Research

In the journal ZooKeys, a group of scientists from Eawag and Bern University have described seven whitefish species endemic to the Bernese Oberland lakes – including four not previously described scientifically, two of which have only been identified as distinct species in the last few years. In Switzerland, the whitefish diversity of Lakes Thun and Brienz is possibly matched only by that found in Lake Lucerne; and in deep lakes of this kind further surprises cannot be ruled out.

The mobility initiative launched in 2018 is gaining momentum. Konstantinos Boulouchos, the driving force behind the project, explains how far things have come since then and in which direction the initiative is set to develop.

Scientists discovered a genetic factor that determines whether ageing prostate cancer cells either die or become more aggressive. This finding provides important information for personalised therapy of patients.

Bioengineers at EPFL have used organoids – tiny lab-grown organs – to mimic the early development of the heart in the mouse embryo. The work is another step towards future bioartificial organs for research and transplants.

Climate change is placing many tree species under increasing drought stress. The question, therefore, is where they can thrive in the future. The Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), 20 cantonal forest offices and a host of forestry enterprises are joining forces to create a network of experimental plantations to investigate the climate tolerance of 18 tree species.

Many countries could be using less nitrogen fertiliser in their agriculture without compromising their crop yields, as an international research team headed up by ETH scientists David Wüpper and Robert Finger are demonstrating.

In order for robots to be able to achieve more than simple automated machines in the future, they must not only have their own "brain". Empa researchers postulate that artificial intelligence must be expanded to include the capabilities of a Physical Artificial Intelligence, PAI. This will redefine the field of robotics and the relationship between man and machine. 

Using a unique material, EPFL scientists have been able to design and study an unusual state of matter, the Quantum Spin Liquid. The work has significant implications for future technologies, from quantum computing to superconductivity and spintronics.

Salamanders have a unique superpower – they can regenerate their spinal cords and regain full functionality. Scientists are working under a cross-disciplinary research project to uncover the mechanisms behind this restorative capability.

Researchers from EPFL’s Institute of Bioengineering and the University of Geneva have teamed up to develop new tools for studying water flow across cell membranes.

The European Research Council (ERC) is funding an interdisciplinary collaborative project with 10 million euros for the structural and biophysical analysis of selected photoreceptors and their development into "OptoGPCRs", light-controlled molecular switches with a wide range of applications in biology and medicine.

EPFL engineers have developed a computer chip that combines two functions – logic operations and data storage – into a single architecture, paving the way to more efficient devices. Their technology is particularly promising for applications relying on artificial intelligence.

Please do not disturb: After forest fires, bark beetle infestations and other disurbances, the affected forests should not be cleared. Researchers report this in the journal Nature Communications.

A comprehensive study by EPFL and Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) has enabled researchers to map the geographical distribution of ticks in Switzerland for the first time, as well as to determine whether they are carriers of chlamydia. Little is known about these bacteria, but ticks can potentially pass them to humans. The team found that zones conducive to tick proliferation have expanded by 10% over the last decade.

In agricultural areas, large volumes of water from fields, roads and paths drain directly into streams via manholes and other forms of artificial drainage. These shortcuts also transport pesticides into surface waters – and, according to a new study, in significantly larger quantities than was previously assumed.