The possibility to control “forbidden” excitations of vibrations in molecules could form the basis of extremely accurate clocks, quantum bits and precise tests of the fundamental laws of physics. Researchers at the University of Basel have now identified and controlled such “forbidden” transitions in single isolated nitrogen molecules without destroying them.
In its meeting today, the Senate elected Professor Martin Wallraff as the new President of the University of Basel. The University Council promptly approved the decision. The church historian, who was a professor in Basel from 2005 to 2016, will succeed Professor Andrea Schenker-Wicki on 1 August 2027.
Forty years ago, the Schweizerhalle fire caused a massive fish die-off in the Rhine and shaped environmental protection efforts far beyond Switzerland. Professor Emerita Patricia Holm recalls the disaster and explains today's environmental threats.
How can we encourage people to adopt more environmentally friendly habits? To explore this question, a psychologist at the University of Basel asked participants in a study to take cold showers. Those who stuck with the routine experienced several benefits.
At yesterday’s meeting, the University Council discussed the process for developing a new university-wide strategy. The Council also approved one promotion and appointed six adjunct professors.
Cells constantly recycle proteins and other cellular components. But how do they ensure that the right cargo ends up in the right recycling vesicle – one of the cell’s transport carriers? A team at the University of Basel has identified a molecular switch that controls this process. The small protein ARF-1 ensures that recyclable cargo is efficiently loaded into transport vesicles and returned to the cell’s surface.
Researchers at the University of Basel have investigated how fine particles in exhaust emissions from aircraft and marine engines change in the atmosphere. Their findings show that aircraft emissions in particular become more toxic over time.
A gene therapy combined with special goggles can help people with a severe inherited retinal disease perceive simple visual information again. An international study involving the Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel (IOB) and the University of Basel has now found improvements in visual perception in several participants.
At first, it spread almost unnoticed, but for the past two years the tiger mosquito has been found throughout Basel. In recent years, Aedes albopictus has become a real nuisance, particularly because it is active during the day and can bite several times. Researchers from Swiss TPH and the University of Basel have now investigated how the canton can treat one of the mosquito’s breeding sites particularly effectively.