Actualités de Bern,

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds / Fonds national suisse

937 million Swiss francs for 3300 new research projects

Bern (ots) - In 2020, researchers submitted 8200 grant applications to the SNSF. 3300 of them were selected for funding in a competitive process. At short notice, the SNSF funded 73 projects on COVID-19. Thousands of SNSF-funded teams explore nature, technology and society. This generates knowledge that is a key driver of progress. In 2020, the SNSF invested 937 million francs in 3300 new projects, selected from 8200 ...

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds / Fonds national suisse

Dormice may have hibernated as early as 34 million years ago

Bern (ots) - In analysing rodent fossils, scientists funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation have come up with a novel hypothesis: hibernation was a survival strategy 34 million years ago. Until very recently, the ability to hibernate was thought to have appeared during the Quaternary ice age 2.6 million years ago. Now, a study funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) suggests that the process may ...

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds / Fonds national suisse

Novel antibiotic deceives bacteria through mimicry

Bern (ots) - Most antibiotics need to penetrate their target bacteria. But Darobactin, a newly discovered compound, is much too large to do so. Nonetheless, it kills many antibiotic-resistant pathogens - by exploiting a tiny weak spot on their surface. Basel researchers have now revealed the amazing mechanism at play and thereby opened the door to developing completely new medicines. An increasing number of bacterial ...

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds / Fonds national suisse

Veal calf fattening: it can work with less antibiotics

Bern (ots) - By adopting a few simple measures, farmers can drastically reduce the use of antibiotics and improve the well-being of their animals without economic disadvantages. This was confirmed in a field trial- the first of its kind in Switzerland - carried out by researchers of the University of Bern based on the specially developed "outdoor veal calf" method. Large amounts of antibiotics are used in the veal ...

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds / Fonds national suisse

The Swiss National Science Foundation and Innosuisse to step up cooperation

Bern (ots) - The implementation of research results is of central importance for the economy and society. The SNSF and Innosuisse have signed an agreement to further strengthen the interaction between science and innovation. Through this agreement, the SNSF and Innosuisse are reiterating their shared understanding of the fact that the innovation chain - from basic ...

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds / Fonds national suisse

Choose your favourite scientific image!

Bern (ots) - The Swiss National Science Foundation is inviting the public to choose their favourite scientific image or video until 31 March 2021. Microscopic observations, unusual environments, researchers at work... More than 2000 images have been submitted to the SNSF Scientific Image Competition since its launch in 2017. To celebrate the fifth edition, the SNSF is inviting the public to share their vision of science ...

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds / Fonds national suisse

How bacteria sleep through antibiotic attacks

Bern (ots) - Bacteria can survive antibiotic treatment even without antibiotic resistance by slowing down their metabolism and going into a type of deep sleep. A research team funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation reveals the changes bacteria undergo to reach this "persister" state. Resistant bacteria evade the effects of antibiotics by becoming less susceptible, for example by breaking the drugs down. But some ...

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds / Fonds national suisse

Quotas to promote gender equality in research

Bern (ots) - Gender equality is a prime concern of the Swiss National Science Foundation. To offer additional visibilty to women in academia, it is introducing gender quotas in its evaluation bodies with immediate effect. Political equality between men and women was achieved 50 years ago when women won the right to vote. But the underrepresentation of women in academic leadership roles continues: only 23 per cent of ...

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds / Fonds national suisse

How recruiters discriminate on employment websites

Bern (ots) - Researchers funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation conducted a large-scale study of discrimination on an online recruitment platform. The findings showed that, depending on the occupation, both men and women suffer from discrimination, and that discrimination against foreigners depends, among other things, on the time of day. Discrimination in hiring is a major societal problem. A new analysis of ...

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds / Fonds national suisse

Goats enjoy mental gymnastics

Bern (ots) - A study funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation shows that goats like to earn a reward by 'working' for it, even if they can get the same reward without making any effort. This finding could benefit humane husbandry. Goats respond positively to challenges rather than just turning away. In a project funded jointly by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and the German Research Foundation (DFG), two breeding lines - dairy goats and dwarf goats - ...

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds / Fonds national suisse

The 2021 SNSF Scientific Image Competition is underway

Bern (ots) - Share the beauty of your research! The Swiss National Science Foundation invites researchers to submit their photographs, images and videos to the SNSF Scientific Image Competition. This year, in addition to the official jury, the public will be able to choose their favourite works from among those submitted since 2017. The fifth edition of the SNSF Scientific Image Competition is now open. Once again this ...

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds / Fonds national suisse

Listening or lip-reading? It's down to brainwaves

Bern (ots) - Researchers supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation have discovered that neural oscillations determine whether the brain chooses eyes or ears to interpret speech. To decipher what a person is telling us, we rely on what we hear as well as on what we see by observing lip movements and facial expressions. Until now, we did not know how the brain chooses between auditory and visual stimuli. But a ...

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds / Fonds national suisse

Protecting animals across the globe

Bern (ots) - This year, the Swiss National Science Foundation's Marie Heim-Vögtlin Prize has been awarded to researcher Charlotte Blattner, whose dissertation on animal rights shows how animals can be protected across national borders. Every year billions of male chicks are shredded worldwide. The chicks can neither be fattened for slaughter nor used any other way in the animal industry and therefore are considered ...

KPT

Zur Rose and KPT together launch digital medicines assistant Medi+

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds / Fonds national suisse

The Limitation Initiative is harmful to education, research and innovation

Bern (ots) - The Swiss universities and organisations that support the promotion of research and innovation are opposed to the popular initiative "For moderate immigration". The initiative jeopardises some of the basic parameters that favour Switzerland's role as a centre for science and enterprise. Adopting the initiative would halt the free movement of persons and ...

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds / Fonds national suisse

28 new coronavirus research projects funded under NRP "COVID-19"

Bern (ots) - New research has been launched to better control COVID-19. 18.6 million francs have been invested in projects that will investigate innovative solutions and develop public health recommendations. Mandated by the Federal Council, the SNSF launched the National Research Programme "COVID-19" (NRP 78) on 30 April 2020 to advance our understanding of the ...

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds / Fonds national suisse

Influx from the SP helps the Greens to win elections

Bern (ots) - Due to widespread concerns about the climate, the environmental parties made significant gains in the 2019 federal elections, especially among young voters. The SP was able to mobilise its party base well, but lost almost a quarter of its former electorate to the Greens. In contrast, the SVP encountered difficulties persuading its supporters to turn out to vote. It does, however, have the most stable voter ...

swissuniversities

swissuniversities and Springer Nature sign a new Open Access agreement

Bern (ots) - swissuniversities has adopted a new transformative Open Access agreement with Springer Nature. This agreement provides Swiss researchers with access to SpringerLink with over 2'000 Hybrid journals and enables authors affiliated with the Swiss academic and research institutions to publish their accepted research papers Open Access, making this primary ...

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds / Fonds national suisse

Meeting challenges through basic research

Bern (ots) - Many scientists are currently undertaking work on the Sars-CoV-2 virus. But hundreds of projects supported by the SNSF are already contributing to finding answers to the current health crisis. In Switzerland and around the world, the novel coronavirus has become a priority for scientific research. Projects supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) are no exception. A special call and a ...

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds / Fonds national suisse

Towards a Swiss Food Strategy for 2050

Bern (ots) - NRP 69 recommends that the government develop a Swiss Food Strategy for 2050. This strategy should enable the entire population to eat healthy food sourced from a sustainable production and distribution system. Is it possible to follow a healthy diet that includes more vegetables, fruit and nuts while still reducing the environmental impact that consumption has both in Switzerland and abroad? Funded by the ...

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds / Fonds national suisse

Is Switzerland ready for change?

Bern (ots) - Climate change, biodiversity loss, deforestation and the current pandemic crisis make it obvious. The need for a more sustainable world has never been as urgent as it is today. But how do we transition to a sustainable economy? The National Research Programme "Sustainable Economy: resource-friendly, future-oriented, innovative" (NRP 73) is creating knowledge that can support Switzerland in addressing this question. It has now published its first report, on the ...

swissuniversities

swissuniversities and Elsevier adopt a pilot agreement combining reading and publishing

Bern (ots) - swissuniversities has adopted a new transformative pilot agreement with Elsevier for research access and Open Access publishing in Switzerland. The agreement is the result of the negotiations organised by the Consortium of Swiss Academic Libraries (CSAL) and Elsevier, a global information analytics business specialising in science and health. Yves ...

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds / Fonds national suisse

The SNSF funds 36 new coronavirus research projects

Bern (ots) - Under the special call on coronaviruses, the societal and biomedical aspects of epidemics will be investigated with a total budget of 10 million francs. The projects will start as of 1 June 2020. As the coronavirus pandemic began to take hold, the SNSF took swift action by launching a special call on coronaviruses on 6 March 2020. The call was enthusiastically received in the research community. - ...

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds / Fonds national suisse

Monitoring glaciers with optical fibres

Bern (ots) - Seismic monitoring of glaciers is essential to improving our understanding of their development and to predicting risks. SNSF Professor Fabian Walter has come up with a new monitoring tool in the form of optical fibres. The fibres are capable of monitoring entire glaciers. Glaciers are constantly moving and they therefore need monitoring. Satellite images give clues to their development. By listening to ...