Research

Some 80% of weather radiosondes – remote measurement instruments containing plastic, batteries and electronic parts – end up lost in nature after one flight. But a startup created by an EPFL master’s student is set to change that with a new, ultra-lightweight “glidersonde” that can automatically return to where it was launched.

In addition to individual research projects with companies, Empa also enters into strategic, long-term industrial partnerships. The cooperation with BASF is an excellent example of this: Starting with a project on the production of graphene nanostructures in 2011, numerous other topics have been worked on jointly with various Empa research teams over the years. And since 2017, BASF's Scouting & Academic Collaborations team has been based at Empa with its own offices. In this interview, Alice Glättli, Senior Vice President Group Research at BASF, gives an insight into the reasons that led to this strategic partnership.

Researchers at ETH Zurich have combined two gene editing methods. This enables them to quickly investigate the significance of many genetic mutations involved in the development and treatment of cancer.

ETH Professor Yiwen Chu is investigating how to apply quantum states to ever larger objects. This should help to gain new insights into physics and develop more efficient technologies. She has now been awarded the ETH Zurich Latsis Prize for her outstanding research.

Researchers around the world are working to find and optimise new ways of producing climate-neutral aviation fuel. At PSI, together with industry, they’re exploring a promising approach.

Hydrogen-powered planes are set to take wing around the world in the future. To make this possible, engineers have to develop the jet engines that will power them. Experiments by researchers at ETH Zurich are now providing the necessary basis for making these engines powerful and durable.

An SLF analysis shows how climate change will affect the avalanche situation in Switzerland this century.

The European Research Council is supporting the MEMELAND research project of a European research team with over 13.5 million euros. Nathalie Dubois from Eawag is a member of the group. The aim is to provide a new narrative for European environmental history, offering decisive insights for sustainable agriculture and climate protection in Europe.

Non-native plants promote the spread of invasive insects, increasing risks to ecosystems worldwide.

A team of three European researchers will develop an imaging method to non-invasively measure the stiffness of moving organs such as the heart. The researchers will be supported by the European Research Council.

The European Space Agency ESA has a new point of contact in Switzerland: ESA and the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI have launched the European Space Deep-Tech Innovation Centre ESDI. It is now located in the immediate vicinity of PSI, in Park Innovaare.

An ETH Zurich team of engineers has developed RoBoa – a snake-like robot with the ability to grow in length and slither into the most inaccessible places.

The Empa Innovation Award recognizes outstanding projects that bridge the gap between the laboratory and industry. This year, a team of researchers from Empa and ETH Zurich is being honored for an innovative sensor system: SensAL warns quickly and precisely of life-threatening complications after abdominal surgery.

The Hotlab at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI is a unique experimental facility for analysing highly radioactive materials – its 60^th anniversary marks a milestone not only in the institute’s history but also in the history of Swiss nuclear technology as a whole. 

Imad El Haddad analyses the chemical composition and health impacts of particulate matter at the Center for Energy and Environmental Sciences of the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI.