Different beak and jaw shapes are illustrative examples of how animal species have adapted to different food sources. In a new study published in the journal Nature, researchers now show how diet itself shapes the composition of intestinal tissue, using the highly diverse cichlid fishes as an example.
A blood stem cell donation can save the lives of people with leukemia. To collect these cells from the bloodstream, donors are given medication that mobilizes blood stem cells from the bone marrow. A pilot study now suggests that physical exercise could specifically support stem cell donation.
Millions of people worldwide carry viral infections they acquired at birth, often for life. For a long time it was assumed that the immune system hardly fights these pathogens. Researchers from the University of Basel show now that the body’s defenses do indeed act against the virus. This could be a useful starting point for future therapies.
The University of Basel closed the 2025 financial year with a deficit, as the newly published annual report shows. The balance sheet closed with a deficit of CHF 10.9 million, which was offset by funds from non-restricted equity.
The University Council has appointed Professor Samuel Allemann as professor of pharmaceutical care in the Faculty of Science. Furthermore, the university has initiated the process to select a successor to President Professor Andrea Schenker-Wicki and has confirmed several additional academic appointments.
In many diseases, damaged mitochondria play a central role. These small structures supply cells with energy. Researchers have now developed the system MitoCatch, which delivers healthy donor mitochondria specifically to the cells that need them most urgently.
Excavations beneath Basel’s Stadtcasino uncovered graves from the 17th century, including plague burials. Analysis by researchers at the University of Basel shows that it was primarily young people from lower social strata who fell victim to the disease.
A global study by the University of Basel reveals a surprising picture: while 42 percent of treelines worldwide are shifting upslope, 25 percent are retreating. This seemingly contradictory trend involves more than just warming. Climate change and human land use are interacting.
The University Council has appointed Professor Gertraud Gradl-Dietsch clinical professor of child and adolescent psychiatry in the Faculty of Medicine. She will also take over as director of the Clinic for Children and Adolescents at the University Psychiatric Clinics Basel (UPK).