Research news

Below is a selection of the latest news from the research at the University of Copenhagen. You can find all news from the University on the main news site.

Fluctuating coffee prices put mental pressure on Vietnamese farmers

Vietnamese coffee farmers are experiencing significantly more stress and psychological difficulties. This is due to highly volatile coffee prices on international markets, according to a new study by development…

Coronavirus uses unexpected part of the body to spread

Researchers have found an unexpected connection between coronavirus and Fragile X Syndrome, which is the most common hereditary cause of intellectual disability.

Foods of the future

Scientists use blue-green algae as a surrogate mother for "meat-like" proteins

Researchers from the University of Copenhagen have not only succeeded in using blue-green algae as a surrogate mother for a new protein – they have even coaxed the microalgae to produce "meat fibre-like" protein strands…

3D model: This is how the body’s building blocks are made

Human cells contain ribosomes, a complex machine that produces proteins for the rest of the body. Now the researchers have come closer to understanding how the ribosome works.

Fewer Ukrainian refugees in Denmark show symptoms of post-traumatic stress

A new study of Ukrainian refugees in Denmark shows a significant drop in the proportion reporting signs of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). But while more are thriving, many are also uncertain about the future.

Newly discovered brain cells play a key role in right and left turns

Researchers have discovered a network of neurons in the brain of mice that help them make right and left turns. In the future, the discovery may be used in treatment for Parkinson’s disease.

Weight loss treatment

With regular exercise, medical weight loss treatment does not have to be permanent

For nearly a year, we have been debating weight loss drugs like Wegovy, Zepbound, Saxenda and similar products and what happens when people stop taking them. Are they able to maintain weight loss? A new Danish study…

Week Sex: 6 myths about sexual health

Is herpes always contagious or only during outbreaks? Does the pill cause long-term infertility issues? And was female ‘hysteria’ really treated with orgasms by doctors in the past? Every year, there is an entire week…

Globally, women in labour are overtreated. The consequences are dire

Too many women receive oxytocin augmentation and undergo cesarean sections, exposing both women and children to unnecessary risks, a new analysis concludes. The prevalence of overtreatment is shocking, say the…

45,000-year-old bones shed light on modern humans’ arrival to Northwestern Europe

Based on bones determined to be from Homo sapiens, modern humans, an international research team discovered that modern humans reached Northwestern Europe earlier than we thought, and in a much colder environment.

New study reports that Greenland is a methane sink rather than a source

Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have concluded that the methane uptake in dry landscapes exceeds methane emissions from wet areas across the ice-free part of Greenland. The results of the new study contribut…

EU to support psychedelic therapy for patients with progressive incurable disease

A new research project is investigating whether the psychedelic drug psilocybin can be used for the psychological treatment of people with incurable illness. Now the EU will support the project with €6.5 million.