodies more frequently than children without such symptoms did.
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  • Reprogramming Brain Cells Enables Flexible Decision-Making

    Humans, like other animals, have the ability to constantly adapt to new situations. Researchers at the Brain Research Institute of the University of Zurich have utilized a mouse model to reveal which neurons in the brain are in command in guiding adaptive behavior. Their new study contributes to our understanding of decision-making processes in healthy and infirm people.
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  • Swiss Dinosaur Skeleton to Become Museum’s Latest Showpiece

    The University of Zurich’s Zoological and Paleontological Museum will soon be home to a new attraction that literally cannot be missed: A nearly eight-meter-long plateosaurus will greet visitors to the museum starting on 15 September. The fossil, which dates back over 200 million years, was excavated in the town of Frick in 2018. The skeleton will be accompanied by a detailed reconstruction of the creature in its original size.
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  • More Online Teaching for More Students at UZH

    In the upcoming Fall Semester around 28,100 students will be matriculated at the University of Zurich. The numbers have increased for both Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programs. Courses will be delivered with a mix of online and on-site classes.
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  • Young Researchers Win 4.5 Million Euros in Funding

    Three scholars from the University of Zurich will receive support from the European Union’s valuable ERC Starting Grants. The three young researchers will thus have the funds to carry out their ground-breaking projects on motherhood and the labor market, on visualization of neurotransmitter dynamics in the brain, and on the role of religious art in the early modern age of globalization.
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  • How Plants Close their Gates when Microbes Attack

    Like humans, plants protect themselves against pathogens. An international consortium under the lead of UZH professor Cyril Zipfel has now identified a long sought-after factor of this plant immune system: The calcium channel triggers the closure of stomata upon contact with microbes such as bacteria. This innate defense mechanism could help to engineer crop plants that are resistant to pathogens.
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  • UZH lanciert fünf neue Universitäre Forschungsschwerpunkte

    The University of Zurich is introducing five new University Research Priority Programs focusing on equal opportunities, human reproduction, rare diseases, digital religions and basic principles of learning. With these programs, UZH is opening new avenues for innovative research in areas relevant to our society.
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  • Syphilis May Have Spread through Europe before Columbus

    Columbus brought syphilis to Europe – or did he? A recent study conducted at the University of Zurich now indicates that Europeans could already have been infected with this sexually transmitted disease before the 15th century. In addition, researchers have discovered a hitherto unknown pathogen causing a related disease. The predecessor of syphilis and its related diseases could be over 2,500 years old.
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  • Trustful Collaboration Critical for Outcome of Therapy

    A trusting therapeutic relationship and outcome-oriented collaboration between therapist and patient are critical for the successful treatment of mental illness. And it pays to start early in therapy, a series of meta-studies by a task force of the American Psychological Association (APA) led by UZH psychology professor Christoph Flückiger shows.
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  • Long Neck Helped Reptile Hunt Underwater

    Its neck was three times as long as its torso, but had only thirteen extremely elongated vertebrae: "Tanystropheus", a bizarre giraffe-necked reptile which lived 242 million years ago, is a paleontological absurdity. A new study led by the University of Zurich has now shown that the creature lived in water and was surprisingly adaptable.
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  • New Guinea Has the World’s Richest Island Flora

    New Guinea is the most floristically diverse island in the world, an international collaboration led by the University of Zurich has shown. The study presents a list of almost 14,000 plant species, compiled from online catalogues and verified by plant experts. The results are invaluable for research and conservation, and also underline the importance of expert knowledge in the digital era.
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  • Relatively High-Quality Reporting on Coronavirus Pandemic

    In times of crisis, the media plays a particularly important role. Reporting was of a relatively high quality during the coronavirus pandemic, a study by the University of Zurich has shown. Some deficits, however, were found in the use of figures and statistics. In addition, many media outlets were not critical enough during the sensitive phase before the lockdown.
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  • Hedonism Leads to Happiness

    Relaxing on the sofa or savoring a delicious meal: Enjoying short-term pleasurable activities that don’t lead to long-term goals contributes at least as much to a happy life as self-control, according to new research from the University of Zurich and Radboud University in the Netherlands. The researchers therefore argue for a greater appreciation of hedonism in psychology.
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  • Big Brains and Dexterous Hands

    Primates with large brains can master more complex hand movements than those with smaller brains. However, fine motor skills such as using tools can take time to learn, and humans take the longest of all. Large-brained species such as humans and great apes do not actually learn more slowly than other primates but instead start later, researchers at the University of Zurich have shown.
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  • Predicting the Biodiversity of Rivers

    Biodiversity and thus the state of river ecosystems can now be predicted by combining environmental DNA with hydrological methods, researchers from the University of Zurich and Eawag have found. Using the river Thur as an example, the approach allows areas requiring conservation to be identified in order to initiate protective measures.
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  • Bird Diversity in the Swiss Alps in Decline

    The diversity of bird communities in the Swiss Alps is declining more and more, a joint study of the University of Zurich and the Swiss Ornithological Institute has found. An analysis of data from the past two decades has revealed a loss of functional and compositional diversity in Alpine bird communities. This trend is likely connected to rising temperatures and changes in land use.
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  • How Venus Flytraps Snap

    Venus flytraps catch spiders and insects by snapping their trap leaves. This mechanism is activated when unsuspecting prey touch highly sensitive trigger hairs twice within 30 seconds. A study led by researchers at the University of Zurich has now shown that a single slow touch also triggers trap closure – probably to catch slow-moving larvae and snails.
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  • Restoring Vision Through Electrical Stimulation

    In a project under Horizon 2020, researchers from seven European organizations will examine how the vision of visually impaired people can be restored using electrical stimulation of the brain. The project is being coordinated by the University of Zurich and supported by the European Union with funding of 4 million euros.
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  • 1.5 Billion People Will Depend on Water from Mountains

    Global water consumption has increased almost fourfold in the past 100 years, and many regions can only meet their water demand thanks to essential contributions from mountain regions. In 30 years, almost a quarter of the world’s lowland population will strongly depend on runoff from the mountains. Only sustainable development can ensure the important function of mountain areas as Earth’s “water towers”.
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  • President Nomination

    The University Senate has nominated Professor Michael Schaepman as the new president of UZH. Michael Schaepman is professor of remote sensing and current Vice President Research. The election of the president by the Board of the University will take place on 9 July 2020.
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  • Dolphins Learn in Similar Ways to Great Apes

    Dolphins learn new foraging techniques not just from their mothers, but also from their peers, a study by the University of Zurich has found. More than 1,000 bottlenose dolphins in Shark Bay, Western Australia were observed over 10 years and found to have cultural behavior that is similar to great apes.
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  • Genetic Malfunction of Brain Astrocytes Triggers Migraine

    Neuroscientists of the University of Zurich shed a new light on the mechanisms responsible for familial migraine: They show that a genetic dysfunction in specific brain cells of the cingulate cortex area strongly influences head pain occurrence.
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  • Deep Drone Acrobatics

    A navigation algorithm developed at the University of Zurich enables drones to learn challenging acrobatic maneuvers. Autonomous quadcopters can be trained using simulations to increase their speed, agility and efficiency, which benefits conventional search and rescue operations.
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  • Decide Now or Wait for Something Better?

    When we make decisions, we don’t always have all options available to choose from at the same time. Instead they often come one after another, as for example when we search for an apartment or a flight ticket. So we have to decide on something without knowing if a better option might have come along later. A study at the University of Zurich has shown that our standards drop more and more in the course of decision-making.
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  • Surprising Signal in Dark Matter Detector

    When analyzing data from the XENON1T detector for dark matter, a signal excess was observed. The UZH researchers do not yet know for sure where this unexpected signal comes from. They say the origins could be relatively banal, but they could also indicate the existence of new particles or hitherto unknown properties of neutrinos.
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  • A Flight to Weightlessness from Dübendorf

    The fourth parabolic flight organized by the UZH Space Hub takes off today from Dübendorf airfield. A reorganization taking into account Corona safety measures has made this possible. On board is an experiment that could help to attenuate massive inflammatory reactions of the immune system that happen in severe cases of Covid-19.
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  • Human Presence Weakens Social Relationships of Giraffes

    Living close to human settlements disturbs the social networks of giraffes. They have weaker bonds with other giraffes and fewer interactions with other members of the species, an international study led by the University of Zurich on the social structure of over 500 female giraffes in Tanzania has shown.
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  • Newly Identified Gene Reduces Pollen Number of Plants

    Producing fewer sperm cells can be advantageous in self-fertilizing plants. An international study led by the University of Zurich has identified a gene in the model plant Arabidopsis that reduces the number of pollen. In addition to supporting the evolutionary theory, these findings could help to optimize plant breeding and domestication in agriculture.
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  • Mapping Immune Cells in Brain Tumors

    It is not always possible to completely remove malignant brain tumors by surgery so that further treatment is necessary. Researchers from the University of Zurich and the UniversityHospital Zurich have now been able to describe, with unparalleled precision, the composition of the immune cells of various types of brain tumors. This will provide an important foundation for future immunotherapy approaches.
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  • Increased Usability and Precision in Vascular Imaging

    Researchers at the University of Zurich have developed a new X-ray contrast agent. The contrast agent is easier to use and distributes into all blood vessels more reliably, increasing the precision of vascular imaging. This reduces the number of animals required in research experiments.
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  • Prehistoric Giant Fish Was a Suspension Feeder

    Scientists from the University of Zurich and the University of Bristol have investigated the jaw mechanics of Titanichthys, a giant armored fish that roamed the seas and oceans of the late Devonian period 380 million years ago. New findings suggest that it fed by swimming through water slowly with its mouth open wide to capture high concentrations of plankton – similar to modern-day basking sharks.
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  • More Selective Elimination of Leukemia Stem Cells and Blood Stem Cells

    Hematopoietic stem cells from a healthy donor can help patients suffering from acute leukemia. However, the side effects of therapies are often severe. A group of researchers led by the University of Zurich have now shown how human healthy and cancerous hematopoietic stem cells can be more selectively eliminated using immunotherapy instead of chemotherapy in mice. The aim is to test the new immunotherapy in humans as soon as possible.
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  • Lipid Metabolism Controls Brain Development

    A lipid metabolism enzyme controls brain stem cell activity and lifelong brain development. If the enzyme does not work correctly, it causes learning and memory deficits in humans and mice, as researchers at the University of Zurich have discovered. Regulating stem cell activity via lipid metabolism could lead to new treatments for brain diseases.
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  • Workers Happy despite Crisis and Uncertainty

    In general, workers in Switzerland and Germany are coping well with the Covid-19 crisis and the associated social disruption. They are feeling happier and finding it easier to unwind and balance work and private life. They are also more engaged at work than last year, a survey among 600 participants carried out by researchers of the University of Zurich shows.
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  • Predators Help Prey Adapt to an Uncertain Future

    What effect does extinction of species have on the evolution of surviving species? Evolutionary biologists have investigated this question by conducting a field experiment with a leaf galling fly and its predatory enemies. They found that losing its natural enemies could make it more difficult for the prey to adapt to future environments.
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  • High Cost of Cancer Drugs Not Always Justified

    Do high prices of some cancer medicines have a higher benefit than those drugs with lower prices? An international UZH study has concluded that, in general, there is no correlation between costs of a cancer drugs and their clinical benefit. The researchers are therefore calling for the clinical benefit of drugs to be better reflected in pricing
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  • Dramatic Loss of Food Plants for Insects

    The diversity of food plants for insects in the canton of Zurich has dramatically decreased over the past 100 years or so. This means that bees, flies and butterflies are increasingly deprived of their food base, a team of researchers from the Universities of Bonn and Zurich and the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL has demonstrated. The results are transferable to the whole of Central Europe, with minor regional restrictions.
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  • Primatologist Jane Goodall Awarded Honorary Doctorate

    The University of Zurich is celebrating its 187th anniversary digitally for the first time, awarding honorary doctorates to screenwriter Simone Schmid and film-maker Stefan Haupt, legal expert Heinz Mohnhaupt as well as labor economics specialist Claudia Goldin. Further honorary doctorates have gone to medical scientists Werner Bauer and Marcel Tanner, historian Elisabeth Joris and behavioral scientists Jane Goodall. Physician Giorgio Noseda and Peter F. Weibel, former president of the UZH Foundation’s board of trustees, have been appointed honorary senators.
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  • UZH Launches Funding Campaign for Covid-19 Research

    Providing scientific foundations for important political and economic decisions: That is a core aim of the pandemic fund of the University of Zurich for Covid-19 research. With the help of donations, the most urgent coronavirus research projects will be supported and accelerated.
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  • Lack of Knowledge and Uncertainty about Algorithms in Online Services

    Although Swiss internet users use online services where algorithms select search results, recommendations and information daily, they know little about their role and function. This leads to uncertainty, a feeling of powerlessness and a desire for more control, as a representative survey of Swiss internet users conducted by the University of Zurich shows.
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  • Blocking the Iron Transport Could Stop Tuberculosis

    The bacteria that cause tuberculosis need iron to survive. Researchers at the University of Zurich have now solved the first detailed structure of the transport protein responsible for the iron supply. When the iron transport into the bacteria is inhibited, the pathogen can no longer grow. This opens novel ways to develop targeted tuberculosis drugs.
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  • UZH Researchers Awarded Funding of 7.5 Million Euros

    Three researchers at the University of Zurich have been awarded ERC Advanced Grants. A political scientist, a molecular biologist and an immunologist will receive 2.5 million euros each from the European Research Council. Their research topics include digitalization in democracy, the development and progression of MS, and scale-crossing effects in biology.
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  • New UZH Coronavirus Test Center Relieves Strain on Family Doctors

    The University of Zurich has repurposed its Travel Clinic as a COVID-19 test center. Designed to complement the tests currently offered by family doctors in Canton Zurich, it is geared to other people who work in healthcare services. The center also offers an X-ray service to ensure that pneumonia does not go undetected.
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  • Stem Cells and Nerves Interact in Tissue Regeneration and Cancer Progression

    Researchers at the University of Zurich show that different stem cell populations are innervated in distinct ways. Innervation may therefore be crucial for proper tissue regeneration. They also demonstrate that cancer stem cells likewise establish contacts with nerves. Targeting tumor innervation could thus lead to new cancer therapies.
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  • This drone can play dodgeball - and win

    Using a novel type of cameras, researchers from the University of Zurich have demonstrated a flying robot that can detect and avoid fast-moving objects. A step towards drones that can fly faster in harsh environments, accomplishing more in less time.
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  • Loss of Protein Disturbs Intestinal Homeostasis and Can Drive Cancer

    An international team of researchers from the University of Zurich, the University Hospital Zurich, Heidelberg and Glasgow has identified a novel function for the cell death regulating protein MCL1: It is essential in protecting the intestine against cancer development – independent of bacterial-driven inflammation. These findings have implications for the use of MCL1 inhibitors, currently being tested for cancer treatment.
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  • Ancient Hornwort Genomes Could Lead to Crop Improvement

    An international research team led by the University of Zurich and the Boyce Thompson Institute illuminate the origin of land plants by analyzing the first hornwort genomes. In this ancient group of land plants, they discovered genes that could help crops grow more efficiently with less synthetic fertilizer.
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  • UZH Switches to Digital Teaching

    The University of Zurich has suspended all its classroom teaching from Monday, 16 March 2020 until further notice. This measure to contain the spread of coronavirus has been taken by the Executive Board of the University after consulting with the Canton of Zurich’s Department of Education. UZH aims to enable students to complete the semester as normal, including assessments and requirements for credits.
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  • Life-Giving Potion and Maternal Elixir

    Milk provides sustenance and protection and is the basis of life for all mammals just after they are born. The current special exhibition of the Zoological Museum of the University of Zurich offers fascinating biological insights into this amazing “liquid gold”.
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  • Producing Human Tissue in Space

    The University of Zurich has sent adult human stem cells to the International Space Station (ISS). Researchers from UZH Space Hub will explore the production of human tissue in weightlessness.
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  • Directed Species Loss From Species-Rich Forests Strongly Decreases Productivity

    At high species richness, directed loss, but not random loss, of tree species strongly decreases forest productivity. This is shown by data from a big forest project in China in which the University of Zurich is involved. Previous studies based on random species loss could therefore bias the predictions of how more realistic extinction scenarios are likely to affect ecosystem functioning.
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  • Hunter-Gatherer Networks Accelerated Human Evolution

    Humans began developing a complex culture as early as the Stone Age. This development was brought about by social interactions between various groups of hunters and gatherers, a UZH study has now confirmed. The researchers mapped the social networks of present-day hunter-gatherers in the Philippines and simulated the discovery of a medicinal plant product.
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  • Extinct Giant Turtle Had Horned Shell of up to Three Meters

    Paleobiologists from the University of Zurich have discovered exceptional specimens in Venezuela and Colombia of an extinct giant freshwater turtle called Stupendemys. The carapace of this turtle, which is the largest ever known, measured between 2.4 to almost 3 meters. Moreover, the shell of male Stupendemys had horns – a rare feature in turtles.
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  • Openly Acknowledging Social Inequalities

    Members of disadvantaged social groups who engage in contact with members of privileged groups are less likely to support social change toward equality, a multinational study by social psychologists at the University of Zurich shows. To reduce this effect, it is important to actively address and acknowledge inequalities in intergroup contacts.
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  • How Zebra Finches Learn to Sing

    Complex learning processes like speaking or singing follow similar patterns. Using the example of zebra finches, researchers at UZH and ETH Zurich have investigated how young birds imitate the courtship songs of their fathers and practice them thousands of times. The study has revealed what aspects of the song are remembered overnight, and that sleep allows the bird to optimally build upon the progress made on the previous day.
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  • World Premiere in Zurich: Machine keeps human livers alive for one week outside of the body

    Researchers from the University Hospital Zurich, ETH Zurich, Wyss Zurich and the University of Zurich have developed a machine that repairs injured human livers and keeps them alive outside the body for one week. This breakthrough may increase the number of available organs for transplantation saving many lives of patients with severe liver diseases or cancer.
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  • Improved Functioning of Diverse Landscape Mosaics

    It is well-established that biodiverse ecosystems generally function better than monocultures. Ecologists at the University of Zurich have now shown that the same is true on a larger scale: Having a mix of different land-covers including grassland, forest, urban areas and water bodies improves the functioning and stability of a landscape – irrespective of the plant species diversity, region and climate.
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