Origin of life

Examining life from all sides

In 1995, in collaboration with my PhD supervisor Michel Mayor, I succeeded in discovering the first planet orbiting a star other than the Sun. It was to take years until the scientific community accepted our findings and grasped their implications. This began a series of advances that led to the discovery of many other extrasolar planets and spurred on the search for life beyond Earth.

I’m convinced that there’s life in the universe. The only question is whether we’ll ever find it. To this end, ETH Zurich set up a new research and teaching centre in 2022. Named the “Centre for Origin and Prevalence of Life”, it consists of over forty research groups from seven departments. This diversity is required, as the question of the origin of life – resembling a huge puzzle – needs a multi-perspective approach and research culture.

Read on to find out more about some of the younger researchers working on our mission and join us on one of the most exciting journeys of all – the journey to where life begins!