A team of physicists and chemists has produced the first porous graphene ribbons in which specific carbon atoms in the crystal lattice are replaced with nitrogen atoms. These ribbons have semiconducting properties that make them attractive for applications in electronics and quantum computing, as reported by researchers from the Universities of Basel, Bern, Lancaster and Warwick in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
Professor Fiona Doetsch from the Biozentrum of the University of Basel has been elected as a new member of the prestigious European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO).
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is still a relatively young approach from behavioral therapy, but has already proven itself in the treatment of a wide range of mental disorders. A study at the University of Basel and the University Psychiatric Clinics Basel will now examine the transdiagnostic effectiveness of ACT in greater depth. An avatar is also used to supplement the therapy. A conversation with study leader Professor Andrew Gloster.
There is less fear of coronavirus since the end of the lockdown, but 40% of the population still feels more stressed than before the pandemic began. These are the results from the analysis of the University of Basel’s Swiss Corona Stress Study. The prevalence of severe depressive symptoms remained relatively high, even after restrictions were lifted. Interestingly, older people appeared to be less susceptible to depressive symptoms during the coronavirus crisis.
Where various ethnic groups live together, cities grow at a slower rate. That is the conclusion reached by a researcher from the University of Basel and his colleagues based on worldwide data that shows how the diversity of language groups in 1975 has influenced urban growth 40 years later. The scientists have reported their findings in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Anyone who owns a smartphone, uses social media or drives a “smart” car unwittingly reveals a lot about themselves. Even data that doesn’t seem sensitive today could in future allow unforeseen conclusions to be drawn about a person’s health, as ethicist Christophe Schneble of the Institute for Biomedical Ethics of the University of Basel explains in this interview.
Botond Roska, Professor at the University of Basel and Director of the Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel (IOB), will receive the Körber European Science Prize for 2020. The award, worth EUR 1 million, is one of the most prestigious science prizes for researchers in Europe.
The company Artidis, a University of Basel spin-off, has announced that it developed a test procedure that can detect breast cancer with a very high sensitivity. This is demonstrated by a clinical trial that investigated whether a nanomechanical biomarker of tissue samples is suitable for the diagnosis of breast cancer.
On 19 June, the Federal Council communicated further relaxation steps. The situation is now classified as "special" and no longer as "extraordinary". In an interview, President Andrea Schenker-Wicki explains how the University is preparing for the autumn semester and what challenges will have to be overcome in the coming months.
