ETH News

ETH Professor Sonia Seneviratne is the first Swiss citizen to receive the prestigious German Environmental Award bestowed by the German Federal Environmental Foundation. The climate researcher shares the prize, endowed with a total of 500,000 euros, with a company from Gelsenkirchen.

The garden of the Kunsthaus Zurich now features an unusual sight: Zardoz, an eight-metre-high head sculpture that you can not only view but also enter and climb.

According to ETH Zurich climate researchers, greenhouse gas emissions from major fossil fuel and cement producers are significant contributors to the occurrence and intensity of heat waves. These findings have been published in a new study in the journal?Nature.

The exterior railings of the 125 year-old Schatzalp Hotel in Davos were in poor condition. Researchers at ETH Zurich teamed up with a local timber construction company and an ETH spin-off to find a replacement, using state-of-the-art technology.??

Game-based training improves not only the cognitive abilities of people with initial signs of developing dementia, but also leads to positive changes in the brain. That is according to two new studies by researchers from ETH Zurich and Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences OST.

Nine researchers from ETH Zurich have just been awarded Starting Grants from the European Research Council (ERC). This is a positive signal for Zurich as a research location.

Students at ETH Zurich have developed a laser power bed fusion machine that follows a circular tool path to print round components, thereby being able to process multiple metals at once. The system significantly reduces manufacturing time and opens up new possibilities for aerospace and industry. ETH has filed a patent application for the machine.

Measurements analysed by an international research team led by ETH Zurich show that the global ocean absorbed significantly less CO? than anticipated during the unprecedented marine heatwave in 2023.

After 25 years at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Richard Kornfeld is returning to his alma mater. Starting in September, he will take over the operational management of ETH Zurich Space, bringing extensive experience of space missions to his new role.

Cancer cells provide healthy neighbouring cells with additional cell powerhouses to put them to work. This has been demonstrated by researchers at ETH Zurich in a new study. In this way, cancer is exploiting a mechanism that frequently serves to repair damaged cells.

In a groundbreaking study, researchers from the University of Bern and ETH Zurich have shown how climate change is intensifying supercell thunderstorms in Europe. At a global temperature increase of 3 degrees Celsius, these powerful storms are expected to occur more frequently, especially in the Alpine region.

For the first time, chemists at ETH Zurich have successfully used extremely short, rotating flashes of light to measure and manipulate the different movements of electrons in mirror-image molecules. They showed that chirality of molecules is not just a structural but also an electronic phenomenon.

The HIL building on the H?nggerberg campus is set to become a living lab. Now in need of renovation, the building will be remodelled and extended, with completion pencilled in for 2035.?Professorships at ETH Zurich will engage with the project directly to research techniques and designs. Their aim is to advance sustainable redevelopment and retrofitting methods.

ETH Zurich researchers have found the holy grail of brewing: the formula for stable beer foam. But it's not just breweries that will benefit from these findings.

A research team from ETH Zurich has taught the four-legged robot ANYmal to play badminton ¨C including precise arm movements, quick reflexes and nimble footwork.

Science no longer enjoys unlimited and universal trust. An array of groups are questioning scientific wisdom. What does this mean for students and researchers? Gabriel Dorthe studies how trust and mistrust emerge through mutual interaction between scientific and research-sceptical?thinking.

The Greenland ice sheet is melting at an increasing rate, a process accelerated by glacier calving, in which huge chunks of ice break free and crash into the sea, generating large waves that push warmer water to the surface. A new study now shows that this mechanism is amplifying glacial melt.

Even large objects with several hundred million atoms can exhibit quantum mechanical behaviour ¨C without cooling and at room temperature, as researchers at ETH Zurich have shown. This yields exciting potential for new technologies.

How do left-handed and right-handed molecules differ? Researchers at ETH Zurich are using a new imaging method to visualise what was previously only measurable as an average, opening up new possibilities for biology and materials science.

Dust particles from deserts promote ice formation in clouds. This discovery highlights the importance of aerosols for understanding cloud behaviour, predicting precipitation, and assessing the role of clouds in climate change.

For more than 100 years, scientists have puzzled over whether the Earth¡¯s magnetic field had already been generated stably back in its early days when its inner core was fully liquid ¨C unlike it is today. A team of geophysicists has used a simulation to show that this was highly likely.

The cultivation of thick muscle fibres from bovine cells in the lab has long been a challenge for scientists. Researchers from ETH Zurich have now successfully tackled this issue ¨C with the goal of one day producing edible meat.

Time and again debris flows cause death and destruction. A research team has measured these flows of water, earth and debris with high precision. The study shows previously unexplained factors that determine the destructive force of debris flows ¨C which allows appropriate protective measures to be put in place.

ETH professor Ueli Maurer has provided cryptography with a theoretical basis. Now he is retiring. However, his most important research project is yet to come.

For the first time, researchers at ETH Zurich have successfully produced hundreds of different types of nerve cell from human stem cells in Petri dishes. In the future, it will thus be possible to investigate neurological disorders using cell cultures instead of animal testing.

A new 3D simulation tool developed by ETH and SLF researchers now allows for significantly more accurate predictions of complex alpine mass movements, supporting alpine risk management.

High temperatures and more frequent heatwaves are causing many people to doubt whether high-density urban planning is still sustainable. However, building physicist Jan Carmeliet argues that even dense cities can be cool if they are planned correctly.?

Using nuclear magnetic resonance, researchers at ETH Zurich have studied the atomic environments of single platinum atoms in solid supports as well as their spatial orientation. In the future, this method can be used to optimize the production of single-atom catalysts.

Scientists are using trapped ions in experiments to search for signs of a new particle that could help explain the mysterious dark matter. Researchers at ETH Zurich are combining their results with findings from teams in Germany and Australia.

Urea is considered a possible key molecule in the origin of life. ETH researchers have discovered a previously unknown way in which this building block can form spontaneously on aqueous surfaces without the need for any additional energy.

Florian D?rfler develops algorithms that keep our power grids stable using mathematics and, as he says, a strong willingness to take risks. He has now been awarded the R?ssler Prize, the most prestigious honour for young professors at ETH Zurich.

Researchers at ETH Zurich are developing a model in the lab made from human breast milk cells. They hope it will help them understand how breast milk is made ¨C a little-researched area of female biology.

Why are more new housing units being constructed in Geneva each year, while Zurich is seeing a decline? Why are older residential buildings in Basel, Geneva and Lausanne being vertically extended, while they are being demolished and replaced in Zurich? ETH researchers provide new answers to the role of housing construction and its social impact.

Researchers are developing a living material that actively extracts carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Photosynthetic cyanobacteria grow inside it, forming biomass and solid minerals and thus binding CO₂ in two different manners.?

According to the recently published QS World University Rankings 2026, ETH Zurich ranks among the world¡¯s ten best universities once again this year. It took the top spot in continental Europe, with only universities in the US and the United Kingdom ranking higher.?

Researchers at ETH Zurich and Empa have developed a new image sensor made of perovskite. This semiconductor material enables better colour reproduction and fewer image artefacts with less light. Perovskite sensors are also particularly well suited for machine vision.

Two biologists, an engineer, a physicist and a health scientist from ETH Zurich have been awarded ERC Advanced Grants worth around 12 million euros. The researchers are among the first in Switzerland to receive this prestigious EU research funding after a hiatus of several years.

Eva Heinen investigates the factors that influence our choice of transport. Her personal commute to ETH is by bus and on foot.

Many types of bacteria produce a protein complex that injects toxins into neighbouring cells to eliminate?competitors. For the first time, researchers at ETH Zurich and Eawag discovered?that these killer bacteria also use this weapon to feed on their neighbours.

Trace metals such as iron or zinc that are stored in deep-sea sediments are lost forever to phytoplankton on the ocean surface. This is what geochemists believed for a long time about the cycle of micronutrients in seawater. Now, researchers at ETH Zurich have discovered that this is not the case.

A spectacular breakthrough in geoscience?shows that our planet is in motion even at a depth of 3000 kilometres.

On Wednesday, May 28th, the Birch Glacier collapsed under the weight of rock and debris from rockfalls on the Kleine Nesthorn. Following an on-site inspection, ETH Zurich researchers explain the background to the collapse that buried the village?Blatten in an updated fact sheet.

Physicists at ETH Zurich have developed a lens with magic properties. Ultra-thin, it can transform infrared light into visible light by halving the wavelength of incident light.

A new study with ETH Zurich, finds that if global warming exceeds the Paris Climate Agreement targets, the non-polar glacier mass will diminish significantly. However, if warming is limited to 1.5¡ãC, at least 54 per cent could be preserved¡ªmore than twice as much ice as in a 2.7¡ãC scenario.

Every tumour is unique. This makes it difficult to find the most effective therapy for treatment. Researchers in Zurich and Basel are now showing how state-of-the-art molecular biological technologies can be used to create a detailed tumour profile within four weeks, enabling tailored treatment. The study is the first of its kind in the world.

The European Space Agency (ESA) is celebrating its 50th anniversary. ESA has helped make Europe more technologically independent and has played a key role in space exploration in recent decades. And ETH Zurich has always been one of its partners on its journey.

Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed the first technology that is able to recognise biomarkers in menstrual blood ¨C directly in sanitary towels. MenstruAI promises a simple, non-invasive method for recording health data in everyday life.

Five years ago, an experiment began at ETH H?nggerberg: researchers set up an outdoor laboratory in the forest near the campus. They used sensors positioned in trees, the soil and in a stream to study water dynamics and the ¡°old water paradox¡±. ETH News accompanied the head of the experiment, Marius Floriancic.

By 2050, the aim is for Switzerland¡¯s energy system to be decarbonised and no longer reliant on nuclear power. How this can be achieved and the costs of doing so are set out in a new report by a Swiss research consortium involving researchers from ETH Zurich, the universities of Geneva and Bern, EPFL, WSL, and ZHAW.

Tor Alva was officially inaugurated in Mulegns today in the presence of Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin and President of ETH Zurich Jo?l Mesot. The almost 30-metre-high, gleaming white tower is the world¡¯s tallest 3D-printed building.

Cities can expand their bike lane networks significantly without causing additional congestion on the roads. That is the conclusion reached by the ETH research project E-Bike City. Project lead and transport researcher Kay Axhausen explains the implications for traffic, the environment and costs.?

New smart textiles developed by researchers at ETH Zurich use acoustic waves and glass fibres to help make precise measurements. They are light, breathable and inexpensive, and offer great potential for medicine, sports and everyday life.

Aldo Steinfeld, a pioneer in synthetic fuels, retires at the end of July 2025. This provides a compelling reason to present a portrait of the engineer and to find out how you can fill up your fuel tank with sun.?

Computer scientists at ETH Zurich discover new class of vulnerabilities in Intel processors, allowing them to break down barriers between different users of a processor using carefully crafted instruction sequences. Entire processor memory can be read by employing quick, repeated attacks.

Hidden beneath the Antarctic ice lies a system of lakes and watercourses. An research team, including ETH researchers, has for the first time directly observed the subglacial streams of West Antarctica. Their study shows how individual flood events influence the melting of the ice.

Teamwork is crucial for proteins. Little is known, however, about which protein teams are actually active in which tissues. A new large-scale study by systems biologists at ETH Zurich is now redrawing the map.

ETH Zurich is establishing a new research hub for augmented reality that involves close collaboration with Google. One of the ETH-Co-heads, Christian Holz, explains the importance of networking in this field.?

Researchers from ETH Zurich have carried out the largest field study to date, to find out whether heat pumps are running efficiently. When looked at in operation, it turns out that these units are often not optimally configured. Monitoring systems and legal standards could provide a remedy.

An interdisciplinary research team from Bern and Zurich has developed a method to clean urinary stents and catheters non-invasively ¨C through the skin and without surgery ¨C using ultrasound-activated microstructures.

ETH Zurich researchers have developed a method that makes AI responses increasingly reliable. Their algorithm specifically selects data relevant to the question. In addition, even AI models up to 40 times smaller achieve the same output performance as the best large AI models.

Traditional large-scale power generators ensure a stable frequency of alternating current in the European power grid. Now, researchers from ETH Zurich have found a solution so that wind and solar power plants can take over ¨C paving the way for the energy transition.

The planned space missions to search for remote life will provide valuable insights even if they do not find any evidence of life, says astrophysicist Daniel Angerhausen.

From bridges and tunnels to railways, Switzerland has always invested heavily in the upkeep of its infrastructure. But how does it keep everything operating safely and smoothly while also instilling confidence that nothing will go wrong?

Researchers at ETH Zurich have unravelled the complex network that cells use to repair their genetic material. By examining thousands upon thousands of genetic interactions, the team has discovered new vulnerabilities in cancer cells that could be exploited therapeutically in the future.

ETH Zurich and Z¨¹hlke have conducted a study on how companies use AI technologies. A total of 633 companies from the fields of production, technology, healthcare and finance from the DACH region, the UK and the US were surveyed. Stefano Brusoni, Professor of Technology and Innovation Management, explains in an interview where the greatest potential lies and where Europe needs to catch up.

When it comes to getting along together, trust plays an indispensable role. While we all have an intuitive grasp of what this interpersonal investment involves, even science struggles to express exactly how it works.

For the first time, ETH Zurich Materials Scientists are measuring the rolling friction of tiny, micrometre-sized particles. These measurements permit them to better understand everyday products such as concrete.

In the fight against bacterial pathogens, researchers are combining vaccination with targeted colonisation of the intestine by harmless microorganisms. This approach could potentially mark a turning point in the antibiotics crisis.

Monuments tell stories, but not always the whole story. Professor of architecture Silke Langenberg on why we need to take a broader approach to heritage conservation and which sites also deserve protection, in this interview to mark the 50th anniversary of the European Architectural Heritage Year.?

ETH Zurich has fabricated the world¡¯s tallest 3D-printed structure. With the construction of the White Tower in Mulegns, researchers hope to bring innovative technologies to commercial maturity.

Trust takes years to build and seconds to break ¨C not least when it comes to international relations. ETH researchers investigate what it takes to build confidence on the global stage.

Trust in AI models is about more than just technical performance ¨C ethical principles and human values are equally important.

New miniature laboratories are ensuring that artificial intelligence (AI) doesn¡¯t make mistakes. They provide a controlled test environment where algorithms and AI models can be checked before being put to work under real-life conditions. The aim is for AI to work reliably.

Torsten Hoefler wins the prestigious ACM Prize in Computing for his pioneering work in high-performance computing. The fact that supercomputers have become so powerful that AI models can be trained very quickly with very large volumes of data is partly down to his research.

Life needs sufficient phosphorus. However, the element is scarce, not only today but also at the time of the origin of life. So where was there sufficient phosphorus four billion years ago for life to emerge? A team of origin-of-life researchers has an answer.

Who were our earliest ancestors? The answer could lie in a special group of single-celled organisms with a cytoskeleton similar to that of complex organisms, such as animals and plants. ETH researchers made these findings in a new study.

Switzerland¡¯s glaciers are in increasingly poor shape. If greenhouse gas emissions are not cut drastically soon, they could cease to exist by 2100 ¨C so says ETH Professor Daniel Farinotti in this ETH News interview to mark the first World Day for Glaciers.

A long-term Switzerland-wide study has found that neighbourhoods with numerous, well-arranged trees exhibit lower mortality risks than other areas. The reasons behind this, and the factors that play a role, will require further research.

How does disinformation impact public trust in science? And can healthy scepticism be a good thing? A debate between climate researcher Sonia Seneviratne, communication scientist Mike S. Sch?fer and former Swiss Federal Chancellor Walter Thurnherr.

Lenny Winkel researches the environmental behaviour of trace elements such as selenium. A native of the Netherlands, she adores the Swiss mountains.

Technology is improving football ¨C from helping referees make more accurate decisions to developing better on-field tactics. ETH Zurich and FIFA are exploring how AI can make these advancements more accessible to competitions worldwide.

What is it like to study at ETH Zurich? Sally Liu shares an insight into her daily life as a student ¨C and explains why she finds it so important to speak openly about challenges.

A modulator developed by researchers from ETH Zurich has broken the terahertz mark. The ultrafast component efficiently transmits large volumes of data into the fibre-optic network in a short space of time.

In a total of 16 disciplines, the university ranks among the 10 best in the world. These are the latest results of the QS World University Rankings according to subject.

ETH researchers have developed a low-cost sensor made of carbon nanotubes that can selectively, efficiently and reliably measure minute quantities of oxygen in gas mixtures under light. The detector could be widely used in industry, medicine and environmental monitoring.

Of all places, Switzerland ¨C the most innovative country in the world ¨C suffers from a shortage of new digital technologies reaching the market in the healthcare sector. Researchers from ETH Zurich have been investigating how innovations can be developed responsibly and implemented faster.

Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a method that makes it easier to study interactions between electrons in a material. Using a moir¨¦ material consisting of twisted atomic layers they created an artificial crystal lattice in a neighbouring material. ?

Annette Oxenius has been appointed ETH Vice President for Research. From 1 August 2025, she will assume responsibility for research development and promotion at ETH Zurich. The 56-year-old Swiss national is an esteemed immunologist and professor at the ETH Department of Biology.

For the first time, researchers have been able to observe how the pupils react during sleep over a period of several hours. A look under the eyelids showed them that more happens in the brain during sleep than was previously assumed.

A new study by ETH researchers shows that the success of anti-immigration parties in Switzerland¡¯s border regions is not due to the effects of migration itself, but rather to their rhetoric.

Polymer chemists at ETH Zurich have discovered a surprising way to virtually fully break down PMMA plastic ¨C commonly known as acrylic glass ¨C into its monomer building blocks. The process remains unaffected by the presence of additives.

To extend the lifespan of existing railway bridges and conserve resources, ETH researchers are working with Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) to develop new prediction models using machine learning algorithms. An AI assistant also helps civil engineers with the design of new bridges.

ETH Zurich researchers have investigated how tiny gas bubbles can deliver drugs into cells in a targeted manner using ultrasound. For the first time, they have visualised how tiny liquid jets generated by microbubbles penetrate the cell membrane enabling the drug uptake.

For Switzerland to achieve its net zero climate target, not only must it reduce its CO₂ emissions, it must also find a way to store the greenhouse gas permanently. Researchers at ETH Zurich have investigated whether, and under what conditions, CO₂ could be stored underground in Switzerland.

ETH researchers have developed a new gene switch that can be activated using a commercially available nitroglycerine patch applied to the skin. One day, researchers want to use switches of this kind to trigger cell therapies for various metabolic diseases.

ETH students have simulated an exploration mission to Venus by launching self-built test satellites from a plane over D¨¹bendorf military airfield. These satellites glided to the ground with parachutes, recording acoustic signals during their descent.

For the first time, an international team of researchers has shown that countless tiny ice quakes take place in one of Greenland's mightiest ice streams. This finding will allow the flowing of the ice stream and associated changes in sea level to be estimated more accurately.

Body weight and body mass index alone are not enough to predict whether someone will develop a metabolic disease. A new atlas of cells in fat tissue could help to explain why some overweight people stay healthy, while others do not.

Medical research needs unresolved issues from clinical practice, says ETH Zurich Vice President Christian Wolfrum. He explains in an interview how cooperation between ETH research and hospitals can be improved and why ETH intends to pool its activities in medical research.

Researchers aim to use vibrations to stimulate bone growth. Now, a new study paves the way for developing new therapies that may one day benefit patients suffering from bone fractures and age-related bone loss.