Invasive species impacts transcend ecosystem boundaries
Invasive species have profound impacts on biodiversity. A study led by UZH researchers reveals the impacts of invasive species commonly transcend major ecosystem boundaries, such as the aquatic-terrestrial interface, influencing biodiversity across larger spatial extents than previously recognized.
UZH is responding to the rise of data science by establishing the Department of Mathematical Modeling and Machine Learning. DM3L for short, it combines UZH’s strong basic research in mathematics with practical applications and will offer a new study program from fall 2025. Here are four examples.
The new IceAgeCam installation on Felsenegg gives an impressive demonstration of the human influence on climate change. Visitors can immerse themselves in an interactive experience of the changing glacial landscapes. It is the result of an interdisciplinary project involving researchers from UZH, the University of Lausanne and the Zurich University of the Arts.
A team from GIUZ and the Swiss Ornithological Institute studied how migratory birds cross the Swiss Alps for the first time using year-round radar measurements: migration intensities, flight altitudes, speeds and directions were monitored. It turned out that migratory birds use the Alpine valleys and adjacent passes as passages.
Measuring between 3 to 3.5 meters, 16 million years old: Paleontologists from the University of Zurich have announced the discovery of a new species of freshwater dolphin in the Peruvian Amazon region. Surprisingly, its closest living relatives can be found in the river dolphins of South Asia.
UZH Opens New Natural History Museum with Four Dinosaurs
The new Natural History Museum of the University of Zurich brings together zoology, paleontology, anthropology and botany under the same roof. The museum opens with four new dinosaur skeletons and various other additions that shine a light on how evolution and biodiversity have shaped life on our planet.
UZH’s Faculty of Science operates research stations in far-flung places, where researchers analyze the effects of climate change or observe mountain chimps and meerkats in their natural environment, among other things. Five of these stations are presented below.
If a space telescope like LIFE were to observe planet Earth from a distance of around 30 light years, it would find signs of a temperate, habitable world. Physicists at ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich reached this conclusion with the help of observations of our own planet.
Cracking the Code of Neurodegeneration: New Model Identifies Potential Therapeutic Target
Scientists at UZH have developed an innovative neural cell culture model, shedding light on the intricate mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration. Their research revealed a promising therapeutic target in the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD).
When the female gametes in plants become fertilized, a signal from the sperm activates cell division, leading to the formation of new plant seeds. This activation can also be deliberately triggered without fertilization, which opens up new avenues for the asexual propagation of crop plants.
The ESA’s most expensive and complex mission, the LISA space antenna, has reached a major milestone: it has passed the stage of intensive testing by experts in the Mission Adoption Review process. Project member Professor Philippe Jetzer of UZH explains why this is such a significant step for the LISA consortium.
Urs Meyer, professor at the Institute of Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology at UZH, and his team have developed a new method of orally administering pharmaceutical substances to mice. The new method benefits both the animals and the researchers. The method will now be rolled out more widely as part of the National Research Programme 79, “Advancing 3R”.
In the last year, eight new spin-offs were created at the University of Zurich to bring research-based ideas to market readiness. The new companies are developing innovative approaches for the treatment of autoimmune diseases, lead poisoning, blood cancer and endometriosis, the improvement of spinal surgery, better diagnostics in oral health, and simplification of satellite data analysis.
Primate social organization is more flexible than previously assumed. According to a new study led by UZH, the first primates probably lived in pairs, while only around 15 percent of individuals were solitary.
The Center of Competence for Plant Sciences run by the universities of Zurich, Basel and ETH Zurich is 25 years old. For its anniversary, 12 research groups are presenting some of their most important discoveries in an online exhibition. Using five examples, we show how plant research affects our lives.
Researchers from ETH Zurich and University Zurich have shown for the first time that microvehicles can be steered through blood vessels in the brains of mice using ultrasound. They hope that this will eventually lead to treatments capable of delivering drugs with pinpoint precision.
A Swiss research team has now shown that inoculating the soil with mycorrhizal fungi can help maintain or even improve yields without the use of additional fertilizers or pesticides. In a large-scale field trial, harvests increased by up to 40 percent.
Protection of Highly Threatened Sharks and Rays Inadequate
Research into elasmobranch functional diversity has revealed previously overlooked, critical conservation priorities, underscoring the urgent need for targeted action to safeguard the threatened species.
Antibiotic resistance is increasingly becoming a challenge for treating bacterial infections. Microbiologist Simona Huwiler is researching whether predatory bacteria — that is, bacteria that eat other bacteria — can be used as a new kind of antibiotic and whether this approach also leads to the development of resistance.
