Media releases 2025

Researchers at the University of Bern have analyzed a mechanism by which the coronavirus manipulates human cells to replicate itself. They show that a coronavirus protein, which is central to infection, has two independent functions. Only one function however occurs in several species of coronaviruses. These findings could drive the development of broad-spectrum antiviral drugs.

Atrial fibrillation is the most common cardiac arrhythmia worldwide. While exist-ing interventional treatment methods, such as catheter ablation, work better than medication, they still have their limitations and risks. In a recent study led by the Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, the University of Bern, and the Basel University Hospital, a new treatment method is now showing promising results: Pulsed Field Ablation (PFA) achieves a higher success rate than conventional catheter ablation, with fewer arrhythmia recurrences, while also offering a high degree of safety and a shorter procedure time.

Researchers from the University of Bern and the RIKEN research institute in Japan have made a significant advance in sustainable chemistry. They have succeeded in producing organic molecules through a chemical reaction based on the sustainable metals sodium and iron. This represents a more environmentally friendly alternative to conventional methods and has the potential to fundamentally change the production of pharmaceuticals and other fine chemicals.

A new special volume, initiated and edited by researchers from the University of Bern, examines the biological roots of the division of labor – from microorganisms to humans. It shows that task specialization and division of labor are fundamental characteristics of ecologically successful organisms and represent a milestone on the way to complex social structure.

Gastrointestinal inflammation can cause long-term gastrointestinal disorders. An international research team led by the Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, the Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, and the University of Bern has shown for the first time that inflammation damages nerve cells in the intestine. This causes intestinal function to deteriorate, which exacerbates the disorders. The team’s findings could lead to new approaches for treating long-term gastrointestinal disorders.

Two years ago, global sea surface temperatures rose sharply, considerably exceeding previous highs. A study by the University of Bern shows that such extreme temperature jumps would not be possible without the influence of climate change. The study also confirms that climate models simulate such events realistically.

In a survey, the public had a say in the names of the two fish species discovered by researchers from the University of Bern. The names have now been finalised – the Barbatula species are called "fluvicola" and "ommata".

The University of Basel and the University of Bern are setting up a new research center to enable the construction of superconducting quantum units. The Werner Siemens Foundation is supporting the project with a total of CHF 15 million over the next eleven years.

Extreme weather and climate events such as droughts and floods in Europe can be linked to shifts in the jet stream over the Atlantic. This has been demonstrated by a reconstruction of the jet stream over the Atlantic and Europe for the last 600 years by researchers at the University of Bern.

An international research team led by the University of Bern and Brown University in the US state of Rhode Island may have solved the mystery of the reddish color of Mars. The team identified the water-rich iron mineral ferrihydrite as the main culprit of the characteristic reddish Martian dust. This discovery could not only explain the planet's color, but also point to a wetter, potentially habitable Martian past.

Researchers from the University of Bern, in collaboration with the University of Science and Technology Houari Boumediene in Algeria, have made significant progress in astrobiology. In a recently published study, they were able to detect fossil microorganisms in Messinian gypsum, which is found in Algeria, using the Bernese mass spectrometer LIMS. This shows that LIMS could also be used to search for traces of life in similar deposits on Mars in the future.

In its first five years, the Wyss Academy for Nature has successfully implemented projects worldwide. An external interim assessment conducted in 2024 yielded positive results. The Wyss Foundation, the Canton of Bern, and the University of Bern have jointly decided to continue to fund the Wyss Academy for Nature until 2030.

Around one in ten diagnoses is wrong. In an extensive study, a research team led by Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, and the University of Bern has investigated whether an AI-based diagnostic system could improve diagnostic quality. The result is surprising: despite high expectations, the system that was tested showed no measurable advantage over conventional diagnostic processes.

Meteoroid impacts create seismic waves that cause Mars to shake stronger and deeper than previously thought: This is shown by an investigation using artificial intelligence carried out by an international research team led by the University of Bern. Similarities were found between numerous meteoroid impacts on the surface of Mars and marsquakes recorded by NASA's Mars lander InSight. These findings open up a new perspective on the impact rate and seismic dynamics of the Red Planet.

Hot Jupiters are giant planets initially known to orbit alone close to their star. During their migration towards their star, these planets were thought to accrete or eject any other planets present. However, this paradigm has been overturned by recent observations, and the final blow could come from a new study led by the University of Geneva (UNIGE). A team including the National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) PlanetS, the Universities of Bern (UNIBE) and Zurich (UZH) and several foreign universities has just announced the existence of a planetary system, WASP-132, with an unexpected architecture. It contains not only a Hot Jupiter but also an inner Super-Earth and an icy giant planet. These results are published in Astronomy & Astrophysics.

The fourth Antarctic campaign of the “Beyond EPICA - Oldest Ice” project, funded by the European Commission, has achieved a historic milestone for climate science. An international team of scientists with participation of the University of Bern successfully drilled a 2,800-meter-long and over 1.2 million years old ice core, reaching the bedrock beneath the Antarctic ice sheet.