News 2025
News list
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How Did Complex Life Evolve?
According to evolutionary biologist Jordi Bascompte, the transition from simple prokaryotes to eukaryotic cells was likely the most important step in the history of life on Earth.
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UZH Teaching Award 2025 for Florian Altermatt
We are delighted to announce that Prof. Dr. Florian Altermatt has received the UZH Award for Best Teaching 2025.
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Fungal Resistance in Wheat: Preserving Biodiversity for Food Security
Wheat production is threatened by a major fungal disease: yellow rust.
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Seasonal dynamics of detritus across ecosystems
Leaves Fall in Autumn, Decomposition Lasts All Year – New Study in Current Biology
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The Secret Language of Meerkats
The latest issue of National Geographic (Germany) covers the research of Prof. Marta Manser on meerkat communication.
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New IASC Leadership: Gabriela Schaepman-Strub Elected as Vice-President
Prof. Dr. Gabriela Schaepman-Strub has been elected Vice President of the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) for the 2025–2029 term. With 25 member countries, the IASC plays a key role in coordinating Arctic research worldwide — and Switzerland is right at the heart of it.
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The emergence of eukaryotes as an evolutionary algorithmic phase transition
A recent paper by Jordi Bascompte published in PNAS has shown how the eukaryotic cell emerged as a compromise between a conserved process of gene growth and a change in genetic regulation.
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The devastating impact of humans on biodiversity
Not only are the numbers of species declining, but the composition of species communities is also changing. This is shown by a new study published in the journal “Nature”.
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Understanding how molecules and ecosystems interact
Erika Freeman et al. have published an important paper in TREE, one of the most prominent journals in Ecology and Evolution.
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Groundwater Amphipods
Several reports on Florian Altermatt's research on groundwater amphipods were broadcast on television and radio in German.