Covid-19: students want end to full university shutdowns
Students are currently studying online Keystone / Jean-christophe Bott
Swiss students are calling for teaching to be possible again at universities, and for their concerns to be addressed when the government decides next week on continuing or easing current restrictions to control the pandemic.
This content was published on April 10, 2021 - 10:00
April 10, 2021 - 10:00
Isobel Leybold-Johnson
Isobel trained as a journalist in Great Britain and speaks all three Swiss national languages. She reports on education for swissinfo.ch.
Universities went into shutdown in spring 2020 as part of measures to control the pandemic. They were able to reopen for lectures, under special hygiene requirements, for the autumn term only to be closed again in November when the second virus wave struck.
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Silica Nanoparticles Could Act as Degradable Treatment Against Plant Pathogens
Written by AZoNanoDec 15 2020
Scientists from the Adolphe Merkle Institute and the Department of Biology of the University of Fribourg have identified how some silica nanoparticles could serve as a degradable, traceless and highly efficient treatment against certain plant pathogens.
Image Credit: University of Fribourg.
Currently, one of the major challenges in agriculture is the higher use of pesticides and fertilizers. An increasing number of products have been either banned or regarded as dangerous for human and animal health. Thus, there is an acute need for alternatives.
One way is to trigger a plant s own immune response against pathogen attacks. Silicic acid occurs naturally in soil and is known to stimulate such responses in plants. Moreover, amorphous silica nanoparticles can discharge this substance in minuscule amounts.