Gardens in urban areas can harbor a remarkable diversity of species. This has been found by researchers from the University of Basel in a field study carried out with the support of private garden owners from the Basel region. Furthermore, the research team shows that nature-friendly garden management and design can largely compensate for the negative effects of urbanization on biodiversity. The study will be presented at the public conference “Nature conservation in and around Basel” on 1 February 2019.
A genetic analysis of sticklebacks shows that isolated populations in similar environments develop in comparable ways. The basis for this is already present in the genome of their genetic ancestors. Evolutionary biologists from the University of Basel and the University of Nottingham report these insights in the journal Evolution Letters.
Next week is the day: on 6 February 2019, Kultkino will present eight short films that have been produced by researchers and filmmakers during a hackathon in Basel. The event is a collaboration between the University of Basel and Exposure Science Film Hackathon, which promotes science communication through film throughout Switzerland. The cinema audience is invited to vote for the best science film of the evening.
Organ transplant rejection is a major problem in transplantation medicine. Suppressing the immune system to prevent organ rejection, however, opens the door to life-threatening infections. Researchers at the Biozentrum of the University of Basel have now discovered a molecular approach preventing rejection of the transplanted graft while simultaneously maintaining the ability to fight against infections.
An innovative combination therapy can force malignant breast cancer cells to turn into fat cells. This can be used to prevent the formation of metastases in mice, as researchers at the University of Basel’s Department of Biomedicine recently reported in the journal Cancer Cell.
The most deadly aspect of breast cancer is metastasis. It spreads cancer cells throughout the body. Researchers at the University of Basel and the University Hospital of Basel have now discovered a substance that suppresses the formation of metastases. In the journal Cell, the team of molecular biologists, computational biologists, and clinicians reports on their interdisciplinary approach.
Publications of Prof. Alex Schier from the Biozentrum, University of Basel, and Harvard University were named "Breakthrough of the Year 2018" by the magazine “Science”. In their studies, his research team was able to reconstruct the developmental trajectories of individual embryonic cells for the first time.
The pneumonia causing pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa has developed a twin-track strategy to colonize its host. It generates two different cells – motile spreaders and virulent stickers. Researchers at the University of Basel’s Biozentrum have now elucidated how the germ attaches to tissue within seconds and consecutively spreads. Just like the business model: settling – growing – expanding.
Buruli ulcer is a neglected tropical disease (NTD) resulting in debilitating skin lesions and disabilities. The current antibiotic treatment is long and has severe adverse side effects. Researchers from the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH), which is associated with the University of Basel, together with colleagues from Singapore have discovered a highly effective compound against Buruli ulcer. This compound has the potential to become a powerful alternative to the existing treatment options, as the researchers report in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Communications.
