The proportion of harmful substances in particulate matter is much higher than assumed

Measured from the air in real time

02-Apr-2025 - People breathing contaminated air over the course of years are at greater risk of developing numerous diseases. This is thought to be due to highly reactive components in particulate matter, which affect biological processes in the body. However, researchers from the University of Basel have now ...

Testing the effect of thousands of compounds on cellular metabolism

New applications for tried and tested medications

30-Jan-2025 - Researchers at the University of Basel are able to test the effects of more than 1,500 compounds on cell metabolism in parallel. Their analysis also led to the discovery of previously unknown mechanisms for known drugs. This approach could help scientists better predict side effects and find ...

Precise Genetics: New CRISPR method enables efficient DNA modification

Two methods combined

01-Aug-2024 - The research group led by Prof. Markus Affolter at the Biozentrum, University of Basel, has developed a new method that further improves the existing CRISPR/Cas technologies: it allows a more precise and seamless introduction of tags into proteins at the gene level. This technology could ...

Using light to produce medication and plastics more efficiently

How the energy efficiency of photochemical reactions can be increased tenfold

20-Mar-2024 - Anyone who wants to produce medication, plastics or fertilizer using conventional methods needs heat for chemical reactions – but not so with photochemistry, where light provides the energy. The process to achieve the desired product also often takes fewer intermediate steps. Researchers from the ...

Light color is less important for the internal clock than originally thought

Ganglion cells are crucial

04-Jan-2024 - Light in the evening is thought to be bad for sleep. However, does the color of the light play a role? Researchers from the University of Basel and the Technical University of Munich (TUM) compared the influence of different light colors on the human body. The researchers’ findings contradict the ...

Breakthrough in the synthesis of artificial cells

Researchers develop artificial cells from synthetic materials

06-Dec-2023 - A groundbreaking study published in “Nature Chemistry” reveals a remarkable leap in the synthesis of artificial cells using synthetic materials, achieved by an international team led by Dr. Andrea Belluati, Prof. Nico Bruns (both TU Darmstadt) and Dr. Sètuhn Jimaja (University of Fribourg). These ...

Our circadian clock sets the rhythm for our cells’ powerhouses

07-Mar-2018 - Cellular energy metabolism also follows the rhythm of the circadian clock. A University of Basel study has now shown exactly how this works by revealing the relationship between the circadian rhythm and the mitochondrial network for the first time. Countless genetically controlled clocks tick ...

Like a Revolving Door: How Shuttling Proteins Operate Nuclear Pores

05-Sep-2017 - Nuclear pore complexes are tiny channels where the exchange of substances between the cell nucleus and the cytoplasm takes place. Scientists at the University of Basel report on startling new research that might overturn established models of nuclear transport regulation. Their study published in ...

Relocation of Proteins with a New Nanobody Tool

13-Apr-2017 - Researchers at the Biozentrum of the University of Basel have developed a new method by which proteins can be transported to a new location in a cell. The novel tool enables scientists to study the function of proteins depending on their position by using nanobodies. The tool can be used for a ...

Chemists create clusters of organelles by mimicking nature

03-Nov-2016 - Scientists from the University of Basel have succeeded in organizing spherical compartments into clusters mimicking the way natural organelles would create complex structures. They managed to connect the synthetic compartments by creating bridges made of DNA between them. This represents an ...