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Archive Research 2021

66 article
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Article list Research

  • Zoonosis

    Bats and Tiger Mosquitoes

    The potential for new zoonotic diseases worldwide is huge – and continues to grow. In Switzerland too, there are dangerous germs that can spread from animals to humans. Researchers at UZH are tracking them down.
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  • Astronomy

    How did the peculiar moons of Uranus form?

    The peculiar characteristics of Uranus’ moons have been a topic of debate in astronomy for decades. Using of state-of-the-art supercomputing and interdisciplinary expertise, researchers of the University of Zurich, who are part of the National Centre of Competence in Research PlanetS, have proposed a detailed answer in a new study.
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  • Open Science Policy

    An Open Future

    Legal expert Anne Schneuwly and molecular biologist Izaskun Mallona discuss what UZH’s new Open Science Policy means for their respective fields, together with Vice President Research Elisabeth Stark. The three scholars agree that the new policy increases transparency and quality.
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  • Quantitative Biomedicine

    Bridging the Gap to Patients

    This week, the University of Zurich held a symposium to mark the newly established Department of Quantitative Biomedicine. The research institute strengthens UZH’s standing in the field of precision medicine. We met with its director Bernd Bodenmiller to discuss how the department’s methods can be used to benefit patients.
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  • Global Science Film Festival

    The shortest distance between science and society is cinema

    Who benefits from a functioning ecological infrastructure? What do turtles have to do with human communication? Can protons and Indian classical dance be brought together? Answers to these and many other questions can be found at the Global Science Film Festival in Zurich's Filmpodium.
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  • One Health

    When Resistant Germs Travel

    Resistance to antibiotics is increasing and can be found all over – in humans, animals, plants and the environment. To stop the spread of antibiotic resistance, we need to understand how it is transmitted and how we can prevent this from happening.
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  • Hochschulmedizin Zürich

    When Stress Makes You Sick

    Chronic stress can decrease the quality of our lives, and have long-term negative effects on our health that may be irreversible. The new Hochschulmedizin Zürich (HMZ) flagship project STRESS aims to explore the causes of stress and highlight possible treatments.
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  • Antibiotics Research

    Artificial Bacteria Devourers

    Eliminating harmful bacteria with targeted viruses and novel antibiotics: Researchers at UZH are developing new weapons in the fight against multi-resistant bugs.
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  • Neuroscience

    Anxiety, breathing, and the brain

    Using novel technologies, researchers at the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich advance our understanding of anxiety and its connection to brain-body interactions.
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  • UZH Magazin

    Healthy People, Healthy Animals

    Bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics and pathogens that spread from animals to humans are posing major problems for medicine. To combat them, researchers from various fields need to work hand in hand. This approach has become known as One Health, and the latest issue of the UZH Magazin offers an in-depth look at the topic.
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  • Astrophysics

    The planet does not fall far from the star

    A compositional link between planets and their respective host star has long been assumed in astronomy. For the first time now, a team of scientists, with the participation of researchers of the National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) PlanetS from the University of Zurich and the University of Bern, have delivered empirical evidence to support the assumption – and partly contradict it at the same time.
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  • URRP Human Reproduction Reloaded

    Genetic Scissors and the Future of Humanity

    The CRISPR genetic scissors enable the genetic material of living organisms to be modified in a targeted manner. The discovery has enormous implications for science and society. The kick-off event of the University Research Priority Program (URPP) “Human Reproduction Reloaded | H2R” focused on the potential and dangers of CRISPR.
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  • Policy Approved

    A Step Forward for Open Science

    The Executive Board of the University has approved the Open Science Policy. The guidelines are a further step toward establishing an open science culture as standard practice at UZH.
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  • Linguistics

    Language Untangled

    Last Friday saw the launch of a cutting-edge linguistics laboratory at UZH, the LiRILab on Andreastrasse. The brand-new lab, part of the Linguistic Research Infrastructure (LiRI) platform, is equipped with the latest technologies to facilitate innovative experimental research in the areas of phonetics, psycholinguistics and neurolinguistics.
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  • Learning to Read

    Tuning the brain

    Reading is one of the basic skills we acquire as children. But for some, it is more difficult than others. Neuroscientist Silvia Brem explains why and describes the promising therapies she is working on.
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  • UZH Vaccination Campaign

    “The safest way back to normality is through vaccination”

    There are many good reasons why students should get vaccinated against Covid-19, even if they are young and healthy. UZH virologist Alexandra Trkola takes a clear and balanced look at the arguments for and against vaccination.
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  • Language Evolution

    Humans and chimps

    Human communication is much more complex than all other forms of animal communication. And yet, monkeys and meerkats are also able to use language. Research into animal languages can help us understand how human language evolved.
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  • Gerontology

    “The appetite for education in later life is greater than expected”

    Older people in Switzerland would like to have far more educational opportunities than are currently available, a new national study carried out by senior citizens universities, adult education institutions and the UZH Center for Gerontology has found. In an interview with UZH News, gerontologist Mike Martin explains why education is so important for older people.
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  • Linguistics

    Tapping into people's thoughts

    Machines that read our thoughts and translate them into spoken language – what sounds like science fiction could be a real possibility in the future, says linguist Balthasar Bickel. Scientists in the NCCR Evolving Language are researching mind-reading, both to gain a better understanding of it and to warn of the dangers.
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  • Astronomy

    Like star, like planet

    One of the patterns emerging from the thousands of exoplanets that astronomers have discovered to date, is that the larger planets often orbit more massive stars. The reason behind it was unknown. A new study led by scientists at the University of Zurich, and members associated with the National Center of Competence in Researc (NCCR) PlanetS offers an answer to this cosmic mystery.
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  • Jacobs Center for Productive Youth Development

    “Research isn’t a one-man-show”

    Developmental psychologist Moritz Daum took the reins of the Jacobs Center for Productive Youth Development at the beginning of August. With the center now fully developed and having reached its target size, the incoming executive director wants to continue to step up cooperation in the fields of sociology, economics and psychology with the aim of generating new insights for the benefit of children and young people.
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  • Seat of Power

    Chairs, benches, sofas or stools – seats are more than just somewhere to rest our legs: They are also used to display power. UZH art historian Sabine Sommerer researches the phenomenon – from thrones of old to the recent “sofagate” and Putin on horseback.
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  • Ethical behavior

    Doing Good Effectively

    Stefan Riedener has pledged to donate 10 percent of his income to charity – for as long as he lives. We spoke with the ethicist about leading a good, ethical life and finding joy in restraint.
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  • Coronavirus

    Data for flexible pandemic management

    Coronavirus-relevant data can help those in charge of pandemic management at UZH gain a better overview of the situation during the Fall Semester. In order to achieve this, students and staff are being asked to make their data available in anonymized form. The information will be evaluated as part of a scientific pilot project.
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  • UZH Summer Quiz Solution

    Did You Know?

    The summer quiz has attracted a lot of interest. The correct solution word is: SUMMERQUIZ. Congratulations to the winners.
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  • UZH Summer Quiz

    Did You Know?

    New findings are emerging from UZH research all the time; the range of projects is breathtaking. In our summer quiz, we take you on a voyage of discovery around a few of the topics covered by UZH Communications in the last six months. Have fun trying to guess the answers.
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  • How Human Language Evolved

    Schleicher's Dream

    Originating in Africa, homo sapiens spread across the globe, and with it the human language. A project is now underway to trace the genealogy of the world's languages with the help of highly advanced methods borrowed from big data, genetics and geostatistics.
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  • Evolutionary biology

    Courting Females

    In the animal kingdom, it’s the ladies who get to pick their partners. So if males want to mate, they have to woo females and outshine their rivals. UZH biologist Stefan Lüpold examines what gives male animals the edge when it comes to sexual selection.
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  • Art History

    Local Heroes

    Raphaèle Preisinger’s research demonstrates how Christians around the globe fought for recognition in the early modern period. Representations of saints were of central importance.
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  • Portrait

    Aleppo Forever

    Ahmed Fatima Kzzo once documented ancient inscriptions in Aleppo that dated back to the Ottoman Empire. Shortly thereafter, large parts of his hometown were reduced to rubble. The Syrian archaeologist is currently researching at UZH under a scholarship.
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  • MEDICINE

    Eating Our Way Through the Pandemic

    Increased stress, lack of exercise and frequent snacking: The effects of the pandemic are visible on our waistlines. For endocrinologist Philipp Gerber, the weight gain is not just a short-term side effect, but is storing up problems for the future and needs to be taken seriously.
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  • Citizen Science

    Research Fascinates Non-Academics Too

    Around half of the Swiss population is interested in actively taking part in academic research. Social and environment topics are among the most popular..
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  • How Human Language Evolved

    Action Movies for Apes

    Our brains tend to perceive events as causal. Researchers at the NCCR Evolving Language are now exploring whether this is the same for great apes at Basel Zoo. This ability may hold the key to finding the origins of grammar.
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  • Evolving Language

    Babbling and Barking

    Language is our most powerful tool. It evolved along with our species over the millennia. The UZH-led NCCR Evolving Language explores how exactly this came about. The new UZH Magazine shines a light on how animals communicate, how human language developed, and how it spread across the globe.
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  • Social Entrepreneurship

    John Snow's Legacy

    Onicio Leal is a startup founder and public health researcher in one. He wants to help improve the health of children growing up in Malawi.
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  • Neuroscience

    Thinking in Technicolor

    Tommaso Patriarchi's ambition is to decipher the brain's chemical language – using neurosensors that he has developed himself.
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  • Fluorescence microscopy

    A deep dive into the brain

    Researchers from the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich led by Daniel Razansky have developed a new microscopy technique that lights up the brain with high resolution imagery. This allows neuroscientists to study brain functions and ailments more closely and non-invasively.
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  • Computerlinguistics

    Speaking with Signs

    Computational linguist Sarah Ebling wants to help deaf people and those with cognitive impairments access the digital world more easily – with an app that can translate speech into sign language in real time.
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  • Biomechanics

    How tendons become stiffer and stronger

    Researchers from the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich deciphered the cellular mechanisms through which tendons can adapt to mechanical stresses. People who carry a certain variant of a gene that is key to this mechanism show improved jumping performance.
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  • Biochemistry

    Goodbye to Back Pain

    Back pain: a disease common to many. However, with his newly developed stem cell therapy, biochemist Stefan Dudli is hoping to make it a thing of the past.
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  • Sustainability Report

    Toward A Cleaner Future

    The University of Zurich is committed to becoming carbon-neutral by 2030. The recently published Sustainability Report shows where UZH currently stands when it comes to achieving this goal.
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  • Oncology

    Curing Cancer in Children

    Ana Guerreiro Stücklin treats children and young people at the University Children’s Hospital Zurich. She wants to fight brain tumors with novel therapies.
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  • Corona and Science

    Research Quality During the Pandemic

    Infectious disease specialist Huldrych Günthard treats coronavirus patients at the UniversityHospital Zurich (USZ), while biostatistician Leonhard Held evaluates the plethora of publications on the pandemic. We talk about coronavirus, vaccination and research quality during the crisis.
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  • Junior Researchers

    Making It in Academia

    An academic career involves a great deal of uncertainty. For junior researchers, success is as much about passion and enthusiasm as it is about perseverance, resilience and luck.
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  • Ethnology

    Drinking Tea with Salafis

    Mira Menzfeld has been meeting with members of the ultraconservative Salafi movement for eight years. The vast majority she has spoken to are peace-loving Muslims and present no danger whatsoever. However, many of their ideas do run counter to her own views, says the anthropologist.
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  • Precision Medicine

    Targeted Therapies thanks to Biomedical Informatics

    The LOOP Zurich, the new medical research center in Zurich, promotes patient-focused therapies. To achieve its goals, the center brings together specialist knowledge in the fields of biomedicine, bioinformatics and clinical research from the University of Zurich, ETH Zurich as well as Zurich’s four university hospitals. Two of The LOOP Zurich’s first research consortia have now started developing innovative treatments methods in oncology and neurorehabilitation.
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  • Psychology

    In Praise of Enjoyment

    According to the famous marshmallow test, people who can postpone their needs are happier and more successful in the long run. Now psychologist Katharina Bernecker is turning this hypothesis on its head. Her findings suggest that enjoying pleasure in the moment promotes overall well-being.
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  • Neurosurgery

    Brain Tumors under Attack

    Is Marian Neidert taking a saw to the branch he’s sitting on? As a neurosurgeon, he operates on brain tumors; as a researcher he’s trying to teach the immune system to fight them itself. But it might be some time before immunotherapies make surgery superfluous.
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  • Agroecology

    Planting Underpants

    Biologist Marcel van der Heijden aims to increase agricultural yields – not just with artificial fertilizers, pesticides, and GM technology, but also fungi and other microorganisms. He's not afraid to resort to less conventional research methods, either.
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  • UZH Magazin

    The Next Generation

    They’re young, dedicated and full of promising ideas. The latest UZH Magazin presents six UZH researchers who are embarking on a career in academia. We spoke with them about their research, their goals and the secrets of their success.
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  • FAN Awards 2021

    Neues Mikroskop, Sprache im Alter und Menschenrechte

    This year’s FAN Awards have gone to Fabian Voigt, Minxia Luo and Angela Müller. In their outstanding PhD theses, the junior researchers explore a new specialist microscope, language use in old age and the extraterritorial application of human rights.
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  • UZH Startup

    Home-Grown Talent

    PolygonSoftware develops smart software solutions and relies on gifted programmers. The startup’s staff is made up entirely of students or alumni of the UZH Department of Informatics. The fledgling business has recently been granted the right to use the UZH Startup label.
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  • Exhibition

    Showcasing the Natural Sciences

    The new Science Exploratorium shines a light on research at UZH’s Faculty of Science. Current exhibitions provide visitors with insights into the collection of the UZH Botanical Museum, the field of particle physics, research on high-temperature superconductivity and a citizen science project on hydrology.
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  • Portrait

    Explaining the World's Nebulous Machinations

    As a journalist he searched in vain for experts who were examining the economic crisis from a historical perspective. Today Tobias Straumann is himself an award-winning specialist in economic history.
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  • International Relations

    UZH Teams Up with Leading Australian University

    The University of Zurich and the University of Queensland have entered into a strategic partnership, formalizing their long-standing cooperation in research and teaching – and paving the way for new joint projects.
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  • Astrophysics

    Martian moons have a common ancestor

    Phobos and Deimos are the remains of a larger Martian moon that was disrupted between 1 and 2.7 billion years ago, say researchers from the Institute of Geophysics at ETH Zurich and the Physics Institute at the University of Zurich. In collaboration with the U.S. Naval Observatory, they reached this conclusion using computer simulations and seismic recordings from the InSight Mars mission.
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  • Astrophysics

    A new way of forming planets

    Scientists of the Universities of Zurich and Cambridge, associated with the Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research PlanetS, suggest a new explanation for the abundance in intermediate-mass exoplanets – a long-standing puzzle of astronomy.
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  • Antibiotics research

    How bacteria sleep through antibiotic attacks

    Bacteria can survive antibiotic treatment even without antibiotic resistance by slowing down their metabolism and going into a type of deep sleep. A research team reveals the changes bacteria undergo to reach this "persister" state. Annelies Zinkernagel, an infectiologist at UZH, is main author of the publication in the scientific journal PNAS.
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  • Chemistry

    Pringles and the Role of Chance

    Chemists Michel Rickhaus and Fabian von Rohr specialize in looking for new materials that could play an important role in the electronics of the future.
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  • Anthropology

    The Social Media of Hunter-Gatherers

    Friends and social networks have made humans innovative and successful, says Andrea Migliano. The anthropologist studies traditional indigenous societies that live like our ancestors did over 10,000 years ago.
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  • New Vice President Research

    Of Racing Bikes and Research

    Elisabeth Stark is UZH’s new Vice President Research. A linguist and expert in Romance languages, Stark wants to refine UZH’s research profile and promote cross-disciplinary collaboration.
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  • UZH Spin-Offs

    Seven UZH Spin-Offs Founded in 2020

    Seven new spin-offs emerged from UZH last year. The fledgling businesses have rolled out innovative software for drones, a novel treatment for stress incontinence as well as a method that makes prenatal interventions safer, among other things.
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  • Astrophysics

    The importance of theory in exoplanetary science

    Scientists at the University of Zurich associated with the National Center of Competence in Research PlanetS reveal considerable uncertainties in the theoretical understanding of giant gas planets. This emphasizes the importance of further developing theoretical aspects of exoplanetary characterization.
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  • Tumor Research

    Detailed tumour profiling

    As part of a clinical study involving patients from the University Hospitals in Zurich and Basel, researchers are conducting a thorough and highly precise investigation into the molecular and functional properties of tumors. Their goal is to help physicians to better determine which treatment will best match every patient’s cancer and thus be most effective.
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  • Media Research and Communication Science

    «Bauchgefühl und Klimakrise»

    Conspiracy theories are a response to people’s fears and offer a way to make sense of the world in times of crisis, say media researcher Brigitte Frizzoni and communications scientist Mike Schäfer. We sat down with them to talk about dangerous claims, good storytelling and world views that are immune to reason.
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  • Reproductive Medicine

    Existenzielle Träume

    Since the first test-tube baby was born in 1978, reproductive medicine has made great strides. Although many couples with fertility problems have benefitted, the ability to have a child is still not guaranteed.
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