When we train the reaching for and grasping of objects, we also train our brain. In other words, this action brings about changes in the connections of a certain neuronal population in the red nucleus, a region of the midbrain. Researchers at the University of Basel’s Biozentrum have discovered this group of nerve cells in the red nucleus. They have also shown how fine motor tasks promote plastic reorganization of this brain region.
Natural products, or their close derivatives, make some of our most potent medicines, among which macrocycles are one class. The size and complexity of macrocycles has made it difficult to emulate and build on Nature’s success in the laboratory. By completing a complex molecular synthesis of these compounds attached to a unique identifying DNA strand, the Chemists of the University of Basel have built a rich collection of natural product-like macrocycles that can be mined for new medicines.
T3 Pharmaceuticals AG wins the W.A. de Vigier Foundation’s highest endowed award for startup companies in Switzerland of 100,000 Swiss Francs. The spin-off from the Biozentrum of the University of Basel works in the field of immuno-oncology and convinced the jury with their innovative therapeutic approach to fighting cancer with live bacteria.
Professor Uwe Pühse of the Department of Sport, Exercise and Health at the University of Basel has been awarded a UNESCO Chair in "Physical Activity and Health in Educational Settings". The Chair will examine the relationships between exercise and sport, health and academic performance, and develop specific improvement measures. Professor Cheryl Walter from Nelson Mandela University in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, has been appointed Co-Chair.
Werner Arber, Professor emeritus of Microbiology and Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine in 1978 celebrates his 90th birthday on 3 June 2019. Werner Arber is one of the founding members of the University of Basel’s Biozentrum and former president of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences. He also made other important contributions to science policy.
The President`s Board of the University of Basel has appointed Prof. Dr. Giusi Moffa as Assistant Professor of Statistics.
Nanopharmacy promises to deliver pioneering innovations in drug development. For this cutting-edge technology, the University of Basel is setting up two professorships in Nanopharmaceutical and Regulatory Science, which are to receive CHF 10 million in funding from Vifor Pharma Group. This public-private partnership aims to provide Switzerland with the tools and skilled workers it needs to face the global competition.
Physicists at the University of Basel are able to show for the first time how a single electron looks in an artificial atom. A newly developed method enables them to show the probability of an electron being present in a space. This allows improved control of electron spins, which could serve as the smallest information unit in a future quantum computer.
Flora Colledge is a postdoc and professional triathlete. At the Department of Sport, Exercise and Health at the University of Basel, the sports scientist is heading a study on “movement addiction.” The aim is to fundamentally investigate and classify the phenomenon, as sports addiction has not yet been recognized as either a disease or a disorder. This is also of relevance to the development of support measures for those affected.
