December 2020
Robots that cut, bees that bite
News
An extraordinary year is drawing to a close. ETH News takes a look back at the highlights that emerged amidst difficult and unsettling times, at ingenious ideas, fascinating science and solidarity in action during – and despite – the coronavirus pandemic.
ETH podcast series on the topic of uncertainty
News
The new episode of the ETH Podcast marks the beginning of a series on the topic of uncertainty. The presidents of the students' umbrella organization and the rector report on how they are dealing with the pandemic.
Countries benefit when they learn from each other
Zukunftsblog
Roman Stocker, member of the Swiss National COVID-19 Science Task Force, explains why it is so important in this pandemic that experts exchange information across national borders.
We’ve got a lot on our plate
Zukunftsblog
There is little to suggest we’ll be eating less meat any time soon. In the last post of 2020, Lukas Fesenfeld explains why a sustainable food supply system is still possible.
How a large protein complex assembles in a cell
News
A team of ETH researchers led by Karsten Weis has developed a method that allows them to study the assembly process for large protein complexes in detail for the first time. As their case study, the biologists chose one of the largest cellular complexes: the nuclear pore complex in yeast cells.
Get ready for the cleantech race!
Globe magazine
Meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement means embracing a sustainable transition to renewables. Yet analyses suggest that decarbonisation can only be achieved with targeted government support for the right technologies.
What immune cells reveal about sleep disorders
News
Daniela Latorre wanted to be a scientist since she was a child. At the Institute for Research in Biomedicine, affiliated to the USI in Bellinzona and the Institute of Microbiology, she is finding evidence that narcolepsy is an autoimmune disease. She has now received the Pfizer Prize for Research 2020 for her pioneering work.
How climate change is disrupting ecosystems
News
When it gets warmer, organisms rise higher from the lowlands. Researchers from ETH and WSL investigated what could happen to plant communities on alpine grasslands if grasshoppers from lower elevations settled there.
rETHink project: preparing for the next 20 years
Globe magazine
Rising expectations from both inside and outside the university have prompted the Executive Board to launch rETHink. One year on, this organisational development project is steadily gaining momentum.
Nicola Spaldin becomes member of the ERC Science Council
News
Great honour for ETH professor Nicola Spaldin: the European Commission has elected the materials researcher as a member of the ERC Science Council.