The world’s largest terrestrial conservation area is located in southern Africa and covers 520,000 square kilometers spanning five countries. A study from the University of Zurich now shows that the endangered African wild dog mostly remains within the boundaries of the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA) when dispersing, thus highlighting the relevance of such a large-scale conservation initiative for maintaining key wildlife corridors of threatened species.

Humans are exposed to a variety of toxins and chemicals every day. According to the epithelial barrier hypothesis, exposure to many of these substances damages the epithelium, the thin layer of cells that covers the surface of our skin, lungs and intestine. Defective epithelial barriers have been linked to a rise in almost two billion allergic, autoimmune, neurodegenerative and psychiatric diseases.

Severe cases of COVID-19 can now be detected at an early stage. Researchers at the University of Zurich have identified the first biomarker that can reliably predict which patients will develop severe symptoms. This can help to improve the treatment of severe cases of COVID-19.

One-third of children and adolescents experienced mental health problems during the first COVID-19 lockdown in Switzerland. Parents and young adults also perceived considerable stress, yet the perceived stresses differed from those of children and adolescents, the first Switzerland-wide representative study by the University of Zurich and La Source School of Nursing Lausanne has shown.

Researchers at the University Zurich have mapped the first complete atlas of single cells that make up the human teeth. Their research shows that the composition of human dental pulp and periodontium vary greatly. Their findings open up new avenues for cell-based dental therapeutic approaches.

The 2021 Dies academicus has received a new digital dress-up, with the day’s proceedings available online through an interactive platform. The University of Zurich has awarded honorary doctorates to musician Rudolf Lutz, notary Jürg Schmid, financial expert Bruno Biais as well as CT specialist Thomas Flohr. Further honorary doctorates have gone to veterinarian Lothar Wieler, German studies scholar Anil Bhatti and ornithologist Werner Müller.

The University of Zurich wants to harness the digital advances and the experience gained from the coronavirus pandemic to provide a targeted mix of classroom and online formats in the future. Learning will thus become a more individual, flexible and accessible process. More emphasis will also be placed on sustainability and diversity in the coming years.