In the Media - January 2025

New Proofs Probe the Limits of Mathematical Truth

external page In summer 2024, Peter Koymans then a researcher at ETH Zurich and collaborator Carlo Pagano unravel mind boggling research on the Hilbert's 10th problem in mathematics.

NASA’s InSight Finds Marsquakes From Meteoroids Go Deeper Than Expected

external page Meteoroids striking Mars produce seismic signals that can reach deeper into the planet than previously known. That’s the finding of a pair of new papers comparing marsquake data collected by NASA’s InSight lander (in which ETH Zurich contributed) with impact craters spotted by the agency’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO)...The papers, published on Monday, Feb. 3, in Geophysical Research Letters (GRL), highlight how scientists continue to learn from InSight, which NASA retired in 2022 after a successful extended mission. InSight set the first seismometer on Mars, detecting more than 1,300 marsquakes, which are produced by shaking deep inside the planet (caused by rocks cracking under heat and pressure) and by space rocks striking the surface.

ETH Zurich Finds Bio-Based Materials Can Cut Greenhouse Gases by 87%

external page Renovating buildings to improve their energy efficiency is a crucial step towards Switzerland achieving its climate targets. ETH Zurich researchers can now reveal the most effective renovation strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions: replace fossil-fuel heating systems and harness the potential of bio-based building materials like straw and hemp.

ETH Zurich’s CAS Program Provides Crucial Expertise

external page The CAS program in Applied Technology in Energy at ETH Zurich offers a more thorough comprehension of the energy system. It allows participants to contribute to the development of their industry’s or company’s energy future and, consequently, to the achievement of the net-zero climate target.

Soft robotics taking inspiration from nature

external page BBC Click features the latest in Soft Robotics technology from the lab of ETH Zurich professor, Robert Katzschmann. The programme aired globally via the BBC World News network multiple times throughout the weekend of 1 Feb 2025. It can be replayed on the local BBC World News network available in Switzerland via UPC/Sunrise or Swisscom channels or in the UK via BBC iPlayer.  

Two buried ‘supercontinents’ hiding inside Earth could be much older than previously thought

external page “Apparently, such zones in the Earth’s mantle are much more widespread than previously thought,” said Thomas Schouten, lead author of that investigation and a researcher at the Geological Institute of ETH Zurich, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, in a statement.

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external page Radio New Zealand

Meet The Start-Up Promising To Clean Up The World’s Water

external page All around the globe, it is polluted with perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a group of more than 10,000 synthetic chemicals produced by multiple industries; these are toxic substances that find their way into waste water and the soil – and then into the water supplies we all depend on...Swiss start-up Oxyle (ETH Spinoff) is on a mission to tackle this challenge. And in a potentially breakthrough moment for tackling contamination, the business, co-founded by Fajer Mushtaq and Silvan Staufert at the scientific university ETH Zurich, is today announcing it has raised $16 million of new funding.

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external page Tech EU

external page Startup Weekly

external page Tech Funding News

external page Water Magazine UK

Horizon Europe and the ERC Grants - what now applies to ETH researchers

external page For researchers at ETH Zurich and throughout Switzerland, the year 2025 has begun with good news: Since 1 January 2025, they have once again been eligible for almost all calls for proposals for European research and innovation funding. This admission applies in particular to the prestigious ERC grants of the European Research Council, the Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions and participation as full members in collaborative research projects, including the management (so-called project coordination) of international research collaborations in Horizon Europe and Euratom.

Ski area buys Synhelion solar diesel for snow groomers

external page Lenzerheide Bergbahnen AG, a leading Swiss tourism company, has signed a long-term offtake agreement for solar diesel with (ETH Spinoff) Synhelion. The renewable fuel will be used in the snow groomers of the Arosa Lenzerheide ski area for slope preparation starting from the 2027/2028 season.

Dangerous temperatures could kill 50% more Europeans by 2100, study finds

external page Climate science deniers have argued against cutting pollution on the grounds that global heating will save lives, because cold kills more people than heat. Scientists say the different response rates to changes in temperature mean that heat deaths will rise much faster than cold deaths will fall, particularly at higher temperatures. "There are also legitimate arguments that this net effect is only of limited relevance,” said Erich Fischer, a climate scientist at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH Zurich), who was not involved in the study. “If a new drug with serious side-effects that lead to countless deaths were approved, I would hardly argue that the drug saves about as many lives, or that the net effect could even be slightly positive in the short term despite the many deaths.”

Mapping gene activity in mechanically stressed bones reveals potential treatment pathways

external page Bone does not just grow in any which way—rather, the bone cells respond to external forces. If bones are subjected to targeted mechanical loading as they heal following a fracture, they can potentially become larger, denser and more stable than they were before the fracture occurred...Mathavan, Müller and their colleagues have now carried out a highly detailed investigation of which genes are active in a healing bone.

Scientists Re-Create the Conditions That Sparked Complex Life

external page Julia Vorholt, a microbiologist at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich in Switzerland, has long puzzled over the circumstances of endosymbiosis. Researchers in the field theorized that once a bacterium sneaks into a host cell, the relationship teeters between infection and harmony...“They become addicted to each other,” Vorholt said.

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external page Verve Times

Breaking Down Cancer Cell Clusters: A New Approach to Halting Metastasis

external page The principal investigator of the study, Nicola Aceto, who serves as a Professor of Molecular Oncology at ETH Zurich, emphasizes the critical role these CTC clusters play in breast cancer metastasis. Aceto’s findings illuminate that the efficacy of metastasis is closely tied to the size of these clusters; larger formations present a greater risk for successful metastasis. This suggests that effective strategies which can disrupt or reduce the size of these clusters may be pivotal in improving patient outcomes.

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external page AZO Life Sciences

external page BioSpace

external page Canadian Insider

external page Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News

external page Express UK

external page Inside Precision Medicine

external page International Business Times

external page Medical Xpress

external page News Medical Life Sciences

external page PR Newswire

external page Technology Networks - Cancer Research

external page NY Times Post (Turkey)

external page Pharmacy Times

As well as numerous regional publications, radio, and television

New Technology Revolutionizes Single-Cell Analysis

external page Researchers now have the ability to observe millions of cells as they develop into organs like the pancreas, thanks to an innovative technique called Moscot ("Multi-Omics Single-Cell Optimal Transport"). Developed by an international research team (that includedMarius Lange, ETH Zurich) led by Helmholtz Munich.

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external page News Medical Life Sciences

external page Science Daily

external page Science Magazine

Video Friday: Hottest on the Ice

external page If I’m understanding this correctly, if you’re careful, it’s possible to introduce chaos into a blind juggling robot to switch synced juggling to alternate juggling.

Why ZuriQ Thinks Quantum Sceptics Are Far Too Gloomy

external page Today's $4.2 million raise should be sufficient to ensure the company can demonstrate a working prototype in 2026, Hrmo believes. If ZuriQ lives up to its early promise, raising further funds at that stage should not prove difficult.

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external page Data Center Dynamics

external page HPC Wire

external page Quantum Computing Report

external page Quantum Insider

external page Yahoo! Finance

As well as numerous radio/television channels in the US

Geologists use earthquake waves to reveal anomalies deep under Pacific

external page Researchers (from ETH Zurich) used all the different types of earthquake waves to build a high-resolution model of the Earth’s interior. The model, published in Nature Scientific Reports, has revealed a number of anomalous regions in the deep mantle, including a huge area under the western Pacific Ocean where seismic waves travel slower than average.

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external page SPACE

What is the cheapest route to climate-neutral aviation: carbon capture or new fuels?

external page "Until now, truly ‘green’ synthetic fuels have been considered too expensive and energy-intensive to serve as a practical solution for aviation,” says study team member Nicoletta Brazzola, a postdoctoral researcher at ETH Zurich in Switzerland. “As a result, airlines have increasingly turned to carbon dioxide removal (CDR) to offset their emissions.”

Most people trust science, but want better communication

external page A global survey spanning 68 countries has revealed that public trust in scientists remains high. This study, led by researchers from the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, is the largest post-pandemic analysis of trust in science, societal expectations, and research priorities...“Our results show that most people in most countries have a relatively high level of trust in scientists and want them to play an active role in society and politics,” noted Viktoria Cologna, principal investigator from ETH Zurich.

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external page Inside Education (South Africa)

external page PHYS.org

external page Science Magazine

external page SciTech Daily

external page Tech and Science Post

external page Tech Explorist

external page The Microbiologist

external page Futurity

Denmark Presents 'Build of Site' by Søren Pihlmann at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale

external page Søren Pihlmann, in collaboration with experts from leading institutions such as the Royal Danish Academy, the University of Copenhagen, the Technical University of Denmark, and ETH Zurich, will showcase hyper-local methods for reclaiming building materials. The pavilion will serve as a real-time, full-scale study of sustainable architectural practices.

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external page Designboom

Swiss University Inaugurates Europe's Most Powerful Centrifuge

external page ETH Zurich has inaugurated Europe's most powerful geotechnical centrifuge. Researchers use the instrument to simulate the effects of natural hazards, such as earthquakes, on buildings...Scientists at ETH Zurich create reduced-scale models and place them at one end of the spinning beam centrifuge. The models are then accelerated so strongly that the g-forces acting on them multiply. In this process the models are exposed to forces of up to 100 g – in other words, one hundred times the Earth's gravitational force.  

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external page SWI Swiss Info (EN)

ETH Zurich’s ‘Unfold Form’ Cuts Concrete and Steel Use by 60%  

external page An architecture PhD student at ETH Zurich has developed a simple solution for building concrete floors in a more climate-friendly way. Significant amounts of concrete and steel can be saved thanks to a lightweight, robust, and reusable formwork design.

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external page TechXplore

external page For Construction Pros

external page Knowridge

The Evolution of Computer Science at the University Level

external page The model is a little different at ETH Zurich in Switzerland, which does not offer a blended computer science/arts program until the graduate level. “For our undergraduate programs, we believe that building a solid technical foundation is essential,’’ explained Dennis Hofheinz, a professor in the university’s Department of Computer Science, who said computer science enrollments there are “definitely increasing.”

Gaia’s Legacy: How the European Space Probe Revolutionized Our Understanding of the Universe

external page Throughout its 3,827 days of operation, Gaia has greatly surpassed its original objectives, transmitting an impressive 50 gigabytes of data back to Earth daily. By the mission’s conclusion, researchers will have amassed over a petabyte of data—an amount that would fill approximately 200,000 DVDs...“Gaia’s primary role was to compile a catalog,” explains astrophysicist Sascha Quanz from ETH Zurich. “While it may not seem as thrilling as the breathtaking images from Hubble or James Webb, Gaia has produced the most comprehensive catalog of Milky Way objects, providing vital insights into the galaxy’s formation.”

Malargüe: A satellite dish best served cold

external page The new cryocooled feeds incorporate a new generation of ultra-low noise cryogenic amplifiers (LNA) developed with university partners such as ETH Zurich (Switzerland) and Chalmers (Sweden). These LNAs are now commercialised through spin-off companies (LNF and Diramics)...The same technology is used today for the development of quantum computers.  

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external page PHYS.org

Sky-high prices? Estimating the cost of climate-neutral aviation in the future

external page According to a new study by researchers at ETH Zurich and the Paul Scherrer Institute published in the journal Nature Communications, air fares could rise by about 50% compared to current prices if synthetic fuels were to replace the fossil fuel kerosene throughout the world by 2050...“When looking at this potential increase, it should be taken into account that air fares have fallen by over 40% in the last 25 years,” says Anthony Patt, ETH Professor of Climate Policy and co-author of the study. “If this trend were to continue, a climate-neutral flight in 2050 would cost roughly the same as a flight today.”

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external page TechXplore

Solar syngas produced at moderate temperatures to speed market adoption

external page ETH-Zurich, IMDEA Energy, and Synhelion have demonstrated solar syngas production in a solar tower with high efficiency and selectivity...“The main driver was to work at lower reduction temperatures,” explained Mario Zuber, a doctoral student in Professor Steinfeld’s lab at ETH Zurich, who is lead author of the journal paper, Methane dry reforming via a ceria-based redox cycle in a concentrating solar tower.

CRISPR Medicine in 2024 - A Recap

external page Olivier Belli and colleagues at ETH Zürich took another approach, pushing the boundaries of genetic mapping by combining base- and prime editing to explore the mutational landscape of the EGFR gene, which is a critical player in many cancers...A key takeaway was the discovery that some mutations conferred drug resistance only in cancerous (PC-9) cell lines but not in wild-type (MCF10A) cells, emphasising the importance of secondary mutations in advanced cancers. These findings illustrate how genetic changes influence cancer progression and drug response, depending on the mutation and cellular context.

How the science of tiny timescales could speed up computers and improve solar cell technology

external page In recent years, the laser pulses used in attosecond science have become shorter and the laser fields more intense. The world record for the shortest light pulse is 43 attoseconds, achieved at the Swiss university ETH Zurich in 2017...These extremely short attosecond pulses also carry more energy – especially when generated using a free-electron laser, which can reach electrons deep inside the cores of atoms that were previously inaccessible.

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external page Computer Services News

external page My Science

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Land use in tropical regions: Biodiversity loss due to agricultural trade three times higher than thought

external page Exporting agricultural products from tropical regions to China, the USA, the Middle East, and Europe is three times more harmful to biodiversity than previously assumed. Researchers from the Technical University Munich (TUM) and...Stephan Pfister and Stefanie Hellweg from the Institute of Environmental Engineering at ETH Zurich, have now demonstrated that international trade has caused more than 90 percent of the loss that occurred between 1995 and 2022 due to the conversion of natural areas into agricultural land.

ETH Zurich Architects and Engineers Create Sustainable 3D-Printed Walls for Humidity Control

external page The civil engineers (at ETH Zurich), led by Professor Guillaume Habert, created the moisture-binding material by combining finely ground waste from marble quarries with a geopolymer binder.  

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external page Futurity

external page AZO BUILD

external page Material District

external page Parametric Architecture

external page SciTech Daily

external page Sky News

external page New Atlas

Expert explains where he sees the greatest need for action to further develop wind energy

external page In an overview study, a team of researchers led by Russell McKenna identified 14 key impact categories of wind energy. The review paper, published in the journal Joule, provides guidance for future studies and policy decisions.

Living organisms influence the distribution of Arsenic than previously thought

external page Researchers from ETH Zurich analyzed particulate matter, clouds, and rainwater for arsenic traces on Pic du Midi in the Pyrenees. Using new measurement techniques, they have uncovered the transport pathways of this environmental toxin (Arsenic) in the atmosphere.

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external page Science Magazine

external page Life Technology

external page IFL Science

Sustainable building components use passive dehumidification to create a good indoor climate

external page A team of researchers at ETH Zurich has developed a new, moisture-binding material. If this component is used in walls and ceilings, it reduces the humidity indoors.

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external page Tech and Science Post

external page Science Magazine

external page Bioengineer

external page Air Quality News

Chugai , Araris forge US$780M collaboration to advance antibody-drug conjugates

external page GLOBAL — Chugai Pharmaceutical and (ETH Spinoff) Araris Biotech have announced a research collaboration and option-to-license agreement centered on antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) valued at up to US$780 million...This partnership marks a significant step in advancing ADC technology, a promising area in cancer therapy.

New Study Shows ‘Anomalous Rocks’ Deep Inside Earth

external page ...A team of geophysicists from ETH Zurich and the California Institute of Technology has made a surprising discovery: using a new high-resolution model, they have discovered blobs of cold rocks (a mere 1,000 degrees Celsius when most of Earth's mantle is between 2,000 to 4,000 degrees Celsius hot) under large oceans or in the interior of continents—far away from plate boundaries.

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external page TechXplorist

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external page Popular Mechanics

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external page Earth.com

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external page Natural News

external page SPACE

external page ZME Science

Trees ‘remember’ wetter times − never having known abundant rain could buffer today’s young forests against climate change

external page Old trees may have grown through entire millennia that were wetter than the past 20 years. We are scientists who study forest dynamics, plant ecology and plant physiology. In a recent study, we (including researchers from ETH Zurich) found that trees can remember times when water was plentiful and that this memory continues to shape their growth for many years after wet phases end.

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external page Smart Water Magazine

Billionaire investor and 'Shark Tank' star make bid for TikTok US operations ahead of potential ban

external page A consortium led by billionaire Frank McCourt and "Shark Tank" investor Kevin O'Leary has made a formal offer to buy TikTok's US operations from Chinese parent company ByteDance, just days before a crucial Supreme Court hearing...Project Liberty, launched in 2021 with a $500 million commitment from McCourt, aims to develop next-generation digital infrastructure that prioritises user control and data privacy. The organisation has partnered with institutions including Georgetown University, Stanford University, and ETH Zurich.

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external page PR Newswire

external page Pulse 2.0

Scrona AG launches 128-nozzle EHD printhead at CES

external page (ETH Spinoff) Scrona AG announced a 128-nozzle electrohydrodynamic printhead at CES (Computer Electronics Show in Las Vegas) 2025. It is the first printhead exceeding 100 nozzles. Prior printheads were 8 nozzles or 48 nozzles. Such a precise printhead can be used for advanced packaging in semiconductors, display manufacturing and host of consumer products.

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external page EE News Europe

external page PR Newswire

Journey to the Center of the Earth: The Search for Dark Oxygen

external page To find the source of O2, the samples from the gold mine are currently at ETH Zurich for oxygen isotope analysis. The hypothesis is that oxygen isotopic signatures can be used to distinguish dark oxygen from atmospheric oxygen.

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external page Tech and Science Post

This Young Start-Up Has A Clever Strategy For Local CDR And Storage

external page Neustark was founded in 2019 by Johannes Tiefenthaler and Valentin Gutknecht, two innovators determined to find a practical and scalable solution to the challenges of carbon sequestration. Tiefenthaler, a scientist with a doctorate from the world-famous university ETH Zurich, is an expert in mineralization—storing carbon dioxide in stone—the core technology behind neustark’s innovation.

ANYbotics ANYmal robot is addressing key challenges in Industrial Robotics

external page The ANYmal robot addresses key challenges in industrial operations by offering autonomous, highly mobile inspection capabilities in complex and hazardous environments. Its four-legged design enables navigation through uneven terrains, stairs, and confined spaces, making it ideal for industries such as oil and gas, chemicals, and energy. Equipped with advanced sensors, ANYmal performs visual, thermal, gas, and acoustic inspections, providing real-time data to enhance safety and operational efficiency.

New Thin and Stiff Glass-Polymer Material has Excellent Soundproofing and Dampening Properties

external page A new study by researchers at the ETH Zurich Institute demonstrated a stiff and thin material with excellent sound-proofing and dampening properties. Curiously, the researchers used multiple layers of ultra-thin glass, bound by an elastic polymer. The glass needs to be very thin, at around 0.2 to 0.3 mm, while the PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) silicone is only a few hundred nanometers thick.

Italy’s Da Vinci Bridge Reinvented with 3D Printing and Stone Waste

external page While there have been other 3D printed, self-supporting bridges, such as the Striatus bridge in Venice by ETH Zurich and Zaha Hadid Architects, the 12-meter-long pedestrian bridge in the urban park of Castilla-La Mancha in Alcobendas, Madrid, or the 3D printed concrete bicycle bridge in Gemert, Netherlands, Da Vinci’s Bridge is unique thanks to its incorporation of waste materials into the 3D printing process.

Cells all over the body store 'memories': What does this mean for health?

external page The study, conducted by researchers from ETH Zurich, in Switzerland, supports the notion that lifestyle factors, such as unhealthy dietary patterns that can lead to chronic conditions like obesity, can trigger epigenetic memory formation by switching on genes that were not previously expressed.

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external page Aol.

TDK Ventures ‘thrilled’ with its investment into ANYbotics

external page TDK Corporation, the old Japanese multinational electronics giant, says its subsidiary TDK Ventures has invested in ANYbotics, a Switzerland-based global leader in industrial inspection robotics.

Scientists Re-Create the Microbial Dance That Sparked Complex Life

external page To observe the initial steps taken by two microbes as they adjusted to endosymbiotic life, biologists Gabriel Giger and Julia Vorholt re-created a wild endosymbiotic relationship in their lab at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich.

Can LLMs Make Robots Smarter?

external page The RT-2 model is part of a broad Open X-Embodiment Collaboration framework that spans the likes of UC Berkeley, Carnegie Mellon University, Stanford University, ETH Zurich...Google DeepMind, and more than two dozen other institutions. Together, participants have conducted nearly a million robotic trials with 527 distinct skills across 22 types of robots.d Using LLMs in conjunction with VLAs, they have pushed up success rates by upwards of 50% and witnessed emergent capabilities in areas like spatial recognition and dexterity.

Genetic Sequencing Breakthrough Reveals Rapid Spread of New Pathogens

external page "We can even use it to start predicting how new variants are going to take over, which means decisions can quickly be made about how to respond," says Noémie Lefrancq - now at ETH Zurich, but carried out the research as first author at University of Cambridge.

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external page Microbiologist

external page PHYS.org

external page ScienceDaily

external page TechExplorist

external page LabRoots

The new Great Wall: China’s $70 billion, 2,700-mile water transfer mega-project

external page To understand the motivations and implications of this colossal project, Interesting Engineering talked to experts, including Carla Freeman, Senior Expert for China at the US Institute of Peace, and Professor Stephan Pfister from ETH Zurich, a global water consumption impact specialist.

A Geek Leader

external page Productive failure podcast with Prof. Manu Kapur, Director of the Singapore-ETH Centre.

Using Robotic Building Methods for Low-Carbon Construction

Iexternal page mpact printing is being developed as an interdisciplinary collaboration at ETH-Zurich, between Gramazio Kohler Research, the chair of Sustainable Construction and the Robotic Systems Lab. The project vision is to develop an efficient and highly automated additive manufacturing method for excavated materials, to be realized on the full building scale, to produce unreinforced one- to two-story structures.