19.01.21

First BRIDGE discovery project: PDF documents should be made more easily accessible

At present, making PDF files accessible to the visually impaired still entails too much manual effort. ZHAW researchers are developing a semi-automatic system to solve this problem. The project is being funded by the federal government’s special…

19.01.21

Self-disinfecting mask gives active virus protection at the touch of a button

ZHAW researchers, together with the Swiss company Osmotex AG, are developing a self-disinfecting mask that makes viruses inactive at the touch of a button. The prototype of the mask made from electrochemical textiles, which is like no other…

15.01.21

Invisible central processes of an aquaponic system closely examined

With her latest two PhD publications, Zala Schmautz gives exclusive insight into the microbial diversity, as well as the nitrogen transformations occuring within the different compartments of an aquaponic system during sustainable fish and plant…

14.01.21

Master’s students present poster series on Covid-19 vaccines

Long-awaited vaccine protection against the coronavirus is here. Several vaccines have already been approved around the world, and every day, more people are receiving their first dose. On 12 January, MSc in Life Sciences students in the…

13.01.21

Upgrade for 3D printer saves time and support material

ZHAW researchers have developed a new 3D printing process that is able to produce any shape without additional support material. The print head is tilted and rotates around its own axis. Conventional 3D printers could be upgraded with it.

15.12.20

Real Estate Research Prize goes to Dr. Clara Weber

A major honour for Dr. Clara Weber from the Institute of Facility Management, whose thesis has won the gif Real Estate Research Prize.

08.12.20

Swiss Words of the Year for 2020 have been chosen

“Systemrelevant”, “coronagraben”, “pandemia” and “mascrina” are the 2020 Swiss Words of the Year. They show what society is thinking about and what people are moved by. ZHAW researchers used Switzerland’s largest text database as a basis, with the…

18.11.20

“Terminal fasting presents many moral conflicts”

Sabrina Stängle is conducting research at the School of Health Professions on the decision of people to voluntarily refuse food and fluids at the end of their lives. She has recently been able to show that almost one in two family doctors has…

17.11.20

What opportunities do social media offer for science?

The Health Research Hub organized a workshop on science communication as part of the interim meeting with the funded projects.

05.11.20

On Swiss playgrounds, barrier-free does not mean inclusive

In the “Playground: a meeting place for all?” project, researchers from the Institute of Occupational Therapy investigated children’s experiences in playgrounds that were designed for children both with and without disabilities.

29.10.20

What does the Swiss population eat? Insights and relations about our meat, dairy protein and alcohol consumption

Results from the first representative survey in Switzerland, the Swiss National Nutrition Survey menuCH, were recently published and presented at the Swiss Public Health Conference 2020.

28.10.20

New method for measuring the population of Drosophila suzukii

For a number of years now, the Drosophila suzukii from Asia has been present in Switzerland. With its hard ovipositor, it also lays its eggs in ripe fruit. Such fruit is no longer edible after a short time. This is not good news for those with…

27.10.20

New approaches to reduce mycotoxins in grain

Researchers from the Health Research Hub explain why mycotoxins are of concern and how they intend to reduce their content in grain.

21.10.20

States, Trends, and Future of Aquaponics Research

This study by Hao et al. (2020) examined 513 publications (2000-2019) on aquaponics, the sustainable production system in which nutrient-rich wastewater from fish fertilises plants.

20.10.20

Artificial turf scores better

The comparison of the environmental impact of artificial and natural turf is heading into extra time. Filled artificial-turf sports fields have a high environmental impact, because the plastic granulate required to fill them has to be replenished on…

14.10.20

ZHAW researchers train enzyme that breaks down plastic

The “PETase” enzyme can break down plastic, but it is not very productive. ZHAW researchers are therefore applying “directed evolution” to train the enzyme so that it can be used in future for treating drinking water or biorecycling. Machine learning…

07.10.20

Health of children, young people and young adults: National Health Report delivers “positive findings”

The Swiss Health Observatory (Obsan) is highlighting the health of children, young people and young adults in a national report for the first time. While the report delivers positive findings with respect to the health of the population group…

01.10.20

Outlook for SMEs gloomier than in June

The fourth survey of the “ZHAW Coronavirus SME Panel” shows that small and medium-sized enterprises are increasingly expecting a second wave. It is likely that some companies will be unable to pay back their Covid loans or will only be able to do so…

18.09.20

Data protection and biomedical research in Switzerland: setting the record straight

In the latest edition of Swiss Medical Weekly, Philipp Egli and Michael Widmer (Center for Social Law, ZHAW), together with Andrea Martani and Bernice Elger (Institute for Biomedical Ethics, University of Basel), analyse the exciting topic of data…

26.08.20

School of Health Professions closes Corona knowledge gaps

What impact are social-life restrictions having on our physical and psychological health? What were the physical consequences of working from home during the lockdown? And what is the situation regarding people’s immunity to Covid-19? Researchers at…