Science stories

Cracking the code of earthquakes – from inside the fault
12 Sep 2025

Cracking the code of earthquakes - from inside the fault

Deep beneath the Swiss Alps, scientists are doing something that may sound counterintuitive: they are triggering earthquakes - on purpose.
Deep beneath the Swiss Alps, scientists are doing something that may sound counterintuitive: they are triggering earthquakes - on purpose.
Deep beneath the Swiss Alps, scientists are doing something that may sound counterintuitive: they are triggering earthquakes - on purpose.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 15

Discovering the secrets of the interaction between light and matter

Frontier research led by ERC grantee Anne L’Huillier has led to progress in the understanding of the dynamics of electrons within atomic systems. In parallel, advances in the field of ultrafast laser technology spun off from her fundamental research…
Frontier research led by ERC grantee Anne L’Huillier has led to progress in the understanding of the dynamics of electrons within atomic systems. In parallel, advances in the field of…
Frontier research led by ERC grantee Anne L’Huillier has led to progress in the understanding of the dynamics of electrons within atomic systems. In…
Frontier research led by ERC grantee Anne L’Huillier has led to progress in the understanding of the dynamics of electrons within atomic systems. In parallel, advances in the…
Frontier research led by ERC grantee Anne L’Huillier has led to progress in the understanding of the dynamics of electrons…
15 ways ERC transformed science

Applying artificial intelligence to transform language learning

The pioneering work of ERC grantee Roberto Navigli has brought computer language learning and translation closer to the level of human comprehension. Not only has this been used to deliver large-scale lexical resources that are used by language…
The pioneering work of ERC grantee Roberto Navigli has brought computer language learning and translation closer to the level of human comprehension. Not only has this been used to…
The pioneering work of ERC grantee Roberto Navigli has brought computer language learning and translation closer to the level of human comprehension…
The pioneering work of ERC grantee Roberto Navigli has brought computer language learning and translation closer to the level of human comprehension. Not only has this been…
The pioneering work of ERC grantee Roberto Navigli has brought computer language learning and translation closer to the…
15 ways ERC transformed science

Tracking extreme heat to improve climate change forecasts

Plants evaporate less in dry conditions, which can lead to a warming of the air. ERC grantee Sonia Seneviratne has quantified this phenomenon, resulting in findings that could transform climate modelling, and help scientists to navigate our way…
Plants evaporate less in dry conditions, which can lead to a warming of the air. ERC grantee Sonia Seneviratne has quantified this phenomenon, resulting in findings that could…
Plants evaporate less in dry conditions, which can lead to a warming of the air. ERC grantee Sonia Seneviratne has quantified this phenomenon,…
Plants evaporate less in dry conditions, which can lead to a warming of the air. ERC grantee Sonia Seneviratne has quantified this phenomenon, resulting in findings that…
Plants evaporate less in dry conditions, which can lead to a warming of the air. ERC grantee Sonia Seneviratne has…
15 ways ERC transformed science

Evaluating how plant stress impacts our climate

The work of ERC grantee Ülo Niinemets has shown that monitoring plant stress emissions could help us to better understand atmospheric processes. This has led to a rethink on global climate modelling and strengthened research into crop resilience…
The work of ERC grantee Ülo Niinemets has shown that monitoring plant stress emissions could help us to better understand atmospheric processes. This has led to a rethink on global…
The work of ERC grantee Ülo Niinemets has shown that monitoring plant stress emissions could help us to better understand atmospheric processes. This…
The work of ERC grantee Ülo Niinemets has shown that monitoring plant stress emissions could help us to better understand atmospheric processes. This has led to a rethink on…
The work of ERC grantee Ülo Niinemets has shown that monitoring plant stress emissions could help us to better understand…
15 ways ERC transformed science

Unravelling the intricacies of DNA replication

Every cell in the human body contains a blueprint of DNA which enables it to create a perfect copy when the cell divides. Captivated by this idea, ERC grantee John Diffley has unlocked new opportunities in structural biology by succeeding to…
Every cell in the human body contains a blueprint of DNA which enables it to create a perfect copy when the cell divides. Captivated by this idea, ERC grantee John Diffley has unlocked…
Every cell in the human body contains a blueprint of DNA which enables it to create a perfect copy when the cell divides. Captivated by this idea,…
Every cell in the human body contains a blueprint of DNA which enables it to create a perfect copy when the cell divides. Captivated by this idea, ERC grantee John Diffley…
Every cell in the human body contains a blueprint of DNA which enables it to create a perfect copy when the cell divides…
15 ways ERC transformed science

Understanding the universe by stargazing through cosmic time

Astronomy pioneer and ERC grantee Vernesa Smolčić probed unexplored areas of space, using highly accurate state-of-the-art radio telescopes, to answer fundamental questions about the origin of the universe. Based in Croatia, her international team…
Astronomy pioneer and ERC grantee Vernesa Smolčić probed unexplored areas of space, using highly accurate state-of-the-art radio telescopes, to answer fundamental questions about the…
Astronomy pioneer and ERC grantee Vernesa Smolčić probed unexplored areas of space, using highly accurate state-of-the-art radio telescopes, to…
Astronomy pioneer and ERC grantee Vernesa Smolčić probed unexplored areas of space, using highly accurate state-of-the-art radio telescopes, to answer fundamental questions…
Astronomy pioneer and ERC grantee Vernesa Smolčić probed unexplored areas of space, using highly accurate state-of-the-art…
15 ways ERC transformed science

Optimising the transformative potential of mRNA for human health

ERC grantee Uğur Şahin is driving a new generation of mRNA cancer vaccines. His interdisciplinary team is using cutting-edge technology to develop vaccines that enhance immune responses to tumour mutations in individual cancer patients. This…
ERC grantee Uğur Şahin is driving a new generation of mRNA cancer vaccines. His interdisciplinary team is using cutting-edge technology to develop vaccines that enhance immune…
ERC grantee Uğur Şahin is driving a new generation of mRNA cancer vaccines. His interdisciplinary team is using cutting-edge technology to develop…
ERC grantee Uğur Şahin is driving a new generation of mRNA cancer vaccines. His interdisciplinary team is using cutting-edge technology to develop vaccines that enhance…
ERC grantee Uğur Şahin is driving a new generation of mRNA cancer vaccines. His interdisciplinary team is using cutting-edge…
15 ways ERC transformed science

Enabling the green transition with high-performing solar cells

In the global effort to combat climate change, solar power can help cut emissions and provide an alternative to fossil fuels. ERC grantee Michael Grätzel is pioneering a new generation of photovoltaic solar technologies that are highly reliable and…
In the global effort to combat climate change, solar power can help cut emissions and provide an alternative to fossil fuels. ERC grantee Michael Grätzel is pioneering a new generation…
In the global effort to combat climate change, solar power can help cut emissions and provide an alternative to fossil fuels. ERC grantee Michael…
In the global effort to combat climate change, solar power can help cut emissions and provide an alternative to fossil fuels. ERC grantee Michael Grätzel is pioneering a new…
In the global effort to combat climate change, solar power can help cut emissions and provide an alternative to fossil fuels…
15 ways ERC transformed science