news from the lab
14.7.2010 - ’Broken symmetry’ discovery in high-temperature superconductors
23.8.2010 - Cells changing track: thymus cells transform into skin cells
16.8.2010 - Corrosion causes implants to fail
8.7.2010 - Protons - smaller than we thought
19.7.2010 - Quasar acting as a cosmic lens
4.8.2010 - The oldest dog of the world
1.7.2010 - Alcedo – the flying avalanche transceiver
26.6.2010 - Protein restores vision in blind animals
24.6.2010 - Decline of freshwater species
14.5.2010 - Molecule-sized bait to fish for new drug targets
11.5.2010 - Researchers find a way to calculate the effects of Casimir forces
7.5.2010 - No more blisters!
3.5.2010 - Chocolate for a long life
12.4.2010 - One Molecule Opens the Door to New Treatments for Depression
30.3.2010 - First attempt at 7 TeV collisions in the LHC
24.3.2010 - A system that's worth its salt
19.3.2010 - LHC sets new record to 3.5 TeV
18.3.2010 - Clever Materials Just Bend
16.3.2010 - Nearly 2 million Californians lost health insurance during recession
10.3.2010 - General relativity valid on cosmic scale
3.3.2010 - How the demons of dementia possess and damage brain cells
16.2.2010 - R&D expenditures by enterprises: sharp rise
3.2.2010 - New program to avoid bugs
25.1.2010 - New record in magnetic tape data density
13.1.2010 - New record in the area of prime number decomposition of cryptographically important numbers
10.12.2009 - Thirsty plants send emergency calls
news from the lab 2009
7.10.2009 - Retinal neurons do double duty
7.9.2009 - Function of a microscopic network found
2.9.2009 - A new molecule to combat diabetes and obesity
 
Business and Economics
Engineering Sciences
Humanities and Social Sciences
Medicine and life sciences
Natural sciences

news from the lab

Medicine/Pharmacy - Life sciences
Cells changing track: thymus cells transform into skin cells
23.08 - Taking one type of cell and transforming it into another type is now possible. Cells taken from the thymus have been transformed into skin cells – a discovery that may have important ramifications for the field of organ regeneration.

Chemistry - Physics/Astronomy
Corrosion causes implants to fail
16.08 - Researchers discover why implant coatings detach – and a method to prevent it. Extra-hard coatings made from diamond-like carbon (DLC) extend the operating lifetime of tools and components.

Life sciences - Earth sciences
The oldest dog of the world
4.08 - A fossil found more than 100 years ago in a cave in Switzerland may belong to the oldest domestic dog in the world. Kesslerloch Cave in Switzerland is one of the major Magdalenian sites in Central Europe.

Physics/Astronomy
Quasar acting as a cosmic lens
19.07 - Astrophysicists have for the first time observed a quasar that is located between the earth and a more distant galaxy and acts as a gravitational lens. This phenomenon illustrates Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity, and will make entirely new kinds of observations possible.

Physics/Astronomy - Chemistry
’Broken symmetry’ discovery in high-temperature superconductors
14.07 - In a major step toward understanding high-temperature cuprate superconductors, a team of Cornell, Binghamton University and Brookhaven National Laboratory scientists have found a "broken symmetry," where electrons act like molecules in a liquid crystal: Electrons between copper and oxygen atoms arrange themselves differently "north-south" than "

Physics/Astronomy
Protons - smaller than we thought
8.07 - The proton – one of the smallest building blocks of all matter – is even smaller than previously assumed. As a consequence of this discovery, a correction will have to be made to either the quantum theory of how light and matter interact or to the value of the Rydberg Constant – i.e.

Mechanical engineering/Mechanics - Electroengineering/Microtechnics
Alcedo – the flying avalanche transceiver
1.07 - Today’s trend in winter sports draws more and more people away from the designated slopes. Free riding and ski tours experience a massive boost in popularity. However, every year in Switzerland alone, 25 persons die on average in avalanche accidents.

Life sciences - Medicine/Pharmacy
Protein restores vision in blind animals
26.06 - Scientists restore vision in retinitis pigmentosa using an archaebacterial protein. Introducing halorhodopsin into the remaining but nonfunctional cone photoreceptors of the retina of mice not only reactivates the cone cells’ ability to interact with the rest of the visual system, it also prompts sophisticating visually guided behavior.

Environmental sciences - Life sciences
Decline of freshwater species
24.06 - The decline of biodiversity represents a loss of natural capital for future generations. Freshwater ecosystems are particularly affected, as they harbour disproportionately high levels of biodiversity.

Physics/Astronomy - Chemistry
Molecule-sized bait to fish for new drug targets
14.05 - Researchers have developed a method that could open the door for investigations into the function of half of all proteins in the human body. The research team has demonstrated nanoscale control over molecules, allowing for the precise study of interactions between proteins and small molecules.

Physics/Astronomy - Mathematics
Researchers find a way to calculate the effects of Casimir forces
11.05 - New computational techniques developed at MIT confirmed that the complex quantum effects known as Casimir forces would cause tiny objects with the shapes shown here to repel each other rather than attract.

Physics/Astronomy
No more blisters!
7.05 - Researchers have developed novel socks which reduce the chances of blisters forming on the wearer’s feet. The prototype footwear, made of various fibers, reduces friction at the toes and heels, absorbs perspiration and has a particularly comfortable feel.

Agronomy/Food Science - Medicine/Pharmacy
Chocolate for a long life
3.05 - A reasonable amount of chocolate lowers blood pressure and prevents the risk of heart attacks. German nutritionists obtained this result from an eight-year survey of 19,357 people aged 35 to 65 years.

Medicine/Pharmacy - Life sciences
One Molecule Opens the Door to New Treatments for Depression
12.04 - There has been little progress in the way we treat depression and anxiety for over thirty years, but a recent study may open the door to new strategies. Researchers from two laboratories at the Brain Mind Institute at EPFL explain how understanding the functioning of a molecule called MIF, or macrophage migration inhibitory factor, may change the way we treat depression.

Physics/Astronomy
First attempt at 7 TeV collisions in the LHC
30.03 - With beams routinely circulating in the Large Hadron Collider at 3.5 TeV, the highest energy yet achieved in a particle accelerator, CERN has set the date for the start of the LHC research programme. The first attempt for collisions at 7 TeV (3.5 TeV per beam) is scheduled for 30 March.

Electroengineering/Microtechnics - Computer Science/Telecom
A system that's worth its salt
24.03 - Potable water is often in high demand and short supply following a natural disaster like the Haiti earthquake or Hurricane Katrina. In both of those instances, the disaster zones were near the sea, but converting salty seawater to potable fresh water usually requires a large amount of dependable electrical power and large-scale desalination plants — neither of which were available in the disaster areas.

Physics/Astronomy
LHC sets new record to 3.5 TeV
19.03 - At just after 5:20 this morning, two 3.5 TeV proton beams successfully circulated in the Large Hadron Collider for the first time. This is the highest energy yet achieved in a particle accelerator, and an important step on the way to the start of the LHC research programme.

Physics/Astronomy - Mechanical engineering/Mechanics
Clever Materials Just Bend
18.03 - Those who witnessed the first takeoff of an Airbus A380 Superjumbo from Zurich airport at the end of January know that elegant is not the right word for the aircraft. On the other hand it is perfect to describe a crane as it leaves the ground, rising in a seemingly weightless fashion.

Social sciences - Business/Economics
Nearly 2 million Californians lost health insurance during recession
16.03 - Nearly 2 million Californians lost their health insurance during 2008 and 2009 - years characterized by a deep recession and mass layoffs - bringing the total number of uninsured in the state to more than 8 million, according to new estimates from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research.

Physics/Astronomy
General relativity valid on cosmic scale
10.03 - San Francisco - University of California Berkeley An analysis of more than 70,000 galaxies demonstrates that the universe – at least up to a distance of 3.5 billion light years from Earth – plays by the rules set out 95 years ago by Albert Einstein in his General Theory of Relativity.

Life sciences - Medicine/Pharmacy
How the demons of dementia possess and damage brain cells
3.03 - Alzheimer’s disease currently affects more than 26 million people worldwide and estimates of up to four times as many sufferers by 2050 has made studying its causes a top priority for neuroscientists.

Business/Economics - Administration and Government
R&D expenditures by enterprises: sharp rise
16.02 - Private enterprises spent almost CHF 12 billion on research and development activities (R&D) they conducted in Switzerland in 2008. This amount exceeds by CHF 2.3 billion (+24%) the expenditures posted in 2004 (9.6 billion), the last year surveyed.

Computer Science/Telecom
New program to avoid bugs
3.02 - A new approach for managing bugs in computer software has been develope. The latest version of the tool, available for free download, enables entire networks of computers to cooperate in order to collectively avoid the manifestations of bugs in software.

Computer Science/Telecom - Physics/Astronomy
New record in magnetic tape data density
25.01 - IBM researchers today announced they have demonstrated a world record in areal data density on linear magnetic tape — a significant update to one of the computer industry’s most resilient, reliable and affordable data storage technologies.

Mathematics - Computer Science/Telecom
New record in the area of prime number decomposition of cryptographically important numbers
13.01 - An international team of scientistshas obtained the prime factors of the RSA challenge number RSA-768, using the Number Field Sieve. The calculation took less than 2000 core years on modern CPUs. Extrapolating the trend from previous records in this area (512-bit in 1999, 663-bit in 2005, and the current 768-bit in 2009), it is reasonable to expect that 1024-bit keys will exhibit a similar degree of vulnerability within the next decade.

Environmental sciences - Life sciences
Thirsty plants send emergency calls
10.12.2009 - Independent whether we consider grapevines in the vineyard or tomatoes in the greenhouse: how well plants are being supplied with water can be viewed by an innovative magnetic probe that is simply clamped to the leaves.

Retinal neurons do double duty
7.10.2009 - Scientists have identified a new neural circuit in the retina responsible for the detection of approaching objects. Surprisingly, however, this is not the only function the circuit fulfills. The same nerve cells are also responsible for night-time vision.

Function of a microscopic network found
7.09.2009 - Fifty years ago, a microscopic network of tubules was found in neurons. Its function was unknown. Now, scientists have elucidated the function of this network: This structure modulates the strength of connections between two neurons, thereby contributing to our ability to learn and to adapt to new situations.

A new molecule to combat diabetes and obesity
2.09.2009 - Type 2 diabetes, the most common form of diabetes, is increasing at an alarming state with more than 180 million people affected worldwide. With the rising incidence of obesity, a major risk factor for the onset of c, this metabolic disorder represents a major health concern.

Earth sciences - Medicine/Pharmacy
Satellite data reveal seasonal pollution changes over India
7.09 - CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Armed with a decade’s worth of satellite data, University of Illinois atmospheric scientists have documented some surprising trends in aerosol pollution concentration, distribution and composition over the Indian subcontinent.

Social sciences - Medicine/Pharmacy
Drugs and alcohol, not mental illness, explains violent crime risk
7.09 - Health | Society 07 Sep 10 Bipolar disorder by itself does not increase the risk of committing violent crime, suggests a new study by Oxford University and the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden.

Sport sciences - Medicine/Pharmacy
Drinks lift for sports teams
6.09 - Consuming energy drinks during team sports could help young people perform better, a study suggests. Sports scientists found that 12-14 year olds can play for longer in team games when they drink an isotonic sports drink before and during games.

Medicine/Pharmacy - Chemistry
Protecting the lungs against "collateral damage" from the immune system
6.09 - Adapted from a media release issued by the Wellcome Trust Thursday 2 September 2010 A study published online today shows how our bodies try to minimise potential ’collateral damage’ caused by our immune system when fighting infection.

Life sciences - Medicine/Pharmacy
Genetic link for ALS risk confirmed
6.09 - Genetic link for ALS risk confirmed 06 Sep 2010, PR 187/10 Genetic variations on a specific chromosome appear to play a role in a fatal motor neuron condition known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig’s disease, research has found.

Physics/Astronomy - Mechanical engineering/Mechanics
The smallest possible refrigerator
3.09 - When it comes to refrigerators, size matters. Who hasn‘t at least once in their life wished for a bigger fridge’ However, who can say they‘ve wished for the extreme opposite ’ the smallest conceivable one? But this is exactly what experts in quantum mechanics from the University of Bristol have done.

Chemistry - Life sciences
Missing Piece Inspires New Look at Mars Puzzle
3.09 - PASADENA, Calif. - Experiments prompted by a 2008 surprise from NASA’s Phoenix Mars Lander suggest that soil examined by NASA’s Viking Mars landers in 1976 may have contained carbon-based chemical building blocks of life.

Medicine/Pharmacy - Life sciences
Novartis and collaborators discover novel antimalarial drug candidate
3.09 - New antimalarial drug candidate with novel mechanism of action has the potential to rapidly clear a Plasmodium infection upon administration of a single oral dose, as published in Science Novartis led collaboration includes The Scripps Research Institute, the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, with major support from the Wellcome Trust, Medicines for Malaria Venture, the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, as well as the U.S.

Life sciences - Medicine/Pharmacy
Diseases prove elusive in global genetic search
2.09 - A failure to use large international sample groups when searching for the genetic basis of common diseases is contributing to a lack of knowledge about the true frequency of illnesses across populations, according to a researcher from The Australian National University.

Physics/Astronomy
NASA Selects Investigations For First Mission To Encounter The Sun
2.09 - WASHINGTON - NASA has begun development of a mission to visit and study the sun closer than ever before. The unprecedented project, named Solar Probe Plus, is slated to launch no later than 2018.

Physics/Astronomy
Computer models explain patterns in bent crystals
2.09 - Blacksmiths make horseshoes by heating, beating and bending iron, but what’s happening to the metal’s individual atoms during such a process? Cornell researchers, using computational modeling, are providing new insight into how atoms in crystals rearrange as the material is bent and shaped.

Medicine/Pharmacy
Social networks influence health behaviors
2.09 - CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Scientists have long thought that social networks, which features many distant connections, or ‘long ties,’ produces large-scale changes most quickly. But in a new study, Damon Centola, an assistant professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management, has reached a different conclusion: Individuals are more likely to a

Physics/Astronomy
NASA Selects Investigations for First Sun Encounter Mission
2.09 - PASADENA, Calif. - NASA has begun development of a mission to visit and study the sun closer than ever before. The unprecedented project, named Solar Probe Plus, is slated to launch no later than 2018.

Business/Economics - Agronomy/Food Science
UW-Madison researchers release Wisconsin Poverty Report: New measure tells new story
2.09 - The second Wisconsin Poverty Report shows the rate of poverty in Wisconsin worsened in 2008, with more than 11 percent of the state’s population living in need, including one in seven children and one in 10 elderly residents.

Medicine/Pharmacy - Chemistry
Hormel Institute study reveals capsaicin can act as cocarcinogen
2.09 - Research links chemical in widely consumed foods to skin cancer MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (09/02/2010) —The September cover story of the nation’s leading cancer journal, “Cancer Research,” features a new study from The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, that links capsaicin, a component of chili peppers, to skin cancer.

Physics/Astronomy - Chemistry
Hot water discovered around a carbon star
2.09 - Astronomers at UCL, using the European Space Agency’s Herschel Space Observatory, have observed water vapour being formed somewhere it was previously thought to be impossible: in the atmosphere of a red giant carbon star.

Life sciences
Acting selfish Blame your mother
2.09 - Science 02 Sep 10 The fact that our female ancestors dispersed more than our male ancestors can lead to conflicts within the brain that influence our social behaviour, new research reveals.

Medicine/Pharmacy - Life sciences
Sugar does not relieve newborn pain
2.09 - Sugar given to newborn babies as a routine form of pain relief does not work, according to a new study led by UCL researchers and published today in The Lancet . Instead, sucrose changes the facial expressions of some babies giving the impression that pain is being relieved.