Archive News

June 12, 2025Many bacteria produce a protein complex to inject poison in their neighbouring cells. This was previously thought to eliminate their competitors. But now researchers at Eawag and ETH Zurich have shown: The killer bacteria can act as biological predators that feed on their prey.

June 10, 2025A sudden drop in temperature in Lake Geneva over the Whitsun weekend is leaving swimmers feeling chilly: within a few days, the surface water temperature near the city of Geneva fell by around 8 degrees. This is due to a natural phenomenon that can be observed impressively on the Alplakes platform.

May 21, 2025Tyre abrasion gets from the road into adjacent soils and affects soil organisms. A joint study by the Ecotox Centre, the aquatic research institute Eawag and the EPFL now shows that earthworms avoid soil that is heavily contaminated with tyre particles. However, the particles had no negative effects on the survival and reproduction of the animals.

May 13, 2025The year 2024 was very warm and very wet, especially in early summer. This led to a welcome replenishment of groundwater reservoirs and record hydropower production, but also to severe flooding. In Bern, the focus was on the further expansion of hydropower and the pollution of water resources by pesticides and the "eternal chemicals" PFAS.

May 9, 2025The diversity of whitefish species in Swiss lakes is unique and plays a central role in lake ecosystems. A comprehensive Eawag report now summarises the results of 150 years of research on these fish. They make it clear that the mechanisms and environmental conditions that have contributed to their development must be taken into account in order to preserve this species diversity. Last but not least, protecting whitefish diversity helps to preserve the natural yield potential of lakes as a source of food for humans.

April 8, 2025To contain the spread of the invasive quagga mussel, Eawag researchers recommend swift action based on comprehensive prevention, early detection and containment.

April 3, 2025To predict toxic algal blooms, researchers from Eawag recommend a combination of species identification and chemical measurements. Now, a new study confirms that there is no magic formula and that, instead, specific indicator molecules are needed for each lake.

March 26, 2025Not only are the numbers of species declining, but the composition of species communities is also changing. This is shown by a new study published in the journal “Nature”.

March 11, 2025Storage hydropower plants contribute to the energy transition, but also affect river ecosystems. Sustainable management should not only account for individual hydropeaking events, but also their cumulative effects.

March 7, 2025New methods are making it possible to gain a more precise understanding of the role of organic molecules in the functioning of ecosystems. Researchers from Eawag and University of Zurich are therefore calling for a new “ecology of molecules”.