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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.