Nature, Numbers & Technology

plant science

2021.01.28

Wood formation can now be followed in real-time - and possibly serve the climate and builders of tomorrow

A genetic engineering method makes it possible to observe how woody cell walls are built in plants. The new research in wood formation, conducted by the University of Copenhagen and others, opens up the possibility of…

VIRTUAL REALITY

2021.01.22

Virtual reality will help us in communicating the social benefits of vaccination

Professor Robert Böhm and Associate Professor Guido Makransky from the Department of Psychology have received funding for developing a virtual reality app to communicate herd immunity in vaccine advocacy.

insects

2021.01.19

Aphids suck: Invasive aphid found on Danish apple trees

The spirea aphid, Aphis spiraecola, an invasive pest, has been discovered for the first time in Denmark by University of Copenhagen researchers. The extent of its current distribution remains unknown, but in time, it…

evolution

2021.01.06

How Earth’s oddest mammal got to be so bizarre

Often considered the world's oddest mammal, Australia’s beaver-like, duck-billed platypus exhibits an array of bizarre characteristics: it lays eggs instead of giving birth to live babies, sweats milk, has venomous spur…

FOOD SCIENCE

2021.01.05

Danish and Chinese tongues taste broccoli and chocolate differently

Two studies from the University of Copenhagen show that Danes aren’t quite as good as Chinese at discerning bitter tastes. The research suggests that this is related to anatomical differences upon the tongues of Danish…

Quantum physics

2020.12.09

Major breakthrough: Copenhagen researchers can now achieve 'quantum advantage'

University of Copenhagen researchers have advanced their quantum technology to such a degree that classical computing technology can no longer keep up. They have developed a chip that, with financial backing, could be…

MOBILITY

2020.11.19

Researchers put human mobility into new formula

Researchers at DTU and the University of Copenhagen have developed a model that provides new knowledge about how we move around in our everyday life and bridges a gap in the scientific understanding of mobility.

PLANT BIOLOGY

2020.11.10

From rooftop dweller to vigorous globetrotter: Researchers discover the secret of how moss spreads

University of Copenhagen researchers have discovered how mosses became one of our planet’s most widely distributed plants — global wind systems transport them along Earth’s latitudes, to rooftops, sidewalks and lawns…

artificial intelligence

2020.11.03

New Danish AI tool provides much-needed help to protein scientists across the world

Sorting huge amounts of data is a bottleneck in protein research, a field that is crucial to make use of the gene-editing technology CRISPR and fully understand diseases like cancer, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Now,…

artificial intelligence

2020.11.03

Students develop tool to predict the carbon footprint of algorithms

Within the scientific community, it is estimated that artificial intelligence — otherwise meant to serve as a means to effectively combat climate change — will become one of the most egregious CO2 culprits should curren…

egyptology

2020.10.26

Inks containing lead were likely used as drier on ancient Egyptian papyri

Analysing 12 ancient Egyptian papyri fragments with X-ray microscopy, University of Copenhagen researchers were surprised to find previously unknown lead compounds in both red and black inks and suggest they were used…

TREES

2020.10.20

Artificial intelligence reveals hundreds of millions of trees in the Sahara

There are far more trees in the West African Sahara and Sahel than most would expect. A combination of artificial intelligence and detailed satellite imagery allowed a team from the University of Copenhagen and…

New Prorector

2020.09.30

Professor of social data is appointed Prorector

Professor David Dreyer Lassen will take up a new position as Prorector at the University of Copenhagen on 1 January 2021. He will be in charge of research, innovation and overall relations with foundations and…

Quantum physics

2020.09.23

Tomorrow’s pharmaceuticals could be discovered by quantum simulators

Trial and error define today’s approach to developing new pharmaceutical drugs. But with their enormous computing power, quantum computers are expected to solve important and complex problems in medicine, biology and…

Technology

2020.08.04

Fitness watches generate useful information, but increase patient anxiety

How does measuring our sleep, exercise and heart rates using various apps and fitness watches affect us? Self-quantifying may better the understanding of our individual health, but according to a new study, it also give…

Technology

2020.07.16

The electronic monitoring of fishermen ensures that cod aren’t tossed overboard

The remote electronic monitoring of fishermen generally has more advantages than disadvantages, according to an extensive international study conducted by University of Copenhagen researchers, among others. The method…

Chemistry

2020.07.13

The secret of line-dried laundry’s fresh scent

When atmospheric chemistry researchers began to wonder why laundry dried outside smells so good, they began by hanging towels outside of the University of Copenhagen’s chemistry building in an unusual experiment.

insects

2020.07.06

Bug doctors to the rescue

The first batch of insect veterinarians is set to be trained at the University of Copenhagen. This new breed of veterinarian will help the growing insect industry to keep their insect micro stocks healthy and abuzz.

DEFORESTATION

2020.07.03

Danish soy and palm oil imports account for 7 million tonnes of CO2 emissions every year

A new report released by University of Copenhagen researchers indicates that Danish soybean and palm oil imports account for seven million tons of CO2 emissions annually. By comparison, Danish agriculture’s combined CO2…

Mathematics

2020.06.30

Coronavirus family tree can reveal new transmission chains

Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have used unconventional methods to identify coronavirus transmission chains. An advanced family tree of the virus’ development can provide an exceptionally accurate overview…

PLANT BIOLOGY

2020.06.16

Newly discovered plant gene could boost phosphorus intake

Researchers from the University of Copenhagen have discovered an important gene in plants that could help agricultural crops collaborate better with underground fungi—providing them with wider root networks and helping…

PLANT BIOLOGY

2020.06.12

Researchers discover what’s behind nature’s largest erection - which is not that big

In the plant kingdom, the sexual organ of a male pollen grain grows up to a thousand times its own length as it sniffs its way forth to a female egg cell to deliver its two sperm cells. Now researchers at the University…

new species

2020.05.18

Bizarre new species discovered... on Twitter

A new species of fungus has been discovered via Twitter and christened accordingly — Troglomyces twitteri. Researchers from the University of Copenhagen are behind the discovery of this unique fungal parasite that grows…

Greenhouse gas

2020.05.14

Researchers go cuckoo: Antarctic penguins release an extreme amount of laughing gas

In a new study, researchers from the University of Copenhagen have demonstrated that penguins in Antarctica emit copious amounts of nitrous oxide via their feces. So much so, that the researchers went "cuckoo" from bein…

Geology

2020.05.13

Violent rivers of meltwater may have carved Greenland's 'Grand Canyon'

Rapid climate change and enormous amounts of ice and meltwater may have excavated a nearly 800-kilometer long canyon beneath Greenland's ice cap, the origins of which have long been the subject of discussion.