Plant food 2023.10.04 Ancient technology turns plant-based cheese into 'something we want to eat' To produce plant-based cheeses that feel and taste like dairy cheese, scientists have their sights set on fermentation. In a new research result, University of Copenhagen scientists demonstrate the potential of…
exercise 2023.09.27 The more we exercise, the longer we lounge around The more we engage in structured exercise training, the more we tend to cut back on daily non-exercise physical activities like riding a bike to work instead of driving, or taking the stairs instead of hopping on an…
THE BRAIN 2023.09.22 Jellyfish are smarter than you think Jellyfish are more advanced than once thought. A new study from the University of Copenhagen has demonstrated that Caribbean box jellyfish can learn at a much more complex level than ever imagined – despite only having…
Parasites 2023.09.18 Brain-altering parasite turns ants into zombies at dawn and dusk It takes over the brains of ants, causing them to cling to the tops of blades of grass where they can be eaten by cattle and deer. The common liver fluke has an exceptional life cycle as it moves through snails, ants an…
New species 2023.09.13 Disguised as tree bark and another species: Newly discovered gecko is a master of disguise An international team of scientific researchers, among them a University of Copenhagen herpetologist, has discovered a new gecko species in Madagascar that resembles tree bark during the day and had been mistaken for a…
Biodiversity 2023.09.02 Three out of four populations of rare butterflies have been lost In just 26 years, the distribution of rare butterflies has plummeted by 72% in Eastern Denmark. Several species are threatened with extinction, yet the conservation actions aiming to safeguard species have proved…
Health 2023.08.29 Mysterious hormone makes insulin work better It makes animals want to eat less and is found in levels 100 times greater in pregnant women. A new study from the University of Copenhagen also reports that it makes insulin work better in rodents. While its role in ou…
GENDER BIAS 2023.08.25 Are male students more talented? In the sciences, talented students are perceived as those who ask quirky questions and are confident and playful. But is the deck stacked in such a way that those who are already privileged win? Men are the ones who mos…
Grant 2023.08.17 The University of Copenhagen is Awarded a Quantum Technology Training Laboratory With a grant of DKK 49.5 million, the A.P. Møller Foundation (A.P. Møller og Hustru Chastine Mc-Kinney Møllers Fond til almene Formaal) makes it possible to establish a new training laboratory in quantum technology at…
weather 2023.08.16 Copenhagen’s safest bets for a dry weather bike ride You have a 25% greater risk of cycling in the rain if you live in Hellerup than if saddling up in Ishøj. Two researchers from the University of Copenhagen and DTU took a closer look at where and when it rains most in an…
Animals 2023.08.14 Denmark is crawling with the world's most resilient creature They’re found on Mount Everest, in the deep seas, aboard the International Space Station and thousands of them have even crash landed and been spilled onto the moon. The microscopic water bear has a nearly unfathomable…
sustainability 2023.08.04 Hartshorn salt and “baking” solves a serious environmental problem Polyester is the second most used textile in the world and an environmental menace, especially because most of it never gets recycled. The fabric, a blend of plastic and cotton, has been difficult for the industry to…
Cells 2023.08.02 New understanding of the body’s cells: Synchronise like pendulum clocks Researchers from the University of Copenhagen have discovered that old grandfather clocks and human cells have a central thing in common: They move in synchronisation. This strengthens the performance of our cells and…
Greenland ice sheet 2023.07.31 Pay dirt for ice core scientists in East Greenland as they reach bedrock An international research collaboration (EGRIP) headed by ice core scientists from the University of Copenhagen has attained their goal of drilling to the bottom of the ice sheet. It marks the first time that this has…
Ocean Currents 2023.07.25 Gloomy climate calculation: Scientists predict a collapse of the Atlantic ocean current to happen mid-century Important ocean current that redistribute heat, cold and precipitation between the tropics and the northernmost parts of the Atlantic region will shut down around the year 2060 if current greenhouse gas emissions…
Evolution 2023.07.18 Life on Earth didn’t arise as described in textbooks No, oxygen didn’t catalyze the swift blossoming of Earth’s first multicellular organisms. The result defies a 70-year-old assumption about what caused an explosion of oceanic fauna hundreds of millions of years ago.
Quantum Tech 2023.07.12 Extreme measuring device can bring quantum technology to your smartphone University of Copenhagen researchers have invented a “quantum drum” that can measure pressure, a gas leak, heat, magnetism and a host of other things with extreme precision. It can even scan the shape of a single virus.…
Computer science 2023.07.11 22-year-old talent is now ‘researcher Tetris’ world champion With world-class programming, 22-year-old computer science student William Bille Meyling beats seasoned professors at the unofficial world championships in geometric algorithms. He was recently honoured for his…
artificial intelligence 2023.07.10 ChatGPT promotes American norms and values ChatGPT, the revolutionary new AI chatbot, reflects American norms and values – even when queried about other countries and cultures. The mismatch has been demonstrated in research from the University of Copenhagen. The…
Whales 2023.07.06 Number cruncher calculates whether whales are acting weirdly We humans can be a scary acquaintance for whales in the wild. This includes marine biologists tagging them with measuring devices to understand them better. These experiences can make whales behave erratically for a…
Names 2023.07.06 New Head of Department for the mathematicians From 1. September 2023, Professor and Head of Section Mogens Steffensen will be the new Head of the Department of Mathematical Sciences at the University of Copenhagen. He will work for the Department’s academic researc…
VIRUS 2023.07.05 Danish researchers solve the mystery of how deadly virus hide in humans With a new method for examining virus samples researchers from the University of Copenhagen have solved an old riddle about how Hepatitis C virus avoids the human body's immune defenses. The result may have an impact on…
AWARD 2023.06.29 Teacher of the Year creates boxes that can accommodate everyone A remarkable understanding of the students has made Mette Burmølle and her courses at the Department of Biology extremely popular. Now, she receives the Teacher of the Year award at SCIENCE 2023.
CLIMATE 2023.06.29 Researchers on UN Maritime Organization: "At the moment, it’s working against its own green transition" The UN’s International Maritime Organization (IMO) is actively contributing to the shipping industry being far off course from ever reaching its climate goals. In large part, this is because the organization lacks…
Computers 2023.06.28 We are wasting up to 20 percent of our time on computer problems Even though our computers are now better than 15 years ago, they still malfunction between 11 and 20 per cent of the time, a new study from the University of Copenhagen and Roskilde University concludes. The researchers…
New vice-dean 2023.06.22 Universities must stand out as unique physical meeting places Education will be disrupted over the next ten years, placing great demands on university degree programmes, says Professor Andreas de Neergaard, who, from 1 September 2023, is the new Associate Dean for Education at…
Names 2023.06.22 New vice-dean at University of Copenhagen SCIENCE Professor Jesper Wengel is a high-profile researcher, inventor and business owner. From 1 September 2023, he will also be the new Vice-Dean for Innovation and External Relations at SCIENCE – the University of…
Global Health 2023.06.20 Researchers reverse stunting in children, challenging WHO recommendations At present the WHO does not recommend nutrient supplements for children with stunted growth – a health problem that affects more than one in five children under the age of five globally. The rationale is that supplement…
climate 2023.06.16 Gases from bacteria and plankton affect the climate – new research center seeks to calculate by how much We need to find out how much gasses plants, soil, fungi and bacteria emit into the atmosphere. The gases they release influence the planet’s climate, and we know too little about them. On 19 June 2023, possibly the firs…
wildlife 2023.06.15 New tracking device to keep better tabs on wolves Keeping up with the journeys of wolves and welfare of wild horses has never been easier. With a GPS wildlife tracker powered by an animal's own movements, University of Copenhagen researchers have solved a problem faced…
pesticides 2023.06.08 Unsustainable coffee production is making more and more people sick Intensive pesticide use on coffee farms around the world is leading to progressively more reports of poor human and animal health. Coffee production needs to return to its roots and rediscover sustainability, according…
sundhed 2023.05.31 Could this explain why childhood obesity leads to early puberty? Puberty often begins early for children who are obese. While there is nothing new about this fact, a scientific explanation has been elusive. Now, a team of scientists at the University of Copenhagen offers what may be …
technology 2023.05.30 Self-driving cars lack social intelligence in traffic Self-driving cars fall short when it comes to understanding the social codes in traffic that let human drivers decide whether to give way or drive on, according to new award winning research from the University of…
quantum math 2023.05.11 Leading mathematician wants to solve the riddle of a million quantum particles One of Europe’s leading mathematicians - Professor Søren Fournais of the University of Copenhagen – is dedicating the next five years to understanding a mysterious quantum phenomenon through extremely complex equations.…
Food science 2023.05.10 Danish innovation to convert nutrients and CO2 from shrimp and fish farming into seaweed Instead of polluting the sea and contributing to global warming, nutrients and CO2 from land-based shrimp and fish farming will be used to produce sea lettuce – a green protein and valuable high-fiber seaweed species –…
Dissemination Award 2023.05.09 Spaghetti-armed egghead strives to move people with facts Hans Henrik Bruun is an especially active voice of reason in public discourse about the present and future of Danish nature. Whenever engaging, he often greets strong emotions with facts. This year's recipient of…
plant proteins 2023.05.08 Researchers close to unleashing rapeseed’s protein power for human consumption Half of plant proteins in the EU come from rapeseed plants. Until now, the plant has only been used for oil and animal feed, as it is both bitter and unsafe for human consumption. In a new study published in Nature,…
Plant Science 2023.05.04 Incredible bacterium can transfer its genes into plants and give them superpowers Humans have bred for desirable plant and animal traits for millennia by selecting and crossing their offspring. Now, researchers at the University of Copenhagen are taking a natural shortcut to promote beneficial change…
Climate 2023.04.19 International research team: World's climate plans make for a worrying read According to the climate plans submitted to the UN by 50 countries, 12 gigatons of CO2 per year will continue to be emitted by 2050 – and need to be removed from the atmosphere. Among other things, countries are betting…
Grant 2023.04.17 Large grant for world-class research in algorithms Professor Mikkel Thorup receives a grant of DKK 29.5 million from the VILLUM foundation to continue his successful basic research centre, Basic Algorithms Research Copenhagen (BARC).
environment 2023.04.17 New types of chemicals found in Danish drinking water Measurements reveal more than 400 different chemicals in water from a single Danish waterwork. Several of the compounds can have adverse health effects. According to the University of Copenhagen analytical chemists…
geography 2023.04.17 More women than men move out after widowhood Significantly more women than men move out when their partners pass away. This, according to a University of Copenhagen study that investigates the settlement patterns of Danish widows and widowers. According to the…
geology 2023.04.13 How did the Andes Mountains get so huge? A new geological research method may hold the answer How did the Andes – the world's longest mountain range – reach its enormous size? This is just one of the geological questions that a new method developed by researchers at the University of Copenhagen may be able to…
Sustainability 2023.04.12 Danish carpenters will learn to build homes with hemp and straw For the next three years, carpentry apprentices at vocational schools across Denmark will be taught new sustainable and climate-friendly construction methods. The University of Copenhagen spearheaded project will serve…
gut microbiome 2023.04.12 Your baby’s gut is crawling with unknown viruses Babies tumble about with more than 200 previously unknown viral families within their intestines. This large number comes as a surprise to researchers from the University of Copenhagen and COPSAC, who closely studied th…
Poisonous Birds 2023.03.31 Danish researchers discover birds with neurotoxin-laden feathers An expedition into the jungle of New Guinea has resulted in the discovery of two new species of poisonous birds by researchers from the University of Copenhagen. Genetic changes in these bird species have allowed them t…
Forrest 2023.03.27 Origins of up to 44 percent of Danish wood is a mystery In the first ever report of Denmark's total wood consumption, University of Copenhagen researchers conclude that the origin of nearly half of all timber felled in Denmark is a mystery. This is a problem according to the…
management 2023.03.22 New department head at Geosciences and Natural Resource Management Senior researcher and head of section, PhD Vivian Kvist Johannsen will take up the position as head of department at the University of Copenhagen’s Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management beginning 1…
Insects 2023.03.22 Researchers get to the “bottom” of how beetles use their butts to stay hydrated Beetles are champions at surviving in extremely dry environments. In part, this property is due to their ability to suck water from the air with their rear ends. A new collaborative study by researchers from the…
Climate 2023.03.14 The counting of nine billion trees could help manage climate credits and nature restoration Researchers from the University of Copenhagen and NASA have developed a method that has now mapped several billion trees and their carbon uptake in Africa’s Sahel. In the future, the method could be used to monitor…
Black holes 2023.03.09 Intergalactic gas brings supermassive black holes at the heart of galaxies to life Black holes become active and grow by consuming gas captured from other galaxies. This is the finding of a new study from University of Copenhagen researchers, and shows a clear connection between the evolution of…
Consumer behaviour 2023.03.03 Critical, but willing to drink: Consumers’ perspectives on the use of advanced breeding methods in dairy production Danish consumers are concerned about advanced breeding methods in dairy production. However, a new research study has found that they are willing to drink the milk as long as the methods have not been used directly on…
Forests 2023.03.02 Putting a price tag on the amenity value of private forests When it comes to venturing into and enjoying nature, forests are the people’s top choice, at least in Denmark. This is also reflected in the sales prices of properties with private forest. But beyond earnings potential,…
diabetes 2023.02.23 "We have miscalculated for decades – half of an insulin dose may not work as expected" New research suggests that a large portion of a diabetic's insulin dose is unlikely to work as expected. University of Copenhagen researchers have discovered that we have miscalculated insulin behavior for many years.…
data 2023.02.22 How asylum seeker credibility is assessed by authorities Credibility is a crucial factor when immigration authorities determine whether an asylum seeker is eligible to reside in Denmark or not. However, the assessment of an asylum applicant’s credibility takes place in such a…
Ice sheet 2023.02.21 New knowledge about ice sheet movement can shed light on when sea levels will rise The trawling of thousands of satellite measurements using artificial intelligence has shown researchers from the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland and University of Copenhagen that meltwater in tunnels beneath…
Plant chemistry 2023.02.20 Contraception is the future of rat control University of Copenhagen researchers have gotten yeast cells to brew triptolide, a substance typically extracted from a rare Chinese plant. Their research makes it possible to control rats with the substance on a large…
ASTROPHYSICS 2023.02.15 Astrophysicists discover the perfect explosion in space When neutron stars collide they produce an explosion that, contrary to what was believed until recently, is shaped like a perfect sphere. Although how this is possible is still a mystery, the discovery may provide a new…
Food system 2023.02.03 Denmark spearheading transformation of EU food system The University of Copenhagen is leading a comprehensive new EU project, CLEVERFOOD, that will facilitate a society-wide mobilisation of European citizens to transform the European food system that benefits climate goals…
Proteins 2023.02.02 Major research project studies what it looks like when HIV and coronavirus proteins bind to medications The way in which molecules interact forms the basis of life and treating illness. But what does it look like when a viral protein meets and binds to molecules like those found in medications? A new research project has…
Food 2023.01.30 Coffee with milk may have an anti-inflammatory effect Can something as simple as a cup of coffee with milk have an anti-inflammatory effect in humans? Apparently so, according to a new study from the University of Copenhagen. A combination of proteins and antioxidants…
Computer science 2023.01.30 Nuggets mined from thousands of tweets can persuade us to eat more climate-friendly Experience and opinion trump fact in Twitter conversations about sustainable food. In a new study, University of Copenhagen researchers demonstrate that natural language algorithms make it possible to identify people's…
Quantum physics 2023.01.26 Danish quantum physicists make nanoscopic advance of colossal significance In a new breakthrough, researchers at the University of Copenhagen, in collaboration with Ruhr University Bochum, have solved a problem that has caused quantum researchers headaches for years. The researchers can now…
Air pollution 2023.01.20 New measurements show high air pollution in the Copenhagen metro The concentration of harmful particles in the air is 10 to 20 times higher in the metro than on the most polluted stretch of road in Copenhagen, new measurements made by the University of Copenhagen show. More…
Food 2023.01.18 What the heck are pulses? European unawareness stands in the way of this “green” superfood European consumption of pulses doesn’t stack up against national dietary recommendations – with Denmark in last place. This is the finding of a new EU-funded study by the University of Copenhagen as part of the…
Mathmatics 2023.01.16 COVID calculations spur solution to old problem in computer science Mathematician from University of Copenhagen was keen to forecast the evolvement of the COVID epidemic. Instead, he ended up solving a problem which had troubled computer scientists for decades.