Research

Before it reaches our plates, the food we eat usually has travelled a long way. In this episode of the ETH Podcast, we talk about how far a breakfast travels and the resulting political and ecological significance.  

Synthetic fuels can make a contribution to achieving climate targets. But can they be used in conventional combustion engines without any problems? This question is being investigated by Empa in collaboration with the Swiss car importer AMAG.

Working on nanotechnologies in the cleanroom makes her happy. Now Kirsten Moselund runs the newly established Laboratory for Nano and Quantum Technologies at PSI. Here she always has an eye on practical applications: from minute lasers to computer chips, from artificial intelligence to quantum computing. She encourages young women in particular to pursue a career in research and recommends a good work-life balance.

Researchers at ETH Zurich have succeeded for the first time in trapping excitons - quasiparticles consisting of negatively charged electrons and positively charged holes – in a semiconductor material using controllable electric fields. The new technique is important for creating single photon sources as well as for basic research.  

If nations are separated by national borders, the risk of civil war and interstate conflicts increases – as in the case of Ukraine. For this reason, Lars-​Erik Cederman believes that sanctions should also be designed to have a deterrent effect on other nationalists.

An international team of researchers led by the ETH Zurich and the National Centre of Competence in Research PlanetS have reconstructed the early history of several asteroids more precisely than ever before. Their results indicate that the early solar system was more chaotic than previously thought.

Nature is not a ‘nice to have’ – it’s our life support system. Dwindling biodiversity endangers the very foundation of our existence. A turnaround is possible, but only if we all want it, says Christoph Küffer.

Engineers at EPFL and the University of Geneva believe they hold the key to automated drone mapping. By combining artificial intelligence with a new algorithm, their method promises to considerably reduce the time and resources needed to accurately scan complex landscapes.

Quantum physics has a long tradition at ETH Zurich. Now it is further expanding its teaching and research activities. Around 150 students are completing the novel Master’s degree programme in Quantum Engineering, there is a “Quantum Center” and quantum computers are to be built in the ETHZ-PSI Quantum Computing Hub.

Physicists at EPFL, within a large European collaboration, have revised one of the fundamental laws that has been foundational to plasma and fusion research for over three decades, even governing the design of megaprojects like ITER. The update shows that we can actually safely use more hydrogen fuel in fusion reactors, and therefore obtain more energy than previously thought.

EPFL scientists have developed a digital model of the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, which realistically simulates the movements of the animal. The twin is a big step towards reverse engineering the neuromechanical control of animal behavior, and developing bioinspired robots.

Under the name SLS 2.0, the multi-year project to upgrade the Swiss Light Source SLS is currently under way. From 2025 on, the large research facility SLS will provide research with even more intense X-ray light than before. The first special magnets, which are crucial for achieving this, have now arrived. In addition, the Canton of Aargau has released 9.75 million Swiss francs for the budget.

“Printed electronics” is a growing scientific field in which transistors and other electronic components can be printed on any substrate. Empa has become a leading name in this area. The Coating Competence Center uses the latest printing techniques which enable completely new applications. 

Cyanobacteria are ancient organisms. The most varied types of shells without a core, which, at high density in warm waters, can secrete complex substances and also toxins. Some are toxic to both humans and animals. Elisabeth Janssen is on the trail of these natural toxins: applied research, the results of which can be incorporated into water protection or water management.

Just 12-months after it was created, in December 2004, 1-million people were active on Facebook. As of December 2021 it had an average 1.93 billion daily active users. EPFL is in a unique collaboration with its parent company Meta around distributed deep learning research.