news 2024

Do our brains process natural voices and deepfake voices differently? Research conducted at the University of Zurich indicates that this is the case. In a new study, researchers have identified two brain regions that respond differently to natural and deepfake voices. Much like fingerprints, our voices are unique and can help us identify people.

Researchers from ETH Zurich and the Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences have developed a novel solution for heat pumps. Using this new approach, companies can generate carbon-free process heat at temperatures of up to 200 degrees Celsius while also drastically reducing the number of different heat pumps required.

Researchers at EPFL have discovered how networks of neurons in fruit flies transform simple brain signals into coordinated actions. This sheds light on the neural mechanisms underlying complex behaviors for potential application in robotics. Understanding how animals, including humans, transform brain signals into coordinated movements is a fundamental question in neuroscience.

How do pathogens invade the lungs? Using human lung microtissues, a team at the Biozentrum of the University of Basel has uncovered the strategy used by a dangerous pathogen. The bacterium targets specific lung cells and has developed a sophisticated strategy to break through the lungs' line of defense.

Boys are good at math, girls not so much? A study from the University of Zurich has analyzed the social mechanisms that contribute to the gender gap in math confidence. While peer comparisons seem to play a crucial role for boys, girls' subjective evaluations are more likely to be based on objective performance.

For the first time, water frost has been detected on the colossal volcanoes on Mars, which are the largest mountains in the Solar System. The international team led by the University of Bern used high-resolution color images from the Bernese Mars camera, CaSSIS, onboard the European Space Agency's ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter spacecraft.

Using machine-learning methods, researchers at ETH Zurich have shown that more than half of all killer T cells exhibit nuclear invaginations, or folds in the cell's nuclear envelope. Thanks to this particular cellular architecture, such cells are able to mount a faster and stronger response to pathogens.

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are a threat to health worldwide. This makes it all the more important not only to track their spread, but also to recognise trends. Over the course of a year, researchers have analysed wastewater from six wastewater treatment plants in Switzerland for the spread of antibiotic-resistant coliform bacteria.

Researchers at UZH have found that the maturation of the senses for smell and touch is closely linked in mice and that this strong interaction takes place within a narrow developmental time window. These findings not only underline the importance of environmental stimuli for brain assembly in early life, but also the interdependent development of the senses.

The annual killifish lives in regions with extreme drought. A research group at the University of Basel now reports in "Science" that the early embryogenesis of killifish diverges from that of other species. Unlike other fish, their body structure is not predetermined from the outset. This could enable the species to survive dry periods unscathed.

Chronic pain is a significant global health concern and access to pain control is a basic human right. While the burden of chronic pain is well described in high-income countries, there is limited data in lowand middle-income countries (LMICs), in particular in marginalized communities such as pastoralists.

Bronze cauldrons were used by the inhabitants of the Mongolian steppe around 2,700 years ago to process animal blood and milk. This is shown by a protein analysis of archaeological finds from this period. Scattered across the Eurasian steppe, archaeologists repeatedly come across metal cauldrons from the Bronze Age during excavations.

Cathodic corrosion protection is a widely used technique for protecting steel-based infrastructure from corrosion. researchers have now clarified the detailed mechanisms involved, thereby resolving a controversial issue that had preoccupied the engineering community for decades. Corrosion is a chemical reaction to which even the strongest structures fall victim.

Lesbian, gay and bisexual people experience greater exclusion than heterosexual people. This is the conclusion of a recent study by researchers from the University of Basel and the University of Kaiserslautern-Landau (RPTU). Heterosexual individuals who deviate from traditional gender roles are also affected.

The patchy fossil record makes it difficult for paleontologists to draw an accurate picture of the extent of past biodiversity and to understand how it has changed over time. A study led by Rebecca Cooper and Daniele Silvestro from the University of Fribourg shows how artificial intelligence (AI) can make this task easier .

An estimated one-fifth of the world's population is affected by pollen allergies. Researchers at Swiss TPH and the University of Basel have now discovered that a high concentration of pollen can increase blood pressure in allergy sufferers. It is estimated that around 20% of adults globally are allergic to pollen.

Cancer treatments often struggle with balancing efficacy and side effects. A new study by scientists offers a promising solution using antibody-peptide inhibitor conjugates to target specific cell types and block the activity of cancer-promoting enzymes called cathepsins. Tumor cells often hijack normal physiological processes to support their growth, exploiting proteins that are in charge of essential cell functions.

An estimated one-fifth of the world's population is affected by pollen allergies. Researchers at Swiss TPH have now discovered that high pollen concentrations can increase blood pressure in allergy sufferers. Pollen allergies are thus becoming a growing public health problem, especially as the pollen season is becoming longer and more intense due to climate change.

A group of EPFL and scientists have mapped the biodiversity in forests worldwide. Their data, when combined with climate projections, reveal trends that could support ecosystem conservation and restoration efforts. According to the latest figures from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, forests cover just over 4 billion hectares of the Earth's surface, or one-third of its total land.

A recent study carried out at the University of Lausanne reveals that both excess and deficiency of the same protein can lead to severe intellectual impairment. The discovery opens up vital prospects for the early diagnosis of a rare developmental disorder. A team of scientists led by Alexandre Reymond, an expert in human genetics at the Centre intégratif de génomique (CIG) and Professor at the Faculty of Biology and Medicine (FBM) at the University of Lausanne (UNIL), has produced a major breakthrough in the detection of a rare genetic disease.