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In Sumatra, Indonesia, an international team of researchers has found an innovative way to restore native trees in oil palm plantations. Their method? Create small islands of trees within the plantation. In just six years, some of the local trees have grown to over 15 metres in height. Clara Zemp, Professor of Conservation Biology at the University of Neuchâtel, co-authored a study describing these results, published in the journal Science .

The olive colobus, a discreet primate found in the forests of Côte d'Ivoire, is surprisingly proficient in vocal communication. According to a study by the University of Neuchâtel, despite its limited vocal repertoire, this little monkey is able to convey a variety of information by combining its calls according to precise rules.

Western gorillas move in groups, which means coordinating their movements in the forest between rest periods.

Biologists who worked for several years at the University of Neuchâtel report on induced plant resistance in a special multimedia dossier published today in the prestigious journal Frontiers in Science . The method is presented as a kind of vaccination, making it possible to reduce dependence on pesticides not only to combat crop diseases and pests, but also to ensure healthier, more sustainable harvests.

A major international study conducted mainly at the University of Neuchâtel (Switzerland) has revealed that the Apodera vas shell amoeba is found almost exclusively in regions originating from Gondwana, the supercontinent that gave rise to some of today's continents. The study also highlights the threat posed by global warming to the biodiversity of soil micro-organisms, of which this amoeba is one.

Since the dawn of time, humans have used plants to heal themselves. But it wasn't until the 18th century that we began to understand that this healing power came from certain specific compounds: active ingredients. In a collective work for the general public entitled 'Plantes soignantes' (Healing plants), the contributions of two biology researchers from the University of Neuchâtel, Emmanuel Defossez and Sergio Rasmann, retrace the major stages in this quest, the potential of which remains largely unexplored .

Pre-emptively decorating endangered black rhinos to protect them from poaching. A doctoral student in biology at the University of Neuchâtel (UniNE) has studied the impact of this measure on the animals' behavior in ten nature reserves in South Africa. Vanessa Duthé presents her analysis today in the leading scientific journal PNAS, as part of the Black Rhino Conservation Project she initiated .

Bad news for Swiss agriculture: several species of insect pests would find an advantage if the climate continues to warm up.

Despite mandatory data sharing policies adopted by some scientific journals, the potential for reuse of these data remains limited. This is the finding of a meta-research on open science undertaken by Dominique Roche, postdoctoral fellow in biology at the University of Neuchâtel. Open science is a worldwide movement to make scientific research and its data transparent and accessible to all.

Regardless of the topic, conspiracy texts refer to a greater number of themes and are less coherent than non-conspiracy writings. This is the result of the largest comparison ever carried out between texts supporting these theories and non-conspiracy writings, i.e. 96,000 articles analyzed in total.

Ironic remarks or indirect requests are part of our everyday dialogue. But certain brain lesions can alter the grasp of the hidden meaning of these expressions. During her PhD, speech therapist Natacha Cordonier studied these disorders, from diagnosis to treatment. Exclaiming 'What a great weather! during a picnic, when the weather is rainy.

If timetables and punctuality are an integral part of our society, it has not always been so. This is what Catherine Herr-Laporte, a doctoral student at the Chair in the History of Technology, has shown by studying the development of postal transport in France throughout the 18th century as part of her doctoral thesis on time and mobility.

Coordinated by the CSEM, the large European quantum project macQsimal, included in the FET Flagship on Quantum Technologies initiative, is nearing its end and reveals very promising results.

Chimpanzees are capable of inventing new, more efficient tools and, once they have done so, of abandoning their old tools in favour of new ones. This is what Noémie Lamon, a doctorate in biology from the University of Neuchâtel, has shown in a study conducted with researchers from the universities of Geneva (UNIGE) and St Andrews (UK), published today in the prestigious journal Proceedings of the Royal Society: Biological Sciences.

Intestinal worms are the most feared problem among horse owners. To prevent them, the entire herd is systematically dewormed without any preventive control.