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Even large objects with several hundred million atoms can exhibit quantum mechanical behaviour – without cooling and at room temperature, as researchers at ETH Zurich have shown. This yields exciting potential for new technologies.

A new type of tissue-engineered cardiac patch could not only seal defective areas of the heart, as has been the case up to now, but also heal them. An interdisciplinary team led by ETH Zurich has successfully implanted the patch in animals.

How do left-handed and right-handed molecules differ? Researchers at ETH Zurich are using a new imaging method to visualise what was previously only measurable as an average, opening up new possibilities for biology and materials science.

Dust particles from deserts promote ice formation in clouds. This discovery highlights the importance of aerosols for understanding cloud behaviour, predicting precipitation, and assessing the role of clouds in climate change.

For more than 100 years, scientists have puzzled over whether the Earth’s magnetic field had already been generated stably back in its early days when its inner core was fully liquid – unlike it is today. A team of geophysicists has used a simulation to show that this was highly likely.

The cultivation of thick muscle fibres from bovine cells in the lab has long been a challenge for scientists. Researchers from ETH Zurich have now successfully tackled this issue – with the goal of one day producing edible meat.

Nationalism is surging at an alarming rate in many parts of the world. Conflict researcher Lars-Erik Cederman explains the paradoxical impact of nationalists’ repeated underestimation of the nationalism of others. This could also hold true in the attack on Iran.

Students at ETH Zurich are teaming up with engineers from industrial companies to help expedite innovation. This unique approach to teaching and collaboration has been hailed by both sides as a great success.

The rapid rise in global rocket launches could slow the recovery of the vital ozone layer, says Sandro Vattioni. The problem is being underestimated – yet it could be mitigated by forward-looking, coordinated action.

Time and again debris flows cause death and destruction. A research team has measured these flows of water, earth and debris with high precision. The study shows previously unexplained factors that determine the destructive force of debris flows – which allows appropriate protective measures to be put in place.

Pioneer Fellow Edoardo Pezzulli is developing software that makes it possible to continuously monitor carbon storage in the ground and reduce its risks. Now he is striving to bring his technology to market.

ETH professor Ueli Maurer has provided cryptography with a theoretical basis. Now he is retiring. However, his most important research project is yet to come.

At its meeting of 9 and 10 July 2025 and upon application of Joël Mesot, President of ETH Zurich, the ETH Board appointed eight professors. The Board also awarded the title of "Professor of Practice" once.

The Vice President Knowledge Transfer and Corporate Relations, Vanessa Wood, will step down from the ETH Executive Board effective December 2025. She looks back at her leadership roles within ETH and on the successful establishment of the new Vice Presidency.

For the first time, researchers at ETH Zurich have successfully produced hundreds of different types of nerve cell from human stem cells in Petri dishes. In the future, it will thus be possible to investigate neurological disorders using cell cultures instead of animal testing.

ETH Zurich and EPFL will release a large language model (LLM) developed on public infrastructure. Trained on the “Alps” supercomputer at the Swiss National Supercomputing Centre (CSCS), the new LLM marks a milestone in open-source AI and multilingual excellence.

ETH Zurich will receive 10 million Swiss francs a year from the Jörg G. Bucherer-Foundation for the next ten years. The university will use the funds to establish a competence centre for Earth observation with global appeal and a physical presence in the Canton of Lucerne. The Canton of Lucerne is to support the project as infrastructure partner.

A new 3D simulation tool developed by ETH and SLF researchers now allows for significantly more accurate predictions of complex alpine mass movements, supporting alpine risk management.

Chronic wounds are a major medical challenge, burdening healthcare systems with billions of dollars in costs every year. Pioneer Fellow Börte Emiroglu is developing a new product: a selective, sponge-like hydrogel that reduces inflammatory signals and actively promotes healing.

High temperatures and more frequent heatwaves are causing many people to doubt whether high-density urban planning is still sustainable. However, building physicist Jan Carmeliet argues that even dense cities can be cool if they are planned correctly. 

Giuseppe Antoniazzi is developing a diagnostic toolkit that gives early warning of fibrotic diseases. In doing so, this Pioneer Fellow wishes to contribute to the early detection of tissue scarring, which is usually noticed too late and can barely be halted, and enable countermeasures to be implemented.

Using nuclear magnetic resonance, researchers at ETH Zurich have studied the atomic environments of single platinum atoms in solid supports as well as their spatial orientation. In the future, this method can be used to optimize the production of single-atom catalysts.

Scientists are using trapped ions in experiments to search for signs of a new particle that could help explain the mysterious dark matter. Researchers at ETH Zurich are combining their results with findings from teams in Germany and Australia.

Christian Wolfrum has played a key role in the evolution of medical research at ETH Zurich. Now he’s taking on a new challenge in Singapore.

The ETH professor has received one of the most prestigious awards in space research. According to the laudation, Thomas Zurbuchen has distinguished himself by his contributions to the aerospace community.

Following the resignation of the ETH Alumni Association Board of Directors, outgoing President Jeannine Pilloud looks back on the last two years and explains where the Association stands today.

Urea is considered a possible key molecule in the origin of life. ETH researchers have discovered a previously unknown way in which this building block can form spontaneously on aqueous surfaces without the need for any additional energy.

Florian Dörfler develops algorithms that keep our power grids stable using mathematics and, as he says, a strong willingness to take risks. He has now been awarded the Rössler Prize, the most prestigious honour for young professors at ETH Zurich.

Researchers at ETH Zurich are developing a model in the lab made from human breast milk cells. They hope it will help them understand how breast milk is made – a little-researched area of female biology.

Six spin-offs of ETH Zurich were among the 18 finalists in this year’s Venture Awards. Three of them won in their respective categories, and three came in second. The Grand Prize went to spin-off MyNerva.

Why are more new housing units being constructed in Geneva each year, while Zurich is seeing a decline? Why are older residential buildings in Basel, Geneva and Lausanne being vertically extended, while they are being demolished and replaced in Zurich? ETH researchers provide new answers to the role of housing construction and its social impact.

Knowledge grows through dialogue: we learn by explaining and understand by listening. ETH helps facilitate this process – in continuing education, in vocational training and at the science-policy interface.

Researchers are developing a living material that actively extracts carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Photosynthetic cyanobacteria grow inside it, forming biomass and solid minerals and thus binding CO₂ in two different manners. 

According to the recently published QS World University Rankings 2026, ETH Zurich ranks among the world’s ten best universities once again this year. It took the top spot in continental Europe, with only universities in the US and the United Kingdom ranking higher. 

Researchers at ETH Zurich and Empa have developed a new image sensor made of perovskite. This semiconductor material enables better colour reproduction and fewer image artefacts with less light. Perovskite sensors are also particularly well suited for machine vision.

ETH Zurich has set up a master's programme in mechatronics in collaboration with Ashesi University in Ghana. The first cohort of students is now graduating. The project aims to contribute to sustainable industrialisation in sub-Saharan Africa.

Two biologists, an engineer, a physicist and a health scientist from ETH Zurich have been awarded ERC Advanced Grants worth around 12 million euros. The researchers are among the first in Switzerland to receive this prestigious EU research funding after a hiatus of several years.

ETH graduates are primed to excel – and they bring far more to the table than just technical expertise. This makes them popular among employers. But can ETH maintain its winning formula for education in the future?

Three women spin-off founders from ETH Zurich have developed a portable measuring device that analyses soil quality and enables customised fertilisation. The device makes farming more sustainable and efficient while reducing its environmental impact.