January 2014

Landflächen werden immer knapper, die Böden vielerorts stärker belastet, und die Nachfrage nach Nahrungsmitteln steigt angesichts der wachsenden Weltbevölkerung. Eine «nachhaltige Intensivierung» der Landwirtschaft könnte die Situation entschärfen.

Once again, ETH researchers benefit from European Research Council (ERC) grants: four researchers from ETH Zurich receive an ERC Consolidator Grant – a total of almost CHF 9 million – for their projects.

A new, unknown strain of bacteria produces most of the bioactive substances that the stony sponge Theonella swinhoei exudes. An international research team led by ETH professor Jörn Piel describes these natural products, the associated genes and strain of bacteria in a publication in Nature.

An international research team led by scientists at the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich has succeeded in improving a class of early-generation antibiotics: they have been able to suppress their once serious side effects.

‘Good morning Ladies and Gentlemen, have we got something to show you! Prepare to be impressed!’ With a nice touch of showmanship, Ian Smith, Principal Investigator at the Future Cities Lab (FCL), was presenting the Simulation Platform Research Module. For me, it was one of my first real experiences of FCL.

The origin and stimulus behind plate tectonics has been simulated with the aid of high-performance computers. A new study sheds light on the role continents play in the formation of oceanic crust.

The young ETH spin-off Bitsplitters introduces a system that measures UV exposure using a sensor and a smartphone app.

Commuters know only too well: the congested rail network is causing more and more incidents and delays. ETH doctoral student Steffen Schranil has developed a method that allows the duration of disruptions to be predicted early and reliably.

Gaining experience living abroad, completing a traineeship at an international company and receiving personal coaching: every one of these elements is already exciting in itself; the Unitech programme offers the whole lot.

Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich have deciphered the structure of part of the ribosome found in mitochondria, the power plants of the cell. The scientists were able to benefit from advancements in the field of electron microscopy and capture images of the mitochondrial ribosome at a level of resolution never achieved before.