Press releases

Current developments in research, university life, higher education policy and studying and teaching: Our press releases contain official information from the University of Vienna on academic findings, degree programmes and higher education topics. Our press mailing list will deliver everything directly to your inbox.

Older press releases can be found in the archive of the University of Vienna media portal.

Climate change slows Earth's spin: Day lengthening unprecedented in 3.6 million years

12.03.2026 Press release

Comparing fossil archives with modern measurements – Today's increase in day length stands out clearly in climate history

Polymers that crawl like worms: How materials can develop direction without being told where to go

05.03.2026 Press release

New findings can help to better understand DNA dynamics in living cells

Ancient symbiosis between plants and fungi: important insights for sustainable agriculture

03.03.2026 Press release

Picture of the long-term experiment on nutrient deficiency in grassland at the Raumberg-Gumpenstein Agricultural Research Station in Admont.

Low potassium and high nitrogen levels throw soils out of balance

Happiness in old age: living together counts more than a marriage certificate

18.02.2026 Press release

When older couples move in together, there is a significant increase in well-being – marriage, on the other hand, has no significant effect

New measurement method enables efficient real-time verification of quantum technologies

13.02.2026 Press release

Breakthrough through the use of optical switches for certifying quantum states

Emphasising the strengths of people with depression helps those affected

03.02.2026 Press release

Long-term study with over 700 participants shows the influence of social narratives on the situation of people with depression

Ancient DNA reveals 12,000-year-old case of rare genetic disease

29.01.2026 Press release

Picture of Daniel Fernandes preparing to take a sample.

Study reports the earliest genetic diagnosis in humans and provides new insight into rare diseases in prehistory

New ERC Proof of Concept for the University of Vienna

27.01.2026 Press release

[Translate to Englisch:] Portrait of Thomas Böttcher

Funding for chemist Thomas Böttcher

Perceiving AI as a 'job killer' negatively influences attitudes towards democracy

26.01.2026 Press release

When people perceive artificial intelligence as replacing human labour, trust in democracy and political participation decline

Metal clumps in quantum state: Vienna research team breaks records

22.01.2026 Press release

Picture of the Multi-Scale Cluster Interference Experiment (MUSCLE) at the University of Vienna.

Solid metallic nanoparticles in a "Schrödinger's cat state"

Microplastics in the atmosphere: higher emissions from land areas than from the ocean

21.01.2026 Press release

Study reveals large discrepancies between emission estimates and measurements of microplastics in the atmosphere

THE Subject Ranking: University of Vienna with 6 subjects among the top 100 worldwide

21.01.2026 Press release

University of Vienna ranks #22 in the Arts and Humanities category

First ancient human herpesvirus genomes document their deep history with humans

02.01.2026 Press release

Picture of one of the authors at work in the contamination-controlled ancient DNA laboratory at the University of Tartu.

Genomic data confirm that certain human herpesviruses became part of the human genome thousands of years ago

How Pointing Fingers Shape What We See in Old Master Paintings

16.12.2025 Press release

Picture of Theodor Rombouts, The Card Players

Eye tracking experiment reveals that depicted pointing gestures increase attention to pointer's faces, target areas and narrative connections

New ERC Consolidator Grant for the University of Vienna

09.12.2025 Press release

Funding for chemist Dennis Kurzbach – making the invisible visible in molecular Sciences

First observation of ultra-thin two-dimensional materials in a state between solid and liquid

05.12.2025 Press release

Picture of a Protochips Fusion heating stage and chip used in the Nion electrical module.

Novel insights into atomic-scale phase transitions in real materials

Pleasant-sounding words are easier to remember

04.12.2025 Press release

People perceive words with different sounds as differing in their beauty

New insight into the functional principles of eye Evolution

01.12.2025 Press release

Researchers uncover a light-regulated stem cell system that drives life-long eye growth in marine bristleworms

New Christian Doppler Laboratory at the University of Vienna

28.11.2025 Press release

Portrait von Assoz.-Prof. Dr. Michael Zumstein.

Research for sustainable solutions: Focus on the biodegradation of water-soluble polymers

Orange the World: International campaign to prevent violence against women

25.11.2025 University

The UN campaign ‘Orange the World’ is an annual initiative that takes place every year between the International Day for the Elimination of Violence…

Vampires in the Deep: An Ancient Link Between Octopuses and Squids

21.11.2025 Press release

Picture of a vampire squid (Vampyroteuthis sp.).

A "genomic living fossil" reveals how evolution of octopuses and squids diverged more than 300 million years ago