ENAC news about research

Why rivers matter for the global carbon cycle

Published:19.01.23 — In a new journal article, EPFL professor Tom Battin reviews our current understanding of carbon fluxes in the world’s river networks. He demonstrates their central role in the global carbon cycle and argues for the creation of a global River Observation System.

Scientists delve into natural slicks on Lake Geneva

Published:11.01.23 — An EPFL researcher has, for the first time, documented slicks – those visually arresting, moving patches of smooth water – and explained what is happening beneath the surface. 

Industrial heritage: a driver of the socioecological transition

Published:27.12.22 — In this article appearing in Switzerland’s French-speaking press, Anna Karla de Almeida Santos, a PhD candidate at the Laboratory of Urbanism (Lab-U), explains that the transformation of sites with an industrial past represents an opportunity to test research avenues and materialize the socio-ecological transition.

Acids help against airborne viruses

Published:21.12.22 — A new study by various Swiss universities, including EPFL, shows that aerosols in indoor air can vary in acidity. This acidity determines how long viruses such as influenza and SARS-CoV-2 remain infectious in the air – with profound implications for virus transmission and strategies to contain it.

Artificial intelligence deployed to enhance sports performance

Published:15.12.22 — EPFL researchers have teamed up with Dartfish and the Lausanne Hockey Club to push the boundaries of sports-performance analysis by applying computer vision and machine-learning technology to action on the ice.

Chalets provide insight into our relationship with mountains

Published:07.12.22 — Chalets have been widely adopted as the standard form of architecture for mountain homes – but according to Patrick Giromini, an architect and lecturer at EPFL, it’s worth taking a close look at why. In a well-documented book, he explores how chalets reflect a societal construct established in the 18th century that has largely shaped our relationship with mountains.

Chip lets scientists study biocement formation in real-time

Published:05.12.22 — Scientists from EPFL and the University of Lausanne have used a chip that was originally designed for environmental science to study the properties of biocement formation. This material has the potential to replace traditional cement binders in certain civil engineering applications.

Unraveling the secrets of microplastics released by tires

Published:24.11.22 — In Switzerland, tire and road wear particles are one of the biggest sources of microplastics released into the environment, yet the chemical compounds contained in those particles – and their effects – remain largely a mystery. To remedy that knowledge gap, scientists at EPFL and two other Swiss research institutes are conducting a study of the toxicity of tire-particle compounds and how readily they’re absorbed by living organisms. The first phase of the study has just been completed.

Six new CROSS projects on the theme of crisis

Published:23.11.22 — The 2023 edition of the CROSS (Collaborative Research on Science and Society) program invited researchers from EPFL and the University of Lausanne to submit proposals for joint projects on the theme of crisis. Of the six selected projects, two will be co-directed by ENAC researchers: Jérôme Chenal and Michael Lehning.

EPFL's Highly Cited Researchers in 2022

Published:22.11.22 — Eleven EPFL researchers are among the most highly cited scientists in 2022. At ENAC, Professor Athanasios Nenes is among the nominees.

Lake Geneva consumers surveyed as part of a study on climate change

Published:16.11.22 — Over 10,000 people in both the French and Swiss parts of the Lake Geneva region have been surveyed on their transportation habits, as the first element of a broader EPFL study on consumer lifestyles and behavior. 

Prof. Athanasios Nenes wins two prestigious grants

Published:14.10.22 — Professor Athanasios Nenes, the head of EPFL’s Laboratory of Atmospheric Processes and their Impacts (LAPI), has won EU and Swiss research grants for two large-scale projects. The first will look at how indoor air pollution, allergens and viruses affects children’s health, and the second will examine the complicated role of reactive nitrogen in our ecosystem and the response to the energy transition in Switzerland.

Three ENAC researchers awarded Swiss National Foundation grants

Published:07.10.22 — Aurélie Terrier from the Institute of Architecture, Savvas Saloustros from the Institute of Civil Engineering and Hélène Angot from the Institute of Environmental Engineering have each won a research grant from the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF).

Researchers deliver science for humanitarian action

Published:06.10.22 — Using innovative technologies and scientific expertise to help people in need is the goal of the Engineering for Humanitarian Action initiative launched by the ICRC, ETH Zurich and EPFL in 2020. Six of the projects are already offering results for tangible improvements for the ICRC.

ALPOLE researchers win two EU research grants

Published:28.09.22 — Devis Tuia and Tom Ian Battin, two laboratory heads at EPFL’s Alpine and Polar Research Center (ALPOLE), in Sion, have obtained funding under the EU’s Horizon program. This funding is intended to sponsor PhD students within a network of doctoral students in Europe, thus enabling professors to embark on high-stakes projects with confidence.

A warm intrusion in the Arctic causes extreme pollution levels

Published:09.09.22 — During the MOSAiC research expedition, conducted in the Arctic pack ice between 2019 and 2020, EPFL scientists observed an atmospheric perturbation triggered by the intrusion of a highly polluted warm air-mass. A first study providing further insight into the phenomenon and its potential implications has just been published.

Why it will be imperative to reduce the size of rental properties

Published:01.09.22 — A PhD thesis carried out at EPFL has shown that, based on realistic forecasts, the only way we’ll be able to shrink the environmental footprint of residential dwelling by 2050 in Switzerland is through a joint effort between housing owners and tenants. 

The physics of snow slab avalanches similar to that of earthquakes

Published:26.07.22 — Scientists from EPFL and the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF have gained deeper insight into how snow slab avalanches form, paving the way to more effective risk assessment measures for these catastrophic events that induce more avalanche accidents and fatalities every year than other types of avalanches.

One step closer to providing customized climate control in the office

Published:20.07.22 — EPFL researchers have shown that people’s perception of office temperature can vary considerably. Personalized climate control could therefore help enhance workers’ comfort – and save energy at the same time.

Monitoring city mobility from the skies

Published:13.07.22 — EPFL researchers have used swarms of drones to measure city traffic with unprecedented accuracy and precision. Algorithms are then used to identify sources of traffic jams and recommend solutions to alleviate traffic problems.