The University of Basel will offer two new online courses this spring semester: «Examining African Contributions to Global Health» and «Gender and Labour in the Global South». Both courses are available free of charge to interested participants via the online platform FutureLearn.
Prof. Markus Rüegg and Dr. Judith Reinhard from the Biozentrum of the University of Basel have founded the start-up SEAL Therapeutics AG together with Dr. Thomas Meier, former CEO of Santhera Pharmaceuticals. Their goal is to treat congenital muscular dystrophy using gene therapy and to bring their research findings from the laboratory to the patient. To date, there is no treatment for this life-threatening genetic disease.
The spin-off Aukera Therapeutics, which was founded at the Biozentrum last year, has been selected for the start-up accelerator program BaseLaunch. The biotech company develops novel therapies for patients suffering from mTOR related diseases such as cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. mTOR plays a key role in cell growth control.
Nerve damage in multiple sclerosis can be detected via the concentration of neurofilament light chain in the blood. According to researchers from the University of Basel and University Hospital Basel, this neuron-specific protein provides valuable information on future disease course and the effectiveness of therapies.
The University Council has appointed Professor Georg Rauter as Associate Professor for Surgical Robotics in the Faculty of Medicine. Professor Stefan Willitsch has also been promoted to full professor and Professor Pablo Sinues to associate professor. Dr Annette Luther becomes the new vice president of the University Council.
Using a smartphone and ignoring other people in a moment of social interaction is known as phubbing (a blend of phone and snubbing). This habit can endanger relationships and threaten psychological well-being. Researchers at the University of Basel have now examined the factors that contribute to this behavior.
Hermaphroditic species face a fundamental question: how much energy should they expend on their male and female sides? Flatworms have found various answers to this question over the course of evolution – and the solutions are directly correlated with their mating behavior.
The Comites Latentes are a collection of over 200 manuscripts and fragments from the 6th to 20th century. These historical documents are now on loan from the current owners to Basel Historical Museum. They will be stored at Basel University Library, which will enable them to be used in teaching and research and eventually made accessible to the public.
Bed nets save lives in the long run. For the first time, a study indicates that children who sleep under a mosquito net at an early age are more likely to survive into adulthood. This is shown by a long-term study over two decades with 6,700 children in Tanzania.