New approaches to dark matter and neutrino detection

Two new initiatives in astroparticle and neutrino physics will be discussed: COUPP employs ultra-stable heavy liquid bubble chambers to search for WIMP dark matter. First results leading to improved limits on spin-dependent WIMP couplings will be presented, together with the most recent progress and prospects. COGENT aims at the detection of very faint ($\sim$100 eV) signals in detectors massive enough ($\sim$1 kg) to allow searches for rare processes, using recently developed p-type point contact (ppc) Germanium detectors. The broad range of applications (coherent neutrino scattering, light WIMP searches, double-beta decay) available to these new semiconductor devices will be described. First results from their underground operation will be presented, as well as the status of an ongoing reactor deployment.