All ETH Zurich articles
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NewsThe SETI Institute and ETH Zurich join forces to search for the origin of life
ETH Zurich and the SETI Institute have announced a strategic scientific partnership investigating the origins of life on planet Earth.
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NewsScientists map how the flu virus rewires the human cell from the inside
Researchers have gained new insights into how the influenza A virus reprograms cellular machinery by tracking molecular interactions directly inside infected cells.
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NewsPhytoplankton apply the onion skin principle
The phycosphere, which surrounds ocean microalgae, is one of the most important marketplaces for organic carbon in the oceans. A new study of chemical signals in this region suggests that the phycosphere consists of multiple layers.
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NewsProtection for newborns: New treatment aims to prevent meningitis without antibiotics
One of the leading pathogens responsible for meningitis cases in newborn babies is the K1 form of the E. coli bacterium. Now, researchers have developed a triple-pronged approach that seeks to prevent transmission to newborns.
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NewsScientists identify endangered natural pharmacy hidden in coral reefs
The magnitude of the potential loss of the “natural pharmacy” found in the coral microbiome is demonstrated by a new study which identified new microbial species in corals which have the ability to produce novel substances.
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NewsPeatland lakes in the Congo Basin release carbon that is thousands of years old
Researchers have discovered that large blackwater lakes in the extensive peatlands of the central Congo Basin are releasing ancient carbon. How the carbon is mobilised from the peat to the lake, where it is finally released to the atmosphere, is still unknown.
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NewsScaling up: Fungus plays key role in crafting spalted wood
A new standardized, scalable process deploys a fungal pest of deciduous trees to create a unique woodworking product - spalted wood, with its distinctive etched black markings.
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NewsScientists fight superbugs with nets, light switches - and egg white
A new gel could combat resistant bacteria in wounds and around implant sites, while also supporting healing. The hydrogel, which is inspired by natural immune defences, has produced highly promising results in animal models.
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NewsBacteria double as Trojan horse for artificial amino acids
Researchers have hijacked a natural transport system of the bacterium E. coli to develop a solution that allows artificial amino acids to be introduced into bacteria efficiently. This means the “amino acid toolbox” can be expanded for widespread use in medicine and the biotech industry.
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NewsResearchers watch live as influenza viruses enter human cells
Using a microscopy technique that they developed themselves, scientists can zoom in on the surface of human cells in a Petri dish, observing live and in high resolution how influenza viruses enter a living cell. They found the cells are not passive, but actively attempt to capture the virus.
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NewsProtein condensates determine a cell’s fate, yeast study reveals
To ensure they have all the information they need, molecules from throughout a cell gather and form aggregates that can have different consistencies: regions called “condensates”. Researchers have discovered how condensates contribute to cellular information exchange in yeast cells.
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NewsNew genome editing method inspired by bacteria’s defense strategies
Researchers have developed a new method for precisely editing DNA. Their aim was to make genetic changes in bacteria, plants, and human cells even more accurate and gentle.
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News‘Essentiality’ scan reveals microbe’s ‘must-have’ list
Researchers have spent years taking apart one of the world’s simplest microbes, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, piece by piece, and created a detailed list of what molecular parts the living cell can and cannot do without.
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NewsGut microbes: How many molecules influence our body?
Researchers have precisely quantified how many molecules are produced by gut bacteria and arrive in the body every day, enabling them to calculate how many gut bacteria are used up and regenerated each day.
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NewsTurning biodiversity upside down: Conservation maps miss fungal hotspots by focusing on plants
For decades, scientists and conservationists have been using aboveground plant biodiversity as a metric for conserving ecosystems. Now a new study finds that there is a major mismatch between aboveground plant diversity and Earth’s underground fungal biodiversity.
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NewsScientists ID new drug target for treating cancer and viral infections
An international team of researchers has identified a molecular mechanism that regulates the activity of N-myristoyltransferases, enzymes that ensure the proteins’ function by chemically modifying them during their production.
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NewsWhen bacteria get hungry, they kill – and eat – their neighbors
Scientists have discovered a gruesome microbial survival strategy: when food is scarce, some bacteria kill and consume their neighbors. The researchers show that under nutrient-limited conditions, bacteria use a specialized weapon — the Type VI Secretion System (T6SS) — to attack, kill, and slowly absorb nutrients from other bacterial cells.
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NewsSusceptibility to bovine TB in cattle traced to key genes
A new study identifying genetic factors contributing to bovine tuberculosis (bTB) susceptibility has found several key genes and pathways involved in the bovine response to Mycobacterium bovis, the causative agent of the disease in cattle.
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NewsOrigin of life: How microbes laid the foundation for complex cells
Researchers examining links between Asgard archaea and eukaryotes have shown that Asgard tubulins form similar microtubules, albeit smaller than those in their eukaryotic relatives. Unlike actin, these tubulin proteins appear in very few species of Asgard archaea.
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NewsGlobal trust in science remains strong after pandemic
A post-pandemic global survey reveals that the general public remains to perceive scientists as trustworthy. They are also encouraged to actively engage in public communication and address the areas researches should prioritize in.