News from 2022

Astrophysics

2022.03.31

Hubble spots most distant single star ever seen, at a record distance of 28 billion lightyears

With a fortuitous lineup of a massive cluster of galaxies, astronomers from among other institutes the University of Copenhagen and DTU discovered a single star across most of the entire observable Universe. This is the…

Corona

2022.04.04

Lockdowns did not significantly affect young people’s mental health

Young people’s mental health has not been affected by the two corona lockdowns, a new study from the University of Copenhagen concludes. But in the short run, it did suffer temporarily.

THE CLIMATE RESEARCHERS

2022.04.06

Large, economic wheels must be turned to make way for green cars

Which economic levers do the politicians have to pull to move people from fossil driven cars to electrified cars? That is the main question for the GREENCAR research team at the Department of Economics.

The Universe

2022.04.13

Breaking news from the dawn of the universe

Gazing back to the early epochs after the Big Bang, for the first time have scientists found the ancestor of a supermassive black hole. The international research team is led by astronomers from the University of…

INTEGRATION

2022.04.19

Language teaching will be crucial for the integration of Ukrainian refugees

When the many thousands of Ukrainians who come to Denmark have been given shelter, it's time to learn the Danish language – at least if they end up staying in Denmark.

Strength Training

2022.04.22

Varied strength-training programmes increase strength, but not muscle mass

For years, it has been assumed that variation in strength-training programmes impacts training outcomes. New research at the University of Copenhagen demonstrates that varied strength training has a positive effect on…

Cyber ​​security

2022.04.28

Scientific advance leads to a new tool in the fight against hackers

A new form of security identification could soon see the light of day and help us protect our data from hackers and cybercriminals. Quantum mathematicians at the University of Copenhagen have solved a mathematical riddl…

Antibiotic resistance

2022.05.02

Thousands of intestinal viruses have now been mapped. And they can be used to fight antibiotic resistance

A new method developed at the University of Copenhagen has been used to identify more than 1,000 bactericidal viruses in the human intestines. The researchers believe the discovery may help fight antibiotic resistance.

Relief

2022.05.03

B12 deficiency harms young children's development – food relief not good enough

Vitamin B12 deficiency in infants leads to poor motor development and anaemia, according to a study from Burkina Faso conducted by the University of Copenhagen and Médecins Sans Frontières. B12 deficiency is an enormous…

GRANT

2022.05.11

The shady side of the Internet: How do young people share extreme content on social media?

A new research project will uncover how young people produce and share hateful and offensive memes.

Physics

2022.05.11

Scientists discovers new properties of magnetism that could change our computers

Our electronics can no longer shrink and are on the verge of overheating. But in a new discovery from the University of Copenhagen, researchers have uncovered a fundamental property of magnetism, which may become…

Dopamine

2022.05.11

Dopamine makes you feel happy. But we probably have to be rewrite the textbooks

According to a new study, it may facilitate the development of drugs for i.e. cocaine addiction and ADHD and is most likely to change the general notion of how dopamine is removed from the brain.

Denisovans

2022.05.17

Molar reveals that the mysterious human species Denisovans could adapt to extreme climate

The Denisovans not only lived in Siberia and the Himalayas, a new study reveals. The extinct human race had a rare ability to adapt to extreme climates.

New Prorector

2022.05.19

New prorector: "Measure me by how many who turn up in a UCPH T-shirt"

Associate dean at the Faculty of Law Kristian Cedervall Lauta will assume the role as Prorector for Education at the University of Copenhagen, and he has a dream.

New method

2022.05.19

Cancer vulnerabilities could get exposed by ‘game changing’ method

Research from University of Copenhagen shows that a new method called “Deep Visual Proteomics” may be able to help doctors get closer to an answer and expose cancer tumor’s vulnerabilities.

plant science

2022.05.20

How plants colonized the land

University of Copenhagen researchers have shed new light on how plant life became established on the surface of our planet. Specifically, they demonstrated that two genes are indispensable for allowing terrestrial plant…

Greenhouse gases

2022.05.23

New measurements from Northern Sweden show less methane emissions than feared

It is widely understood that thawing permafrost can lead to significant amounts of methane being released. However, new research shows that in some areas, this release of methane could be a tenth of the amount predicted…

Reproduction

2022.05.23

Men with obesity can double their sperm count

Men with obesity can double their sperm count if they lose weight and maintain the weight loss. This is the conclusion in a new study by researchers from the University of Copenhagen and Hvidovre Hospital.

Planets

2022.05.23

Planets of binary stars as possible homes for alien life

Nearly half of Sun-size stars are binary. According to University of Copenhagen research, planetary systems around binary stars may be very different from those around single stars. This points to new targets in the…

CULTURAL PREFERENCE

2022.05.24

Wagner or Adele? Genes play a significant role in shaping our cultural tastes

Our genetic composition not only affects our sex, height, and other physical characteristics. New research shows that genes also influence our cultural preferences and habits.

Chromosomes

2022.05.24

Why do some experience repeated miscarriages? Research may help us

Spontaneous abortions can be due to chromosome defects, but they can be difficult to detect. Researchers from the University of Copenhagen have developed a new method that can make us wiser

Astrophysics

2022.05.25

New discovery about distant galaxies: Stars are heavier than we thought

A team of University of Copenhagen astrophysicists has arrived at a major result regarding star populations beyond the Milky Way. The result could change our understanding of a wide range of astronomical phenomena,…

atmosphere

2022.05.26

New type of extremely reactive substance in the atmosphere

For the first time, an entirely new class of super-reactive chemical compounds has been discovered under atmospheric conditions. Researchers from the University of Copenhagen, in close collaboration with international…

Bird species

2022.05.29

Researchers identify ancient bird behind giant eggs from Down Under

A years-long research debate over which animal is the rightful mother of giant prehistoric eggs in Australia has been resolved. In a new study, University of Copenhagen researchers and their international colleagues…

BASIC RESEARCH IN LAW

2022.06.07

Free movement? New Centre of Excellence examines global mobility rights

A new national Centre of Excellence in law will examine the complex legal structures that govern how we, as humans, move or are prevented from moving across national borders and parts of the world. The new centre will…

Centre of Excellence

2022.06.07

New research centre will investigate if mental illness is universal

Is the human psyche the same across cultures? And do people experience mental disorders in the same way no matter what language they speak? These are some of the fundamental questions that the new Centre for Culture and…

Pea protein

2022.06.09

Yellow peas show promising results as tomorrow’s cheese

Humans have used milk to make cheese for millennia. However, climate change and sustainability concerns are prompting us to look towards the plant kingdom for the cheeses of the future. New research from the University…

The climate researchers

2022.06.16

Green and sustainable food should become the automatic choice

One of the main obstacles to introducing a more climate-friendly food culture in Denmark is the many everyday barriers. So says Professor Bente Halkier, who researches everyday life.

Quantum physics

2022.06.23

Denmark's first quantum information science programme to open soon

With quantum technologies blossoming globally, the demand for quantum experts is already high across several sectors. To meet this demand, the University of Copenhagen will soon open Denmark's first quantum science…

Artificial intelligence

2022.06.23

Let your mind control the computer

With electric signals from human brains as the only input, new software can perform computerized image editing. This marks a new paradigm in artificial intelligence.

Award

2022.07.06

Math and computer science can help us understand pandemics. UCPH-professor receives grant to continue work in that field

Can you create a mathematical model that pinpoints the process of infection and the interventions against a disease? Professor Samir Bhatt from University of Copenhagen wants to do so, and now he received the Schmidt…

Applicants 2022

2022.07.07

Applicants 2022: Slight decline but UCPH remains most popular

As the rest of the sector, the University of Copenhagen is seeing a decline in applicants in relation to the years with corona, 2020 and 2021. However, some degree programmes have experienced an increase.

Biodiversity

2022.07.13

The value of nature should be included in Danish economic decision making

Denmark is miles away from meeting its agreed targets for nature and biodiversity. To remedy the Danish and global biodiversity crisis effectively, we need to improve how the value of nature is measured to allow…

Insects

2022.07.15

Zombie fly fungus lures healthy male flies to mate with female corpses

A unique fungus survives by 'bewitching' male flies into mating with dead female flies. The longer a female fly carcass has lain and rotted, the greater the male’s lust. This, according to a new study led by researchers…

Biology

2022.07.21

When you Google the word 'tick', you're helping science

Knowledge about the spread of tick-borne diseases is extremely limited and notoriously difficult to acquire. A new study from the University of Copenhagen demonstrates that internet searches just might be the way to kee…

Endurance

2022.07.22

Perspiration and an ingenious suspension prepared early humans for the yellow jersey

Unparalleled endurance allowed Homo erectus to tire antelopes on the savannah two million years ago. Since then, our prehistoric genetics have been leveraged to compete in the world's toughest bike race. The Tour de…

Pets

2022.08.11

The modern dog fights a lonely battle

Separation anxiety and behavioral problems. Veterinary care and malnutrition are no longer the main problems for Danish dogs, as was the case a hundred years ago. On the other hand, our sky-high expectations of them are…

Nature

2022.08.23

New revelations about an ancient fish: the secret to swimming upside down

An after-hours trip to Aarhus University Hospital Skejby’s radiology department has shed light on a mysterious and ancient fish, one that remains one of the world’s rarest – the Coelacanth. Researchers from the…

Arctic

2022.08.23

Popular research station reopens in Greenland: Danish zoologist recognized the greenhouse effect at same site in 1904

For more than a century, Arctic climate research has been collected and stored at the University of Copenhagen's northernmost research station – the Arctic Station. Now, after a thorough renovation and modernisation, th…

smoking

2022.08.24

More Danes quit smoking during COVID

Danish smokers bought less tobacco and more of them quit smoking than usual during the COVID pandemic, according to new research from the University of Copenhagen. The result comes as a surprise given that mental health…

Microbiology

2022.08.30

Warring genetic parasites could lead to new defenses against dangerous bacteria

Plasmids – a type of autonomous genetic parasites in bacteria – are armed with a previously unknown arsenal of CRISPR-Cas "gene tools" that are frequently deployed to combat other plasmids, according to research from th…

SPACE TRAVEL

2022.09.02

Martian oxygen factory passes first major test

New results from the red and rocky surface of Mars have shown that MOXIE, an oxygen generator that Danish researchers from the University of Copenhagen and fellow institutions have been deeply involved with, has passed…

award

2022.09.06

Teacher of the Year: A living legend, whether in glitter or gladiator garb

He is a living legend in his department – known to occasionally sport a gladiator costume or sequin jacket and electric guitar. Not a speck of dust has settled on this epic lecturer after 38 years of teaching. To the…

Plants

2022.09.09

Two grains, mutual gain: surviving drought through varietal collaboration

Some draw water from the soil’s depths, while others absorb nutrients nearer to the surface with shallow, wide root systems. Fields of grains with mixed properties could be the future for farmers hoping to protect their…

Religion

2022.09.13

Millions of farmers put their faith in God when making decisions

A widespread belief among millions of smallholder farmers in one of the world’s poorest countries is that God determines their yields. This is shown by a study that has examined the correlation between religiosity and…

Climate Change

2022.09.15

Global warming doubled the risk for Copenhagen’s historic 2011 cloudburst

Researchers at the University of Copenhagen, in collaboration with the Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI), have used detailed weather models to clearly tie increased temperatures to the historic cloudburst over…

Cancer

2022.09.20

Three proteins join forces to spread cancer. Now scientists may destroy them

With cryo-electron microscopy, it is possible to examine proteins more than a 1,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair. Now research using the technology may help develop treatment for some of the deadliest…

Quantum computer

2022.09.21

Major investment for developing Denmark’s first fully functional quantum computer

Denmark’s first fully functional generally applicable quantum computer will be available in 2034. This is the objective of the ambitious Novo Nordisk Foundation Quantum Computing Programme that is being launched in…

TECH

2022.09.26

Creepy apps cause emotional stress

We know that apps collect all sorts of data about us, and that makes us feel uncomfortable. In a new study researchers from the University of Copenhagen have measured how uncomfortable and ‘creeped out’ using apps can…

Energy supply

2022.09.27

Bio-what? Half of Danes don’t know what biomass is

Nearly half of Danes have never heard of Denmark’s largest source of renewable energy. The finding, reported in a study from the University of Copenhagen, is the first to explore Danish attitudes to woody biomass as an…