2023
In search of life
Sascha Quanz searches for traces of life on extrasolar planets orbiting alien stars. The astrophysicist believes that gaining an understanding of life and its origin on Earth is an important stepping stone.
Molecular cooperation at the threshold of life
Protein-like aggregates known as amyloids can bind to molecules of genetic material. It is possible that these two types of molecules stabilised each other during the development of life – and that this might even have paved the way for the genetic code.
Origins Federation – A gathering of minds
Researchers from the Centre for Origin and Prevalence of Life at ETH Zurich emerge from the inaugural conference of the Origins Federation with insightful perspectives about ongoing research on life in our Universe.
Call for applications to the NOMIS–ETH Fellowship Programme
The 2023 call for applications for the NOMIS–ETH Fellowship Programme within the Centre for Origin and Prevalence of Life is open ! Applications are open until 10 November 2023 at 17:00 Zurich local time.
First NOMIS–ETH Fellow Dr. Craig Walton - first days at ETH
1 September 2023 is the starting date of the postdoctoral fellowship of the first NOMIS–ETH Fellow Dr. Craig Walton. As a fellow within the Centre for Origin and Prevalence of Life, Dr. Walton will closely interact with Prof. Maria Schönbächler from the Department of Earth Sciences, the host of Dr. Walton at ETH, as well as with many other members of the Centre and the members of their research groups. A warm welcome to Craig !
3 Research Projects selected for financial support
We are pleased to announce that 3 projects have been awarded funding.
Short-term Visitors this autumn
We are pleased to announce 4 short-term visitors to the Centre in the autumn semester.
Prof. Dr. Didier Queloz awarded the Insigna of Knight of National Order of the “Légion d'honneur"
On April 20th 2023, Prof. Dr. Didier Queloz, Nobel Laureate in Physics 2019 and President of the Marcel Benoist Foundation, was awarded the Insignia of Knight of the National Order of the Legion of Honour by H.E.M. Frédéric Journès, the French Ambassador to Switzerland.
Welcome to the first NOMIS – ETH Fellow Dr. Craig Walton
We are pleased to announce the first NOMIS – ETH Fellow, Dr. Craig Walton, from Scotland.
A key experiment for the LIFE space mission
With a constellation of five satellites, the international LIFE initiative led by ETH Zurich hopes to one day detect traces of life on exoplanets. A laboratory experiment in the Department of Physics is now set to demonstrate the planned measurement method.