Centre for Origin and Prevalence of Life (COPL) at ETH Zurich
@copl-eth.bsky.social
94 followers 62 following 17 posts
Interdisciplinary research and teaching on life in the Universe. Bringing together 40+ research groups across ETH Zurich & PSI to explore life’s origins, evolution, and existence beyond Earth. copl.ethz.ch
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Reposted by Centre for Origin and Prevalence of Life (COPL) at ETH Zurich
ethz.ch
Thirty years ago, Swiss physicist Didier Queloz discovered the first planet outside our solar system, revolutionising astrophysics. In 2019, he received the Nobel Prize for his discovery. But he still hasn’t had enough. Why? Find out in the video. 👇
Reposted by Centre for Origin and Prevalence of Life (COPL) at ETH Zurich
ethz.ch
Are distant exoplanets really ocean worlds? 🌍✨
New ETH Zurich research shows they’re much drier than believed — with only limited water on their surfaces. This changes how we search for habitable planets and suggests Earth may not be so unique after all.

Read more:
Exoplanets are not water worlds
There is much less water on the surfaces of distant planets outside our solar system than previously thought. These exoplanets do not have thick layers of water, as was often speculated. That’s the co...
ethz.ch
Reposted by Centre for Origin and Prevalence of Life (COPL) at ETH Zurich
ethz.ch
Forschende der ETH Zürich konnten erstmals messen, wie sich die Menge an gelöstem organischem Kohlenstoff im Meer über die Jahrmillionen verändert hat. Die Resultate zeigen, dass unsere Erklärungen, wie Eiszeiten und komplexes Leben entstanden, lückenhaft sind.

Mehr Dazu:
Eierförmige Steinchen werfen neues Licht auf Erdgeschichte
Forschende der ETH Zürich konnten erstmals messen, wie sich die Menge an gelöstem organischem Kohlenstoff im Meer über die Jahrmillionen verändert hat. Die Resultate zeigen, dass unsere Erklärungen, w...
ethz.ch
copl-eth.bsky.social
Our NOMIS–ETH fellow Antonin Affholder recently joined SETI Live to discuss his study on the potential for microscopic life in Titan’s ocean.
setiinstitute.bsky.social
A new study led by ETH Zurich fellow @aaffholder.bsky.social examines whether Titan's subsurface ocean could support life. His findings suggest that if life exists there, it may persist only in extremely small amounts, making detection a formidable challenge. 🧪 🔭

Learn more:
Life in Titans Ocean? The Microscopic Possibility of Biomass on Saturn's Moon
www.seti.org
Reposted by Centre for Origin and Prevalence of Life (COPL) at ETH Zurich
lclu.bsky.social
The Leverhulme Centre for Life in the Universe Senior Fellowship programme is now open. Further details and how to apply www.cam.ac.uk/jobs/lclu-se... @leverhulme.ac.uk
copl-eth.bsky.social
COPL Special Seminar with Prof. Benjamin Tutolo,
University of Calgary

"Salty Waters: Life’s Origins and Biological Habitability on Earth (and Mars?)"

Monday, 14 July 2025, 15:15pm, NO E 39, ETH Zentrum
@eth-eaps.bsky.social

copl.ethz.ch/events/detai...
copl-eth.bsky.social
Last week, we took a trip into the Bedretto Lab.

Led by Cara Magnabosco, the visit explored her team’s work on rock-breathing microbes living below the surface. Funded by COPL, her research blends metagenomics, cryo-EM & machine learning to study deep life. 🌍🪐 More here: shorturl.at/4I0Dd
Reposted by Centre for Origin and Prevalence of Life (COPL) at ETH Zurich
ethz.ch
ETH Zurich @ethz.ch · Jun 13
Many types of bacteria produce a protein complex that injects toxins into neighbouring cells to eliminate competitors. For the first time, researchers at ETH Zurich and Eawag discovered that these killer bacteria also use this weapon to feed on their neighbours.

ethz.ch/en/news-and-...
Bacteria fight and feast with the same tool
Many types of bacteria produce a protein complex that injects toxins into neighbouring cells to eliminate competitors. For the first time, researchers at ETH Zurich and Eawag discovered that these kil...
ethz.ch
Reposted by Centre for Origin and Prevalence of Life (COPL) at ETH Zurich
copl-eth.bsky.social
COPL 101 Lunch Seminar with Prof. Caroline Dorn,
@ethz.ch

"New insights into super-Earths and sub-Neptunes"

Friday, 23 May 2025, 12:30pm, NO D 45, ETH Zentrum

copl.ethz.ch/events/detai...
copl-eth.bsky.social
COPL 101 Lunch Seminar with Prof. Dongyang Huang,
Peking University

"Sequestration of volatiles into cores of rocky planets"

Friday, 16 May 2025, 12:30pm, HIT F 23.2, ETH Hönggerberg

copl.ethz.ch/events/detai...
Reposted by Centre for Origin and Prevalence of Life (COPL) at ETH Zurich
ethz.ch
ETH Zurich @ethz.ch · May 14
What if we couldn't find #Life in #Space? Find out on Fraiser Cain's 'Universe Today' podcast, featuring ETH researcher Daniel Angerhausen from the Centre for the Origin and Prevalence of Life.

@copl-eth.bsky.social @eth-eaps.bsky.social @fcain.universetoday.com
The Tricky Part of Finding Extraterrestrial Life
YouTube video by Fraser Cain
www.youtube.com
Reposted by Centre for Origin and Prevalence of Life (COPL) at ETH Zurich
copl-eth.bsky.social
COPL 101 Lunch Seminar with Prof. Alexandra Turchyn,
@cambridgeuni.bsky.social

"Earth's habitable climate: The role of the ocean crust in regulating the carbon cycle over geological time"

Wednesday, 30 April 2025, 12:30pm, HIT F 23.2, ETH Hönggerberg.

copl.ethz.ch/events/detai...
COPL 101 Lunch Seminar with Prof. Alexandra Turchyn
Earth's habitable climate: The role of the ocean crust in regulating the carbon cycle over geological time
copl.ethz.ch
copl-eth.bsky.social
Working on natural or directed evolution?

A 5-day summer school in Lausanne this July will bring together students across fields to explore evolution at multiple scales – molecular to microbial.

Register by 1 May 2025: evolution-school25.epfl.ch
Evolution by Nature and by Design
From molecules to populations
evolution-school25.epfl.ch
copl-eth.bsky.social
COPL 101 Lunch Seminar with Prof. Dr. Audrey Vorburger,
@unibe.ch

"The Search for Life in the Outer Solar System"

The seminar will take place on Friday, 11 April 2025, at 12:30pm, in NO D 45, ETH Zentrum.

copl.ethz.ch/events/detai...

@eth-eaps.bsky.social
COPL 101 Lunch Seminar with Prof. Audrey Vorburger
The Search for Life in the Outer Solar System
copl.ethz.ch
Reposted by Centre for Origin and Prevalence of Life (COPL) at ETH Zurich
eth-eaps.bsky.social
Wie kam das Leben auf die Erde? Maria Schönbächler will das herausfinden und untersucht deshalb Meteoriten. Im SRF «Focus»-Podcast gibt sie Einblick in ihre Forschung und ihren Werdegang von der Postbeamtin zur Wissenschaftlerin an der @ethzurich.bsky.social, wo sie seit 10 Jahren lehrt.
Maria Schönbächler, wann schlägt der nächste grosse Meteorit ein?
Wie kam Leben auf die Erde? Gute Frage. Maria Schönbächler will sie beantworten. Dafür untersucht sie Meteoriten. Mit ihrer Doktorarbeit konnte sie zeigen, dass die Erde früher entstand, als bis…
www.srf.ch
copl-eth.bsky.social
Unfortunately, the 101 Lunch Seminar on 2 April with Prof. Klára Hlouchová have been cancelled due to the speaker’s illness.
copl-eth.bsky.social
COPL 101 Lunch Seminar with Prof. Klára Hlouchová
@hlouchova-lab.bsky.social

"Why these amino acids?"

The seminar will take place on Wednesday, 2 April 2025, at 12:30pm, in HIT F 23.2, ETH Hönggerberg.

copl.ethz.ch/events/detai...

@eth-bsse.bsky.social @eth-dbiol.bsky.social
COPL 101 Lunch Seminar with Prof. Klara Hlouchova
Why these amino acids?
copl.ethz.ch
Reposted by Centre for Origin and Prevalence of Life (COPL) at ETH Zurich
Reposted by Centre for Origin and Prevalence of Life (COPL) at ETH Zurich
pilhoferlab.bsky.social
Asgard archaea have actin - but what about microtubules? Where do they come from? 🧐 Our new paper www.cell.com/cell/fulltex... by @xujwet.bsky.social & @florianwollweber.bsky.social, in collaboration with the Schleper & Wieczorek labs, describes tiny Asgard microtubules! #TeamTomo #ArchaeaSky 1/6
Credit: Margot Riggi (@margotriggi.bsky.social), Max-Planck Institute of Biochemistry (@mpibiochem.bsky.social)