News
Tackling diabetes with an electronic implant: how a tiny catalyst lowers blood sugar
Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed an implantable system that clears excess glucose from the blood. The method has proved successful in the lab.
Thomas Scheiber named new Vice President for Infrastructure and Sustainability
The ETH Board has elected Thomas Scheiber as the new Vice President for Infrastructure and Sustainability at ETH Zurich. The 46-year-old succeeds Ulrich Weidmann and brings more than two decades of management experience in running large-scale real estate and infrastructure operations.
One small leap for a muscle, one giant step for robotics
These robots have real muscles, and they’re finally making big moves. Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed muscle actuators that flex strongly enough to enable small robots to jump, swim, walk and grasp.
Nicolas Gruber, are the dire warnings about El Niño justified?
Weather services and media outlets are issuing urgent warnings that a super El Niño is set to intensify extreme weather worldwide. Are the consequences really so serious? Climate physicist Nicolas Gruber puts the situation into perspective and explains what it could mean for Switzerland.
Spin-off developing “conductors” for quantum computers
Quantum computers only work when a control system reliably delivers algorithms to the hardware while immediately detecting and correcting erroneous calculations. The ETH spin-off Qendra is developing precisely these systems, making it a player in an expanding market.
New method makes acrylic glass recycling economically viable
Cheaper, better, more practical: Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a new method for breaking down acrylic glass almost entirely into its individual chemical building blocks – without solvents or large amounts of heat. This brings the recycling of acrylic glass within reach.
ETH Zurich opens competence centre for Earth observation
Around a year after the announcement of a generous donation by the Jörg G. Bucherer-Foundation, ETH Zurich opened the ETH Swiss GeoLab on 16 October. Numerous guests from the fields of politics, business and science visited the new site in Root near Lucerne.
Master’s in Space Systems: ETH Zurich prepares students for lift off
What do you get when scientists and engineers on a new degree programme join forces to tinker with new business models, concepts and case studies for the space industry? The Master’s in Space Systems has produced its first graduates, and they join the programme director to reflect on the journey.
When bacteria become masons
Microscopic bacteria can bind grains of sand together into solid structures. An ETH Zurich researcher is combining this process with 3D printing and robotics, thereby opening up new ways of manufacturing architectural elements.
How cells make their command centre accessible
The cell nucleus stores and safeguards the genetic information in our cells. ETH Zurich researchers have now shown how this protective shell is breached to form vital communication channels between the nucleus and the rest of the cell, solving a long-standing puzzle.
Eva Lieberherr, how can we use water more sustainably?
As climate change makes water an increasingly valuable resource, we need more sustainable ways of managing it in towns and cities, argues Eva Lieberherr. The technology to do so is already available.
What competitive sports and robotics have in common
Tifanny Portela is doing her doctorate at ETH Zurich while competing with the Swiss national twirling team. She draws on her athletic background to handle setbacks, manage her time and stay focused. These skills also serve her well in her research.