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Centre for Origin and Prevalence of Life (COPL) at ETH Zurich @copl-eth.bsky.social · 10/12/2025

COPL 101 Lunch Seminar with Prof. Dr. Shinichi Sunagawa, ETH Zurich, @eth-dbiol.bsky.social "A genomic view of Earth’s microbial diversity" Friday, 12 December 2025, 12:30pm, HIT F 23.2, ETH Hönggerberg copl.ethz.ch/events/detai...

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Centre for Origin and Prevalence of Life (COPL) at ETH Zurich @copl-eth.bsky.social · 19/11/2025

What if the origins of life weren’t a single pathway, but a whole network of chemistry + biology speaking to each other from the very beginning? Our latest post from John Sutherland’s talk explores this integrative view. 🔗 copl.ethz.ch/news/COPL-ne...

copl.ethz.ch

Exploring the Origins of Life: A Holistic Perspective

At the recent COPL Colloquium, John Sutherland presented a compelling vision for unraveling one of science’s most profound mysteries: the origin of life. His talk emphasized that understanding life’s ...

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Centre for Origin and Prevalence of Life (COPL) at ETH Zurich @copl-eth.bsky.social · 09/10/2025

COPL 101 Lunch Seminar with Dr. Rhonda Morgan, Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), NASA/Caltech "Revolutionizing Design: Optimizing HWO Architecture for Biosignature Detection from NUV to NIR Wavelengths" Friday, 10 October 2025, 12:30pm, NO D 45, ETH Zentrum copl.ethz.ch/events/detai...

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ETH Zurich @ethz.ch · 08/10/2025

Thirty years ago, Swiss physicist Didier Queloz discovered the first planet outside our solar system, revolutionising astrophysics. In 2019, he received the Nobel Prize for his discovery. But he still hasn’t had enough. Why? Find out in the video. 👇

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Reposted by Centre for Origin and Prevalence of Life (COPL) at ETH Zurich

ETH Zurich @ethz.ch · 18/09/2025

Are distant exoplanets really ocean worlds? 🌍✨ New ETH Zurich research shows they’re much drier than believed — with only limited water on their surfaces. This changes how we search for habitable planets and suggests Earth may not be so unique after all. Read more:

ethz.ch

Exoplanets are not water worlds

There is much less water on the surfaces of distant planets outside our solar system than previously thought. These exoplanets do not have thick layers of water, as was often speculated. That’s the co...

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Reposted by Centre for Origin and Prevalence of Life (COPL) at ETH Zurich

ETH Zurich @ethz.ch · 25/09/2025

Forschende der ETH Zürich konnten erstmals messen, wie sich die Menge an gelöstem organischem Kohlenstoff im Meer über die Jahrmillionen verändert hat. Die Resultate zeigen, dass unsere Erklärungen, wie Eiszeiten und komplexes Leben entstanden, lückenhaft sind. Mehr Dazu:

ethz.ch

Eierförmige Steinchen werfen neues Licht auf Erdgeschichte

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Centre for Origin and Prevalence of Life (COPL) at ETH Zurich @copl-eth.bsky.social · 16/09/2025

Our NOMIS–ETH fellow Antonin Affholder recently joined SETI Live to discuss his study on the potential for microscopic life in Titan’s ocean.

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Reposted by Centre for Origin and Prevalence of Life (COPL) at ETH Zurich

Leverhulme Centre for Origin of Life in the Universe @lclu.bsky.social · 09/09/2025

The Leverhulme Centre for Life in the Universe Senior Fellowship programme is now open. Further details and how to apply www.cam.ac.uk/jobs/lclu-se... @leverhulme.ac.uk

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Centre for Origin and Prevalence of Life (COPL) at ETH Zurich @copl-eth.bsky.social · 05/09/2025

📣 Open Call – Applications are now open for the 2025 NOMIS–ETH Postdoctoral Fellowships at the @copl-eth.bsky.social. @ethz.ch A great opportunity for early-career researchers to lead interdisciplinary projects on the origin & prevalence of life. Learn more and apply: shorturl.at/RfjJJ

copl.ethz.ch

Open Call for NOMIS–ETH Postdoctoral Fellowships

The 2025 call for applications for the NOMIS–ETH Fellowship Programme within the Centre for Origin and Prevalence of Life is open. Researchers are invited to apply until 7 November 2025, at 17:00 Zuri...

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Centre for Origin and Prevalence of Life (COPL) at ETH Zurich @copl-eth.bsky.social · 08/07/2025

COPL Special Seminar with Prof. Benjamin Tutolo, University of Calgary "Salty Waters: Life’s Origins and Biological Habitability on Earth (and Mars?)" Monday, 14 July 2025, 15:15pm, NO E 39, ETH Zentrum @eth-eaps.bsky.social copl.ethz.ch/events/detai...

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Centre for Origin and Prevalence of Life (COPL) at ETH Zurich @copl-eth.bsky.social · 03/07/2025

Last week, we took a trip into the Bedretto Lab. Led by Cara Magnabosco, the visit explored her team’s work on rock-breathing microbes living below the surface. Funded by COPL, her research blends metagenomics, cryo-EM & machine learning to study deep life. 🌍🪐 More here: shorturl.at/4I0Dd

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Reposted by Centre for Origin and Prevalence of Life (COPL) at ETH Zurich

ETH Zurich @ethz.ch · 13/06/2025

Many types of bacteria produce a protein complex that injects toxins into neighbouring cells to eliminate competitors. For the first time, researchers at ETH Zurich and Eawag discovered that these killer bacteria also use this weapon to feed on their neighbours. ethz.ch/en/news-and-...

ethz.ch

Bacteria fight and feast with the same tool

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Reposted by Centre for Origin and Prevalence of Life (COPL) at ETH Zurich

ETH Zurich @ethz.ch · 11/06/2025

Phytoplankton in the ocean is key to CO2 sequestration. Now researchers found a cycle of micronutrients for its growth which was thought of as non-existent. ethz.ch/en/news-and-...

ethz.ch

How trace elements are recycled in the deep sea

Trace metals such as iron or zinc that are stored in deep-sea sediments are lost forever to phytoplankton on the ocean surface. This is what geochemists believed for a long time about the cycle of mic...

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Centre for Origin and Prevalence of Life (COPL) at ETH Zurich @copl-eth.bsky.social · 21/05/2025

COPL 101 Lunch Seminar with Prof. Caroline Dorn, @ethz.ch "New insights into super-Earths and sub-Neptunes" Friday, 23 May 2025, 12:30pm, NO D 45, ETH Zentrum copl.ethz.ch/events/detai...

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Reposted by Centre for Origin and Prevalence of Life (COPL) at ETH Zurich

Department of Biology, ETH Zurich @eth-dbiol.bsky.social · 15/05/2025

Breaking news and a great honour for D-BIOL professor Jörn Piel: he wins the very prestigious Jung Prize for Medicine! Our congratulations! ethz.ch/en/news-and-...

ethz.ch

ETH microbiologist honoured with prestigious European medical award

Chemist and microbiologist Jörn Piel combs through the vast world of bacteria for new natural substances to combat the antibiotic crisis. The ETH professor has now been honoured for his research with ...

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Centre for Origin and Prevalence of Life (COPL) at ETH Zurich @copl-eth.bsky.social · 15/05/2025

COPL 101 Lunch Seminar with Prof. Dongyang Huang, Peking University "Sequestration of volatiles into cores of rocky planets" Friday, 16 May 2025, 12:30pm, HIT F 23.2, ETH Hönggerberg copl.ethz.ch/events/detai...

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Reposted by Centre for Origin and Prevalence of Life (COPL) at ETH Zurich

ETH Zurich @ethz.ch · 14/05/2025

What if we couldn't find #Life in #Space? Find out on Fraiser Cain's 'Universe Today' podcast, featuring ETH researcher Daniel Angerhausen from the Centre for the Origin and Prevalence of Life. @copl-eth.bsky.social @eth-eaps.bsky.social @fcain.universetoday.com

youtube.com

The Tricky Part of Finding Extraterrestrial Life

YouTube video by Fraser Cain

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Reposted by Centre for Origin and Prevalence of Life (COPL) at ETH Zurich

ETH Zurich @ethz.ch · 16/04/2025

The planned space missions to search for remote life will provide valuable insights even if they do not find any evidence of life, says astrophysicist Daniel Angerhausen. ethz.ch/en/news-and-...

ethz.ch

What if we don’t find any life on the exoplanets, Doctor Angerhausen?

The planned space missions to search for remote life will provide valuable insights even if they do not find any evidence of life, says astrophysicist Daniel Angerhausen.

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Centre for Origin and Prevalence of Life (COPL) at ETH Zurich @copl-eth.bsky.social · 15/04/2025

COPL 101 Lunch Seminar with Prof. Alexandra Turchyn, @cambridgeuni.bsky.social "Earth's habitable climate: The role of the ocean crust in regulating the carbon cycle over geological time" Wednesday, 30 April 2025, 12:30pm, HIT F 23.2, ETH Hönggerberg. copl.ethz.ch/events/detai...

copl.ethz.ch

COPL 101 Lunch Seminar with Prof. Alexandra Turchyn

Earth's habitable climate: The role of the ocean crust in regulating the carbon cycle over geological time

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Centre for Origin and Prevalence of Life (COPL) at ETH Zurich @copl-eth.bsky.social · 09/04/2025

Working on natural or directed evolution? A 5-day summer school in Lausanne this July will bring together students across fields to explore evolution at multiple scales – molecular to microbial. Register by 1 May 2025: evolution-school25.epfl.ch

evolution-school25.epfl.ch

Evolution by Nature and by Design

From molecules to populations

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Centre for Origin and Prevalence of Life (COPL) at ETH Zurich @copl-eth.bsky.social · 08/04/2025

COPL 101 Lunch Seminar with Prof. Dr. Audrey Vorburger, @unibe.ch "The Search for Life in the Outer Solar System" The seminar will take place on Friday, 11 April 2025, at 12:30pm, in NO D 45, ETH Zentrum. copl.ethz.ch/events/detai... @eth-eaps.bsky.social

copl.ethz.ch

COPL 101 Lunch Seminar with Prof. Audrey Vorburger

The Search for Life in the Outer Solar System

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Reposted by Centre for Origin and Prevalence of Life (COPL) at ETH Zurich

Earth and Planetary Sciences at ETH Zurich @eth-eaps.bsky.social · 01/04/2025

Wie kam das Leben auf die Erde? Maria Schönbächler will das herausfinden und untersucht deshalb Meteoriten. Im SRF «Focus»-Podcast gibt sie Einblick in ihre Forschung und ihren Werdegang von der Postbeamtin zur Wissenschaftlerin an der @ethzurich.bsky.social, wo sie seit 10 Jahren lehrt.

srf.ch

Maria Schönbächler, wann schlägt der nächste grosse Meteorit ein?

Wie kam Leben auf die Erde? Gute Frage. Maria Schönbächler will sie beantworten. Dafür untersucht sie Meteoriten. Mit ihrer Doktorarbeit konnte sie zeigen, dass die Erde früher entstand, als bis…

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Centre for Origin and Prevalence of Life (COPL) at ETH Zurich @copl-eth.bsky.social · 26/03/2025

COPL 101 Lunch Seminar with Prof. Klára Hlouchová @hlouchova-lab.bsky.social "Why these amino acids?" The seminar will take place on Wednesday, 2 April 2025, at 12:30pm, in HIT F 23.2, ETH Hönggerberg. copl.ethz.ch/events/detai... @eth-bsse.bsky.social @eth-dbiol.bsky.social

copl.ethz.ch

COPL 101 Lunch Seminar with Prof. Klara Hlouchova

Why these amino acids?

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Reposted by Centre for Origin and Prevalence of Life (COPL) at ETH Zurich

ETH Zurich @ethz.ch · 25/03/2025

Life requires sufficient #Phosphorus, which is scarce. Researchers in the #OriginOfLife field have found #Answers about where adequate phosphorus existed four billion years ago for life to emerge. ethz.ch/en/news-and-...

ethz.ch

Were large soda lakes the cradle of life?

Life needs sufficient phosphorus. However, the element is scarce, not only today but also at the time of the origin of life. So where was there sufficient phosphorus four billion years ago for life to...

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Reposted by Centre for Origin and Prevalence of Life (COPL) at ETH Zurich

Pilhofer Lab 🦠❄️🔬 @pilhoferlab.bsky.social · 21/03/2025

Asgard archaea have actin - but what about microtubules? Where do they come from? 🧐 Our new paper www.cell.com/cell/fulltex... by @xujwet.bsky.social & @florianwollweber.bsky.social, in collaboration with the Schleper & Wieczorek labs, describes tiny Asgard microtubules! #TeamTomo #ArchaeaSky 1/6

Credit: Margot Riggi (@margotriggi.bsky.social), Max-Planck Institute of Biochemistry (@mpibiochem.bsky.social)

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Reposted by Centre for Origin and Prevalence of Life (COPL) at ETH Zurich

Earth and Planetary Sciences at ETH Zurich @eth-eaps.bsky.social · 18/03/2025

Astronomy on Tap Zurich is back with its third event "Unlocking the Universe: From Cosmic Beginnings to Invisible Waves!". Wednesday, 26 March 2025, 18.30 New location at Amboss Rampe, Zurich Be sure to get your free ticket and secure your space. www.eventbrite.com/e/astronomy-...

Promotional image for the AoT event on 26. March 2025.

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Centre for Origin and Prevalence of Life (COPL) at ETH Zurich @copl-eth.bsky.social · 18/03/2025

COPL 101 Lunch Seminar with Dr. Vasil Gaisin @ethzurich.bsky.social @eth-dbiol.bsky.social "Imaging ultra-small microbial cells from deep subsurface environment" The seminar will take place on Friday, 21 March 2025, at 12:30pm, in HIT F 23.2, ETH Hönggerberg. copl.ethz.ch/events/detai...

copl.ethz.ch

COPL 101 Lunch Seminar with Dr. Vasil Gaisin

Imaging ultra-small microbial cells from deep subsurface environment

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Centre for Origin and Prevalence of Life (COPL) at ETH Zurich @copl-eth.bsky.social · 14/03/2025

How did life begin? Are we alone? Scientists at @copl-eth.bsky.social explore life’s origins, from early Earth chemistry to meteorite-delivered building blocks. Meanwhile, the LIFE mission, led by Sascha Quanz, searches for biosignatures in exoplanet atmospheres. Read more: shorturl.at/OEnum

tagblatt.ch

Die Suche nach Leben

Wo und wie das Leben auf der Erde entstand, ist ein Rätsel. Forscher der ETH wollen es lösen - und suchen auch nach Leben in anderen Sonnensystemen.

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Reposted by Centre for Origin and Prevalence of Life (COPL) at ETH Zurich

Department of Biology, ETH Zurich @eth-dbiol.bsky.social · 13/03/2025

Julia Vorholt wins the 2025 Novonesis Biotechnology Prize for her groundbreaking research on plant microbiomes! Our congratulations to this outstanding achievement! 🎉 biol.ethz.ch/en/news-and-...

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Centre for Origin and Prevalence of Life (COPL) at ETH Zurich @copl-eth.bsky.social · 13/03/2025

COPL 101 Lunch Seminar with Dr. Craig Walton NOMIS–ETH Fellow at @copl-eth.bsky.social, @eth-eaps.bsky.social "New ideas of origins: Earth, life, and animals" The seminar will take place on Friday, 14 March 2025, at 12:30pm, in NO D 45, ETH Zentrum. copl.ethz.ch/events/detai...

copl.ethz.ch

COPL 101 Lunch Seminar with Dr. Craig Walton

https://copl.ethz.ch/events/details.new-ideas-of-origins-earth-life-and-animals.73651.html

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Reposted by Centre for Origin and Prevalence of Life (COPL) at ETH Zurich

ETH Zurich @ethz.ch · 07/02/2025

For decades, scientists have been speculating that Venus’ perpetual cloud cover might host life.... Join the Colloquium with @saraseager.bsky.social to find out, whether Venus could be potentially habitable. 📆 20.02. 🕜 12.30-13.30h 📍 HIT E Siemens Auditorium copl.ethz.ch/events/detai...

copl.ethz.ch

Event information

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