News from 2022

The Ocean

2022.09.28

The greatest increase in marine biodiversity can help us understand and control ocean deoxygenation

Deoxygenation can make large areas of the ocean uninhabitable. New study offers knowledge of how oxygen levels affect marine life – this may help us preserve marine ecosystems. “In the past 50 years, we have already los…

Vaccine

2022.09.29

Pregnant women and their unborn babies can die of malaria. A vaccine may be on the way

Malaria is a major health challenge especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Pregnant women and their unborn babies in particular are affected by the parasite. But now a team of researchers has received DKK 75 million in…

Misinformation

2022.10.05

Healthy democracies are threatened by false information, but not everyone is keen on a cure

Our democracy relies upon the choices of an informed electorate. But today, it is threatened by mis- and disinformation. More and better fact-checking is needed according to the University of Copenhagen’s Isabelle…

Nobel Prize

2022.10.06

University of Copenhagen professor wins Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Professor Morten Meldal, of the University of Copenhagen’s Department of Chemistry, has been awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his groundbreaking work with what is known as click chemistry – when a chemical…

SPORTS POLITICS

2022.10.14

Dictatorships use sporting events as a smokescreen for political repression

A new study shows a systematic connection between major sporting events in autocracies and the persecution of political opponents.

Clima

2022.10.18

Vibrating trucks searched for Denmark's future underground CO2 storage sites

Seismic studies of the deep soil layers in northwest Zealand will help researchers locate soil formations suitable for storing captured CO2 in the near future. The University of Copenhagen is supplying academic expertis…

Coastal protection

2022.10.25

Disappearing coastlines: A smartphone and selfie stick can let us know by how much

New mobile phone technology makes it possible to better monitor Danish coastlines, which recede up to four meters a year in some places. The method, which has been tested by the University of Copenhagen, also lets…

ERC SYNERGY

2022.10.25

World-class research into Greenland's oldest ice and the Universe's densest stars win very large EU grants

When was Greenland actually green? And how does the Universe make gold, platinum and uranium? Researchers from the University of Copenhagen have just received 11.4 million euro to answer these big questions. The…

POLITICAL VIOLENCE

2022.10.25

Republican Party lost core supporters after the attack on Capitol

Danish research shows that the attack on the US Congress building in January 2021 caused even loyal party members to distance themselves from their party.

FOOD

2022.10.28

Is the future of whipped cream fat-free and made of bacteria and beer waste?

Bacteria-based whipped cream could be the future. Food researchers at the University of Copenhagen have developed a fat-free prototype of the much-beloved substance built using bacteria instead of milk fat – in both…

CRISPR

2022.10.28

Breakthrough in CRISPR research may lead to more effective and safer gene editing

CRISPR has great potential within disease control due to its ability to modify our DNA. New research can prevent situations where CRISPR edits the wrong genes.

2022 Elections

2022.10.28

Female politicians disadvantaged by online prejudices and stereotypes

In Reddit comments, female politicians are more likely to be referred to by their first names, and with a less professional focus, than their male counterparts. This a new study from the University of Copenhagen finds.…

agriculture

2022.11.02

Now we know how plants steer clear of salt

To avoid salt in soil, plants can change their root direction and grow away from saline areas. University of Copenhagen researchers helped find out what makes this possible. The discovery changes our understanding of ho…

COMPETITION

2022.11.03

Economist wants to end the alphabet's power over pharmaceuticals

When your doctor prescribes medicine for you, the name of the pharmaceutical company plays a critical role, new study from the Department of Economic shows.

Digital donations

2022.11.08

"I'll pay later!" – People promise the stars and moon to charities, but donations remain unsent

More than half of charitable giving via payment apps is "forgotten" as soon as a fundraiser leaves according to a new University of Copenhagen study. On the other hand, digital solutions make it easier to donate more…

Climate

2022.11.16

Arctic vegetation has a major impact on warming

An international team of research scientists, University of Copenhagen researchers among them, has documented the central role of vegetation for Arctic warming for the first time. The new results allow us to make more…

Chemistry

2022.11.17

Chemists to capture atmospheric methane with sugar

Can a carbohydrate actually suck methane, a greenhouse gas, directly out of the air? Researchers at the University of Copenhagen’s Faculty of Science are in the process of finding out. Methane gas is 86 times more poten…

The brain

2022.11.23

Major discovery about mammalian brains surprises researchers

In a new breakthrough to understand more about the mammalian brain, University of Copenhagen researchers have made an incredible discovery. Namely, a vital enzyme that enables brain signals is switching on and off at…

THE CLIMATE RESEARCHERS

2022.11.24

Psychology professor: Experiences in Virtual Reality can motivate us to climate action

Most people see the need for a green transition, but our actions do not always follow suit, says professor in psychology Guido Makransky.

FOOD HABITS

2022.11.25

Almost every other Dane is trying to cut back on meat

New sociological research shows that almost half of the Danish population is trying to reduce their meat consumption.

Psychiatry

2022.11.25

New study maps the development of the 20 most common psychiatric disorders

Nearly half of all psychiatric patients get a different diagnose within 10 years. New figures for diagnoses will help predict the course of psychiatric illnesses.

Our Globe

2022.11.28

Earth’s many new lakes

The number of lakes on our planet has increased substantially in recent decades, according to a unique global survey of 3.4 million lakes that the University of Copenhagen has taken part in. There has been a particular…

Sustainable Food

2022.12.01

Learning how to grow super mushrooms, with termites as teachers

Termites have cultivated and eaten them for 30 million years. This incredible mushroom has more protein than chicken, soy and corn, but has yet to be grown by humans. By imitating termites, scientists at the University…

Food culture

2022.12.08

The wealthier we become, the fewer homemade meals we eat

The wealthier we are, the less time we spend cooking and washing up. This is demonstrated by a global megatrend, now investigated by a researcher at the University of Copenhagen. The trend applies to Danes as well, who…

Medicine

2022.12.08

Scientists remove yeast cell's sex drive and turn it into a cannabis tracker

Researchers at the University of Copenhagen's Faculty of Science have modified a yeast cell to sense the active substances in cannabis and get it to turn red when it does. The result paves the way for more actors to…

STEM CELLS

2022.12.12

Scientists finds stem cell network in ancient fish

An ancient fish called a ‘living fossil’ has helped researchers understand the basics of stem cells. This will further stem cell research and be a step in the direction of creating artificial organs

Trees

2022.12.15

Santa’s finally got a Christmas tree farm in Greenland

Many, especially Danes, consider Greenland the home of Father Christmas. However for the most part, Greenland is Arctic tundra devoid of trees over knee height. So for Christmas, Greenlanders make do with imported trees…

colors

2022.12.15

Most colors are eco criminals: Here’s how to make purple greener

The colors of our clothes, cosmetics, furniture and all sorts of things around us are nearly all based on crude oil, making them far from environmentally innocent. UCPH researchers have teamed up with Danish company…

Behavioral Biology

2022.12.20

Human empathy makes us better at understanding animal sounds

Those who do well on human empathy tests are also measurably better at decoding the emotional sounds of animals, according to a new study from the University of Copenhagen. Other aspects, such as age and work related to…

green christmas

2022.12.21

Researcher: The way to make plant-based foods taste like Christmas

How do you combine plant-based foods to bring out the flavours of Christmas? A food engineer and ph.D. from the University of Copenhagen has experimented in Gastro Science Lab. Boosting of umami taste is key.