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Archive Media Releases 2018

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  • New Foldable Drone Flies through Narrow Holes in Rescue Mis-sions

    A research team from the University of Zurich has developed a new drone that can retract its propeller arms in flight and make itself small to fit through narrow gaps and holes. This is particularly useful when searching for victims of natural disasters.
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  • The Fascinating World of Insects

    Highlighting diversity, arousing fascination and raising awareness of the vital tasks that insects perform in nature. These are the objectives of the new special exhibition at the Zoological Museum of the University of Zurich, which also addresses the consequences of insect population decline and illustrates what we can do in everyday life to protect insects.
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  • Michael Hall wins Charles Rodolphe Brupbacher Prize for Cancer Research 2019

    Michael Hall of the Biozentrum of the University of Basel is awarded the Charles Rodolphe Brupbacher Prize for Cancer Research 2019. The prize recognizes his discovery of the TOR enzyme which controls cell growth via a complex signalling network. His work has made a key contribution to the development of new cancer drugs. The award ceremony will take place on 31 January 2019 in Zurich.
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  • Statins Overprescribed for Primary Prevention

    Taking cholesterol-lowering drugs, or statins, as a preventive measure can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. A study by the University of Zurich now shows that this measure is recommended too often, as current guidelines fail to take into account the risks of side effects.
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  • Increasing Crop Insurances Adoption in Developing Countries

    Farmers in developing countries often rely heavily on their yearly harvest to feed their families. A bad crop can have severe consequences for their livelihood. Despite the significant advantages crop insurances would offer in alleviating this risk, only a small percentage of farmers insure their crops. A simple but effective solution tested by researchers from the University of Zurich has increased insurance adoption to over 70 percent.
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  • ERC Grants: 14 Million Euros Awarded to UZH Researchers

    For the first time, researchers from the University of Zurich have received an ERC Synergy Grant from the European Research Council. The project awarded the grant aims to develop high-resolution 3D images of biological molecules in cells. Furthermore, five UZH researchers have been awarded an ERC Consolidator Grant. The project topics range from neuropsychology and molecular and brain biology to international politics and trade agreements.
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  • New Stem-Cell Therapy to Improve Fight against Leukemia

    Stem-cell transplantation is an effective form of therapy to fight leukemia. In many cases, however, the transferred immune cells of the donor also attack the recipients’ healthy tissue – often with fatal consequences. Researchers at the University of Zurich have now identified a molecule that plays a key role in this process. Blocking this molecule could significantly improve the outcome of patients receiving stem-cell transplants.
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  • From Receptor Structure to New Osteoporosis Drugs

    Researchers at the University of Zurich have determined the three-dimensional structure of a receptor that controls the release of calcium from bones. The receptor is now one of the main candidates for developing new drugs to treat osteoporosis. Knowing the receptor's blueprint will be instrumental for designing drugs that could even help to rebuild bones.
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  • Insect Antibiotic Provides New Way to Eliminate Bacteria

    An antibiotic called thanatin attacks the way the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria is built. Researchers at the University of Zurich have now found out that this happens through a previously unknown mechanism. Thanatin, produced naturally by the spined soldier bug, can therefore be used to develop new classes of antibiotics.
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  • Exploiting Epigenetic Variation for Plant Breeding

    Epigenetic changes can bring about new traits without altering the sequence of genes. This may allow plants to respond quicker to changes in their environment. Plant biologists at the University of Zurich have now demonstrated that epigenetic variation is also subject to selection and can be inherited. This could expand the possibilities for crop breeding.
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  • Small Genetic Differences Turn Plants into Better Teams

    Diverse communities of plants and animals typically perform better than monocultures. However, the mechanisms that are responsible for this have so far been a mystery to science. Biologists at the University of Zurich have now been able to identify the genetic cause of these effects. Their findings might help to improve crop yield.
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  • Zebrafish Larvae Help in Search for Appetite Suppressants

    Researchers at the University of Zurich and Harvard University have developed a new strategy in the search for psychoactive drugs. By analyzing the behavior of larval zebrafish, they can filter out substances with unwanted side effects right from the start. This method has resulted in the discovery of a number of new appetite modulators.
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  • Cocaine Adulterant May Cause Brain Damage

    People who regularly take cocaine cut with the animal anti-worming agent levamisole demonstrate impaired cognitive performance and a thinned prefrontal cortex. These findings from two recent studies at the University of Zurich indicate that levamisole could have a toxic effect on the brain. Drug-checking programs should therefore be expanded, argue the researchers.
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  • How LSD Changes Perception

    LSD changes the communication patterns between regions of the brain, a new study by researchers of the University of Zurich and Yale University shows. The study also provides insights into how mental health disorders develop and how these could be treated.
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  • A New Alliance for Sustainability in Finance: California and Switzerland Team Up to Tackle a Key Factor in Implementing Sustainable Practices

    While sustainable policies at many levels have started to be applied worldwide, the role of banking and finance in sustainability has only recently come to the forefront. Now, the University of Zurich, USC Schwarzenegger Institute, and R20 are directly addressing this critical, often determining aspect of building a sustainable world.
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  • Tibet – More Than Religion and Politics

    Rethinking the usual Western image of a Tibet considered as traditional and opening up new approaches – this is what the Ethnographic Museum at the University of Zurich wants to achieve with its current exhibition. It displays artifacts collected by mountaineers Peter Aufschnaiter and Heinrich Harrer in Lhasa in the 1940s – a time marked by transition and a political situation in Tibet which became increasingly tense.
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  • Loss of First Baby Tooth a Positive Experience for Children

    Scared, ashamed, happy or proud – how do children feel when they lose their first baby tooth? An interdisciplinary research group at the University of Zurich has now found that children’s feelings are predominantly positive. The study also reveals that previous visits to the dentist’s as well as parental background and level of education affect how children experience the loss of their first tooth.
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  • Gravitational Waves Could Shed Light on Dark Matter

    Black holes colliding, gravitational waves riding through space-time – and a huge instrument that allows scientists to investigate the fabric of the universe. This could soon become reality when the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) takes up operations. Researchers from the University of Zurich have now found that LISA could also shed light on the elusive dark matter particle.
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  • Biodiversity Can Also Destabilize Ecosystems

    According to the prevailing opinion, species-rich ecosystems are more stable against environmental disruptions such as drought, hot spells or pesticides. The situation is not as simple as it seems, however, as ecologists at the University of Zurich and the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag) have now discovered. Under certain environmental conditions, increased biodiversity can also lead to an ecosystem becoming more unstable.
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  • Plant Hormone Makes Space Farming a Possibility

    With scarce nutrients and weak gravity, growing potatoes on the Moon or on other planets seems unimaginable. But the plant hormone strigolactone could make it possible, plant biologists from the University of Zurich have shown. The hormone supports the symbiosis between fungi and plant roots, thus encouraging plants’ growth – even under the challenging conditions found in space.
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  • A Selfish Gene Makes Mice into Migrants

    House mice carrying a specific selfish supergene move from one population to another much more frequently than their peers. This finding of a University of Zurich study shows for the first time that a gene of this type can influence animal migratory behavior. It could help in dealing with invasive plagues of mice.
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  • Link between Gut Flora and Multiple Sclerosis Discovered

    In multiple sclerosis, a defective response of the body’s own immune system leads to brain tissue damage. Gastrointestinal microbiota could play a far greater role in the pathogenesis of the disease than previously assumed, researchers at the University of Zurich have now found.
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  • UZH Professor Elected New Chair of OECD Working Party on Responsible Business Conduct

    Christine Kaufmann, professor of law at the University of Zurich, has been appointed as the new Chair of the OECD Working Party on Responsible Business Conduct. In her new role, she will be responsible for implementing and developing the OECD’s guidelines on responsible business conduct among its 48 member and participating countries.
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  • Larger Families Reduce Cancer Risk

    Families with many children have a lower risk of cancer. Greater family size reduces the risk not only in women but also in men, a global study using data from 178 countries by the University of Zurich and the Adelaide Medical School has found.
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  • The Stuff that Planets Are Made of

    UZH researchers have analyzed the composition and structure of far-away exoplanets using statistical tools. Their analysis indicates whether a planet is earth-like, made up of pure rock or a water-world. The larger the planet, the more hydrogen and helium surround it.
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  • Species-Rich Forests Store Twice as much Carbon as Monocul-tures

    Species-rich subtropical forests can take up on average twice as much carbon as monocultures. An international research team with the involvement of the University of Zurich has evaluated data from forests grown specifically for this purpose in China with a total of over 150,000 trees. The results speak in favor of using many different tree species during reforestation.
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  • Even Small Gifts Boost Business

    If a sales agent brings their customer a small gift, the customer is much more likely to make a purchase, a study by the university of Zurich has shown. This works particularly well when the person receiving the gift is the boss. The fact that even small gifts can result in conflicts of interest has implications for the debate about where the line should be drawn between tokens of appreciation and attempted bribery.
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  • Giraffe Babies Inherit Spot Patterns from their Mothers

    Some features of a giraffe’s spot pattern are passed on from mother to calf, a new study led by researchers from University of Zurich and Penn State reveals. The study also shows that the survival of young giraffes is linked to their spot patterns, which may help provide camouflage from predators. The study also highlights a new set of tools that can be used to study the markings of other wild animals.
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  • Eco-Friendly Nanoparticles for Artificial Photosynthesis

    Researchers at the University of Zurich have developed a nanoparticle type for novel use in artificial photosynthesis by adding zinc sulfide on the surface of indium-based quantum dots. These quantum dots produce clean hydrogen fuel from water and sunlight – a sustainable source of energy. They introduce new eco-friendly and powerful materials to solar photocatalysis.
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  • The Soothing Effects of Strangers

    Pain-relieving actions by other people trigger a learning effect in the brain which reduces pain. A new study led by the University of Zurich shows that pain relief is more effective when it is provided by a stranger.
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  • Genome Duplication Drives Evolution of Species

    Polyploid plants have a duplicate set of chromosomes. As a result, large-scale genetic changes are therefore possible in the new species, making it more adaptable in comparison with the parental species, as has now been proven by UZH researchers with rockcress.
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  • Private Banks Do too Little to Communicate Their Sustainable Investment Products

    More and more private banks are offering sustainable investment options to wealthy clients. How do these products differ from one another? And do the banks' advisory services meet the expectations of investors? A study by the University of Zurich into the products and services of the 15 leading European private banks shows that most still have room for improvement.
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  • Number of Students at UZH Remains High

    Around 26,500 students have enrolled for the Fall Semester 2018, with the University of Zurich registering a slight increase in the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Medicine as well as in the number of Master's students. The University Program for School Students has got off to a good start with some 40 registrations.
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  • Special Antibodies Could Lead to HIV Vaccine

    Around one percent of people infected with HIV produce antibodies that block most strains of the virus. These broadly acting antibodies provide the key to developing an effective vaccine against HIV. Researchers from the University of Zurich and the University Hospital Zurich have now shown that the genome of the HI virus is a decisive factor in determining which antibodies are formed.
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  • B Cells Among Factors Leading to Brain Lesions in Multiple Sclerosis

    A team of researchers the University of Zurich and the University Hospital Zurich has shown that in multiple sclerosis, it is not only specific T cells that cause inflammation and lesions in the brain. B cells, a different type of immune cell, also play a role. These cells activate T cells in the blood. This discovery explains how new MS drugs take effect, opening up novel options for treating the disease.
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  • Dreaming of Flying

    How does it feel to fly like a bird? What happens when our heart skips a beat? The varied new program of the Children’s University begins in the Fall Semester 2018.
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  • Protein modifications pointing to cancer

    Researchers from the University of Zurich can, for the first time, precisely characterize the protein modification ADP-ribosylation for all proteins in a tissue sample. The changes, which are a typical reaction to stress, provide information about the condition of a cell. Together with the University Hospital Zurich, they are now testing the new method to diagnose and treat cancer.
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  • Jupiter had growth disorders

    Researchers of the Universities of Zurich and Bern and of ETH Zurich show how Jupiter was formed. Data collected from meteorites had indicated that the growth of the giant planet had been delayed for two million years. Now the researchers have found an explanation: Collisions with kilometer-sized blocks generated high energy, which meant that in this phase hardly any accretion of gas could take place and the planet could only grow slowly.
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  • The University of Zurich at the Kunsthalle

    The Kunsthalle Zürich as a makeshift university: From 25 August, researchers will present their projects to the general public at the "100 Ways of Thinking" event. The exhibition and the accompanying science festival will see UZH bridge the gap between science and art.
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  • Species-Rich Forests Better Compensate Environmental Impacts

    To offset CO2 emissions, China is reforesting. If a mixture of tree species instead of monocultures were planted, much more carbon could be stored. An international team including UZH researchers has shown that species-rich forest ecosystems take up more CO2 from the atmosphere and store more carbon in biomass and soil, making them more effective against climate change.
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  • The Wheat Genome Is Five Times Bigger than the Human Genome

    Scientists at the University of Zurich, together with international research partners, have been able to sequence the complete genome of common wheat for the first time. The information will enable more effective measures to be taken to combat pests and climate stress in wheat.
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  • New Approach to Treating Chronic Itch

    Two receptors in the spinal cord and the right experimental drug: Researchers at the University of Zurich have discovered a new approach that suppresses itch. In a series of experiments in mice and dogs they successfully alleviated different forms of acute as well as chronic itch. For the latter, current treatment options are very limited.
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  • Four Million Euros Awarded to Three UZH Researchers

    Three scientists of the University of Zurich have been awarded the EU’s coveted ERC Starting Grants. The grants, each worth approx. 1.3 million euros, enable the researchers to pursue promising projects and build up their own research groups over the next five years.
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  • Lead or Follow: What Sets Leaders Apart?

    Leaders are more willing to take responsibility for making decisions that affect the welfare of others. In a new study, researchers at the University of Zurich identified the cognitive and neurobiological processes that influence whether someone is more likely to take on leader-ship or to delegate decision-making.
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  • New Method Refines Cell Sample Analysis

    Innovation in the field of biomedicine: Researchers at the University of Zurich have developed a novel method which increases more than tenfold the number of proteins that can be visualized per sample, making it possible to generate a comprehensive map of cellular organization across the various cellular states. This highly sophisticated and refined view can be used to advance precision medicine and is already being applied in cancer medicine.
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  • Fields Medal Winner Artur Avila Appointed Full Professor at the University of Zurich

    The internationally renowned French-Brazilian mathematician Artur Avila has been appointed full professor at the Institute of Mathematics of the University of Zurich. At the age of 35, he was awarded the Fields Medal – the equivalent of a Nobel Prize in mathematics – for his profound contributions to the field of dynamical systems and spectral theory.
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  • New control of cell division discovered

    When a cell divides, its constituents are usually evenly distributed among the daughter cells. UZH researchers have now identified an enzyme that guarantees that cell constituents that are concentrated in organelles without a membrane are properly distributed. Their discovery opens up new opportunities for the treatment of cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, aging processes and viral infections.
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  • Measuring the Effects of Drugs on Cancer Cells

    A new approach established at the University of Zurich sheds light on the effects of anti-cancer drugs and the defense mechanisms of cancer cells. The method makes it possible to quickly test various drugs and treatment combinations at the cellular level.
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  • Every Person Has a Unique Brain Anatomy

    Like with fingerprints, no two people have the same brain anatomy, a study by researchers of the University of Zurich has shown. This uniqueness is the result of a combination of genetic factors and individual life experiences.
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  • Black carbon ages in soils and rivers before being transported to sea

    Most of the carbon resulting from wildfires and fossil fuel combustion is rapidly released into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. Researchers at the University of Zurich have now shown that the leftover residue, so-called black carbon, can age for millennia on land and in rivers en route to the ocean, and thus constitutes a major long-term reservoir of organic carbon. The study adds a major missing piece to the puzzle of understanding the global carbon cycle.
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  • François Chapuis Appointed New Director of Real Estate and Facility Management

    The current master builder of the Canton of Aargau is joining the University of Zurich as its new Director of Real Estate and Facility Management from December 2018 onwards. As a member of the Executive Board of the University, he will oversee the planning and management of UZH’s real estate portfolio, new building and renovation projects as well as the University’s building management.
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  • Loss of Cilia Leads to Melanoma

    Most cells in the human body have a cilium, a slender cell protuberance that picks up signals from the cell’s external environment. Researchers at the University of Zurich have now shown that these fine sensory antennae play a key role in the formation of melanoma. When cilia are prevented from developing in benign pigment cells, the cells degenerate and develop an aggressive form of melanoma.
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  • From Wooden Combs to the Lives of the Saamaka Marron in Suriname

    Stone tools from New Guinea, ritual headdress from Suriname and a Thai spirit house – these and many more exhibits feature in the Ethnographic Museum’s latest exhibition. The objects were collected by mountaineer Heinrich Harrer on his expeditions in the 1960s. They provide visitors with new insights into indigenous societies as well as the explorer himself.
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  • First UZH Space Hub Research Flight Campaign

    Research goes airborne: The UZH Space Hub is holding its first research flight campaign from 11 to 13 June. An airbus performing parabolic flights will take off from the military airfield in Dübendorf. In addition, a zeppelin will be used to investigate how to discover plastic in water from above using special image sensors. This could help to detect plastic pollution in the world’s seas.
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  • Individual “Names” Reveal Complex Relationships in Male Bottlenose Dolphins

    Male bottlenose dolphins retain their individual “names” well into adulthood. Similar to humans, this plays a central role in forming and maintaining complex social relationships, recent findings carried out by researchers at the universities of Zurich and Western Australia suggest. Dolphins form long-lasting alliances in which they give each other mutual support.
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  • Male Vervet Monkeys Use Punishment and Coercion to De-Escalate Costly Intergroup Fights

    Male vervet monkeys attack members of their own group to prevent them from escalating intergroup encounters into high-risk fights, or to de-escalate ongoing intergroup fights. In contrast, female monkeys use “the carrot and the stick” to promote male participation in intergroup fights, anthropologists at the University of Zurich and University of Neuchâtel have shown.
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  • Stem-Cell Niche for 10 Billion Colon Cells a Day

    Researchers at the University of Zurich have discovered the identity of the stem-cell niche of the colon. The niche comprises special cells that activate the stem cells of the adjacent intestinal epithelium and are responsible for its continuous renewal. Without the activation signal, the epithelium perishes. If it’s constantly activated, early stages of cancer develop. The discovery helps to improve our understanding of intestinal cancer and inflammation.
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  • Rules about Technology Use Can Undermine Academic Achievement

    Parents who restrict their children’s use of new media technologies may be acting counterproductively in the long run, particularly if they invoke afterschool homework time as the reason. Their children’s scholastic achievements at college lag behind the academic performance of same-age peers, a University of Zurich study shows.
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  • Direct Coupling of the Higgs Boson to the Top Quark Observed

    An observation made by the CMS experiment at CERN unambiguously demonstrates the interaction of the Higgs boson and top quarks, which are the heaviest known subatomic particles. This major milestone is an important step forward in our understanding of the origins of mass. Physicists at the University of Zurich made central contributions by incorporating sophisticated data analysis methods that allowed this benchmark to be reached much earlier than expected.
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  • Novel Insulators with Conducting Edges

    Physicists at UZH are researching a new class of materials: Higher-order topological insulators. The edges of these crystalline solids conduct electric current without dissipation, while the rest of the crystal remains insulating. This could be useful for applications in semiconductor technology and for building quantum computers.
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  • UZH Start-Up Funding for Young Innovators

    In addition to its core responsibilities in research and teaching, the University of Zurich provides targeted funding for innovative projects. With its new BioEntrepreneur Fellowships, UZH supports junior researchers in adapting scholarly findings and technologies for commercial use. And thanks to a generous donation, UZH is now able to expand the program.
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  • Out in the Cold or One of the Gang: Initial Contacts Set the Scene

    Ostracism within a group is not always a disciplining tool. Rather, it can be an unintentional side effect of people joining up with individuals they have previously had good experiences with, researchers from the Department of Economics of the University of Zurich have found.
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  • The Reformation and the Bolt from Above

    Zurich reformer Heinrich Bullinger corresponded with people across Europe, and his letters document the history and culture of the Protestant Reformation period in Switzerland. A new exhibition at the University of Zurich with an accompanying book and program of events shows the influence of Zwingli's successor on the interpretation of events of that time.
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  • CrowdWater: An App for Flood Research

    UZH researchers and citizen scientists are collecting data on water levels of rivers and streams, as well as on soil moisture. An app makes it possible to capture hydrological data for any river or location in the world. The aim of the CrowdWater project is to improve water management and forecasts in regions with a sparse or inexistent network of conventional measurement stations.
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  • Cellular Valve Structure Opens Up Potential Novel Therapies

    Biochemists at the University of Zurich have determined the detailed structure of a volume-regulated chloride channel. This cellular valve is activated in response to swelling to prevent the cell from bursting. The protein also plays an important role in the uptake of chemotherapeutics and the release of neurotransmitters after a stroke. The controlled regulation of its activity thus opens up a promising strategy for novel therapies.
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  • Nouns Slow Down Our Speech

    Speakers hesitate or make brief pauses filled with sounds like “uh” or “uhm” mostly before nouns. Such slow-down effects are far less frequent before verbs, as UZH researchers working together with an international team have now discovered by looking at examples from different languages.
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  • Leprosy Possibly Originated in Europe

    Researchers of the University of Zurich, the University of Tübingen and the Max Planck Institute in Jena have discovered that there were multiple strains of leprosy bacteria in medieval Europe rather than only two, as previously assumed. In addition, the researchers have succeeded in reconstructing the oldest leprosy genome so far.
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  • Computer-Designed Customized Regenerative Heart Valves

    Cardiovascular tissue engineering aims to treat heart disease with prostheses that grow and regenerate. Now, researchers from the University of Zurich, the Technical University Eindhoven and the Charité Berlin have successfully implanted regenerative heart valves, designed with the aid of computer simulations, into sheep for the first time.
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  • Carnivores in Captivity Give Birth at the Same Time of Year as Those in the Wild

    Reproductive seasonality is a fixed characteristic of a species - University of Zurich researchers have now found that carnivores in captivity give birth at the same time of year as their counterparts in the wild. In some species, the gestation period is shortened in order to provide ideal conditions for the offspring, while for others it is extended.
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  • UZH Awards Eight Honorary Doctorates

    At this year's Dies academicus ceremony, the University of Zurich awarded honorary doctorates to eight outstanding individuals: Zurich ombudswoman Claudia Kaufmann, former federal judge Vera Rottenberg Liatowitsch, photographer Hannes Schmid, Korea scholar Martina Deuchler, immunologist Richard A. Flavell, neurologist Kathleen Digre, economist Royston Greenwood, and Pastor Martin Fontana. The annual ceremony commemorates the foundation of the University.
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  • How Do People Die in Switzerland Today?

    The behavior of people in Switzerland facing death varies according to their linguistic region. Researchers from the universities of Zurich and Geneva have now demonstrated how cultural context influences medical practice when it comes to end-of-life decisions.
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  • Joint Exhibition with Ugandan Museums

    In a novel project, the Ethnographic Museum of the University of Zurich has shifted the spotlight onto ethnological museum work itself. The exhibition Points of View: Visions of a Museum Partnership showcases the innovative cooperation between two Ugandan museums and the Ethnographic Museum in Zurich, where visitors can now explore three exhibitions in one.
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  • UZH Researcher Granted EUR 2.5 Million in Funding

    UZH scientist Raffaella Santoro has been awarded an ERC Advanced Grant from the European Research Council. This will allow her to pursue her molecular biology research project for another five years. Santoro is investigating the organization of genomes in the nucleolus and how this contributes to higher-order gene regulation.
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  • When Enemies Come to Help

    The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Now UZH researchers now show that this principle also holds for crab spiders and flowering plants. While it’s true that the spiders do eat or drive away useful pollinators such as bees, they’re also attracted by floral scent signals to come and help if the plant is attacked by insects intent on eating it.
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  • Europe's University Leaders Meet at UZH

    The European University Association's Annual Conference is being hosted by the University of Zurich for the first time. The EUA is the largest and strongest association of European universities, with 850 members. Around 400 presidents, rectors, and other university leaders will come together to spend three days debating the current and future role of universities in society.
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  • Enhanced therapeutic vaccine platform achieves two proof of concepts in veterinary medical use

    Chronical allergic diseases of dogs and horses can now be treated with an innovative vaccine. It was developed by an international research team led by he University of Bern and in cooperation with the University of Zurich, together with private enterprise companies. The findings obtained in horses and dogs could lead to similar therapeutic vaccines for humans.
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  • Inner Ear Provides Clues to Human Dispersal

    Slight differences can be found in the inner ear of different populations of modern humans. Paleoanthropologists from UZH have found that these differences can provide information about the global dispersal of humans from Africa.
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  • Attacking Flu Viruses from Two Sides

    UZH researchers have discovered a new way in which certain antibodies interact with the flu virus. This previously unknown form of interaction opens up new possibilities for developing better vaccines and more efficient medication to combat the flu.
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  • New Method Speeds Up Development of Medication

    UZH researchers have developed a novel method that speeds up the process of determining crystal structures of organic salts and significantly reduces the effort required to do so. As about 40 percent of all active pharmaceutical ingredients are salts, this new crystallographic method is set to greatly accelerate drug development.
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  • North and South Cooperation to Combat Tuberculosis

    Tuberculosis can be cured and could be eradicated. For this to happen, however, patients have to receive the right treatment. Researchers at the Makerere University and the University of Zurich were able to demonstrate that the levels of medication used are often too low. As a result, patients remained contagious with the dangerous disease for longer than necessary.
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  • LSD Blurs Boundaries between the experience of Self and Other

    LSD reduces the borders between the experience of our own self and others, and thereby affects social interactions. Researchers at the University of Zurich have now found that the serotonin 2A receptor in the human brain is critically involved in these intertwined psychological mechanisms. This knowledge could help develop new therapies for psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia or depression.
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  • Mice Change Their Appearance as a Result of Frequent Exposure to Humans

    Many tame domesticated animals have a different appearance compared to their relatives in the wild, for example white patches in their fur or shorter snouts. UZH researchers have now for the first time shown that wild house mice develop the same visible changes – without selection, as a result of exposure to humans alone.
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  • Recovery from Spinal Cord Injuries Can Be Predicted

    Injuries to the spinal cord result in tissue loss in the spinal cord and brain. These neurodegenerative changes can be analyzed in detail using neuroimaging methods. UZH researchers have now for the first time been able to reliably predict the extent of functional recovery in patients suffering from a spinal cord injury two years after a trauma based on the extent and progression of neurodegenerative changes within the first six months after injury.
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  • Family Larsson-Rosenquist Foundation to Finance New Center for Research into Long-Term Effects of Breastfeeding

    As part of its efforts to increase its research in the area of child and youth development, the University of Zurich is set to create a new center for breastfeeding research at the Faculty of Business, Economics and Informatics – the first center of its kind in the world. The endowed professorship and associated research fund will be financed by the Family Larsson-Rosenquist Foundation in the amount of 10 million Swiss francs.
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  • New Interaction Mechanism of Proteins Discovered

    UZH researchers have discovered a previously unknown way in which proteins interact with one another and cells organize themselves. This new mechanism involves two fully unstructured proteins forming an ultra-high-affinity complex due to their opposite net charge. Proteins usually bind one another as a result of perfectly matching shapes in their three-dimensional structures.
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  • Engaging in University Education in Old Age

    The new semester of the Senior Citizens University of UZH begins at the end of February. An extremely varied range of lectures offers fascinating insights in the fields of medicine, law, philosophy, and natural sciences. Lively discussions and open-minded debates on the various topics are welcome and encouraged.
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  • Public Lectures about 1918, Aging, Ethics, and Truth

    From memories of the First World War to cultural theory and philosophical debates on truth and lies; from 50 years of the non-professorial academic staff association to social rela-tionships in old age and dying in the media spotlight: Variety is the order of the day in the six series of open public lectures beginning on 19 February at the University of Zurich.
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  • Stem cell divisions in the adult brain seen for the first time

    Scientists from the University of Zurich have succeeded for the first time in tracking individual stem cells and their neuronal progeny over months within the intact adult brain. This study sheds light on how new neurons are produced throughout life.
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  • High Number of Science Enthusiasts in Switzerland

    When it comes to attitudes toward science and research, Swiss people fall into four distinct categories ranging from enthusiasts (28 percent) to completely uninterested (13 percent). Despite many differences between them, people in all categories support the promotion of science and research, reveals a study by the universities of Zurich and Fribourg.
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  • 0.5 Percent of the Population Suffer from Severe Psychological Trauma

    Trauma-related disorders were previously classified under one single diagnosis – post-traumatic stress disorder. Now, a representative survey carried out by a UZH psychopathologist has shown for the first time how often such disorders are present in a more severe form. According to the findings, more than 0.5 percent of people in Germany suffer from complex post-traumatic stress disorder.
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  • Stealth Virus for Cancer Therapy

    Scientists from the University of Zurich have redesigned an adenovirus for use in cancer therapy. To achieve this they developed a new protein shield that hides the virus and protects it from being eliminated. Adapters on the surface of the virus enable the reconstructed virus to specifically infect tumor cells.
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  • Unexpected Helpers in Wound Healing

    Nerve cells in the skin help wounds to heal. When an injury occurs, cells known as glial cells change into repair cells and disseminate into the wound, where they help the skin to regenerate, researchers from the University of Zurich have shown.
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  • Drones learn to navigate autonomously by imitating cars and bicycles

    Developed by UZH researchers, the algorithm DroNet allows drones to fly completely by themselves through the streets of a city and in indoor environments. Therefore, the algorithm had to learn traffic rules and adapt training examples from cyclists and car drivers.
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  • Combination of Resistance Genes Offers Better Protection for Wheat against Powdery Mildew

    UZH plant researchers have tested newly developed wheat lines with improved resistance in field trials. They have demonstrated that a combination of two variations of a resistance gene provides wheat with better protection against the fungal disease.
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  • New Biomarkers Predict Outcome of Cancer Immunotherapy

    Researchers at the University of Zurich have identified biomarkers in the blood that make it possible to predict whether cancer patients will respond positively to immunotherapy. Patients for whom therapy does not work can thus be treated using different methods at an earlier stage.
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  • New Resistant Tuberculosis Pathogen Discovered

    Between February and November 2016, the Institute of Medical Microbiology at the University of Zurich discovered a multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis in eight refugees arriving in Europe from the Horn of Africa. The analyses provided an impulse for launching a transnational investigation and developing a pan-European alerting system.
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  • Flame-Throwing Ogres and Cyclopes in the Lecture Hall

    Monsters in the middle ages, fish with sunburn, optical illusions, and advertising tricks: The fun-packed new program of the Children’s University begins this spring.
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