Researchers at the Biozentrum of the University of Basel have discovered a “clockwork” mechanism that controls cell division in bacteria. In two publications, in “Nature Communications” und “PNAS”, they report how a small signaling molecule starts the “clock”, which informs the cell about the right time to reproduce.
Young people make intensive use of digital networks to read, write and comment on literary texts. But their reading behavior varies considerably depending on whether the title is from the world of popular or classic literature, as revealed by a new study that takes the reading platform Wattpad as an example.
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The International Day of Women and Girls in Science will take place on 11 February. To mark this day, physicists from the University of Basel are hosting a public panel discussion with guests from industry and research. The aim is to discuss strategies for increasing gender balance in science. The program also features an exhibition on famous female scientists and demonstration experiments aimed at capturing the interest of schoolgirls in particular. In the run-up to the event, UniNews spoke to the two women behind it.
Terence Tao is one of the most important mathematicians of our time. The Fields Medalist, who teaches in California, will give a lecture at the University of Basel next week. He will talk about the notorious Collatz conjecture – only by appearance the simplest mathematical problem.
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has awarded the Sjöberg Prize 2020 jointly to Prof. Michael N. Hall, Biozentrum of the University of Basel, and Prof. David M. Sabatini, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA. The two scientists receive this international award for their discovery of mTOR and its role in the control of cell metabolism and growth.
When choosing between multiple alternatives, people usually focus their attention on the two most promising options. The quicker we do that, the faster we make the decision, as report Psychologists from the University of Basel.
An interdisciplinary team from the University of Basel has succeeded in creating a direct path for artificial nanocontainers to enter into the nucleus of living cells. To this end, they produced biocompatible polymer vesicles that can pass through the pores that decorate the membrane of the cell nucleus. In this way, it might be possible to transport drugs directly into the cell’s control center.
What can be reused and what can be disposed of? Cells also face this tricky task. Researchers from the Biozentrum of the University of Basel have now discovered a cellular machine, called FERARI, that sorts out usable proteins for recycling. In Nature Cell Biology, they explain how FERARI works and why it is so special.
Information about an artwork has no effect on the aesthetic experience of museum visitors. The characteristics of the artwork itself have a much stronger impact on observers. Psychologists from the University of Basel reached these conclusions in a new study.