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Hydrogels support tissue regeneration after an accident or illness. Oncay Yasa and Robert Katzschmann have developed sponge-like hydrogels that can be injected through a cannula, thus offering patients a minimally invasive procedure for implantation.

Exhaustion makes us more prone to injury. A group of researchers led by Carlo Menon has developed an electronic yarn capable of measuring body movements. The textile sensor can be integrated into sports or work clothing. It predicts the wearer’s physical exhaustion level and recommends breaks when they are nearing their limit.

Heated up by sunshine, these specially coated glasses do not fog up in humid conditions. ETH Pioneer Fellows Iwan Hächler and Fabrice Bagnoud strive to get the coating process market-ready and make antifogging lenses accessible to a large consumer market.

Rapid tests are convenient, but the lines on the test strip aren’t always easy to interpret. Chih-​Jen Shih and Andrew deMello, together with researchers from their groups, have developed a rapid test system incorporating electrically conducting graphene paper. In addition to being inexpensive to fabricate, it is easy to use and as accurate as lab measurements. The test is also suitable for soil, air, or water samples.

Cancer patients might one day benefit from being administered immune cells from healthy donors. But as things stand, receiving donor cells can cause severe or even fatal immune reactions. Researchers from Sai Reddy's group have now developed a technology that avoids these.

More effective, reusable and self-​repairing: a new kind of corrosion protection developed by the ETH researchers Marco D'Elia, Walter Caseri and Markus Niederberger has been honoured with the Spark Award 2023. The collaboration project with the University of Milan has excellent market potential and could significantly slow down the deterioration of buildings and vehicles.

Single cancer cells separate from their tumour and dissipate via the bloodstream through the body.  Early detection of these circulating cells can help physicians to intervene in time and reduce the risk of tumour spreading. Stavros Stavrakis presents a promising diagnostic method.

ETH spin-​off Versantis is dedicated to the fight against liver diseases. Their lead drug candidate gives hope to a rising number of affected patients. Co-​founder Vincent Forster talks about a great opportunity, which will change their business as well as boost the further development of their drug pipeline.

Paying in cash has advantages: The transaction is private, and we know that our money has reached the recipient. Karl Wüst, Kari Kostiainen, and Srdjan Capkun have developed a digital equivalent managed by the central bank. The digital currency offers privacy and can be trusted.

Drug design is time-consuming and expensive. Identifying a promising starting molecule – a ligand – is key in the design process. A new characterisation method based on NMR spectroscopy probes the interaction of the ligand with its intended target quickly and reliably.

High-profile holders of secrets are at risk of losing their data protection to attacks on computer memory. Smartphone, tablets, PCs – all these devices can be hacked. The problem has been known for long, and yet is still acute. The group of Professor Kaveh Razavi offers a design solution for future generations of computer memory modules.

For his doctorate, Johannes Weichart developed an artificial skin that will give robots a sense of touch similar to that of humans. This will make them much more adept at handling objects.

Delivering active substances to specific locations in the body: the biochemical method developed by Daniel Richter, Edgars Lakis and Prof. Jörn Piel will facilitate new approaches in diagnostics and therapy. Their innovation has just earned them the Spark Award 2022 from ETH Zurich.

The detection of certain biomarkers in blood samples helps indicate the status of diseases in patients. These biomarkers generally come in small numbers and are mixed with many other components in the blood. Paolo Arosio and his research team have found a way to remove and enrich relevant biomarkers to facilitate detection.

Renato Paro and his research team have identified an important RNA molecule in flies, which can be used in cancer therapy. This RNA is essentially a messenger substance in the metamorphosis from larva to fly, and also sends human tumor cells into cell death within a very short time.

Artificial pumps run at constant speed – no matter if the patient sleeps or exercises. In the long run, a mismatch between the patient’s perfusion needs and the pump supply leads to life-threatening complications. The Zurich Heart Group has developed integrated sensors and algorithms that control the pump speed according to the patient’s needs.

ETH startup Procavea won the Swiss Technology Award 2021 in the category  'Invention'. Their cube-like protein cage acts as a delivery system to carry drug molecules directly into the cells where they have their effect. It has the potential to make existing drugs more effective and to reduce their side effects.

Modulators are the backbone of telecommunication. They convert electric signals into light pulses. The research team led by Rachel Grange has developed a manufacturing process based on lithium niobate. The modulators are fast, energy-efficient and so small that they even fit on a chip.

Load-bearing, lightweight and now also recyclable: researchers led by Professor Paolo Ermanni were presented with the Spark Award in recognition of an innovative process for production of sustainable composite materials. ETH Zurich awarded the prize to their promising invention, with this year marking the tenth time the award has been given.

UWB communication is a fast rising technology, which will facilitate indoor localisation, navigation, and boost secure communication between smart devices. Michele Magno, Head of the Center for Project-based Learning (D-ITET), implements new power-saving features for this technology so that it can work efficiently in mobile devices.

A lack of muscle around the shoulder blade can render arm movements very painful as the shoulder blade is in the wrong position. Yves Zimmermann and Anna-Maria Georgarakis invented an orthosis that supports the shoulder blade during rehabilitation therapy and helps with activities of daily living.

Styrofoam fascinates with its many possible applications. Complex, curvy shapes, however, are difficult to produce with conventional cutting tools. For this, Simon Dünser puts a robot to work that efficiently and precisely wields a hot wire.

A universal bio-ink with superior printing characteristics facilitates the printing of many different types of tissue to replicate injured tissue. In the video, Mark Tibbitt and Elia Guzzi introduce  the patent-pending technology, which paves the way for personalised implants.  

ETH Zurich looks back on a very successful year for spin-offs: In 2020, 34 spin-offs were founded, with a striking proportion in the areas of AI and sustainability. Financing rounds totalling more than CHF 400 million and HeiQ's public listing bear witness to the market success of existing ETH spin-offs.

Microfluidic devices offer a new way to speed up drug screening and toxicity tests, but some of the basic processes such as purification and separation are difficult to implement in these tiny devices. Petra Dittrich and Mario Saucedo-Espinosa took up the challenge and invented in-droplet electrophoresis.

Atomic force microscopes scan the surfaces of samples in the nanoworld. The fine probe tips of the microscope are expensive consumables. Amit Kumar Sachan and Renato Zenobi have adapted a microelectronic process, which is fast and cheap in producing probe tips from metal wire.

Trading in digital currencies such as Bitcoin or Ether has become an established practice but using them as a payment means is still a slow process. ETH Professor Srdjan Capkun and his team have now developed a system that makes cryptocurrency payments secure, fast and practical.

Breeding animals often suffer from diarrhoea caused by Salmonella, but since the bacterium is constantly changing, previous vaccines quickly become ineffective. Wolf-​Dietrich Hardt, Emma Wetter Slack and Médéric Diard have developed a vaccine that exploits this genetic modification. Their vaccine triggers an immune response that directs the evolution of Salmonella in such a way that the only survivors are harmless pathogens that are also difficult to transmit to other animals.

Making tumours visible so that surgeons can cut only as much as necessary: this is the goal of an invention by chemical biologists Helma Wennemers and Matthew Aronoff. For their achievement they have received the Spark Award, with which ETH recognises the most innovative invention with the most commercial potential of the past year.

Burcak Yesildag from InSphero and Patrick Misun from the Bio Engineering Laboratory of ETH Zürich in Basel talk about a new testing platform that will help diabetes researchers to find new drugs and to get deeper insights into underlying biological mechanisms.

”Chemistry is when it stinks and explodes.“ – That is what a lot of people associate with chemistry. Indeed, there is a risk in handling certain chemicals – like some nitro-compounds. Dmitry Katayev and his colleagues invented a reagent, which makes nitration reactions of various organic molecules safe, easy and accessible for every lab.

Here is a way to boost the computation capacity of our computers in the future. A team led by Professors Gambardella and Heyderman abandons the idea of having processor and storage as separate devices. Their audacious proposal: merge them! We interviewed Pietro Gambardella and staff scientist Ales Hrabec.

In our aging society, more and more people depend on artificial heart valves. PhD candidate Arthur Schlothauer develops a foldable heart valve, which can be placed in the heart by means of a catheter, thus avoiding the need for invasive surgery.

Oxygen isotopes are extremely useful for tracing molecular processes, but the isotopes are rare and expensive. Prof. Christophe Copéret from the Laboratory of Inorganic Chemistry explains how his group makes chemistry with oxygen isotopes affordable. The key lies in the efficient synthesis of a small but energetic molecule: hydrogen peroxide.

Bacterial cellulose foam has a wide range of applications from wound healing to filtration membranes. Patrick Rühs, member of the Complex Materials Group, presents the green composite material.

Despite their proven effectiveness and selectivity, peptides are rarely used as therapeutics. One reason is their rapid degradation in the human body. Professor Markus Künzler presents an enzyme that can be used to give these outsiders among the therapeutics a fresh boost.

Every year over 5 billion birds migrate between Europe and Africa. In order to reduce the collision risk of these birds with wind farms, a team from the ETH Laboratory of Energy Conversion, led by Dr. Ndaona Chokani, has developed a forecast model for migratory birds.

The demand for transmission capacity in telecommunication is increasing exponentially. Installing more optical fibres is one possibility to meet the demand. Prof. Lukas Novotny and Shawn Divitt from the Photonics Laboratory present a new, complementary possibility.

The Game Creator is a new app that boosts children's creativity. Stéphane Magnenat of the ETH Game Technology Center presents his new and intuitive game programming platform for the design of games.

Although fluorine and chlorine in their gaseous form are toxic, caustic and corrosive, they are indispensable as chemical precursors. Prof. Antonio Togni and his team have developed an alternative synthetic pathway that makes fluorine chemistry more simple and attractive for chemists.

Too much fluoride in our drinking water can cause fluorosis, the hardening of the teeth and bones. Professor Raffaele Mezzenga and his team have developed a new membrane, which efficiently removes the harmful fluoride from water.

In reconstructive surgery, it is important to have tissue with an aligned cell growth. ETH researcher Dr. Vahid Hosseini has developed a 3D scaffold that supports cell growth and can be easily manufactured.  

Highest commercial potential, strongest patent, first in originality – learn more about the nominated technologies and get a chance for networking at the Spark Award ceremony on 19 March 2019.

The catheters developed at ETH Zurich are so small and flexible that they can reach any position in the heart for treatment. Christophe Chautems demonstrates in the video how this technology works.

What’s that? Sometimes there are actually limits to our imagination. Christian Schüller from the ETH Interactive Geometry Lab is using the computer to develop a method to design patterns for three-dimensional objects that can be put together from a flat piece of fabric with a zipper. This is how it works...

Devices in stand-by mode still consume a lot of energy, because their receiver units remain switched on. Michele Magno found a way to wake up a device that is completely switched off with a control signal that is transmitted via our skin. Watch the video.

Would you consider connecting to your bank account in an internet café? Too risky? ETH researcher Aritra Dhar explains how to make sure that the message you send is the message received, even in a hostile environment.

It is a vicious cycle that makes a weak heart become even weaker. Now there is hope with a new drug for the treatment of heart failure. ETH researcher Dr. Joshua Abd Alla shows in the video how it works.

St. Gallen will invest CHF 65.5 mio. in the extension of its district heating system. The ETH Enerpol framework provided critical input for the decision making process. Ndaona Chokani, head of the project, explains.

Imagine the film set of an action scene with several camera drones capturing the motion picture simultaneously from different angles. What could be prone to collisions with other drones or actors is kept in perfect control by a new navigation algorithm. Watch the video.

Most people have a negative association when they think of bacteria. The right mix of bacteria in our guts, however, can make quite a difference to our health. Watch the video.

The biggest enemy of wheat production in Europe is the disease septoria tritici blotch. Industry spends over a billion Euros on fungicides every year to fight the fungus behind the blotch. Professor Bruce McDonald thinks it is time to change tactics. Read more.

Imagine muting a ringing cell phone with a quick and subtle gesture, like a flick of your finger. ETH professor Otmar Hilliges tells us about his exciting research collaboration with Google on project SOLI, which aims at replacing conventional buttons by gesture sensors.

Forgot where you left your bag? Can’t find your cat? Wondering what distance you just ran? This miniature GPS receiver from ETH Zurich may give the answer. Read the interview with the inventor Manuel Eichelberger.

Which ETH invention of the last year has the highest commercial potential, has the strongest patent, and is first in originality? Find out at the Spark Award Ceremony on March 20, 2018.

ETH Prof. Lucio Isa and his team invented particles with a special raspberry-like surface. See what these particles can do. Watch the video.

Two ETH spin-offs, Inositec and GratXray, won the Swiss Technology Award 2017 in Basel. The prize is the most important distinction for innovation and technology transfer in Switzerland. Get to know more about these companies.

How can we learn from nature to improve shading systems for buildings? ETH researcher Chiara Vailati demonstrates her unique shading system that automatically adapts its shape like pine cones. Watch the video.

ETH spin-off Climeworks builds CO₂ collectors, which filter CO₂ from air on a large scale. Climeworks aims to capture one percent of the world’s annual CO₂ emissions by 2025. Valentin Gutknecht from Climeworks tells us about the potential of their negative emission technology.

Do you know where the cotton of your T-shirt comes from? The ETH spin-off Haelixa provides a solution to invisibly label products. Watch the video.

The ETH spin-off Battrion develops and markets innovative fabrication technologies for lithium ion batteries. In the interview, Martin Ebner, CEO and co-founder, explains how his company is successful in this growing but also challenging market.

ETH start-up Scewo has built a power wheelchair, which can not only overcome stairs but also frequent obstacles like curbs, tram tracks, grass, mud or stones. Pascal Buholzer, Pioneer Fellow* at ETH Zurich, gives insight into their current work on a pre-series prototype.