News from 2021

Biology

2021.05.20

Hundreds of antibiotic resistant genes found in the gastrointestinal tracts of Danish infants

Danish one-year-olds carry several hundred antibiotic resistant genes in their bacterial gut flora according to a new study from the University of Copenhagen. The presence of these genes is partly attributable to…

human-computer interaction

2021.05.14

Computers can now predict our preferences directly from our brain

A research team from the University of Copenhagen and University of Helsinki demonstrates it is possible to predict individual preferences based on how a person’s brain responses match up to others. This could…

genomics

2021.05.12

Differences between leopards are greater than between brown bears and polar bears

New research demonstrates that African and Asian leopards are more genetically differentiated from one another than polar bears and brown bears. Indeed, leopards are so different that they ought to be treated as two…

CLIMATE

2021.05.11

Significantly reducing agricultural CO2 emissions by way of wheatgrass

Wheatgrass has the potential to reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions in Denmark by up to 10 percent according to researchers at the University of Copenhagen and Carlsberg Research Laboratory. Over the next five…

RESEARCH

2021.05.06

Researchers find the secret behind maintaining a healthy weight loss

In the world's most recognized medical journal, Danish researchers now document how to effectively achieve and maintain a healthy weight loss.

awards

2021.05.05

Elite Researcher 2021: "I find solutions for problems that we don't even have yet."

Chemist Gemma Solomon is an explorer in the world of molecules, where among billions of molecules, she looks for precisely those that can help us in, among other things, our green transition, by using power and heat mor…

Cancer

2021.05.04

Using personalized medicine to avoid resistance to leukemia treatment

T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia is an aggressive cancer type that mostly affects children. The standard treatment is chemotherapy, but about one in four patients do not respond or develop resistance to this. Now,…

Disease prevention

2021.04.28

New metabolism regulating method: Could improve prostate cancer and high cholesterol treatments

Researchers from the University of Copenhagen have developed a new method that makes it possible to control human hormones and metabolism. One of the study’s perspectives suggests that the method could be used to develo…

Big Data

2021.04.27

Big Brother isn’t always as clever as we think

New research questions the value of digital surveillance and big data. Sometimes traditional and less privacy-invasive data can predict human behaviour much more effectively.

Coronavirus

2021.04.22

Brazilian coronavirus variant likely to be more transmissible and able to evade immunity

A new study with the University of Copenhagen represented indicates that the coronavirus variant called P.1, which originated in Brazil, could pose a bigger threat than previously assumed.

Biology

2021.04.19

Beetles that pee themselves to death could be tomorrow’s pest control

Various beetle species have gobbled through grain stores and weakened food production worldwide since ancient times. Now, researchers at the University of Copenhagen have discovered a better way of targeting and…

The nervous system

2021.04.16

Tiny fruit flies give researchers new insights into the ‘highway of the nerve cells’

In a new study, researchers from the University of Copenhagen have gained new insights into how signal molecules are transported in some of the longest cells in the nervous system.

FARMING

2021.04.16

New invention can reduce agricultural pesticide use: Distinguishes harmful insects from helpful ones

A researcher from the University of Copenhagen has developed an algorithm that, in tandem with a sensor, makes it possible to distinguish crop-harming insects from helpful ones that pollinate and contribute to plant…

CLIMATE

2021.04.15

Researchers examine which trees are movable when climate change evicts them from their original habitats

University of Copenhagen researchers have studied more than 100 oak trees from a variety of countries and their ability to adapt to the Danish climate. Their results reveal that oak species from North America, Korea and…

archaeology

2021.04.14

Ancient DNA hints at diverse Stone Age traditions of kinship

An international team of researchers have used ancient genomes, 22 new genomes from Aşıklı Höyük and Çatalhöyük, a UNESCO site, as well as published ones from Boncuklu Höyük and Barcın to study people whose burials are…

Geography

2021.04.12

Thawing permafrost cools Arctic currents: This might affect fish stocks

A new study by a University of Copenhagen researcher finds that thawing permafrost in Alaska causes colder water in smaller rivers and streams. This surprising consequence of climate change could affect the survival of…

Food and economics

2021.04.08

Brexit will have less financial impact on Danish seafood industry and employment than feared

New calculations from the University of Copenhagen demonstrate that Britain's adieu to the EU will have less of an impact on the Danish seafood industry and wholesale trade than feared. At worst, Brexit could lead to a…

PSYCHOLOGY

2021.04.07

Our personality traits explain how we perceive and react to COVID-19

Both Danes and Germans with prosocial personality traits are more likely to follow health recommendations, while people with traits that make them more susceptible to negative emotions are more likely to see COVID-19 as…

Artificial intelligence

2021.04.07

Leading American researcher and DKK 350 million will take Danish artificial intelligence research to new heights

A new pioneer centre for artificial intelligence research is expected to open in Copenhagen at the end of 2021. Headed by world-leading American AI researcher, Serge Belongie, and with a good DKK 350 million to back it…

rewilding

2021.04.06

Letting nature manage itself may lead to the least costs - but EU subsidies remain an obstacle

Nature management through rewilding can be significantly more cost-effective than by traditional conservation measures. However, EU agricultural subsidies distort competition. This is the conclusion of an economic…

The Universe

2021.03.31

New study sews doubt about the composition of 70 percent of our universe

Researchers the world over have long believed that 70 percent of the universe is composed of dark energy, a substance that makes it possible for the universe to expand at an ever-increasing rate. But in a new study,…

carbon footprint

2021.03.29

Climate labeling reduces our CO2 footprint

Climate labels informing us of a meat product’s carbon footprint cause many people to opt for climate-friendlier alternatives. This applies to people who are curious about a product’s carbon footprint, as well as to…

Health

2021.03.25

We need to rethink the healthcare sector

The conference on chronic conditions at the UCPH revealed a growing interest in the everyday lives of chronic patients. The job is now to make improved quality of life a matter of priority, says Ayo Wahlberg, one of the…

FORESTS

2021.03.25

New documentation: Old-growth forest carbon sinks overestimated

The claim that old-growth forests play a significant role in climate mitigation, based upon the argument that even the oldest forests keep sucking CO2 out of the atmosphere, is being refuted by researchers at the…

Essential tremor

2021.03.18

Medical cannabis can reduce essential tremor by turning on overlooked cells in the central nervous system

Medical cannabis can reduce essential tremor in mice. By injecting a specific synthetic cannabinoid into the spinal cord of mice suffering from essential tremor, researchers from the University of Copenhagen have shown…

CLIMATE

2021.03.16

Researchers discover intact plant fossils beneath Greenland’s ice sheet for the first time

For the first time ever, researchers have found fossils under Greenland's ice sheet that are so large and well preserved that they can be seen with the naked eye. The fossils reveal several million years of details abou…

AGRICULTURE

2021.03.15

LITTLE NINJA protein helps crops grow more side shoots

A tiny, newly discovered protein can regulate how tall grass species like wheat, barley and rice become and how many side shoots they produce. University of Copenhagen researchers have identified the microProtein LITTLE…

Extension

2021.03.11

Rector to continue to 2025

Henrik C. Wegener’s name will remain on the door to his rector office at the University of Copenhagen for the next four years.

algorithms

2021.03.10

Danish computer scientist has developed a superb algorithm for finding the shortest route

One of the most classic algorithmic problems deals with calculating the shortest path between two points. A more complicated variant of the problem is when the route traverses a changing network—whether this be a road…

Dinosaurs

2021.03.09

An epic walk: 15 million years needed for dinosaurs to get from South America to Greenland

For the first time, two researchers—one from the University of Copenhagen and the other from Columbia University—have accurately dated the arrival of the first herbivorous dinosaurs in East Greenland. Their results…

Dissemination Award:

2021.03.09

Award-winning professor writes forgotten women into the history books

Women sent the first computer into space and programmed some of the 1970’s most iconic computer games. Nevertheless, women are invisible in both the history and culture of computer science. Professor Pernille Bjørn want…

Coronavirus

2021.03.08

Covid-19 vaccine candidate based on UCPH-research ready for testing on humans

A COVID-19 vaccine candidate developed at the University of Copenhagen has just been approved for phase 1 testing on humans. The research results are promising so far.

Technology

2021.03.08

How robotics will affect humanity and nature in the future

How will robotic technologies impact wildlife? Will self-driving cars create more or less urban noise? What will the relationship between humans and nature be like in the future? 170 experts weigh in on the global…

Women’s day

2021.03.07

8 March, 8 women, 8 research results

We celebrate the past year’s publications, projects and research results from women researchers at the University of Copenhagen. Read along and meet eight of the University's researchers and their work. Happy Women’s Da…

PLANT BIOLOGY

2021.03.04

Researchers discover how to control zinc content in plants: Could help the world’s malnourished

Over 2 billion people worldwide are malnourished due to zinc deficiency. Led by the University of Copenhagen, an international team of researchers has discovered how plants sense zinc and use this knowledge to enhance…

egyptology

2021.02.26

Ancient Egyptian manual reveals new details about mummification

Based on a manual recently discovered in a 3,500-year-old medical papyrus, University of Copenhagen Egyptologist Sofie Schiødt has been able to help reconstruct the embalming process used to prepare ancient Egyptians fo…

Conference

2021.02.24

UCPH gathers medical anthropologists for a conference on chronic conditions

With close to 500 participants, the Chronic Living conference on 4-6 March will be one of the largest medical anthropological events on record.

Low mobility

2021.02.24

Educational mobility on the decline in Denmark

In 20 years, the impact of parental background on children’s education has increased significantly, and today Denmark is on par with the US despite free education and state education grants.

space research

2021.02.18

Are we alone? UCPH researchers hold their breath ahead of Mars landing

Traces of prehistoric life will be the ultimate goal as the NASA rover Perseverance lands on Mars tonight. Researchers from the University of Copenhagen have contributed several important elements to the mission.

Water worlds

2021.02.18

The Milky Way may be swarming with planets with oceans and continents like here on Earth

According to a new study from the University of Copenhagen, Earth, Venus and Mars were created from small dust particles containing ice and carbon.

Survey

2021.02.17

Every fifth Dane wants to put immigrants with COVID-19 back in the hospital queue

According to a new survey, up to one in five Danes would prioritise hospital beds for COVID-19 patients with severe symptoms born in Denmark over recent immigrants.

Cultural and natural heritage

2021.02.17

Danish research institutions join the leading European network of cultural heritage

Led by researchers from the University of Copenhagen, Danish research institutions and museums now join the European Research Infrastructure for Heritage Science (E-RIHS).

Biobank

2021.02.16

Skin tissue samples from 3,000 patients to give researchers new insights into psoriasis and eczema

Herlev and Gentofte Hospital together with the University of Copenhagen establish a new research programme and biobank with skin tissue and blood samples from 3,000 patients with illnesses such as psoriasis and eczema.

EDUCATION IN CHANGE

2021.02.10

Olivia creates value for one of the world's largest advisory services firm

Anthropology student Olivia is writing her thesis in collaboration with PwC, one of the world's largest audit, tax and advisory services firm, where she also works as a student assistant.

education

2021.02.09

The wars in Former Yugoslavia continue in the classroom

According to the Education Act, schools in the ethnically divided Bosnia and Herzegovina must teach students “democratic ideals in a multicultural society." But according to new research from the University of…

sustainability goals

2021.02.09

Green acceleration: Climate footprint to be reduced by half

The University of Copenhagen’s ambitious new sustainability goals are to halve its climate and resource footprint by 2030. This will be done through sustainable procurement, more efficient use of buildings, less harmful…

climate

2021.02.09

Arctic permafrost releases more CO2 than once believed

There may be greater CO2 emissions associated with thawing Arctic permafrost than ever imagined. An international team of researchers, including one from the University of Copenhagen, has discovered that soil bacteria…

Misdiagnosis

2021.02.09

Researchers develop algorithm to find possible misdiagnosis

Researchers from the University of Copenhagen have developed an algorithm that can identify patients who may have been wrongly diagnosed.

Food waste

2021.02.08

Food waste researcher: We must learn that brown fruit isn’t bad fruit

We tend to avoid choosing apples with brown spots, assuming that they taste bad. But if we are to end food waste, we’ll need to upend that assumption. UCPH researcher emphasizes that there's nothing wrong with oddly…

Dental health

2021.02.05

Periodontitis increases the risk of bacteria in donor blood

New research from the University of Copenhagen shows an increased risk of bacterial contamination in donated blood if the donor suffers from periodontitis. Still, it is considered safe to receive a blood transfusion, th…