Most antibiotics need to penetrate their target bacteria. But Darobactin, a newly discovered compound, is much too large to do so. Nonetheless, it kills many antibiotic-resistant pathogens – by exploiting a tiny weak spot on their surface. Researchers at the Biozentrum, University of Basel, have now revealed the amazing mechanism at play and thereby opened the door to developing completely new medicines.Most antibiotics need to penetrate their target bacteria. But Darobactin, a newly discovered compound, is much too large to do so. Nonetheless, it kills many antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Researchers at the University of Basel have now revealed the amazing mechanism at play and thereby opened the door to developing completely new medicines.
When trees die during a period of drought, they die of thirst: researchers from the University of Basel have demonstrated in a field study that a rapid collapse in the hydraulic system is responsible for tree death. And they found out that the trees possibly die more rapidly than previously thought.
Conspiracy theories appear to be increasing in popularity as the Covid-19 pandemic continues. But to what extent do people really agree with them, and what is the association with cognitive biases? A research team from the University of Basel studied these questions in German-speaking Switzerland and Germany.
Bad news for allergy sufferers: The rising temperatures over the past three decades have impacted the onset, duration and intensity of the pollen season in Switzerland.
Lakes store huge amounts of methane. In a new study, environmental scientists at the University of Basel offer suggestions for how it can be extracted and used as an energy source in the form of methanol.
The recommendations are clear: physical activity is good for mental health. But it also depends on how varied it is. That's what a new study by researchers at the University of Basel shows, pointing to one of the reasons why well-being suffers during the pandemic.
The lungs are the primary, but not the only target of Covid-19. Early in the pandemic, Basel researchers were among the first to venture to perform autopsies on deceased Covid-19 patients, making important contributions to our understanding of the new infectious disease. Professor Alexandar Tzankov of the University of Basel is leading a research project highlighting the effects of the virus on the body’s tissues and organs.
Immune cells specialize to ensure the most efficient defense against viruses and other pathogens. Researchers at the University of Basel have shed light on this specialization of T cells and shown that it occurs differently in the context of an acute and a chronic infection. This could be relevant for new approaches against chronic viral infections.
Phylogenetic trees map the evolution and ancestral relationships of organisms. At least that is the theory. Researchers at the University of Basel have now revealed that for many bacteria this theory is based on mistaken assumptions. These phylogenies are not a reliable indicator of common ancestry but rather reflect how extensively different bacteria have exchanged genes with each other. This finding implies that the theories of how bacterial genomes evolve need to be completely reconsidered.
